Our speaker at the March 2011 CreativeMornings/NewYork was Ji Lee, at the time Creative Director Google Labs, now Creative Director at Facebook. The event was generously hosted by Galapagos Art Space in DUMBO, Brooklyn.
A big thank you to Sy J. Abudu for filming and editing the talk.
Last month we kicked off our first Chicago/CreativeMornings with a fantastic talk by Jim Coudal. GravityTank was generously hosting the event and Mig Reyes did an absolutely fantastic job as the host. Thanks to everyone in involved. I am thrilled to have Chicago on the map!
And a big thank you to the team over at Coudal, Steve Delahoyde in particular for taping and editing the event!
I started CreativeMornings in september of 2009 wanting to create an accessible, inspring morning talk series. Little did I know that it would grow into a global series. With an evergrowing number of chapters, CreativeMornings currently take place in NYC, Zurich, LosAngeles, and SanFrancisco with Chicago kicking off this friday. A London chapter is starting in July and Berlin and Vancouver are going to be kicking off shortly after. All of this has came from the help of my fantastic hosts and their volunteers in every city. It’s impressive that my idea has been received such generous support. Every event fills up within minutes. (Take this week’s first ever Chicago CreativeMornings with Jim Coudal. It was full in a mere 3 minutes.)
And things are only going to get better. Why?
In the winter of 2010 I had the pleasure to meet Craig Shapiro, former president of GOOD Magazine and now force behind Collaborative Fund. Craig took me out to lunch and I could tell he was interested in CreativeMornings. To my surprise, he was so interested, he asked if he could become a partner. I was stunned to say the least. We are talking about a man that has invested in companies like Kickstarter, Skillshare and BankSimple. I was speechless.
Curious as to why he wanted to become a partner, I continued to listed. He explained that he is drawn to CreativeMornings because of two important things:
a) There is a new breed of entrepreneurship and it is based on using creative facilities to solve big and small problems.
b) When you Bring like-minded (creative) people together, magic happens. New projects, job and business opportunities, friends and much more can all come from thee meaningful gatherings.
After my initial shock, I realized what an incredible gift it was to have met Craig. I can tell that he understands my vision for CreativeMornings and seems as excited as I am to make it happen. Craig obviously is a very smart business man and I am excited to know that I have a skilled partner to help me navigate the CreativeMornings ship. His support is allowing me to spend more time on CreativeMornings and focus on growing the series.
Beyond that, we here at Studiomates love when Craig comes and hangs out at our space. He is fueling our entrepreneurial spirts and is just an overall wonderful person to have around.
I am excited and incredibly humbled to be part of Collaborative Fund. This year cannot get any better, I think.
(raising my glass of bubbly stuff in excitement)
Our speaker at the April 2011 San Francisco/CreativeMornings was Craig Mod, a writer, designer, publisher and developer concerned with the future of publishing and storytelling in the iPad and Kindle era.
A big giant thank you to Chris Whitmore for offering to shoot and edit the video. Photos were graciously provided by Richard Something.
Here’s an overview of the upcoming June CreativeMornings in New York, Zurich, Los Angeles, San Francisco and now Chicago.
N E W Y O R K
Date: June 24th, 2011
Speaker: Yancey Strickler, Kickstarter Co-Founder
Host: Galapagos Art Space
Sponsors: Mailchimp and Freshbooks
Organizer: swissmiss
More info and rsvp at creativemornings.eventbrite.com
Z U R I C H
Date: June 24, 2011
Speaker: Markus Mettler
Host: Cafe Casablanca
Sponsor: Cafe Casablanca
Organizer: Daniel Frei
More info and rsvp at zurichcreativemornings.eventbrite.com
L O S A N G E L E S
Date: June 10, 2011
Speaker: Josh Nimoy
Host: mediatemple
Sponsor: Blik
Organizer: Jon Setzen
More info and rsvp at losangelescreativemornings.eventbrite.com
S A N F R A N C I S C O
Date: June 24, 2011
Speaker: Adam Tobin
Host: The glorious Typekit headquarters
Sponsors: Happy Cog and Typekit
Organizer: Erika Hall
More info and rsvp at sfcreativemornings.eventbrite.com
C H I C A G O (first one, hoooray!)
Date: June 24, 2011
Speaker: Jim Coudal
Host: Gravity Tank
Sponsor: Neenah Paper
Organizer: Mig Reyes
More info and rsvp at chicagocreativemornings.eventbrite.com
In July we will be kicking off CreativeMornings/London with Michael Johnson as our speaker and Drew Smith as our Host!
Check out our site creativemornings.com for more info and for links taped talks.
Our speaker at the April 2011 CreativeMornings/NewYork was Berlin based Illustrator and Designer Christoph Niemann. I think it’s safe to say that Christoph’s talk was one of the funniest we’ve ever had. See for yourself, watch the video below and share a giggle.
A big giant thank you to Sy Abudu for so generously filming and editing our talks. (We realize the sound quality is a little off in the beginning but gets better mid-way through the talk. Our apologies!)
The event was generously hosted by Galapagos Art Space in DUMBO, Brooklyn.
CreativeMornings is a monthly breakfast lecture series for creative types. Each event is free of charge, and includes a 20 minute talk, plus coffee!
Our speaker at the february 2011 CreativeMornings was wonderful Debbie Millman. Debbie’s talk is a must see for any student about to enter the world of design. Her talk is titled: The Top 10 Things I wish I Knew When I Graduated College.
A big giant thank you to Sy Abudu for filming and editing the talk.
In case you’re wondering about Debbie’s comment about going by Denim Millbabe in the very beginning, here’s why.
About Debbie Millman:
Debbie Millman is a partner and president of the design division at Sterling Brands, one of the leading brand identity firms in the country. Millman is president of AIGA, and chair of the School of Visual Arts’ master’s program in Branding. She is a contributing editor to Print magazine and host of the podcast “Design Matters.” She is the author of How to Think Like a Great Graphic Designer (Allworth Press, 2007), The Essential Principles Of Graphic Design (Rotovision, 2008) and Look Both Ways: Illustrated Essays on the Intersection of Life and Design (How Books, 2009).
At every CreativeMornings I thank our sponsors while showing a slide. Mailchimp has been our NYC main sponsor for over a year now and it became a struggle to keep it fresh.
When I had Milton Glaser lined up to speak in january, I reached out to the fantastic folks at Mailchimp and asked them if they would be up for doing a custom slide dedicated to Milton, given his massive-crazy-rockstar status in the design world. Within minutes I saw a “YES! YES! YES!” in my inbox. Here’s what they sent:
Needless to say it got a big laugh. What I thought would just be a one-time-deal has now turned into one of my biggest highlights of every CreativeMornings. Four slides in, I can safely say Mailchimp has created a new way of doing event sponsorships. I have gotten comments this morning of attendees that they can’t wait to see what Mailchimp came up this time. Hat tip goes off to Aaron Robbs and his team for putting so much love into these and showing so much excitement for the idea. For those of you that read my blog it’s quite obvious that I am a big fan of Mailchimp. I find it wonderful that the founder, Ben Chestnut, let’s his designers experiment and spend a significant amount of time on these custom slides. Some people might argue it’s a waste of money and that there’s no real ROI… (yawn).
I strongly believe that by turning event sponsorship into something people look forward to see, injecting it with humor and good design, while not actually talking about your services and offerings, is the new way to go. Get people excited about your company and overall philosophy and the rest will follow. After all they managed to turn sending newsletters into something I truly enjoy. Just take their site: It’s beautifully designed and greets you with humor every time you log in. My favorite part is where the chimp talks to you and say’s things like: “Tina, aren’t you a breath of fresh air?”
Here’s what Aaron Robbs said on the process of coming up with these slides:
Playing on work these speakers have already done would be an easy route–but I look for something less obvious to latch on to. Christoph Niemann had a blog entry illustrating his history with coffee, and I finally thought to myself, “There must be magical juice in his latte.” But I probably wouldn’t have gotten to that moment without pouring over his work, going to craft stores, painting eggs and making fruit out of Play Doh first.
MailChimp really gets behind creative thinking, and they put a lot of trust in the people they hire to do a great job. So it’s really rewarding to be able to fully explore an idea and know that everyone is going to get behind it….even if it’s weird. And since all of my design work is for MailChimp these days, it’s nice to think of these speakers as new design clients. These slides keep me sharp. And they’re super fun.
Here’s the rest of the slides: Debbie Millman:
Ji Lee, of Google Labs spoke in March:
And just this morning, we had Berlin based Christoph Niemann speak. I nearly fell off my chair laughing when I saw this slide last night:
I hope that Mailchimp’s unusual approach to event sponsorship will have a ripple effect and that we will see more companies dare to experiment. As Christoph Niemann said in his talk this morning: “In order to have creativity, you have to allow for dead ends to happen.” Mailchimp is leading by example.
(And no, Mailchimp did not pay me for this post!)
At the last CreativeMorning/NewYork with Ji Lee we asked: If you didn’t have to worry about your job and lack of time, which side project would you start? Here are some of the answers. See the entire set here. What is yours?
(all photos by wonderful Emily Gilbert)
(want to create your own Icebreakertags for your next event? There’s a site for that!)
Our speaker at the *second* San Francisco CreativeMornings was Mike Monteiro, Design Director, and co-founder of Mule Design Studio. This event took place on March 25, 2011 and was generously sponsored by Happy Cog and Typekit (who also hosted the event at their office in the Mission).
A big giant thank you to Chris Whitmore for offering to shoot and edit the video. Photos were graciously provided by Rawle Anders.
See who’s upcoming and watch recorded talks over on creativemornings.com.
Here’s an overview of the upcoming April CreativeMornings in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Zurich.
N E W Y O R K
Date: April 15th, 2011
Speaker: Christoph Niemann (flying in from Berlin)
Host: Galapagos Art Space
Sponsors: Mailchimp and Freshbooks
Organizer: swissmiss
More info and rsvp at creativemornings.eventbrite.com
L O S A N G E L E S
Date: April 8, 2011
Speaker: Michelle Mcilroy, Lomography USA
Host: Lomography Gallery Store
Sponsor: The Fox is Black
Organizer: Jon Setzen
More info and rsvp at losangelescreativemornings.eventbrite.com
S A N F R A N C I S C O
Date: April22, 2011
Speaker: Craig Mod
Host: The glorious Typekit headquarters
Sponsors: Happy Cog and Typekit
Organizer: Greg Storey
More info and rsvp at sfcreativemornings.eventbrite.com
Z U R I C H
Date: April 8, 2011
Speaker: Memonic Co-Founder Dr. Dorian Delz
Host: The Hub Zurich
Sponsor: rtp Agency
Organizer: Daniel Frei
More info and rsvp at zurichcreativemornings.eventbrite.com
Check out our site creativemornings.com for more info and for links taped talks.
Here’s an overview of the upcoming March CreativeMornings in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. (Zurich’s next CM is in april! Daniel is speedy!)
N E W Y O R K
Date: March 31st, 2011 <-- THURSDAY Morning!
Speaker: Ji Lee, Creative Director Google Labs
Host: Galapagos Art Space
Sponsors: Mailchimp and Freshbooks
Organizer: swissmiss
More info and rsvp at creativemornings.eventbrite.com
L O S A N G E L E S
Date: March 18, 2011
Speaker: Blik Co-Founder Scott Flora
Host: TBA
Sponsor: TBA
Organizer: Jon Setzen
More info and rsvp at losangelescreativemornings.eventbrite.com
S A N F R A N C I S C O
Date: March 25, 2011
Speaker: Mule Design Founder Mike Monteiro
Host: The glorious Typekit headquarters
Sponsors: Happy Cog and Typekit
Organizer: Greg Storey
More info and rsvp at sfcreativemornings.eventbrite.com
Z U R I C H
Date: April 8, 2011
Speaker: Memonic Co-Founder Dr. Dorian Delz
Host: TBA
Sponsor: rtp Agency
Organizer: Daniel Frei
Check out our site creativemornings.com for more info and for links taped talks.
We just uploaded another CreativeMornings/NewYork video:
Our first speaker this year was design legend Milton Glaser. Needless to say that only 10 minutes after the RSVP-floodgates opened, this 500 people event was full. Milton’s talk was filled with an insatiable passion for design and amazing nuggets of wisdom.
Thanks to wonderful Sy Abudu, you can enjoy the talk now in Vimeo:
(The event was generously hosted at the School of Visual Arts Theatre which was designed by Milton!)
Photos by Emily Gilbert
At last week’s CreativeMornings/NewYork with Debbie Millman we asked the following Icebreakertag question: What is the one brand you can’t live without (aside from Apple)?
See all of the answers in this Flickr Set.
What’s your answer?
2011/02 Laura Brunow Miner | Why We Work from SanFrancisco/CreativeMornings on Vimeo.
Our speaker at the *first* SanFrancisco/CreativeMornings was Laura Brunow Miner of Pictory. The event took place on February 25, 2011 and was sponsored by Happy Cog and Typekit (who also hosted the event at their amazing new office in the Mission).
A big giant thank you to Chris Whitmore for offering to shoot and edit the video and also to J.T. Trollman for taking photos of the event.
The San Francisco chapter of CreativeMornings is run by Greg Storey.
See who’s upcoming and watch recorded talks over on creativemornings.com.
Our speaker at the december 2010 CreativeMornings was wonderful Emily Cohen.
Emily has been a consultant to creative professionals for over 20 years providing confidential, best-practice insights and advice on staff, client, and process-management strategies, conducting client surveys and writing winning proposals, creative briefs, and contracts. Her CreativeMornings talk was insightful and filled with hands-on tips. Please enjoy Emily Cohen’s talk:
A big giant thank you to Sy Abudu for offering her video and editing skills.
I am excited to announce next week’s NewYork/CreativeMornings with wonderful Debbie Millman.
WHEN/WHERE
NewYork/CreativeMornings, February 25th 2010, 8.30am – 10am. Please note that rsvp will open on monday february 21st at 11am over at creativemornings.eventbrite.com.
This month’s event will be hosted by the generous folks over at the amazing Galapagos Art Space in DUMBO. If you are not familiar with the space, get ready for a real treat.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Debbie Millman is a partner and president of the design division at Sterling Brands, one of the leading brand identity firms in the country. Millman is president of AIGA, and chair of the School of Visual Arts’ master’s program in Branding. She is a contributing editor to Print magazine and host of the podcast “Design Matters.” She is the author of How To Think Like A Great Graphic Designer (Allworth Press, 2007),The Essential Principles of Graphic Design (Rotovision, 2008) and Look Both Ways: Illustrated Essays on the Intersection of Life and Design (How Books, 2009).
HOW TO SIGN UP
R.S.V.P will open at 11am on monday february 21st over at creativemornings.eventbrite.com!
Please let us know if you r.s.v.p’d but can no longer make it. Our events fill up quickly and we usually keep a waiting list. Thank you! And at the morning of the event, make sure to put on your chatty networking hats!
BREAKFAST SPONSORS
Breakfast will be sponsored by our main sponsor MailChimp and this month’s co-sponsor Freshbooks.
Check out our new website: www.creativemornings.com
Also happening next week:
L O S A N G E L E S
Date: February 25, 2011
Speaker: K.Kirk+N.Strandberg of Eight Hour Day
Host: Ford&Ching
Sponsor: Media Temple
Organizer: Jon Setzen
More info and rsvp at losangelescreativemornings.eventbrite.com
S A N F R A N C I S C O
Date: February 25, 2011 | Chapter Kick-Off!
Speaker: Laura Brunow Miner
Host: Typekit (crazy awesome space!)
Sponsors: Happy Cog and Typekit
Organizer: Greg Storey
More info and rsvp at sfcreativemornings.eventbrite.com
Our speaker at the november 2010 CreativeMornings was the amazingly inspiring Andrew Zuckerman. During his talk, you could literally hear jaws drop in the audience and I have never gotten as many emails right after the event saying that they left with such a desire to go home and ‘create something’. Andrew’s talk was nothing short of powerful. And I am delighted to see that he has since been asked to be speak at this year’s 99% conference, because one of the Behance folks was attending and equally impressed. Please enjoy, Andrew Zuckerman’s talk:
2010/11 Andrew Zuckerman from CreativeMornings on Vimeo.
A big giant thank you to Sy Abudu for offering her video and editing skills.
Here’s an overview of the upcoming February CreativeMornings in New York, Zurich, Los Angeles and … drumroll… San Francisco!
N E W Y O R K
Date: February 25, 2011
Speaker: Debbie Millman
Host: Galapagos Art Space
Sponsors: Mailchimp and Freshbooks
Organizer: swissmiss
More info and rsvp at creativemornings.eventbrite.com
Z U R I C H
Date: February 4, 2011
Speaker: Alexander Mazzara of JOIZTV
Host: JOIZTV
Sponsor: Crystal Catering
Organizer: Daniel Frei
More info and rsvp at joiz.eventbrite.com (It seems as the event is already full!)
L O S A N G E L E S
Date: February 25, 2011
Speaker: K.Kirk+N.Strandberg of Eight Hour Day
Host: Ford&Ching
Sponsor: Media Temple
Organizer: Jon Setzen
More info and rsvp at losangelescreativemornings.eventbrite.com
S A N F R A N C I S C O
Date: February 25, 2011 | Chapter Kick-Off!
Speaker: Laura Brunow Miner
Host: Typekit (crazy awesome space!)
Sponsors: Happy Cog and Typekit
Organizer: Greg Storey
More info and rsvp at sfcreativemornings.eventbrite.com
Check out our brandnew site creativemornings.com!
Our speaker at the october 2010 CreativeMornings was wonderufl Liz Danzico of bobulate.com. In her insightful talk Liz reminded us about the power of the pause.
A big giant thank you to Sy Abudu for offering her video and editing skills.
Our speaker at the January 2011 Los Angeles/CreativeMornings was Andrew Gibbs of The Dieline. This event took place on December 17, 2010 and was generously hosted by Ford & Ching.
I am hugely impressed what Andrew has accomplished being 25 years old. He is an inspiration to all young designers. And how much do I love that he called our upcoming NY/CreativeMornings speaker Debbie Millman the ‘Design Queen of the World’? Made me smile.
A big giant thank you to Grant Withington and Stephen Haynes for offering to shoot and edit the video, with assistance from Michael Mahaffey.
The Los Angeles chapter of Creative Mornings is run by Jon Setzen.
Last friday’s IcebreakerTag question was easy to come up with, given that Milton Glaser was our CreativeMornings speaker:
I ♥ ….
What would you have answered?
See all of the answers in this Flickr Set. (All photos by Emily Gilbert and Chasi Annexy.)
Finally, CreativeMornings has its own site! You can now easily see what events are coming up and watch the most recent videos. If you want to be kept in the loop for upcoming CreativeMornings, make sure to sign up for one of the newsletters. (Each chapter has its own!)
A big thank you to Caroline Keim for coding the site and for Miah’s help on the design.
(image by Matthew Kraus)
The CreativeMornings/NewYork crowd was in for a treat yesterday; design legend Milton Glaser was speaking. Milton’s presentation was tremendously insightful and inspiring. I think all of us left in complete admiration of Milton’s passsion for design. I can honestly say, that I hope to be as driven and hungry to learn, when I am in my 80′s. He still goes to work every day and looks forward to doing so. That right there must be the secret to aging happily; never losing interest in what you do and keeping your passion alive, wanting to learn something new, every single day.
Read some write-ups about the event here: Core77 and Campsite Studio.
I will share the video of his talk as soon as we have it ready.
Yesterday would not have been possible with the help of following wonderful people: David Rhodes, President of the School of Visual Arts (allowing us to use the SVA theatre), Steven Heller (for pulling strings), the entire team at the SVA theatre, Sy Abudu (Videographer), Emily Gilbert (Photography), Chasi Annexy (Photography), Aymie Spitzer (super-magic-helper), Michael (for helping at the door).
