Kate Houlihan

What are FieldTrips?

FieldTrips are intentionally small, free* interactive events for Austin’s creative community. From workshops to walking tours, we’ve hosted dozens of engaging events all over Austin. It’s a chance for attendees to experience, learn, and engage with a group smaller than our signature talks.

*Most of our FieldTrips are free, but we may ask for a suggested donation to cover materials for some of them.

Who Attends FieldTrips?

Anyone with a CreativeMornings profile can register to attend. Each month, we give folks who were on the waitlist of our most recent talk a two-hour head start to register. And then they open up to the rest of our #CMATX community.

When are FieldTrips?

There are usually several FieldTrips scheduled on the first Friday of every month (except March and December). They are schedued simultaneously to allow more people to attend.

Registration and Attendance Policy

Please only register for one event. If you need to add your name to a wait list, you may add it to multiple wait lists, but if you register for multiple events on the same day and time, please release your tickets for all but one.

If you are registered, you must attend, or release your ticket 24 hours prior to an event. Remember, registration is intentionally small, so we count on people to attend or release their tickets. No shows forfeit their right to attend a FieldTrip in the following month.

Coffee FTW

Big thanks to our #CMfieldtrips coffee partner: Chameleon Cold Brew.

Want to host a FieldTrip?

Apply here.

Want to be one of the first to find out about next month’s FieldTrips? You should subscribe to our newsletter. (Look for the signup link on the right hand side.)

To help you end the year on a positive note, we’ve put together this list of organizations who have supported CreativeMornings/Austin in the past.
If you want the tax benefits of making a charitable contribution, you need to do so before the end of the calendar year.* 

Past Speakers:

If you were moved by Paul Scott’s talk on “Survival” you can give to AIDS Services of Austin.

If you enjoyed Antonio Delgado’s talk on “Robot” you can give to Science in a Suitcase.

If you enjoyed Carlton Wilcoxson’s talk on “Moments” you can give to E4 Youth, where he sits on the board.

If you were moved by Alan Graham’s talk on “Fantasy” you can give to Community First! and it’s parent charity, Mobile Loaves & Fishes.

If you were moved by Darden Smith’s talk on “Collaborate” you can give to his organization Songwriting with: Soldiers.

If you were moved by Katie Ford’s talk on “Freedom” you can give to Truth Be Told, where she serves as Executive Director.

If you were inspired by Stephanie Herrera’s talk on “Community” you can give to PepUpTech.

If you were motivated by Jane Claude Harvey’s talk on “Taboo” you can give to BossBabesATX.

The following venues have generously hosted #CMATX events and are also  deserving of your support:

The Thinkery

Austin Film Society - AFS Cinema

UMLAUF Sculpture Garden

The Long Center

Huston-Tillotson University

Texas School for the Deaf

Livestrong

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

* Note: do not rely on us for tax advice. Please consult your accountant or preferred tax professional. Also please check with the organization to confirm their tax-exempt status before claiming any deduction on your income tax. 

December’s global theme of TRADITION will be discussed by Jennifer Perkins. We’re also breaking with one of our traditions to give you a chance to step behind the podium. 

We’ll be hosted by YMCA North Austin on December 14. Details here.  

Special thanks to our partner this month: Pentagram.

And cheers to our coffee partner: Cuvée Coffee.

Does your company want to help support Austin’s creative community? Email us at austin (at) creative mornings (dot) (com) to learn about partnership opportunities.

Our global theme for December is TRADITION.

Traditions are sacred because they cultivate consistency and a sense of belonging. It’s the bread and butter for fostering connection and community.

We’re in a time where traditions are being challenged and remixed. We question how they came to be and the context in how (or if) they fit into the future.

“This is just the way it is” is a statement of fear, not possibility. It undermines the human capacity to adapt and create change. Traditions are made by us, for us, so therefore they can be reinvented with intention and imagination.

You may not start the next national holiday, but you can bring to the table your generosity, your kindness, your vision and heart to create a more welcoming future.

Our last 2018 global theme TRADITION was chosen by our Barranquilla chapter and illustrated by Andrés M. Felfle.

November’s global theme RESTART will be discussed by Ashland Viscosi. Hosted at Gold Rush Vinyl on Friday, 11/30. Details here.

Cheers to our coffee partner: Cuvée Coffee!

And special thanks to our partner this month: Spredfast.

We’re looking for an additional partner this month to help cover the cost of chair rental and breakfast tacos. 

Does your company want to help support CreativeMornings/Austin and feel the love from our community? Email us at austin (at) creative mornings (dot) (com) please. 

Let’s go on a field trip!
We’ve got a bonus #CMfieldtrips planned for you this month on this Friday 11/16.

TEMPO Convergence Public Art Tour

As part of EAST, Austin Art in Public Spaces has offered to host a special CreativeMornings/Austin tour of the TEMPO Convergence artist installation. RSVP

“Hey, what a minute, what are FieldTrips?”

#CMfieldtrips are a monthly series of small group discussions, tours, or workshops held to spread the creative magic happening around Austin. Space is limited to facilitate open conversation and new connections, so you must RSVP via our site to attend. Most of our FieldTrips are free, but we may ask for a suggested donation to cover materials for some of them.

(Each month, we give folks who were on the waitlist of our most recent talk a two-hour head start to register. And then they open up to the rest of our #CMATX community.)

November’s global theme is RESTART

It was chosen by our Cologne chapter and illustrated by Marie Maerz. Thank you to Adobe for empowering our global creative community this month.

I need to disconnect. There’s too much noise in my head. I am burning out. I need space to rethink everything. I need a hard reset.

Exhaustion is like dehydration—when you feel it, you’ve gone too far.

So we finally cave in and heed the words of people who’ve found their centers again: take a trip into nature, go for walks, unplug completely.

The challenge with restarting is that we often save it for the end rather than creating pockets throughout our weeks where we prioritize reflection and solitude.

Restarting is essential. It’s a way to digest experiences, reflect and cultivate self-awareness, and remind ourselves that life is to be enjoyed. It’s refreshing and feeds greater intention and momentum into our creative endeavors.

If you find yourself feeling like you’re on a treadmill with an invisible hand increasing the velocity, remind yourself: only you have the power to get off and recalibrate.

Let’s go on a field trip!
We’ve got two #CMfieldtrips planned for you this Friday 11/2.

MAKING RECORDS @ GOLD RUSH VINYL

Vinyl’s back, baby! Join us at Gold Rush Vinyl, Austin’s only record pressing plant. Meet the team and get a taste of the art and science behind vinyl manufacturing. RSVP

HISTORIC LANDMARK TALK & TOUR

Tour an iconic Austin home by architect Harwell Hamilton Harris. Architecture broker Brian Linder will discuss what it takes to market this work of art, alongside the designer, stager, and photographer. RSVP 

Big thanks to our #CMfieldtrips coffee partner: Chameleon Cold Brew.

Want to host a FieldTrip? Apply here.

Want to be one of the first to find out about next month’s FieldTrips? You should subscribe to our newsletter. (Look for the signup link on the right hand side.)

“Hey, what a minute, what are FieldTrips?”

#CMfieldtrips are a monthly series of small group discussions, tours, or workshops held to spread the creative magic happening around Austin. Space is limited to facilitate open conversation and new connections, so you must RSVP via our site to attend. Most of our FieldTrips are free, but we may ask for a suggested donation to cover materials for some of them.

(Each month, we give folks who were on the waitlist of our most recent talk a two-hour head start to register. And then they open up to the rest of our #CMATX community.)

October’s global theme HONESTY will be discussed by Meriah Garrett. Hosted at The Refinery on Friday, 10/19. Details here.

Special thanks to our partner this month: Spredfast.

And cheers to our coffee partner: Cuvée Coffee.

Does your company want to help support Austin’s creative community? Email us at austin (at) creative mornings (dot) (com) to learn about partnership opportunities.

#CMmuglibrary

At September’s talk, we launched our Mug Library to reduce our environmental footprint by providing coffee mugs for you to “check out” during each talk.

Donate your mugs!

Do you have a few random coffee mugs cluttering up a cupboard? We want your unwanted mugs! Please bring your extra mugs to any #CMATX talk to donate them to our #CMmuglibrary. (Only regular-sized mugs with a handle please.)

Every library needs a librarian.

We are searching for a Mug Librarian to curate and care for our collection of coffee mugs. If you’d like to volunteer (and claim the coolest title ever), please email us with “Mug Librarian” in the subject.

We got the idea for a Mug Library from our St. Pete chapter, who has long championed #BYOM (Bring Your Own Mug). They’re also zero waste certified, which means that 90% or more of their event waste is diverted away from the landfill!