Tom Froese

Registration for Sam Bradd starts on Dec. 28th with the actual talk happening on Jan. 8th! Mark your calendars.

https://creativemornings.com/talks/sam-bradd

Sam Bradd - CMVancouver January speaker on Language

Sam Bradd is a graphic facilitator: he uses visuals to help groups connect, learn, and lead. Together, it’s Drawing Change. Sam’s worked with Google, the David Suzuki Foundation, and the World Health Organization. He co-founded the Graphic History Collective because how we tell stories can change the world. He lives on unceded Coast Salish Territories.

How do you define creativity and apply it in your career?

First it’s really personal: Creativity is about being in ‘flow’. That feeling when I’m making something - anything - and I forget about time passing. I feel alive and like I have the ability to surprise myself about what might come next. As it relates to my career, I have to structure time for flow to show up. It’s not spontaneous, it’s a habit. I get up every day at the same time and do what I need to do, and then the flow comes. It’s my favourite state where I can’t predict what will happen next, it’s a feeling of being very present. The making becomes more important that judging - the judging and being critical comes after. I’m really good at setting aside time for client work to be in flow, I want to get better at being disciplined for non-time sensitive work.

The other part about creativity is being social and building great community around me. I drag my introvert self out of the house to be a part of some very nice, low key groups - I’m in a collective and also a community of practice with other creatives - and this really feeds me.

Where do you find your best creative inspiration?

Bike riding. I really don’t like exercising but once I’m on my bike everything changes - I start daydreaming, singing, smiling at strangers, and it’s easier to wander. Usually by the time I’m home I’ve solved the thing I was thinking about. I’m also really inspired by other people, but for unlocking the things inside my brain I need to be in nature.

What’s the one creative advice or tip you wish you’d known as a young person?

I wish someone had told me it’s going to take a lifetime to build the art that you know you’re capable of. It’s okay that you have no idea what that is going to look like. But you have to start somewhere. So start.

Who would you like to hear speak at CreativeMornings?

I’d love to hear Cease Wyss, who’s an interdisciplinary artist and the Indigenous Plant Diva, talk about her work. She connects food security, art-making, her traditional knowledge, and always speaks truth to power.

How would you describe what you do in a single sentence to a stranger?

I listen and draw what’s happening at meetings - on giant paper - so people can see connections, solve problems, and lead. If you were a stranger at a bus stop I might also tell you how much I love it, and how excited people get to see themselves be heard.

If you had fifteen extra minutes each day, what would you do with them?

I should say something like “write more” or “phone someone” but honestly, a better sandwich is always a great return on investment. I would put a lot more effort into my sandwiches. But that might only take up 8 minutes, so maybe the other 7 minutes could be spent on better posture. Artist self-care, friends.

Creative Mornings Vancouver - Sophia Hsin Submission

Audience Takes The Stage | CreativeMornings/Vancouver

I am an independent graphic designer, type designer, and lettering artist based in Vancouver. I am fascinated by letters and their place in human communication. When I’m not enthralled by letters and design, I’m busy being a mum, playing video games, and reading books (mostly about lettering and type design though).

How do you define creativity and apply it in your career?

Creativity is about considering a problem or task from a unique perspective, which comes from an individual’s personality and life experience. I use creativity as a process to solve problems in the most functional and interesting way that I can think of.

Where do you find your best creative inspiration?

My creative inspiration comes from looking at a balance of things that are both similar and different from what I am working on. I surround myself with creative people from the community by going to speaker events, meeting up with other local designers, and following talented people on Instagram.

What’s the one creative advice or tip you wish you’d known as a young person?

Self-initiated projects are never a waste of time. Side projects are an amazing way to stay creatively fresh because of the freedom to explore passions and new skills.

Who would you like to hear speak at CreativeMornings?

I would love to hear from Johnny Earle of Johnny Cupcakes – one of the most creative business owners I can think of.

What keeps you awake at night?

The obvious answer would be my three month old son :P But, I am also often plagued by all the possible changes I can make to the shapes of the letters that I am working on in my typefaces.

Where was the last place you travelled?

I went to Tofino last November and spent a week in a cozy cabin surrounded by endless waves, Tacofino burritos, and forest hikes. I spent a lot of time there working on a self-initiated typeface project. There’s nothing like beautiful scenery, cozy chairs, and a passion project to make you feel refreshed!

Super cool artwork for our December theme: Time. What are you doing with your time?

Allen Pike is an app designer and developer. He runs Steamclock Software, a mobile development shop in Vancouver. Steamclock focuses on polish and user experience, and has done work for Fortune 500s and top startups. He has a passion for teaching, having taught at SFU, trained teams at various companies in Vancouver, and given talks on product design and app development in five countries. Prior to founding Steamclock, he was a software engineer at Apple, where he worked on the iWork applications. Allen also organizes local meetups, hosts a game development podcast called Up Up Down Down, and plays on a hockey team comprised entirely of programmers.

How do you define creativity and apply it in your career?

To me, creativity is simply about making something new. Although my background is in Computing Science, it’s always been the creative side of software design and development that’s motivated me. When we have the boldness to try something new, whether it’s an entirely new approach or a novel spin on something old, is when we do our best work.

Where do you find your best creative inspiration?

Nothing inspires creativity better than needing to solve a difficult problem. While we all fancy ourselves as innately creative, the constraints of a difficult challenge are often needed to really push us out of our comfort zone and force us to try something new.

What’s the one creative advice or tip you wish you’d known as a young person?

I wish I’d realized earlier how much of what we call “skill” and “talent” are simply the result of practice. When I was younger I saw great talent as something one was born with. I’ve since found that that mentality is just an obstacle to trying new things.

Who would you like to hear speak at CreativeMornings?

Alexa Grafera, the very talented icon and emoji designer.

How would you describe what you do in a single sentence to a stranger?

I run a team of people that make great apps.

What practices, rituals or habits contribute to your creative work?

I’ve found it incredibly important to manage where my attention goes. I rely on a task-management tool called OmniFocus to make sure that I’m paying attention to the important things, I’m not worrying about the unimportant things, and I’m delegating everything else to awesome people who are able to get them done.

Interview // Ola Volo Speaks at CreativeMornings | Sad Mag:

Intensely creative illustrator, Ola Volo, speaks at Creative Mornings Vancouver. Her sense of humour and whimsy transcends through all her artwork and she gave a really unique perspective on how working with other artists was both terrifying and inspiring.

Born in Taiwan, and raised in both China and Canada, Sophia Hsin is a photographer and creative based in Vancouver. With a love for design, minimalism and a neverending curiosity to explore - Sophia spends her time running a studio with her Hedgehog, Amelia, and dreams of travelling the world. In the past, Sophia obtained a degree in Medicine and worked in the education field.

How do you define creativity and apply it in your career?

Creativity is following your gut, a lot of practice, values and vision mixed together on a big white canvas. It also means breaking a lot of rules.

Where do you find your best creative inspiration?

The ocean and Chinese martial art movies.

What’s the one creative advice or tip you wish you’d known as a young person?

Make mistakes, make lots of them. Be bold and take risks

Who would you like to hear speak at Creative Mornings?

Omer Arbel from Bocci

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?

Quit a career in Medicine and moved to Vancouver to follow my dreams.

Where was the last place you travelled?

Huangshan, China aka The Avatar Mountains.

“Don’t waste your time looking back on what you have lost. Move on, life is not meant to be traveled backwards.” - Unknown