Photo credit: Linda Smallpage

Event details
🗓️ Date: Friday, September 20th
⏰ Time: 8:30 – 10:00 AM
📍 Location: The Bindery – 347 E Ward St; Milwaukee, WI 53207

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Learn about Nydia Maurás-Jones

Since 2014, Nydia Maurás-Jones has been a Founding Partner and the Director of Strategy for Odvant Creative, a local branding and design studio. Nydia is an intuitive, collaborative designer who delivers transformative strategies and designs that help small businesses and nonprofits stay aligned with their purpose. She specializes in identity design, brand strategy, messaging development, and untangling complex problems.

Prior to being a designer, Nydia was a Special Education teacher working in Brooklyn, NY, Chicago, IL, and Milwaukee, WI. Unknowingly, she first applied design thinking skills while creating specialized teaching tools for her neurodiverse students. The materials were often improvised with minimal supplies. She learned that observing, asking questions, and being brave enough to try new things are the best problem solving tools.  

Nydia received a Bachelor’s degree in Education with Moderate Special Needs from Boston College and another Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She graduated with honors and student loans from both programs.

In 2019, Nydia co-founded Rev Collective with Dena Nord, Kate Pociask and Angela Damiani. Rev Collective focused on connecting women and nonbinary individuals to help them find a safe space to be vulnerable about their professional and personal lives. Although Rev Collective closed, the mission of connecting people remains important to Nydia. 

When she is not working, Nydia serves on the Board of Directors for Islands of Brilliance, Milwaukee Diaper Mission and on the Advisory Board for Teens Grow Greens. She has also worked closely on several local political campaigns, and often volunteers at her kids’ schools. 

Our theme for September is REFLECTION.

It was chosen by our Oklahoma City chapter in Oklahoma and illustrated by Aditi Heins.

Just like an echo is a reflection of sound… and how a camera lens focuses reflected light to form a photograph… our subconscious reflects on our experiences to form our beliefs.

Without reflection, there can be no personal growth. Learning from our past yields greater wisdom and happiness. But don’t let self-awareness turn into self-absorption. Take heed of the Greek myth of Narcissus, who fell in love with his own handsome reflection in a pool of water. 

Reflecting on difficult moments can be painful but also healing. When our Oklahoma City chapter selected this theme, they mentioned a reflecting pool at the site of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing that was designed to help people reflect on how they were changed by that tragic event. 

Pondering the world around us and following our curiosity adds depth to our creative work. As William Shakespeare wrote in Hamlet, the purpose of acting is “to hold as ‘twere the mirror up to nature.” While George Bernard Shaw said, “you use a glass mirror to see your face; you use works of art to see your soul.” (Although Bertolt Brecht countered, “Art is not a mirror held up to reality, but a hammer with which to shape it.”)

Reflection turns our traumas and triumphs into lessons. It’s how we can create a vision for a brighter future.

Photo by John December

About The Bindery

The Bindery is a multifaceted creative venue in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Our small team designs and engineers new book and print-media from scratch (and repairs books from the past). We work with authors and artists who want quality, unique creations built by hand from the finest materials.

We operate out of a repurposed, heritage book factory that we share with a core group of creative tenants. Modern, private office space, and a 2,000 sq/ft events venue are available to the public within our unique, historic establishment.

Click here to schedule a tour!

Did you know the #1 way people learn about CreativeMornings/Milwaukee is through their friends? 

This month, we invite you to forward this email to a friend. Invite them to sign-up for our newsletter & register for this event with you!

We can’t wait to see you and your buds, pour out some more coffee, and expand our circle of morning people.