We heard about Natalie Purschwitz a few months ago but during a CREATIVEMIX meeting earlier today her name, and her MakeShift project, came up in conversation yet again as a great example of creative people doing creative things right in our own backyard. Seeing how she’s fresh on the mind I’d better pass this along quick before I get distracted again. Check it out! -Corwin Hiebert
MakeShift is an art and research project that examines the relationships between ‘making’, ‘clothing’ and ‘living’. The basic premise for the project is that for a period of one year starting on September 1st, 2009, Natalie wears only things that she’s made herself. That’s right – she’s working diligently to make all of her clothes, socks, shoes, underwear, coats, jackets, hats, bathing suits, accessories and anything else she might need to protect her body from the elements while trying to lead a fulfilling life.
Why is she doing this you ask? She’s hoping to gain some understanding of the limitations of clothing and how they affect the development of ideology. Wow. We thought this was a craft project, guess not. Natalie is striving to examine the role of clothing as a form of cultural production.
She’s also got a great online store for those who want to save themselves the hassle of sewing, gluing, weaving, stitching, and molding their own wardrobe – it’s called Hunt & Gather.
“OnGray was a project that developed simply from the desire to do something random and creative with friends.” – Dave Delnea
Creative collaboration is a huge part of Delnea’s work. As a photographer and creative director he’s one of those true creatives, a real artist that loves playing and working hard at his craft. I’ve known Dave for about a year now and I can honestly say he’s brilliant, a real creative visionary. What stands out to me is that he doesn’t create in isolation – he’s always looking around to find collaborators.
The original concept behind OnGray was that Dave would get a few friends together and shoot a few pictures in front of a gray backdrop. It turns out a little vision goes a long way. As the idea developed it started to take on a bit of a vintage feel and soon involved stills, motion and a cast/crew of about 14 people. Dave’s posted the images in his Project Portfolio and there’s a fun behind the scenes video below too. I was involved at a production level – I’m the dork int he blue stripped sweater.
What I love about being around Dave is that he craves creative experiences in community. He’s passionate about getting to hang out with fun and brilliant creative people, being inspired by people with skill sets completely different from his own, and to be part of creating something that’s beyond what he ever could have come up with himself. If that doesn’t deserve a CREATIVEMIX shout-out I don’t know what does. You might remember Dave from last year’s CREATIVEMIX – he hosted the Photographer’s Den in the Exhibition. If you weren’t there then you have no idea what I’m talking about – but don’t feel bad. Nudge-nudge, wink-wink, know what I mean, eh? eh?.
It’s no secret – VancouverIsAwesome.com is totally awesome. Last year when we were spreading the word about the first CREATIVEMIX they took up the flag and waived it wildly in support of the conference. For that – we are forever grateful. The man behind it all is Bob Kronbauer and this post is to simply say THANK YOU TO BOB! Over the past few months VIA has become a staple in the Vancouver arts and culture scene, and my browser homepage, and for what it’s worth I just wanted to send a shout-out to our friend Bob and his amazing team of contributors and to remind people that they operate as a non-profit so… donate generously as you’re able (let’s micro-payment them to death)! Want to get to know Bob a bit better – visit the archives.
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.
Need some creative inspiration? Check out Chinatown’s hidden gem BLIM, a community-based art resource centre that can feed nearly every creative craving you have – especially if you’re of the crafty variety.
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
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
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.
I can’t stand it! I can’t stand it no more! There’s two kinds of people in Vancouver: people who know about Pecha Kucha and people who don’t (don’t even get me started on TED). It’s not that I’m angry at PKN virgins I just think they’re missing out big time.
Now, if you haven’t heard of Pecha Kucha then this post has come at the right time for you, trust me. Here’s what you can expect: there are multiple presenters (hailing from design, architecture, art, culture, activism, fashion, entertainment, you name it) and each presenter is only allowed 20 images, each shown for 20 seconds each – giving 6 minutes 40 seconds of fame before the next presenter is up. It’s highly entertaining, very inspirational, and in Vancouver it is usually at the uber-cool Park Theatre on Cambie Street where the beer flows (and the bottles roll down the isles every few minutes – Steven loves that part, I don’t know why). I’ve been three times so far and for $10 it’s a great night out.
Coming up on November 26th is Volume #9. The line up looks spectacular.
Chris Staples (Rethink)
Vancouver 2010 Design Team
Sarah Bancroft (vitamindaily.com and CREATIVEMIX speaker too!)
Tom Pedriks (Haymaker Creative)
TJ Galda (EA Canada)
Su-feh Lee (Battery Opera)
Elvy Del Bianco (Vancity)
Anne Pearson (Vancouver Special)
Michael Ziff (Hip Baby and Camp Moomba Yogathon lover)
Stephanie Hodges (Vitalis and Camp Moomba Yogathon lover)
So what are your plans this Thursday night? You know, that night of the week where you want to celebrate the fact that the next day is Friday, the day before the lovely Saturday?
Those who choose to register for the conference portion of our little event are in for a real treat. From 4:45 – 6:30pm, DJ Joel Armstrong (House/Melodramatic Popular Song/Techno) will perform live in our MIX Lounge for the Think & Drink reception, bringing us a cool vibe to wrap up a super rad day!
Okay, so for many of us the weekend isn’t actually the weekend, but who doesn’t need an excuse to party right?!
CREATIVEMIX is almost here! In just 24 hours Vancouver’s Ideation Conference will be underway and it’s shaping up to be an amazing day!
24 Hours Vancouver has published a piece on the conference (page 5) — just look for my pensive “Sssshhhhh… I’m thinking!” headshot — and it’s a great piece about the event. Terry McBride drops some very encouraging words and it really gets the vibe across.
So there it is. Creative math. 24 x 24 = October 22. Ha! I’m hilarious.
Okay, now let’s get on with it! Eileen and I have lived, breathed, and bled this thing and with one day left we can honestly say that we’re crazy-excited to see this event come to life. Bringing together Vancouver’s creatives in a “meeting of the minds” is one of those never-quite-completed tasks, but we’re having a blast doing it! Yes, we “think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.” At this point, all I can think about is the Think & Drink.
Thanks to Kristen McKenzie for writing a great article and Editor-in-chief Dean Broughton for being our champion.
Businesses are successful when they’re committed to their people — when they invest in the development of their employees. If you manage a business and want to motivate or reward your employees, then think CREATIVEMIX instead of a fruit basket or pizza day. Yeah – it’s just two days away but hey, won’t you look like the cool boss! Here are some great (and some lame!) reasons why you should register your staff for Vancouver’s Ideation Conference.
5 GREAT reasons to send your employee(s) to CREATIVEMIX
Inspiration. You need a big idea and you need it now! Your staff will hear twelve in-depth talks on the nitty gritties of creativity, inspiration, and working outside the box. Maybe they’ll just come back with exactly what you need!
New connections. Collaboration is the name of the game. It’s not just about networking and generating sales leads anymore (that’s so 1998). Your team will mix and mingle with other top creative minds, which could lead to alliances and new business in areas that may surprise you.
Energy booster. Are your peeps stalling on a project or stuck in a rut? Give them some positive reinforcement – this will get the wheels turning for sure.
Cutting edge. How cool will you be sending your staff to an ideation conference? Who does that?! You’d stand out from competitors as an innovative company doing everything you can to get the creative juices flowing.
It’s local. Sure, you could spend thousands sending your crew to some status-quo conference in Vegas, or wherever, but the service providers, connections, and content will all be out of context. You need to inject some “local” into your business AND you don’t have the budget to send them out of town anyway.
5 TOTALLY LAME reasons to send your employee(s) to CREATIVEMIX
Extra space in the office. You want to move some furniture around or practice your Rockband guitar licks without anyone around. We get it. Get rid of them for a day.
More coffee for you. Your tired of sharing the coffee pot. Finally. . . a day when you can make the coffee the way YOU like it!
Stop the whining. They are getting on your nerves. Mask your frustration with a pro-d day and enjoy some free time from all the annoying questions and complaints.
Exit strategy. You’re going to fire them anyway but you need some time to plan the big boot. You can’t have a war room meeting when they’re within ear shot!
Laundry money. When trying to balance the books you found some fiscal discrepancies. To cover your tracks you need to spend some money quick.
Please call Corwin at 604-803-2019 for more information regarding group rates.
Sweet justice. Okay, I know it’s a stretch but it does feel like a wrong has been righted. Okay, so there wasn’t really a “wrong” at all, but now something is definitely right. I was a paper boy in elementary school, and for a little too long into Jr. High too (didn’t know it wasn’t cool anymore until it was too late). I delivered the Vancouver Sun and for 6 days a week for 4 years I’d stack my paper basket 4-feet high (yeah, that’s right, a paper basket, on the handlebars of my Sears-brand mountain bike) and I’d bring the news to the world (AKA the subdivisions of Chilliwack and the 55+ condos of Clearbrook). Today is a sweet day because today, Saturday, October 17 2009, I’m IN the newspaper.
The justice continues because I’m not really the subject–that would just be cruel–but rather CREATIVEMIX is in the spotlight and Marke Andrews covered all the bases with his pair of articles about the conference. I was surprised to read the reference to Wayne Gretzky by Terry McBride. Brilliant! I didn’t think we could work in hockey and The Great One into the promotion of this creative gathering but leave it to Terry to dial into Vancouver’s touch point. So, if you’ve picked up your paper from your porch, then keep an eye out for the articles. If you don’t get the paper delivered, much less have a porch, then you can read the articles online:
With the Vancouver International Film Festival coming to a close this Friday, you might mistakenly think that the cool screenings have come to an end, that you didn’t get your fill, or that you missed your chance completely. Fear not. The CREATIVEMIX Exhibition includes a mini theater where we’ll show short films by local directors. Exhibition-only tickets are FREE (if you sign-up online by October 21st) so there’s no reason to miss out. Learn more about our short film showcase here.
Here’s are two films that we are excited to include, both of which have been screened at the VIFF:
This short film is written and directed by Alan Miller. It’s based on a short story by Saki (AKA H.H. Munro) called “Sredni Vashtar.” The film is a darkly comic tale about a young boy who uses his imagination to fight the oppressive rule of his uptight guardian, Miss Anthrop, and is Miller’s “first” film. The quotations mean that the line between being a filmmaker and being an aspiring filmmaker is getting pretty blurry these days. If you want to get really technical about it, he’s been making films ever since middle school when he got his hands on the school’s first mac. But “Conrad the Wise” is a bit different in that he had, for the first time, the aid of a crew. And a budget. And a script. Ah… the sweet joy of funded collaboration.
In true CREATIVEMIX form, this film is the result of the contributions of people from all over the Vancouver film industry; from old pros, to film students, and one very talented kid. Miller managed to get the thing done without paying full price for anything, and without making too many enemies (as far as he knows…). The short of it is: it’s a tale of imagination, revenge, and hot buttery toast. You’ll love it.
Allison Beda, writer and director, calls a spade a spade with this witty and masterfully edited short about the rise and demise of a long-distance relationship played out over a game of tennis. What better way to answer the ultimate question, “Why is it called love if I’m losing?” than through–yep, that’s right–poetic tennis and dance. Brilliant.
Beda (Tea Party, How To Be A Model) worked with producer Stephanie Symns (ControlAltDelete) on this project. It was choreographed by Claire French (artist in residence Leeds University UK 2006-2007), scored by Leo award winning composer Teresa Connors (Dog Boy, How To Be A Model) and photographed by cinematographer James Liston (ControlAltDelete). The film features dancers Delia Brett and Daelik (who are the dance company Machine Noisy) and the voice-over was performed by recording artist Adrienne Pierce (songs from her album Faultline have been featured on The L Word, Veronica Mars and Grey’s Anatomy).
What do good coffee, local radio, and live music have in common? Oh come on people!
So if you haven’t heard yet, our CREATIVEMIX Exhibition includes the Mix Lounge, where you can enjoy some good coffee . . . we’ve told you about the coffee . . . and meet some new peeps. But what we haven’t told you is that you’ll also get to experience live performances by some amazing local talent.
For those of you who are tuned in to the newest and coolest local station here in Vancouver, 100.5 The PEAK, you will have heard of a little thing called the “PEAK Performance Project.” This is a seven-year, $5.29 million contest open to all musicians in BC, and was created by 100.5 The PEAK and Music BC to develop BC based emerging artists. To say the least, they hit the mother load right off the bat and we are ecstatic to have two of the finalists performing at CREATIVEMIX this year. Let me start with Ben Sigston.
Ben is one of those rare artists who can capture an audience’s attention with only a piano or acoustic guitar. He crafts melodic gems that work as well stripped down as they do produced with a full band. His early works, filled with bright, tasteful piano playing, weeping Beatle-esque guitar lines and instantly memorable vocal melodies, found instant success with numerous placements in both TV and film. A 2007 development deal with Warner Music put Sigston into contact with producer Warne Livesey (Midnight Oil, Matthew Good). The two discovered that they shared a common musical vision and enjoyed collaborating, and so decided to work together to record Ben’s first EP “Free Now.” It is Sigston’s unique ability to marry the abstract with the well-crafted pop song that makes him such a unique addition to the current crop of singer/songwriters.
Not to mention he goes great with an Americano. Mmmmmmm!
Ben will perform in the MIX Lounge on Thursday, Oct.22 at 10:30am and exhibition-only passes are $10 (but they’re FREE if you register online here.
I just swung by The ARC Cafe to get my afternoon coffee (a triple long-shot espresso made to perfection) and had a great chat with the owner: Joe. I brought him some coffee sleeves, of course, and I learned a bit more about the cool creative community they have at The ARC.
The building has 80 artist live+work studios at the corner of Powell and Commercial and attracts all kinds of artsy-fartsy types: sculptors, painters, musicians, actors, potters, performers, etc. The units are spacious with great views and the building has the types of things working artists need: a freight elevator, wide halls and doors, sound proof walls, and of course one can not be without, a kiln, wood shop, metal shop, dark room, dance room, and a 24-hr LOUD music practice room. The real cool thing about The ARC is the community. Residents collaborate on projects, join forces to host events, and support each other in the creative life. Sounds like a GREAT place to live.
I also stumbled across Lourdes Lara’s blog, an Honduran-Canadian ARC resident who is an painter, sculptor and multimedia artist. Very cool work.
CREATIVEMIX speaker Kelly Deck is presenting this weekend at the Interior Design Show West (IDSwest) – Western Canada’s annual premiere residential design show. Kelly will take the stage at 12:15pm on Sunday. IDSwest is a great event featuring 200 exhibitors showcasing quality products and services to an audience of industry professionals, architects, designers, consumers and media. Learn more at IDSwest.com
Okay, let’s face it… buttons are cool. I remember collecting buttons when I was in elementary school and they were nowhere near as cool as they are today. Do you remember those really big ones? As a 10-year old I had these massive buttons from events like EXPO 86 and by my favourite pop stars like Corey Hart; I think I even had one of the A-Team… or was it Airwolf?
Buttons have evolved… big time, but thank goodness they’ve gotten smaller. And what’s really cool about living in this modern age of buttonness (fake word) is that anyone can make them! Artists and nerds, social activists and marketing wizards, anyone and everyone can make their own one-off button, a collectors series, or a gang-run of thousands. I had some made for the Camp Moomba Yogathon back in 2008 and they were so much fun to share and use as a conversation starter. Personally, I don’t wear them on my clothes but I like sticking them to a bag or on a cork board. I think a jean jacket is the ideal “canvas” for 1-inch buttons but I haven’t worn a jean jacket since 1988 (forgetting, of course, the denim relapse of 2003) so I’m not likely to start flashin’ the hot action at my next meeting any time soon.
Well, if you haven’t yet guessed where I was going with this… on October 22nd you’ll be able to make your own buttons at CREATIVEMIX! Chris Bentzen, from This is Plan B, will be bringing his button making magic to the Creative Exhibition so we can all get in on the action! How cool is that!
Special note: CREATIVEMIX is more than a conference, there will also be a Creative Exhibition which will be open to the public. Visit the Exhibition page to learn more about the hands-on stations like button making, painting, and photography. As well, if you want to show off your own creativity (or that of your company) please contact us right away as there’s limited space for exhibitors.
Posted by: Corwin Hiebert
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Check-out the action from the 2008 event
Now, whether you’re an artist, a button-wearing junkie, or just a curious creative you’ll want to attend their big event coming up. Here’s the details:
Event title: Hot One Inch Action
Date: Saturday Nov 7, 2009
Time: Trading starts at 8:00pm
Location: W2 @ Flack Block Gallery (157 Hastings)
They’re bringing together 50 artists, 50 buttons, and some hot button trading action with Vancouver’s hottest art audience. Conceived by Jim Hoehnle and Chris Bentzen in 2004, Hot One Inch Action is the original, one-night only show of art, music and social interaction.
The original work of fifty different artists will be chosen to be presented on one inch buttons. These one inch buttons are displayed on the gallery wall and the audience is offered the opportunity to buy randomly selected buttons in bags of five. If the bag purchased does not have the desired button, you are invited to trade with the people around you. How bad do you want that button?
Chris and Jim are now accepting submissions. It’s free to submit artwork and chosen artists receive 20 free copies of their button. Only one submission per artist. Check out details on hotoneinchaction.com. Submission deadline is Friday October 30 at noon.
Steve Martin is one of the most diversified performers and this is truly a rare opportunity to go behind the curtain with this amazing comedian, actor, author, playwright, producer and musician. Pre-sale tickets are now available to comedyfest club members.
So, here’s a CREATIVEMIX shout-out to the team at Destination Funny for bringing this inspiring entertainer to Vancouver.
Be there or be square (and leave your banjo at home).
Have you read Tribes by Seth Godin? I just finished this bite-sized book, my first by Godin, and though I’m not all that keen on the writing style (a bit too blog-ish) I do feel it was time well spent. I love to read and sometimes when things are busier than normal it’s nice to have a light book that can spark ideas, drum up good feelings, and give a little positive reinforcement along the way; Tribes did this for me.
Since starting my own event production company I’ve never been busier than this past month (Camp Moomba Yogathon & GeoWeb – just two weeks apart). The next big event on the calendar is CREATIVEMIX and I just can’t switch gears that fast (yogi-fest to geospatial uber-tech to artsy-fartsy think tank) so I needed something to ease my brain into a place where I could make that transition. I needed an exercise that would help me prepare for the next 10 weeks of planning. Ultimately I needed to focus on what truly matters when it comes to working towards CREATIVEMIX: building community.
I loved reading Tribes because it spoke directly to the unique planning effort for CREATIVEMIX (and gave me a buzz word to attach to all this work, hehe). We’re calling it Vancouver’s Ideation Conference but it is much more than a conference. The event, by its nature, requires the existence of a community – both before, during, and after October 22. In the spirit of all things Godin, it requires a tribe in order for it to be successful, to truly contribute to the lives of creative people.
The scary part is… one just can’t create a tribe. Despite all the high praise for social and viral marketing it would be foolish to think that we could spontaneously muster up a group of people that want to attend an event like this. Even if we could it’s not how we’d want it to happen – generating demand is overrated with respect to event marketing, meeting demand is vital. When Eileen and I birthed this event (read Behind it All) it came out of a desire to simply connect our creative friends together. That’s it. We’re surrounded by so many inspiring people that it felt like if we don’t do this we’ll miss out on all the fun. When we started planning CREATIVEMIX we’d talk it up with friends as well as people we had just met to see what the response would be and it was clear right from the get-go that it resonated with people (phew). Since January we’ve dedicated ourselves to the discovery of, and connection to, as many local creative leaders and tribes as possible. How fun is that?!
The result has has looked, at times, like we’re pulling together a macro-tribe, though that sounds grander than necessary, even a bit cyborg-ish, sorry. The fact of the matter is: creative people want to be around other creative people and we’re honoured to contribute to that cause. Godin says that “Tribes are about faith – about belief in an idea and in a community” and our hope is that CREATIVEMIX will be a gathering of Vancouverites who share our passion for, and dependence on, creativity, creative expression, and idea making. We want to celebrate and foster the cross-pollination of creativity. We want to see as many tribes come together as possible so that each person can take their own creativity to the next level and contribute to the growth of their own tribes.
We’re having a blast discovering all these tribes, especially the heretic leaders behind them, and we’re really excited about how this CREATIVEMIX community is coming together.
Tell us about your tribe! Okay – now it’s your turn. Our city is full of creative groups, clubs, teams, companies, meetups, projects, charities, schools, and clusters of friends that feed and grow the creative spirit in Vancouver. We want hear about them all! Leave a comment below, send us a DM (@CREATIVEMIXca), or post a comment on our Facebook Fan Page and tell us about the creative tribe(s) you lead or are a part of.
I realize Dirty Apron Cooking School was just mentioned in the July Mashup post but we’ve received word this morning that they’re opening up the school this Saturday (August 8, 2009) for a sneak peek so we’re spreading the word. From 2-5pm be sure to swing by for the open house. It’s at 540 Beatty Street (between Dunsmir & West Pender, one building North of Chambar Restaurant) to check-out the store, the school, and meet the gang behind it all… especially chef David Robertson. Eileen and I will be there; hope you will too.