“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...

"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...

“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...

“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...

"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...

"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...

"It’s easy to throw out bad ideas, but to throw out really good ones is hard." Anthony Casalena, the founder and CEO of Squarespace, walks us through the process of minimalism, and how that affected Squarespace’s guiding principles. Driven by the desire to create a beautiful website for himself, Anthony began building (what would later become) Squarespace in his dorm room. In this talk from CreativeMornings/New York City in June 2014, he reflects on those early years in college — and his...

"Catapulting pellets of chance into your head." Lulu Miller, the co-host of NPR’s Invisibilia, covers stories that challenge our assumptions about how humans behave and organisms work – from the story of a blind woman who can see the rain but not her daughter’s smile, to a virus that inspires crickets to have more sex. In her work at Invisibilia, she interweaves personal stories and science in a way that might make you see your own life differently, and in this episode (recorded at...

"Don't worry about big ideas, just keep making stuff." Ben Chestnut, the co-founder and CEO of MailChimp, spoke at CreativeMornings/Atlanta in 2011 on one of the most poignant topics of all time: quitting your job to do what you love. He also touches on the history of the company and what he does as a manager to cultivate the celebrated MailChimp culture. If you are running a creative business, or even if just need a little jolt to remind yourself to do what you love—this talk’s for you!...

"If we don't love our work, we don't look out for each other." Described as “a visionary thinker with a rare intellect,” Simon Sinek is a trained ethnographer and the brain behind Start With Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action. In one of CreativeMornings’ most popular talks ever (recorded in New York City in April 2012), Simon reminds us how important it is to be fulfilled by your job—and how companies can better support and inspire the people who work for them. Whether...

“If you’re not making enough mistakes, you’re not taking enough risks.” One of the most influential designers working today, Debbie Millman is also a writer, educator, artist, brand consultant and host of the podcast Design Matters. In one of CreativeMornings/NewYorkCity’s most popular talks (recorded in February 2011), she offers practical advice for soon-to-be design grads that is applicable to anyone, anywhere, in any career, at any time. Learn more at www.creativemornings.com

“Grab the reins and do it!” Jessica Hische, renowned letterer, illustrator, type designer, and self-described “avid internetter,” spoke at CreativeMornings/Vancouver in June 2012 and her advice is still as relevant as ever. Focusing on the intersection of arts & technology, Jessica passionately advocates for the value of type design in the face of technology. But mostly, she inspires us all to get up, stop being lazy, and learn whatever we need to learn to make the things we want to...

"Purpose is the new bottom line." Casey Gerald is the co-founder and CEO of MBAs Across America, a national movement of MBAs and entrepreneurs working together to revitalize America. In June 2015, he spoke at CreativeMornings/NewYorkCity on the theme of revolution. Receiving the first standing ovation in the NYC chapter’s history, he challenged the existing notion of entrepreneurship and inspired us to spark a revolution. Learn more at www.creativemornings.com

CreativeMornings launches a podcast on Friday, October 2nd! We're excited to bring our monthly global events (in over 125 cities!) and introduce our creative community to a new audience. Here's a sneak peek at Episode 1 with Casey Gerald, the Co-Founder & CEO of MBAs Across America. We hope you love it as much as we do! Follow the conversation on Twitter at creativemorning with the hashtag podcastCM. For more information, email [email protected].