Milwaukee Blog | CreativeMornings

Love letter recap from our REFLECTION event!

Illustration by Aly Miller @aly_illustrations

Howdy, CMers!

On the morning of Sept. 20th, we cozied up at The Bindery, a repurposed book factory in Bay View that helps artists design and print their own creations by hand. It’s one of those timeless spaces where you can’t quite tell what year it is and you don’t really care what time it is…what a beautiful space for some quality reflection. A venue that “was built specifically to celebrate,” there’s no shortage of natural light, lush plants or local art installations. The space carefully merges the past and future, balancing the promise of modern creativity with a reverent nod to the building’s rich history.

We kicked things off local illustrator and our dear friend Rachal Duggan (@radillustrates) guided us through a fun self-portrait drawing exercise as we all took a look in the proverbial mirror and explored some self-reflection together. Y’all did great! Rachal regularly hosts drawing workshops, sells cute prints in her shop and even has a Patreon. Oh, and don’t forget to hire her for all your booty portrait needs!

Next, we heard from The Bindery’s founder and managing director Zach Lifton, who shared just how multifaceted the space is, serving as a drop-in coworking space where creatives can rent specialty print equipment or meeting rooms and facilitate community programming or access 1:1 trainings.

Portrait by Linda Smallpage

As I’m getting older, reflection is something that’s really important to pay attention to…just stopping and pausing in our life to listen to that little voice inside of us. —Nydia Maurás-Jones

Nydia is a founding partner of Odvant Creative, a branding and design studio located in Milwaukee. She’s an intuitive, collaborative designer who delivers transformative strategies and designs that help small businesses and nonprofits stay aligned with their purpose. Nydia is a fierce advocate for a variety of causes and serves on the Board of Directors for Islands of Brilliance, Milwaukee Diaper Mission, and Teens Grow Greens.

As soon as Nydia graced the stage, her positive energy was palpable and we immediately felt her high vibration. With her infectious sense of humor, Nydia reflected on how her late diagnosis of ADHD led her to pause her busy life, observe and practice discernment so she could better listen to the voice inside of her. As she began to pay attention more, Nydia found that she could then take action and change behaviors — a cause and effect that had been missing from her life.

As Nydia got more intimate with her own patterns, she discovered how perimenopause symptoms were deeply impacting her. As she started to research more, Nydia discovered that 75% of age-related diseases are likely influenced by menopause in one way or another (and how much we need to talk about this)! Nydia also reflected on encouraging her daughter to believe herself through the cycles of life, shedding things that no longer serve her. She reminded us that we can change the story at any time as we filter our choices through our own values, goals, needs and desires. Thank you for the important reminder that we all have the power to listen to the voice inside us, Nydia!

Watch Nydia’s talk. ⤵️

Filmed & edited by Precious “Jae” Burrell from Epic Media

Odvant Creative is a Strategic Branding & Design Agency. They empower mission-driven small businesses and nonprofits with the tools you need to make a lasting impact on your customers.Follow Odvant on Instagram + visit their website!

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 to the stage and share a pitch. Our 30 Second Pitch Nomination Form is always open! Feel free to self-nominate :)

Bay View Printing Co. — This woman-owned design studio is a 105-year-old letterpress print shop rooted in collaboration and community. Scott Town and Daniela Valle shared updates from this neighborly printing outfit, which offers drink & ink workshops, pop-up printing events, custom printing and full scale design services. Subscribe to their newsletter or follow @BayViewPrintingCo to find out the next events are coming up!

Kelly’s Greens — If you haven’t been to this woman-owned cannabis boutique…boy, does @kellys_greens owner Erin Kelly have some transcendent treats for you. Visit our friend Erin on North Avenue in Tosa for some handcrafted, small-batch gummies, beverages and cookie to support with sleep, pain relief, anxiety, inflammation, relaxation and more.

MILK Comic Fest — The 3rd annual indie comic fest happened this last Sunday 10/6 at The Cooperage. Illustrator and animator Quinn Blackshere shared details about this playful gathering: free and all ages are welcome, supporting creatives from all over the Milwaukee area. MILK Comic Fest also hosts free drink & draw events at the Sugar Maple every month. Keep your eye out for the next one on IG: @MILKcomicfest!