Kris Krüg

Why not explore public art this weekend via one of 40 creative biking and walking tours?

Register now for BIKEnnake/WALKennale using promo code CREATIVE2021 at https://www.vbbike.ca (at Vancouver, British Columbia)
https://www.instagram.com/p/CQlcX9ysTjS/?utm_medium=tumblr

Join us for next months speaker as we’re thrilled to invite Chris Corrigan to our virtual stage.

Register now.

Chris Corrigan is a principal partner of Harvest Moon Consultants, specializing in participatory process, international facilitation, and strategic thinking in support of organizations and communities tackling complex challenges.

Corrigan’s formal bio includes info about decades of experience working with governments, not for profits, indigenous communities, and social enterprises, creative dialogue-based tools and processes informed by complexity theory to help leaders and teams make decisions in uncertain contexts.

But mostly Chris Corrigan is just a person who would like to share a pesto recipe with you:

Take a bunch of basil, destem it, place it into a mortar with a few pinches of coarse salt and a couple of peeled garlic cloves and begin grinding it into a paste.

When the leaves are all broken down, add some pine nuts and gently pour in a really good olive oil until the paste has the consistency you’re looking for.

Add a pinch of chilli flakes for a subtle feeling of heat.

That’s the secret. Purists will object, but I’m telling you, give it a try.

How do you define creativity and apply it in your life and career?

Making things I guess. It’s certainly what I have done from a very small age, made drawings, and songs and poems and games and all kinds of things. These days I make conversations and community and I try to make a difference by doing things that have never been done before. It is all creative.

Where do you find your best creative inspiration or energy?

In a few places: the early morning, or being with others. I am an improviser at heart and so I work with offers all around me and when I am creating with others I feel like I’m always at my best.

What’s one piece of creative advice or a tip you wish you’d known as a young person?

Pay more attention to what you have just done. Try to remember the feelings of sweetness and despair instead of just moving on to the next thing. There are so many experiences I’ve forgotten about because they seemed so fleeting at the time, and now I wish I could remember who was there with me and what we actually did.

Who (living or dead) would you most enjoy hearing speak at CreativeMornings? 

Have you ever had any children speak? Would you dare turn the mic over to a 12 year old child? A twelve year old girl ready to kick ass and take names would be an amazing thing to see.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?

Quit a full time government job with a baby at home to become a consultant.

What did you learn from your most memorable creative failure?

Usually no one gets hurt.What are you reading these days? Shifu, You’ll Do Anything for a Laugh by Mo Yan, What The Mystics Know by Richard Rohr, Trickster Drift, Eden Robinson

What fact about you would surprise people?

I am a practicing contemplative Christian.

How does your life and career compare to what you envisioned for your future when you were a sixth grader?

At no point did I ever play on the blue line for the Toronto Maple Leafs, so nothing has really worked out. I also didn’t start a band with Brian May and Freddy Mercury.

How would you describe what you do in a single sentence to a stranger?

I help people work together to figure out what to do when they are stuck so that we can make the world a more just place.

What’s the most recent thing you learned (big or small)?

How to move between an Eb melodic minor and an Bb major scale in the same position so as to find some compact soloing lines on A Child is Born.

If you could open a door and go anywhere where would that be?

Right now, it would probably be to the Grey Bruce Highlands in southern Ontario to visit my family.

What keeps you awake at night?

Barred owls on the hunt beneath a full moon and a Pineapple Express lashing the front of my house.

What myths about creativity would you like to set straight?

There are no myths about creativity. It’s all true. Even the myths. Especially the myths.

Who has been the biggest influence on your life? What lessons did that person teach you?

My partner Caitlin. She continually teaches me how to not lose my shit and succumb to anxiety and fear. And every day she reminds me that I am loved.

What are you proudest of in your life?

My two kids, who are young adults now and making their way in a weird world. They love each other and my heart bursts through my chest every time I think about them.

If you could do anything now, what would you do?

End patriarchy, capitalism, and settler-colonialism and watch SOOOO many of my friends fulfill their potential and make the world a better place.

Where was the last place you travelled?

Last air travel was in February 2020 and was a three point tour to Ontario, Columbus Ohio, and Minneapolis, to teach the Art of Hosting and complexity skills to doctors in Ohio and social change activists in the Twin Cities. And to drink whisky with my dad for his birthday.

What music are you listening to these days?*

Lots of jazz standards played on guitar and especially diving into the work of Reg Schwager.

What was the best surprise you’ve experienced so far in life?

Realizing in an instant that I am unconditionally loved.

Where is your favourite place to escape?

There are a few places on Bowen Island, where I live, that are absolutely precious to me.

What was the best advice you were ever given?

If you talk to people about what they know about, they will always tell you the truth. I heard that from Utah Phillips at the Vancouver Folk Festival in 1997 and it fundamentally changed my facilitation practice.

What books made a difference in your life and why?

Not just books? There are many creative artifacts that have been influential in my life. The Tao te Ching was super influential. A painting by Carl Beam called “Columbus Chronicles”, John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme,” Irish whistle player Mary Bergin’s album “Feadóga Stain,” the midfield prowess of Glenn Hoddle, Nathanial Mackey’s Bedouhin Hornbook. The Facilitator’s Guide to Participatory Decision Making by Sam Kaner. News of the World by Queen. Between the Breaks by Stan Rogers. Leadership and the New Science by Meg Wheatley. The Rez Sisters by Thomson Highway. The Sacrifice by Andrei Tarkovsky. Tsawalk by Umeek. The tifo and creative support of the Vancouver Southsiders and the Swanguardians. Listening for the Heartbeat of God by J. Phillip Newell, Anam Cara by John O'Donohue, Loving What Is by Byron Katie, the leadership artistry of Khelsilem. Each of these, among many others, have ushered my over various thresholds in my life. They are all creative works, some are creative re-imaginings of spirituality, process work, and ways of living.

What practises, rituals, or habits contribute to your creative work?

It’s a combination of the openness and rest that is offered by my meditation practice and the rigour of playing scales on the guitar or forcing myself to write despite my mind’s resistance to being “productive” when I’m feeling dry.

When you get stuck creatively, what is the first thing you do to get unstuck?

Go for a walk.

If you had fifteen extra minutes each day, what would you do with them?

Lie on my back, close my eyes and listen to three pieces of very good music.

What has been one of your biggest Aha! moments in life?

The first time I witnessed a meeting held in Open Space, with 400 people in a room in Whistler in 1995. It completely transformed my facilitation and leadership practice, knowing that a group of people can self-organize action around issues that they care about. I’ve never looked back.

What object would you put in a time capsule that best represents who you are today?

My music library.

What is the one movie or book every creative must see/read? 

You should read a book or seek out the traditional teachings of your place, of where you live, of the traditional territory you inhabit. Those aren’t always written down, but I feel that it is so important to know your place because if you create things that run counter to the place you are living you can perpetuate patterns of harm. Understand who you are, where you are and why you are there.

🎵 This month’s live musical guest is jazz & R&B guitarist, bandleader, and teacher (Teun Schut)[https://www.teunschut.ca].🎶

Originally from Holland, Schut has been playing guitar for five decades, studying and playing jazz, blues, and rock in bands and ensembles. Having toured around the world, Tuen settled in Bowen Island, where he continues to teach, play, and perform.

You don’t want to miss this!
Register now.

Looking to get noticed, new talent, or collaboration opportunities? Have you signed up for the CreativeMornings global directory yet? https://creativemornings.com/join
https://www.instagram.com/p/CPTTs5RMymf/?utm_medium=tumblr

We’re excited to explore the theme of Matriarchy with our next speaker, Zoë Pawlak.

‘A mother and leader, Zoë guides with confidence and humility, with a commitment to expand what’s possible — for her clients, ourselves and those who intersect with her vision. Raising two kids and creating a successful studio practice as an entrepreneur at the age of 24, her deep faith and spirituality have been essential touchstones, helping her weather the inevitable ups and downs as an artist. In 2018, Zoë recognized her unhealthy relationship with alcohol and found sobriety.

How do you define creativity and apply it in your life and career?
When you monetize how you’re creative, it shifts your relationship to art making. Why you create changes everything about what you make and who you make it for. My business is largely based on customer love and excellent service. To reconcile this with a creative life, is quite the feat.

Where do you find your best creative inspiration or energy?
I listen to a lot of music. I love exercise, it keeps the blood flowing.

What’s one piece of creative advice or a tip you wish you’d known as a young person?
Save money. And keep asking for help. I had a LOT of good mentors along the way.

Who (living or dead) would you most enjoy hearing speak at CreativeMornings?
Tom Waits. Wait, would that be interesting? Hard to tell.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?
Cliff jumping in the Philippines.

What’s your one guilty creative indulgence?
I’m currently writing a pilot and have NO idea what I’m doing and it’s an indulgent blast.

What are you reading these days?
Dare to Lead and Pleasure Activism (both SO good).

What fact about you would surprise people?
I think people assume I’m brave. I am scared all the time.

How would you describe what you do in a single sentence to a stranger?
I’m an industrial designer and painter, making custom, original artwork for private clients and interior designers.

What’s the most recent thing you learned (big or small)?
Easy does it.

If you could open a door and go anywhere where would that be?
Chile back to my family there.

What keeps you awake at night?
My cat.

What myths about creativity would you like to set straight?
You have to work for it. Good work ethics promotes good work. This is not a cruise. Also, I love this talk.

Who has been the biggest influence on your life? What lessons did that person teach you?
I look to many strong, female, creatives who have paved the way: Missy Elliott, Anne Lamott, M.I.A., Erykah Badu. To thine own self be true and that this is not only creative work, but that there’s power in the paving of a creative career.

What are you proudest of in your life?
My kids being kind and the young people who have worked with me claim they learned something.

Where was the last place you travelled?
New York three days before shut down.

What was the best surprise you’ve experienced so far in life?
Sobriety, I never thought that would happen to me.

Where is your favourite place to escape?
My studio or Naramata.

What was the best advice you were ever given?
Listen to your life.

What books made a difference in your life and why?
The Untethered Soul, again and again and again. Too many to count. Winners Take All, Just Kids…the list is endless. Being a READER has made the biggest difference in my life.

What practises, rituals, or habits contribute to your creative work?
A strong, consistent-but-fluid morning routine and constant snacks.

When you get stuck creatively, what is the first thing you do to get unstuck?
Call someone funny.

If you had fifteen extra minutes each day, what would you do with them?
We have the same amount of hours in a day as Beyoncé.

What has been one of your biggest Aha! moments in life?
Knowing that I am unconditionally LOVED by God/Universe/Love etc.

What is the one question we haven’t asked that you want to answer? Are you afraid of dying? Working on it.

🎶 This month we are excited to be joined by Rap & Soul singer Missy D.🎵

Missy D is a bilingual female emcee who was born and raised around the motherland and represents a blend of African cultures in her life-force and in her music which is a blend of Hip-hop and R&B she calls Rap & Soul.

You don’t want to miss this!

April’s global theme was ‘procrastinate’ so we asked the community what their favourite go-to way to procrastinate is. Take a look at some of these creative ways to waste tile!
https://www.instagram.com/p/CNdftvHsRfM/?igshid=13flbtl7zkzi3

We’re thrilled to invite Mo Dhaliwal to our virtual stage for next month’s theme, Resilient.

Mo Dhaliwal is a tech entrepreneur, strategist, and visionary leader—organizing people into movements that promote inclusivity and shatter cross-cultural barriers.

Building on years of digital development and marketing experience, Mo founded the agile creative agency Skyrocket, where he serves as the Director of Strategy proving branding and digital strategies for clients like HP, Yahoo, and Disney. As a passionate arts and culture advocate, Mo founded the Vancouver International Bhangra Celebration, and has gone on to play leading roles on the boards of Vancouver Opera, Alliance for Arts and Culture, Coastal Jazz, as well as a member of the PuSh Festival Leader’s Council and president of the Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society. And as a champion for social justice, Mo is an outspoken speaker and advocate for anti-racism, diversity, and inclusion, and helped launch the Poetic Justice Foundation which challenges structures of oppression and discrimination through intersectional advocacy.

How do you define creativity and apply it in your life and career?
Creativity is the discipline of serendipity—of generating perspectives and creating connections between disparate ideas in novel ways. I apply it every time I set out to solve an interesting problem.

Where do you find your best creative inspiration or energy?
It’s more of a how than a where for me. Ideas come up late at night, if I’m walking or running alone, or when I’m in conversation with others. I generate the creative energy by either creating lots of freedom and empty space to sit alone and see what arises. I also generate creative energy by inventing deadlines for myself and creating pressure to solve something.

What’s one piece of creative advice or a tip you wish you’d known as a young person?
Ideas are cheap and easy. No one is holding a gun to your head saying you have to execute them. Be more free and wild in the generation of ideas and don’t get attached too early.

Who (living or dead) would you most enjoy hearing speak at CreativeMornings?
Malcolm X. There was a real urgency and power to his message and his methods. We need his brand of creativity today.

What’s the most recent thing you learned (big or small)?
Farsi! I’m loving learning the language. My reading and writing is faster than my Punjabi now. Unfortunately, I don’t have the comprehension to understand what I’m reading. There are so many aspects where you can see the DNA of our ancient, shared history in the language.

What keeps you awake at night?
Insomnia.

What myths about creativity would you like to set straight?
Creativity or what is considered creative expression is too polished. Creativity doesn’t have an aesthetic. Creativity is tapping into an energy, a potential that we’re all capable of accessing.

Where was the last place you travelled?
Iran! Loved it. Saudi Arabia right before that. Interesting times in problematic nations.

What books made a difference in your life and why?
Sapiens. It helped me become more forgiving of humanity.

If you had fifteen extra minutes each day, what would you do with them?
Probably procrastinate.

What is the one question we haven’t asked that you want to answer?
What is the meaning of life?

🎶 This month we are excited to be joined by singer, songwriter, and seamstress Jess Vaira.🎵

If Eddie Vedder and Ella Fitzgerald were making Sunday brunch for Ani Difranco, Imogen Heap and Erykah Badu, they might be listening to Jess in the background. With an honest, sound that ranges from round and soulful to light and airy, Jess is a live performer and session artist in demand for her dynamic and engaging performances.

Please join us on Friday and meet the one and only Sirish Rao. You won’t regret it. [link in bio] (at Vancouver - Unceeded Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Territory)
https://www.instagram.com/p/CNWi8eBMtrs/?igshid=1l9g4zhh8bl10

Join us April 9th, we’re excited to welcome Sirish Rao to our virtual stage.

Sirish Rao is a writer, producer, cultural curator, 
co-founder & artistic director of Indian Summer Festival.

Sirish was born in Bangalore, India and spent a decade as Director of Tara Books, which he helped grow from a startup into one of India’s most respected publishing houses, with a presence in five continents. Sirish is a published writer whose books have been translated into seventeen languages, and range from commentaries on street art to children’s books. In 2005, he received a major commission from the Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles to create contemporary retellings of a series of ancient Greek plays. The books won the American Associations of Museums Award and ‘Outstanding Book of the Year’ at the Independent Publishers Book Awards. He moved to Vancouver in 2010, and co-founded the Indian Summer Festival with his partner Laura Byspalko. In his role as Artistic Director of the festival, Sirish is guided by the root word of festival, which is ‘feast’ and imagines the festival as an inviting and garrulous long table where old friends meet and new ones are made. Sirish has been responsible for presenting over a thousand artists on the stages of the festival, in a roster that features Nobel, Booker, Grammy and Oscar Award-winning artists alongside exciting emerging talent. Sirish is deeply committed to playing his part in ensuring that Vancouver is engaged in meaningful conversation with itself and the world.

March’s Theme is Ripple

Everything you do has the power to create its own ripple effect. Like an object breaking the water’s surface, our actions can cause a series of ever-expanding waves of impact stretching far beyond our individual reach.

Whether we theorize it with dominos, snowballs, or butterflies – it’s about momentum, and as momentum builds, even the smallest actions can end up having a profound impact.

One voice can inspire a movement, a single act of kindness can save a life. No matter how minuscule it may seem in the moment, what you do matters.

This month, we invite you to pay attention to your personal ripple effect. To examine how your impact expands beyond your inner circle and find ways to pay positivity forward. If you’re feeling brave, this month can be a time to explore the depths of your world. Dare to plunge below the surface and invite deeper connection in.

Our Tel Aviv chapter chose this month’s exploration of Ripple and Masha Manapov illustrated it. (at Vancouver - Unceeded Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Territory)
https://www.instagram.com/p/CMiwV3qs4qH/?igshid=1k7q3yigepflv

Remember when we used to host FieldTrips in real life and did things like circus school together? Such a fun morning.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CMVIQhmh7kd/?igshid=1jo8pu7aqhsgm