I don’t know how to put this… but… they’re kind of a big deal.
Everyone in Vancouver knows that Thursday is when the Georgia Straight comes out. It’s a staple in coffee shops and offices, it’s the go-to rag for left-leaning rants, arts reviews, who’s hot, and the goods on music, events, and other local on-goings. The cover of the latest issue features chef David Robertson (Dirty Apron Cooking School) and it suddenly struck me… in the last few months three CREATIVEMIX alumnists (keynote speakers from either our 2009 or 2010 conferences) have be on the cover of The Straight! Steven Cox (Cause+Affect) and Dan Mangan (New Album – Oh Fortune) make up the rest of this cover boy trio.
I think that’s pretty damn cool.
I don’t really have a point here. I simply wanted to mention that our keynote speakers, both past and present, are top-dogs in Vancouver and we’re very proud, and honoured to have such a great roster of local talent who are willing to share their insights on creativity and collaboration. Each year our speaking team delivers the goods and I’m really excited about this upcoming conference! I hope you are too!
Hey – I wonder which of our 2011 speakers will end-up on an upcoming cover of The Straight?
Hello. You’ve reached THE CREATIVEMIX HOTLINE, to learn about this year’s conference please press #1.
Oh man! We’re so freakin’ excited! November 3, 2011 is the day that creativity and collaboration collide in Vancouver in the name of helping creative people gain the inspiration and insights they need to thrive as artists and services providers. This is a cross-industry, non-profit-meets-business-sector mash-up that is unparalleled in Vancouver. It’s a professional development day and a creative showcase like no other.
Back for its third year, CREATIVEMIX will be held at the Roundhouse Community Arts Centre in Yaletown and it’s going to be bigger-n-better than ever! The team behind the conference is the same but with one very special difference – the event is now proudly produced through the innovative and dynamic theatre company Boca del Lupo.
There’s a TON of info to come, including the Open Call for Submissions to have your creative project or business featured in the CREATIVE EXHIBITION and the speaker roster of course! Be sure to follow the updates on the blog, on Twitter, or Facebook.
And because it’s fun… I did want to mention something that made us smile: Anoop Aulakh (Co-Founder of QuikPiq.com, Advisor at SIFE Simon Fraser, and a cool social entrepreneur guy) had this to say about his time at CREATIVEMIX:
“CREATIVEMIX provides a new way of looking at what a conference can be. From the speakers to the delegates, CREATIVEMIX brings together people from different spaces who are clearly passionate about what they do. Looking forward to seeing what next year brings!”
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.
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!
A Post-it Note from the giant sticky comment wall at CREATIVEMIX 2010
The reviews are in. Here’s what people had to say about their experience at CREATIVEMIX 2010:
“CREATIVEMIX is a great place to network, get inspired and tap into the creative community in Vancouver. We had a blast and are already looking forward to next year.” – Christa LeCraw, VanArts
“Creative inspiration! It’s mishmash of fresh ideas and perspectives, good ol’ fashioned creative fun.” - Kim McMullen, Flipside Creative
“It was a well planned event that had good energy within a casual atmosphere. There were lots of people interested in what was actually happening and what people had to say rather than just passing out cards to try to make their own thing happen; people seemed to understand that sometimes it’s nice to make something new together.” – Steve Wright, Sound and Music Workshops
“Very inspirational! A great way to meet a diverse collection of people from a variety of backgrounds with common interests and inspirations. Definitely a good place to be. We need more of them – how about two or three a year?” – Sushant Sound, MetroLeap Media
“I found CREATIVEMIX a fresh approach for people who do creative work. By bringing in people of different artistic/creative disciplines it’s a great way to hear about and learn about how others work. Stimulating!” - John McLachlan
“Very interactive and the presentations give people a new perspective on ways to view and interpret new and different ideas. The speakers do a fantastic job of putting the audience in their shoes and describing how they use their creativity to achieve success in specific industries. Makes you think. Inspiring. Enough said.” – Kira Campbell
“CREATIVEMIX is innovative and unique in the way we’re encouraged to share and collaborate with other creatives and bring everybody to the same level. There is no “I’m at the top of my class and I am speaking down to you, because I know it all”. The environment is very open and driven towards personal as well as community success. I came away inspired, excited, ready to create and collaborate!” – Sharon Barnes
Just a quick shout out to our amazing partners The Roundhouse – CREATIVEMIX is on page 14 of the Fall/Winter program guide. We think that’s totally awesome! The Roundhouse is a beautiful venue and is a perfect fit for our conference; we’re just so darn glad for their involvement. So, if you’ve got your hands on one of those mags then be sure to turn to page 14, made a big nodding motion with your head and say “Mmmmmm… interesting!” really loud.
This is the second CREATIVE TALK VIDEO from 2009. There were 11 keynote speakers at CREATIVEMIX last year this was the talk that got it all going. Enjoy and share!-Corwin Hiebert
David Aiken (AKA The Checkerboard Guy) is a comedy juggler who’s passion for being on stage has lead him to come up with creative ways to ensure that being on stage happens on a regular basis. In his CREATIVEMIX 2009 talk David spoke on Finding Convergency When Juggling Creative Ideas.
Be it in the designing and building of his shows to his pursuit of performance opportunities in various markets (everything from street performances to working with Symphony Orchestras) to how he promotes himself to these markets, creative thinking is at the heart of identifying the challenges involved and coming up with innovative solutions. So clearly we had to give this guy a mic; besides, anyone who’s been able to make a living as a juggler for 28 years must be doing something right.
One of the great things about his keynote presentation is that he kicked-off the inaugural conference. His energy and insights were a perfect fit to launch the event and to get everyone engaged with what we wanted to accomplish. You can learn more about The Checkerboard Guy at: checkerhead.com
In about two weeks we’ll be spreading the word with this groovy poster! We’re really excited about the look and feel of this year’s design as it’s playful, eye-popping, and gives passer-byers a great snapshot of what to expect. If you want a poster of your own simply reach out and ask otherwise, keep an eye out for them and be sure to point at it and say in your outside voice “WOW! CREATIVEMIX! Neat. I’m going to go to that cool looking conference!” Thanks to the team at Hangar 18 Creative Group for their inspiration and effort in making this stunning visual tool.
The conference is coming together fast and furious! It’s less than three months away! We’re just a few days away from finally being able to announce our speaking team – yahoo!!! You’re going to LOVE the line-up! We’re still accepting creativeEXHIBITION proposal submissions (until Sept.17). We’ve got other groovy news about sponsors and partners coming up too. One thing that happened awhile back has gone unannounced has been the addition of Destin Fall Haynes to our social marketing team! My bad.
Last year we tried Facebook advertising and we quickly abandoned it as it just seemed to pushy and desperate. In stark contrast, we really enjoyed the organic, and supportive nature, of our Twitter feed @CREATIVEMIXca. What I mean by supportive is that through the cunning use of RTs and ‘follows’ we were able to help other creative people, projects, and events spread the word about what THEY were doing. Besides – it’s just plain ‘ol fun! That felt like a much better way to meet the needs of Vancouver creatives while at the same time giving people a chance to check-out what we’re doing. In preparation for this year’s conference I wanted to continue that trend of helping other local creatives but I knew I needed help; enter Destin:
Destin is a lover of the written word and a social media aficionado. By day she contributes her communications skills and pr savvy to the non-profit world – helping to make the world a better place one tweet, post and like at a time. While comfortable using 140 characters or less she can also be found conversing and sharing her thoughts in formats permitting higher character values – like on her blog, I do, Vancouver . Although she revels in conversation in the online realm she would rather meet you face to face over a cup of coffee or a pint of dark beer – preferably locally made!
Together, Destin and I Follow, RT, DM, @Reply on @creativemixCA. We’re likeminded creatives and I’m thrilled to have her on our team.
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.
This is the first of many CREATIVE TALKS. There were 11 keynote speakers at CREATIVEMIX ’09 and we’ll be sharing many of those presentations over the next few months. Enjoy and share!-Corwin Hiebert
David duChemin is a world and humanitarian photographer, best-selling author, and international workshop leader. David uses his powers for good and not for evil. David is a lover of the creative process; his CREATIVE TALK at CREATIVEMIX ’09 was about Creativity within Constraint – unpacking why we’re more productive and ultimately more creative when we have deadlines and boundaries on our work.
Though his examples come from a photography workflow he leaves his craft at the door in favor of taking on creativity at large. Regardless of trade or role everyone will be able to take away something learned, inspiration, and you may even envision collaborating with a photographer in a new way.
In preparation for this year’s conference we’ve been brainstorming on ways to spread the word and continue building the brand of CREATIVEMIX. Some of the questions we’re asking are: Should we do the 100% recycled coffee sleeves again (they were cool, useful, but were a lot of work to distribute)? What about posters? Facebook ads are so 2007, should we just tweet our blog posts instead? How can we generate love and web traffic for those who help spread the word? Do you think people would join an affiliate program if we give them $10 for every ticket they helped us sell? How much is a colour ad? You’re kidding, right? And so on, and so on.
Now, for whatever reason, my brain got sidetracked the other day with all of the things that I HATE about events (and event-related marketing) and I went OFF on a mental tangent that produced some totally useless but funny images (at least to me, I giggled as I photoshoped). So, I’m going to call this a little window into everything that I think is sick and wrong with respect to events. Here’s some event promotion FAIL items that I’ve received in the past when attending an event, conference, or tradeshow – I thought it would be fun to stick our graphic on them; a couple at the end are just for fun – I got carried away.
Stress Squeeze Toy
Silly Putty
Logo Launcher
Game Cube
Frisbee
Credit Card
Snuggie Blanket
Pack of Smokes
Now I have to get back to work. The moral of the story is: cut out the crap.
We’re going to continue with what we did last year: keep things simple like not giving people a name badge or a printed program and making everyone use ceramic coffee cups filled with Ethical Bean Coffee – that kind of stuff. How we’re going to get people there is still being worked out. Chime in if you like.
So if you’re planning an event do the world a favour and don’t destroy the earth one tchotchke at a time. If you need gifts or giveaways for your event be smart and order it from Saul Good Gift Co.
Posted by: Corwin Hiebert [This post can also be seen on The Red Wagon Blog]
Hey! Get out and buy art on June 26, 2010! The Cheaper Show is an authentic highly-acclaimed, experiential event and we’re totally going! You should come too!
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!
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
Big news! CREATIVEMIX is coming back for another round! Thursday, November 4th. Remember that. Write that down. Tell other people.
Now, you’re probably wondering what’s happening and who’s speaking . . . well, we can’t tell you that. There’s a lot we can’t tell you right now but not because we don’t know. Well . . . maybe it’s because we don’t know, or maybe it’s because we’re busy connecting and collaborating with a lot of cool peeps right now and it wouldn’t be fair to let the cat out of the bag. There will be interesting and useful updates every couple weeks from here on out so be sure to sign-up for our e-mail newsletter (or the RSS feed); that way you don’t miss anything. We’re aiming to launch the program and open registration May 1st.
We CAN tell you that we’re adding workshops and will be hosting a contest for the exhibition. Oh, and the conference will again be at the cool-n-funky Roundhouse Community Arts Centre! Helpful eh?
Here’s what people had to say about their experience at CREATIVEMIX 2009:
“This was a day of mind-expanding learning experiences. I’m glad I came. Thanks!” – Mary Mahon Jones
“Working in a creative field is one thing, but learning how to connect with other creative people in other fields and getting to broaden your experiences in an overall creative community is something quite spectacular.” – Ewan Johnstone
“It is a collaboration for generating and indulging in new ideas! It is a way to connect yourself to your creative passion and with others who share it.” – Cecilia Daude
“CREATIVEMIX was an awesome mish-mash of creatives from all over Vancouver doing all sorts of things that you wouldn’t expect you could make a living doing. I got so much inspiration and I loved the approach that was taken.” – Colleen Keith
“We attended CREATIVEMIX for some “inspirational disruption” and were happy we did! It was a great reminder that as creative professionals we’re part of a vital, interesting community, and that it’s important to not only stay connected with this community, but indeed reach out to foster new relationships.” – Ryan Thompson
“Vancouver has been starved for this kind of conference that happens here and is about here. We need to stop identifying ourselves just with our amazing geography and start sharing how the creative mix of people are truly this city’s killer app.” – Darren Roberts
“The quality of speakers was impressive, the topics engaging, the organization outstanding, and registrants were taken care of at every turn. From the flowers to the fruit to the lounge, it was like you were at a friend’s house. Everything was comfortable, well thought out, and my brain is still processing the plethora of images and information. I am definitely looking forward to next year’s conference.” – Carol Fergusson
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.
Big news! CREATIVEMIX is coming back for another round! Thursday, November 4th. Remember that. Write that down. Tell other people.
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