The Fika Life! The Power of Community

Creativity. Community. Coffee.

My low-key obsession with Sweden snuck up on me.

It started with a name: Ulla.

Our neighbor in Milwaukee was named Ulla. She had once been a professional cyclist and had children in her early forties, and was a total badass.

I knew one of my book's characters was going to be named Ulla, yet I knew almost nothing about her.

So I did what writers do. I googled her.

The name Ulla has Scandinavian roots and is often associated with determination and willpower.

It seemed like the perfect name for a spirited, strong-willed little girl. Don't ever argue with a writer that our characters aren't real.

Ulla revealed her birthplace to me: Sweden. (Well, spoiler alert—she was conceived in Sweden but born in Minneapolis.) From there, we were off on a grand adventure. As I wrote, I immersed myself in Swedish history and traditions, and generous writer friends of Swedish heritage helped me refine the language, customs, and countless small details that made the story feel authentic.

It turned out Sweden would become integral not only to my novel, but to my own creative journey.

During one of my writing group meetings, a fellow writer and world traveler shared a story about the wonderfully different meanings of fika across cultures. In Sweden, fika is the cherished ritual of slowing down to share coffee and something sweet with friends.

In Italy, apparently, it's slang for a woman's nether regions.

Naturally, we laughed.

FIKA!

The perfect name for a writing group made up of feminists who consume alarming amounts of coffee and regularly gather around food and conversation.

Over the past few years, especially this last one, as I cautiously and then wholeheartedly embraced entrepreneurship, I found myself trying to weave my seemingly unrelated passions into one central idea.

That clarity came while preparing a talk on creativity.

More than anything, I wanted people to leave asking themselves one simple question:

What do I love to create?

Because creating isn't just about making art or writing books. It's about becoming more fully ourselves. Creativity connects us to purpose, to one another, and to the parts of ourselves that too easily get buried beneath the obligations of everyday life.

And that's when it clicked.

Fika.

Maybe the Swedes have been onto something all along.

Take a break.

Gather with your people.

Share what lights you up.

Create something meaningful.

And, of course, let coffee work its quiet magic along the way.

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