This toolkit is a growing library of wisdom that highlights the hurdles of owning your content and building your platform. We not only curate the wisdom from creative leaders and artists, but also from the community—a balance of both, like cheese and wine—so that you’re supported and empowered to build your home on the internet. Your work is a reflection of who you are. How you curate your projects influences the story people tell themselves about you. Like a resume, you don’t have to put everything out there, you simply have to highlight the work that lights you up and reflects the work you want to be doing more of. Nowadays, there are endless tools and platforms that allow us to curate our projects beautifully and to also belong to a larger community of like-minds. Yes, upload you...

This toolkit is a growing library of wisdom that highlights the hurdles of owning your content and building your platform. We not only curate the wisdom from creative leaders and artists, but also from the community—a balance of both, like cheese and wine—so that you’re supported and empowered to build your home on the internet. An important piece to owning your content is also having a direct connection to people who want to hear from you. Although it is the oldest publishing platform on the internet, email is unquestionably reliable, you can take your list with you, and it is decentralized and untainted by algorithms and companies with hidden agendas. A newsletter is the single greatest asset you can build for yourself that pushes you to commit to the long-haul. Truth is, it’s har...

It’s fair to think, what if you never monetize your website? What if no one reads your blog? What is it all for? We spoke with Khoi Vinh, Principal Designer at Adobe, author of How They Got Here: Interviews With Digital Designers About Their Careers, and a writer who’s been publishing on his blog, Subtraction, for nearly 20 years. In his first blog post published on July 30, 2000, he meditates on the idea of having a journal, an online place where he can publish his ideas. He writes: “I’ve been reckoning with an immense docket of changes and challenges. All of which seem like ideal fodder for posterity; an amateur writer in me feels compelled to record what I can.” The initial inspiration has empowered Khoi to tell stories, share ideas, and offer wisdom on design for nearly two deca...

This toolkit is a growing library of wisdom that highlights the hurdles of owning your content and building your platform. We not only curate the wisdom from creative leaders and artists, but also from the community—a balance of both, like cheese and wine—so that you’re supported and empowered to build your home on the internet. Have you ever held a door for a stranger and they didn’t thank you for it? That’s what it feels like when someone uses your work and doesn’t give you credit or proper attribution. It’s not the end of the world, of course, but simple acts of courtesy often feel like they should be a default of internet behavior. How do we change the culture? Not with shame, but through kindness, patience, and holding each other accountable. It won’t happen overnight, but if we...

This toolkit is a growing library of wisdom that highlights the hurdles of owning your content and building your platform. We not only curate the wisdom from creative leaders and artists, but also from the community—a balance of both, like cheese and wine—so that you’re supported and empowered to build your home on the internet. Your about page copy is like a form of identity for the internet. It reflects who you are, what you stand for, and the work you do. However, it’s not always easy to talk about yourself and it certainly feels awkward to highlight your successes. But if you don’t, who will? Similar to life, it’s a process that’s continuously growing and unraveling rather than being set in stone. The roadblock is not the act of writing your about page copy. The real roadblock i...

When you have more than one creative craft and different avenues for your freelance business, how do you decide where to put it all? How do you write about yourself or showcase your projects? The future of creativity is very much multi-faceted. Nowadays, side hustles and growing new skills that enhance our creative process is a natural way to continue learning and expanding your identity. We spoke with Jen Hewett, a printmaker, surface designer, textile artist, teacher, and recently the author of her first book, Print, Pattern, Sew: Block Printing Basics + Simple Sewing Projects for an Inspired Wardrobe. Her inspiring CreativeMornings/San Francisco talk highlights a core philosophy of her work: “Perfection is the enemy of craft.” And why handmade art reflects the very human quality of...

This toolkit is a growing library of wisdom that highlights the hurdles of owning your content and building your platform. We not only curate the wisdom from creative leaders and artists, but also from the community—a balance of both, like cheese and wine—so that you’re supported and empowered to build your home on the internet. Once considered an afterthought, an inclusive and diverse set of speakers, guests, and audiences can be at the core of your work—not because culture told you to, but because diversity is an enriching element for all endeavors. There is a wave of change happening in industries around the world, and it’s a change that we can all support and push forward. By adding more seats at the table and uplifting voices that weren’t heard before, we allow ourselves to rev...

This toolkit is a growing library of wisdom that highlights the hurdles of owning your content and building your platform. We not only curate the wisdom from creative leaders and artists, but also from the community—a balance of both, like cheese and wine—so that you’re supported and empowered to build your home on the internet. In the last decade, many different platforms and methods for connection have influenced the way we communicate. And yet, email is still the most effective, prevalent tool that opens possibilities and sparks relationships. Nowadays, a thoughtful email is an art. When done well, it is a delight to read and creates an impression about the sender. Thoughtfulness takes time and effort. People have become attuned to feeling emails that lack warmth, personality, or...

For the last two decades, Paul Jarvis has been building his business differently than what most would attempt: he’s focused on small, not big; better, not bigger; and every detail within his courses, books, essays, and newsletter reflects his thoughtfulness and personality. In short, he lives the ethos of owning your content. He’s not afraid to lose subscribers because they don’t agree with his worldview. He doesn’t self-ascribe himself as an expert or thought leader. His humility and down-to-earth approach to building a thriving creative career is one worth studying and possibly emulating. His latest book, Company of One, hones in on why bigger isn’t always better in business. Paul shares his generous wisdom in building a beloved newsletter, where his business ideas come from, and ho...

There’s a distinct ripple effect that occurs when we witness or perform acts of courage. The greatest act of courage you can perform is to do what makes you happy; to do the right thing, even when it’s scary. Yewande Austin shares her own ups and downs in practicing courage. She talks about social activism and encourages us to lean into our fear so that we can make a difference. (Video by CreativeMornings/Richmond. Photo credit: Heather Michelle) FUN STUFF TO CLICK ON The power of light on our sleep, focus, and wellbeing. The #100Day Project is back for its 6th annual sprint. A guide to bringing projects to life through creative collaboration. How your attachment style affects your professional relationships. Some creative advice for your younger self. The tr...

Symmetry connotes predictability, lack of imagination, routine, boredom. How can creative, entrepreneurial people tap into the productive power of symmetry, while resisting its tendency to the mundane? In this CreativeMornings/Berlin talk, Adam Ludwig shares his thoughts on vertical symmetry and how he found alignment in his life and work. It’s a fairly common problem that we don’t feel able to be fully ourselves in our careers or if we have creative ambitions it is always a challenge to fuse your creative ambitions and goals with some kind of a career.

Dear CM family, After 2.5 years of being part of this remarkable community, I’ll be stepping down as Head of Content. Being part of this global community changed my life. Through your work, you taught me about feeling seen and caring about a local community. I redefined my understanding of generosity and community—words that I didn’t give much thought about until being here. When I think about those two words, my mind immediately conjures all of the photos, videos, and stories that I’ve seen throughout the years—the endless mentions on Instagram and Twitter; the local press describing the event; and the talks that sent me down rabbit holes. The Austin Summit in 2016 is what made me feel at home. It was also the first time that I hugged over 200 strangers in three days. I was shocked...

20 tools that will help you become a more effective freelancer. How to quit your job in 837 easy steps. The physics of surfing. How one person cured his social media addiction by reading books. America’s most widely misread literary work. The art of thoughtful emails and clear communication in collaborations. Practice prototyping with these four resources. How resilience works. The question to ask: who's voice is missing? You’ve got to be kind. The placebo effect and 10 amazing findings. Go deeper on learning about the power of placebos. Why we struggle to make time for solitude. Join the Talk Watch Squad—a group of online learners and curators that help us unearth gems in our archives. Cool jobs to apply for: We’re hiring a Partnerships Coordinator t...

Hanna Rosin and Abby Wendle are the hosts of NPR’s hit show, Invisibilia—a show that fuses narrative storytelling with science that will make you see your own life differently. They speak on creating stories to entertain and provoke, and the art of crafting with and without happy endings. “You have to be tuned in, in moments of the interview, where you’re facing severe creative resistance… . That’s when the story gets great.”

There’s no such thing as catching up on sleep. How do you spread the word about a Kickstarter project? Nine creators share their strategies. A study of gender and colour over 14 years: JeongMee Yoon on The Pink and Blue Project. Why we should understand jealousy as nothing more than a vice that ought to be replaced by the new virtue of compersion. How to deal with life’s wicked problems. The world’s first successful woman sculptor on what it takes to be a great artist. How Eileen Fisher built Eileen Fisher. When you know it's time to quit something. The Colors of Motion: a visualization of the use of color in movies. How to write a country music song. Why we crave sweets when we’re stressed. Cool jobs to apply for: We’re hiring a Partnership...

Kai Frithjof Brand-Jacobsen is regarded as one of the leading pioneers, innovators, and practitioners in the field of peacebuilding, conflict transformation and addressing challenging and complex conflicts. In this talk, he explores the symmetry and asymmetry that’s all around us and how we can learn from them to reflect on the way we lead our lives. “Symmetry is all around us. It is experienced and expressed through many different forms of human action and creativity.”

It is a tradition at CreativeMornings to work with an artist in our community to create an illustration for the monthly theme. A monthly theme inspires new conversations and ideas that we otherwise wouldn’t think about. At our events, speakers are invited to share a story around the theme and what it means to them. After a month, we are excited to see the talks and inspiration that are born out of the theme. The global theme for March is Water. Given that these monthly illustrations are at events all around the world, it’s only right that we get to know the illustrator. Meet Sofia Varano Sofia Varano is an Australian graphic designer, specialising in illustration. She employs a variety of mediums spanning from watercolours to digital manipulation to create works whi...

Creativity vs. Efficiency. An illustrated history of the American Public Library. Self-observation is a needed skill in the future (or now). There are four kinds of luck. Conditions: on what it takes to sustain a creative life financially. An analysis of 100 million headlines and lessons learned. An interactive map of the 2,000+ sounds humans use to communicate without words. “I thought to myself if you can hit rock bottom doing the safe things everyone wants you to do, then you might as well hit rock bottom doing what you want to do.” Nike’s latest campaign, Dream Crazier, will elicit goosebumps. A simple trick to help you speak in public without showing your nerves. It’s Nice That’s Ones to Watch shines a light on 12 emerging talents who we think will conqu...