Our theme for May is CREATE, chosen in collaboration with our global partner Adobe and illustrated by Ana Grigorovici.

This marks the first time we've ever worked with a global partner to select a monthly theme. Because at CreativeMornings, we believe everyone is creative, and Adobe couldn't agree more. Together, we're bringing you the motivation and accountability you need to bring your ideas to life.

A month-long celebration of YOUR passion projects
We understand the challenges of creating something you love. From fitting it into your busy life to fighting off imposter syndrome, the struggle is real. And one of the biggest hurdles is a lack of accountability.

So let's come together and support one another.

What if we gave our personal creative projects a collective deadline?

Release Day on May 29th is when we all finally share that special thing we've been working on. It's a motivating moment to declare, "here it is!" No matter how imperfect or polished it may be.

We've teamed up with Creative Quests on an entire month of practical tips and accountability sessions leading up to Release Day, all culminating in an online gallery showcasing your creations.

Pledge your project
Make a commitment to yourself and pledge to share your personal project on Release Day. We're here to support you. We can't wait to see what you create.

What is Release Day?
Release Day is a collective deadline for our community to launch their personal projects. We've teamed up with Adobe and CreativeQuests to bring your local community a month-long program of practical tips, motivation, and accountability to help people bring their creative projects to life. It all leads up to Release Day on May 29th when we'll all release our projects together.

And our May speaker: Vondell J. Burns
Bringing the theme home to Tulsa, we're honored to welcome Vondell J. Burns to the stage on Friday, May 15 at TCC Center for Creativity.

Vondell is a narrative infrastructure strategist, filmmaker, and founder of Thankless Production LLC. Her work lives at the intersection of storytelling and systems, from her weekly writing community Saturday Scribe to her speculative drama Legacy and Lies. We can't wait to hear her take on what it means to create.

How many of you have had a near-death experience?

And if your life fractured in an instant… would you know how to let the light in?

This month at CreativeMornings Tulsa, we’re exploring the theme EMBER—the quiet strength that stays lit even after everything changes.

Because not everything burns out.

Some things stay.

Some things glow.

Meet our April speaker: Carrie Corcoran

Carrie thought she had been druggedbut she wasn’t. In that moment, everything shifted.

What came after wasn’t just survival. It was a choice.

She chose to heal.
She chose to forgive herself.
She chose to turn that experience into something powerful.

Now she’s a keynote speaker, resilience coach, founder of the Unbreakable Light movement, and a Top 10 global Next Top Speaker.

Her work is about helping people reconnect with their light—especially after life knocks them off course.

Why this one matters

We all go through moments that change us.

Sometimes quietly. Sometimes all at once.

EMBER is about what remains after that. The part of you that’s still there. Still steady. Still ready.

The theme, EMBER, was chosen by our CreativeMornings Poulsbo chapter.

They describe embers as the quiet, enduring part of a fire—the heat that stays long after the flames fade.

It’s not always loud. It’s not always visible.

But it’s there.

And sometimes, that’s where the real strength lives.

What ember is still glowing in you?

CreativeMornings Tulsa returns March 20 with the global theme LOCAL, and this month’s conversation feels especially fitting for our city.

The theme was chosen by the CreativeMornings chapter in Santos, Brazil. In Portuguese, local means being a resident or native of a particular place. The idea goes deeper than geography.

Their chapter described it this way:

“We are proud to be from Santos. The feeling of loving the city but sometimes moving away. The benefits of belonging somewhere.”

That sense of belonging resonates strongly here in Tulsa, a city where history, creativity, and entrepreneurship intersect in unexpected ways.

Few places embody that spirit more than Route 66.

For this month’s gathering, we are excited to welcome Roniet Sachs, a community storyteller and placemaker working to bring new energy to Tulsa’s historic Mother Road.

Roniet serves as Placemaking Strategist for the Tulsa Market District at the Lobeck Taylor Family Foundation, where she collaborates with entrepreneurs, artists, and community partners to activate public spaces, support small businesses, and create experiences that bring people together.

Her work focuses on making Tulsa a place where creativity, local business, and community connections flourish.

Roniet’s relationship with Tulsa and Route 66 began in a way she never expected.

Originally from Los Angeles, she moved to Tulsa just two and a half years ago. At the time, she did not realize that the iconic highway connecting Chicago to the Pacific Ocean would soon become a central part of her life.

There is an irony in that journey.

Route 66 famously ends in Santa Monica, just miles from where Roniet once lived.

Today she works along 11th Street in Tulsa’s Market District, helping tell the stories of the entrepreneurs, artists, and local champions who keep the spirit of the Mother Road alive.

In her CreativeMornings talk, Roniet will explore how Tulsa became known as the Capital of Route 66, the legacy of Cyrus Avery, often called the Father of Route 66, and the vibrant community of businesses and cultural spaces that continue to define the corridor today.

She will also share what lies ahead as Tulsa prepares for the 100th anniversary of Route 66 in 2026, a milestone that will bring new attention to the city’s history and future.

At its core, Roniet’s story is about something deeper than a highway.

It is about how people create place.

The entrepreneurs who open shops along historic streets.
The neighbors who gather for events and celebrations.
The artists, builders, and dreamers who invest their energy into a city they believe in.

These are the stories that make a place feel like home.

They are the stories we are excited to explore together this month.

⸻

Join Us

📅 March 20
⏰ 8:30 AM
📍 Gradient
12 N Cheyenne Ave

CreativeMornings Tulsa is free and open to everyone.

Come for the coffee, stay for the conversation, and leave with a deeper appreciation for the people and places that make our city local.

February’s CreativeMornings global theme is CAMINO, the Spanish word for path or way.

Chosen by our Oviedo chapter in Asturias, Spain, this theme is inspired by the Camino de Santiago, a centuries-old pilgrimage that winds through their region and has long symbolized journey, discovery, and transformation.

As the Oviedo chapter shared:

“It’s inspired by the Camino de Santiago, which passes through our region in Asturias and has been a symbol of journey, discovery, and transformation for generations.”

CAMINO reminds us that growth does not require a perfectly mapped route. It asks us instead to trust movement, curiosity, and the wisdom gained along the way.

This month, CreativeMornings Tulsa welcomes Jackie Broussard, whose work focuses on helping people and organizations navigate difference with curiosity rather than defensiveness. After years of living and working across cultures, Jackie noticed a powerful pattern. The most difficult conversations are not caused by bad intentions, but by unseen assumptions.

Her approach is deeply human, centered on how we listen, how we interpret, and how we choose to move toward one another, even when it would be easier to pull away.

CAMINO invites us to reflect.
What path are you on right now?

If you’re feeling stuck, try moving your body. Take a walk, doodle, or sing.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, slow down and focus on the next step.

You don’t have to know exactly where your path leads. Trust that you’ll learn what you need along the way.

Wherever you’re headed, we wish you, as they say in Oviedo, buen camino. May your journey be safe, meaningful, and shared.

CreativeMornings Tulsa | December 2025

Innovation is often misunderstood as something loud or disruptive. We picture breakthrough technologies, viral ideas, or moments that change everything overnight. But more often, innovation begins quietly.

It starts as a question.
A small frustration.
A sense that the default setting could be better.

As we close out 2025, we’re gathering one last time to celebrate the kind of innovation that doesn’t arrive with headlines or hype but with curiosity, courage, and a willingness to try.

Our final CreativeMornings Tulsa of the year takes place Friday, December 19 at 8:30am, and we couldn’t imagine a more meaningful way to end the year.

For this gathering, we are exploring INNOVATION not as a finish line, but as a mindset. One rooted in curiosity, experimentation, and the courage to try something new, even when the outcome is uncertain.

This month’s global theme was chosen by the CreativeMornings chapter in Isfahan, Iran, and illustrated by Nazanin Emamieh. Their framing reminds us that innovation does not require genius or permission. It asks only that we remain open, observant, and willing to imagine alternatives.

Innovation is risky.
It breaks routine and reimagines the familiar.
It treats uncertainty as an invitation instead of a barrier.

The world needs more tinkerers and fixers. More people who believe change is possible and start with whatever they have, then keep going.

Creativity asks, “What if?”
Innovation replies, “Here’s how.”

Our December Gathering

We will explore this theme together with Drew Kincius, whose work centers on helping entrepreneurs, creatives, and small businesses build clarity and momentum, and with Shenna Jean, who will guide us through a grounding sound bath to help close the year with intention and care.

This final CreativeMornings Tulsa of 2025 is an invitation to slow down, listen closely, and leave with renewed curiosity for what lies ahead.

CreativeMornings is always free and open to everyone.
Join us as we close the year inspired, connected, and ready to imagine what’s possible.

 Our Speaker: Drew Kincius

Special Experience: Sound Bath with Shenna Jean.

Our theme for November is GROWTH. It was chosen by our Sacramento chapter in California, illustrated by Amber Rankin, and presented by Adobe.

When we were kids, it happened fast. We outgrew clothes and shoes seemingly overnight. We constantly reached for things just out of our grasp. We made messes and art without worrying about what anyone would think.

As we shift into adulthood, growth gets harder to come by. Get good grades and a great job. Burn the midnight oil. Struggle against the odds. Then somewhere along the way, we get comfortable with the status quo. Sitting on the couch, watching and scrolling instead of trying and doing.

But creativity demands growth. Not the kind that can be measured with a ruler. It’s about taking stock of your character. Who’s ready to chase wild possibilities and meaningful progress? We must unlearn the need to be perfect and busy. Remember how to play and get our hands dirty again.

It takes curiosity and courage. Because growth doesn’t always feel good. It forces us to shed our old skin, to stumble, and start again. Sometimes, growth happens quietly, in between uncertainty and doubt, the moments when nothing seems to be changing. Until everything does.

It was chosen by our Victoria chapter in British Columbia, Canada and illustrated by Leah McInnis.

The world feels hard in so many ways. Couldn’t we all use more softness?

Soft is gentle, empathic, and vulnerable. But being soft is not a weakness. It is a sign of deeper strength. Having the courage to walk through life without armor. A willingness to listen before speaking. Welcoming whatever comes with open palms. Pulling someone close for a hug.

What if our work was softer? What would we make with a little tenderness? Art that truly resonates. Innovations that heal instead of harm. Communities that hold one another instead of tearing other people down.

Soft can be a quiet form of resistance. Practice subtlety, trust, and intimacy in a world that celebrates loud braggadocio, knee-jerk reactions, and blunt force.

Let’s snuggle up and let down our guard. Soft can be our salvation.

And now.... please enjoy a lovely poem inspired by this month's theme written by our member Alex Gonzalez.

Be Soft

Be soft
Like the wind blowing on the shore on a hot summer morning.
Be soft
Like a mother’s first kiss.
Be soft. Be soft.

Be soft with yourself,
Because the air in your lungs is all you need to keep going.
Be soft, ’cause you’re doing enough just by showing up for yourself every day.
You got it.

Be soft
Let the tears fall when they need to.
Sometimes, peace is hidden right in the middle of them.

Be soft with your hands
Teaching them only hardness leads to hitting, to shooting, to destroying
Bringing war, pain, and death.
Be soft
Use them to create, to touch with love and respect, to embrace.

Be soft. Be soft
With your daughter, with your son.
The miracle of giving life is a gift from God and creation.
Be soft
Show them love, show them tenderness,
So they can learn compassion and kindness.

Be soft with your brothers and sisters,
Because we are all one with creation.
It doesn’t matter what color their skin is,
Or which part of the world they come from.

Be soft
’Cause the stranger before you is someone else’s son, daughter, mother, father, cousin, or friend.

Be soft
Open your heart.
Share your voice.
Offer your strength.
Give your love.

’Cause today, more than ever,
Is the moment to
Be Soft.

Hello! I’m Shacole Hamlett, and I’m your CreativeMornings Tulsa Host.

If the past few years have taught us anything, it’s how much we crave connection—real, in-person, face-to-face connection. After the isolation of the pandemic, many of us have had to rebuild our sense of community from the ground up, searching for spaces where we feel inspired, seen, and surrounded by like-minded people.

I know this firsthand. When I moved to San Diego post-pandemic, I felt disconnected and uninspired—until I walked into my first CreativeMornings event. What I found was more than a monthly meetup; it was a lifeline, a room full of people who believed in the power of creativity and shared experiences. That space reminded me why I do what I do—why I’m an artist.

Now that I’m in Tulsa, a city experiencing a renaissance in every direction, I want to help create that same kind of space—a post-pandemic gathering place where ideas brew, friendships form, and inspiration flows freely.

The Vision

CreativeMornings/Tulsa was born out of a deep love for this city and its creative spirit.

Tulsa is having a moment. It’s a city where innovation and artistry are colliding in magical ways, attracting national attention for initiatives like Tulsa Remote bringing in fresh talent, and revitalization efforts in Greenwood. This energy is undeniable, and we want to amplify it.

CreativeMornings/Tulsa will be a space for: ✨ Thinkers, makers, and dreamers to connect ✨ Big ideas to take shape ✨ Friendships and collaborations to grow ✨ A collision of Tulsa’s thriving creative and entrepreneurial worlds

We believe everyone is creative—yes, even accountants—and that a creative life requires bravery, action, honesty, and hard work.

If you’re an artist, an entrepreneur, or simply someone looking for a spark of inspiration before starting your workday, CreativeMornings is for you. Let’s come together, share stories, and build something meaningful in this new chapter.

About Me

I’ve spent the last decade as an experiential producer and curator, collaborating with brands, artists, and creatives to build awe-inspiring experiences at major events like Coachella, F1, San Diego Comic-Con, and the Super Bowl. But my journey started in circus performance—I even owned my own circus.

Growing up as a child actor, I always knew I’d work in the creative sector, and while I now spend more time behind the scenes, my heart will always belong on the stage.

Since moving to Tulsa, I’ve fallen deeply in love with this city—its energy, its creative community, and its unmatched spirit of collaboration. Hosting CreativeMornings Tulsa is my way of giving back, creating a space where people can feel the same sense of belonging and inspiration that I found years ago.

Why Tulsa?

Tulsa is ready for something like CreativeMornings. While we have strong arts and tech communities, we lack spaces where these worlds collide. This is where CreativeMornings excels—bringing together people across industries to share ideas, challenge norms, and spark something new.

And we’re not just launching CreativeMornings Tulsa—we’re setting our sights high. Our goal is to break the record for the most-attended CreativeMornings event globally.

The Team

Every CreativeMornings event is completely free to attend and run by volunteers. If you’d like to get involved, we’d love your help! We’re looking for:

📸 Photographers to capture the magic 🎨 Designers to create engaging visuals ☕ Morning People to welcome our community

If you’re interested, reach out! @tulsa@creativemornings.com