Not a Ladder, but a Table
The Fig Society, the club I needed, space that breathes, curating connection.
In a world that glorifies productivity, hustle, and endless invisible ladders that we’re all somehow expected to climb and check all the society-made boxes, we forget we’re made to create, gather, and connect. The simple space for joy and imagination quietly disappears between deadlines and high expectations.
Yet, my soul craves something different. A table, not a ladder. A table where creativity, conversation, and connection can breathe and progress. That’s how the idea started. My best friend and I were both climbing invisible ladders, trying to tick boxes of expectations, and just constantly being “on”. The club is a space to slow down, to create, and to share. A place that wasn’t for competing or proving, but to show up for ourselves.
It began from a simple sleepover and conversation. Not from a business plan, or a five-year financial vision, but from a bed and two pillows. The Fig Society.
When you’re in your twenties, life can be a checklist. Graduate. Corporate work. Network. There’s this subtle message that you have to fit tidily into one or more of society’s boxes or else you’re just a failure. We wanted that too but we also liked to wander off a little. To create things that had no labels. To talk about small, intimate, creative projects.
So, we planned and strategized. We created a table that shared meals, and questions and answers that didn’t need to be polished. Then, suddenly the circle grew. This social club might look small from the outside, but it’s the creative outlet I needed so badly. It’s something to look forward to in the middle of fast-paced weeks. It reminded me that life doesn’t have to be performative, and belonging can be found in simple gatherings.
I don’t know what this club will become and that’s the entire point. We didn’t build it to check another box off. Maybe this is your reminder to gather your own circle, set out notebooks, and ask questions that go deeper than small talk.
A peek into our table last weekend:
reading this alone feels refreshing! i wish i could experience that soon 🥺