Creativity is for everyone.
Who, what, where, when, and (most importantly) why.
Creative Recess is a curated guide to hands-on creative workshops across the Philadelphia region, or as I like to call it, the Phlurbs (short for Philadelphia suburbs). I like to think of the residents of the Phlurbs as Flerbs, but that's a whole other story. For now, we cover workshops in Chester, Montgomery, Bucks, Delaware, and Lancaster counties, the Lehigh Valley, plus the river towns across the border (Lambertville, Frenchtown, Wilmington). Creativity doesn't stop at the city limits.
Creativity is for everyone.
I've been gathering people for as long as I can remember. A birthday party featuring vintage monster movies, surf rock, and a taco bar. A wedding planned in three weeks (sequins in the park, anyone?). TEDxPhilly. Virtual book clubs on creativity during the pandemic. I like getting people in a room (or on a screen, when that was all we had).
But after years of remote work and virtual everything, I crave being in a room with other humans, making something with my hands, not talking about work. I want to find reasons to get together with old friends from different life chapters and I'm always up for making new ones.
I am sure I'm not the only one who feels this way.
Creative Recess started because I was curious. I wanted to find creative workshops I could drive to, meet a friend who lives 30 minutes away, and not deal with highways and parking spots. But finding what was out there meant checking dozens of websites and Instagram accounts. So I started a Google Doc. The Google Doc became a spreadsheet. The spreadsheet became a newsletter. The newsletter became this website.
What started as scratching my own itch turned into something bigger. My hope is that Creative Recess will help more people discover the amazing artists that are out here teaching and creating, and give people more reasons to be creative with others IRL. It's all just getting started, though. We'll see what unfolds.
Me and my family.
Me! I'm Roz Duffy. I've spent most of my career on design teams, caring deeply about the person on the other end of a product or service. I bring that same energy to this project and hope to keep learning from the community around it.
When I'm not at my day job or tinkering with this, I am spending time with my family. I have a creative kiddo whose sense of wonder is a daily reminder of why any of this matters, and definitely my greatest teacher.
I love living amongst the trees, and while I sometimes miss living in the city and being able to walk to a coffee shop or meet a friend around the corner, I am super glad to discover all the amazing creative weirdos that are out here in the Phlurbs. I hope that includes you too!
Creative Recess is a curated guide to hands-on creative workshops happening across the Philadelphia suburbs, what we lovingly call the Phlurbs. We surface hands-on workshops across a range of creative mediums so you can find something interesting without hunting through dozens of individual venue websites and Instagram accounts.
Mostly single-session, hands-on workshops happening Wednesday evenings through Sunday. Think ceramics, printmaking, watercolor, knitting, jewelry, anything where you show up and make something. We occasionally mix in festivals, art talks, and other creative events that catch our eye.
We update listings weekly. New workshops are added as we find them, and past events are cleared out so you're always looking at what's coming up.
Nope. We're independent and don't take commissions or fees. Every listing links back to the original venue or instructor. All registration, payment, and communication happens directly with them. We're a discovery tool, not a ticketing platform.
The Philadelphia region, reaching out into Chester, Montgomery, Bucks, Delaware, and Lancaster counties in PA, the Lehigh Valley, along the Delaware River corridor into New Jersey (Lambertville, Frenchtown, etc), and down to Wilmington, DE. As it makes sense, we'll widen the radius.
Get in touch! We're building toward a self-submission model and would love to hear from you.
Yes! The Creative Recess newsletter lands in your inbox with a curated selection of upcoming workshops, usually looking 2-3 weeks ahead so you can actually plan. Sign up here. We'll never share or sell your email.
It's a labor of love and a long-term creative project. The whole thing is an experiment. I'm building it as I go and updating based on feedback and whatever creative ideas emerge along the way. If you have thoughts, I want to hear them.
Have another question? Get in touch. I'm a real person and I read every message.