CreativeMornings - 🎨 When communities make art

January 20, 2022

“Art is a reflection of who we are. When communities make art, everyone has a place.”

As an artist, Michael Toombs knows that when you create something that you're proud of, it gives you a feeling that words cannot describe. But he also knows that people can live their whole lives not knowing what that feels like because they’ve lacked those creative opportunities. In his talk for CreativeMornings/Kansas City, Toombs shares how his interactive art projects have brought together communities displaced by floods or fractured by distrust to paint together. Watch Michael Toombs’ breathtaking presentation and discover the transcendent capacity of art to uplift the collective.

Artist and activist Michael Toombs brings people people through interactive projects and community murals that promote diversity, unity, and non-violence. He is the founder of Storytellers Inc., an artists collective that designs and implements work with young people in urban communities in Kansas and Missouri. In 2018, Toombs organized a massive Brown v. Board of Education mural in Topeka, Kansas, commemorating the landmark Supreme Court decision to end legal segregation in the United States. The project brought 2,000 people from 34 states and 9 countries to paint together.

Contribute to the global theme syllabus!

Our upcoming February theme is Monumental, chosen by CreativeMornings/Richmond. We’re turning it over to you to crowdsource a “monumental” syllabus.

What comes to mind when you hear the word “monumental”? Whether it’s a song, book, podcast episode, article, poem, or other digital ephemera, you can enter your submissions in this form. We’ll feature a round-up of resources in next month’s theme newsletter!

Fun Stuff to Click On
Have something to share? Fill out this form.

George Saunders on how a story is like a black box you place the reader in.

How one of the original digital fashion editors changed her life at 40.

These photos from inside musical instruments look like epic rooms.

How losing a language can lead you to a voice of your own. *

The fascinating scientist uncovering the interconnectedness of forests.

A 360-degree illustration of the Strand Bookstore in New York.

You never know what you’ll find at the only retailer for lost luggage.

What if friendship, not marriage, was the center of our life?

Roxane Gay’s refreshing honesty on creative challenges.

Exchange a personal story for a queer book.

No, but really, why are NFTs so ugly?*

Try your own hand at AI-generated art.

*Thanks to Charles Schifano and Kristi Çunga for the link inspiration.

CreativeGuild Spotlights
A global directory of creative companies and individuals.

Stewart Associates is a Louisville-based design consultancy that’s made a global impact. Combining design that thinks with ideas that sell, they create new market opportunities. They offer strategic consulting, brand positioning, and creative execution services.

Banner with text "unreasonable | re-purpose capitalism" and a background photo of an aerial view of a forest

Unreasonable Group in Boulder, Colorado, backs entrepreneurs positioned to bend history in the right direction. They handpick and invite the world's most impactful growth-stage companies into the Unreasonable Fellowship to help scale their efforts.

Cool Jobs in Our Universe
Hiring? Looking for work? Check out the CreativeGuild.

Harvest is seeking a remote Data Engineer.

Condé Nast has a Product Designer opening for Wired based in the U.K.

Here’s your chance to be Mailchimp’s new Analyst for Marketing Analytics in Atlanta (remote-friendly).

LTK is hiring a remote Senior iOS Engineer for their Consumer Platform.

The Trade Desk is looking for a Senior Video Editor in New York

Fuseproject is hiring a Digital Experience Design Lead in San Francisco.

Squarespace is looking for a Visual Motion Designer in Chicago for their Tock product.

Animated illustration of different objects flashing quickly (pyramids, tiger, snake, bust)

This newsletter was made by combining objects at random. Like a Rorschach test, any patterns you spot are reflections of your own imagination and lived experiences.

👋 Waving,
Annie Yi, CreativeMornings HQ

GIF by @daianaruiz

HQ works out of a fun office with Friends!
CreativeMornings 47 Bergen Street Floor 3 Brooklyn, New York 11201 USA

THIS!

CreativeMornings - 🎨 When communities make art

“Art is a reflection of who we are. When communities make art, everyone has a place.”

Older messages

What design justice can look like

January's theme is...

Meeting the future version of you 💫

Building community is an act of creation 🌈

December's theme is...

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