This was chosen by our Santos chapter in Brazil and illustrated by Simone Matias, and presented by Adobe.

Local (pronounced lo·cal) in Portuguese means “being a resident or native to a particular area.”

Our Santos chapter had this to say about the significance of this month's theme:

“We are proud to be from Santos. The feeling of loving the city but sometimes moving away. The benefits of belonging somewhere.”

Watch this video from our Santos chapter for more on what local means to them.

So, how does where you’re from define who you are? How do different spaces foster that sense of connection? How can we develop and strengthen bonds with the people around us?

It’s time to remind ourselves that community happens in neighborhoods not just on screens.

Local Speaker Bridget Young grew up in Indianola, and graduated from North Kitsap High School. While Kitsap County intially felt too small and provincial, she experienced college on the East Coast and was sure that she would never return. Within five years, she returned with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a husband in tow. Becoming a visual artist, art curator and art gallery employee in Seattle, what was initally thought to be a short detour, evolved into a very successful 24 year career in local real estate. She shares how real estate has taught her more about herself than she could have ever imagined, experiencing and sharing "local" with so many others.

Save the date for this theme's talk on Friday, March 13 and click to get your ticket.

A full lineup of amazing topics, join us EVERY month as we gather for free in this face-to-face creative community!

While our PBO chapter is taking a break next month, checkout this years monthly themes and dates here:

February - check out SEA | Camino (WAY/PATH)
March 13 | Local
April 24 | Ember
May 8 | Create
June 12 | Curate
July - check out PTL | Competition
August 14 | نخلة — Nakhlah (PALM)
September 11 | Current
October 9 | Altitude
November 13 | Devotion
December 11 | Gönül (HEART/SOUL)

The international theme for January is کورسو (KOORSOO). This was chosen by our Tehran chapter in Iran and illustrated by Hoda Ramy, and presented by Adobe. January 9ths local presentation by Patrick Wright (they/them) is now shared in video and via photography, check it out

This was chosen by our Tehran chapter in Iran and illustrated by Hoda Ramy, and presented by Adobe.

کورسو or Koorsoo (pronounced Koor·Soo) is a Farsi word meaning “a glimmer of hope.”

Each month, a different CreativeMornings chapter chooses a theme for our talks given in cities around the world. This year, many of our monthly themes will be in that chapter’s local language.

Our hope is that this will give each theme a richer meaning and foster deeper connections to other communities and cultures.

Our Tehran chapter had this to say about the significance of this month's theme:

"In our darkest hours, when everything seems to have dimmed, sometimes a light remains—not bright, not certain, but real. That is Koorsoo. A faint glimmer of hope that dares to survive. Koorsoo is not about triumph or clarity; it is about the fragile yet unwavering light that keeps us going. A glance, a memory, a word. Small things that prevent collapse. It represents the quiet resilience of those who continue in spite of the weight, who believe without guarantee. In a world that often normalizes despair, Koorsoo is a rebellion; soft, but profound. It reminds us, even the smallest spark matters.”

As a new year begins, ask yourself, “what is giving me hope right now?”

It’s up to each of us to keep that little light shining. Protect it and hold it dear. But be careful not to smother it. Share your koorsoo with the people around you. Because the world needs all the hope it can get.

Our Kitsap, Poulsbo chapter will continue to host our speakers every second Friday of the month. 

Local speaker Patrick Wright (they/them) is a communications strategist, creative producer, and community builder. Currently serving as a Student Recruitment Specialist with Western Washington University on the Peninsulas. They hold a Master’s degree in Communication Management and bring over 20 years of experience in strategic communication, storytelling, and public engagement.

Patrick is also the creator of Satonya, a drag and performance persona that serves as an extension of their communication practice by using humor, spectacle, and storytelling to create spaces for connection, reflection, and collective joy.

For Patrick, creativity is not separate from strategy; it’s how meaning becomes memorable.

Save the date for this theme's talk on Friday, January 9 and click to get your ticket.

The international theme for December is INNOVATION. This theme was chosen by our Isfahan chapter in Iran and illustrated by Nazanin Emamieh, and presented by Adobe. December 9ths local presentation by Kyle Lobisser is now shared in video and via photography, check it out

End this year by joining the CreativeMornings HQ & our FieldTrips Team on Dec 17th for Connect & Reflect, a monthly FieldTrip designed to dive a little deeper on our theme—with CreativeMornings goers from around the world.

With a few gentle prompts and small group conversations, you’ll get space to reflect, connect, and maybe even spark a new friendship.

Join: https://creativemornings.com/talks/connect-reflect-a-creativemornings-mixer-on-december-s-theme-innovation

Don't forget to get your FREE ticket and come in locally to Vibe CoWorks 7:30am in Poulsbo for this months talk about INNOVATION

This theme was chosen by our Isfahan chapter in Iran and illustrated by Nazanin Emamieh.

Groundbreaking inventions and earth-shaking technologies make headlines and millions in profit. But innovation rarely arrives in a limousine. It shows up as a question or a pet peeve. A hunch that the default setting could be better. An inability to accept the status quo.

Innovation is risky and rebellious. It means breaking the routine and reimagining the familiar. It treats uncertainty as an invitation instead of a barrier. Innovation doesn’t take a genius, it just requires curiosity and willingness to try. And try again.

The world needs more tinkerers, experimenters, and fixers. People who believe change is possible and start with whatever they have. Then don’t stop until they’ve made something new or better.

Creativity asks, “what if?” Innovation replies, “here’s how.”

Local speaker Kyle Lobisser is a mechanical engineer with 20 years of experience solving complex challenges in aerospace, consumer products, automotive, and agtech industries. Starting his career at Boeing, he developed an expertise in composite materials and the analysis tools used to more effectively design and manufacture using advanced materials. As a product design engineer at Apple, he was responsible for improving product reliability and reducing the environmental footprint of various products from iPads to watch straps. After co-founding RipeLocker, a startup that is using vacuum containers to ship perishable produce around the world, he began to focus full-time on CEDRUS and manufacturing the hydrofoil surf equipment entirely in-house on Bainbridge Island, WA.
 
Save the date for Friday, December 12 and click here to get your free ticket

The international theme for November is GROWTH. It was by our Sacramento chapter in California, illustrated by Amber Rankin, and presented by Adobe. November 14ths local presentation by Ashley Oaksmith is now shared in video and via photography, check it out

This was chosen by our Sacramento chapter in California, illustrated by Amber Rankin, and presented by Adobe.

When we were kids, it happened fast. We outgrew clothes and shoes seemingly overnight. We constantly reached for things just out of our grasp. We made messes and art without worrying about what anyone would think.

As we shift into adulthood, growth gets harder to come by. Get good grades and a great job. Burn the midnight oil. Struggle against the odds. Then somewhere along the way, we get comfortable with the status quo. Sitting on the couch, watching and scrolling instead of trying and doing.

But creativity demands growth. Not the kind that can be measured with a ruler. It’s about taking stock of your character. Who’s ready to chase wild possibilities and meaningful progress? We must unlearn the need to be perfect and busy. Remember how to play and get our hands dirty again.

It takes curiosity and courage. Because growth doesn’t always feel good. It forces us to shed our old skin, to stumble, and start again. Sometimes, growth happens quietly, in between uncertainty and doubt, the moments when nothing seems to be changing. Until everything does.

Local speaker Ashley Oaksmith is an artist, an oil painter, a public servant, and a small business owner. She was on the team that founded the first all-digital public library in the US, planting libraries and teaching digital literacy in southern Texas; a project that received worldwide attention. In 2016, she moved to Kitsap for the hiking and sailing, and subsequently fell in love with the community here. She helped build the new Silverdale Library. Leaving the public sector for a few years, she was on the leadership team of Clark Construction, a female-founded and employee-owned commercial construction company. Ashley currently runs the Sylvan Way Library and Kitsap Regional Library's Mobile Services Department. She is a cofounder of the Kitsap Women's Summit. In 2021 she was honored as a Kitsap's 20 under 40, and in 2024 as a YWCA Women of Achievement. She currently serves on three community boards: Greater Kitsap Chamber of Commerce, Kitsap Community Foundation, and Leadership Kitsap. Ashley is also an Airbnb owner and hospitality host to several properties. 

Save the date for Friday, November 14 and click to sign up 

Soft isn’t just a texture, it can be a vibe

https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/4ysc5Ux5dCr7mQ8YOVFlub

Listen to songs full of fragility, tenderness, and sensitivity in our playlist curated by DJ Jim Q (@jiquin.bsky.social‬) for October’s theme SOFT on the CreativeMornings blog. 

Enjoy listing and we’ll see you at 7:30am this Friday for this creative talk and breakfast! FREE to register and attend, click here