August’s Theme is Critical.

To be critical means to be like a sieve, dividing and separating. Our critical abilities allows us to discern the insubstantial from the made-to-last, the credible from the untrustworthy, the sincere from the ego-driven. We do so by gathering more information, seeking nuance, and locating something in its specific context.

Critical feedback is essential for our growth. Poet Adrienne Rich advises, “Responsibility to yourself means seeking out criticism, recognizing that the most affirming thing anyone can do for your is demand that you push yourself further.”

But being needlessly critical — especially of ourselves — can stifle the creative impulse. Few are as harsh as our own internal critic. How can we hone our perception, spotting what needs to evolve, without becoming ruthless? How can we remain astute while not losing sight of all that is inherently good and whole? It’s critical.

Our Calgary chapter chose this month’s exploration of Critical, Maedeh Mosaverzadeh illustrated the theme, and Mailchimp is presenting the theme.

July’s Theme is Spirituality.

Spirituality is the search for our deepest values and meanings, something that touches us all. It is our yearning to peel back the curtain on the world we can see. The word comes from the Latin spiritualis, meaning “of breath, wind, and air.” It comes so naturally it might as well be breathing. 

Spirituality can be found in meditation, in science, in holy spaces, in music, in community. We locate the sacred in the stars that guide us home, our capacity to love both kin and stranger, the divine that gathers in the kitchen dustpans and the forest groves lit by fireflies.

Through spiritual practice — be it by prayer mat or paint brush, microscope or movement — we seek answers to the eternal questions: How should a person be? How might we find meaning in the mundane, and purpose through great pain? How can we repair the world?Our Jeddah chapter chose this month’s exploration of Spirituality, and Bayan Yasien illustrated the theme. 

Replay CreativeMornings/New York with Dev Aujla

What would you ask the “Mothers of Design”?

If you could ask these trailblazing designers anything, what would you ask?

The numbers say it all: 61% of designers are women, but only 29% of creative director positions are held by women. This month’s global theme, Matriarchy, invites us to radically imagine a world in which women take the lead. To envision what this could look like for the field of design, we turn to the collective wisdom of the “Mothers of Design”: Paula Scher, Gail Anderson, and Rebecca Mendez. The conversation will be guided by no other than Debbie Millman, the queen of design and branding herself.

On June 25, this powerful lineup of designers will take the CMNYC virtual stage. They will reflect on what it was like to build a successful career in an industry dominated by men, boldly trailblaze a path for all the women who came after them, and imagine a world (re)designed by and for women. Debbie Millman invites YOU to guide the conversation: what questions would you ask the Mothers of Design? Submit them here.

June’s Theme is Matriarchy

Imagine a society in which women make all the key decisions that shape the safety, health, education, opportunities, and culture of the community. What would your town or city look like if the systems and structures were re-envisioned and women held the majority of the positions of power and leadership? What would change? What would it feel like? Or maybe you already live in such an environment; societies led by powerful women exist today, including Native and Indigenous communities around the world.

This month, we shine a light on all the leaders who are also women, from across the vast spectrum of identities and experiences of womanhood. The decision-makers, the life-givers, the caregivers, the frontline workers, the problem-solvers, the world-changers. The organizers and activists, the artists and writers and innovators. The teachers, scientists, medical professionals, politicians, business owners. The ones with megaphones and the ones working behind-the-scenes. Without you, where would our world be?

CreativeMornings/Rotterdam chose June’s Matriarchy theme, and Xaviera Altena created the accompanying illustration.

Which small businesses in NYC have inspired you with their resilience?

This month, we’re celebrating the incredible resilience of our local community by honoring the small businesses that make our neighborhoods feel like home.

May’s global theme is Resilient. We dream, collectively, of a city that returns to itself, one that grieves and heals, that bends but does not break. One that is anchored in the vitality of the storefronts and friendly faces of our neighborhood, every story a beacon of resilience.

So we want to hear from you: what’s a small business in your neighborhood that embodies resilience? How have they been creative and resourceful during the pandemic? How has this business helped you remain connected to community, even as we’ve stayed apart?

About the event

On May 28th from 9:00 to 10:00am EDT, we’ll gather to celebrate the small businesses you’ve shared. For the first half of this event, we’ll be roaming the streets of New York to chat with you at your favorite small businesses and hear why they inspire you (want to be featured? Fill out the survey). For the second half, we’ll be opening the mic for our virtual audience to share your stories: how have you had to adapt and steer your small business through a catastrophic year?*

*To be adjusted as we plan

How to participate

If you would like to pay tribute to a small NYC business you frequent, fill out the form. A handful of you will take the virtual stage at our upcoming event on Friday, May 28 to celebrate your chosen business. Others will be highlighted on our local blog and across our social channels. Let’s write love letters to the people and places who make our neighborhoods feel like home.

The due date to submit is Friday, May 14 at 5pm EDT. We will notify the chosen community members the week of May 17. If selected, you will receive instructions on how to share your small business story before the big day.

We can’t wait to see which small businesses you lift up. See you in the neighborhood!

To be resilient is to be adaptable. It’s a way of being that’s flexible and alive, bouncing with the stuff of survival: learning, evolving, and intertwining our roots to share resources and to create a strong anchor of collective care. Like trees in a storm, it means swaying instead of snapping.

Persevering in the face of hardship and heartbreak is not easy, to say the least. “I think of resilience as the strength and speed of our response to adversity,” says Adam Grant, psychologist and co-author of Option B, a book about resilience. To heal, to grieve, to bend but not break? It requires time and dedication to build these muscles of resilience. “It’s a skill set we work on throughout our lives.”

Whether for your life, community, or planet, consider this: 

What can you do today to help build strength and ease for the future? 

CreativeMornings/Dallas chose May’s Resilient theme, and Niki Dionne made the accompanying illustration.