Creative Self-Expression

To secure your spot, grab your ticket from the Eventbrite link ( https://www.eventbrite.com/e/saturday-party-tickets-47082755790 ). RSVPing only on the Meetup page, doesn't allow you to attend the Event. Otherwise, cover is $ 10 at the door. ABOUT THE EVENT Rock it up at the hottest party in town, filled with fun, drinks, dj and dance! We booked the entire venue for this party We will have specials, including our usual suspect MERtini:) Dress code : Dress to impress Event is free and 21+ Come one, come all; this is the most friendliest event you have ever attended! Feel free to invite your friends. They don't necessarily have to be a member Celebrate your birthday and your moments in life with us! For bottle/table service email (info@merevents.com) OR text 202-368-1878. METRO & PARKING INFO Closest Metro Station is McPherson Square (take either the White House or 14th Street Exit). Please take into consideration Metro's weekend truck work and allow enough time for your ride. Check it on http://www.wmata.com/ and plan accordingly. Street parking might be difficult. However, if you plan to drive, there are parking garages around.

Have you been thinking about trying self-defense training, but do not want a loud, aggressive, or overly competitive environment? This free intro class is a simple way to get started. Maryland Systema offers practical self-defense training for adults in Takoma Park with a focus on movement, awareness, breathing, posture, and calm under pressure. This class is designed for beginners and first-timers who want real-world self-defense training in a welcoming setting. You do not need experience. You do not need to be in top shape. You do not need a martial arts background. You just need to show up ready to learn. This is not a sport-based class built around winning points, memorizing routines, or trying to look impressive. It is a more practical approach to adult self-defense training that helps you stay balanced, aware, and functional when things feel uncertain. If you have been searching for self-defense classes in Takoma Park, beginner self-defense near you, or practical self-defense training for adults, this class is a good place to start. **What you will work on** * Breathing and staying calm under pressure * Movement that improves balance and mobility * Awareness and posture * Simple partner drills * Practical self-defense training for beginners **Who this class is for** * Adults new to self-defense training * Beginners looking for a low-pressure class * People who want practical self-defense instead of sport martial arts * Adults in Takoma Park, Silver Spring, Rockville, and nearby areas looking for realistic self-defense classes **What to wear** Please wear comfortable workout clothes. No uniform is required. **Why start with this class** This free intro class gives you a chance to experience the training, meet the group, and see whether Maryland Systema is the right fit for you before joining regular weekly classes. **RSVP** Reserve your spot and come try a beginner-friendly self-defense class in Takoma Park.

**Join Nova Scribes for an in person Scribe Circle** to practice graphic recording together and build the kind of community that makes solo work feel a little less solo. We'll spend the heart of our time graphic recording a former Nova Scribes talk on visual practice as well as spend some time reflecting on our work and sharing real time feedback. **Who is this for?** Graphic recorders, visual practitioners, sketchnoters and anyone who listens, thinks, and draws at the same time. Whether you've been doing this for years or you're still finding your style, you're welcome here. **No prior experience with the group required.** Bring your paper and markers - a few foam boards will be available. The fee covers the price of the venue.

***Location Change - Central Library, Bluemont Room, 1015 N Quincy St, Arlington, VA 22201*** Doors open 6:30 Discover your voice at our IN PERSON Open House at Central Library , Bluemont Room (1015 N Quincy St, Arlington, VA 22201). Enjoy engaging speeches and networking. All welcome. Why attend: sharpen briefing skills; boost executive presence; practice in a supportive club. Info: [https://twilighttalkmasters.toastmastersclubs.org/](https://twilighttalkmasters.toastmastersclubs.org/) · Email: officers-8095@toastmastersclubs.org. Bring a colleague — see what Toastmasters can do for your career.

Let's get together to chat and take in some art at the **[Phillips Collection](https://www.phillipscollection.org/about-collection)** during their **[FREE](https://www.phillipscollection.org/event/2026-06-18-third-thursday)**[ extended hours](https://www.phillipscollection.org/event/2026-06-18-third-thursday) on the third Thursday of the month. In addition to its permanent collection, the Phillips is featuring the special exhibition, **[Miró and the United States](https://www.phillipscollection.org/event/2026-03-21-miro-and-united-states)**. Agenda * **5:30 p.m.**: Let's meet for Happy Hour inside the Phillips Collection at the **[Bread Furst Cafe](https://www.phillipscollection.org/cafe)**, which will be open and serving its full menu plus aperitifs, wine, and beer. * **6:00 p.m.**: We'll check out the galleries. * **7:30 p.m.**: We can grab dinner from a local fast casual place. I haven't tried it, but **[Daily Provisions](https://www.dailyprovisions.co/menus/#sandwiches-salads-and-soups)** looks promising. Let me know if you have other suggestions in the comments! The closest Metro station is Dupont Circle (take the north entrance). The closest bus stops are the D74 and D96 at Connecticut Avenue and Q Street NW. There are a few parking garages around the circle.

***Location Change - Central Library, Bluemont Room, 1015 N Quincy St, Arlington, VA 22201*** Doors open 6:30 Discover your voice at our IN PERSON Open House at Central Library , Bluemont Room(1015 N Quincy St, Arlington, VA 22201). Enjoy engaging speeches and networking. All welcome. Why attend: sharpen briefing skills; boost executive presence; practice in a supportive club. Info: [https://twilighttalkmasters.toastmastersclubs.org/](https://twilighttalkmasters.toastmastersclubs.org/) · Email: officers-8095@toastmastersclubs.org. Bring a colleague — see what Toastmasters can do for your career.

Hey! bring your laptop or journal and a good attitude and come connect with other writers! The atrium in the national portrait gallery is massive and beautiful, we will be near the coffee shop.

**❤️ DMV PROFESSIONALS SINGLES MIXER (AGES 42–55)** **Real People. Real Conversations. Real Connections.** **Tickets :** https://www.eventbrite.com/e/professionals-single-event-mingles-mixer-real-people-connection-42-55-tickets-1991952765343?aff=meetup Looking to meet accomplished, interesting, and relationship-minded singles in the DMV? Join us for an evening designed specifically for professionals ages 42–55 who are ready to step away from the apps and connect face-to-face. Whether you're newly single, divorced, an empty nester, focused on your career, or simply looking for a more authentic way to meet people, this event offers a welcoming space to build meaningful connections. No endless swiping. No ghosting. No awkward first messages. Just genuine conversations with local singles who value real connection. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 📍 Location : Finnegan’s Wake Irish Pub 100 Gibbs Street · Rockville, MD 🚇 Metro Access Conveniently located near major Metro lines with nearby parking available. Venue details will be provided upon registration. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 🎟️ RESERVE EARLY & SAVE ❤️ Early Bird Admission — $15 Limited quantity available. ❤️ General Admission — $20 Available after Early Bird tickets sell out. ❤️ Last Chance / Door Admission — $25 Only available if space remains. ⚠️ Attendance is intentionally limited to create a comfortable and balanced experience. Most Spark Vibe events sell out before the event date. Reserve your spot early and save. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ✨ WHY ATTEND? Meeting new people shouldn't feel like work. At Spark Vibe, we believe the best connections happen naturally through conversation, shared experiences, and genuine chemistry. This event is designed for professionals who value authenticity, meaningful relationships, and meeting people with similar life experiences and goals. Many attendees are looking for: ❤️ A meaningful relationship 🤝 New friendships and connections 💍 Long-term partnership 🌟 A fun, engaging social experience Whether you're seeking companionship, romance, or simply looking to expand your social circle, you'll be surrounded by people who are open to connecting. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 🌟 WHAT TO EXPECT 🍸 Relaxed Social Mixer Enjoy a welcoming atmosphere where meeting new people feels comfortable and easy. 💬 Guided Conversations Optional conversation starters and icebreakers help spark meaningful discussions. ⚡ Meet Multiple Singles Connect with local professionals from across DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia. 🎤 Friendly Event Host Our host will welcome guests, facilitate introductions, and ensure everyone feels included. ✨ Genuine Connections Skip the screens and experience what dating feels like in real life. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ❤️ PERFECT FOR SINGLES WHO ARE ✅ Tired of dating apps ✅ Looking for meaningful connections ✅ Interested in meeting local professionals ✅ Newly single or re-entering the dating world ✅ Open to friendship, dating, or a serious relationship ✅ Ready to meet people face-to-face ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 🌟 WHY PEOPLE LOVE OUR EVENTS Many attendees tell us they meet more quality people in one evening than they have in months online. The conversations are genuine. The atmosphere is welcoming. And everyone is there for the same reason: to connect. Some attendees leave with a date. Others leave with new friends. Everyone leaves having shared memorable conversations. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ✨ ABOUT THE AGE RANGE This event is designed primarily for singles ages 42–55. The age range is intended as a guideline rather than a strict requirement. If you feel you'd connect well with this group, you're welcome to join us. Our goal is always to create a balanced and enjoyable environment where meaningful connections can happen naturally. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ⏰ IMPORTANT INFORMATION • Please arrive 10–15 minutes early. • Check-in closes 15 minutes after the event start time. • Most attendees come solo. • Dress code: Smart casual or business casual. • Tickets are limited and often sell out in advance. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ❤️ STOP SWIPING. START CONNECTING. The best relationships don't begin with an algorithm. They begin with a conversation. Reserve your spot today. Spark Vibe Where Strangers Become Stories.

Hey Poetry Lovers! This group is on a roll. Here’s the gist: We meet at the **Capital One Café in Chinatown** from **12pm - 2pm** every other week. For enrichment, we start by reading and reflecting on a **“published poem”**, suggested by someone in the group. No advance preparation is necessary. But feel free to check out some of the poems we’ve read [here](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vSyE_wCLQCPHRrKmN5F9tOIeeRQUZESxjRXGVBoCF2uU8Gm0_d0uECiCBCQXEy6ksxfsBOhtRIOpW3T/pubhtml?gid=0&single=true&widget=true&headers=false%22%3E%3C/iframe%3E). Or submit suggestions for future meetings [here](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSexGc2Z2Kp6bZW0D3_hfJ7NUUkfNHf7TXX-43FglCeBd9EF2Q/viewform?usp=send_form). Next, we **share our work and offer feedback**. Depending on attendance, everyone gets \~10 minutes to use as they like. (No need to share, though; you’re welcome to come even if you prefer just to listen.) We maintain a **Discord server** to help share our work and communicate outside our bi-weekly meet-ups. If you haven’t used Discord before, take a moment to download it and create an account before arriving. When we meet you on Saturday, we will add you to our server, the “DC Poetry Workshop”, and can help you navigate the app if you have questions. Finally, if you plan on sharing a poem, consider how you will do so. Some options include: * Print 5-10 copies to distribute in person * Take and share screenshots in the Discord chat. * Copy the poem into a google doc, change sharing settings to “anyone with link”, and copy the google doc link into the Discord chat. Most importantly, we’re excited to meet you! Catch you on Saturday, Diego / Ian / Cayden / Nate / Otasha / Lia / An

Discover the path to stress management, life's tranquility, and self-improvement through Heartfulness Meditation. Embrace relaxation, meditation, and emotional detoxification practices to unlock your best self. Join our free sessions every Sunday at 8 AM and Wednesday at 7 / 7:30 PM at various centers in MD and VA. Experience the profound benefits of these simple yet powerful practices. Commit to a few months of meditation and witness the transformative impact firsthand. We eagerly await your presence at these enlightening sessions.

Let's draw together at Meridian Hill Park (also known as Malcolm X Park). We will meet near the Joan of Arc statue at 2 PM (pictured here). We will have a wide variety of options to draw from: the statue we meet at, the amazing fountain, other statues or nature. I look forward to drawing with you there!

**THE POWER OF THE SUBCONSCIOUS OVER YOU** You are welcome to arrive 15 minutes early for refreshments! At the lecture "The Power of the Subconscious", the speaker will clearly and understandably explain topics such as: What is the exact definition of the Subconscious Mind? How does it inflict unwanted feelings and anxiety in you? What determines how much pressure it exerts on a person? What exactly is the goal of the subconscious? This is not just a lecture where you sit quietly and listen. It's interactive and LIVE, so you can ask questions at any time. And the most important topic: **HOW DO YOU TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR SUBCOUNSCIOUS!** This group is sponsored by the Dianetics Life Improvement Center.

It's my birthday! Let's craft. We'll be meeting at Quill and Crumbs at the Shakespeare Folger Library in SE. The Shakespeare Folger Library is about 3 blocks from the Capitol South metro. Head up First as you get out of the station, pass the Library of Congress and the Capitol, turn right on East Capitol, and the Folger is on the right. The entrance is around the side, not through the front of the building. Head upstairs to the cafe and we'll be at the tables at the back. Bring your own cross stitch, knitting, crochet, or other portable craft.

Want to see your work shine and put your pride on display? Then come to July's Creativity Circle! We will be making simple Suncatchers with tissue paper! Seats and supplies limited! Come while you can for as long as you like! Westerville Public Library in Meeting Room D.

This is an in-person meeting. Would you like to know the Real You, not just a shadow of yourself? Does your life energy feel somehow trapped within? Does your self-confidence get easily shaken? Do you get in the way of your own goals? We will discuss the real source of all this, what holds you back in life, and how to handle it so you can achieve more successful and happier living. Perhaps you get weighed down with negative emotions you can't seem to shrug off. Or find yourself doing strange and irrational things - not really being yourself. We will cover why that is and tools that work to help you unearth your self, your self-confidence and motivation. This meeting will help you learn about how to effectively overcome: -Out-of-control unwanted emotions -Low self-esteem -Anxiety -Negativity -Stress -Irrational fears -Traumatic or painfully emotional incidents -Breakups -Betrayals -Feeling like you're not really yourself -Self-doubt... We will discuss how to unleash the inner you and tap into your true potential. So come to this online meetup! This meeting is sponsored by the Hubbard Dianetics Foundation of Central Ohio

Join us for an hour of writing! We’ve discovered that it’s strikingly helpful to write with other writers. See if it’s true for you at 7:00pm on Wednesday, February 11 at Streetlight Guild. Be it a book, blog, script, essay, dissertation, resume, melody, poem or just plain work stuff, you are invited to write it with us. No one will see what you've written or give you unsolicited advice. Instead of just thinking about writing, come and get some real writing done. **SCHEDULE:** 6:45ish - Quick introductions 7:00 - Timer starts: write for 1 hour 8:00 - The End **OPTIONAL SOCIALIZING** happens before and after the writing hour. Writing is very solitary. Connecting (and sometimes even commiserating) with other writers is a cool thing. **BEING LATE IS OKAY:** just show up and get settled! If you were on time, please be willing to make room for the friendly latecomer. Happy writing & I look forward to seeing you at Streetlight Guild! **WHAT SHOULD I BRING?** Whatever you need to be able to write! You're welcome to bring earplugs/headphones if noise will bother you! **OTHER IMPORTANT DETAILS:** * **RSVP:** Please RSVP by 6:00pm the evening of the meeting. This helps me know how many to expect, and if we'll need additional space! * **COVID:** While masks are not required, please be mindful of the other writers around you and their comfort levels. * **WIFI/OUTLETS:** Outlets are limited, so please ensure your devices are charged when you come! But Streetlight Guild does have free WiFi! Yay! * **PARKING:** There is free public parking at Streetlight Guild.

Join us for this free, in person meeting on the subject of betrayals, losses and how to get over them so you can build lasting relationships. Do you want more motivation and confidence to build lasting relationships? Are you burdened by a stressful relationship? Unhealthy relationships can trigger feelings of anger, despair or self-doubt. They can create dwindling spirals of fights and seeking to make-up, or trying to “pin the blame” on someone or something. If you don’t find the RIGHT reasons, or select the correct sources of the problem, the problem can just get worse and worse. Whether in love or personal ties, with friends or at work, our life really IS affected by the quality of our relationships. Good ones can promote pleasure and survival, while less optimum ones can lead to annoyance, anger, self-doubt, stress, or even affect our health and ability to survive well. Whether you are suffering from a divorce, or a painful break-up, don’t know who to trust (or who to CHOOSE) as a partner, friend, boss or employee - the anxiety of relationship troubles can really make a mess of things. Maybe you’ve suffered a betrayal, or are dealing with hostility or criticalness or invalidation. Dwindling relationships can involve destructive behavior, where we hurt those we love, or start succumbing to self-destructive thoughts, attitudes or behaviors that spiral out of control and affect much more than our immediate relationship. Past losses in love or life can affect how we act or react to new people and situations and hold us back from even starting to create new, possibly great relationships! How can one get back onto a saner course of action? Come to our Meetup, where we can introduce you to some of the knowledge, tools and techniques of the breakthroughs in the field of the mind that we can apply to this ever important area of life: human relationships! Break free from self imposed limitations Here we will discuss: • How to “erase” the trauma of past hurts and betrayals so that one isn’t always repeating past mistakes. • Why and how do the negative emotions of others affect you? • Why is my partner withdrawing and what can I do about it? • Why do we sometimes feel compelled to hurt the ones we love? • Fights & arguments - what's really behind them? • What underlies “corrosive criticism” or the need to invalidate self or others? • How one can stably change one’s outlook on life so they can affect positive change? • Where do compulsive destructive behaviors come from and what can be done about them? • How to form closer bonds & keep growing the relationships with the people you care about? • How to enhance one’s own ability to survive and create positive healthy relationships whether in love, family & friendships or in work, business or one’s career? Relationships can be hard and life itself IS challenging. Why not arm yourself with the knowledge and breakthroughs that have been made about the mind, mental reactions & interpersonal relationships, so that one has better awareness and control over themselves and life in general. Learn where painful experiences are “stored” and how they can unknowingly affect us. You will also find out how one can “erase” those past painful experiences so that one is free to move forward without being tripped up by the past. Learn too, about what can lead some people to become “toxic” personalities and how to identify those traits in others so you won’t be tripped up trusting the wrong person. Our free Meet-ups occur in a safe environment where one can learn, without fear of judgment or criticism, and without the recommendation of harmful mental techniques or therapies, just how YOU can get yourself onto a happier & more successful path: in love & in life. We look forward to having you join us! This class is held at the Dianetics and Scientology Life Improvement Center of Central Ohio.

**We are expanding our creative programming opportunities with Queer Quills, a quiet writing and sharing space. Queer Quills features some prompts, supplies and friendly faces to help get some inspiration or feedback for your writing. Hope to see you there!**

Communication is everything in life You are only as successful as your ability to communicate. \- What if you could confidently talk to anyone? \- What if you had the ability to calmly control every conversation? \- What if you could close that sale\, ask for that date\, make new friends\, repair problematic relationships\, get that raise\, or effortlessly express any idea with confidence? You can! The secret to success relies on your ability or inability to effectively communicate. Attend a free seminar and gain a better ability to communicate. Hosted by the Church of Scientology of Central Ohio 1266 Dublin Road, Columbus, OH 43215 For more information, contact Rhiannon, the Event Host at 614-221-5024

Let’s meet and wander the galleries! General admission on Sundays is free.