Volume 1, Issue 31 | Structure and Chaos
We have a lot of rhythms here at The Company: unofficial watch parties, Weekly Wednesday Worknights, Moonlight Reports, Book Club, PowerPoint Parties, Yoga with Dan, Glint, Demo Days, (soon) In the Making, and for the smaller number of us who work from here during the day, the rhythms of shared lunches and mid-afternoon walks.
And these rhythms—this structure—it helps us make intentional progress. We keep showing up and making and learning and discussing and connecting and meeting.
But the structure also allows for serendipity. The unintentional but delightful being. It’s in the lingering we’ve mentioned so many times before, but it’s also in the in-between and around; the overheard, the misheard, the idea that turns into a plan that turns into a scheme. It’s how mini-fridges appear and dance lessons are planned and image aspect ratios are fixed and newsletter topics are seeded and so many other things. It’s a lovely interplay some of us were noticing this past week—the structure and the chaos—and as always we’re grateful to y’all for being a part of it.
—Ivan
Happenings
This week:
Yoga with Dan: 🔥 Edition, Sunday, January 12
Once again, I’m writing this section of Paperwork while Yoga With Dan is taking place and leaving it in for the historical record.
This special, one hour, "power flow" class is currently syncing challenging physical poses with intentional breathwork engaging mental and physical limits, for a powerful orientation to the new year. Students are currently experiencing a challenging, low impact workout with light breathing exercises.
You’re far too late to join. But this happens monthly, the day after PowerPoint Parties. The next one is February 9.
Weekly Wednesday Worknight, Wednesday, January 15
The Company is about combining creative work with good friendships. Make an appointment with your side project this (or any) Wednesday at a Worknight, where we oscillate between enforced, focused, quiet time and optional chatty social time. $5, or free for Company and Moonlight members.
Creative Coding Demo Day No. 9, Saturday, January 18
Demo days are where people casually present creative coding projects at any stage of progress—or just watch people give demos. They are hosted by Norton King and the Creative Code Denver meetup group.
Future Weeks:
Glint: Resolve, Tuesday, January 21
True, personal stories, told live, without notes. Pretty much exactly like The Moth except without the competition, on Tuesdays instead of Fridays, and everyone knows each other (or is about to). Our next theme is “Resolve“, and we’ve got a few storyteller slots left.
Do you have a story of an ambitious New Year’s resolution? How did that go? Of grit and determination? Of putting your mind to a thing? Of a decision? Of a surprising or long-awaited outcome? Something unresolved? Whatever your interpretation, we want to hear it.
Mary Ann’s Book Club: Non-Violent Communication, Tuesday, January 28
This month’s book is Non-Violent Communication: A Language of Life by Marshall Rosenberg.
This book has made a big impact on a couple of Company members, and they’ve talked about it enough that the rest of us are excited to learn more. Read about (and discuss) how to integrate consciousness, language, communication, and means for influence into our connections with ourselves and others.
Snacks and drinks will be provided to fuel our conversation.
The first rule of Non-Violent Communication Book Club is… →
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Also coming up: In the Making, PowerPoint Party No. 23.
Nostalgia
Do you remember the return of River and Drew? The first day with all the dedicated-deskers in at the same time?
Or the very unofficial and very riveting continuation of our Severance rewatching? How the night began with Justin asking “Did you all clock in?”, and after our collective assent, “So you’re all innies.”? That we spent so long afterward speculating, or pretending to speculate, and wondering whether any of us would find any appeal in severing?
Do you remember Will’s first workday? How all that morning Beth peered out the window as if waiting for a loved one to return from war, and how her loved one eventually arrived, all yellow and pretty?
The typewriter?
The worknight run by the understudy? The interview with Vanessa? Meeting and re-meeting Emily Ann, who earned us two of our five stars, which earned us the reward of the eight-person star, that we couldn’t successfully unravel, through we pondered it for a long time?
Do remember how afterward a minor Bad Bunny dance party occurred, and schemes began for further additions to the dance schedule?
That after that we had a design review of the new events page, and it was so much fun?
Or the focused workday? The meeting of the dance committee? The live podcast on quitting that kept us entertained while we worked late?
Or the Friday with the sudden food emergency, and prompt feedback on the silliness of such? The attempt and success at defining a party? “A party is to flirt.” The afternoon of people focusing on their PowerPoint presentations? How Beth said—and in doing so summarized the joy of this place—“I’ll see you after today.”?
Do you remember the PowerPoint Party? The one with all the help, the desk-navigation, and the faucet swap? The one with the scary numbers, and the spoons, and the silver, and the poop, and the fricatives? How there were so many newcomers, and so many more of us lingered? How we again wrapped up the week with bartaco?
Bureaucratic Minutiae
Michelle brought in a mini desk which we’ll be using as a hot-desk in the kissing room.
If you’re just joining us, the kissing room used to be called the green room, the conference room, the quiet room, the quiet-cozy room, the talking room, but two people shared a first kiss in there once and it’s been going well ever since and so now we call it that.
Thanks to Chris for bringing in a mini-fridge!
Jim, with help from Sabrina and Will, replaced our ailing kitchen faucet, and the new one is SO NICE. Give it a whirl the next time you’re in.
Beth’s coffee cart is continuing to come together. If you haven’t yet noticed, the explosion of color in the back corner is her spot.
At Worknight: Sabrina cleaned the bathroom, Michelle finished (reading) a book, Mark worked on his PowerPoint presentation, Emily Ann finished (writing) a scene in her novel, Norton combined some slides in his presentation, Will worked on adding a custom domain, Cory worked on writing a math curriculum, José recorded a podcast, Dan did some writing, Jacob worked on animating globes, Ivan worked on some designs for the event page, and Emily Ann ordered dinner for pickup.
At PowerPoint Party No. 22: Justin talked about shuffling, Kayleigh taught us how to speak, Simon read a bananas Craigslist ad, Max explained why computers struggle with big and small numbers, Lauren talked about poo, Elijah spoke of spoons, Jim recounted a misadventures in selling silver, Micah reported on his resolutions from 2024, Mark taught us about regenerative agriculture, Niera shared her skincare winners of 2024, Norton summarized a beautiful book, and Michelle shared her research on play. Images and slides are up on the event page.
Finally, a reminder that The Company is a membership-supported mixed-use creative space, and if you know any of us, you’re welcome to pop in any time for free (outside of events). If you know that one of us is here and you’d like to come by, reach out and we can let you in.
Do you know anyone in the Denver area who might be looking for creative community? Feel free to forward this email along to them. Everyone loves Paperwork.
😘
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This issue of Paperwork was made possible by the support of our members, Halie, Drew, Justin, Mason, Lexi, José, Mary Ann, Trevr, Aubrey, Allyson, Madison, Melissa, Elijah, Dan, Michelle, Jim, Jacob, Mark, Ben, Sabrina, Beth, Dani, Chris, Brynn, Will, and Marcia.
