Coming soon

In 2008, Tina Roth Eisenberg, also known as Swissmiss, started CreativeMornings out of a desire for an ongoing, accessible event for New York’s creative community. The concept was simple: breakfast and a short talk one Friday morning a month. Every event would be free of charge and open to anyone.

Today, attendees gather in 200+ cities around the world to enjoy fresh coffee, friendly people, and an international array of breakfast foods. Volunteer hosts and their team members organize local chapters that not only celebrate a city’s creative talent, but also promote an open space to connect with like-minded individuals. We call ourselves an engine of generosity and live by our manifesto. 

CreativeMornings Dubai’s previous host has since stepped down so we are now looking for a replacement. Could this be you?

If you are:

- passionate about your local creative community in Dubai
- psyched to lead a small volunteer team to put your own spin on CreativeMornings
- excited to be a part of a global network of the nicest, most creative people you’ve ever met
- one to use the words humble, driven, resourceful, generous and connected to describe yourself
- ready to grow as a creative leader in your city

…we’d love to hear from you! If interested, complete our standard New Chapter Application, which consists of a written application and video, and we’ll be in touch.

We will conduct a follow up interview with the top candidates.

We look forward to receiving your application!

CreativeMornings

P.s. Insight into what it’s like to be a host. And more insight. Okay, last one. 

Here it is the May NOW talk by Alex Maia!

May is ending with a real bang!

Alex the ALEX of Alex House of Social is speaking and she is a firecracker!

Hit the link to reserve your seat, not that you will want to sit!

Alexandra Maia a.k.a Alex House of Social | CreativeMornings/Dubai

Nada Badran has written this month’s theme essay, enjoy and see you Thursday.

Living in the Now

By Nada Badran

“There is more to life than simply increasing its speed.” – Mahatma Gandhi

In the ‘Book of Virtues’, author William Bennett tells a story called “The Magic Thread” about an aspiring young boy, always daydreaming, and flawed with impatience.

‘Peter found it hard to enjoy whatever he was doing at the moment and was always hankering after the next thing. In winter, he longed for it to be summer again, and in summer he looked forward to the skating, sledging, and warm fires of winter. At school he would long for the day to be over so that he could go home, and on Sunday nights, he would sigh, ‘if only the holidays would come…’’.

One morning, Peter was out wandering in a forest near his home. He dozes off on a patch of grass and wakes up alarmed to see an old woman standing above him, holding a silver ball, from which dangled a silken golden thread.

She tells Peter ‘this is your life thread. Do not touch it and time will pass normally. But if you wish time to pass more quickly, you have only to pull the thread a little way and an hour will pass like a second. But I warn you, once the thread has been pulled out, it cannot be pushed back in again. It will disappear like a puff of smoke.’ Peter was over the moon about his newest toy. It was exactly what he wanted. From then on, every time he grew restless, bored, felt like his life was routine or difficult, he would pull the thread.

He pulls it to hasten his military time, his marriage to his childhood sweetheart, his child’s crying, his wife’s pain. Time goes by and Peter’s hair turns as white as snow and his body aches. He looks at himself in the mirror and sees someone he no longer recognizes. He goes back to the forest and sees the old woman who had given him the ball. She asks if he has had a good life. ‘I’m not sure’, he replied. ‘Your magic ball is a wonderful thing. I have never had to suffer or wait for anything in my life. And yet it has all passed so quickly. I feel that I have had no time to take in what has happened to me, neither the good things nor the bad. Now there is so little time left. I dare not pull the thread again for it will only bring me to my death.’ The woman then grants him 1 final wish, and Peter then asks to live his life as if for the first time, experiencing both joy and sadness, without cutting anything short. He wakes up, a young boy again, and can hardly wait for the mundane of everyday life and the joy that can unconsciously bring.

Embrace the now, and always remember to stop, and pause for joy.

creativemorningsdubai:

April 21, 2022 is the next CreativeMornings!

Our speakers are fantastic!

Our introduction to the theme thought piecee this month is from Kat  Kinsella-Fernandes.

The Stable Philosopher

by Kat  Kinsella-Fernandes

I was drowning in trouble but I looked fabulous. I even wore a hat.

“Come on!  Come on!” 

I clung on to the railing, holding myself upright against a screaming and jumping crowd.  I was doing my fair share of screaming and jumping. 

“Come on!  Come on!”

Hooves and colours thundered past us in a million-dollar flat-race.    My eyes were fixing on a bay racehorse, the favourite to win, then losing her in the blur of motion. 

“Come on!  Come on!”

The jockey was a beloved acquaintance and a national treasure.  Strange that you can love an acquaintance who you simply haven’t had time to become friends with.

“Come on!  Come on!”

The excitement of the race was my short respite from going under, but…

“Come on!  Come …come….ooooohhh…awwwww………”

Sixth place.  How?  The horse was at her peak, the jockey skilled and trusted.  While other spectators celebrated their win, I walked round to the stables, dispirited but ready to comfort the jockey.

There he stood, still wearing his helmet, saddle in hand: a lot poorer in both money and prestige than he could have been, if ONLY he’d been in first place. 

He smiled.  Not a trace of sadness or humiliation (my predicted emotions for him), and said:

“Today wasn’t our day.  You can’t push the river.  We’ll have another day. ” 

You can’t push the river.  There I was, open-mouthed, taking that in.  My life was boiling over with difficulty.   And yet here was a just-beaten sage in jodhpurs, handing down wisdom from pretty much every culture who had faced tribulations, failed, learned, survived and thrived. 

My troubled-mind eased: today is not my day.  I couldn’t fix or control anything: I can’t push the river. But I could breathe and let go.  And wait it out: I’ll have another day.

And there. 

Just like that.

Things did not get better. 

But I did.

And slowly, in the time it takes for a river to flow its course, life turned out…alright (…perhaps better than alright)

Was this kismet?  Fate?  Chance? Free will?  I have no bloody idea: go find your own philosophical jockey and get his opinion.  But I do know that the bad times come and go.  And so do the good times.  It passes.  It all passes.  How I respond to the comings and goings, and whether I seek calm in the thrills, and hope in the spills, is up to me.

April 21, 2022 is the next CreativeMornings!

Our speakers are fantastic!

Our introduction to the theme thought piecee this month is from Kat  Kinsella-Fernandes.

The Stable Philosopher

by Kat  Kinsella-Fernandes

I was drowning in trouble but I looked fabulous. I even wore a hat.

“Come on!  Come on!” 

I clung on to the railing, holding myself upright against a screaming and jumping crowd.  I was doing my fair share of screaming and jumping. 

“Come on!  Come on!”

Hooves and colours thundered past us in a million-dollar flat-race.    My eyes were fixing on a bay racehorse, the favourite to win, then losing her in the blur of motion. 

“Come on!  Come on!”

The jockey was a beloved acquaintance and a national treasure.  Strange that you can love an acquaintance who you simply haven’t had time to become friends with.

“Come on!  Come on!”

The excitement of the race was my short respite from going under, but…

“Come on!  Come …come….ooooohhh…awwwww………”

Sixth place.  How?  The horse was at her peak, the jockey skilled and trusted.  While other spectators celebrated their win, I walked round to the stables, dispirited but ready to comfort the jockey.

There he stood, still wearing his helmet, saddle in hand: a lot poorer in both money and prestige than he could have been, if ONLY he’d been in first place. 

He smiled.  Not a trace of sadness or humiliation (my predicted emotions for him), and said:

“Today wasn’t our day.  You can’t push the river.  We’ll have another day. ” 

You can’t push the river.  There I was, open-mouthed, taking that in.  My life was boiling over with difficulty.   And yet here was a just-beaten sage in jodhpurs, handing down wisdom from pretty much every culture who had faced tribulations, failed, learned, survived and thrived. 

My troubled-mind eased: today is not my day.  I couldn’t fix or control anything: I can’t push the river. But I could breathe and let go.  And wait it out: I’ll have another day.

And there. 

Just like that.

Things did not get better. 

But I did.

And slowly, in the time it takes for a river to flow its course, life turned out…alright (…perhaps better than alright)

Was this kismet?  Fate?  Chance? Free will?  I have no bloody idea: go find your own philosophical jockey and get his opinion.  But I do know that the bad times come and go.  And so do the good times.  It passes.  It all passes.  How I respond to the comings and goings, and whether I seek calm in the thrills, and hope in the spills, is up to me.

Thursday, April 21 is the next CreativeMornings in Dubai!

Marilyn Zakhour & Tala Odeh Cosmic Centaurs | CreativeMornings/Dubai

Reserve your place!

Marilyn Zakhour & Tala Odeh Cosmic Centaurs | CreativeMornings/Dubai

Missed Laila Binbrek talking about La Biennale di Venezia?

Thursday, April 21, CreativeMornings in Dubai 73!

Marilyn Zukhour and Tala Odeh join us to talk KISMET and being Cosmic Centaurs!

Reserve your place!

Marilyn Zakhour & Tala Odeh Cosmic Centaurs | CreativeMornings/Dubai

Thursday March 24th is our 72nd CreativeMornings in Dubai morning motivational with Laila Binbrek.

Register now seating is limited!

Laila Binbrek - Art, Story and You | CreativeMornings/Dubai

Every month we like to lead into our talk with an opinion piece and this month’s essay is by our host James Piecowye.

Back Story

by James Piecowye

“Never assume you know someone else’s truth. Everyone has a back story.”

-Laila Binbrek

I can’t get Laila’s back story quote out of my head.

I must have started this piece 15 times trying to bring to the page what it is about this quote that keeps pulling me into my memories.

My back story, is messy, disconnected, funny, heartbreaking at times, motivating at other times and I wouldn’t change a single thing even if I could.

Yet, I only selectively share my back story and I almost never share what I like to think of as the pivotal moment in my back story with anyone.

Maybe I don’t want to expose a vulnerability in myself by sharing my back story?

Maybe I don’t want to appear to be different from you by sharing my back story?

Maybe I don’t want to share my back story because I want to maintain a public and private me?

By not sharing my back story you don’t have a complete picture of who I am.

By not sharing my back story you are forced to make decisions about what I do, the value of my contributions and even my desirability as a friend based on incomplete information.

Maybe the problem I have is not the wanting to share my back story but the how do I open the door to sharing my back story.

How do you fit the events of a fishing trip that ended tragically in the summer 1975 into a conversation?

For 22 years I have had business cards printed at Zayed University and behind my name are the letters PhD and MB.

In 22 years not a single person has EVER asked what MB stands for, not even the person approving the printing has knocked on my back story door.

Yet as I sit here writing this, I hesitate to share any more details even though I am showing you the door to knock on.

My back story is the missing puzzle piece to what I do and who I am.

Your back story is your missing puzzle piece.

What I have learned from 71 CreativeMornings events is that we all need to find our own channel to tell our back story and as vulnerable as we might think it makes us telling that story will not only be personally liberating but it creates the basis upon which a richer relationship with the people we interact with can be built.

My channel is podcasting.

I am going to fill in the missing pieces of my back story puzzle by recording a podcast drama because as Laila has reminded me my story is my truth without which you really don’t know me.

What about you?

What is your back story and how will you share it?