(Photo by Sandy Carson.)

Meet our most recent #CMugshot, Kate Abel! Kate is a reference librarian at the Austin Central Library, where she loves being involved with the Zine Collection, Seed Library and apl unbound: sin fronteras book bike. She spends her free time biking, gardening, and swimming.

What’s one thing you’ve been inspired by lately?

Something I’ve been inspired by recently is our partnership with the Central Texas Seed Library and the circulating seed collection that we opened in January on the 6th floor of the Central Library. People can check out up to four seed packets at a time and if they’re successful at growing plants from the seeds, they can bring us new seeds to add to the next generation for people to check out. With this program, we promote sustainability and self-reliance and create a sense of community around gardening in Austin.

What’s one way you feel weird and how does that inspire you?

I’m a little bit weird in that I bike everywhere I go. It’s inspiring because it’s good for human health and for the planet. We hear every day on the news about climate change and declining human health and it’s easy to feel like we can’t possibly overcome these problems as individuals. Biking is a great small step for me to do to personally contribute, be visible and encourage others as well. For anyone who wants to get started with biking, there are a lot of group rides you can join in Austin so that you have fun and feel comfortable traveling on two wheels.

Where do you go to get inspired?

(Photo by Manny Pandya)

Meet our most recent #CMugshot, Andrea Flores! Andrea is a doctoral student researching how Latinx populations in the United States use social media to organize politically and socially.

Prior to UT, she worked in visual effects and animation at Disney, WB Animation and Digital Domain. She's a board member of Techquería, a national non-profit organization that works to increase the visibility of Latinx in tech, and helped organize the first Startup Weekend: Latinx in Tech Edition.

What's one thing you've been inspired by lately?

I'm insanely inspired by my Techquería Slack community and the discussions I have with other board members. We're focused on creating meaningful partnerships for our members and our Latinx community overall: whether that's local Latinx vendors to provide food at our meetups or highlighting Latinx talent at major tech companies, our goal is to show that we're here and doing some really awesome things.

It's exciting to be at a point in my life where I have a space where other people look like me. I've found a community finally. In the Slack community, there's somebody there all the time who gets it. It's helpful for people younger than me who can grow up with this and for the people who are older who finally have it. We want everybody at the table.

What's one way you feel like you're weird and how does that inspire you?

I have an encyclopedic knowledge of pop culture. I've been surprised with how much I can apply this knowledge to my research. With everything you're taking in, you never know what's going to connect back to your work.

Where do you go to get inspired?

My grandparents' house is my place, my safe place, it's where everybody gathers. It's community and warmth and home.

When I'm traveling, it's bookstores and museums. I have to leave extra room in my suitcase when I go on trips because I always come back with five more books!

Connect with Andrea

(Photo by Manny Pandya)

Meet our most recent August #CMugshot, Taichi Kozaki! Having volunteered with our chapter in the past and with two years as one of the main organizers at CreativeMornings/London under his belt, this friend of ours isn’t new to the scene. 

When he’s not working hard as a Senior Experience Designer at R/GA, you can spot him cycling around the east side or catch him at Fast Folks Cyclery & Cafe on east Cesar Chavez. To get on his good side, you may want to come bearing gifts: specifically in the form of tacos involving migas, bacon, avocado, or really... anything.

What's one thing you've been inspired by lately?

Simone Biles's quote: "I'm not the next Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps. I'm the first Simone Biles."  

What's one way you feel like you are "weird", and how does that inspire you?

When I meet someone new, one of the first things they try to do (besides trying to pronounce my name correctly...) is to guess where I am from. And people often have a hard time getting it right. It is mainly because I speak American English with a thick Japanese accent and occasionally say British things like "flatmates" "lift" and "jumper." 

I've moved from a city to a city quite a lot for the past 10 years. At each place that I lived in, I have met so many amazing people, they introduced me to the new culture, music, art, food, and all other wonderful things. These years definitely shaped me to become who I am now, and I think my weird accent is the reflection of my life story. And all of these experiences remind me that there's so much potential in our life and inspire me to work hard, play hard and make my life more interesting every day.

Where's one place in the world that is "weird", and what do you love about it?

It would be Granada in Southern Spain. I felt that the city was kind of similar to Austin, actually. There's live music everywhere you go, people are super friendly, and AMAZING food. But the most interesting thing about Granada is it's unique cultural backgrounds. You can experience Arabic-influenced architecture, gypsies-inhabited caves, and thick Iberian culture, and cool evening breeze from the Sierra Nevada, all in one day.

Connect with Taichi!

Jess Warren likes to start her day drinking coffee, exploring her neighborhood, and/or joining creative morning meetups (like yours truly!). As a full-time freelance graphic designer/consultant and July's #CMugshot, Jess creates logos, menus, marketing materials, wedding invitations, and games. When she's not designing, she's out and about Austin, enjoying a run around Lady Bird Lake or exploring the beautiful gardens and patios this city's restaurants have to offer. 

What place (in the world) do you love the most? 

I want to say the southern coast of Spain (it's definitely up there!), but it's probably the Frank Melville Park on Long Island, NY. Only a short walk from my childhood home, the park has a pond full of geese, swans and turtles. There is a beautiful bridge, a marsh, a bird sanctuary, and a water mill. It's where we would take family photos, where I learned to enjoy running, and where I discovered photography. This park has meant a lot to me over the years.

What are some of the favorite, random things you love?

While I am in love with beaches and their salty skies, I also adore the character of mountains and the vastness of deserts. I love the beauty of street art, abandoned buildings, and alleyways. I also love hosting people, dancing for no reason, and that feeling just before you fall asleep.

Connect with Jess!

CreativeMornings Profile | Twitter | Instagram | Blog | Portfolio

Before Nat Wittstruck reaches for a chorizo, potato, and queso fresco taco, it’s coffee first (and cold brew at that). This design director for GPJ Experience Marketing is our June #CMugshot and no stranger to the beloved Austin haunts: you can find him at Waterloo Records (without dogs) or the fantastic Contigo (with dogs).

What's one thing you've been inspired by lately?

The possibilities of MagicLeap mixed reality technology. TV. Internet. Smart Phones. ML is next and its awesome to ideate it’s ramifications.

What in your life is more beautiful/whole when broken?

In experience design, I’m constantly working to get people to break out of their comfort zone - to have an unguarded, immersive experience. Call these ‘wet’ experiences, where it’s that moment when you’re out in the rain when you stop caring that you’re getting wet – you just are, and in that acceptance, have broken into a new mental state. On the flipside of this, I am passionate about delivering work to break client expectations. Experience design is the intersection of architecture, behavioral psychology, sculpture, graphic design, language, live events, interior design, and so many other creative mediums, all with their own instruments and techniques. Taking your client to unconventional combinations of these mediums pushes your partnership forward, alongside the industry, where I am continuously inspired by the work of those daring to break from what is expected of a brand or company.

Connect with Nat!

CreativeMornings Profile | LinkedIn

Inspired by our friends at CreativeMornings/Austin, we’re bringing you some new content on this here blog! We’re calling it CMugshot. 

Just five events in, CreativeMornings/Indianapolis already has a fantastically engaged community, so we decided to highlight one of your shining faces at our event every month. We’re dubbing it #CMugshots. So, get your profiles in tip-top shape and you could be the next feature on our blog.

To kick things off, we’re starting with our glowing volunteer, Lauren Fields. 

Lauren Fields

What’s your day job? In-house design, marketing, and social media for a soy sauce company. Which works out well considering how much I love Asian food!

What’s your favorite breakfast food? Toast. Lately it’s topped with almond butter, honey, apple slices, and cinnamon.

Where’s a place you’d stop on a free afternoon in Indy? PRINTtEXT. Periodicals, a cozy couch, a pup, and great company. Plus it’s close to so much good food and is a refreshing bike-ride from downtown.

What’s one thing you’ve been inspired by lately? Travel. I feel inspired when I’m free to explore new places, meet new people, and gather new ideas.

In spirit of the March theme…What is the last project in which you used ink? I recently started a daily sketch project. I try to keep it less than 30-minutes, and so far it’s everyday items found in my apartment.

Connect with Lauren!