If there is no freedom of expression, then the beauty of life is lost. Participation in a society is not an artistic choice, it’s a human need. — Ai Weiwei

Hello!

It is hard to believe that we are coming up on the end of our first year! Before we do a deep dive reflecting on all that happened this year (we will save that for our December newsletter), we want to tell you about our super fun Improv night, remind you that we have two more Treehouses this year in Fort Collins, and take a minute to look ahead to some fun things coming up in 2027.

Drum roll please…. we will be having our first “Green Friday” sale (through November 27) for our new membership option as well as our Threshold Dinner and Encaustic Workshops. In addition to getting a sale price for these things, we will be donating to an incredible organization for each purchase: Trees, Water and People. More details below. We are thrilled about this!

Most of all, we want to express our gratitude to you for being here in the Grove Creative Collective with us! You have shared and inspired so beautifully! Thank you for participation, expression, vulnerability, kindness, willingness and creativity! You are amazing!!

Drum roll, please! … Announcing our “Green Friday” sale!

We are excited to announce and offer our first “Green Friday” sale!! We will be donating $25 for each sale of our new Grove membership and Threshold Dinner and Encaustic Workshop to Trees, Water & People. Be sure to learn about all the good work they are doing!

From now until end of our Green Friday, November 27th, our memberships are $50 off and the Threshold Dinners and Workshops are $25 off!! Both make a great holiday gift, too!

Stories on the fly … it was an evening of laughter, wit, and connection!

A huge shout out to Robin Faris for guiding us through a series of fun and expansive improv exercises. What a talent she is!

As we wrapped up the evening, we heard things like, “That was freeing!” and “it exercised part of my brain that I’d like to tap into more for character development,” and “sixty seconds felt like a lifetime … and it was over so quickly!” and “That was a blast!” and “When are you doing this again?” It was so great to laugh and laugh and laugh! Our guests were so witty, hilarious, truthful, vulnerable. They were good sports and all heart. Thank you for showing up so brilliantly and willing to challenge yourselves.

Colorado Springs, we’ll be hosting an improv event in the spring of 2027, so watch for that announcement!

Back by Popular Demand!

2027 Threshold Encaustic Workshop and Dinner

SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 2027 | Fort Collins

SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, 2027 | Colorado Springs

Join us for an afternoon encaustic workshop with artist Lori DiPasquale, followed by an evening of good food and meaningful conversation.

— THE WORKSHOP —

Lori will guide us in creating a word-of-the-year artwork using layers of colored wax, heat, and imagination. We will each choose a word (or phrase) that we would like to be an intention, a lens, for the year to come. Beginning with a blank board and word, we’ll paint layers of heated, colored wax in which we can embed images, words, and lightweight objects. Lori will also have stencils and materials to use, though you can bring personal items to make your piece extra special. No experience necessary, just bring your curiosity, imagination, and sense of adventure!

— THE DINNER —

After creating together, we’ll gather around the table for dinner and conversation about stepping through the creative doorway that is this new year.

For more information and to sign up, check out our Gatherings page.

$25 off for early bird sign up by December 9!

And, if you sign up by “Green Friday” (November 27), $25 of your purchase will be donated to Trees, Water & People.

**The Treehouse**

Meet other creative people and participate in a multi-disciplinary creative prompt or activity that we provide. Everyone is welcome!

NEXT EVENTS:

Fort Collins, Wednesday, November 18, 2026, 6:00-8:30 PM (sign up here)
Fort Collins, Friday, December 11, 2026, 6:00 PM 8:30 PM (sign up here)

The Living Room

Join us in a private studio in Fort Collins, CO, open for you to dive into your work—or to play for a while. Work space, tea, water, and light snacks provided. Also, we’ll be there, and we’re pretty good company.

Learn more and sign up here!

And, if you want to try it for free, drop us a note and we’ll send you a code to do just that!

NEXT EVENTS :

Sunday, December 6, 2026, 10:00 AM 2:00 PM (sign up here)
Wednesday, December 9, 2026, 5:30 PM 8:00 PM (sign up here)
Wednesday, December 16, 2026, 5:30 PM 8:00 PM (sign up here)

We are in the process of reimagining The Living Room for 2027… stay tuned!

Substack: Magical Shores

When I was a eleven, I stood on the sand below a cliff and watched gray waves roll in off a gray sea that faded into a gray sky. Each wave bunched up until it was taller than me, curled over, then hurled itself into the sand in a crash of froth and mist. It was not the first time I’d seen the ocean, but it was the first time I’d felt the ocean through the soles of my feet.

[read on … ]

Partners in the Arts and Creativity!

We are excited to start sharing some names and links to organizations we are proud to be working with or to have worked with on past events. We want you to know about these folks because we think they’re fantastic!

Writing Heights Writers Association (WHWA), formerly Northern Colorado Writers, is a professional writing organization that supports writers via education, resources, networking, collaboration, submission, and promotion. We embrace a variety of communication technologies and modes of outreach to support all writers, wherever they may be. We are committed to creating an inclusive and welcoming environment by fostering community among our members, providing opportunities for writers to develop their unique voices, and celebrating accomplishments big and small