Being Apart Can Bring Us Closer Together Than Ever Before
Happy Wednesday, everyone. (Yes. It IS Wednesday, if you’ve lost count.) Lately, we’ve been thinking about a strange phenomenon. While we are apart physically and may seem so far apart, in one sense we’re closer than ever. If we use it right, remote communication provides us ways to be together — and focused on one another — like never before. It gives us a chance to reach out and connect with people we may never have gotten to know before if we’re intentional about it. So, that’s our challenge to ourselves and to you: Emerge from this time knowing new people and forged new relationships with colleagues, collaborators and allies who will help you embrace the opportunities that (while they may seem far away) truly lie ahead. Introducing The Biscuit BlitzSeveral times a week on our social media channels and e-newsletters, we’ll be sharing our newest series, The Biscuit Blitz, where we spend just five minutes getting to know a different Queen City creative. Today, we’re offering a rapid interview between Tim Miner of Charlotte is Creative and The Biscuit and Dan Roselli, founder of Packard Place, CFV Ventures and QCFinTech, about how he and his team are surviving and thriving in the world of COVID-19. Get to Know Dan Yourself in the Packard Place Public HouseOnce you watch the interview, you’ll want to get to know Dan better, too. You can! Tune in to the free Packard Place Public House every Wednesday at 4:30, hosted by Dan. You’ll hear from Dan and then get to jump into breakout rooms to discuss topics and get to know some new friends. Register right here. 
Esther and Elsa Want You To Get Some Botanical Buddies
Either you’re quarantined inside with your plants or you miss going outside so much that you’re considering getting a plant to add some greenery to your life. Good thing Rashida Moore of Esther and Elsa Retail, managers of Front Porch Sundays, is here to tell us about 5 local botanical-based products to help bring a bit of outside, inside.
Blake Marler Seeks Close Encounters of the Human Kind
Each of us deals with the isolation and frustration that comes with the new world of COVID-19 in different ways. In the case of Charlotte creative, Blake Marler, it’s led her to seek genuine human connections by surrendering to a new urge to paint. She started by sharing the art with her neighbors by placing them in her windows. Then, she began giving her paintings away to mail carriers, delivery workers and more.
A “Cheeky” New Mural Now in NoDa
Following on the heels of Darien Fleming‘s “Pure’ll Gold” mural, Charlotte mural artist John Bates (AKA Cheeks) has added a new work to the NoDa community that’s perfect for the times in which we find ourselves and the times ahead. He posted a series of photographs chronicling the development of his newest work on Instagram. Thank you, Cheeks! You stay safe, too.
Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
These days, we’re spending more time amongst our neighbors than ever before, but with stay-at-home orders in full effect, we need to find new ways to do that. The City of Charlotte’s Housing & Neighborhood Services is developing tools to help communities and neighborhoods learn new ways to work together. First and foremost, the department maintains a list of neighborhood leaders and residents throughout the City of Charlotte who have registered to engage the community on public initiatives, meetings, and projects that may impact their neighborhoods. You can join the neighborhood database here. The City is also offering online courses to help neighborhood and community leaders learn how to better organize and communicate with those around them while maintaining social distancing. Two courses have just been announced: - Hosting Digital Meetings for Neighborhoods in partnership with NextStage Consulting on Thursday, April 23. Information here.
- Digital Communications for Neighborhood Groups on May 7. Information here.
Are you doing something cool and creative, personally or professionally, to keep moving forward and stay sane? We know you are. We want to know about it and share it to lift Charlotte’s spirit! Click the link in our bio and give us the details! 
We’re collecting links to creative events and resources popping up all over the Queen City. If you’re ready to press “pause” on Netflix, check out our calendar of creative online events. Here’s one we’re really excited about.
Charlotte is experiencing an absolute explosion of online music and cultural events right now. We are very excited to watch Thursday’s Facebook Live with The Caroline Keller Band. This concert is a program of Charlotte Center City Partners’ Music Everywhere program. Watch her concert here. Find an array of daily online concerts on the #MusicAnywhereCLT calendar. For a wide variety of online events taking place across the Queen City, click the button below. 
OrthoCarolina Says, “Relax.”We’re all a little stressed and our friends at OrthoCarolina want to help us relax by reminding us about the ultimate act of relaxation — taking a deep breath. To reduce stress, anxiety and pain, Ortho recommends practicing a diaphragmatic deep-breathing exercise daily. It’s simple. It’s effective. It’ll calm you right down.OrthoCarolina is a sponsor of The Biscuit.
The local media community is working incredibly hard to provide accurate, uplifting and actionable information to assist with the new realities we face. Here are some stories from this week we think are worth your time: QCityMetro has posted an interview with Reggie McNeil of Transforming Youth Movement, grand prize winner of the 2020 Seed20 competition. Charlotte Ledger featured an in-depth analysis of how local media are covering the COVID-19 outbreak and fallout. SHARE Charlotte provided links to resources you can use during DO GOOD Week. Charlotte on the Cheap compiled a list of fun activities to celebrate Earth Day 2020. WFAE’s Ann Doss Helms shared a recap of a YouTube panel discussion by the Harvey B. Gantt Center on the County’s response to the COVID-19 impact on the African-American community here. Charlotte INNO has pulled together a massive list of resources on effectively managing meetings and teams remotely. Charlotte Agenda wrote about initial reactions to the possibility of the County enlisting social media influencers to share information about social distancing best practices.
BROKEN NEWS: Doctors Seek Pockets Full of QuartersWe believe we may have discovered a highly effective way to combat the coronavirus and flatten the curve that dates all the way back to the 80s. Please help stop the spread of Pac Man Fever! 
Dogged … ahem … Reporter Says: “Stay-At-Home’s Not that Bad”Reporting from South End, canine correspondent, Dexter the Rescued Golden, wants everyone to know that despite all of the disruption taking place across the globe, dog’s noses everywhere are still cold and wet. Follow his daily reports. 
The next time you take a trip to Trader Joe’s at the Metropolitan to replenish your quarantine snacks (yes Cookie Butter Sandwich Cookies and Joe Joe’s ARE essential) take a moment to enjoy this magnificent mural by artist Ivan Roque (@ivanjroque). “The brown trout and the iris are two native species of flora and fauna here in North Carolina. Both of them being a symbol to community and prosperity a trait that I’ve noticed in all of Charlotte,” said Ivan in an Instagram post after completing the mural back in October during the 2019 Talking Walls Festival. Speaking of trout, we should probably add some fish to the shopping list. Three weeks of only eating cookies is probably enough… This Queen City exploration is powered by OrthoCarolina. Directions: 1133 Metropolitan Ave, Charlotte, NC 28204 Explore other “Where Are We in CLT?” destinations here.
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