Regular readers know that one of the inspirations behind this letter is one of Austin Kleon's maxims: draw the art you want to see, make the music you want to hear, write the books you want to read.

So I noticed when Priya Parker, author of The Art of Gathering, suggested that I can initiate the kind of gatherings I would want to attend. The best gatherings, she says, don’t start with a plan. They begin with a longing. You don’t need to default to stiff dinner parties or routine meetings. You can start something new from a feeling, a need, or a question that won’t leave you alone.

These are scary times. Sometimes there’s nothing anyone can say to make us feel better. But just being with others does help. A lot.

To get your ideas flowing, she’s shared six good reasons to gather. None of them require much more than just inviting people to show up.

"Create the gathering you’ve been waiting for, and trust that if it feeds you, it will feed others too.

"In uncertain and heavy times, gathering with intention is one of the most powerful, everyday ways we remember how to be human. So gather, gather, gather. Be with your people. These moments won’t fix everything, but they restore us to ourselves and one another."

ARTICLE: Create the Gathering You’ve Been Waiting For