By Grace Usher

It has been said, “two heads are greater than one” in terms of collaboration. Creativity is spawned from minds coming together and combining ideas to form practical application. But where can the creative minds of Lake Havasu come together to develop these ideas and hone their talents?

Creative Comrades is a monthly meet-up where “creatives” –  entrepreneurs, freelancers, start-ups and anyone who is curious and inspired can meet like minded people to cultivate community comradery and collaboration. The group comes together to listen to guest speakers, ask questions and mingle with other local creative minds.

In 2017, the group began organically as a casual meet-up with a group of creatives hosted by Aymie Spitzer, a local graphic artist.  

“A few of us started meeting after work to talk about projects and meet other creative professionals. It started to get more people and grew. The P.E.D. saw interest in becoming a partner to help cultivate the creative community,” Spitzer said.

Once the meet-ups expanded, the Comrades partnered with College Street Brewery as the official C.C. venue. The presentations occur in the brewery. The monthly meetups are free to any guests. Currently, the group meets the second Wednesday of every month from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.  

Likewise, the group also hosts monthly workshops at ASU Colleges at Lake Havasu City to turn newly learned skills into action. The workshops are known as Professional Devlopment for the Curious and Inspired. Creative Comrade members can RSVP for these workshops and learn viable skills for both hobby and practical application.

February marked the third official meet-up since the group partnered with the P.E.D. and much momentum is being gained as each meeting progresses.

The Paternership for Economic Development team: (From Left): Aymie Spitzer, Tonya Krueger, Taylor Ruport-Evans, James Gray. Grace Usher/ RiverScene Magazine

“We work better together than apart. Working on your own is antiquated and working in teams creates mentors and cuts growth time in half. When creatives have a healthy environment, an economy is moving forward.” said James Gray, P.E.D.

Previous speakers include:

December: Andy Gnidziejko: 3-D Printing Demonstrations (+ ASU Workshop)
January: Sam Stebila and Chris Bracamonte: PixeoPro Photogrpahy and Videography (+ ASU Workshop March 7th)
February: Jason Helart: Brewing Basics

Creative Comrades is always looking for fresh, innovative thinkers to chat about their ideas.  To join the Comrades on creating community professional development, and see upcoming presenters/workshops,  join the Facebook group: Creative Comrades.

If you are interested in presenting, please email: creativecomradesrules@gmail.com.

Grace Usher/ RiverScene Magazine