#CreativeMorning

[creativemorningstijuana]

Octubre explora el tema VISIÓN. Fue elegido por el capítulo de Riad (Arabia Saudí) e ilustrado por Razan Alshalan.

¿Cómo ves el mundo? ¿Cómo quieres cambiarlo?

La visión se refiere tanto al sentido de la vista como a nuestra capacidad de imaginar el futuro. ¿Te centras en los pequeños detalles? ¿Puedes ver el panorama completo?

A medida que envejecemos, nuestra vista empieza a deteriorarse y ver objetos de cerca se hace más difícil. Sin embargo, a medida que ganamos experiencia, lo que queremos conseguir evoluciona. ¿Tu vida se volverá más oscura o más luminosa?

Cada acto creativo implica ver algo en la mente y, luego, intentar hacerlo realidad. Un pintor, un arquitecto y cualquier otro artista o artesano tienen una visión de su obra. ¿Qué mensaje, emoción o impacto quieres transmitir en el tuyo?

Tú eres tu propio visionario. ¿Qué quieres ver? 

[creativemornings-tirana]

Tema globale e CreativeMornings për muajin janar është SANCTUARY, rreth së cilës do të flitet në 225 qytetet në botë, që aplikojnë këtë projekt prej vitit 2008. Në Tiranë kemi ftuar Aurora Peroviq, e cila do të ndajë me ne eksperiencën e saj kreative dhe profesionale rreth kësaj teme. “Sanctuary për mua do të thotë të besosh në natyrë. Natyra është forma më e mirë e ekzistencës së Zotit. Nuk jam predikuese e fesë në institucionet përkatëse, kisha apo xhamia. Për mua mjafton të dalësh në natyrë e kjo të shërben për të kuptuar se Zoti ekziston. Malet, fushat, lumenjtë e çdo gjë e gjallë është vepër e Zotit. Unë besoj te natyra. E jo më kot mijëra vjet më parë, para se të lindte krishtërimi apo fetë e tjera, njerëzit besonin në elementet e natyrës. Dielli, hëna, era, shiu apo gjallesat e ndryshme ishin të shenjta për njerëzimin. Të dalësh në natyrë të ndihmon të meditosh, të flasësh me UNIN tënd, të përjetosh momente qetësie shpirtërore, fizike dhe mendore. Bukuria natyrore nuk ka të krahasuar me bukurinë e betonizuar apo artificiale që njeriu krijon për të imituar natyrën.” Aurora Piroviq, lindur dhe rritur në Shkodër nga një familje intelektualësh gjysëm shkodranë dhe gjysëm podgoriçan. Mamaja ekonomiste-bankiere, babai inxhinier. Natyra dhe mjedisi kanë qenë pjesë e jetës sime gjithmonë. Prandaj dhe Universitetin preferova të ndiqja Fakultetin e Shkencave të Natyrës. Kam mbaruar degën Biologji Kimi në Shkodër në vitet 1997-2001 duke vijuar më pas me studimet “Master Shkencor” në programin “Biologji Mjedisore”. Jam pjesë e disa shoqatave mjedisore si anëtare si bashkëthemeluese apo edhe drejtuese në mbrojtje të kauzës së mjedisit. Drejtoj shoqatën “Well Point” në Shkodër që mbron shëndetin publik dhe mjedisin. Drejtuesve e grupit te te rinjve “Natyralistët” ku si focus kemi ndergjegjesimin mjedisor, aktivitetet ne natyre, sportet ujore, çiklizmin dhe alpinizmin. Jam anëtare e shoqatës APAWA. Eventi do të mbahet të premten, datë 27 janar, ora 10:00, te Oborri bar, Rruga Naim Frasheri, Tiranë. @oborri_tirana @aurora.piroviq @joanadhiamandi @creativemorning @adrianguri @amproduction_official #creativemorning #creativemornings #cmsanctuary (at Oborri) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cn2EvNNt7Dx/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[hygienetips]

✨ Morning Routines for Extraordinary Living! ✨

🌅Rise early, embrace exercise, and fuel your day with positivity. Start a gratitude journal, ask the hard questions, and conquer your 'frog' task before breakfast.

🥞 Connect with loved ones, plan strategically, and find peace through meditation.

🧘‍♂️ Make time for family and simplify mornings for a creative, stress-free day.

🌈 What's your morning ritual?

🚀🌟Read the full article here-https://hygienetips.net/morning-routines-that-make-you-extraordinary/

[creativemorningsvancouver]

For July’s global theme of ‘treasure’ we are honoured to host videographer, storyteller, urban planner and musician, Uytae Lee.

REGISTER

Uytae Lee is the founder of ‘About Here’, a YouTube channel and creative studio dedicated to helping people understand their cities better. In addition to the channel, Uytae produces the CBC series ‘Stories About Here’.

Every month we like to ask our speakers a handful of probing questions to give us a deeper glimpse into their life and relationship with creativity:

How do you define creativity and apply it in your life and career? For me, creativity is about organizing. Combining and rearranging ideas, words, paint, or whatever really into something that’s meaningful to you. In my work, this idea has given me the reassurance that I rarely (if ever) need to come up with something from scratch - I just don’t think the creative process works that way. I research, paraphrase, synthesize, reflect, and (more than anything) take inspiration from others to put something together that feels compelling for me. Where do you find your best creative inspiration or energy? I find much of my creative inspiration from talking to people. There’s something about a live, unscripted conversation where you let your ideas collide freely that helps me get out of my head.

What’s one piece of creative advice or a tip you wish you’d known as a young person? The creative process requires breaks. Your creativity often works behind the scenes, when you’re taking a walk, distracted, or even sleeping. When you’re feeling overwhelmed or stuck on a project, try stepping away from it for a day or two. When you come back to it, you’ll almost certainly find that your thoughts have refined and organized themselves into something much more coherent and easy to understand. I think it works this way because your memory is very selective for the things that feel most important to you. When you step away from a project, you’re letting your brain subconsciously throw out what didn’t really matter and hold on to what was most important. I wish I knew this when I was younger because it probably would have saved me from dozens of wildly unproductive all-nighters spent trying to hammer out a script while overwhelmed and sleep-deprived.

Who (living or dead) would you most enjoy hearing speak at CreativeMornings? Tony and Taylor from Every Frame a Painting

What fact about you would surprise people? I was part of a ukulele group for several years.

What are you reading these days? Order without design by Alain Bertaut

What’s your one guilty creative indulgence? Cooking videos, they’re so relaxing!

REGISTER

[creativemorningsottawa]

CreativeMornings Ottawa: May 2023

Jane Porter on acceptance and the importance of leading with love

Accepting reality is not always easy. From climate change to social injustice to the decline of democracy, the greatest challenges of our time can seem threatening, overwhelming, or just plain impossible to solve. 

On the CreativeMornings Ottawa stage at Arts Court, Jane Porter invited us to feel the magnitude of these challenges, and to lead with love and compassion. Doing so starts with connection: with ourselves, our communities, and the land we call home. 

Connection is something Jane has consciously cultivated throughout her life. This includes in her community work as co-founder of Impact Hub Ottawa and through convening stakeholders as a sustainability consultant. Today, as an integral facilitator and founder of Bridge Building Group, Jane brings people together to have tough conversations that spark meaningful change and heal divides. 

The journey to acceptance and understanding can be uncomfortable. In her talk, Jane used a photography metaphor to break down her approach:

Zoom out to see the big picture and break free from your existing echo chambers. 

Zoom in and reflect on who you really are and what motivates you. 

Reframe why you do what you do. For example, Jane realized she pursued a career in sustainability because it gave her a sense of connection with others and to the land.

Focus and realize that two things can be true at the same time, depending on who you’re asking and what they’ve chosen to lock their viewfinder on.

Find a tripod to support your passions and purpose. When you feel like you’re on shaky ground, dig deeper into learning and your relationships to find the support you need. 

Finally, Jane suggested it’s time we find a new lens. Western society is oriented around growth mindsets and economic success. There is much to learn from Indigenous worldviews that compel us to think of the next seven generations, and consider the well-being of all our relations, human and otherwise.

The challenges faced by the world are not going to solve themselves. To accept—and act— during this period of existential threats we must first ground ourselves by pausing, getting curious, and finding ways to respond thoughtfully and with compassion for ourselves, our communities, and the planet. 

Thank you to Jane for sharing her personal journey and for providing such food for thought on a Friday morning. You can learn more about Jane’s professional facilitation work on her website or on LinkedIn. Watch Jane’s full talk here.

[creativemorningsbogota]

ESCRIBIR PARA SER OTRO

Pido un taxi por una aplicación con el tiempo justo.  Al instante me confirma que un conductor se encuentra a 4 minutos.  Estos  se convierten en 8 y el vehículo continúa en el mismo punto del mapa.

Voy a llegar tarde.

Lo cancelo y pido otro que aparece en 3 minutos.  Minutos después, cuando el carro toma una avenida principal me encuentro con un trancón monumental.

Ahora si que voy a llegar tarde.

 ¿Qué hacer? Nada o, mejor dicho, aceptar la situación, es decir, lo que la vida le dé la gana entregarme.

Acceptance es el tema de mayo para CreativeMornings  y la persona encargada de hablarnos sobre él es la escritora Laura Ortiz. 

Laura estudió literatura en la Universidad Javeriana, trabajó como promotora de lectura y escritura a lo largo de toda Colombia y cuenta con una Maestría en Escritura Creativa de la UNTREF.

En el año 2021 la editorial Laguna Libros le publicó Sofoco, su primer libro de cuentos, que cuenta con ediciones en España, Argentina, Chile, México e Italia, y con el que ganó el Premio Nacional de Narrativa Elisa Mujica. 

Ya en El Jardín, el espacio anfitrión que por primera vez recibe a la comunidad creativa, aprovecho para conversar un poco con ella antes de que empiece el evento.

Le pido una definición de aceptación y responde: “Dejar de poner resistencia a los ritmos de la vida”. 

Laura afirma que no puede vivir sin las palabras y su lugar  preferido en la tierra es cualquiera en el que se encuentre Mostaza, su gato. “Dónde está mi gato está mi hogar”, concluye.

Le pregunto si tiene algún libro preferido y hace cara como de ¿Acaso está loco?, pues cree que es una pregunta que no tiene respuesta, ya que son muchos o, más bien, la respuesta cambia de acuerdo a la temporada y lo que esté viviendo.

Por eso me cuenta sobre lo que está leyendo o ha leído hace poco: “Ahora leo Yo maté a un perro en Rumania de Claudia Ulloa, que está muy chévere”. También me dice que hace poco leyó  El corazón del daño de María Negroni y Vista desde una acera de Fernando Molano Vargas.  “Creo que a él deberíamos leerlo más”, dice.

Si de comida se trata en este momento está fascinada con las frutas colombianas, en especial la papaya y la granadilla.

Ya son más de las 8:30 a.m y es hora de dar comienzo a la charla. Laura pasa al frente y lo primero que cuenta es que estudió literatura con la ilusión, mal puesta o extraviada, de ser escritora.

Ya en la carrera le tuvo miedo a la escritura, pues se dio cuenta que el ejercicio académico literario está muy separado de la vida y su realidad.

Se sentía frustrada porque sentía que no estaba haciendo nada que la conectara con su territorio, con su país. 

Por eso decide hacer un semestre social en Nariño, Pasto, con comunidades indígenas. Ese es un lugar que siente especial y en el que se cruzan muchas cosas: “En pasto puedes bailar currulao y música andina. Coexisten lo blanco, los mestizo y lo indígena. Es un volcán rodeado de lagunas. Es un lugar muy intenso en el que se reúnen muchas fuerzas del país”, cuenta en una entrevista.

Tiempo después renuncia y se va a Argentina detrás de un amor.  Allá atraviesa una crisis y se siente perdida, así que decide cursar una maestría en escritura creativa, pero más para hacer amigos y tener con quien conversar.  Al final  resulta ser una experiencia maravillosa.

Es allí donde escribe Sofoco, su primer libro de cuentos, como trabajo de grado, una obra que más allá del conflicto colombiano, tiene que ver con la esperanza o resistencia que cargan sus personajes. 

Laura se pregunta: “¿Cómo hice yo para aceptar las fuerzas creativas, exorcizar el miedo y darme voz nuevamente?”

Nos cuenta sobre María Negroni una poeta argentina que dice que la poesía es un monstruo de dos cabezas: pensamiento racional y una cabeza irracional e intuitiva.

La segunda, dice Laura, nos da miedo porque trabaja sobre lo indeterminado y el misterio. 

“Desde el colegio nos insisten en que hay dos tipos de escritura, la buena y la mala, y en la academia de literatura ese clasismo es mucho peor, pues se insiste en una jerarquía de buena y mala literatura que obliga a reverenciar a ciertos autores.”

“El papel de la racionalidad es peor, pues es la que a cada rato te dice: No tienes nada por decir. Esto es inmundo ¡bórralo ya! Todo ya está escrito, tú cállate, ¿qué vas a decir?”

“Gran parte del ejercicio creativo es aprender a lidiar con esa policía interior”.

Menciona la cita apócrifa que se le atribuye a Hemingway: Escribe borracho, edita sobrio, que puede traducirse como: El inconsciente escribe el consciente edita. Algo que se debe tener en cuenta al momento de escribir. “Si apuestas por una estructura muy precisa, no vas a permitir que el texto te diga cosas que tú no sabes.”

El truco en este proceso tiene que ver con aceptar perder el control de la obra y de lo que va  a pasar con ella, pues no hay manera alguna de controlar como va a ser leído un texto o si va a ser publicado o no.

La voz extraña

Laura nos habla de la voz extraña, un concepto que toca el poeta argentino Fabian Casas en su texto Perder el control, similar al que toca Rimbaud en su poema Yo es otro.

El poeta francés siempre trató de situarse fuera de sí mismo al momento de escribir  y pensaba que solo se puede comprender el mundo cuando se mira bajo los ojos de otro.

Con respecto a eso Laura piensa lo siguiente: “Trato que mis personajes sean el otro que me habita. Intento que no sea lo que yo me imagino que es un campesino en el páramo, sino que trato de dar un espacio hasta que empiezo a sentir una voz que ya no es Laura”.

Se trata de ver a la escritura como la voz extraña.  una voz que nos excede.  De esa manera escribir es escuchar, rendirse, aceptar lo otro que me habita.  “Mirar a la escritura de esa forma resulta liberador, porque se tiene la idea de que escribir solo consiste en decir cosas interesantes e inteligentes”, nos cuenta.

“Consiste en estar dispuestos  a ser atravesados. Dejarse atravesar por personajes, historias, por los otros, y eso es algo que da miedo.  Da miedo dejarse llevar por esa voz extraña, que tiende a  la locura, a fuerzas que nos sobrepasan.”

“Nunca descubriré por qué se escribe ni cómo no se escribe”, dice la escritora Marguerite Duras. “Escribo porque tengo miedo de escribir, pero tengo más miedo a no escribir”, refuerza Gloria Anzaldúa.

Laura cree que tenemos casi un deseo sexual hacia lo creativo, pero que nos da miedo relacionarnos con lo otro, porque sabemos que nos va a modificar de alguna manera.

Para finalizar su charla, nos invita a dejarnos habitar por el otro o la otra, que siempre tiene algo por decirnos. 

Creative Mornings le quiere dar gracias a todas las personas y empresas que hicieron posible esta charla: A El jardín por acogernos en sus instalaciones y brindarnos un delicioso desayuno; a Osa imagen por la producción audiovisual del evento; A Rafael Franco por el registro fotográfico, y como siempre a ti y a toda la comunidad creativa por sus asistencia y apoyo a cada evento.

Espera pronto en redes sociales toda la información del evento de Junio bajo el tema reverie (ensueño)

Escrito por Haki Storytelling.

[creativemorningsmontreal]

May ’s Theme is Acceptance.

Acceptance is the act of surrendering to our reality, without judgment or fear. There are many things in our lives that cause us discomfort or pain. We attempt to change or resist them, to no effect. So we wave a big stick, keeping them at bay like a wounded animal.

Acceptance is weaving into your story what once caused you pain — and still might, to this day. You welcome that creature into your home, tend to its wounds, and feed it out of your hand. Acceptance is knowing that this feral animal lives side by side with your tender house cat of a heart, always.

Embracing what cannot change can help you gather the energy to change what must. Accept these truths: you cannot make another person love or see you. You did not finish everything before the sun set on another day — and you didn’t need to. Every moment will pass, the blissful and the excruciating. It’s the hardest lesson, but one we need the most: the grace to let go. Our Lexington chapter chose this month’s exploration of Acceptance and Robert Beatty illustrated the theme. 

[cmbengaluru]

CMBLR #75 #CMSANCTUARY Defining a Sanctuary by Sanjeev Pednekar | 1Shanthi Road | 08.01.2023 | Organized by TEEPOI

Talk #75, where Sanjeev Pednekar (founder of Prani the Pet Sanctuary) will talk about Defining a Sanctuary, touching upon the complexities of wildlife conservation in the current day through his experience over the 15+ years in the fields of research, rehabilitation, education and other forms of environmental engagement.

Thank you to Suresh Jayaram for hosting us at 1Shanthi Road Studio Gallery

CMBLR #75 #CMSANCTUARY

[hebrewbyinbal]

Being creative in Hebrew! Singing, Dancing, or Painting. Which one are you or do you have a different way to create?

Comment Below and don’t forget to sign up for my new Hebrew Course at discounted savings!

http://kck.st/3H8kvGC

[creativemorningsseattle]

Join us for our next CreativeMornings Seattle featuring Angelina Villalobos Soto, as she explores the theme of Cycle. Angelina’s murals and public art have transformed spaces throughout Seattle, bringing community stories to life through bold color and immersive design, making art accessible and inclusive for all. Her work breathes life into the ordinary, creating connections that resonate with people of all ages. Discover how cycles in community, nature, and creative growth fuel Angelina’s continuous artistic evolution and leave a lasting impact on our city’s spirit.

Date: Dec 13, 2024 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM PST

Location: TBD

[creativemorningschicago]

What a morning hosting November's event! Special thanks to our venue, volunteers, global, and local sponsors for making this month's event happen. A special shoutout to Emma McKee for her inspiring dialogue on the theme #thread. See the rest of the magic pics ✨ 📸 from our Flickr taken by our fantastic #CMChi Photo Team: https://lnkd.in/geXV_EPb If your company, agency, or local business love what we do and want to support our chapter to generate future morning events, DM on our Instagram (@chicago_cm) or drop an email - chicago@creativemornings.com We are excited to hear from you!

[creativemorningstrn]

JONATHAN ZENTI on Thread

Jonathan Zenti è autore e progettista di contenuti culturali, in particolare audio e podcast. Ha lavorato a programmi radiofonici come Ad Alta Voce e TreSoldi per RAI Radio3, per BBC, CBC e ABC Australia.

Ha collaborato con podcast Statunitensi come The Heart, Snap Judgment, Heavyweight. È stato più volte finalista al Prix Italia, al Prix Europa e al concorso Podquest di Radiotopia a Boston. Ha vinto l’Hearsay Award in Irlanda nel 2015 e il Third Coast Award a Chicago nel 2018 con il suo podcast Meat.

Oggi cura la direzione creativa dei podcast di Internazionale e i suoi podcast TOTALE e Problemi. Problemi è anche il titolo del suo primo libro scritto per Blackie Edizioni.

Nei suoi lavori parla della complessità delle relazioni umane.

[creativemorningsfreiburg]

Hi, we're the CreativeMornings/Freiburg Chapter in Germany and we selected this month's global theme: CYCLE.

As a green city, Freiburg is filled with cycles - from the myriad of cyclists commuting every day to second-hand stores and flea markets to food sharing programs to innovative technologies that help reduce, reuse, and recycle.

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?

💚 Stay tuned to find out more! 💚

Big thanks to Isabell Meister, for this beautiful illustration that truly embodies the Creative-Freiburg-Cycle Spirit! Be sure to check out more of her designs and graphics here.

[creativemorningsbarcelona]

Colet Castaño es Partner & Project Manager Officer en Pocket Rocket Agency, y cuenta con más de quince años de experiencia en la dirección de proyectos creativos y de estrategia de marca.

Graduada en Creative Industries Management por la London South Bank University, ha forjado su trayectoria profesional en algunas de las agencias de branding más destacadas de Londres, entre ellas Design Bridge, Lewis Moberly y Pearlfisher, y más recientemente en Hey (Barcelona).

Colet se distingue por su habilidad para proponer y ejecutar con éxito soluciones creativas a las necesidades de los clientes, así como por su capacidad para liderar equipos multidisciplinares.

Colet Castaño en CreativeMornings

Colet compartir�� con nosotros los 10 Mandamientos del Project Manager - trucos y herramientas prácticas de gestión para potenciar tus proyectos creativos (y tu día a día).

[creativemorningsvancouver]

We are quite excited to host chef, restauranteur, 
author, and activist, Meeru Dhalwala, who will share her compelling story of creativity through the lens of June’s global theme ‘reverie’.

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Meeru moved from Washington, D.C. to Vancouver in February 1995 and has since been cooking and running the kitchens and menus at Vij’s and Rangoli restaurants. Vij’s has been hailed by the New York Times as “easily among the finest Indian restaurants in the world.” (Rangoli closed after 17 years in May 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic). Meeru also wrote all three award-winning Vij’s cookbooks.

In 2021, Meeru created a small community business built from her learned ethics in the food industry: My Bambiri (baby) Foods. My Bambiri sources from BC organic farmers and sells on income-based pricing: three price options based on a family’s specific finances. She has also partnered with Food Stash Foundation to sell My Bambiri at their markets for low-income families who face many economic and social barriers. In October 2022, Meeru relaunched her annual international food fair called “Joy of Feeding” that is held at the UBC Farm Centre for Sustainable Food Systems.

Meeru holds a MSc in development studies from Bath University, UK, and brings her passion for humanity into her business and cooking practices. She is one of Vancouver’s most prominent promoters of women in business, climate change and sustainability, and healthy-elegant cooking. She proudly sits on the Board of Directors for the Green Party of Vancouver. For her professional and community work, Meeru has received honorary doctorates from both University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University.

Every month we like to ask our speakers a handful of probing questions to give us a deeper glimpse into their life and relationship with creativity:

How do you define creativity and apply it in your life and career? I imagine and then come up with ideas. Lots of ideas, of which most aren’t realistic, but contribute to the final ideas that I/we can execute. I love the process of ideas popping or slowly coming to form in my head. I love the crazy ideas that are impractical and the ideas that could make stories if I were a novelist. I say the word “IDEA!” in the Vij’s kitchen and staff stops whatever we’re doing, get excited and hear the “IDEA!” Half of them result in all of us just laughing b/c while even saying it, I realize it’s not practical or just sounds silly coming out. My kitchen staff doesn’t rely on me to run the daily kitchen—cooking, ordering, loading, prep, etc.—but they rely on me for my “IDEA!” And if I love my idea, I don’t let it go.

Where do you find your best creative inspiration or energy? From running in my neighborhood—not any neighborhood or trail. Running is combination of my familiar surroundings and my body igniting me—my brain is dancing while my body is doing all the physical work. Whatever is on my mind—whether my family, trying to save some aspect of the environment, imagining being dead, imagining my comfort place on this earth, a work issue, coming up with recipes, etc.—it’s done with abandon while I’m running. Within 10 minutes, I lose myself in imagining, pondering…and daydreaming about my past in relation to today.

What’s one piece of creative advice or a tip you wish you’d known as a young person? Find a solo activity during which you feel abandon and…yes, lose yourself in reverie! I run. All those times when I was crying or stressed about my home life or school life, if I had gone out running and released that stress energy, the weight would have lightened and so many windows would have opened. Doesn’t have to be a physical activity—it can be knitting or drawing.

Who (living or dead) would you most enjoy hearing speak at CreativeMornings? George Eliot or Graca Machel. Intellectually attuned and gracefully passionate, brave women. Middlemarch is still relevant as a compelling storyline and observation on humanity’s social concoctions. Women and children’s rights activist Graca Machel was the First Lady of Mozambique at an important and crucial time. Her husband (the President) was assassinated via a plane crash. Later, she became the First Lady of South Africa, as wife of Nelson Mandela.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done? Fly to Vancouver from Washington D.C. to meet a guy I was talking on the phone with for a month (back in 1994) and, after spending 5 days with him, deciding to marry him asap. I left my hometown, friends and career in human rights and economic development to move to Vancouver. It resulted in a new and completed unexpected career, two beautiful children and 17 years of marriage. I don’t know how, but I grabbed the confidence in love before it escaped in the form of common sense.

If you could open a door and go anywhere, where would that be? My partner is a dry suit (meaning he dives in cold waters) scuba diver and travels to all waters of the world to dive, take photos. His “comfort place” in this world is the silence and being solo under water—complete opposite from mine. He lies there with his camera, watches and waits for creatures to swim, fully in zen mode. This level of silence and alone-ness intimidates and fascinates me. I would LOVE to turn myself into an invisible and weightless being, and be on his shoulder while he does this. I would not want to disturb his zen. For me, this would be like magically living in a dream.

What are you proudest of in your life? Giving motherhood my all, by which I don’t mean just love. The most important moment of my life so far is when I first looked down at my newborn and felt/saw the look in her wide eyes, settling on her mom’s face. I call this “Newborn Eyes”. Newborn Eyes are the energy of my personal life. I’m proud of fully and honestly engaging with my two daughters as humans and not as my extensions. I’m proud of calling them out on their shit and not worrying if they like me or not, or if they’ll rebel. I’m proud that I never stopped being me for the sake of being a mother.

If you could do anything now, what would you do? Have each human above the age of, say 6, in this world watch the animated documentary film “Flee” for its subject matter and b/c its engrossing storytelling. I want all of us watching at the exact same time so we are aware of sharing this experience together, as one. So, a bit of magic or super sci-fi high tech required here. Some of the bravest and most loving people in this world are “refugees” and “migrants”. These are labels for some, but for me they are my mom and dad.

What books made a difference in your life and why? The Employees by Olga Ravn. This book is potentially our real future with real humans co-existing with AI types of humans. It’s beautifully written. It’s a very short book and I read it twice in a row.

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Such an amazing turn out today for local creative Nikki Leone! Check out the pics by Fresh Look Photography here:

Creative Mornings VB: November 2024 with Nikki Leone | Flickr