Create Cohort Blog

Category: Life

  • Space Dive 2025!

    Space Dive 2025!

    May the Fourth be with you, at the “Greatest Dive Bar in the Galaxy!”

    Space Dive is an immersive experience held at the Tangent Gallery in Detroit, now in its tenth year. The gallery is unrecognizable with the plethora of bounty hunters, blasters, creatures, and Scruffy Nerf Herders galivanting through the market. Inside, an almost exact replica of the Cantina, complete with the most familiar tunes in the galaxy. Beyond that, an artist market, cozy space nooks to relax and enjoy the films, as well as a giant ball room full of the best space jams to vibe to. Or, more traditionally, start a Nerf war.

    This was my fourth year attending Space Dive, and Dave’s first! Costumes are required for this event, however, being in a full-character isn’t necessary. Scarves, leggings, cool-alien hair/makeup/face-paint, etc. are all encouraged. I had dressed as an Ewok the first two years, and last year was the first time I just embraced throwing on whatever garb I had that looked Star Wars adjacent.

    Two of my favorite elements of this event: the first being that the design, decorations, and even the layout change up every year. It is almost a hunt to discover new, hidden gems each time. The second is being able to see so many familiar faces either as patrons, volunteers, or just your friendly neighborhood Detroit Party Marching Band. I do feel a little terrible for not taking any photos of the decor this year, however, that just means less spoilers for you if you haven’t attended yet.

    This year Space Dive is running for two weekends, so you can still have the chance to go this Friday, May 9th, or, Saturday May 10th.

    If a bar-scene isn’t for you, or you have some nerdy offspring, Family Day will be held during the day on Saturday. Cantina themed mocktails, the screening room, arts and craft activities, and of course, more Nerf wars!

    Kids are free, adults $10 credits.

    This event is always the kick-off to Summer for myself, and I had an absolutely, fantastic time. Definitely did not misplace a light saber, or two, at Sabacc. See you next post, xo.

    📍Detroit, MI

    Sara Bellum

  • Demons at The High Dive

    Demons at The High Dive

    A Thursday evening with some Dario Argento, lasagna, and cocktails? Done.

    Two female university students who, along with a number of random people, are given complimentary tickets to a mysterious movie screening, where they soon find themselves trapped in the theater with a horde of ravenous demons.

    “They will make cemeteries their cathedrals and the cities will be your tombs“

    Dario Argento’s Demons (1985), is the epitome of ‘so bad, its good’. Lack-luster plot, and the absolute worst dialogue, cause this movie to borderline completely terrible. However, peak 80’s special effects choc full of gore, and, mutations, including a demon bursting out of a person’s back, check all of the boxes for a top-tier trash-flick that horror fiends will absolutely have on their guilty pleasures list. Not to mention the soundtrack; Billy Idol, Rick Springfield, and Mötley Crüe are quintessentially mid-1980’s.

    The High Dive is a neighborhood bar located in Hamtramck often referred to as “Shark Bar”, in the most endearing way. A frequent haunt, featuring crafted beverages, a beautiful wood bar, moody lighting, cozy nooks, a pool table, and the most recognizable wallpaper in the Detroit area. Its giving Dark Academia-kitsch and as your resident hipster uncle, I of course eat that shit up.

    If you haven’t been, 10/10 recommend. Same goes for watching Demons. And lasagna. Until next post, xo.

    📍Hamtramck, MI

    Sara Bellum

    Create Cohort Blog

  • All Things Detroit Day 2025

    All Things Detroit Day 2025

    This past weekend we both attended an event in Eastern Market that neither of us have ever experienced before; All Things Detroit: Holiday shopping Experience & Food Truck Rally.

    All Things Detroit events are a curated shopping experience that features over 200 small business vendors. Each year the event is held the Sunday before Easter and in November at Eastern Market in sheds 3, 4 & 5.

    The event starts 2 hours prior to the market opening to the public, but we wandered in a little later in the morning. I really enjoyed seeing a variety of businesses ranging from clothing, photography, hand-crafted art, jewelry, to homemade popcorns and teas. There were several food trucks also participating throughout the sheds, and as the afternoon approached, it became full rather quickly.

    As someone who is a huge advocate for supporting small businesses and communities, I absolutely loved seeing an event curated for just that. A space created specifically to support, and bring attention to those who need it. The choice of hosting All Things Detroit in Eastern Market just puts a cherry on top, as it is one of the districts that means so much to me.

    As it is, I am currently writing this post from Tocororo, surprise-surprise.

    After perusing the event, Dave and I decided to visit a couple of our friends in the market. We stopped by to visit, and give hugs, to our friend Lisa, owner of Motor City Franks. She was just setting up for the day, but ended up selling out completely (fuck yeah, Lisa!). We then went over to visit our friend Jamie, the brewer and one of the owners of Lagerhaus No. 5 and enjoyed a couple of ciders before heading out for some adventures in Hamtramck.

    I really love that events like this also bring attention to the businesses in the market. Eastern Market is known for its Saturday market, however, there are so many businesses that exist in the district that are open to the public on weekdays, and evenings. Everything from unique shops and boutiques, to breweries, restaurants, coffee shops-even a meat market that is open 6 days a week.

    So the next time you are in Eastern Market, or, if you have never been, I fully encourage taking a walkabout and checking a few of these places out.

    More information on All Things Detroit can be found on their website.

    📍Eastern Market, Detroit

    Sara Bellum

    Create Cohort Blog

    • Hits different

      Hits different

      What is this, 2010?

      Hi, my name is Sara Bellum. Welcome to the Create Cohort Blog!

      With TikTok, Instagram, (insert your favorite social media platform here), why attempt to bring back a complete relic of digital word vomit? I am gonna blame nostalgia. I am a geriatric Millennial, after all. 

      Although I do have accounts across many social media platforms that I utilize for sharing many of the things that I used to write about on my previous blog, Cat Ears and Coffee, I tend to “show” rather than “tell”. It took me a long time to get on the Reels bandwagon, but now not only do I enjoy creating them, I treat them as a vessel for showing the viewer the experience. For example: If I am going to create a Reel on an event such as Eastern Market After Dark (surprise, I did), I try my best to emulate what the environment is via a mix of detailed shots, visuals of the size of the event, a bit of candid footage, as well as capturing fun moments of smiles, waves, and general nonsense. I also include a bit of blurb of what the event is, and try my best to choose a song that fits the experience. I lean away from voiceovers for that reason, even my Day In The Life Reels. Why you ask? Because although I do enjoy other creators voice over videos, they just don’t fit me. 

      Blogging just hits different.  

      Cat Ears & Coffee; my OG blog was a lifestyle blog focusing on personal style, daily life, adventures, recipes, and bit of DIY. Why didn’t I just continue posting on that blog? Cat Ears & Coffee can’t come to the phone right now, why? Because she’s dead. Actually, she is not. I am in the works of painstakingly re-reading every post to check for any personal facts that I might not feel as open to having out there, checking to make sure links work/need to be updated/removed, etc. before re-publishing them. My want to use Blogger for that platform, however, has died. RIP.

      Blogging was the gateway drug to all of my creative endeavors: I wrote stream of conscious posts, I played around with an old junky digital camera until I got my hands on a DSLR. I started getting creative with my living spaces: painting, organizing, decorating-documenting all of it. I wrote poems, I freelanced myself out to take high school Senior portraits. Over the past year I have taken workshops in Eastern Market, and was taught by local entrepreneurs how to create a brand by telling the story, how to accomplish food photography, and to utilize my content for more than one post. Now, after completing a very involved Digital Marketing Science program at Grand Valley State, I am pushing myself to keep on this path of learning how to create digital content that I am proud of, with a back-to-basics blog in tow.  

      That being said, what will the Create Cohort Blog bring to the Ikea-hack table? Recaps of places and events, with a focus on things local to Detroit and its surrounding areas, some introspection on projects, and life updates, with the occasional throwback outfit pic included. I also have a few other ideas that I am noodling out, however, that is for a future post. 

      As a self-proclaimed Digital Creator and Community Advocate, Create Cohort was forged from my love for romanticizing the mundane, uplifting communities, supporting local and small businesses, and living life in general in the hamlet that is Detroit.  And run-on sentences, apparently. Currently hailing from Dreamtroit, and spending ample amounts of  time in Eastern Market, Island View, Midtown, and Hamtramck, I aim to capture, document, and provide insight in my own authentic voice. Creating for both my cohorts, and myself. 

      Welcome to my new little corner of the world. 

      📍Eastern Market, Detroit

      Sara Bellum

      Create Cohort Blog

      One response to “Hits different”

      1. Let’s Get Weird – Create Cohort Blog Avatar
        Let’s Get Weird – Create Cohort Blog

        […] stated in the very first Create Cohort blog post what my mission in this creative endeavor is, and it’s %99.9 still very […]

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