At first glance, belonging to a calligraphy guild or attending a quilting circle may seem like the very definition of apolitical activity. A handful of people gathering in a library conference room or church fellowship hall to have a potluck dinner and practice calligraphy flourishes or learn how to stitch seams in a hand-knitted sweater—what could be less consequential to the massive, convoluted problems of our world?

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And yet, as our democratic institutions are challenged, getting off social media and showing up in body, mind, and spirit at such gatherings may be among the most quietly radical practices we can engage in during this time. To gather with people offline and outside of our typical professional or family and friend groups around a shared hobby is to affirm that freedom is not only about rights and laws; freedom is about the ability to assemble, create, and find joy.

To take up a nib or a needle in public is to resist isolation, to insist on connection.…