You can watch the video on our event page.
Thank you to our partners Harvest and MPB. And special thanks to L'Alliance New York for hosting us.
Our theme for March is PARALLEL. It was chosen by our Kuala Lumpur chapter in Malaysia and illustrated by OLI.
Like train tracks receding into the distance, our lives eventually reach the end of the line. And for a large part of our journey, most people tend to live parallel lives. We go to school, hang out with friends, get jobs, and take care of our families.
Just look out the window at the home or office across the street. We exist side by side with strangers. Always keeping the same distance of anonymity between us – even though we have so much in common. All of us are trying to build a better life for ourselves and our loved ones.
Of course, we are not carbon copies. The differences make our lives our own. Her black coffee. His energy drink. Their chamomile tea. So, we may never see eye to eye. After all, mathematics proves that parallel lines never meet.
But unlike those train tracks, our paths don’t run in straight lines. We can meet someone new at every turn. Look someone in the eye and smile. Reach across that gap between us and make a connection.
We may be living parallel lives. But we don’t have to go through them alone.
Our theme for February is LAYERS. It was chosen by our Lausanne chapter in Switzerland and illustrated by Catherine Olivia Pearson.
Simplicity provides clarity, but layers give our work a richer complexity and depth.
Musicians fuse melodies, harmonies, and rhythms to create more dynamic compositions. While other artists use a juxtaposition of colors, textures, images or materials for greater visual impact. The creative magic happens when those choices conjure different interpretations and emotions.
Because people have layers too. Just like a collage is created by overlapping layers of found materials, we pile up experiences that form our beliefs and reactions.
The cliché “beauty is only skin deep” means that a pleasant appearance does not guarantee a virtuous character. We are a mess of competing emotions and personality traits. So how we act to the outside world doesn’t always reflect how we feel inside. We make polite chit chat when it takes vulnerable conversations to form meaningful connections.
Surface level pleasantries and superficial decoration have their place. But it is the layers that give life meaning. We must peel them away to discover our deeper truths.
Join us on January 17 for Behind the Scenes presented in collaboration with COLLINS.
Behind the Scenes pulls back the curtain on the untold stories of failure—the raw, unpolished moments that don’t make it into our case studies or portfolios.
We’re thrilled to welcome Keith Yamashita, Brian Collins, and Cindy Gallop to the stage. Together, they’ll share their most epic and honest stories of failure—moments that were as humbling as they were transformative.
Important Note: To honor the vulnerability and courage of our speakers, this event will not be livestreamed, and recording of any kind is strictly prohibited. Depending on the sensitive nature of what’s shared, an edited video may be made available afterward—or it may not.
Let’s go. Let’s get out there and see what the world has waiting for us.
By putting ourselves in a new environment or experience, we gain a different perspective. That sense of discovery sparks fresh inspiration. If your brain feels stuck, try moving your feet.
So, let’s travel somewhere we’ve never been. Either down the street or across a far-off border, there’s so many places to explore. Or we can take a metaphorical journey like unlocking personal growth in therapy, advancing on our career paths, or undergoing a spiritual awakening. Or we can enjoy a journey into imagination through a book, film, or other work of art.
As we travel through life, everyone you meet is at a different point in their own unique journey. Some of us know where we’re going. While other paths are full of twists, turns, and obstacles thrown in our way. The trick is to embrace the detours and delays. Because there are no shortcuts on a journey of self-discovery or creative expression.
Just please remember: you are not traveling alone.
Thanks to our partners Harvest and MPB. And special thanks to SVA Theatre and the School of Visual Arts Masters of Professional Studies in Branding for hosting us.
Our Freiburg chapter had sustainability in mind when they chose this theme — from their swarms of cyclists commuting to work to their robust recycling programs that recover and reuse 69% of the city’s waste.
Our world runs on cycles. There’s the frantic buzz of the 24-hour news cycle. The boom and bust of economic cycles. The changing seasons. Every plant, animal, and organism exists in a life cycle of birth, growth, reproduction, and death. Water flows through a cycle of evaporation into vapor to condensation in clouds to precipitation that falls as rain or snow. The menstrual cycle. The circadian rhythm of our sleep cycle.
Just as crops are grown on a rotation cycle to replenish the soil, our own creativity requires a cycle of inspiration or inputs, followed by a burst of productivity or entering a flow state, and finally a period of rest or contemplation.
Cycles are circular and keep things moving. Which cycles are you living in tune with? And which ones are you fighting vainly against?
Thanks to our partners, MPB and Harvest. And special thanks to L'Alliance New York for hosting us.
Our theme for November is THREAD. It was chosen by our Derby chapter in the United Kingdom, illustrated by Carla Dee, and is presented by our global partner Adobe.
Have you ever pulled on a loose thread in a sweater or sock? Things can unravel quickly.
The creative process can feel like that. A nagging thought, an imperfect bit, or a big tangled mess. But maybe that thread is trying to tell you something. Follow it and see where it takes you.
Because thread is both a physical and metaphorical tool of creativity. In film and literature, a “thread” is the progression of a plot line or theme that helps tie the narrative together. While in sewing, weaving, embroidery, and knitting, the “thread” physically embellishes and holds the piece together.
No wonder a loose thread is so hard to ignore.
It turns out that all the good and bad in your life is forming a beautiful tapestry.
