Tips from Jasmine Chu & Olivia Rogine

When it comes to making new friends as an adult, Jasmine Chu, an arts coordinator at Children’s Hospital Colorado, recommends having a signature move.

“When I meet someone, I’ll ask to connect on Instagram and then invite them along to an art event in the next week or so,” she explained.

“I find it’s good to start with low pressure group hangouts, then if we’re vibing we can follow up for a one-on-one catch up.”

Olivia Rogine, who works in brand marketing at VistaPrint and is the co-founder of the community club Hi Neighbor, confirmed the strategy works.

The pair met at CreativeMornings in Denver in early 2023 where they both attended solo, exchanged numbers and headed to a gallery opening the next week. Now the fast friends can’t quite believe they haven’t known each other much longer—Jasmine was invited to Olivia’s bachelorette party in Miami and will be a guest at the upcoming wedding.

“I’m probably Olivia’s newest friend, and to be part of that trip was really beautiful—it was a portrait of Olivia through all the smart, cool and fun people that were there who love her,” said Jasmine.

A key to the friendship’s success has been this mutual generosity and world-sharing.

“Jasmine is really intentional about inviting me to things with her people, and I try to do the same so the individual friendship is strong but we’re also part of a bigger web,” said Olivia.

Olivia also has her own signature friendship move. When she first moved to Denver, she craved a sense of community and decided to reboot the viewing parties she did with friends in college. Every week, she’d invite new and established friends to watch the reality show The Traitors. Not only is it a low-pressure, recurring hangout, but a great way to get to know people. “From the outside, reality TV might sound like fluff, but you can gauge the opinions and values of people you might not know very well,” adds Olivia.

Invitations and low-pressure group hangouts are a great way to build momentum in a friendship, but the pair say it’s important to also have one-on-one time to allow space to open up.

“Without the willingness to trust and be vulnerable with one another, we could have just kept doing our weekly shows and that’s fun, but maybe we wouldn’t have gone to a level deeper,” said Olivia.

What the two enjoy most about the friendship is that it can span a multitude of experiences—from a bachelorette party in Miami and gallery openings, to deep conversations over coffee and attending a protest together.

“Something that’s really made the friendship strong are principles that we share—Olivia and I both care very deeply about social justice and community and fighting for a future that we both believe in.”

While everyone’s signature move might be distinct, they all have something in common: a willingness to be uncomfortable.

“I remember that day CreativeMornings—I really did not want to go alone, but putting myself out there then brought me a plus-one for future events, and that’s Jasmine.”

One of the joys of the human experience is you never know when you’ll meet your next plus-one, bachelorette party guest, or protest partner.

We have the potential to meet people who light us up every day, so it’s helpful to have that signature move ready.

“Sometimes you meet someone and recognize something special in them—it’s like you have the same color glitter sprinkled in your souls,” concluded Jasmine.

^{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.}