A group of Corpus Christi creatives is forming a vibrant community celebrating our beautiful city, the talent in our area and the friends made along the way while honing one’s craft.
Beginning in late 2023 at a drone meetup, the members of the founding trio—Santiago Gomez, Laurie Lyng and Alejandro Perez—were inspired after Perez visited Chicago and discovered “Chi Shooters,” a thriving creative community that left a lasting impression. Invigorated, Perez returned to Corpus Christi determined to replicate that sense of community.
He teamed up with Gomez, a fellow drone enthusiast who recently relocated from Los Angeles, and Lyng, whose captivating cityscapes had already earned her a local following, in gatherings that began as a niche meet-up of drone aficionados. The group then evolved into a comprehensive community of photographers and videographers, officially forming Corpus Christi Creators by January 2024. Each meetup attracted more creatives, fostering a supportive and collaborative environment.
“The goal of CC Creators is to celebrate the beauty of Corpus Christi, recognizing that within our city, there are three distinct groups of people: those who deeply love their city, those who are less familiar with it and those who may express discontent,” stated the group.
Joining CC Creators is straightforward: Attend a monthly meetup. New members are then added to the group chat and Discord, where they can tap into a rich vein of resources. What sets CC Creators apart is the wealth of resources and opportunities the collective offers. Members have access to a supportive community that fosters collaboration and growth; meetups provide invaluable opportunities to build portfolios, gain exposure and receive feedback; and the group’s Instagram page amplifies members’ work online, giving them a platform to shine.
For Gomez, Lyng and Perez, the most rewarding aspect of CC Creators is witnessing the power of community. The meetups are attracting an array of talented individuals whose work might have otherwise gone unnoticed. The collective’s strength lies in its diversity and the shared commitment to pushing creative boundaries.
CC Creators members aim to expand their influence and resources, bringing in industry leaders for workshops and events in the future. Their recent collaboration with “Creative Compass,” a group that hosts meetups nationwide, showcases this goal.
Exemplifying the power of art, collaboration and the unyielding spirit of those who see the world not just as it is, but as it could be—with every photo, every video and every meetup, they are not just capturing Corpus Christi, they are celebrating it, one frame at a time.
