Many of us have creative endeavors that accompany our day jobs, but the biggest obstacle to creating may not be lack of time, but rather a wealth of distractions in our everyday life. The upcoming Side Project Sessions seeks to address this issue, offering local creatives a distraction-free work zone, with a little bit of productive peer pressure thrown into the mix, says Lindsey Jo Scott, the Akron-based organizer of the local series who will host the Ohio chapter events.
“I love researching different productivity tricks and rituals and habits,” says Scott. “As a creative person, that is something I’m always searching for.”
The first session takes place in Akron, Sunday, March 31, from 2 to 5 p.m, at the Grand Exchange, 933 W. Exchange St. Those who miss the Akron event will have another opportunity Saturday, April 13, at Sail Loft Co-Working, 3535 Perkins Ave., in Cleveland, and the series will continue monthly in both cities.
“It’s a guided workshop,” Scott adds. “There are three work sessions, and you use it as a time management strategy, along with coaching and break times. So during the work sessions, it’s about having that distraction-free space, but with a supportive community to work on whatever it is you want to work on.” Coffee, tee and snacks also will be available to help participants maintain their focus.
The local series has connections all the way to Australia, and is the brainchild of Melbourne-based writer Madeleine Dore, who runs a blog called “Extraordinary Routines.”
“She speaks to so many subjects I’m interested in as a creative,” says Scott, who, after reading about the opportunity in an e-newsletter last fall, has been working out the details with Dore to bring the series to Northeast Ohio.
This led to the formation of the Ohio chapter, now run by Scott, which so far is the only other chapter in the world outside of Australia.
Scott adds that the Side Project Sessions will be an introvert-friendly space, which, she says, “is very important to me. There’s no pressure for networking or even sharing what you’re working on, which is what I would want to know going into something like this.”
It’s also not a space to talk about turning a project into a side hustle, or making money: it’s all about the creative process. “It’s a space for you to come and have a dedicated routine to show up for yourself and your project.”
The March 31 Akron event is free, but registration is required by visiting www.eventbrite.com.au/e/side-project-sessions-akron-sunday-march-31-tickets-57348211043. For info about the series, visit www.facebook.com/pg/SPSOhio. Upcoming sessions include April 28 (Akron) and May 11 (Cleveland).
