“We believe in giving a damn.” 

I think for me that’s what CreativeMornings Ottawa (CM Ottawa) has always been about. Caring about more than what was in our day-to-day, caring about our community, our city, the planet we live on, and the people we share it with. 

This is certainly a bittersweet note for me to write, CreativeMornings has been part of my life since I attended my first event back in February of 2013, and now 10 years later I am trying to find the words to explain what it means to hand over the torch (or in my case, the sparkly shoes) to a new team. 

10 years is quite literally the longest I’ve ever done anything.

As of January 2023, I will officially be stepping down as host. I always knew that hosting CreativeMornings should have an expiry date because I believe that in order for this chapter to stay healthy and continue to evolve it needs new perspectives, ideas, and creative fuel. 

I am so excited to officially announce that Marwan, CM Ottawa Co-Host for the past 4 years will be taking over as Host and Lead Organizer. I truly could not imagine a better human to lead CM Ottawa into its next chapter. It wasn’t long after Marwan started volunteering that his passion for the community was evident. With a kind heart, mean speaker coaching skills, and a great eye for design there’s no better human for the role.

What I hope for the future of CM Ottawa is that we ‘continue to give a damn’, lead with ‘bravery and action’, and find space to learn from one another. At first, when the pandemic hit ‘we were all in this together.’ On this side of the pandemic, it feels like we’ve never been more divided. But I have hope that initiatives like CM Ottawa can help change that by ‘bringing together people who are driven by passion and purpose, confident that they will inspire one another, and inspire change in neighbourhoods and cities around the world.’ 

Thank you to everyone who ever attended an event and for allowing me to take on such a life-changing role, CM Ottawa will always hold a big place in my heart.

Take care of each other.  💜

Maxine

P.S. Ottawa IS creative!