CreativeMornings/New York @creativemorningsnewyork - Tumblr Blog

Watch the livestream of our October event with Roxanne Gay!

Can’t join us in person on Friday, October 10th? Watch the livestream!

And special thanks to: Our venue L'Alliance New York for hosting us. Our partners Harvest and MPB. Our Global Partner Adobe. And our Global Patron the Harnisch Foundation.

Our theme for October is SOFT.

It was chosen by our Victoria chapter in British Columbia, Canada and illustrated by Leah McInnis.

The world feels hard in so many ways. Couldn’t we all use more softness?

Soft is gentle, empathic, and vulnerable. But being soft is not a weakness. It is a sign of deeper strength. Having the courage to walk through life without armor. A willingness to listen before speaking. Welcoming whatever comes with open palms. Pulling someone close for a hug.

What if our work was softer? What would we make with a little tenderness? Art that truly resonates. Innovations that heal instead of harm. Communities that hold one another instead of tearing other people down.

Soft can be a quiet form of resistance. Practice subtlety, trust, and intimacy in a world that celebrates loud braggadocio, knee-jerk reactions, and blunt force.

Let’s snuggle up and let down our guard. Soft can be our salvation.

See more photos from September’s event on our Flickr.

Enjoy this recap of our September event with Lauren Hom

"You owe it to yourself to take your time and make it pleasurable."

Thank you to everyone who joined us to hear Lauren Hom talk about keeping your creative spark alive for this month's global theme BLOSSOM.

Lauren is a designer, lettering artist, muralist, and chef. An "artist with a business brain," she's best known for turning her clever passion projects into a thriving design business thanks to the power of the internet. Follow her on instagram @homsweethom.

If you loved Lauren's talk, please share it with a friend. You can watch a replay of the livestream now.

Another Round of Applause For This Performance 🎵

Our musical guest this morning was Rosetooth. This Brooklyn rock band blends grunge and atmospheric layers of shoegaze to create their heavy sound. Follow them on instagram @rosetoothband.

What we Believe 🌈

Everyone is creative. Everyone is welcome. Our manifesto was read by Luke Liscom, the host of our Savannah Chapter. Thank you Luke!

Support Our 30-Second Pitchers 📣

Each month, we randomly select members of our community who want to make a 30-second pitch on our stage. This month, we heard from…

📣 Sarah Young is a holistic wellness practitioner who pitched Alexander Technique to help improve your energy, movement and body awareness. You can learn more at sarahyoung.co/itm.

📣 Morgan First wrote Rebel School of Wine and pitched her new sticker book. You can follow her on instagram @morgan1st.

📣 Sarah Goone just moved to NYC and is looking for friends! She’s a muralist and visual notetaker. You can see her work at radianteyestudio.com and follow her on instagram @theradianteyestudio.

📣 Jill Greenbaum is the host of Open Door Death Café and she invited us to a nature-based art workshop on Saturday, September 27th at 11:00 a.m. – learn more at griefmatters.ca/grief-gatherings.

Thank You to This Great Venue 📍

The CUNY Graduate Center believes that knowledge is a public good. They offer multiple event and meeting spaces that can accommodate 10 to 400 guests. Contact their events specialists for details. Also, check out The Writers' Institute for a rewarding writing program.

Level Up in Your Creative Career 🚀

We've partnered with Adobe to bring you this series of online workshops and resources designed to help you grow and take meaningful next steps in your creative career.

Check out CreativeMornings Clubs! 🖐

Clubs are small, community-led gatherings that bring the generous, inclusive spirit of CreativeMornings to your local neighborhood. See what Clubs you can join or start your own!

Save The Date For Our 17th Birthday on Oct 10th! 🎤

Roxane Gay will be speaking at L'Alliance New York.

We Love Our Team ❤️

Thanks Abby, Alisha, Angelica, Anoushka, Brian, Brian, Brianna, Exa, Finn, Jordan, Kevin, Kirsten, Krista, Kristin, Laina, Lenny, Maria, Mary, Meredith, Oriana, Sisi, Skye, and Whitney. You all deserve high-fives! Special thanks to Autumn Thomas for being our ASL interpreter, Nelson Luna for being our photographer, Connie Liu for being our videographer, and Matthew Chavez for running the livestream.

A Round of Applause For Our Partners 👏

Our Global Partner, Adobe empowers everyone, everywhere to imagine, create, and bring any digital experience to life.

Our Patron, the Harnisch Foundation believes in a fairer world that works better for everyone, with special attention on gender and racial equity.

Our Local Partner, Harvest is a web-based time tracking and invoicing application that makes it easy to track time and expenses, so you get access to critical data. 78% of leaders say culture drives success, but only 53% actually measure it according to Harvest's recent report. See how to build a measurable culture that employees will love.

Our Venue Partner, the CUNY Graduate Center, a leader in public graduate education, is committed to doctoral and master’s education for the public good. Their location in the heart of New York City provides students with countless opportunities to participate in one of the most vibrant and diverse communities in the world.

GIF by Lauren Hom

“So, what if, instead of thinking about solving your whole life, you just think about adding additional good things. One at a time. Just let your pile of good things grow.”

― Rainbow Rowell

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See you next time! 🖐

Watch the livestream of our September event with Lauren Hom!

Can’t join us in person on Friday, September 26th? Watch the livestream!

Register on our livestream page to get the link. And special thanks to: Our venue CUNY Graduate Center for hosting us. Our partners Harvest and MPB. Our Global Partner Adobe. And our Global Patron the Harnisch Foundation.

Our theme for September is BLOSSOM. It was chosen by our Pereira chapter in Colombia, illustrated by Edwin Morales, and is presented by Adobe.

Every blossom is an act of becoming. The quiet force of roots pushing through the dark, the slow unfurling of a bud, a sudden burst of color. But plants don’t blossom on command. Each flower requires the right amount of sunlight, water, and nourishment across the cycle of the seasons.

It’s the same for creativity. Our next idea lies dormant, while we fertilize our mind. With attention, protection, and space to play, our work becomes what it is meant to be. Petal by petal, the passion inside us bursts into a glorious bouquet.

But remember that flowers don’t bloom purely for their own sake. They share their fragrance, attract pollinators, and serve the larger ecosystem. Your creativity needs to pollinate as well. So, share your gift. Spread more ideas, more beauty, and more courage.

To truly blossom, you must take the risk of opening up. This is your season. You deserve to be seen. Offer your abundance of color to the world!

Ask yourself, “what within me is ready to blossom?” “What can I nurture to help others do the same?”

See more photos from August's event on our Flickr.

Can’t join us in person on Friday, August 29? Watch the livestream!

Register on our livestream page to get the link. And special thanks to: Our venue Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) for hosting us. Our partners Harvest and MPB. Our Global Partner Adobe. And our Global Patron the Harnisch Foundation.

Our theme for August is NOMAD. It was chosen by our Ulaanbaatar chapter in Mongolia and illustrated by Oyuna Bold.

Some people feel compelled to travel from place to place. To live outside the confines and constraints of a permanent address. Others have no choice but to leave home in search of a better life. A nomad embraces discomfort, welcomes the unknown, and sees every detour as a new adventure.

Have you heard the call of the open road? Ever dream of being a digital nomad working from exotic locales? Crossing borders and time zones to discover fresh inspiration and share-worthy views. But following your nomadic spirit doesn’t require collecting stamps in your passport.

The act of creating is its own journey. So, meander through your ideas. Roam between different styles. The most important thing is to take the first step. It doesn’t matter where it leads, because the joy is suddenly finding yourself somewhere unexpected.

Whether you’re racking up frequent flyer miles or navigating a change in your creative career, remember that motion fuels imagination. Wander. Wonder. Repeat.

See more photos from July's New York is Creative event on our Flickr.

Watch the livestream of our July event with the 4th Annual New York is Creative!

Can’t join us in person on Friday, July 25th? Watch the livestream!

And special thanks to: Our venue Newlab for hosting us. Our partners Harvest and MPB. Our Global Partner Adobe. And our Global Patron the Harnisch Foundation.

See more photos from our June event with Liza Donnelly on our Flickr.

Our theme for July is MENTOR.

It was chosen by our Glasgow chapter in Scotland, illustrated by Molly Hankinson, and is presented by Adobe.

No one is born with all the knowledge and skills they’ll need to thrive in life. That’s why kids go to school. But we shouldn’t stop learning once we graduate. We need to find new teachers.

A mentor doesn’t have to be an expert or the top of their field. Just someone who’s been there and done that before. Someone to show you the way and offer a bit of advice and encouragement. Ideally, they’re willing to make introductions and mention your name when you’re not in the room.

Being a mentor is considered a way of giving back. But mentors get just as much out of the relationship, if not more. Beyond the satisfaction of helping, mentors also learn from their mentees. From a fresh way of looking at established practices to tackling new problems with a beginner’s mind.

So, ask for help. We all could use a guide as we climb. Find your mentors and be a mentor in return. Your plans for growth are more likely to succeed if they include lifting others up as you rise.

Watch the livestream of our June event with Liza Donnelly!

Can’t join us in person on Friday, June 20th? Watch the livestream!

Register on our livestream page to get the link. And special thanks to: Our venue The Morgan Library & Museum for hosting us. Our partners Harvest and MPB. Our Global Partner Adobe. And our Global Patron the Harnisch Foundation.

Our theme for June is PUNK. It was chosen by our Bologna chapter in Italy and illustrated by Cristina Portolano.

🎸The description for this month’s theme is written in the style of lyrics to a punk rock song. If you know a band that wants to put them to music, we’ll feature their cover song of our punk rock anthem on the CreativeMornings blog and social. 🎵

Does the system feel broken

Staring at our screens

Not hearing the screams

Wake up wake up wake up

We’re not meant to go it alone

Find your people lift them up

Do what you can with what you got

Wake up wake up wake up

Your creativity can save you

What you gonna make

What you gonna change

Wake up wake up wake up 🎸 🎵 🧷