Eileen Rothe getting the back story from Drew Young

We took in the IDEA Grad Show last night and all I can say is WOW! Each and every time we connect with that crazy group from the North Shore I’m inspired and amazed; they’re likeminded folks for sure.

The depth of creativity that IDEA graduates bring to the table is exceptional and the diversity amoung the group is really something special. What stood out to us this year was how eloquent the new grads were. They spoke about their lives, their work, and most importantly their process and they left us with a deeper impression of who they are and what they offer the market far more than any promotional effort could ever pull off.

That’s where the rubber hits the road as far as I’m concerned: talk about the process I always say (well, I’m saying it now anyway).

When artists and creatives want to market themselves they often make the fatal error of either 1. hiding in a closet (believing their work will speak for itself) or 2. they talk about the end result and how awesome it is (a noisy and desperate plea). The “true” artist and the shameless self-promoter are not all that effective at trying to elicit curiosity in their work or generate demand for their creative skills. Both of those approaches fail to create genuine interest.

In a market full of other talented souls the battle to garner attention is hard. From my perspective, what is, in fact, interesting about creative work, is the process. HOW they arrived at the final result is what makes me pay attention.

“Story” is always a good way to approach a marketing effort but I’ve been increasingly intrigued by raw guts of the creative process and I’m attracted to creatives who can expose themselves and their methods (or chaos) in order to share their creative spirit.

Take Drew Young for example. Sean Carter (Hangar 18 Creative Group) pointed him out to us and so we buzzed over to his display. Within seconds he was telling us about how he went about creating a collaborative illustration project that wasn’t even featured on his wall! Brilliant!

My advice? Be like Drew.

If you don’t know much about the IDEA program then here’s a snapshot: IDEA is a career-based three-year advanced diploma program offering instruction in both communication design and applied illustration. This dual curriculum sets IDEA apart from other post-secondary design programs and gives graduates a lifelong edge in the job market. In this demanding, full-time cohort program, students gain a strong theoretical foundation and learn how to develop and apply concepts, manage complex projects and meet current industry expectations, both creatively and technologically. To find out more about the IDEA program and its graduates visit capilanou.ca/idea.

So, a shout out to the IDEA grads for all their hard work – we wish you continued success; to the faculty… you’re doing important work, thank you for your leadership – the quality of the Grad Show is a reflection of your dedication to excellence and community.

Speaking of process, if you’re working on a creative project or entrepreneurial endeavour and you need help taking it to the next level… you’ll want to check out the Connect, Learn, Grow workshop series by Emotus Operandi. It’s happening Saturday, April 30th on Granville Island and you can register here.

Posted by: Corwin Hiebert

Thanks to everyone for the great feedback! The program has been set and Emotus Operandi has opened registration for the April 30th workshop event Connect, Learn, Grow! You can register on their Evenbrite registration page.

It’s happening at The Hub meeting space (on Granville Island – above Sammy J. Pepper’s) and it’s going to be a great day of connecting and learning together. The sessions are specifically designed to help you, and your creative project, grow and thrive. Each workshop is 75-minutes and they’re only $20 each (discounts apply to 3+ workshops). Here’s the what’s on the program:

1. Action + Planning. To get something done, you need a plan. But sometimes the plan becomes the biggest obstacle to actually getting things done? This session provides tools for balancing big picture vision with concrete, on- the-ground action to make real progress towards important goals. Learn how to create an action plan to keep you motivated and performing.

2. Karma, Love and Money. Freelancers often have trouble putting a price on what they do. This workshop blends concrete tools (setting an hourly rate, price ceilings and floors) with some high-level concepts (value, calling, balance) and provides an opportunity to do a little math while having some deep conversations with peers.

3. Good Enough Business Plan. Everyone says you need a business plan – but what do you really need? This workshop focuses on the value AND the limitations of business plans. We’ll help you figure out how to plan, without getting stuck in the planning.

4. Action Ninja. It’s one thing to have a great idea, and quite another to make it happen. This session provides you with tools and techniques that help you break big ideas down into manageable action items and then unleash your inner Ninja to overcome barriers and actually get things done.

I’ll be there. I hope to see you too!

- Corwin Hiebert

Out of the shadows we come! It’s been a few months since the November conference and though we’re not quite ready to announce the details regarding the 2011 conference we are able to pass along a GREAT opportunity for you to check-out.

CREATIVEMIX is proud to sponsor Connect, Learn, Grow - an inspiring and invaluable day of action oriented workshops hosted by Emotus Operandi.

We are sponsoring this event, in part, because you asked for it! After all the praise and love and gush-gush from last year’s conference died down we were able to gather some precious feedback regarding the needs of local creatives. What we heard was: you want more ideas on how to move a creative project forward (personal or business), you want to build collaborations and put some concrete tools in place so your project(s) can thrive. So we’re doing just that.

This interactive day of workshops will be on April 30th and we think you’ll want to be there. The day is all about you and your project, but to make this work we need to hear from you! What will make the day most useful for you? Please take a moment to fill in this quick, informal survey by clicking the “Choose Your Own Adventure” button below. This survey will give you a chance to help create the workshop program and make darn sure the day delivers the goods for YOU. Check it out!

Slideshow:

CREATIVEMIX 2010 – Event Day from CREATIVEMIX on Vimeo.

Flickr Set (by Jeremy Lim):

VanArts CREATIVEEX Display – Stop Motion Clip:

Stop-Motion Jam @ Creative Mix 2010 from VanArts on Vimeo.

Mighty Ugly CREATIVEEX Display – Time lapse:

Sharon Barnes Blog Post:

Leah Gregg Blog Post:

Think about that for a second. Access to instructors and courseware that normally costs hundreds to thousands of dollars can now be enjoyed from the comfort of your own computer without spending a dime! Crazy I tell you!

So, for example – next week: May 11th there’s “Photoshop to HTML” by Erik Fadiman and May 12th is “Fundamentals of Digital Photography” by John Greengo. Later in May is “Android Java Apps” and “Watercolors 101″. Programming AND fine art? Yep. Where else can you get premium training that’s live, interactive, and can be experienced in your PJs!

And HEY! GUESS WHAT?! CREATIVEMIX’s very own David duChemin is leading a course in late June called Vision-driven Photography. If you’re the curious and/or untrusting type and you want to know what ‘the catch’ is… the not-free part is if you didn’t catch it live and you want to view the course after the fact, that part is pay to play. No problem.

The sign-up process is super simple and they are very respectful of your information; they use your email address to send you reminder emails with important class links on the day of the class. During the class you use GoToWebinar and you can ask questions in real-time! The classes are presented in the QuickTime format.

Here’s Chase’s launch video:

Posted by: Corwin Hiebert

The Cheaper Show removes barriers between talented emerging artists, buyers, curators, gallery directors and collectors, creating new channels for engaged interaction. How cool is that?! And, it’s no small time affair, they showcase hundreds of multi-disciplined artists, based solely on their artistic merit, offering the works at one affordable price (every piece is $200), regardless of market value. What started as a modest show created by three artists needing a platform to display their art, The Cheaper Show has grown in to the largest, single-night, cultural art event in Western Canada.

Here’s a CREATIVEMIX shout-out to our friends and fellow art-makers+lovers at the Cheaper Show. See you there!

Posted by: Corwin Hiebert

The Cheaper Show No. 9 from The Cheaper Show on Vimeo.

We were honoured to have the IDEA crew at CREATIVEMIX this past Fall and getting to meet a bunch of them was an absolute thrill. They love what they do! They’re so freakin’ passionate about design, art, and creativity that I can’t help but want to be around them (maybe it will rub off). When it comes to creative marketing I thought their “Win Free Ideas” contest – see video below – was awesome! What a killer way to get industry experience and promote the program.

IDEA is a career-based three-year diploma program offering instruction in both communication design and applied illustration. This dual curriculum sets IDEA apart from other post-secondary design programs and gives graduates a lifelong edge in the job market. In this demanding, full-time cohort program, students are given a strong theoretical foundation and learn how to develop and apply concepts, manage complex projects and meet current industry expectations, both creatively and technologically.

The grad show is a chance for graduates to exhibit what hard work and sleepless nights can produce! We support sleepless creatives! The Capilano University IDEA Program Grad Show 2010 is happening next Monday; I hope to see you there.

Posted by: Corwin Hiebert

BLIM is truly one of these great spots that we can’t do without. What stands out to me is that it’s not just a funky store – it’s a place to gather and learn – check out their amazing workshop schedule. Now, I wouldn’t go as far as to call myself crafty, so you won’t see me in a knitting class anytime soon, but screen-printing and button making? Oh yeah – I could rock those!

Here’s a little more about BLIM: it’s been in the heart of Vancouver’s DIY Main Street district for five years (yeah, that’s right, a DIY district – how cool are we)? BLIM is a non-funded arts facility run by and for artists and community. It is made possible because of the hard working Yuriko Iga, Noel Macul, and all their awesome volunteers. BLIM also raises funds by collaborating with various organizations both in the arts, media, and community field such as Powell Street Festival, Public Dreams, Langara Institute, Emily Carr, New Music Vancouver, and VIVO.

Here’s a few of the accolades BLIM has received:

“Best Low Profile Event Space” – Vancouver Magazine

“Best Innovative Arts Space” – Terminal City

“Best Place to Whip up some Art” – Georgia Straight

So… what are we waiting for? Let’s go BLIM!

Posted by Corwin Hiebert

It’s here! Tomorrow is the big day! And unless you’re one of the luck 100 people allowed to attend you’ll have to watch from the outside. But don’t dismay. Keeping an eye on the real-time tweets, blogging, and webcast videos via the TEDxVancouver website should satisfy your TED cravings, at least to some degree.

And in case you missed it – did you see the speaker lineup?

• Neill Blomkamp, Film Director
• Kevin Carroll, Author, Speaker, Agent for Social Change
• Cheryl Cran, Leadership and Generations Consultant
• Guy Dauncey, Speaker, Author, Organizer
• Alden E. Habacon, Author, Speaker, Television
• Henry LaBounta, Director of Art, Academy Award Nominee
• Terry McBride, Music Entrepreneur
• Nicholas Molnar, Web Strategist
• Patrick Moore, Co-Founder Greenpeace, Environmentalist
• Bryan Slusarchuk, Environmental Venture Capitalist
• Marc Stoiber, Founder, Change Advertising

And they’ve got performances by Cris Derksen, Cellist, and Shamik, Beatboxer too! Cool.

There’s also a TEDxWhistler happening in the Whistler Village Feburary 18th (during the 2010 Games) – how great is that! We’ve be TEDized.

A hipster bomb went off in Mount Pleasant! Oh man – the Tangents Art Show was tonight and it was a major hit! Great art, killer DJ, wicked room (Lifetime Space) all brought to you by Jeff Hamada (Booooooom.com) and the Lifetime Collective. We ran into some CREATIVEMIX peeps (like Dave Delnea) and enjoyed the commute to/from (a brisk walk just 5 blocks from our pad). Groovy Friday night out.

Posted by: Corwin Hiebert