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We’re excited to explore the theme of Matriarchy with our next speaker, Zoë Pawlak.

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Contemporary artist and industrial designer Zoë Pawlak is known for her evocative and intuitive command of colour, material, and composition.

‘A mother and leader, Zoë guides with confidence and humility, with a commitment to expand what’s possible — for her clients, ourselves and those who intersect with her vision. Raising two kids and creating a successful studio practice as an entrepreneur at the age of 24, her deep faith and spirituality have been essential touchstones, helping her weather the inevitable ups and downs as an artist. In 2018, Zoë recognized her unhealthy relationship with alcohol and found sobriety.

How do you define creativity and apply it in your life and career? When you monetize how you’re creative, it shifts your relationship to art making. Why you create changes everything about what you make and who you make it for. My business is largely based on customer love and excellent service. To reconcile this with a creative life, is quite the feat.

Where do you find your best creative inspiration or energy? I listen to a lot of music. I love exercise, it keeps the blood flowing.

What’s one piece of creative advice or a tip you wish you’d known as a young person? Save money. And keep asking for help. I had a LOT of good mentors along the way.

Who (living or dead) would you most enjoy hearing speak at CreativeMornings? Tom Waits. Wait, would that be interesting? Hard to tell.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done? Cliff jumping in the Philippines.

What’s your one guilty creative indulgence? I’m currently writing a pilot and have NO idea what I’m doing and it’s an indulgent blast.

What are you reading these days? Dare to Lead and Pleasure Activism (both SO good).

What fact about you would surprise people? I think people assume I’m brave. I am scared all the time.

How would you describe what you do in a single sentence to a stranger? I’m an industrial designer and painter, making custom, original artwork for private clients and interior designers.

What’s the most recent thing you learned (big or small)? Easy does it.

If you could open a door and go anywhere where would that be? Chile back to my family there.

What keeps you awake at night? My cat.

What myths about creativity would you like to set straight? You have to work for it. Good work ethics promotes good work. This is not a cruise. Also, I love this talk.

Who has been the biggest influence on your life? What lessons did that person teach you? I look to many strong, female, creatives who have paved the way: Missy Elliott, Anne Lamott, M.I.A., Erykah Badu. To thine own self be true and that this is not only creative work, but that there’s power in the paving of a creative career.

What are you proudest of in your life? My kids being kind and the young people who have worked with me claim they learned something.

Where was the last place you travelled? New York three days before shut down.

What was the best surprise you’ve experienced so far in life? Sobriety, I never thought that would happen to me.

Where is your favourite place to escape? My studio or Naramata.

What was the best advice you were ever given? Listen to your life.

What books made a difference in your life and why? The Untethered Soul, again and again and again. Too many to count. Winners Take All, Just Kids…the list is endless. Being a READER has made the biggest difference in my life.

What practises, rituals, or habits contribute to your creative work? A strong, consistent-but-fluid morning routine and constant snacks.

When you get stuck creatively, what is the first thing you do to get unstuck? Call someone funny.

If you had fifteen extra minutes each day, what would you do with them? We have the same amount of hours in a day as Beyoncé.

What has been one of your biggest Aha! moments in life? Knowing that I am unconditionally LOVED by God/Universe/Love etc.

What is the one question we haven’t asked that you want to answer? Are you afraid of dying? Working on it.

🎶 This month we are excited to be joined by Rap & Soul singer Missy D.🎵

Missy D is a bilingual female emcee who was born and raised around the motherland and represents a blend of African cultures in her life-force and in her music which is a blend of Hip-hop and R&B she calls Rap & Soul.

Help Dedicated CMVan Volunteer, Gary Jones, Heal (donate to the GoFundMe)

Asian Heritage Month at the Vancouver Art Gallery (May 11–25)

Flamenco Nights at La Fabrique St-George Winery (May 11 & 18)

"Level Up" by CreativeMornings (May 5–June 24)

Zee Zee Theatre and The Cultch present: ‘Every Day She Rose’ (May 1–11)

Luma Undertones at Ashdale Gallery (May 2–18)

EXchanges2025 Workshop: Weaving New Legacies of Knowing (May 10-11)

Upcoming Events at DesCan (May 7–22)

Creative Operations Meetup (May 9)

Art on the Wall: multisensory experience and painting workshop (May 21)

Likemind Vancouver: Coffee and Conversation (May 16)

Attend a Virtual FieldTrip: Shake, Rattle & Flow - A Sun Salutation and Plank Party (May 22)

First Saturday: Visit artists where they work (June 7)

Live Show Featuring David Ward at Artech Gallery (June 8)

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“Creativity is your ability to produce something that comes from within”

Meet Nina LaFlamme, a remarkable photographer from the picturesque landscapes of Squamish, BC. She is a visionary who passionately believes in the profound significance of human connection within her artistry.

Nina’s childhood was spent amidst the great outdoors, camping with her family, and indulging in sports like soccer and competitive rock climbing. Her fascination with the world’s wonders was nurtured by National Geographic magazines and looking through her mom’s old film photos.

Nina’s mom always brought her to art galleries which taught her the value of art at a young age. Nina was gifted a camera as a teen and from there, her photography journey truly began. Now, Nina shoots full-time and wishes she had taken that leap sooner.

Can you tell us about your approach to photography?

“There is a lot of communication and empathy that happens. I try hard to make people feel comfortable and like this is not transactional. I recently had feedback from a muralist I photographed that it was really nice that I first chatted to connect, and that it was a lovely experience that didn’t feel like the camera was around. I’m not using my camera as a barrier and hiding behind it, and that makes people feel more comfortable.”

What is your definition of creativity?

“Creativity is your ability to produce something that comes from within. If you’re imagining or feeling something, it is your ability to translate that into whatever medium you choose. Someone who is creative is bringing something out of themselves and putting it into whatever they are doing”

Tell us a story about how creativity has helped you overcome adversity in your life.

“I have gone through chronic depression, and a huge escape is going out hiking in the mountains and tuning everything out. My camera drives me to go out to those places of peace. Photography is my tool for processing it. Battling cynicism and climate anxiety is my major drive for everything that I photograph. How can my photos strategically help people that are doing great things or how can my photos capture a landscape that needs to be protected and appreciated? How can my photos highlight the great work an organization is doing so they can continue and get more funding? This work helps me feel like what I am doing is making a difference."

Can you dive deeper into how you use your photography to have a positive impact?

“The whole thought process started right before the pandemic when I got to photograph for a project with a nonprofit that sent me to Ghana and Sri Lanka. Taking those photos, connecting with those people, and seeing how my photos were utilized, I realized the impact I could have, and I realized that I could do this with so many different subjects. For example, local agriculture and food systems are industries that I am really passionate about. Not to get too into the weeds but we know that our food consumption habits and where the food comes from affect our carbon footprint and local economy. I choose to work with restaurants, farms, and NGOs that work tightly within that local space, and I want to support those amazing businesses. Finding out that I can help a movement of localization by highlighting it and making it look great encourages people to support and follow the movement.”

How has your creativity shifted and evolved?

“I’ve become a lot more critical of my work to push myself to improve. I spend a lot more time agonizing over all the little details. That in a sense pushes my creativity forward. Instead of taking the safe shots, I question myself and ask “How can I do this better? How can I make this more interesting?”. I've also found that when I face challenging jobs, I push myself way harder to get creative. So the lesson I've been learning lately is that I need to be doing hard things if I want to push my creative boundary forward".

What advice would you have for someone who is afraid to express their creative voice or lacks the belief that they are even creative?

"The thing that you're creative about is FOR YOU. Eliminate the fear that someone is not going to like it. Just do the thing. It doesn't matter if people like it or not, it's for you, and it's worth doing because you enjoy doing it.”

Anything else you’d like to share?

“Creative mornings and the speakers that I have had the pleasure of seeing, have made a big difference in how I work and process the different aspects of my business. There is just so much value in the talks, and I am so glad it exists”.

To learn more about Nina and her work, visit her profile and website

For July’s global theme of ‘treasure’ we are honoured to host videographer, storyteller, urban planner and musician, Uytae Lee.

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Uytae Lee is the founder of ‘About Here’, a YouTube channel and creative studio dedicated to helping people understand their cities better. In addition to the channel, Uytae produces the CBC series ‘Stories About Here’.

Every month we like to ask our speakers a handful of probing questions to give us a deeper glimpse into their life and relationship with creativity:

How do you define creativity and apply it in your life and career? For me, creativity is about organizing. Combining and rearranging ideas, words, paint, or whatever really into something that’s meaningful to you. In my work, this idea has given me the reassurance that I rarely (if ever) need to come up with something from scratch - I just don’t think the creative process works that way. I research, paraphrase, synthesize, reflect, and (more than anything) take inspiration from others to put something together that feels compelling for me. Where do you find your best creative inspiration or energy? I find much of my creative inspiration from talking to people. There’s something about a live, unscripted conversation where you let your ideas collide freely that helps me get out of my head.

What’s one piece of creative advice or a tip you wish you’d known as a young person? The creative process requires breaks. Your creativity often works behind the scenes, when you’re taking a walk, distracted, or even sleeping. When you’re feeling overwhelmed or stuck on a project, try stepping away from it for a day or two. When you come back to it, you’ll almost certainly find that your thoughts have refined and organized themselves into something much more coherent and easy to understand. I think it works this way because your memory is very selective for the things that feel most important to you. When you step away from a project, you’re letting your brain subconsciously throw out what didn’t really matter and hold on to what was most important. I wish I knew this when I was younger because it probably would have saved me from dozens of wildly unproductive all-nighters spent trying to hammer out a script while overwhelmed and sleep-deprived.

Who (living or dead) would you most enjoy hearing speak at CreativeMornings? Tony and Taylor from Every Frame a Painting

What fact about you would surprise people? I was part of a ukulele group for several years.

What are you reading these days? Order without design by Alain Bertaut

What’s your one guilty creative indulgence? Cooking videos, they’re so relaxing!

We are quite excited to host chef, restauranteur, 
author, and activist, Meeru Dhalwala, who will share her compelling story of creativity through the lens of June’s global theme ‘reverie’.

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Meeru moved from Washington, D.C. to Vancouver in February 1995 and has since been cooking and running the kitchens and menus at Vij’s and Rangoli restaurants. Vij’s has been hailed by the New York Times as “easily among the finest Indian restaurants in the world.” (Rangoli closed after 17 years in May 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic). Meeru also wrote all three award-winning Vij’s cookbooks.

In 2021, Meeru created a small community business built from her learned ethics in the food industry: My Bambiri (baby) Foods. My Bambiri sources from BC organic farmers and sells on income-based pricing: three price options based on a family’s specific finances. She has also partnered with Food Stash Foundation to sell My Bambiri at their markets for low-income families who face many economic and social barriers. In October 2022, Meeru relaunched her annual international food fair called “Joy of Feeding” that is held at the UBC Farm Centre for Sustainable Food Systems.

Meeru holds a MSc in development studies from Bath University, UK, and brings her passion for humanity into her business and cooking practices. She is one of Vancouver’s most prominent promoters of women in business, climate change and sustainability, and healthy-elegant cooking. She proudly sits on the Board of Directors for the Green Party of Vancouver. For her professional and community work, Meeru has received honorary doctorates from both University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University.

Every month we like to ask our speakers a handful of probing questions to give us a deeper glimpse into their life and relationship with creativity:

How do you define creativity and apply it in your life and career? I imagine and then come up with ideas. Lots of ideas, of which most aren’t realistic, but contribute to the final ideas that I/we can execute. I love the process of ideas popping or slowly coming to form in my head. I love the crazy ideas that are impractical and the ideas that could make stories if I were a novelist. I say the word “IDEA!” in the Vij’s kitchen and staff stops whatever we’re doing, get excited and hear the “IDEA!” Half of them result in all of us just laughing b/c while even saying it, I realize it’s not practical or just sounds silly coming out. My kitchen staff doesn’t rely on me to run the daily kitchen—cooking, ordering, loading, prep, etc.—but they rely on me for my “IDEA!” And if I love my idea, I don’t let it go.

Where do you find your best creative inspiration or energy? From running in my neighborhood—not any neighborhood or trail. Running is combination of my familiar surroundings and my body igniting me—my brain is dancing while my body is doing all the physical work. Whatever is on my mind—whether my family, trying to save some aspect of the environment, imagining being dead, imagining my comfort place on this earth, a work issue, coming up with recipes, etc.—it’s done with abandon while I’m running. Within 10 minutes, I lose myself in imagining, pondering…and daydreaming about my past in relation to today.

What’s one piece of creative advice or a tip you wish you’d known as a young person? Find a solo activity during which you feel abandon and…yes, lose yourself in reverie! I run. All those times when I was crying or stressed about my home life or school life, if I had gone out running and released that stress energy, the weight would have lightened and so many windows would have opened. Doesn’t have to be a physical activity—it can be knitting or drawing.

Who (living or dead) would you most enjoy hearing speak at CreativeMornings? George Eliot or Graca Machel. Intellectually attuned and gracefully passionate, brave women. Middlemarch is still relevant as a compelling storyline and observation on humanity’s social concoctions. Women and children’s rights activist Graca Machel was the First Lady of Mozambique at an important and crucial time. Her husband (the President) was assassinated via a plane crash. Later, she became the First Lady of South Africa, as wife of Nelson Mandela.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done? Fly to Vancouver from Washington D.C. to meet a guy I was talking on the phone with for a month (back in 1994) and, after spending 5 days with him, deciding to marry him asap. I left my hometown, friends and career in human rights and economic development to move to Vancouver. It resulted in a new and completed unexpected career, two beautiful children and 17 years of marriage. I don’t know how, but I grabbed the confidence in love before it escaped in the form of common sense.

If you could open a door and go anywhere, where would that be? My partner is a dry suit (meaning he dives in cold waters) scuba diver and travels to all waters of the world to dive, take photos. His “comfort place” in this world is the silence and being solo under water—complete opposite from mine. He lies there with his camera, watches and waits for creatures to swim, fully in zen mode. This level of silence and alone-ness intimidates and fascinates me. I would LOVE to turn myself into an invisible and weightless being, and be on his shoulder while he does this. I would not want to disturb his zen. For me, this would be like magically living in a dream.

What are you proudest of in your life? Giving motherhood my all, by which I don’t mean just love. The most important moment of my life so far is when I first looked down at my newborn and felt/saw the look in her wide eyes, settling on her mom’s face. I call this “Newborn Eyes”. Newborn Eyes are the energy of my personal life. I’m proud of fully and honestly engaging with my two daughters as humans and not as my extensions. I’m proud of calling them out on their shit and not worrying if they like me or not, or if they’ll rebel. I’m proud that I never stopped being me for the sake of being a mother.

If you could do anything now, what would you do? Have each human above the age of, say 6, in this world watch the animated documentary film “Flee” for its subject matter and b/c its engrossing storytelling. I want all of us watching at the exact same time so we are aware of sharing this experience together, as one. So, a bit of magic or super sci-fi high tech required here. Some of the bravest and most loving people in this world are “refugees” and “migrants”. These are labels for some, but for me they are my mom and dad.

What books made a difference in your life and why? The Employees by Olga Ravn. This book is potentially our real future with real humans co-existing with AI types of humans. It’s beautifully written. It’s a very short book and I read it twice in a row.

We are honoured to be able to present playwright, performer, and CBC radio host, Tetsuro Shigematsu who will share his story of creativity through the lens of this month’s global theme ‘acceptance’.

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A former writer for This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Tetsuro’s theatrical solo-work Empire of the Son was named the best show of 2015 by the Vancouver Sun, and was described by theatre critic Colin Thomas describes it as, “one of the best shows ever to come out of Vancouver. Ever.” His other solo-work, 1 Hour Photo was named as a finalist for the 2019Governor General’s Award for Drama, and was the co-winner of the Holden Street Theatres’ Edinburgh Fringe Award, 2021. The Vancouver’s Georgia Straight declared him to be, “one of the city’s best artists.” In 2018, he earned his PhD in Arts-Based Research from the University of British Columbia, and now serves as Creative Director of the Research-based Theatre Lab.

As usual, we asked Tetsuro a handful of probing questions to give us a deeper glimpse into her life and relationship with creativity:

How do you define creativity and apply it in your life and career? What iridescent feathers are to peacocks, creativity is to humans, a reliable indicator of genetic fitness. It’s a costly signal to fake. In other words, I think talent is sexy. For me, something that I’ve begun to realize is that autobiographical solo theatre works can function as metaphysical pageant shows. Creativity is the ability to create work that is smarter than yourself. There’s two ways of doing this. Plumb the depths of your subconscious and work intuitively. Secondly, work with people who are smarter and more talented than you, and listen closely to what they have to say. The best work is often the result of collaboration. Thesis, antithesis, synthesis.

Where do you find your best creative inspiration or energy? In the bathroom, either while getting clean or getting dirty.

What’s one piece of creative advice or a tip you wish you’d known as a young person? If I had a chance to meet my younger self, I wouldn’t say anything, because it’s been a pretty meaningful journey so far. I’d like to listen though. I’d ask, “So? What do you think? Are you excited to become me? Or are you disappointed?”

Who (living or dead) would you most enjoy hearing speak at CreativeMornings? I once read that Shakira and Gabriel Garcia Marquez used to hang out while he was still alive. Even if they spoke of banal minutiae of everyday life, I’m sure it would have been fascinating.

What did you learn from your most memorable creative failure? When my marriage of 25 years came to an abrupt end, I realized that the health of my relationships is directly correlated to my willingness to have uncomfortable conversations.

What’s your one guilty creative indulgence? Scrolling endlessly through the FaceBook group Midjourney, a forum for AI-generated art work.

What fact about you would surprise people? I was a child preacher. Also, I fly a great deal. Whenever I experience severe turbulence on a flight, I never get nervous because I often think, “I’ve lived a good life. Things have never been better. So maybe it’s not a bad time to die.”

How does your life and career compare to what you envisioned for your future when you were a sixth grader? When I was in grade school, I saw myself wearing a top hat and tails, dancing like Fred Astaire. Picture an Asian boy with a bowl cut doing that. You would never know it to look at me today, but what I do is not far off.

How would you describe what you do in a single sentence to a stranger? I travel the world telling stories about my life.

If you could open a door and go anywhere, where would that be? I believe humankind will be around far longer than most people think. I would like to visit the final epoch of human existence, say the final 10 years.

What keeps you awake at night? Nothing keeps me awake at night. I am preternaturally worry-free. I asked my therapist friend if my condition could be pathologized. She said no. No state of mind that enables equanimity and independence could be considered a condition.

What myths about creativity would you like to set straight? To be a “real” artist, you need to be doing it full time. You can’t have a day job. My favourite example is the poet Wallace Stevens who sold insurance.

If you could do anything now, what would you do? Become an astronaut.

Where is your favourite place to escape? Going fast on my e-bike.

What was the best advice you were ever given? “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” - Maya Angelou

What books made a difference in your life and why? Something Like an Autobiography by Akira Kurosawa. He recommends to study all the art forms that make up a medium, rather than just the medium itself.

What practises, rituals, or habits contribute to your creative work? I have a walking treadmill beneath my standing desk. Nietzsche said there are no great thoughts that happen outside of walks. On a good day, I’ll walk over half a marathon.

If you had fifteen extra minutes each day, what would you do with them? Have sex, meditate, and workout all at once, but I’m not sure if that form of yoga exists?

What object would you put in a time capsule that best represents who you are today? My standing desk with my walking treadmill, multiple monitors, and multiple keyboards, and multiple computers is such an ugly monstrosity, it’s beautiful.

What is the one movie or book every creative must see/read? Impro by Keith Jonstone.

April’s global theme is ‘movement’ and we can’t think of a more suitable (and exciting) speaker than non other than Missy D.

REGISTER If you don’t know, now you know - Missy D. This femcee has been rapping since she was 11 years old in French and English coming from the 3 corners of the motherland (Rwanda, Côte d’Ivoire, Zimbabwe). Missy D is a bilingual Hip Hop, Rap & Soul Artist who makes music like a form of therapy, to express feelings, share a message and connect with music lovers. You will hear the sounds of MC Solaar, Diams, Erykah Badu, India Arie, J.Cole, Missy Elliott and Lauryn Hill echoing through her voice. Rest assured Missy D will have you grooving, singing along or feeling that je ne sais quoi in French and English. Whether you call her Dee, Didi, Diane, Missy D, you will get to meet an artist, an educator, an experiential advisor, a community builder, an interviewer, a daughter, a sister or a friend ready to create and connect with you.

As usual, we asked Missy D a handful of probing questions to give us a deeper glimpse into her life and relationship with creativity:

How do you define creativity and apply it in your life and career? Creativity belongs, builds, gathers, moves, feels, sparks, holds, shapeshifts, connects into various mediums, practices, ways of knowing, problem solving or simply existing. I have found that in my career, it appears most often in the form of music, community building and ideation. It’s often allowed me to tap into a different part of my brain, emote that communal feeling or resonate it back from me to you, problem solve out of the box or color out of the lines. It’s allowed me to set boundaries and go beyond the barriers that are in front of me. I feel like myself when I’m creative, I feel like an evolving version constantly becoming, empowering, educating, creating whenever I am an artist, an educator, an experiential advisor, a daughter, a sister, a friend or simply put human.

Where do you find your best creative inspiration or energy? I find it in people, in community and our world. You know that saying that you hear often: “It takes a village”, well you are going to hear it again and again in my story. That’s my constant inspiration and energy, from jam sessions to 1-1 conversations or festival performances, there is always magic that is created in those spaces in between and especially with people willing to allow room for echoes. You get to share, reflect, inspire with others.

What’s one piece of creative advice or a tip you wish you’d known as a young person? Whenever that imposter syndrome kicks in, remember that you belong, you are enough and you matter! Your creativity is second to none, because YOU are the only YOU.

Who (living or dead) would you most enjoy hearing speak at Creative Mornings? Cicely Blain, Kari Marken :-) , Lauryn Hill, Natalie Gerum…(the list is too long)

If you had fifteen extra minutes each day, what would you do with them? Check in with my friends, family and loved ones. It often feels like time moves fast and you forget the importance of that call, text or email. The pandemic was a strong reminder to connect and this question reminded me once again to take those 15 minutes and create them!

What keeps you awake at night? I’m an overthinker, so quite often I’m reflecting, reflecting and reflecting about my day or thinking about the future/past. These days I ask myself, what is love? How do I show love to myself, my friends and others? What does it feel like, sound like? What is the action: to love? How do I show love in my art and creativity? I’ve created often with hope and pain in mind and heart, and hoping to add love to that equation.

What fact about you would surprise people? That I have a Bachelor in Science; Combined Major in Science in Earth and Environmental Sciences, Life Sciences and Statistics. Remembering that creativity also shows up in Science…

The global theme for March is ‘corruption’ and we are excited to welcome Councillor Christine Boyle.

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Boyle is a second term Vancouver City Councillor with OneCity Vancouver. She has been a leading voice at the Council table on climate action, rental and non-market housing, reconciliation, active and public transportation, tackling inequality and the drug poisoning crisis, and more. Christine is a community organizer and an ordained United Church Minister, born and raised on unceded Coast Salish territory in Vancouver. She has done national multi-faith climate organizing, including efforts focused on divesting from fossil fuels and investing in building retrofits and other climate solutions, and was on the ministry team at Canadian Memorial United Church and Centre for Peace. Prior to that, Christine spent four years supporting progressive local governance and leading strategic communications at the Columbia Institute’s Centre for Civic Governance and supported the development of GreenJobs BC. Christine also spent many years working at First United Church in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, and supporting kids and families at Grandview/?Uuqinak’uuh Elementary School in East Vancouver. She has a BSc in Urban Agriculture and First Nations Studies from UBC, and an MA in Religious Leadership for Social Change from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California.

As usual, we asked Christine a handful of probing questions to give us a deeper glimpse into her life and relationship with creativity:

How do you define creativity and apply it in your life and career?

I think a lot about the ability to strengthen our creative muscles in thinking beyond the limited options that our current systems and structures present. A conservative British Prime Minister famously declared that “there is no alternative (to our current system)”, and I think of creativity as a protest and a practice and a declaration of how untrue that is. It is our responsibility to imagine better alternatives, stronger communities, healthier ecosystems, deeper justice and equity, more whole and beautiful lives. Creativity is a key muscle in the increasingly urgent project of human survival.

Where do you find your best creative inspiration or energy?

I love working on teams, drawing creative inspiration through learning and collaboration. But I also need to recharge alone, and shape ideas while I’m running or biking, baking or gardening.

What’s one piece of creative advice or a tip you wish you’d known as a young person?

I wish I had understood earlier that my almost complete lack of skill in the visual and performing arts wasn’t synonymous with a lack of creativity elsewhere. I wish I had known as a young person that activism, and community organizing, and colour-coded spreadsheets, and rebellion were all acts of creativity too.

Who (living or dead) would you most enjoy hearing speak at CreativeMornings?

Jacinda Ardern (outgoing Prime Minister of New Zealand)*

What’s your one guilty creative indulgence?

Stand-up comedy and baking shows.

What keeps you awake at night?

The Climate Crisis

How does your life and career compare to what you envisioned for your future when you were a sixth grader?

My career path has been less linear than I likely imagined when I was young. I’ve had many types of jobs, and I’m constantly learning new things that shape what I take on next. The question I keep asking myself is “how can I make the most impact on the challenges of our time?” When I was young I wanted to be an environmental lawyer when I grew up, so I wasn’t that far off. But it’s all been more challenging, more creative, and more rewarding than I could’ve imagined.

What are you reading these days?

Long Council agendas, and as many novels as I can. Whenever I don’t have evening meetings, I tuck into bed with my 8yo and we read books together before falling asleep. It’s nice time together, and it gets me off a screen and into a good book.

What books made a difference in your life and why?

I read The Ministry For The Future by Kim Stanley Robinson last year, and I still think about it all the time. I also love Alice Walker’s The Temple of My Familiar. And every book from Ivan Coyote. I am a sucker for stories that shift how I see the world.

How would you describe what you do in a single sentence to a stranger?

I once heard my younger kid tell someone that my job is to tell the builders where they can build things.