CREATIVE CO-LAB
Making space for what wants to take shape
Wednesdays, 11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. EST
January 14, 2026 - February 11th 2026
Join us for a free, virtual co-working series designed to help you dip into your creative well and carve out time to explore your ideas or projects with imaginative people from around the world.
During our 90 minutes together, we’ll make space for whatever wants to take form — inspiration, reflection, or rest. Each session offers a balance of intention-setting, quiet creation, gentle accountability, and shared reflection.
Come as you are — camera on or off — and bring the creative idea that’s been sitting at the bottom of your to do list, a project you’re already working on, or simply your openness to sit with what emerges.
Open to all who are creative or creatively curious. This isn’t about productivity. It’s about coming together to find our rhythms and to fan each other’s creative sparks.
We’ll begin with a prompt or question of the day to help everyone get settled and connected. A few volunteers will be invited to share what they're working on or exploring, and participants can set an intention or goal for the session - out loud, in the chat, or privately to themselves. Then we’ll move into focused work or reflection time, with space for deep thinking, creating, or simply being present with your ideas. In the last few minutes, we’ll gather again to share what took shape - an insight, a question, a passage, a sketch, or simply a feeling that emerged.
11:00 AM - 11:15 AM: Opening conversation and intention setting
11:15 AM - 12:20 PM: Independent or collaborative work or reflection time
12:20 PM -12:30 PM: Closing thoughts and insights
What will happen in the Zoom Room?
Who are we?
Alana Kolundzija
Alana is a practical dreamer. In an increasingly digitized and disembodied world, she seeks to reawaken our sense of connection to the landscapes that surround us and the deep interdependence that weaves us together.
All of her work – spanning creative practice, strategic advising, and research – is rooted in a desire to cultivate ecosystems where everyone can thrive. As a writer and multi-disciplinary artist, her evolving body of work reimagines how we inhabit, contest, and co-create the world around us.
Dana Smiles
I’m a performance artist, abstract painter, poet, singer, and social scientist, though I’ve never performed a piece, finished a painting, shared a poem, or fully embraced the power of my voice. In fact, I’ve never actually identified this way.
I grew up finding great joy in creative expression, but for many reasons we can discuss, I followed what felt like a safer, more practical path. I excelled in school and built a career in research and evaluation primarily in academia and the nonprofit sector, which, while meaningful, left little room for unrestrained creativity or truly out-of-the-box thinking. As I’ve grown older, I’ve realized that art and creativity isn’t a side interest - it’s what grounds me, keeps me joyful, and reminds me what it means to be human.
I’ve realized so many of us are quietly creating, whether it’s a painting, a song, a handmade project, or even just an idea we can’t quite start. Creating is vulnerable, but it’s also freeing, illuminating, and deeply empowering. I want to help make space for that - for myself and for others - for the art and expression that live inside all of us, and to see what unfolds when we finally give ourselves permission to bring it to life.
Why we’re hosting this Creative Co-Lab:
Technology and social media have opened our worlds in beautiful ways, allowing us to engage with creators across the globe. However, they can also make it harder to express ourselves authentically. This creative co-lab explores how we can reclaim those spaces—how we can use both virtual and real-life communities to nurture creative expression, especially for people who’ve always felt that spark but never had the chance or encouragement to pursue it.
It’s easy for our creative impulses to get buried under the weight of life—family and professional responsibilities, self-doubt, or uncertainty about whether our ideas are “worth it.” This space is an invitation to bring those ideas out of the shadows. It’s a chance to share what we’re working on or noodling over, learn from one another, cheer each other on, and maybe even find ways to weave our visions together into collaborative projects.
Every small act of creating, connecting, or supporting one another becomes a way to nurture possibility in a world that often pushes us toward productivity and away from imagination. This co-lab is a space to slow down, make room for what inspires us, and build hope through the simple act of making things together.
Or email us at hello@collectiveimpact.io with any questions.