A 12-Week Creative Community

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(Led by Elliott Snyder of Old Friend)

Winter

Jan 4 - April 5

Sundays

2pm - 4pm

Portland

Village Ballroom

Winter is nearly here—the long pause before everything wakes again. The trees begin to rest, the light grows thin, and beneath the surface, things quietly prepare to return.

For many of us, this time of year can bring a kind of creative stillness too. The pace slows, the spark flickers, and we start to wonder where our inspiration wandered off to. But winter isn’t only for retreat. It’s also for nourishment—for tending the quiet parts of ourselves that want to grow again.

These twelve weeks are a small greenhouse for that process: a space to stretch out of creative hibernation, reconnect with your imagination, and find good company along the way.

Black and white illustration of a flower with a dark, textured background and white roots and faces in the center.

(We’re all little root bbs waiting to grow)

Illustration of a smiling flower with black outlines and a book titled 'The Artist's Way,' celebrating its 30th anniversary, with a subtitle about spiritual path to higher creativity.

What is The Artist’s Way?

(Your new fav book)

There’s a good chance you’ve heard of The Artist’s Way, or maybe you even have a copy sitting on your shelf, bookmarked somewhere around week five.

Written by Julia Cameron, this has become a near sacred text for artists, and it’s a classic for a reason. For over 30 years, this book has guided people back to their creative pulse - which I think you’ll find is a process of remembering more than learning. In a world that often treats creativity like a commodity or an identity, it’s a relief to remember it’s simply part of being human.

We all share a birthright to make things, to play, to express. Sometimes we just need a bit of structure and a supportive group to help bring it back to life. The book does this through “tools” and 12 weeks of reading and reflection.

The book unfolds over twelve chapters, each one titled “Recovering a Sense of _____.” Together, they guide you through reflection: What’s been stirred up in your creative life so far, and what might be waiting just ahead.
Julia Cameron wrote The Artist’s Way after noticing the patterns that help artists move through creative blocks. It’s less a manual and more a steady companion for the strange and wonderful process of making things.
I find that the reading is really a way to make sense of and stick with “the tools”
Morning Pages.
3 handwritten pages each morning. This may sound incredibly daunting but I promise, this is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself.
Artist Dates.
Every week, you will take your “Inner Artist” on a date: playtime for your creative soul.

Drawing of three smiling flowers with faces, each with petals and stems, on a simple ground line.

But you don’t have to do it alone!

(your creative crew awaits)

This practice can feel vulnerable and a little uncomfortable at times. That’s often why people make it a few weeks in and toss the book back on the shelf. But here’s the thing: the steps are simple—you just have to show up. Doing it with a group makes all the difference. There’s built-in encouragement, a sense of accountability, and the shared joy of seeing what unfolds when everyone sticks with it.

If you’ve been looking for community and meaningful connection, this is a space for that. You’ll spend time with others from all sorts of backgrounds, each following the same curious trail through the creative wilderness.

Each meeting, following a few words from me, your facilitator, we’ll have a two sets of discussion groups:
- First, a mixed group so you can have a chance to connect with others
- Second, your recurring group of 5-7 members where you can share more intimately
If you have a friend you’d like to go through this with, there’s a spot in registration to list them as part of your “core group.” You can stick together—or roll the dice and be paired with new faces. Sometimes the best conversations happen with strangers who have no idea who you’ve been, only who you’re becoming.

Where are we meeting?

A hand-drawn sketch of a building with labeled people, indicating a meeting and a place called La Vernés.

We’ll be meeting in a hundred-year-old ballroom in Northeast Portland. A big, beautiful space that’s held plenty of gatherings and celebrations over the years. That’s where we’ll have our structured time together each Sunday.

Downstairs is Laverne’s, a cozy neighborhood bar with good food and easy company. It’s the perfect spot to grab a bite before we start or hang out afterward to keep the conversations cruising along. We’re havin’ class upstairs and recess below.

Who is hosting this thing?

A man with glasses, a mustache, and a beard wearing a beanie and a jacket, standing outdoors with trees in the background.

It’s me! I’m Elliott Snyder. This will be my fifth time facilitating The Artist’s Way, and the biggest in-person group yet.

I’ve put in some good time as a creative seeker. I’m one half of Old Friend, a design studio here in Portland. Alongside my business partner, Jesse Morrow, I’ve also helped start the bars Company (with Randy too!) and Collector. There are always a few other explorations: painting, writing, and lately, just some long sits in the woods.

A large group of people gathered indoors, sitting and standing, smiling at the camera. The room features artwork on the walls, hanging plants, and a high ceiling with visible beams.

(The Lovely 2024 A.W. Crew)

“I’ve been doing my own creative thing in Portland for some time. But the Artist’s Way is the first time I’ve felt like I wasn’t alone. Community is such a most important part of creativity and what Elliott fosters has given me that. I’m so grateful”

-Victoria T.

2026 Season Full!

Thanks so much to everyone that has signed up!

We have just over 100 artists who will be meeting this Winter season! If you’re interested in getting weekly reflections while we go through the book, please sign up here

FAQs

20-60 min of daily journalling.
~1 hr weekly reading.
2 hour weekly in-person meeting
A weekly artist date can be whatever you wish, but should feel prioritized within your week.
YES! Whether you consider yourself creative or not, this is for anyone who is curious about exploring their own creativity more and can commit to some daily practices & weekly meetings.
This particular course is targeted mostly at adults 21+ . If you or someone you know are younger and interested, please send me a message and we’ll chat. If you’re reading this as a senior, please join! We need your wisdom.
Yes! and ideally get a physical copy, you’ll likely want to highlight lines and take notes in it’s spacious margins. Mine is plenty dog-eared and annotated.
You’ll need a journal that you can write in each day for your morning pages. I like using the XL moleskine ones, but choose your own fav!
You are allowed to show up as imperfectly as needed. You may miss weeks, your morning pages may ebb and flow, but I encourage you to trust the process. If you feel compelled, take the leap and the net will appear (one of my favorite quotes from the book)
Missing 1-2 weeks of the in person meetings is pretty normal. People get sick or go out of town. As long as you are willing to keep the practices going and stick with the readings, I think you will still get just as much out of it. Id say any more than 4 misses, you might feel slightly disconnected from your cohort, and perhaps a group on a different day would be better.
If you can’t make sundays but still want to do the Artist’s Way this winter, send me an email with the headline “Alternate day” and I will put you on a list of folks that might be able to form a satellite group.
You’ve got your spot! Grab yourself a copy of the book and read the intro if you like. I’ll reach out as the day gets closer with more details.
Going through this book and experiencing what it has to offer has the side-effect of creating a very rich community. But of course, at any time you can grab some buds and do a group of your own! It’s often most successful when done alongside others.
Jan-March is a particularly great time to do this, its post holidays and right when the new year existential feelings kick in.
Unfortunately, no. It is an old building built before current standards. If you are in a wheelchair and are still interested, shoot me an email and we can try to brainstorm a way that you will still be able to participate.