The “creative class” is a coin termed by economist and millennial trend-watcher Richard Florida, but the definition of the phrase is one that can be used very broadly. A group of locals have come together in the past year to provide some definition to that realm through the Columbus lens, and shine a spotlight on the wide variety of creative talent that exists in our own backyard. That project is known as motive. (intentionally styled lowercase and with a period on the end) and has become a popular monthly event series at Brothers Drake Meadery.
“motive. began as an idea between three entrepreneur friends who wanted something which was more creative and engaging than a simple dance party or other evening nightlife concept,” explains co-founder Charles Erickson. “In October of 2012 we launched the first iteration of motive. — a weekly hangout session for creatively-minded people.”
During those first few months, the format was found organically as the event organizers began to invite local guests to host presentations, demonstrations and workshops. The weekly format didn’t work out well either, so in March 2013, motive. began to run only on the first Monday of each month with a more professional effort that resembles something in between a TED talk and a talk show.
“Tim Fulton was recruited to be our host and we began documenting each event,” says Erickson. “And our event sponsor Midwest Photo Exchange, provides us with a large amount of video & lighting equipment each month for this purpose.”
Since then, motive. has morphed into one of the best social hour and networking events for creative professionals (and non-professionals). The events still focus heavily on an interactive component, which means that guests often take home something at the end of the night that they created themselves.
“As Tim Fulton points out in our January 2014 pilot video episode, there is a recurring theme we often hear from our featured creatives,” says motive. co-founder Matt Reese. “It’s one of economic frustration in the struggle to earn a living as a creative professional. That issue resonated deeply with us in our own careers. Even if just on a small scale, we knew we wanted to play a role in shifting the status quo, so our response was to launch a networking event for the creative community.”
Some of the highlights from the past year that Reese and Erickson point out include an upcycling workshop from {Re}habitat host Rachael Ranney, an interesting life story from Franklinton artist Andrew Lundberg, and an impromptu flash mob fashion show from the Alternative Fashion Mob.
The moments I love the most are the ones that erase the lines between passive and active entertainment,” says Reese. “It’s kind of like watching the Late Show on television, except it’s happening live before you and featuring real people from our city.”
The next motive. takes place tonight at Brothers Drake Meadery in the Short North from 6pm to 11pm.
For more information, visit www.facebook.com/motivecolumbus.