What we’re about
CONNECT WITH US on the Digital Dabblers Discord!
Attend at least 1 event (in-person or virtual), and request a link from an organizer.
Become a monthly supporter here for all our workshops and paid events!
https://digitaldabblers.com/product/monthly
WHAT IS DIGITAL ART?
Digital art can be understood as any artistic work or practice that uses digital technology as part of the creative or presentation process. There are also many types of "digital" art besides drawing or painting! If you're a screenwriter, podcaster, electric guitar player, algorithmic artist, photographer, digital scrapbooker, printmaker, video editor, game designer, digital marketer, or even a traditional artist looking to get into digital, please join us!
OUR CULTURE:
This group has a zero tolerance policy for harassment or discrimination of any kind. We are also queer positive, and accept all newcomers with love and respect. My two biggest pet peeves in life are bullies and people that make you feel unwelcome. SO that means I am fiercely protective of this group and the community we serve. People join seeking many different things: art therapy, a safe space to share their work, a fun group to laugh and grow with, etc. Any individuals who show signs of disrespect, or who pose a risk to this culture, will (and have been) removed.
For anyone interested in joining as an assistant organizer, you have my full support and backing. Any wacky ideas are fair game plus if you run into any troublemakers you can direct them to chat with me! I have hosted/attended nearly 600 Meetup events since starting July of 2021 and can't begin to describe how much these experiences have positively impacted my life and helped me understand what makes a Meetup group successful. The Dabblers will live on :)
ABOUT:
Welcome to the Digital Dabblers Community! Where digital creatives meet for in-person and online socials, workshops and classes. Our focus is to remove the stigma from the art making process for anyone who has a desire to express themselves and is looking for that extra bit of motivation to get started and keep going. We are welcoming to anyone at any perceived skill/experience level from "I think I can't draw" or "digital is too technical" all the way up to "I'm currently working in industry." Wherever you are at in your journey, this community welcomes you with love, support, acceptance, and friendship above all else.
We focus on promoting the use of free and open source software like Blender, Krita, Audacity, Inkscape, GIMP, LibreOffice, and more. This way barriers to entry are low and anyone with a device can start learning for free!
Don't have a device?? No problem! We have a loaner drawing tablet or laptop loaded up with all the best software for people to play around with 😃.
All it takes to build a community of empowered and engaged digital artists is YOU! Imagine if the group expanded to a point where we could collaborate and create real independent films, or launch someone's career as a freelancer or filmmaker? The possibilities are endless but it all starts with sharing a dream, creating a culture of respect and openness while making events casual, fun and challenging!
So who is a good fit in this community? Respect and engagement are the two most critical keys to successful membership. This means nobody walks in with an ego and talks down to anyone, and people RSVP and show up! Anyone interested in growing skills and confidence in digital art or just simply to hangout, this is your group!
Events fall into 3 major categories:
1. Socials: movie nights, meet and make, hangout and talk, etc. :)
2. Workshops: these are makers sessions where we will focus on a specific topic or theme and on a limited basis we offer workshops on the the various free and open source multi-media apps for artists. These events are hosted exclusively on the website (linked above).
3. Special events: Yearly member celebration, Halloween Party, etc!
NOTE: If you're wondering what the heck "open source" means, or any of this sounds technical, you're a traditional artist and you feel intimidated by the aspect of meeting other artists at varying skill levels, using technology, etc., then please come explore with us, bring your own perspective and reach out with questions. We are excited to meet you!
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- What I Learned Hosting 200 Meetup Events in 2 Years! (AMA/Q&A)Portland Digital Dabblers Events, Portland, OR
EVENT DESCRIPTION:
After attending/hosting over 500 Meetup events in 10 different communities in 2 years (Art, Hiking, Trail Running, Singles, Social Clubs, etc), I would like to offer this time to share my honest experiences with 100 tips for participating and hosting community groups. Yes you read that right, 100 tips!
Things such as:- Learning to recognize "Community Builders" and "Community Breakers."
- Asking for feedback from members
- Working through challenging obstacles
- Hosting out of public vs. private spaces
- Addressing safety
- Improving gender ratios in tech events by promoting diverse leaders
- Addressing difficult personalities
- How to (hopefully) avoid organizer burnout
- Learning to set healthy boundaries as a host
- How to help those in crisis
- LGBTQIA+ Accomodations
- ADA Accomodations
- Honest mistakes I've made and learned from
- Many more lessons learned!
Many of these tips come from personal failings, observations from others, and advice from my various mentors over the years. This discussion is offered as a safe space and does touch on the vast and confusing landscape of human behavior. All genders, identities, races, religions, abilities, etc., are welcome here for a judgement free discussion. Before challenging topics are discussed we will always encourage folks to take a break or step out for any reason.
Hopefully this could be helpful for anyone considering starting as an organizer or community host and to avoid common pitfalls.HOW TO FIND US:
Make your way to the entrance (in-between My Fathers Place and Slow Bar) and search for DIGITAL DABBLE on the door buzzer. We will be upstairs (follow the sign) PLEASE CALL FOR ASSISTANCE IF YOU NEED TO USE THE ELEVATOR.OUR MISSION:
We are a member-supported community that provides high-quality education, workshops, and mentoring programs for digital artists of all skill levels, abilities, backgrounds, and financial means. We collaborate on projects with measurable social impact, while inspiring each other to learn, make friends, and experience personal growth!
https://digitaldabblers.com/about-us/ - Digital Creatives Saturday Workshops! (Sliding Scale & Donation Based)Portland Digital Dabblers Events, Portland, OR
FALL Digital Dabblers WORKSHOP ROSTER
*Note* This Event Will Be Updated Continuously but Please make sure to RSVP on the website for each event you're interested in. Unless stated otherwise ALL workshops are hosted in-person. All workshops will usually start at 1pm. Announcements will also appear on our Instagram, Discord, Eventbrite, and Website.
- Oct 12: Intro to 3d Modeling with Daniel and Caroline (in-person) https://digitaldabblers.com/events/blender-3d-modeling-intro/
- Oct 19th: 3d Rigging with Caroline (rig a human arm, hand, etc.) https://digitaldabblers.com/events/3d-rigging-intro/
- Oct 26th: Intro to 3d Sculpting (Blender or Nomad on iPad). https://digitaldabblers.com/events/spooky-intro-3d-sculpture/
- Oct 27th: Intro to Figure & Gesture Drawing for Digital Artists (LIVE Model & Multiple Camera Angles). https://digitaldabblers.com/events/intro-figure-and-gesture/
- Oct 31st: Spooktacular Halloween Makers Cosplay. https://digitaldabblers.com/events/live-halloween-makers-cosplay/
- Nov 2nd: Concept-to-animation! Collaborative 2 week Art Jam. https://digitaldabblers.com/events/concept-to-animation-48hr-indie-art-challenge/
- Nov 9th: Concept-to-animation! Collaborative 2 week Art Jam. https://digitaldabblers.com/events/concept-to-animation-weekend-2/
- Nov 9th: Digital Painting with Paul (Exact day/time TBD)
- Nov 17th: Intro to Figure & Gesture Session 2 (TBD)
- TBD: Blender Intermediate Workshops (Online) with Jacob
- Nov 23rd: Friendsgiving 2024 & Short Film Premiere. https://digitaldabblers.com/events/friendsgiving-2024/
- Dec 21st: Digital Dabblers Holiday Art Exchange. https://digitaldabblers.com/events/holiday-art-exchange-2024/
ASK TO JOIN OUR DISCORD: Discord link will be emailed to all RSVP'd attendees on the day of the workshop. If we forget please just ask :)
About Our Mission: https://digitaldabblers.com/about-us/
- "We are a nonprofit 501(c)(3) member-supported community that provides high-quality education, workshops, and mentoring programs for digital creatives of all skill levels, abilities, backgrounds, and financial means. We collaborate on projects with measurable social impact, while inspiring each other to learn, make friends, and experience personal growth!"
Image Credit: The current event photo was rendered and composed by Caroline F.
- Digital Dabblers Nonprofit Development Meeting! Art, Animation & TechLink visible for attendees
Online Link: Join Our Discord Here!
Event Description:
Join us while we embark on planning the future of the Digital Dabblers and all of our offerings! Envision a social club that offers free classes and workshops in many different subjects like animation, story boarding, video editing, etc., and the chance to collaborate on real projects with members of the Portland art community.The purpose of this meeting is to discuss action items from our last development meetings (I will post a link to a more in-depth agenda as the time gets closer).
This meeting is open to anyone but I assume mostly folks who have already been involved will be interested in attending. This is a great opportunity to learn more about nonprofits and gain experience with development, nonprofit marketing, and have a hands-on role in developing the future of Digital Dabblers!
We will be discussing:
- Clarifying our goals and get feedback on the 1/2 page vision statement
- Discuss external networking opportunities
- Discuss internal volunteer portal and selected task management software (todo-ist or co-decks).
- Discuss fundraiser for legal fees to incorporate
- General Q/A!
- Digital Creatives Saturday Workshops! (Sliding Scale & Donation Based)Portland Digital Dabblers Events, Portland, OR
FALL Digital Dabblers WORKSHOP ROSTER
*Note* This Event Will Be Updated Continuously but Please make sure to RSVP on the website for each event you're interested in. Unless stated otherwise ALL workshops are hosted in-person. All workshops will usually start at 1pm. Announcements will also appear on our Instagram, Discord, Eventbrite, and Website.
- Oct 12: Intro to 3d Modeling with Daniel and Caroline (in-person) https://digitaldabblers.com/events/blender-3d-modeling-intro/
- Oct 19th: 3d Rigging with Caroline (rig a human arm, hand, etc.) https://digitaldabblers.com/events/3d-rigging-intro/
- Oct 26th: Intro to 3d Sculpting (Blender or Nomad on iPad). https://digitaldabblers.com/events/spooky-intro-3d-sculpture/
- Oct 27th: Intro to Figure & Gesture Drawing for Digital Artists (LIVE Model & Multiple Camera Angles). https://digitaldabblers.com/events/intro-figure-and-gesture/
- Oct 31st: Spooktacular Halloween Makers Cosplay. https://digitaldabblers.com/events/live-halloween-makers-cosplay/
- Nov 2nd: Concept-to-animation! Collaborative 2 week Art Jam. https://digitaldabblers.com/events/concept-to-animation-48hr-indie-art-challenge/
- Nov 9th: Concept-to-animation! Collaborative 2 week Art Jam. https://digitaldabblers.com/events/concept-to-animation-weekend-2/
- Nov 9th: Digital Painting with Paul (Exact day/time TBD)
- Nov 17th: Intro to Figure & Gesture Session 2 (TBD)
- TBD: Blender Intermediate Workshops (Online) with Jacob
- Nov 23rd: Friendsgiving 2024 & Short Film Premiere. https://digitaldabblers.com/events/friendsgiving-2024/
- Dec 21st: Digital Dabblers Holiday Art Exchange. https://digitaldabblers.com/events/holiday-art-exchange-2024/
ASK TO JOIN OUR DISCORD: Discord link will be emailed to all RSVP'd attendees on the day of the workshop. If we forget please just ask :)
About Our Mission: https://digitaldabblers.com/about-us/
- "We are a nonprofit 501(c)(3) member-supported community that provides high-quality education, workshops, and mentoring programs for digital creatives of all skill levels, abilities, backgrounds, and financial means. We collaborate on projects with measurable social impact, while inspiring each other to learn, make friends, and experience personal growth!"
Image Credit: The current event photo was rendered and composed by Caroline F.