đ Deeper Reflection â 10: Technical Serendipity & Coffee Shop Sparks
The magic of technology outages, Japanese coffee connection, and the visual depth of read-alouds.
Hello Fellow Explorer,
Have you ever experienced serendipity? Whether youâre a fan of the idea or not, itâs a one of the âdelightsâ across my creative journey, but this weekâs iteration was definitely a new one for me.
I had written an entirely different post ready to publish, but Substackâs platform outage magically led to todayâs pivot - was it meant to be? Well, I struggled to sleep because my brain was still buzzing from all the sparks ignited during last nightâs experience...wander with me to find out?
đĽ The Spark
Meeting Amy I Beeson đ through Claire Venus â¨â Sparkle On Substack community was how last night came to be (huge shoutout to Claire!). I remember Amy sharing about her events: Substack Writersâ Meet-Ups, Writing Circles, etc... I was fascinated.
What was a Writersâ Meet-Up?
When I learned that some people read their writing aloud, it was an immediate spark â live scribing writing excerpts... could I? It was a supercharged creative challenge that Iâd never actually considered, and had me all fired-up!
Amy agreed to meet for coffee. Mitsuba ended up being the locale of my first ever Japanese Coffee experience; the venue being warm inside, sitting cross-legged by the window, shoes off, connecting about creative practice.
âI saved you a spot for Mondayâs Meet-Up,â Amy said, âI really think youâll enjoy it!â Little did I know it would lead to such creative depth...
đ¤ The Reflection: A Night of Firsts and Unexpected Connections
The table by the window was full at Riverside Studios, as I entered with my dripping umbrella and took a seat next to another Georgina â what are the chances?!
I ordered a caesar salad, garlic bread, and a sparkling lemonade, listening curiously as everyone shared their joyful growth experiences on Substack. Thereâs always something new to learn!
What do you notice about new surroundings? The sun had set, and despite the evening fog, I could just make out the outline of Londonâs Hammersmith bridge â like something straight out of a Sherlock Holmes novel.
It wasnât long before Amy invited us up to the Readersâ Lounge: comfy blue sofas, a circle of chairs, a soft spotlight, and hanging amber tea lights drizzling a wee bit of magical ambiance.
I made sure to sit in a sturdy chair to capture the read-alouds on my iPad, and I could see others noticing as I opened Adobe Fresco. I had never captured read-alouds before, so the pressure was real.
Nevertheless, I was determined to give this a go!
Our talented host began with introductions, then welcomed the readers one-by-one: Amy Fallon, Alexandra Sara, Hannah Ashe, and Jessica Montoya bravely shared excerpts.
Without full context, setting up the artboard or knowing the length of each read-aloud was challenging. I noticed I was scribbling messy icons and text, but that didnât bother me â I was in uncharted waters and super excited to experiment.
After each reading, Amy shared thoughtful feedback from her notebook (a brilliant idea â she must have read each them ahead!). What really stood out was her warm invitation for community feedback, using inquisitive questions to help us purposefully frame our thoughts. Truly inspiring.
As though oblivious that I was graphically recording, I found my arm raised to share.
Looking at my visual notes, I could talk about the transformation of âhomeâ in Amy Fallonâs piece, as well as connect into her lockdown journey â all because I had illustrated the ideas. Would I have comprehended that depth just from listening alone? Doubtful, as my attention span isnât what it used to be!
Sketchnoting is such a powerful tool for focusing, presence & critical reflection.
Something else surprised me. I organically started capturing Amyâs feedback, then the communityâs sentiments too, shrinking my notes to make enough space.
Community is how I began my sketchnoting journey some years ago, so I shouldnât have been surprised, but it created a lovely, holistic curation of each read-aloud. I cannot wait to finish and share it!
(Part of me wants to share about each piece here, but that wouldnât honor their depth. Instead, Iâll reformat my visual notes as a creative response soon â stay tuned!)
At the end of the evening, the gentleman next to me shared how fascinating it was to watch my listening process and how it deepened engagement. I smiled with gratitude.
Isnât it always nice to feel that your creative practice is seen... and felt?
Iâm so intrigued to see where this leads.
What other events could be captured visually?
Which communities would benefit?
Where might this craft impact next?
đŹ The Invitation
There will always be ways to challenge your craft and connect through it. What Iâm curiously wondering is:
What new community experiences would you consider exploring, to challenge your creative muscles and share your voice more bravely?
đşď¸ The Wondering Path
To Read: Explore the work of Amy Beeson and the community she fosters for writers.
Go Deeper in the Archive:
For a Taste of Co-Creation: Revisit the replay of âBuilding A Visual Bridgeâ livestream where we co-created our newsletter header.
On Embracing New Challenges: Read âThe Reckless Art of Beginningâ about the joy of taking unplanned creative detours.
đ Join Us in The Wonder Atelier
⥠LIVE Sparks: On Wednesdays, We WONDER! (S1E20): Join us live tomorrow (Wednesday, Oct 22nd) at 5:30pmđŹđ§BST for âGamifying Our Wonder, Together!â
Co-Wondering Space Meet-up: Our next meetup is Thursday, October 23rd at 6:30amđ¨đŚMDT | 7:30amđşđ¸CDT | 1:30pmđŹđ§BST | 2:30pmđŠđŞCEST | 6:00pmđŽđłIST, for a special community connection, and weâd love to see you there!
With magic in the air,
Georgina â¨đ
Founder & Fellow Explorer, Creatively Wondering
P.S. If you enjoy these deeper reflections, the real magic happens when we discuss them together in our monthly âCo-Wondering Spaceâ meetups. Become a Wonder Weaver to join the live conversation.
So wonderful to meet you Georgina!! Hopefully see you at Write Up (Christmas edition!)
From one Georgina to another, I very much enjoyed meeting you last night. Sounds like there will be two Georginas reading at the next event đ