Our global theme for April is inclusive! It was chosen by our Grand Rapids chapter, illustrated by Libby VanderPloeg, and is presented by WordPress.com.

When different people come into our lives, they bring gifts.

We can blend the best of our wisdom with the best of theirs. We can teach and learn from each other to produce closer circles that foster community and commit to diversity.

People who include with intention, raise their hand to do the work of embracing what is unfamiliar.

Inclusion is an attitude to consciously be open to ideas that come from outside of our settled ways of thinking or feeling. It’s about making a decision that comes from a place of love, of caring for others.

When you place inclusivity at the center of how you live, it has great power to heal, elevate new voices, and change the narrative of who belongs. As diversity advocate Vernā Myers once said, “Diversity is being invited to the party. Inclusion is being asked to dance.”

CycleMornings: Sunday Cruises

Join us for some moderate, fun bicycle rides in reparation for the Hill Country Ride for AIDS.

Never more than 15 miles, each ride will end with either a breakfast taco or a breakfast beer! Come explore the neighborhoods of Austin with us and get to know your CreativeMorning neighbors a little bit more!

3/31 East Side Cruise – 12 miles Click here to Register

Easy training; Boggy Creek Trail Ride

Meet-up 8:00; ride-out at 8:30
Friends & Allies Brewery
979 Springdale Rd #124, Austin, TX 78702

Head out for an easy fun ride starting and ending at Friends & Allies Brewery. We will ride through the east Boggy Creek Trail which, is a designated bike trail through the woods! After our ride you are free to leave or welcome to join us for an tasty brew at Friends & Allies. 4/14 TBA

Join our team to stay tuned for when and where these rides will be!

Hill Country Ride for AID’s Joyride Schedule:

Join a Hill Country Joyride and meet new friends from Austin also gearing up for the ride on April 27. These rides will be organized and run by HCRA directly.

3/31 Martindale Ride – 38 miles

Moderate to difficult hill training; The seven sisters will get you ready for ride day

Meet-up 8:00; ride-out at 8:30
Three Rivers Community Church
206 Main St, Martindale, TX 78655

Click here for a pdf of the route, here for access to a MapMyRide file, and here to download a .tcx file (in beta) of the route.

Click here for the Facebook event - a great way to stay in touch for updates, changes due to weather, etc.

4/7 Barton Springs Dip  – 12 or 29 miles

Easy to moderate; 12 and 29 mile routes.

Meet-up at 8:00; ride-out at 8:30
Barton Springs Pool, South Entrance
800 Azie Morton Road, 78704

Click here to check out the official RidewithGPS account - It’ll have all of the latest routes, and downloadable map data for the software of your choice. Accept no substitutes!

Click here for the Facebook event - a great way to stay in touch for updates, changes due to weather, etc.

4/13 Georgetown Cruise – 29 or 41 miles

Moderate; open roads with a few rolling hills

Meet-up 8:00; ride-out at 8:30
Williamson County Annex
301 SE Inner Loop, (at Sneed Dr.), Georgetown 78626

Click here to check out the official RidewithGPS account - It’ll have all of the latest routes, and downloadable map data for the software of your choice. Accept no substitutes!

Click here for the Facebook event - a great way to stay in touch for updates, changes due to weather, etc.

4/20 Mount Gainor Scenic Tour – 20 or 44 miles

Beautiful ride that is most indicative of HCRA

Moderate; open road with rolling hills; SAG & Pit Stop provided

Meet-up 8:00; ride-out at 8:30
Dripping Springs Independent School
501 W. Mercer Street, Dripping Springs 78620

Click here to check out the official RidewithGPS account - It’ll have all of the latest routes, and downloadable map data for the software of your choice. Accept no substitutes!

Click here for the Facebook event - a great way to stay in touch for updates, changes due to weather, etc.

4/27 RIDE DAY!! 13, 26, 45, 65, and 90+ mile routes! Let’s do this!

Click here to join the team or support our fundraising efforts.

March’s global theme WATER will be discussed by Sarah Evans.

Hosted by Reset at Tillery on Friday, 3/29. Details here.

Cheers to our coffee partner: Cuvée Coffee!

Does your company want to help support CreativeMornings/Austin and feel the love from our community? Email us at austin (at) creative mornings (dot) (com) please.

Our global theme for March is WATER.

It was chosen by our Perth chapter and illustrated by Sofia Varano.

It’s the main source of all life. The lifeblood element that makes up 60% of our bodies.

It’s the liquid that we don’t drink enough of, yet waste effortlessly.

It’s home to millions of species, mysteries, and undiscovered knowledge.

We know more about the stars in the sky than the depths of our oceans.

We can use it to save lives. If used foolishly, it can take lives.

We think there is an abundance, yet only one percent can be touched. If we don’t protect our waters, then what will happen to life?

24 Hours of Giving in Austin

Amplify ATX is a 24-hour fundraising campaign through I Live Here, I Give Here. We found selected charities that we’ve featured in our past events, and consolidated the list for you below.

Hurry! You only have 24 hours to participate in the campaign: from 6pm, February 28 to 6pm, March 1.

PAST SPEAKERS:

If you were moved by Paul Scott’s talk on “Survival” you can give to AIDS Services of Austin.

If you enjoyed Antonio Delgado’s talk on “Robot” you can give to Science in a Suitcase.

If you enjoyed Carlton Wilcoxson’s talk on “Moments”you can give to E4 Youth, where he sits on the board.

If you were moved by Alan Graham’s talk on “Fantasy”you can give to Community First! & it’s parent charity, Mobile Loaves & Fishes.

If you were moved by Darden Smith’s talk on “Collaborate” you can give to his organization Songwriting with: Soldiers.

If you were moved by Katie Ford’s talk on “Freedom” you can give to Truth Be Told, where she serves as Executive Director.

PAST VENUES:

These past venues have generously hosted #CMATX events and are very deserving of your contributions:

YMCA of Austin

The Thinkery

AFS Cinema

UMLAUF Sculpture Garden

ZACH Theatre

Huston-Tillotson University

Texas School for the Deaf

Livestrong

The lead organizer of our CreativeMornings/Quito chapter in Ecuador, Daniela Fuentes Moncada, is the Executive Producer of a powerful, new flim, La Mala Noche, that is coming to SXSW.

And it’s been nominated for the SXSW Gamechanger Award honoring outstanding women filmmakers!

So, make plans to go see it! You can check the SXSW schedule for the film screening locations and times here: https://schedule.sxsw.com/2019/films/2008876

Directed by Gabriela Calvache, La Mala Noche tells the story of a beautiful woman who turns to prostitution. She must surrender her income to the leader of a human trafficking ring, but her daughter’s illness and a drug addiction prevent her from delivering her usual share. An unexpected event will give her the opportunity to stop obeying and take justice into her own hands.

February’s global theme SYMMETRY will be discussed by Chris Perez.

Hosted at Blu Dot on Friday, 2/23. Details here.

Cheers to our coffee partner: Cuvée Coffee!

Does your company want to help support CreativeMornings/Austin and feel the love from our community? Email us at austin (at) creative mornings (dot) (com) please.

Our global theme for February is SYMMETRY. It was chosen by our Saint Petersburg chapter, illustrated by Anna Fadeeva, and is presented by Mailchimp.

What do a planet, an attractive face, and a snowflake have in a common? Symmetry.

Symmetry is prevalent throughout life. You can fold a sunflower in half, stories have an arc, and the human body can bend and create mesmerizing shapes. There are also irregularities that enhances life; it adds beauty and complexity. If there’s symmetry in nature, then there must be a kind of symmetry in the way we lead our lives.

Symmetry cannot be possible without asymmetry, the same way sadness magnifies joy.

Alan Lightman wrote in The Accidental Universe, “I would claim that symmetry represents order, and we crave order in this strange universe we find ourselves in.” But chaos will happen whether we like it or not, it’s how we respond to it that either creates order or more chaos.

When in chaos, create your symmetry.

Let’s go on a field trip!
We’ve got two #CMfieldtrips planned for you this Friday 2/1.

Tree to Table

Join us at Berdoll Sawmill for a behind-the-scenes look into processing reclaimed, native Texas hardwood logs into large, natural edge slabs and furniture grade lumber. We’ll experience the entire tree to table process. RSVP

The RFP Process for Independent Creatives

Jump into responding to an RFP (Request for Proposal) as an  independent creative, side-hustler, or solopreneur. Join us at Red Velvet Events to gain a better idea of how to win more creative business. RSVP

Big thanks to our #CMfieldtrips coffee partner: Chameleon Cold Brew.

Want to host a FieldTrip? Apply here.

Want to be one of the first to find out about next month’s FieldTrips? You should subscribe to our newsletter. (Look for the signup link on the right hand side.)

“Hey, what a minute, what are FieldTrips?”

#CMfieldtrips are a monthly series of small group discussions, tours, or workshops held to spread the creative magic happening around Austin. Space is limited to facilitate open conversation and new connections, so you must RSVP via our site to attend. Most of our FieldTrips are free, but we may ask for a suggested donation to cover materials for some of them.

(Each month, we give folks who were on the waitlist of our most recent talk a two-hour head start to register. And then they open up to the rest of our #CMATX community.)

January’s global theme SURREAL will be discussed by Jack Darling. 

Hosted at AFS Cinema on Friday, 1/21. Details here.

special thanks to our partner this month: Freestyle Language Center.

And cheers to our coffee partner: Cuvée Coffee!

Does your company want to help support CreativeMornings/Austin and feel the love from our community? Email us at austin (at) creative mornings (dot) (com) please.