AUBURN — The way John Holden sees it, the people of Lewiston-Auburn have to think more creatively in order to thrive as a community.

When the lights went out at Martindale Country Club on Thursday night because of a power outage, those gathered for a Lewiston-Auburn Economic Growth Council event had to get creative, indeed.

“Everybody just got out their flashlights and cellphones,” said Lisa Elichaa of Auburn, one of several dozen who gathered for the event. “I think it’s kind of fun. Personally, I’m less shy in the dark.”

“It was amazing,” said Iman Poeraatmadja, a few tables away. “When the lights went out, people were very resourceful.”

Bingo, according to Holden, president of the LAEGC. Although the power outage wasn’t part of the plan — a transformer caught fire just around the corner from the country club — the creativity shown in those dark minutes served as a good transition for the night’s events.

“I want us to become a creative community,” Holden said. “I want us to just keep moving forward.”

The lights went out just as the first attendees were preparing to have food, drinks and conversation to start the evening. Darkness made food-gathering a little more challenging, but ultimately it achieved what “Create” was designed to do.

“It was a great conversation starter,” Poeraatmadja said. “They want us to network, as a way for the people of Lewiston-Auburn business to make connections.”

The lights were off for 20 minutes. When they came on again shortly before 5 p.m., people applauded and looked at one another. No harm done. The show started on time, and already people were chatting and perhaps more relaxed than they might have been under normal circumstances.

“It’s not a real event,” said Maura Moody of the LAEGC, of the organizers, “until something goes wrong.”

As Holden gave a presentation, people were asked to write down answers to two significant questions: What was your worst failure? What kept you motivated?

To help them along, a pair of speakers talked about their humble beginnings and the innovations that got them where they are today. Neville Gilfoy, publisher of Progress Media in Halifax, Nova Scotia, talked about the inspiration he had 17 years ago to gather his readers, his writers and his advertisers in one big conference to get them talking.

Asad Butt, a Bates College graduate and now a director with LearnLaunch Accelerator in the Boston area, recalled trying to complete a film project on a tight budget, using pieces of lumber to support the cameras instead of a more expensive tripod.

“We’re all creative,” Holden said. “It’s in our genes. We’re born creative.”

So, how can Lewiston-Auburn better innovate and collaborate to broaden its influence? Both guest speakers had ideas on the matter. Butt said part of it is recognizing a true innovator — an entrepreneur — when one comes along.

“Supporting entrepreneurs in their earliest stages,” he said, “is the best thing you can do.”

His advice? Set up mentoring to provide aspiring entrepreneurs with networking opportunities, access to software and hardware, and access to working space. Not to mention emotional support and maybe a bit of food.

“A hug goes a long way,” Butt said. “A hug and a pizza goes even farther.”

For Gilfoy, the L-A community should seriously consider opening avenues of business with Canada where, he said, billions of dollars are in play. While other parts of the world have established business relationships with the Halifax area, Gilfoy said, Maine has largely ignored those opportunities.

“You tend to not think of Atlantic Canada,” he said. “It doesn’t appear in your radar. And you don’t appear on our radar, either.”

Nearly 100 people attended the “Create” session, with many interacting with the speakers near the end of the event, which was sponsored by Colby Michaud of Praxis Production Studios in Lewiston.

Michaud filmed it from start to finish and did so without complication. When the lights went out at the start, he wasn’t sure that was going to be possible.

“That was a little scary for me,” he said. “That wouldn’t work out well for what I’m trying to do here. I would have had to get everyone to get out their cellphones to light things up for me.”

In the end, it worked out fine, with the power outage enhancing the evening rather than inhibiting it. Creativity, by necessity, was in play from the start.

“John Holden told me it was going to be a unique and memorable event,” Michaud said. “And it has been.”

The event in part aimed to get locals speaking with those from outside Lewiston-Auburn. With that in mind, Holden included a short film, produced by Michaud, featuring Bates College students talking about what they like about the L-A community.

The students liked a lot: the fact that you can walk just about anywhere, the history and the cool mix of urban and rural living. But they also pointed out a few of the area’s shortcomings: old mill buildings that continue to sit empty; a river area that has not been made accessible; a downtown that is not yet vibrant and too few activities and events that bring college students together with the people of the community.

“We’re living together,” one student observed, “and breathing the same air.”

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