#creativeauckland

In celebration of our tenth birthday this month, chapter Founder and October speaker, Jade Tang Taylor, shared some of her favourite moments and insights from a decade of CreativeMornings in Tāmaki Makaurau.  

What is a highlight or memorable moment from CreativeMornings?

SOOOO many! Let’s go with three…

1. First CreativeMornings/AKL event I ever hosted (Sep 2011) launched at Aotea Centre with original co-host Elise Sterback, and speakers; Zoe Ikin, Sam Trustum and Clem Devine, with rainbow decorated stairs and also Jacinda Ardern in attendance (who happened to be a regular CM/AKL attendee before she became Prime Minister).

2. The last CreativeMornings/AKL event I ever hosted (Nov 2016) at MOTAT, with co-host, colleague, and friend Kaan Hiini and speaker; Joyce Campbell. Admittedly, it was a bittersweet emotional experience as I was pregnant and announced to the community I would be taking a step back to make room for the new “creative project” in my life, and to welcome new energy to lead the CreativeMornings/AKL community into the future!

CreativeMornings community hands up, with Kaan & Jade on stage!

And 3) The Global CreativeMornings Summit (Aug 2016) in Austin Texas, USA, which I managed to sneak in just before I officially stepped back from the hosting responsibilities. It was an incredible experience to connect with a global like-minded community of generous creatives and chapter hosts from all over the world! I also had an opportunity to take Tina Roth Eisenberg (Founder of CreativeMornings) out for lunch in Brooklyn, New York to pick her brains on all things creative, community, business and #mumlife.

CreativeMornings Summit 2016 video

One of your favourite takeaways from CreativeMornings?

Food & Beverage takeaways: Midnight Baker Toast, Coffee Supreme & Antipodes Water, all who have been avid supporters of CreativeMornings over the years! TY 🙏

Speaker takeaways: This quote “Where does creative freedom come from?” by Kyra Clarke, beautifully illustrated by recent speaker Kate Hursthouse, which still resonates with me today and sits on a shelf in my home office as a daily reminder.

As part of a postcard/poster series created for CreativeMornings 4th birthday

One of your own highlights in the past 10 years?

Again, SOOOOO many creative highlights… Many of which I’ll share in my upcoming talk. 

That said, I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have been immersed in the creative community, especially through the lens of CreativeMornings. However, my biggest and most life-changing “creative project” to date would be my feisty, independent lil human who is now four years old. And no doubt, that “project” will keep changing and challenging me creatively in a multitude of ways ;)

 Lil Phoenix attending her first CreativeMornings talk

What has changed in Auckland’s (or NZ’s) creative sector in the past 10 (or thereabout)  years?

Hmmm such an interesting question… Admittedly, I feel like I’ve unintentionally moved away from the creative, design and arts sector a little and more recently leaned into a more strategic design practice in the social, public and community sector. 

Upon reflection, from my previous roles working at a large Philanthropic organisation… There's a sense that less funding is available for the creative/arts sector, and more funding for the social sector. And of course more recently, these financial challenges are exacerbated in times of COVID-19 pandemic in the arts, theatre, events production and wider creative industry.

However, I feel that there’s a real need to bring those two sectors closer together in the future. If we’re ever to solve some of these complex “wicked” problems, we’re going to need new creative ways of working, of doing, and of being.

One thing you’d like to see in the next 10 years?

(Refer to Question 4, and please come join us at the next CreativeMornings/AKL talk!)