Kris Krüg

Allen Pike is an app designer and developer. He runs Steamclock Software, a mobile development shop in Vancouver. Steamclock focuses on polish and user experience, and has done work for Fortune 500s and top startups. He has a passion for teaching, having taught at SFU, trained teams at various companies in Vancouver, and given talks on product design and app development in five countries. Prior to founding Steamclock, he was a software engineer at Apple, where he worked on the iWork applications. Allen also organizes local meetups, hosts a game development podcast called Up Up Down Down, and plays on a hockey team comprised entirely of programmers.

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

To me, creativity is simply about making something new. Although my background is in Computing Science, it’s always been the creative side of software design and development that’s motivated me. When we have the boldness to try something new, whether it’s an entirely new approach or a novel spin on something old, is when we do our best work.

Where do you find your best creative inspiration?

Nothing inspires creativity better than needing to solve a difficult problem. While we all fancy ourselves as innately creative, the constraints of a difficult challenge are often needed to really push us out of our comfort zone and force us to try something new.

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

I wish I’d realized earlier how much of what we call “skill” and “talent” are simply the result of practice. When I was younger I saw great talent as something one was born with. I’ve since found that that mentality is just an obstacle to trying new things.

Who would you like to hear speak at CreativeMornings?

Alexa Grafera, the very talented icon and emoji designer.

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

I run a team of people that make great apps.

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

I’ve found it incredibly important to manage where my attention goes. I rely on a task-management tool called OmniFocus to make sure that I’m paying attention to the important things, I’m not worrying about the unimportant things, and I’m delegating everything else to awesome people who are able to get them done.

Interview // Ola Volo Speaks at CreativeMornings | Sad Mag:

Intensely creative illustrator, Ola Volo, speaks at Creative Mornings Vancouver. Her sense of humour and whimsy transcends through all her artwork and she gave a really unique perspective on how working with other artists was both terrifying and inspiring.

Born in Taiwan, and raised in both China and Canada, Sophia Hsin is a photographer and creative based in Vancouver. With a love for design, minimalism and a neverending curiosity to explore - Sophia spends her time running a studio with her Hedgehog, Amelia, and dreams of travelling the world. In the past, Sophia obtained a degree in Medicine and worked in the education field.

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

Creativity is following your gut, a lot of practice, values and vision mixed together on a big white canvas. It also means breaking a lot of rules.

Where do you find your best creative inspiration?

The ocean and Chinese martial art movies.

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

Make mistakes, make lots of them. Be bold and take risks

Who would you like to hear speak at Creative Mornings?

Omer Arbel from Bocci

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

Quit a career in Medicine and moved to Vancouver to follow my dreams.

Where was the last place you travelled?

Huangshan, China aka The Avatar Mountains.

“Don’t waste your time looking back on what you have lost. Move on, life is not meant to be traveled backwards.” - Unknown

What matters to you?

renegadesoflove:

(via We ❤ It)

bitolife:

Time is measured
Gravity’s curse
Moments to treasure
Tragedy’s nurse

Rotation, a year
Cycle the sun
Try not to fear
What has only begun

Pressure increases
Years pass by
Until time ceases
My world will die

“If the people you are spending time with are draining your energy, you might want to reconsider how much time you want to spend with them.” - Who do you spend the most time with? What are you doing with your time?

We always have a fear of time running out yet we still don’t move ‘in time’. What can we do about this?

Great thoughts from Henry Rollins.