Devon French

October's special guest speaker will be Movement Practitioner, Mindfulness Teacher, Acrobat, 
and Wellness Facilitator Devon French who will share his intriguing story of creativity through the lens of the global CM theme 'vision'.

French is a member of the Samahquam First Nation and a creative movement practitioner based in Vancouver, BC. His unique approach blends mindfulness, acrobatics, and dance to encourage self-expression and body awareness. With a background in yoga, acroyoga, and ballet, Devon uses movement as a medium for creativity and self-discovery, helping individuals explore their physical potential. His work is deeply influenced by his Indigenous heritage and the belief in the healing power of reconnection to the land and self​

And our new support partner Vancouver Art Gallery will be our presenting partner next month!

As usual, we asked Devon some probing questions to give us a deeper glimpse into his life and relationship with creativity:

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

For me creativity is a living process that I engage with through trial and error. How do I decide what is an error and what is good? I listen to my body's signals. Tension and contracting feels like a no and expansion and ease feels like a yes. The best part of creativity as a living process is that it's part of my everyday life. Whether I am cooking, telling a story to my son, or guiding a room full of people into their body's to move together I am engaging with life creatively ready to change directions based on the feedback I receive from my environment / the people around me. Yet having years of practice in creative spaces gives me the tools I need to adapt and stay present no matter what arises.

Where do you find your best creative inspiration or energy?

Might sound cheesy but I find most of my creative energy / inspiration from love. The more loving I feel towards the people in my life the more force I feel to create, move, and be present in my life.

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

I wish I was told not to seek perfection, and wish I had been exposed to the creative process. I spent too much time in my youth thinking I was not good enough.

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

I would like to hear the Buddah speak, I can imagine the impact of sharing space with the Buddah would be life changing.

What myths about creativity would you like to set straight?

I think when it comes to dance, movement, and Acroyoga the myth is that it's only for elite athletes. These practices are much more inclusive than they appear from the outside. We all need a physical means to express our complex lived experiences and at times I feel that a lot of us feel like we are not capable. I am here to say we are all capable!

When you get stuck creatively what's the first thing you do to get unstuck?

The first thing I do is relieve whatever pressures I can. I stop trying to create and become still, I focus on my breath and allow my attention to shift to what's currently in my space. I let go of things to come and what has led up to this moment as best I can. Even 5 mins of space can shift something for me.

If you could interview someone living or dead and not a celebrity, who would it be and why?

I would interview one of my ancestors named Watila, because I am in the process of learning my traditional language and I would like to ask him what life was like for him and ask him to tell me some stories so that I could be exposed to the traditional mind that has been less affected by colonization. That way I might be able to feel the more contextual aspects of our language through direct experience.