Love letter recap from our SPICY event!

Illustration by Aly Miller @aly_illustrations

Howdy CM fam, 

The third Friday in April was hot, hot, hot! 🚒❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥 Over 130 of us re-routed our maps to Eagleknit Converge, a hubspot for Milwaukee-based startups. Huge thank you to the infamous and internetless Facilitator of Joy, host of Eagleknit’s MKE Gallery Night, for warmly welcoming us to the space. Sometimes life’s spiciest surprises lead you to a charcuterie of generosity. 

This particular CM/MKE event was packed like a stuffed jalapeño. Rich storytelling from our keynote speaker, spotlights on five incredibly important Milwaukeeans who give a damn, and of course Discourse Coffee a la our friend Ryan. 

Have you ever sweat at the thought of sharing exciting news? The CM/MKE team has! On Friday we finally got to announce that 🧨 WE NOW HAVE AN INCORPORATED NONPROFIT WITH A BANK ACCOUNT! 🧨 We are so excited to sustain our Milwaukee CM chapter in this way. 

Good Land Gatherings, Inc. is our name and all funds raised go directly into our CreativeMornings MKE chapter. Some things we are raising money for: 

• Speaker clicker
• CM MKE signage
• Breakfast pastries
• Audio equipment
• Chair rentals

We value your time, talent, and treasure equally. If you are able to give your treasure, please know that we will provide you a tax-compliant receipt for any donations above $250. If you would like to give but prefer another method outside of PayPal, send us a message. 

—Natalie Derr—

“Neurospicy represents the spicy, tangy, savory aspects of the brain. Being neurospicy is about the depths and complexities extraordinary and fierce neurodiverse personalities.Art is a voice.” 

With every slide of her presentation, we were blasted off further into another, more present orbit. The journey Natalie brought us on was one of inventive self-reflection. By the end, we were covered with goosebumps and waxed with a wicked need to try something new, give more to others, and try our darndest. This, as Natalie’s late grandfather would often attest, is all we can take with us when the sun finally sets. 

Visit our event page or click below to watch! ⤵️

Filmed & edited by Create & Capture.

Filmed & edited by Create & Capture.

Thank you for an amazing Q1, Create & Capture! 🎥🎞️

We could not be more grateful for your talent and the magic you preserved so we can relive all the heartfelt goodness our speakers have shared! If you’re new around you here, catch up on past events through the beautifully filmed videos Jesse and Natalie have created.

Create & Capture needs to hang their hat for the time being to focus on their busy season with weddings. They have graciously offered to mentor the next videographer, if you are interested in volunteering or partnering with us get in touch at milwaukee@creativemornings.com

CreativeMornings is about shining the light on our communities. One way we do this is via 30 Second Pitches. This is where we invite a few people from the audience to the stage and share a pitch. Our 30 Second Pitch Nomination Form is always open! Feel free to self-nominate :)

Kevin J. Nichols is apprentice to Isaac Steele, a third-generation member and president of the Wisconsin Black Cowboys and Buffalo Soldiers Association and owner of Steele’s Welding located in Walnut Hill. Steele “seeks to instill personal responsibility and leadership skills in the young people of the neighborhood through the rugged work of the ranch.” [Shepard Express: Milwaukee’s Cowboy Ways]

Kevin is seeking community support for the following: 

• Welding shop organization
• Website design
• Equine Therapy business planning

If you are interested in getting involved with any of the above or how other ideas on how you can contribute, please reach out to Natalie Derr: natderr76@gmail.com

Mrinal Gokhale is an author, content creator and consultant. Check out her book, Taboo: South Asian Mental Health Stories, or contact her to discuss her writing, editing, and creative consulting services below. 

Taboo: South Asian Mental Health Stories is a collection of true stories about navigating mental illness, neurodivergence, identity, culture, sexuality, trauma, and other topics that are taboo in South Asian culture. All stories are written based on interviews with people of South Asian descent living in the United States, India, United Kingdom, and Canada.

Follow Mrinal on Insta, visit her website, and order her book!

Jessica Sunier is the founder of FitPOWER LLC, a barbell and martial arts gym that is woman & LGBTQIA owned, and trauma informed certified. Set up a tour to experience a safe, inclusive fitness environment that is neurospicy, LGBTQIA and BIPOC friendly in the Wauwatosa area.  

Offerings include: 

• Free consultations
• $75 barbell form analysis
• Small group coaching (starting at $92/mo)
• Private Judo and BJJ coaching (starting at $75/session)
• Online coaching (starting at $85/mo)

Set up a free consultation!

Shalina Ali is Co-Executive Director of TRUE Skool, a social movement that uses hip hop to empower youth and young adults to nurture their talents and skills & challenge the oppressive systems in Milwaukee and beyond. They’ve been doing amazing work since 2004. Shalina invited us to attend some exciting events they have coming up!

Save the dates:

• TRUE Skool Student Showcase Gallery | Thursday, May 9th | 5PM-8PM | Radio Milwaukee; 220 E. Pittsburg Ave | More info
• Summer Park Jam Weekend | August 9th-11th | Event Details

Donate to TRUE Skool!

Debra Gillispie is the founder of Mothers Against Gun Violence, whose mission is to elevate the voices of survivors of gun violence through the arts and advocacy. She started the organization after losing her only son to gun violence. 

Through academic and community collaboration at UWM, Debra co-created “Voices of Gun Violence,” a living archive of stories of gun violence. This project seeks to share stories to promote healing, understanding, and community action.

One way Debra helps raise awareness about Milwaukee’s gun violence and give voice to its survivors is through interactive bus stop murals. This costs money, and Debra is seeking financial support!

Donate to VOGV Murals!

Speaker portrait by Linda Smallpage.
Event day photos by Holly Schisler. Lots more love in our Flickr gallery.

Big thanks to our local partners + event sponsors: