A Sketching Group for Porto

I've accidently created a small sketching and painting group in Porto!

Organising Your Own Hobbies

Ever since I was young, I've been in favour of organising something if it's not available. This started with finding and organising friends who wanted to play roleplaying games. And continued with various hobbies and interests as life progressed.

Oftentimes we might want to give something a try, but there's no games / Spanish / knitting / surfing group near where we live. And the nearest one is far away. Or you don't like the organiser. Or there's an ex that goes there!

With the internet it's often easy to take up a hobby and find people to talk to, if not physically. Another option is to organise a group yourself. This can be easy to hard, depending on where you're living and current living situation.

Coffee Creatives to a Sketching Group

Last year Porto Coffee Creatives was started, copying an idea from Exeter which has (for me) continued a creative journey. We started a Creative Book Club, tried a few other events, and one day in March we tried sketching and painting at Casa da Musica, with all welcome.

We had about 10 people show up, some with no experience since school. A couple went off to sketch and paint (having tried Urban Sketchers in their home cities) and some made use of the €1 paint set I bought.

It was fun and decided to try it again next month. Now it's a monthly fixture and we have a WhatsApp group and a place where we can ask questions and share what we've been working on.

I admit to copying the format from a group in Exeter which meet for a coffee, then go off and sketch / paint / draw for a couple hours before meeting up again.

Hoping to keep it regular, but also informal and open to everyone!

Finishing Up

What new group have you started or joined since Covid that have made a difference in your life?