The start of October usually signals the beginning of fall and the Halloween season, but two siblings see October as the perfect time to launch their Community Creative Challenge with free popup workshops across Ridgewood all month long.
The founders of Creative Sprint, Mica and Noah Scalin, are bringing their 30-day creative challenge to the Ridgewood community. By signing up for the Creative Sprint challenge, participants will receive daily email prompts throughout October to create something artistic. They then can share their creations with other participants on social media.
“You know that if you practice yoga, guitar, salsa dancing, tennis, or pretty much anything else, you’re going to get better at it,” Scalin said. “In fact, if you practice every day you’re going to be pretty darn good. While you might not think of your own creativity as something you can practice, it actually works the same way.”
By giving people a daily prompt, the Scalin siblings hope to spark the community’s creative side and allow them a safe space to create their art while meeting new people and enjoying themselves.
The brother and sister team created their first online Creative Sprint in 2015, and it was so popular that they decided to continue the free public challenges bi-annually.
“We have a business that brings creativity into workplaces and organizations to help them create, collaborate and innovate better together,” Scalin said. “We needed a no-excuses way to help the people practice their creativity. Creative Sprint asks very little of you besides taking a few minutes a day to make something. No special skills or materials needed.”
On Oct. 1 the Creative Sprint team was at The Caffeine Underground in Brooklyn. On Oct. 2, the challenge moved to The Bad Old Days in Ridgewood.
The fun and creativity continues on Wednesday, Oct. 4, with a popup event at Trans Am Café, located at 915 Wyckoff Ave. in Ridgewood from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.; then on Wednesday, Oct. 11 at Routine, located at 631 Wilson Ave. from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.; and on Thursday, Oct. 12 at Bridge and Tunnel Brewery, located at 15-35 Decatur St., in Ridgewood from 6 to 8 p.m.
“This is not a competition. It is not about making something great each day, planning, overthinking, judging. It’s about trying new things, taking risks, building momentum for yourself,” Scalin said. “I like to call it a ‘global art game.’ It’s about learning about your capabilities, and connecting with people to develop your identity as a creative person in the world.”
To sign up to be a part of the rest of the monthly challenge, visit https://www.creativesprint.co, and to find out more information on additional venues for the popup workshops, contact ellie[@]alr.email.
