CreativeMornings Podcast

"Starting work without a contract is like putting on a condom after taking a home pregnancy test."

Mike Monteiro is the co-founder and design director of Mule Design, the company he co-founded 17 years ago. Mike writes and speaks frequently about the craft and business of design and extensively covers the topic of client services in his work. In this CreativeMornings/San Francisco talk from March 2011, Mike shares his no-nonsense and very practical advice on how to navigate through the tumultuous waterfalls and slippery slopes that are contracts and legal checkpoints. Along with his lawyer, Gabe Levine, he boldly inspires us to overcome our discomfort with money so that we can be specific and confident. And ultimately, become our own advocates so that we can get paid for the work that we do.

Learn more at www.creativemornings.com

"It's not about what you stand against, but what you stand for."

Aisha Fukushima, a singer, speaker, educator, and activist, strongly believes that love work is the most ideal work. For her, it appears at the nexus of happiness and purpose, and is manifested by her work in RAPtivism, her global hip hop project spanning 10 countries and four continents. It highlights the ways culture can contribute to universal efforts for social justice by challenging oppression with creative expression. During her talk at CreativeMornings/Oakland in November 2015, Aisha uses her journey to becoming a RAPtivist as a backdrop to inspire us to critically question the world around us, seek meaningful connections with each other, and use the arts as a catalyst for social change. She empowers us to seek out our sense of purpose, but reminds us to also remain a listener with your ears, your eyes, and your spirit. So what does your love work look like?

Learn more at www.creativemornings.com

This episode was made possible by our friends at MailChimp and Hover. And just for CreativeMornings listeners, Hover is offering 10% off your first purchase with the code creative (they even have a .design domain!).

“Embracing and provoking conflict is one of the best things you can do for the creative process."

Rochelle King is VP of Data, Insights and Design at Spotify where she manages the teams that are responsible for analytics, user research and designing the product experience. Data and design are often seen as opposing forces, but she’s found that by experiencing conflict at their intersection she has pushed her creative process forward. In this talk from CreativeMornings/Stockholm in November 2015, Rochelle shares how she’s come to embrace conflict. She believes it is healthy to engage in and that it facilitates richer conversations with your peers, and sometimes yourself. Full of practical advice and inspiration, Rochelle’s talk encourages us to shift our mindset about conflict and experience the change it will most certainly bring.

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“I am doing something about what everybody knows and nobody ever speaks about."

Cindy Gallop, an advertising expert and business consultant who characterizes her approach as 'I like to blow shit up. I am the Michael Bay of business,’ is passionate about changing the way the world talks about sex. She founded MakeLoveNotPorn to do just that. It is a user-generated video sharing platform that aims to make real world sex, and make the conversation about it socially acceptable and socially sociable. In her April 2014 talk from CreativeMornings/NewYork, she challenges us to simply talk about sex, openly and honestly, publicly and privately, without fear. Provocative and moving, Cindy’s talk will inspire you to challenge the status quo in more than just sex — but also in relationships, in business, and in life.

Learn more at www.creativemornings.com

[Keep in mind: while not explicit, this episode includes some sexual content.]

“Demand responsibility but don’t worry at all about authority."

Seth Godin, a bestselling author, entrepreneur and marketer, believes that we have a few things backwards when it comes to getting the work we want and positioning ourselves in the direction we want to go. In this CreativeMornings/NewYork talk from May 2013, he reminds us that it is deep within us to let those in ‘authority' tell us what to do. But, he encourages us to shift the tone from authority to responsibility. Do work on purpose. Make things that matter, even if they’re unpopular. Create work environments that help you succeed, even when that means failing first. And, in his words, go and make something happen.

Learn more at www.creativemornings.com

"That's the beauty of community: we can spread love."

John Forté, a classically trained violinist and Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and producer from Brooklyn, shares his journey from humble beginnings in Brownsville to fame with the Fugees to serving time in a federal penitentiary. In his talk-meets-concert on humility from CreativeMornings/NewYork in April 2015, John challenges us to investigate how humility gives us room to be better creators — and how our self-perception can get in the way. But he reminds us we’re not alone in this struggle; we have a community behind us, paving the way with love.

This is the last episode of our inaugural season. We’ll be back in Spring 2016 with more inspiring, thought-provoking talks. To tide you over, check out our video archive at www.creativemornings.com.

“I don’t care what your art is. We are all artists."

Tiffany Pratt, a designer and stylist, feels the world is a blank canvas and she sprinkles possibilities everywhere she goes, into everything she does, and elevates the world to a more beautiful place. From teaching art to children and adults alike, to creating the Glitter Pie Art Studio in a Box, to styling homes or photoshoots, Tiffany believes that we are not one thing. She believes that we can be all the things and all the colors. In this talk from CreativeMornings/Toronto on Color from September 2014, Tiffany inspires us to go out and take control of our lives, see the beauty in seemingly un-beautiful things, and figure out what you are synonymous with. Be grateful. Buy the streamers. Happen to your life.

Learn more at www.creativemornings.com

“Before you change politics, you have to change culture."

Favianna Rodriguez is a transnational interdisciplinary artist and cultural organizer, whose art and collaborative projects deal with migration, global politics, economic injustice, patriarchy, and interdependence. She is also the director of CultureStrike, a national arts organization that engages artists, writers and performers in migrant rights and the co-founder of Presente.org, a national online organizing network dedicated to the political empowerment of Latino communities. In this talk from CreativeMornings/Oakland from May 2014 on Freedom, Favianna talks about how politics have affected art & culture throughout history — and how the artist is indispensable in changing culture. She encourages us to use art to reclaim our humanity, and empowers us to change the language we use in the stories we tell so that we can take action in our communities.

Learn more at www.creativemornings.com

"We need to empower ourselves to be the change."

Benjamin Southworth feels that the education system failed him, and his own poor academic record was a source of humiliation and embarrassment. A passionate advocate for structural change and governmental engagement with the digital past, present and future, he sought to change that education exchange. So, he founded a start-up that empowers teenagers aged 16-18 to learn coding, design, public speaking, and other fundamental skills to support them in finding meaningful work, faster. In this talk from CreativeMornings/London in February 2014, Ben speaks on the role of technology as a changemaker and how we should be using it more make change in our world. Oh, and in Ben’s words: do stuff; smile; be kind.

Learn more at www.creativemornings.com

"Oftentimes, all we have to do is make a decision to change."

Steve Larosiliere is the founder and president of STOKED, an award winning development organization for underserved youth that seeks to inspire these teens through action sports. Steve has been named Social Entrepreneur of the Year by the National Black MBA, Honored as a Hometown Hero, and given a Community Impact Award. In this talk on chance from November 2014 at CreativeMornings/New York City, Steve speaks about the chances he’s been given in life — about the things that happened to him and the things that happened because of him — and how each one informed his mission to close the opportunity gap and pay it forward in his community.

Learn more at www.creativemornings.com