A creative afternoon together can be pleasantly simple: each person brings something to work on, you share a suitable space and the conversation moves in and out of the activity.
Agree on the practical arrangement first. Check what surfaces, equipment and cleanup are needed, and choose activities that can safely share the space. Materials involving fumes, heat, sharp tools or other hazards may require conditions that an ordinary social visit cannot provide.
You do not need to make the same thing. Different projects can reduce comparison and let each person work at a comfortable pace. If one person is teaching, discuss that expectation rather than assuming the more experienced friend will spend the whole visit giving instruction.
Ask before offering critique. A companion may want help with a problem or may simply want company while making something. “Would you like a suggestion?” gives them a choice without requiring them to defend the work.
Keep food and drinks appropriately separated from materials, and leave enough room for everyone to move comfortably. In a shared or borrowed venue, follow its rules and return the space in the agreed condition.
Let quiet be part of the afternoon. Working alongside someone can offer a kind of company that does not depend on continuous conversation. A pause need not mean the visit has become awkward or that you should abandon the project to entertain each other.
Agree on whether you are collaborating on one result or simply working in company. Those arrangements sound similar until one person begins making decisions about the other's project. If you are sharing a finished piece, clarify materials, ownership and what each person is taking responsibility for. If you are working separately, ask before offering criticism or picking up someone else's tools and materials.
Keep the first session manageable. Bring what you need, choose a surface that suits the activities and allow time to leave the place usable afterward. Conversation may become the main pleasure, and that can be fine if both people expected a sociable afternoon. If one person needs concentrated work, discuss that too. A shared creative habit works better when the company supports the work instead of leaving either person quietly frustrated by the pace.
Before leaving, settle any borrowed materials and clean up together as agreed. If you enjoyed the arrangement, choose another possible date without turning it into a demanding club. The pleasure may lie in having a little time where friendship and making can coexist, with neither person required to produce an impressive object or a particularly sparkling conversation for the afternoon to feel well spent.
A little more room to be yourself.