May's global theme is 'CREATE', and we are excited to host renowned photographer and creative technologist Kris Krüg. He has spent more than two decades exploring how new tools reshape culture and how culture should reshape the tools. 



As Founder and Executive Director of the BC + AI Ecosystem Association and curator of the Vancouver AI Community Meetup, Kris Krüg has helped turn “AI” from a closed technical club into a living, cross-disciplinary community of artists, researchers, entrepreneurs, students, and Indigenous knowledge keepers. His perspective is rooted in making: his photography has appeared in outlets such as National Geographic, Rolling Stone, and The New Yorker, and he often shares works-in-progress, experiments, and lessons learned in public. For the CreativeMornings theme CREATE, Kris will trace the creative path that brought him to the edge of AI: what’s possible when machines join the studio, and what we should be wary of as this revolution accelerates.

Speaker Interview

Each month we ask our presenters some probing questions to give us a deeper glimpse into their life and relationship with creativity:

1. How do you define creativity and apply it in your life and career?
   Creativity is the courage to put something unfinished into the world and let other people finish it with you.
   
   I came up as a photographer. Grateful Dead website, Nokia ad campaigns, 130,000+ photos on Creative Commons before Creative Commons was cool. The whole practice was: show up, make the thing, post it tonight, argue about it tomorrow. That habit, publish in public, iterate in public, is the same muscle I use now running the BC + AI Ecosystem Association. 2,500+ members, 210 tickets sold for our January meetup at the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre, eight cohorts of Creative Pros, and we're still basically figuring it out in the group chat at midnight.
   
   So for me creativity isn't a mood or a talent. It's a practice of staying public while you're still wrong. Burning Man taught me that. The Grammys red carpet with a First Nations chief in full regalia taught me that. Photographing the BP oil spill for Nat Geo taught me that. And now coaching a room full of nervous executives through their first prompt, same lesson: make the thing visible before it's ready, and the community will meet you there.
   
   
2. Where do you find your best creative inspiration or energy?
   Three places, in this order:
   
   One, the cabin on Galiano Island. Phone off, forest on, nothing to prove. Most of my best thinking happens while I'm not thinking.
   
   Two, the room. Monday nights at the Multimodal Media Lab on Howe Street for Film Club with Kevin Friel. Tuesday office hours on Zoom. Whatever Luke Minaker and Mayumi Rollings are cooking at Tiny Ghost Studios. I get lit up by watching a 19 year old break a tool a vendor said couldn't be broken, and by watching a 60 year old VFX veteran rewire their whole practice in a weekend.
   
   Three, the elders. Carol Anne Hilton at Indigenomics, where I've been CTO, teaching me ceremony before innovation. Indigenous leaders who keep reminding me that 10,000 years of governance is also technology. That tension, the fastest tools in human history sitting next to the oldest protocols on this coast, is where I do my best work.
   
   
3. What's one piece of creative advice or a tip you wish you'd known as a young person?
   Ship the draft. Seriously. Ship the ugly, half baked, "I'll fix the kerning later" draft.
   
   I wasted a lot of my twenties polishing things in private because I thought the world wanted a finished artist. The world doesn't want a finished artist. The world wants a person it can follow, argue with, and build alongside. Every good thing in my life, the Nat Geo call, the Burning Man crew, BC + AI, the Space Centre stage, came from something I posted when it was 60% done and slightly embarrassing.
   
   Open source your process, not just your output. The people you want in your life are hiding in your drafts folder.
   
   
4. What's the wildest thing you've ever done?
   Gulf Coast. I cold pitched National Geographic from a hotel parking lot, got a yes, drove four states solo, slept in the car, shot oiled pelicans and fishermen who'd lost everything, then stood on stage at TEDxOilSpill in DC two weeks later with the photos still wet. No plan, no per diem, no permission. Just a Prius, a Nikon, and the correct amount of stupidity.
   
   
5. What are you reading these days?
   Indigenomics by Carol Anne Hilton (rereading with a pen this time). Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Data Feminism by Catherine D'Ignazio. Blindsight by Peter Watts when I want to feel small. And a rotating stack of Substacks.
   
   
6. What fact about you would surprise people?
   I'm a hard introvert. I run a 2,500 person community, I speak on stages, I host weekly office hours, and I recharge by going silent on Galiano for three days with no humans and a kettle. The extroverted public KK is a performance I genuinely enjoy and then I need to go lie in the moss.
   
   
7. How does your life and career compare to what you envisioned when you were a sixth grader?
   Sixth grade KK wanted to be a skate video editor and a hacker, and maybe a war photographer if he got brave. Current KK runs an AI association, makes art teaches, writes, and occasionally crashes executive retreats. So roughly 80% accuracy…
   
   
8. If you could open a door and go anywhere, where would that be?
   
   Back of Fernando de Noronha, Brazil. Or a specific cove on the west side of Galiano nobody's named yet. Either way: ocean loud enough to drown out Slack.
   
   
9. What keeps you awake at night?
   The speed gap between what the tools can do and what our institutions know how to govern. We're writing 2035 code with 1998 policy.
   
   
10. What myths about creativity would you like to set straight?
    That creativity belongs to artists. Creativity is just repeated courage under uncertainty. A good nurse is creative. A good city planner is creative. My accountant is creative in ways that genuinely frighten me. The myth of the gifted few is mostly marketing, and it's expensive to believe.
    
    
11. What are you proudest of in your life?
    BC + AI. We started in a panicked group chat in 2023 and 28 months later we're the largest public interest AI community in the province. 2,500+ members, 265 tickets for one meetup, eight Creative Pros cohorts, an accredited Responsible AI Professional certification in the oven with Martin Lopatka and Sarah Downey, and a room full of people who trust each other enough to argue in public. That trust is the actual asset. Everything else is scaffolding.
    
    
12. If you could do anything now, what would you do?
    Six months, no laptop, one camera, one notebook. Travel the coast from Haida Gwaii to Tofino documenting the people building the next economy here. No deliverable promised upfront. Come back with a book, a show, and a much quieter nervous system.
    
    
13. What music are you listening to these days?
    A lot of Snotty Nose Rez Kids and Haviah Mighty. Some Godspeed You! Black Emperor when I'm writing. Fugazi when I'm running. Ambient stuff from Jon Hopkins when I'm editing photos.
    
    
14. What was the best surprise you've experienced so far in life?
    The Grammys red carpet 2019 standing beside a First Nations chief in full regalia while pop stars walked past pretending not to stare.
    
    
15. Where is your favourite place to escape?
    The cabin on Galiano. No WiFi on purpose. Wood stove, ocean, a stack of books, one kettle. If I haven't been there in a month, people around me can tell before I can.
    
    
16. What was the best advice you were ever given?
    "Build trust before you need it." I think I got a version of it from Dave Olson in Vancouver in like 2007 and it's been the operating system of my career ever since. Every good thing that's happened to me was a withdrawal from a relationship account I'd been quietly depositing into for years.
    
    
17. What books made a difference in your life and why?
    Indigenomics, Carol Anne Hilton: reframed economy as relationship. Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall Kimmerer: reframed science as reciprocity. Camera Lucida, Roland Barthes: reframed the photograph as grief. Neuromancer, William Gibson: reframed the future as already unevenly here, as he later put it. Four books, four reframes, roughly one per decade.
    
    
18. When you get stuck creatively, what is the first thing you do to get unstuck?
    Walk. Seawall, forest, anywhere my feet move and my hands are empty. If that doesn't crack it, I call one of three people who are legally obligated to tell me the truth (Mark Busse is one of them) and describe the stuckness out loud. Usually the description is the fix.
    
    
19. If you had fifteen extra minutes each day, what would you do with them?
    Write letters. Real ones, to specific people, thanking them before I need anything from them. My inbox is already a crime scene, so this wouldn't be email. Paper, stamps, the whole slow ceremony.
    
    
20. What has been one of your biggest Aha! moments in life?
    Realizing the bottleneck was never the camera, the software, the budget, or the gatekeeper. The bottleneck was my willingness to be seen mid process. Once I dropped that, everything else, Nat Geo, Burning Man, BC + AI, the stages, the students, arrived as a consequence, not a goal.
    
    
21. What is the one movie or book every creative must see/read? Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. If you only have 45 minutes, watch Koyaanisqatsi. Either will quietly recalibrate how you think about making anything at all.

Musical Guest

🎵 Our live musical performance will feature ORRA, a Vancouver-based indie pop duo crafting lush, emotionally charged songs that explore identity, connection, and the complexities of early adulthood.🎶

Led by singer and keyboardist Sarah Orr alongside drummer Cam McGregor, their sound blends shimmering guitars, swelling synths, and punchy rhythms into intimate, cinematic moments. With listeners in nearly 100 countries and growing radio play across North America, ORRA is quickly emerging as a distinctive voice in Canada’s indie music scene.

Presenting Partner

Alternative Creations Studio is being recognized through a generous anonymous gift made in their honour.

Alternative Creations Studio is a collective that connects and empowers artists with developmental disabilities To experiment and hone their skills while co-creating inclusive communities where everyone can flourish. We believe in the transformative power of art and are always seeking opportunities to collaborate with like-minded people by sharing studio and gallery space. hosting community workshops, and participating in art shows and other events.

How to Register for this Event

Join us on May 1st from 8:15-10am at the Vancouver Art Gallery by registering here.

At each CMVan event, the 30-second pitch segment gives audience members a chance to step on stage and spotlight upcoming local creative events happening around the city.

We send out a more detailed newsletter with the below events to our mailing list once a month. Subscribe to receive the next one.

For now, you can click on the below links to learn more about each of these creative events.

1. Donate/Become a CreativeMornings/Vancouver Support Partner (email vancouver@creativemornings.com)
2. Release Day: A 24 Hour Celebration (May 29)
3. Creative Forces Feature: Brewster Kahle (Tyee series)
4. Highlights from the Collection: Vancouver Art Gallery (now open)
5. Help Eastside Boxing give at-risk youth a fighting chance to thrive! (Donate)
6. Basecamp: A residency for creators, entrepreneurs, and community builders (apply now)
7. Health Marketing Meets Creative Design (April 15)
8. Likemind Vancouver: Coffee & Conversation (April 17)
9. The Wilson School of Design’s Graphic Design for Marketing grad show (April 23)
10. Ehab Guitarrista Flamenco (April 23)
11. CMVan May Event: Kris Krüg (May 1)
12. First Saturday: Visit artists where they work (May 2)
13. Reality Check LIVE with The Tyee and Rachel Gilmore (May 21)

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The next CMVan event is happening on May 1st 
and will feature renowned photographer and creative technologist Kris Krüg. Get your ticket here.

We have a digital pioneer and Internet Hall of Fame inductee walking among us!

Meet Brewster, a Creative Force, tech wizard, the “internet librarian” who co-founded the “Wayback Machine” which has now archived over one trillion websites!

Back in the 90’s, Brewster helped develop the first-ever text search system that let’s people search databases on remote computers. Since day one, he has been guided by this mission: providing universal access to all knowledge for free.

Check out the full interview with Brewster:
https://thetyee.ca/Culture/2026/04/10/Brewster-Kahle-Creative-Force/

In our ever-expanding digital world, you won’t want to miss this one!

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Creative Forces is a Tyee + CreativeMornings/Vancouver series that spotlights people in the community who are using their creativity as a force for good. Nominate someone here.

Our theme for April is EMBER. It was chosen by our Poulsbo chapter in Washington and illustrated by Sarah Gordon.

The literal meaning of ember is a small piece of burning or glowing coal or wood in a dying fire. But as a metaphor, it means so much more.

Our Poulsbo chapter had this to say about the significance of this month’s theme:

“Embers represent the quiet, enduring remnants of fire—what remains after the intensity fades. They carry a smoldering potential, a subtle strength that holds heat long after the flames have gone. As a quieter community outside the city, we may not always burn the brightest, but we never burn out. Our spark lives in reflection, resilience, and the space we have to pause, think, and grow."

Each month, a different CreativeMornings chapter chooses a theme for all global CM talks taking place in cities around the world.

This year, many of our monthly themes will be in that chapter’s local language.

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

Here's some resources to inspire your own reflections on this month's theme:

1. April Themed Playlist: Ember
   Listen to songs about burning embers, old flames, and the quiet strength glowing deep inside you in our playlist for April’s theme EMBER curated by our community around the world. You can also add your own. Learn more.
   
   
2. Release Day: May 29th
   It's time to finally share that special thing you've been working on. This month-long program includes accountability groups and practical tips, and is presented by CreativeMornings, Creative Quests, and Adobe. It will end with a Release Day party on May 29th. Pledge a commitment to yourself and sign up to participate.

The postcard of our April 2026 speaker Jessica Leigh Clark-Bojin was illustrated by 4th year student from IDEA Program at Capilano University, Yohahnah Loker.

The text is from our interview with Clark-Bojin, and reads: "Our brains are pattern seeking machines, the more unique things we fill it with, the better patterns for creating growth we find."

All audience members will receive their own copy of this limited edition postcard, printed by Mitchell Press Ltd, at our April 10th event. Get your ticket.

April's global theme is 'ember', and our special guest speaker will be media producer, entrepreneur, performer, and multidisciplinary creative director Jessica Leigh Clark-Bojin who turns niche ideas into global cultural moments.



As a founding executive, Jessica blends creative leadership, sharp business strategy, and hands-on media production skills to build standout projects that have been proven successes with world-class clients and partners including Disney, Netflix, and the Food Network. Most recently she produced and hosted the broadcast TV miniseries Fun City, and created the global online brand Pies Are Awesome. Jessica's videos have been viewed over 100 million times online, and her work has been featured in hundreds of shows and publications around the world including the TODAY show, Good Morning America, Entertainment Tonight, Forbes, People, and Ripley’s Believe it or Not! "I like making things, and making things happen." — JLC-

Speaker Interview

Each month we ask our presenters some probing questions to give us a deeper glimpse into their life and relationship with creativity:

1. How do you define creativity and apply it in your life and career?
   Starting off with the big questions! I know that “creativity” means something very different to different people, but to me it boils down to a different way of seeing/knowing, and recognizing the hidden patterns and connections in things. My most creative moments have happened when I saw a way that two seemingly very different things could potentially connect - like pies and pop culture, or fun and strategy, or pinecones and stairwells. Our brains are essentially pattern-seeking machines and the more unique things/concepts/experiences/skills we fill it with, the better we are able to find those patterns and connections that can lead to innovation and creative growth.
   
   
2. Where do you find your best creative inspiration or energy?
   I don’t do well with routine. My brain needs a challenge, novelty, complexity to operate at peak capacity, so I am always on the hunt for something new to learn. My favourite way of topping up the creative battery tank (batteries have tanks, right?) is to switch gears from whatever field I’m working in and spend some time in a new realm. If I’m sculpting and get blocked, I’ll spend some time learning about flavour profiles. If I’m finding recipe development is getting dull, I’ll pick up my guitar and learn a new song. If I’m burnt out on TV producing, I’ll go on a mushroom hunt in the forest. (I don’t eat the mushrooms of course. Mushrooms are gross.)
   
   
3. What’s one piece of creative advice or a tip you wish you’d known as a young person?
   I suppose I did “know” this as a young person, but I certainly did not internalize it: Success is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. Cliche, but true. It took me a long time to fully understand what is actually involved in pulling off big creative ideas, and to develop the corresponding vetting techniques that helped me understand which of the zillion ideas on the table actually has the potential to go the distance.
   
   
4. Who (living or dead) would you most enjoy hearing speak at CreativeMornings?
   Douglas Adams or Kurt Vonnegut. I would love to hear their thoughts on the current state of society and political discourse. Though I’d probably find the “folksy Boomer racism” a bit of an intellectual hurdle at first.
   
   
5. What myths about creativity would you like to set straight?
   Gosh, okay. Some controversial stuff coming up here:
   1) Collaboration and compromise are not always good for creativity—they can lead to group-think mediocrity. I love working with other people on many aspects of what I do. But sometimes what’s needed is a single spark from a single brain to set off the magic.
   2) Not everyone and every creative pursuit is destined for success if you “just keep trying.” I find many self help books and gurus disingenuous in this regard. They ignore the role privilege plays in so many success stories. Are there steps that you can take that will give you a better shot? For sure. But not everyone is starting with the same set of arrows in their quiver. That’s why it’s good to “pay it forward” and help out other deserving creatives when you can!
   3)“Luck” is a critical component in many creative success stories. You increase your chances of being in the right place at the right time if you work hard, cultivate skills, are well connected, and have access to resources, absolutely. But somewhere along the lines most creative success stories include a serendipitous moment, a chance encounter, a meaningful coincidence that sets the ball in motion. So stay humble. There truly is no such thing as the wholly “self-made man/woman”.
   4) “Extrinsic motivation” is not a dirty word (dirty phrase?) For dopamine chasers like me, a bit of extrinsic motivation - like the pressure of a deadline or impending public showing - is super helpful in crushing the procrastination bug. Neurotypical people don’t always realize that some people need that extra push to take care of business - even to complete tasks that are actually enjoyable to the neurospicy creatives!.
   
   
6. What keeps you awake at night?
   I have OCD (the real kind, not the influencer kind), so… everything? But I find my zen in remembering that the world has been a dumpster fire before (look up the year 536) and humans are really great at adpating to new normals. And one day the earth will fall into the sun. I do what I can to add to the good and lessen the bad and enjoy the moments. Moments are all we get.
   
   
7. What was the best advice you were ever given?
   About ten or 15 years ago, someone said to me “You’re always so concerned about whether people like you or hate you. The reality is, most people don’t think about you at all.” Man, that stuck with me. It wasn’t framed as advice, but nothing said to me since has had as profound an impact on my outlook. On your best day, on your worst day, the momentary blip of attention you get from the crowd is not going to last in their minds, so don’t carry the pride or the shame. Focus on the relationships that really matter in your life - the people you actually know and love, not the parasocial silliness we’ve grown accustomed to.
   
   
8. What fact about you would surprise people?
   Hm, lessee… I sold vacuum cleaners door to door in university. I used to teach actors how to sword fight and was an epee fencer a billion years ago. I only own one pair of pants, and they were bought as an April Fools joke. I own 15 guitars, and yes, I need all of them (different tones!)*
   
   
9. What music are you listening to these days?
   Everything. But especially Iron Maiden because I’m currently working on The Trooper.
   
   
10. What are you reading these days?
    LEGO instruction booklets.
    
    
11. If you could open a door and go anywhere, where would that be?
    Is the door reusable? Can I get back after? If yes, then I’d go back in time. My fave thing to do is to meet interesting and creative new people, so I feel like that would afford me some pretty groovy opportunities… But wait, are we assuming a Fixed Timeline universe, or like a Many Worlds Theory thing here? I’d hate to find out I’m my own grandmother or something… I’m probably overthinking the whole question..
    
    
12. If you could do anything now, what would you do?
    I would love to host and produce a TV show that helps people have more creative and joyful life experiences. Or be a shape-shifting mermaid cyborg with laser eyes. That’d be pretty cool too.

Musical Guest

🎵This event will kick off with a live musical performance by accomplished guitarist and composer Ehab Guitarrista🎶

A lifelong student of Classical Guitar, Ehab has studied flamenco with Grammy-winning maestro Antonio Rey and jazz in Vancouver, developing a style that weaves flamenco with jazz, Latin, and classical influences. A seasoned performer, musical director, and educator, he has appeared at major festivals and venues across Canada, including sold-out solo concerts and international flamenco festivals.

Presenting Partner

The Tyee is an independent, online news magazine from B.C. founded in 2003, devoted to fact-driven stories, reporting and analysis that informs and enlivens our democratic conversation. Tyee’s reporting has changed laws, started movements and garnered numerous awards. While some journalism gives the last word to power, they give the last word to ordinary folks.

How to Register for this Event

Join us on April 10th from 8:15-10am at the Vancouver Art Gallery by registering here.

At each CMVan event, the 30-second pitch segment gives audience members a chance to step on stage and spotlight upcoming local creative events happening around the city.

We send out a more detailed newsletter with the below events to our mailing list once a month. Subscribe to receive the next one.

For now, you can click on the below links to learn more about each of these creative events. 

1. Inspire Health: Supportive Cancer Care (donate)
2. field & onto studio (propose an exhibition or join studio rental waitlist)
3. Creative Forces Feature: Jenn Farrell (Tyee series)
4. Donate/Volunteer/Become a CMVan Support Partner (email us at vancouver@creativemornings.com)
5. Exhibition at Wil Aballe (March 6-April 4)
6. Level Up! Season 2: Series by Adobe (starts March 10)
7. Facilitation Lab Vancouver: Liberating Structures (March 16)
8. An Intimate Evening of Music with Miss Emily at Gallary @ Artech (March 19)
9. Likemind Vancouver: Coffee & Conversation (March 20)
10. Spring Social for Commercial Creatives, Marketers, & Strategists (March 26)
11. Highlights from the Collection: Vancouver Art Gallery (opens March 27)
12. Something Good Retreats: One Day Pocket Retreat (March 29)
13. First Saturday: Visit artists where they work (April 4)
14. Raising the Bar: Scene Study with Ben Immanuel (April 26-May 31)
15. Infedels Jazz Presents: The Music of Miles Davis and Gil Evans (May 3)

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The next CMVan event is happening on April 10th
and will feature media producer, entrepreneur, performer, and multidisciplinary creative director Jessica Leigh Clark-Bojin. Get your ticket here.

Happy International Women’s Day!

Speaking of incredible women… meet Jenn! A creative force, a critically acclaimed fiction author, a former national bodybuilder and visionary founder of Witness the Fitness (WTF).

Do you dread going to the gym? The WTF team has you covered - they call it “the gym for people who hate the gym. Launched in 2020, WTF is a women and LGBT!2S(IA)+ centered gym designed intentionally as a safe space for all to feel good in their bodies.

“We want people to come as they are, and we’ll meet you there, even if you’ve never done any exercise in your life.” Jenn says. And WTF  proves this through every detail: the welcoming atmosphere, community-first programs, and the heart behind it all, the caring and expert staff.:

Read the full interview with Jenn: https://thetyee.ca/Culture/2026/03/06/Jenn-Farrell-Creative-Force/

You won’t want to miss this one!

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Creative Forces is a Tyee + CreativeMornings/Vancouver series that spotlights people in the community who are using their creativity as a force for good. Nominate someone here.

The postcard of our March 2026 speaker Ben Immanuel was illustrated by 4th year student from IDEA Program at Capilano University, Anna Burtseva.

The text is from our interview with Immanuel, and reads: "I can't define creativity, but I can say that it has defined me. I am what I create, for better or worse."

All audience members will receive their own copy of this limited edition postcard, printed by Mitchell Press Ltd, at our March 6th event. Get your ticket.

Our theme for March is LOCAL (pronounced lo·cal). In Portuguese it means “place or being a resident or native to a particular area.” It was chosen by our Santos chapter in Brazil and illustrated by Simone Matias.

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.”

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

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

Here's some resources to inspire your own reflections on this month's theme:

1. March Themed Playlist: Local
   Different regions have strong connections to distinct musical genres. Listen this collection of songs about different places in our playlist for March’s theme LOCAL curated by our community around the world.