I believe everyone has at least one creative bone in their body and it is just a matter of being in a safe, non-judgmental, and super fun space, for that creativity to start pouring out. I discovered a space just like this! I was introduced to the Indie Comic Coffee Klatch, more lovingly known as I.C.C.K.

I.C.C.K happens every second Wednesday evening at Phil & Sebastian in the Simmons Building in East Village. It works on a drop-in basis between 6-9pm. Show up at 6pm and stay the entire time, or drop in for an hour. The point of the klatch is to provide a fun, safe, and motivating place to create and to overcome the creative blocks we all feel from time to time.

When I met Stacey, the founder, it was as if we were old friends. Trevor, the cofounder, offered me a piece of paper and pen immediately, and asked if I wanted to join their table. I sat down and introduced myself to the folks around the table. There was Steele, Graham, Trevor, Jules, and Erickson. Everyone was working on their own thing. Jules was practicing drawing eyes and had a full page filling up with sketches of eyeballs, Erickson was working on hands, and had a page of hands in various poses and positions, Steele was working on vehicular characters for a fictitious world he is creating, Trevor had drawn a ‘peliconstruction’ worker – a pelican mixing concrete in his beak, and Graham had a full page with panels and a comic book in progress!

Erickson finished his hand practice and asked the group what he should draw next. Someone suggested he draw a cyclops! Then this whole cyclops thing began. Trevor drew a cyclops with a beard. Graham drew a cyclops at the opera – a “cycl-opera-goer” if you will. Erickson made his cyclops into a “cycl-optometrist.” I am not so good at drawing realistic things, and so I stuck with absurd characters. I drew a bucket, proclaiming the fact it is a bucket, a jellyfish wearing a hat, and I wrote the theme of our evening, the word “portmanteau,” in big, blocky script.

I stayed for two hours and wish that 9 o’clock never came. It was so fun to meet new people. It was fun to challenge myself and be vulnerable in front of new people. It was fun to be inspired by these new people! I have continued to draw absurd things and even attempted painting my little characters! Thanks for the inspiration, Calgary!

The next meeting of the Indie Comic Coffee Klatch is on June 22 at Phil & Sebastian in East Village. Bring a pen, a piece of paper, and an open mind! See you then!