A tale of love, chemistry, and friendship from Barbora Trávníčková

There might be no better way to determine if someone is a match for you than bringing them along to something you love.

For Barbora Trávníčková, that’s CreativeMornings.

A few years ago, Barbora Trávníčková was prompted to invite a plus one, Pablo, to the Prague chapter’s special event about the chemistry of love, making it a second date for herself and Pablo.

“To add to the romantic atmosphere, the hosts served chocolate and strawberries, alongside glasses of champagne,” said the head of communications at an architecture firm.

While the topic of love was particularly relevant, Barbora thinks any CreativeMornings event is suitable for a date.

“The talks are a great starting point for conversation.”

“You don’t need to be a graphic designer to enjoy a talk by a graphic designer, for example, she continued.”

The structure can also help calm dating-jitters.

“You can have a coffee, be inspired, and there’s a clear end point for the date because people need to run off to work.”

Afterwards, the pair realised their connection was more platonic, which has turned out to be fulfilling in its own way. Pablo and Barbora have now been friends for over nine years, meeting for coffee from time to time, when their paths cross in their favorite neighborhood.

“I thought I was looking for love, but in the end I was grateful for finding a good friend,” said Barbora.

While the date will always be a fond memory, it was never the sole impetus for attending CreativeMornings. For Barbora, the events have always been a great way to learn something new, explore different places in her city, and connect with interesting people.

Barbora encourages others to attend CreativeMornings either with a date or solo, as it’s a welcoming space to meet a diversity of people.

“CreativeMornings is a really good place to practice talking to strangers—it’s a nice, safe environment to step outside your comfort zone and maybe bring about new friendships.”

Whether looking for love or friendships, Barbora’s advice is the same:

“Go out into the world, attend interesting events, and talk to people in real life.”

^{This article is part of our blog series of love letters to everyone who’s ever been part of a CreativeMornings gathering. Since our start in 2008, our remarkable volunteers have hosted over 15,000 events across the globe. As a community, we have become experts in what it means to create spaces that allow for deep, loving, human connection in an increasingly disconnected world. With this series, we’re sharing what we’ve learned hoping it will encourage you to join in or create your own meaningful spaces. The future is not lonely. It’s communal and hyperlocal.}