Photos from this month’s talk by Antonio Delgado on the theme of ROBOT are up on our Flickr, taken by the talented Manny Pandya!

A special thanks to our sponsors Real HQ, Vitamin T, and Cuvee Coffee. Thanks to TechShop for hosting, and to Scott Clark for our video production!

Brand storyteller and owner of creative video agency, Cut to Black, Lee Rothenflue is our May #CMugshot. When he’s not indulging his coffee addiction at Irie Bean Coffee Bar, Lee helps companies and people translate their amazing stories into the medium of video. At our next event, you may find him holding court at the taco table getting his fill of The Otto: beans, bacon, cheese, avocado and “super hot, hot sauce.”

What’s the one thing you’ve been inspired by lately?

I have recently been inspired by a young filmmaker in town who is really making his way in our industry. John Michael Simpson is very forward thinking, has a huge heart for story, and lots of humility in his craft.  A very unique and inspiring combination.

In the spirit of our May theme, what kind of robot would you create to improve an aspect of your life?

I would love a robot that could help me teleport from place to place. I love new adventures in different places…just not the traveling to get there.

Connect with Lee!

Website  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  CreativeMornings Profile

Want to be featured in a future CMugshot? Get your profile mugshot-ready, here!

(Photo of Lee by Manny Pandya)

Our theme of ROBOT will be discussed by Antonio Delgado.

Hosted at TechShop. Details on date and registration here.

And don’t forget to thank our partners for this month: Real HQ, Vitamin T and Cuvée Coffee.

A Poetic Celebration

As part of our celebration of CreativeMornings/Austin’s second season, we launched a poetic collaboration. Before you read this poem, you should know: none of the words were written by the poet. Instead, it was compiled from the words of twelve different people—all speakers in this past season of CreativeMornings/Austin events. 

In a process she refers to as klepto-collaborative, poet Denise Lanier tirelessly combed through all twelve talks and then cut them up, rearranging phrases and turning the words of these 12 separate people, spoken in 12 different months, into one cohesive, lyrical and powerful piece of poetry. 

The first performance of this poem was by Austin poet and slammaster, Danny Strack, at our #CMATX celebration on April 29, 2015.

Can you spot the phrases that came from your favorite speaker?

“Second Cut”

Edited and compiled by Denise Lanier for CreativeMornings/Austin
Performed by Danny Strack

Let’s start things that lead to meaningful change, really big transitions, ecstatic dance, a permanent sense of place.

Let’s have a burial ceremony for artificial realities, helplessness & hopelessness, too many rules, this Rolex, 400 pages of legalese, the ugly sweater scene, oppressors of the margins, the myth of having it all.

Let’s open ourselves up to traveling cross-country in a Volkswagon van through a metaphysical Mojave desert of self-discovery. Know it’s gonna get messy, know that you’re worth it.

Believe in the process, the core idea, high fives all-around, “I need a little bit of help,” the blank spaces, losing things, resizing, reshaping, disrupting, walking into a big crossover, declaring “I fail!”

It’s okay to say, “I don’t know what I’m doing.” Intense discomfort is just compost fermenting. See yourself blooming blues on oranges, greens on pinks, pinks on greens with a willingness to risk. Failures, shortcomings & flaws… the seeds of do-overs, successes & small businesses

Don’t follow in the same footsteps as everyone before you. Close your eyes, make a commitment. Jump off the “normal” train.

Take a few steps back every once in a while, or up stairs that double as monkey bars, willing to Evel Knievel outside your comfort zone. Take suggestions, photographs, a bow, time out to celebrate, a seat between every third drink.

Come back home to Austin. Come back to open up a ramen place. Come back to center. Come face-to-face with multiple generations in crisis.

People who avoid risks are rewarded with a series of really bad judgment calls in the middle of nowhere with very little cell reception, surrounded by stuck, uninspired, fuck-you hippies.

People who take risks are rewarded with happy little accidents, a lot of mojo.

Give everybody a turn, a round of applause, honest advice another chance, a Thank You. Give an awkward side-hug to the shit show half the time of your life. Get breakfast tacos, a Stetson hat, one big inspiration. Get accountable, get tempted. Get loud, get tattoos, get acquainted in a kitchen. Have a rock, paper, scissors tournament.

Throw a bone, a sign, a zombie for his love, a fist-bump, this mantra, “You can do it, You can do it, You can do it.” 

Stand up & raise your right hand, promise to participate in amazing cultural things, volunteer work, a journey of transformation, collaboration, something unexpected, a very long weekend of pizza & beer.

Find your voice, creative solutions, a compulsion to make. Hear the kids. Hear the band. Stand up & dance. Shake up the status-quo boat. Shake it, you sexy thang.

Burn past pain & hurt, mix up the soot with rainwater. Paint what you know, what you’d like to see, an enormous dragon mural about that tug inside, your legacy.

Everybody needs to be playing in that place where failure’s gonna happen. Scary & painful, like a giant sewing machine going over your skin for hours & hours. But you survive it, coming out wild, stately, impressive more bad-ass & brave.

It’s up to you to feed new ideas, fire-starters, this Friday morning community.

Go out there, be fully you and create magic.

A taste of Danny’s original performance:

About Denise

Denise Sebesta Lanier is an educator, advocate & storyteller, who believes in the power of narrative to transform, transport & create connection. As inventor of a poetic form called klepto-collaborative, she pickpockets words & phrases from others, reshuffling & reshaping the puzzle-pieces into a colorful mosaic of diverse voices. Denise founded WordPlay, a poetry-in-the-schools project inspired by Dave Eggers, which was recognized with a TED Prize Spirit Award. She has an MFA in Poetry; her writing has appeared in Bloomsbury Review & Best American Poetry blog.

She also writes a blog about life with MS, a service dog & a recumbent trike at wonkybent.com

About Danny

Danny Strack has been performing poetry live for over a decade. He holds slam championship titles at national, regional and city levels. He is the author of 10 books of poetry and two plays, a five-time member / three-time coach of teams representing Austin at the National Poetry Slam, and the current Slammaster/Executive Director of the Austin Poetry Slam.

Photos from this month’s talk on HUMILITY with David Ansel and musical guests Beat Root are up on Flickr! 

Thanks, Manny Pandya for these fun shots, and to the LBJ Wildflower Center for hosting, as well as Cuvee Coffee, Razorfish, and Real HQ for being our April sponsors. 

It’s UX all day, every day for our April #CMugshot, Alexis Puchek. A senior information architect at Razorfish by day and a girl-empowering superhero by night, Alexis is fueled by Otto tacos from Tacodeli and Home Slice Pizza. Find out what inspires and humbles this fixture of our CreativeMornings/Austin community.

What’s one thing you’ve been inspired by lately?

I’m inspired by the commitment of so many in the industry that design for social impact. Whether it’s a full-time job or something done on the side, getting involved with non-profits and organizations that need help is especially fulfilling and worthwhile.

In the spirit of April’s theme, what was the last situation you found yourself in that sparked a feeling of humility, generosity or vulnerability?

In line with my comment above, I’ve been volunteering with Girlstart: a non-profit organization focused on educating and empowering girls grades 4-8 in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). This organization and the women behind it are truly amazing. Their future-forward plans of developing girls’ interest in STEM fields is very humbling when I consider my day-to-day tasks. It’s an honor to volunteer with them, and the women at Girlstart empower me to consider my choices in life and how I want to represent myself as a woman in technology.

Connect with Alexis!

Twitter  |  Instagram  |  LinkedIn  |  CreativeMornings Profile

Want to be featured in a future CMugshot? Get your profile mugshot-ready, here.

(Photo of Alexis by Manny Pandya)

It’s the end of our second season, so we’re celebrating another 12 great talks with a birthday bash!

It’s a happy hour, so no need to wake up early. And instead of coffee and breakfast tacos, we’ll have queso, cupcakes, and beer from Hops and Grains. Come enjoy music by Nick and Paige and plenty of surprises.

Wednesday, April 29, 2015 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m at Idean.

The fun is unlimited, but space isn’t, so please register here.

Our theme of HUMILITY will be discussed by David Ansel aka The Soup Peddler.

Hosted at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Details on date and registration here.

And don’t forget to thank our partners for this month: Real HQ, Razorfish and Cuvée Coffee.

Photos from March’s event with Megan Emery on INK are up on our Flickr! 

A special thanks to our photographer Manny Pandya, musical guest Britny Lobas, our wonderful sponsors Real HQ, Rocksauce, Caffe Medici, and Austin-American Statesman for hosting. 

Our March #CMugshot is Adam Michaelson, a CreativeMornings/Austin volunteer, self-proclaimed hummus enthusiast, and all-around nice guy.

What’s your day job?

Freelance photographer & NonProfiteer (education, consulting & program development)

What do you love in your breakfast taco?

All the veggiez - S/O to Vegan Nom & Bouldin Creek Cafe

Where’s a place you’d stop on a free afternoon in Austin?

Barton Springs’ diving board, rain or shine

What’s the one thing you’ve been inspired by lately?

The rising volume of people wanting to help make things better. I’ve seen it most through experiential heart-centered learning at the Amala Foundation, Principal Amy Lloyd’s MicroSociety school at Austin’s public Cunningham Elementary, The Flatiron School, as well as Joe Troyen’s work enlightening over 60,000 students worldwide with PenPal Schools.

In the spirit of March’s theme of INK, what do you think it takes to make a lasting impression on others?

Fully listening until the person is finished speaking. Not thinking of what to say before they’re finished. And then using your entire tool belt to help…regardless of their caste or class or who they are.

Connect with Adam!

Email

Instagram: adamm522

Adam’s CreativeMornings/Austin profile

Want to be featured in a future CMugshot? Get your profile mugshot-ready, here.

(Photo of Adam by Manny Pandya)