My Muses Sketch Circles

On a cold morning, the second of the new year, seven people gathered to sketch in My Muses Sketchbook Circle. Abhi Sivadas, the owner and Art Director of My Muses Card Shop and Art Gallery hosts these free meet-ups the first Friday of each month. As participants gathered at tables set up in the spacious, light-filled gallery, their chatter reflected a lingering, post-holiday lightness.

The conversation opened with new year’s wishes and one participant reporting a visit from his daughter who lives in New York City. This prompted everyone to reflect on their connections to NYC, which were substantial, with almost every participant either living for a time in NYC or having a relative living there.

“This space is very New York” quipped Mindy Miller, a Carrborean from the Tennis Club Estates neighborhood. A description of her 20 years working in publishing in NYC led to a story about copyright issues encountered during a recorded reading of The Lord of the Rings trilogy—and then, “we just started re-watching [those movies]” from another participant. And another: “So did we. Are you watching the extended versions?”

And it went on from there. For nearly an hour, participants reveled in establishing connections with each other—over jobs, careers, neighborhoods, people-in-common, and their art.  

Turning to the matter at hand, one participant posed a question to Mr. Sivadas, “How does this work? Do we just sit and draw?”

“Yes,” he replied. “And every month we have old faces and new faces. Mostly new faces today.”

Mr. Sivadas elaborated by email, "We host the Sketching & Creative Circle to offer a gentle space where creativity can unfold, a time to slow down and sit together, where making becomes a shared language. This gathering honors the creative process, inviting a pause from the noise of everyday life and offering a return to curiosity and play. It serves as a welcoming doorway into creative practice for all, regardless of experience.

We believe that when we slow down to truly observe the world, something meaningful shifts. In this shared stillness, art becomes a quiet form of healing—an act of presence, attention, and connection. What a beautiful way to practice art: together, attentively, and with an open heart."

Out came the sketchbooks, pens and pencils. And the space became quiet except for the light scritch-y sound of pencils on papers and distant melody from a classical guitar recording playing in the adjacent card shop.

The group sketched separately, in community, drawn by the invitation to quietly create together. Participants occasionally stood, stretched, or moved about the room to take a different seat. Mindy Miller, who is newly retired and learned about both the shop and the Sketchbook Circle from The Carrborean's Events Calendar, welcomed "slowing down to observe the world," as the event was described. “It was lovely to meet those who joined, and to spend a bit of time in community, doodling, relaxing into a velvet silence. There's much pain and turmoil in this world. Finding tranquility in community is a treasure. A luxury and necessity both.”

Mr. Sivadas concurred, "When we sketch or create together in community, we gain inspiration through shared presence and encouragement. Working alongside one another fosters a sense of belonging, where creativity feels supported rather than solitary. Participants learn by observing different approaches, rhythms, and ways of seeing, absorbing knowledge naturally through experience rather than instruction alone. Each person brings their own unique skills, perspectives, and sensitivities, and in sharing these, the group becomes richer and more expansive. Creating together transforms individual practice into meaningful relationship—between artist, craft, and community."

After an hour of quiet sketching, conversations began anew, now about supplies, different types of pencils and watercolors. And at this point, some participants left, renewed by the gathering, while others settled in to work more.

Join the next Sketching and Creative Circle Friday, February 6 from 10am - 12pm at Muse Card Shop and Gallery, 210 East Main Street, repeating every first Friday of the month.