CreativeMornings/Detroit

In 2008, Tina Roth Eisenberg, also known as Swissmiss, started CreativeMornings out of a desire for an ongoing, accessible event for New York’s creative community. The concept was simple: breakfast and a short talk one Friday morning a month. Every event would be free of charge and open to anyone.

Q&A Day is back!! We’re so happy that our speaker took some time this month to answer a few questions from CMDET and share what inspires her and keeps her here in Detroit. Please take this time to get to know a little about Heather and then join us on Friday at 8:30 at MRM McCann Detroit.

Why Detroit? What keeps you inspired here?The brightest sparks of inspiration I have ever experienced have always been after the moments in life where the tower crumbles. In the stillness and nothingness of the aftermath of broken building blocks that once held up as good enough; that's where real inspiration is finally able to come through. In those humble moments of vulnerability where the courage, resilience, and resourcefulness of the human spirit comes alive to create something out of nothing. To burn down and rebuild. To become obsolete and then reinvent. To die and create the energy to somehow be born again. Those are the stories that have always inspired me to produce anything of meaning and value in my life. The ones that reflect back the unlimited potential that lives within the human spirit. Born and reborn again out of humility, roundedness, and focus.  If the human spirit had a face, I imagine it would look as strong, beautiful, and inspirational as Detroit. 

What is your favorite project that you've worked on? One of the most incredible projects that I had the opportunity to be a part of was for Apple. We produced a short film that launched in January of this year called The Lonely Palm Tree, as part of Apple’s #shotoniphone campaign. It was the experience of a lifetime. I had the opportunity to travel across the globe to American Samoa with my team and dear friend of twenty years to tell the inspiring story of a young football player for one of the most progressive and well-known brands in the world. It was a life-changing experience that I will always treasure - a dream come true.

What is your dream project? I love travel, design, and beautiful experiences that inspire. Any project that allows me to tell stories within that space would be a dream. Boutique hotels that are luxe, laid back and focused on details: I’m looking at you. 

What do you do when you feel creatively stuck? I have learned that while it has always been my natural inclination to make things happen, when it comes to creativity, and most good things in life for that matter, you can’t force it. When I feel stuck, I slow down. I go on a walk. I sit in silence to meditate. I check in and see what I can do to take care of myself so that I can settle in and let the magic of inspiration do its work. If all else fails, I visualize this in my mind: a square peg and a round hole. It reminds me to assess whether or not I’m trying to force something to fit and refocuses me to take a minute to chill and get clear. Sometimes, inspiration just needs a gentle reminder to be still so that the right idea can come to mind. 

What goals or big events do you have coming up in 2019? The plan is to launch our own content series before the end of the year, focusing on topics from leadership and entrepreneurship to storytelling and creativity. The intention is to engage in conversations that inform, inspire, and create meaningful connection. Stay tuned!

Good morning, community!! It’s my second favorite day here at CM Detroit. It’s Q&A with our speaker this month, photographer Amy Sacka. We’re looking forward to her talk tomorrow on our Water theme, where she is sharing photos of her project on the ice fishing culture around the Great Lakes. We hope to see you all tomorrow @ 8:30 @ WeWork Detroit (Clifford Street). Bring your own mug or use one from our mug library. Also, bring one if you have one to donate. See you tomorrow! 

Why Detroit? What keeps you inspired here?

It’s my historic connection to place and my proximity to family. My grandparents lived on several of the streets within a mile of my house in Detroit. I can feel their history and it connects me to this place. This is the first place I’ve lived in that feels like home. Beyond that, I love that I know my neighbors, most of whom are dynamic, hard-working individuals who deeply care about the changes happening in the city. People are engaged here, that’s inspiring.

What is your favorite project you've ever worked on? What would be your dream project?

Every project is my favorite, because most of the work I do is personal. It means something to me, so I have a vested interest in it. As of now, I haven’t done a lot of work that has been assigned to me. I’ve done work that I’ve been personally attracted to, or that tackles the questions that I’ve been wrestling with. These are the kinds of projects I’d like to continue working on.

What do you do when you feel creatively stuck?

Grab camera, walk out the door, talk to strangers. The openness of individuals inspires me — when people share a glimpse into their lives through our interaction with the camera, that vulnerability and willingness to be seen inspires me.

Who is another creative person / organization in Detroit that we need to know about?

It’s our first Q&A day!!! We’re so excited to have artist Trae Isaac as our speaker this month. Please read below for what keeps him creating in Detroit and who else inspires him. See you on Friday @ 8:30 @ Bamboo Detroit. 

Why Detroit? What keeps you inspired here?                                              This is my birthplace first and foremost, also I’ve grown to understand and accept Detroit as not just a city but a training ground that develops dense character and a sense of grind or hustle. My inspiration to create has always come from within, however Detroit keeps me inspires me to be more creative from a business standpoint as there is a wide demographic of people from various backgrounds and cultures. It is my responsibility to make myself and my brand not only dissimilar in presentation, but also universally acceptable because of such.

What is your favorite project that you've worked on? To date my favorite project was my first painting to be featured in a museum, in 2016 I created a piece called “The Master” that hung inside of The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. That piece is particularly special not just because of that, but also it took me over the course of 2-years to finish, which to date is the longest I’ve ever taken to complete a painting.

What is your dream project? My dream project is to have the opportunity to mural-wrap an entire buildings exterior, covering every surface possible from ground-to-roof. What do you do when you feel creatively stuck? Personally I’ve been blessed with a seemingly unlimited stream of creative inspiration. Amongst the many lessons I’ve learned throughout my life and career, I was taught to “have multiple irons in the fire” when it came to diversifying my time and talents. That, coupled with the fact that I always challenge myself to never be unilateral in my creating, almost ensures that I never lack inspiration to get the process going. However a piece of advice I can give for those who may have blocks at times, it is always best to break your comfort-zone and challenge yourself to create based on different feelings/events/situations. That way you open yourself to thinking differently and eventually creating differently. What goals or big events do you have coming up in 2019? Through the entirety of 2019 I’ll be releasing new collections of art monthly based on the various elements I’ve mastered throughout my over 10-year career as an artist. The Collection of Shows is called “The Divine Dozen”, and each show takes place each month of 2019. I’ve chosen to do this as not only a challenge for myself, but also to raise awareness of my brand and talents. I strongly encourage any art enthusiast or appreciator to come view the beginning of the Divine Dozen on January 26th (info on www.TraeIsAAc.com)

Please join us as we kick off Creative Mornings Detroit 2019 with our first talk. Artist Trae Isaac will be speaking on the theme of surreal. We will be at Bamboo Detroit on January 25. Doors at 8:30 / Talk at 9:00.  To learn more about Trae, read his bio here and check out his website at http://traeisaac.wixsite.com/traeisaac/about

See you on the 25. 

We’re shaking things up here at CM Detroit for next month’s “talk.” 

It’s Q&A day!! We love talking with our speakers about what inspires them and why they love Detroit. Please enjoy this month’s conversation with our speaker musician Jan Thompson. We look forward to seeing you this Friday at WeWork (Clifford St.). Doors at 9! Bring your own mug. 

Why Detroit? What keeps you inspired here? The determination and grit of the people and the reinvention of the city.

What is your favorite project you've ever worked on? What would be your dream project?

My favorite project so far was the album I recorded with my husband "West" released in 2004.   My dream project would be to perform my own songs with a full orchestra.

What do you do when you feel creatively stuck? Go to a place of beauty and listen to music where I become engulfed in the moment.  

We are excited to have musician Jan Thompson join us next Friday (November 16) as our speaker. Please visit her website http://www.janthompsonmusic.com/about 

Jan Thompson is a singer, songwriter and performer who has played shows in the UK, USA and Japan.

​Her musical journey began in the late 90s and was inspired by the artists of the original Lilith Fair including Jewel and

Sarah McLachlan.  The 2004 release of the album Maple Street West demonstrates her love for the simple acoustic styles of the American songwriters of that period.

​Over the last two decades Thompson has focused on her musical development through instrumental and vocal study in the styles of jazz, blues and pop and has shared her knowledge and joy of music with others as a vocal coach.

​Most recently Jan realized she needed to devote her time to creating new material and spent time in California writing and performing.  Her latest songs, including Moving in a Direction (about her year rediscovering herself) are soulful, thought provoking and authentic and are strongly influenced by today's contemporary artists Mary J Blige, Sam Smith, Ellie Goulding and Birdy.

​Her future aspirations include the desire to incorporate and produce electronic styles in her material born from years of listening to Imogen Heap and Goldfrapp.

It’s Q&A day: my second favorite morning of the CM month!  Every month, we ask our speakers to answer a few simple simple questions so we can learn more about what inspires them and to be inspired. We’re excited to welcome Jim Hume as our speaker this month. Please join us tomorrow at Belle Isle Aquarium at 8:30 for his talk on Honesty. See you soon! 

Why Detroit? What keeps you inspired here? 

 I love the combination between creativity, grit, and work ethic. This is a place that simply gets stuff done, and we make an huge impact on the world, yet we just wake up the next morning and do the next thing. Our reward is the work itself. It's inspiring to see the entire area embrace that spirit.

What is your favorite project you’ve ever worked on? What would be your dream project?  

 If you asked me years ago, I would've had a list of projects at the ready. Now, it's more about the singular project of building a company capable of daily improvement. I love walking in and seeing how our team thinks. My dream project? Anything that allows us to elevate, motivate, and inspire - and gives us the freedom to do our thing.

 What do you do when you feel creatively stuck? 

 I shift to the other side of my brain. I do all those little tasks that are more checkbox-driven to clear the runway. Then I generally work myself into a zone and just start jotting things down. It either starts to click or it doesn't. If it doesn't, I'll try again later. Creativity cannot be forced or fought with. It just needs to arrive.

Who is another creative person / organization in Detroit that we need to know about?  

Happy October, friends! 

We here at Creative Mornings Detroit are thrilled that it’s Fall, our favorite month of the year. (Well, so says our host Anne Marie at least). We began the year going through a lot of changes. It’s been a wonderfully rich experience but also  a challenge to define our voice and the tone we want to project in this new phase of our chapter. 

Our speaker this month is someone who knows this challenge really well. He’s built an exceptional career in guiding companies to define their brand and lead with the honest expression of their core truths.  We hope to see you on October 26 at our new venue, The Belle Isle Aquarium. 

It’s our favorite day (okay, evening, this time) where we feature the Q&A with this month’s speaker. It’s one of my favorite things because we always feel inspired and learn about new artists to follow. Please enjoy and then join us Friday morning at 8:30 at Floyd Detroit for Drifter coffee (woot!), bagels (probably), and cool people (definitely).

Why Detroit? What keeps you inspired here? 

Detroit is the place that first inspired me to be creative, driving in from the suburbs as a teenager to see rock shows or hang out in art galleries. That energy I felt then, that positive force of people coming together for the art of it, it’s still here, and it’s why I’m here 20 years later, and what keeps me sticking around. What do you do when you feel creatively stuck? 

I go for a walk, without my phone, without music. Just me and the neighborhood sounds. I practice walking meditation, and incorporate intention into the walk. It works every time. What would be your dream project?  I would love to produce a multimedia festival celebrating writers, poets, and storytellers, highlighting their talents in the way musicians are celebrated regularly. Who is another creative person / organization in Detroit that we need to know about? 

What a summer it’s been!! Many of you are getting ready to go back to school, end vacations, and get back to that vacation-days-at-zero work life. Life can get pretty chaotic. We feel you. And in that vein, we’d love to have you join us to hear the very talented Patricia Wheeler talk about Chaos on September 21, at 8:30. You know her from hosting Detroit’s Moth events and just seeing her in all her fabulousness wheeling about town. ;) We’re super excited to work with Floyd as a new venue sponsor and to welcome back Drifter Coffee as our coffee sponsor. Yay for Fall in Michigan.

“Being the Queen is not all about singing, and being a diva is not all about singing. It has much more to do with your service to people. And your soul contributions to your community and your civic contributions as well.”  ~ Aretha Franklin 

We love this quote about community from Detroit’s very own Queen of Soul. Fostering a creative community is one of the fundamental drives of Creative Mornings. We here at the Detroit chapter are honored to have Amanda Lewan be our speaker this month on this important theme. Today, she shares some of her thoughts on Detroit and creativity. Please enjoy, and then join us Friday morning at Bamboo Detroit. 

Why Detroit? What keeps you inspired here? I love the community in Detroit. Everyone here is friendly, supportive, and often committed to helping on another grow. That's what drew me in and why I'm here. 

What is your favorite project you've ever worked on? What would be your dream project? I love alllll my work. Every project helps you continue to get better and better. I'm not sure I have a dream project outside of what I do every day :)

What do you do when you feel creatively stuck? I usually read, go for a walk, or de-compress. Sometimes taking time away from your project helps you get re-inspired. 

Only a few more days until our July speaking event!! We hope you’re able to come out and join us. It’s one of our favorite non-lecture days here. Q&A day, where our speaker answers questions about life in Detroit and what keeps them creative. Calvin is a “jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none.” And that’s just the way he likes it. There’s always more he can learn about the world and about how people live their lives in it. He is the host of Leading Questions w/Calvin Moore, a moderated roundtable discussion about ongoing issues in our culture. Additionally, in the summer of 2017, Calvin and his wife, Jennifer, started The Dinner Detroit, a weekly, themed potluck-style dinner where they welcome friends, family, and total strangers to their dining room table for a meal. Please enjoy the Q&A. We’ll see you Friday at Lululemon Detroit @ 8:30!