Visit your local hackerspace. Hello, Kalamazoo!
Are you reading this post from the Detroit metro area? Then come to i3 Detroit this evening for Open Shop Friday! Guests welcome, bring a project to hack on, bring a friend or two, you know the drill…
But if you’re in Kalamazoo, or know any hackers/makers who are, you might want to get involved in Xipherspace. There isn’t a hackerspace/makerspace in every town quite yet, but new ones seem to be popping up quite often! The most surprising part? They cited us as an inspiration, and let me tell you, that’s an amazing bit of flattery.
If you’re in another area, leave a comment on this post! I’m curious how far-flung our blog readership is, and even more curious what your experiences have been when visiting other spaces around the state, country, or world.
I’ll start with a shout-out to the first hackerspace I ever set foot in: HacDC, in our nation’s capital. And let me tell you, it felt really weird being located in a church! But after a little while, I figured it out, and now it seems really natural and unremarkable.
That was before i3 got started, and the energy and friendship I felt at HacDC was a big motivator when I returned from that trip, to be as involved in i3’s early days and still today. Kudos to both the founders of HacDC, and the founders of i3, for creating these places!
I’ve also visited Dallas Makerspace, FamiLAB (Orlando), The Maker’s Alliance (Cleveland), and of course Ann Arbor’s own All Hands Active. Despite the diversity of facilities, all felt very welcoming from the moment I walked in the door. Friendly people, familiar parts and tools, and limitless possibilities.