OFF BOOK - A Mastermind for Black CreativesOverviewOff Book is a closed-door creative mastermind for Black artists, builders, thinkers, and makers who are tired of creating alone. It’s the room you step into when you’re done dimming your brilliance, done explaining yourself, and done pretending. No performance. No code-switching. No pressure to be “on.”Just honesty, imagination, and a community that actually sees you. Each session opens as one big circle, grounded in laughter, good music, and a warm welcome from Shirlette Robinson. After that, we break into curated mini-pods based on RSVP responses: writers with writers, filmmakers with filmmakers, designers with designers, introverts with introverts, and wildcards… with whoever can handle them. This is a we’re actually going to help each other grow container.
The Energy
Picture this: Coffee and Tea on Tap
Soft lo-fi humming in the background.
Everyone fully in their creative era.
The atmosphere is warm, grounded, intimate, and playful, like a living room where shoes come off but ambition doesn’t.
What Happens InsideEach Off Book session flows through:
• Opening Circle - a gentle grounding moment
• The Warm Start - to loosen creative muscles
• Breakout Pods - pre-assigned groups chosen by Shirl based on your RSVP
• The Exchange - share goals, stuck points, ideas, or works-in-progress
• The Lift - your pod reflects back what they see in you (clarity, not critique)
• The Collective Close - everyone returns to the circle to anchor one takeaway
Everything said in Off Book stays in Off Book.
What You Receive
• A curated circle of creatives who actually get you
• A gentle accountability system
• A biannual directory of attendees
• A space to breathe, create, and be fully seen
All free. RSVP required. No RSVP = no pod, no entry.
We prioritize intentionality over headcount.
Purpose
Off Book is a welcoming space for Black artists, writers, filmmakers, entrepreneurs, and dreamers to nurture their “5-9”, the creative life that exists beyond the 9-5. Each session blends gentle networking, guided conversation, and small-group collaboration designed to help participants move ideas from imagination to action. Light refreshments provided. RSVP required.
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