Yesterday, December 2, was my first DIY & Crafting Club and Meetup, and it is now one of my favorite days ever! I originally had 21 people signed up, but then Mother Nature decided that we needed a bunch of snow, so 7 people cancelled because of the weather. The fantastic thing is that 14 people still showed up and had the best time!
I started planning for this meetup a couple of months ago, finding the ideal venue, making sure I had every supply they would need to compliment the tool kits that Robotime so generously donated. What really made it feel real for me was when I picked up the posters from the printer….seeing the date and location in print really made me proud and excited, and the posters really turned out terrific! The venue I chose was a local library that turned out to be the perfect location. The library advertised the meetup in their newsletter, on their website, and in the newspaper. The library staff even set up the tables and provided coffee for everyone. The room was spacious, giving each person ample room to create, yet having a cozy feel to it.
I set up a table inside the entrance to the room with several builds of mine, along with the posters for the members to view. To add a personal touch, I also provided name tags for each person so that everyone could learn each other’s names. (And also because I’m terrible at remembering names!)
Of course, every good meeting needs snacks, water, and coffee! (Also generously donated by Robotime)
I took a short time to introduce myself and also shared with them what Robotime’s vision is for the group. Once I handed out kits, everyone made quick work of getting started. They were so excited! The room took on the air of concentration as they all happily focused on their builds…every once in a while chatting to others and just having an all around fun time. I took my own kit to work on with them, but I didn’t get to work on it because I was privileged enough to get to spend time helping them with questions, talking, and laughing with them. One of my favorite moments, besides seeing all of their smiles, was looking around the room and seeing everyone learning and gaining the confidence to create, no matter their age. I could truly see their love for this hobby take root and they all expressed excitement at continuing their builds at home and to attend future meetups. I am so filled with gratitude to Robotime for letting me be a part of this, and to witness people find another happy place where they can go to create and spend time with others in their community…creating a community of hobbyists of our own. The smiles on their faces says it all!
But yes that would be such a wonderful dream. I mean it’s amazing enough that local in person meet ups are already happening!
