Hello. Hi. Welcome.
We’re trying something new. We’d like you to be a part of it.
We’re professional creatives. There are more of us in Knoxville than you might realize.
We spend our days doing websites/videos/social media/journalism/teaching/advertising/public relations/ photography/graphics/events/food/art/music/UX and many other disciplines.
We’d think it’d be great to get all these kinds of people together.
You know. The Creative Kind.
First, the
Backstory
A few weeks ago, a small group of folks who make their livings in creative got together, and lamented the fact that since COVID, we’ve lost opportunities to interact.
Many of the professional associations we’ve enjoyed over the years stopped programming, and have yet to restart.
There’s a void there.
So we thought that we should consider some ways for creative minds to interact. Collaborate. Brainstorm. Commiserate. Drink beer or coffee. Educate each other.
And make each other better.
Our Manifesto.
(Draft 1)
We hold these truths to be self-evident:
1. That East Tennessee is a rapidly growing location for creative professionals.
2. But with COVID, online technologies, and fewer professional networking opportunities, we’re missing something important:
3. The chance to get to know each other, learn from each other, and help each other’s careers.
4. We think we should help fix this.
5. Also, in 2024, we’ll see the first wave of new creatives to join the workforce since the pandemic. They were high school seniors and college freshmen when the lights went out—when COVID stopped creative people from networking and forming lasting relationships.
6. It’s been reported that many of these young people don’t understand why personal networking is important and how it can help them more than an online search. Another reason we might need a new networking group.
7. Fun fact: the difference between the value a communications class at Harvard and at the University of Tennessee is not that much, content wise. The reason people pay a lot more at Harvard comes from the personal connections you get with influential people.
8. And since there are more influential creative people in East Tennessee than ever, the opportunity to build professional connections has never been better.
9. With the kind people who are the same kind of folks as you.
10. You know. The Creative Kind.
11. We don’t pretend to know all the answers for what this organization should be.
12. We’ll need your help and creative input.
13. We think we’ll want to have informal get-togethers, plus education programs, plus other things that will inform, inspire, and stimulate. But we’ll all decide what this group will become.
14. We’ll keep the structure relaxed, non-cliqueish, and fun.
15. If we can pull this off, magical things will happen.
16. You’ll connect with people who think like you do.
17. KINDred spirits.
18. And build relationships that can benefit you for the rest of your life.
See some holes (philosophical, organizational, political, psychological, font choice, etc.) in our manifesto? You’re invited to contribute your creative skills to make it better. That’s why we’re here.