Shock is commonly defined as a sudden upsetting or surprising experience. Shock forces us to question our perspectives and confront new information. And that’s exactly what Rashalya Marie Brown evoked in the entire CreativeMornings last Friday. Her talk detailed the innerworkings of her creative process and explored the many themes that her work examines, all while reminding us that the “personal” always is – and will always be – “political.” In addition to fueling our creative palettes for the day, Rashayla engaged in a highly interactive Q&A that led us all into a deeper conversation about authenticity, reality and cultural expectations. Keep a look out for the video in the following weeks. Til then, explore some of the shocking #CMTakeaways below!

My notes from Rashayla’s talk at @Chicago_CM #cmtakeaways https://t.co/M7HcZigctp

— Brian Montana (@brianmontanaweb) October 16, 2015

Rashayla Marie Brown @SelahVibe killed it today. I want to be that badass when I grow up. #CMtakeaways #PossibilityModels 💕

— Rusty (@rustyccook) October 16, 2015

@creativemorning today’s Chicago session was *amazing.* Rashayla is a force of nature. #CMtakeaways

— Brianna Smitko (@briannasmitko) October 16, 2015

‘Authenticity is a false notion.’ - Rashayla Marie Brown #CMTakeaways #quotes

— Evan La Ruffa (@EvanLaRuffa) October 16, 2015

What you see is a reflection of you, not a reflection of me. L💗ved this mornings #chicago_cm talk with @rmbstudios! It made me rethink my personal landscape…

A photo posted by Nancy Flemm (@pixiesporcupines) on Oct 16, 2015 at 8:00am PDT

Gosh! I have so many feelings about today’s @chicago_cm! And not only because the speaker was a dear friend and collaborator of mine but because their experience and candor exemplified the notions that we all go through as makers, designers and thinkers. I’m so grateful to be able to sit next to people who are actively concerned with reframing narratives and challenging the systems we have learned to be untrue and invalid. Thank you, @rmbstudios for being a beacon of light and vulnerability. Thank you @swissmiss for creating a platform that allows people to speak freely about their creative pursuits. And most importantly, thank you to the Chicago #creativemornings community that asked some incredibly relevant and challenging questions this morning. Pure magic ✨

A photo posted by Miss Demeanor (@elijaa_) on Oct 16, 2015 at 3:17pm PDT

R/GA group at Creative Mornings today w/ Rashayla Marie Brown - You are accountable to the people who your work affects. You have to be ready to have a face to face conversation with them - #cmtakeaways also CM always has the best 🍩

A photo posted by Bridget (@bridgethapner) on Oct 16, 2015 at 3:47pm PDT

“Your assumptions about me say more about you than they do anything about who I am.” Inspiring morning with @rmbstudios and @chicago_cm #cmtakeaways

A photo posted by KatieCragwall (@katiecragwall) on Oct 16, 2015 at 7:55am PDT

The hustle continues @jamestgreen_ #cmtakeaways

A photo posted by @rustyccook on Oct 16, 2015 at 10:29am PDT

Next up: visual artist BRAIN KILLER (aka Brian Keller) chimes in on our Work series on Friday, November 20th. Come for the free coffee and breakfast but stay for Brian’s talk towards his solid grassroots and guerilla foundation. Tickets available Monday, November 16th at 8am. Mark your calendars! This is definitely a morning of creativity you won’t want to miss! See ya soon!

Have a powerful month!

@elijaa_