FEELING ALL THE SUMMER VIBES!

Hello CreativeMornings Winnipeg fans! We are busy planning for a fantastic set of CM events this fall starting on August 25, 2023 so SIGN UP for our newsletter at https://creativemornings.com/cities/WPG and stay tuned for our upcoming announcements! In the meantime, we hope you are finding your own quiet (or loud) summer moments to explore your creativity!

Seeking a SOCIAL MEDIA MAESTRO!

And speaking of creativity, CreativeMornings Winnipeg is seeking a Social Media Maestro, a creative powerhouse with a passion for engaging communities. Your mission: to bring our CreativeMornings brand to life through our social media channels. Please contact CreativeMornings Winnipeg at  winnipeg@creativemornings.com to get started!

See you all in August!!

Join us on at 8:15am on June 23, 2023 at the Riverside Inn (531 St. Mary’s Road) to explore the monthly CreativeMornings theme of REVERIE!

Talk Title: Creativity, dreams and coffee – a personal journey of reverie

Meet Our Speaker: Al Dawson (Harrison’s Coffee Co.)

It is easy to talk about what makes an individual great when one lists professional credentials and experience built over years of lessons learned and challenges overcome, but what differentiates Al is who he is at heart. It sounds cheesy, perhaps, when talking about business, but his caring is his keystone characteristic: without it, none of the credentials and experience build up to anything lasting.

Al’s success lies in his ability to show his team, stakeholders, business partners, and colleagues that he truly cares—about getting the job done right and achieving results, of course, but most importantly about not sacrificing the importance of people in the process. Those important relationships create the environment of corporate success day in and day out. Al always has your back and your bottom line! 

Al has a knack for injecting pleasure into the business equation. He has fun, and it is important to him that the people he works with and for have fun, too. He is a true optimist in business and in life.

Most recently, Al has put his money where his mouth is and demonstrate his beliefs publicly by starting Harrisons Coffee Co.  a Winnipeg based coffee roasting company that is guided by kindness and led with radical optimism.

Professionally, Al is an accomplished and empathetic executive with over 28 years of success in leading business operations, organizational change, and team and strategy development. His consulting experience ranges from complex, multi-stakeholder environments in such renowned corporations as Tim Hortons (Restaurant Brands International), Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Pizza Hut, and Panago Pizza to entrepreneurial small and medium-sized businesses.

Al’s business legacy has been results driven and solution focused, with a strong history of partnership development, people leadership, and business growth in a style all his own.  It is easy to talk about what makes an individual great when one lists professional credentials and experience built over years of lessons learned and challenges overcome, but what differentiates Al is who he is at heart.

It sounds cheesy, perhaps, when talking about business, but his caring is his keystone characteristic: without it, none of the credentials and experience build up to anything lasting. Al’s success lies in his ability to show his team, stakeholders, business partners, and colleagues that he truly cares—about getting the job done right and achieving results, of course, but most importantly about not sacrificing the importance of people in the process.

Those important relationships create the environment of corporate success day in and day out. Al always has your back and your bottom line!  Al has a knack for injecting pleasure into the business equation. He has fun, and it is important to him that the people he works with and for have fun, too. He is a true optimist in business and in life.

And the cherry on the top is Al is the world’s greatest dad (or so he’s been told) and a perfectly imperfect husband (the best kind).

Al is happy to be changing the landscape of coffee and we are thrilled to be welcoming him as our June speaker at CreativeMornings Winnipeg!

Exploring the June CreativeMornings theme of REVERIE

When your gaze softens around the edges, where does your mind travel? What thoughts arise unbidden? Reverie beckons us to dream while awake, spinning loose associations that seem to emerge from somewhere not entirely inside or outside of you. Our woolgathering summons past memories and nascent fantasies. We turn them over and over, like smooth stones in our hand, making meaning. 

Our Omaha chapter chose this month’s exploration of Reverie and Eduardo Gardea illustrated the theme. 

Photo credit: Gabrielle Touchette Photography

JOIN US at 8:15am on May 26, 2023 at Launch Co-Working (167 Lombard) to explore the CreativeMornings theme of ACCEPTANCE!

Note *ASL Interpretation is available at all of our CM WPG events.

Fredrick Spence (Thunderbear): Art as Acceptance: Carving and Creativity

In his talk, Fredrick will go into detail about his life, his internal struggles and how he came to terms with accepting himself as an artist. Since 2015, Fredrick has worked through his trauma and found himself through art. He found acceptance through art and the eventual acceptance of himself as an artist turned into sharing the joy and love of creating in the hopes of helping others. 

Meet our speaker: Fredrick Spence (Thunderbear)

Fredrick Spence (Thunderbear) is an Ojibwe soapstone carver from Peguis First Nation (Treaty One Territory). After a tragic and traumatic experience, he struggled with mental health and addictions. Passionate about nature and traditional teachings, he stumbled on soapstone carving and found it to be the medicine he was missing. His talent and experience inspired him to share his art form with others. Fredrick offers workshops to groups throughout the country in hopes that it can change one person’s life.

Exploring our CreativeMornings May 2023 theme: ACCEPTANCE

Acceptance is the act of surrendering to our reality, without judgment or fear. There are many things in our lives that cause us discomfort or pain. We attempt to change or resist them, to no effect. So we wave a big stick, keeping them at bay like a wounded animal. 

Acceptance is weaving into your story what once caused you pain — and still might, to this day. You welcome that creature into your home, tend to its wounds, and feed it out of your hand. Acceptance is knowing that this feral animal lives side by side with your tender house cat of a heart, always.

Embracing what cannot change can help you gather the energy to change what must. Accept these truths: you cannot make another person love or see you. You did not finish everything before the sun set on another day — and you didn’t need to. Every moment will pass, the blissful and the excruciating. It’s the hardest lesson, but one we need the most: the grace to let go. 

Our Lexington chapter chose this month’s exploration of Acceptance and Robert Beatty illustrated the theme.  

Join us for a TWO-FOR-ONE CreativeMornings MOVEMENT extravaganza on April 28, 2023! Join us for one or both gatherings to explore the CreativeMornings theme of MOVEMENT.

GATHERING #1: PRE-EVENT SUNRISE WALKING TOUR OF ST. BONIFACE

Tour departs at 7:15am and returns for 8:00am.

Meeting location: Wood Tavern (112 Marion – Norwood Hotel) parking lot

Looking for a unique and inspiring way to kick off your Creative Mornings session? Join us for a historical walking tour of St. Boniface! Led by the knowledgeable SquarePeg Tours guide, this tour will immerse you in the rich cultural heritage and fascinating history of one of Winnipeg’s oldest neighbourhoods.

As we stroll through the charming streets, we’ll discover the stories and landmarks that have shaped this community over the centuries. From the iconic façade of the St. Boniface Cathedral to the beautiful Esplanade Riel bridge, you’ll see the sights that define St. Boniface. 

Dress in comfortable walking clothes.

Then join us for….

GATHERING #2: MEGAN MAES on “A Creative Journey: Using movement to find meaning and purpose in your life.”

Event starts at 8:15am at the Wood Tavern (112 Marion – inside the Norwood Hotel). More information below!

Join us on April 28th at 8:15am at the Wood Tavern (112 Marion Street in the Norwood Hotel) on the theme of MOVEMENT!

We will be joined by speaker Megan Maes talking on: “A creative journey: Using movement to find meaning and purpose in your life.”

MEET OUR SPEAKER: Megan Maes

Megan Maes is the head coach and co-founder of Norak CrossFit, a multi-award winning gym in the heart of Winnipeg’s exchange district.  She has made significant strides in the fitness industry, with her gym winning the prestigious Fitness Place of the Year and Personal Trainer of the Year awards in the past three years. Her passion for coaching and deliberate, concise movement has led her to become a recognizable and well respected name in the Winnipeg fitness scene.

“My fitness and movement journey didn’t begin in my childhood playing sports, or adventuring in the outdoors.  Up until my mid-twenties, I lacked the confidence to take chances or attempt seemingly difficult tasks. When it came to participating in physical activity, I completely dismissed the idea. I was sure my lack of coordination and talent would bring everyone else down, and the only outcome would be an embarrassing memory.  

My positive relationship with movement started with a decision to travel across the world and make a complete change in how I experience life.  This led me to many years of creative exploration, choosing the challenging road and eventually to joining my first CrossFit gym.  I soon noticed that as I got fitter, more flexible and co-ordinated, the perceived boundaries of my “comfort zone” began to fall away.  In a big way.  This new found physical ability quickly translated into a new found confidence.  I was soon doing things that I would have never thought possible just a short time before.  Rock climbing, big mountain backpacking, solo multi-day hikes, trail running, surfing, summiting volcanoes, solo skydiving, bungee jumping, and downhill mountain biking are all activities that have been opened to me because of the confidence I have through movement. 

I have embraced this lifestyle so much that I have dedicated my entire career to helping others experience a movement rich life, and it has been one of the most rewarding things I could have ever imagined.”

Join us bright and early on March 24, 2023 at 8:15am to explore the CreativeMornings theme of CORRUPTION. Our speaker is Zephyra (Zef) Vun and we’ll be gathering at the Winnipeg Free Press Cafe (237 McDermot at Arthur).

Note: All CreativeMornings Winnipeg events provide ASL Interpretation.

March’s Theme is Corruption

Our Monterrey chapter chose this month’s exploration of Corruption and Violeta Hernández illustrated the theme.

Talk Title: The Purity of Creative Expression: Technology’s Corruption of the Process

Corruption synonyms:

Dishonesty

Manipulation

Falsification

Misrepresentation

Abuse

How is creative authorship understood in the context of a digitally dominated world? How does it differ from the time before Adobe Creative Suite, AutoCad, ProCreate, and iPads? In this talk, Zephyra will propose how true originality is lost when the creative process becomes corrupted by technology and automation. When a deeply humanized and sacred process can be so easily accessible, how intentional, or unintentional, does it become?

Meet our Speaker! Zephyra Vun

Zephyra (aka Zef) is an architect by education, and a visual artist by choice. She is dedicated to creating flow experiences through her visual art, writing, and fitness classes, advocating for their exceptional importance to our mental and physical health in today’s digital age. She spends her days creating in her peaceful home studio on the Red River, and guiding movement at The Community Gym, a locally-owned, boutique fitness studio in downtown Winnipeg.

Join us on February 24, 2023 at the MB Children’s Museum (8:15am) to explore the CreativeMornings global theme of TOUCH with the talented and engaging GABRIELLE TOUCHETTE!

Talk: Boosting Creativity Through Limitations

Do you see yourself as a creative person? What does “being creative” even mean? Is the term “a creative” limited to a very small, elite group of skilled artists? Gabrielle explores the idea that all humans have a touch of creativity in them, even if we don’t feel or recognize it. With the help of a brown potato, a harrowing ordeal on a California freeway and brain function research, Gabrielle shares how limitations and inadequacies could be the key to creative flourishing.

Meet our Speaker: Gabrielle Touchette

Gabrielle Touchette is a professional photographer in Winnipeg and is most passionate about projects that involve people, creative imagery and storytelling. She has been running her full time photography business since 2008 with a focus on portrait and commercial photography. She’s the creator and host of the Mobile Phone Photography Workshop and an enthusiastic member of the CreativeMornings WPG team. When not working, she enjoys taking photos of her food, travels and kiddos. Find her on IG @todrawlight and @gabrielletouchettephoto.

February’s Theme is Touch.

When we open ourselves to the ineffable — what cannot be transmitted through words — touch emerges as a language unto itself. The grit of the soil under our bare feet, the clay slip enrobing a potter’s wheel, the sun-warmed fur of a beloved pet — these sensations can be healing.

How will you stay in contact with the electric matter that keeps us alive? What will pass through your hands today?

Our Lisbon chapter chose this month’s exploration of Touch and Emma Lopes illustrated the theme.

Join us on January 27, 2023 at Launch Co-Working Space (167 Lombard) as CreativeMornings Winnipeg explores the theme of SANCTUARY.

Note: All CreativeMornings/WPG events provide ASL Interpretation support.

Title: CREATING PRISON LIBRARIES: SANCTUARY FOR WHOM?

Speaker: Kirsten Wurmann

Many of us have experienced the beautiful sanctuaries that libraries create. Combine that with one of the places least likely to be called a sanctuary – a prison – and you will discover the creative power of prison libraries.

Kirsten Wurmann is the founder and chair of the Manitoba Library Association - Prison Libraries Committee (PLC). Formed in 2012, the PLC brings books and library services and programming to six provincial carceral institutions in Manitoba, where previously there were no libraries. Kirsten has created unique spaces of sanctuary and we’re excited to hear her talk next month!

Kirsten will speak about the realities of working with and inside these institutions with stories of successes and challenges. The PLC believes that access to books, to literacy, and to information is a right for all, including our incarcerated community members. And while that is their goal, what they have come to realize is that one of the most important things we can do is to create a moment, to facilitate a space, where humanity and perhaps even hope, can exist.

Meet Our Speaker: Kirsten Wurmann

Kirsten Wurmann is a librarian, an art lover, a walker, and a former hostel owner. She is passionate about social justice and creating access to information for all. To that end, she has volunteered inside carceral institutions for 15 years.

December’s CreativeMornings global theme is ABUNDANCE and Paul Loewen from Siloam Mission will be joining us on December 9, 2022 at 8:15am (Creative Manitoba 245 McDermot Ave). Paul will be speaking on: “An Abundance of Creativity can Change our World.”

Talk Description: How we understand abundance and the lack of it changes how we respond to poverty. While we typically think of poverty relative to our basic needs, it goes beyond that to understanding trauma and systems. In this talk, Paul will challenge us to think creatively about how we might come together to create an abundance of inspiring ideas and actions to help people locally and even on a global scale.

Meet Our Speaker: Paul Loewen

Paul Loewen has worked at Siloam Mission for four years, first in the community education role, speaking to thousands of students a year about poverty and homelessness, and now as change manager – helping Siloam live into their new mission, vision, and values. He is committed to learning, growing, and envisioning a better world for those to come. He lives with his wonderful wife, Jeanette, and their three boys in Winnipeg. They love spending time together on adventures. 

Meet our Musician: Sophie Stevens

Sophie Stevens is a singing, songwriting creator from Winnipeg,
Manitoba. With a love for all walks of life and a creative magic and
empathy, Sophie has curated a musical experience equal only to being wrapped up in a warm blanket straight from the dryer. Sophie’s classical guitar folk-fingerpicking, angelic bird-like vocals, and
love-of-the-literal in her lyrics has captured the hearts of every
listener who has the chance to hear her. From solo performances
replicating the gentle energy of a pillow fort to full-band indie-rock
vibrancy, Sophie shows up to every audience understanding that each person has their own experiences, challenges, and purposes in their lives that colour their perspectives. She has created and mastered a heart-oriented musical experience that can only be summed up in one word: wholesome.

The inspirational Jessica Dumas will be our speaker on November 18th at 8:15am at RRC Polytech’s beautiful Manitou a bi Bii Daziigae Roundhouse (319 Elgin Ave) in the Exchange District.

Jessica will be speaking on the CreativeMornings November theme of TRUTH with a talk titled: “A Creative Introspection: Who do you think you are?”

November’s Theme is Truth.

Truth lies at the bottom of a well, winding from its source in the icepack of distant mountains. Truth tastes pristine, uncompromised by what would be profitable or convenient. Truth causes your body to hum like a tuning fork, resonating at the same frequency as the universe around you. “When you experience an undeniable truth,” writer and social worker Jessica Dore observes, “you will beg, borrow, and steal. You will rearrange your whole life, forsake everything, just to serve what is real.”

Our Buenos Aires chapter chose this month’s exploration of Truth and Sol Cotti illustrated the theme.

Meet our Speaker: Jessica Dumas

Jessica is a professional speaker coach and the host of The Confidence and Communication Podcast. She has been recognized for her professional expertise as a recipient of the Manitoba 150 Women Trailblazer Award from the Nellie McClung Foundation for 2021, Ace Burpees Most Fascinating Manitobans for 2019, the 2017 Future Leaders of Manitoba and the CBC’s Top 40 Manitobans under 40 for 2015. She has a 2017 TEDx talk called The Journey to a Woman’s Identity.

Jessica’s volunteer contributions have gained her wide respect across Manitoba and Canada. She has served as Chairperson for both the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce and the Indigenous Chamber of Commerce and continues to sit on numerous committees and boards at the executive level. She is a powerful role model and advocate for women’s empowerment, leading others to overcome challenges by developing personal strengths, vision and self-confidence. You can connect with Jessica directly on instagram @jessicadumas.ca