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We could all use extra jolts of creativity. Especially in the mornings. Enter Tess O’Connor (@Tess_OConnor), the fearless host of Creative Mornings Minneapolis.
Creative Mornings is a (free!) monthly breakfast/lecture/discussion to jumpstart your creative mind. Find a chapter in your city here. As the host of the Minneapolis chapter, O'Connor rallies the Twin Cities creative economy to roll out of bed and into inspiration.
But where does she find her own creativity, and how does she find the energy to herd Mpls’ creative cats into a collective community? Read on for your morning dose of coffee, creativity, and O’Connor.
Q: How did you discover your passion for enriching the creative energy of Minneapolis?
A: When I first came to the Minneapolis for art school I spent much of my early years stressed out about how good all the other creatives here were. The whole “everyone was the top of their high school art classes” was very apparent. The idea of competing against these other creatives in design competitions was exhausting. Instead my energy and inspiration came from ideating and collaborating with them.
I subconsciously see the potential in other people and want to help them make their ideas shine. That’s a trait that’s followed me all these years. Because the Twin Cities is such a design and creative hub of the midwest there’s a bit of a gap between those with name recognition and those who are making an impact unnoticed. And we’re all caught in the middle without a map or a compass to help us navigate it. The creative community is hungry for authenticity and peer support. Portfolio lectures from the cream of the crop are great, but let’s have a transparent conversation about the lessons learned that created that work and all those moments they weren’t sure they were going to succeed.
Being supportive makes so much more sense than being competitive. That’s why when I discovered a friend of mine, Karl Knolle, was starting the local CreativeMornings chapter I knew this was something that I wanted to be a part of. A year and a half later we’re going strong and I’m humbled to find myself running this chapter with such an awesome team and community.
Q: Where do you find inspiration in life?
A: This is always a hard question for me because I see how everything influences so many different aspects of my life. I’ll try to pick a few of the best, but I know I’ll be missing some.
My CreativeMornings/Minneapolis volunteers and organizers. They’re really what makes our chapter amazing. I don’t think they have any idea how much they impact me every time we put on an event. Leadership doesn’t mean I have controll, it means I’m leaning heavily on those around me to help them thrive.
My husband. Everyone needs a devilish redhead in their life.
My friends who are awesome enough to embrace sports like log rolling and winter camping. I know it sounds crazy but I LOVE it! Some of my most inspired moments have come to me from hearing the ice boom underneath my tent on a -20F night, or competing against friends on a log when I thought I’d never be competitive in sports again.
Q: If you could take any fictional character out for a drink, whom would you choose and what would you drink?
A: Dr. Who of course! We’ll have to try a drink from every time and every planet. Best bar crawl ever! Then, maybe he can drop me off to hang out with Ron Swanson. He’s my spirit animal.
What would you tell your 13-year-old self?
A: Stop worrying about doing the right thing. As long as you make a decision based on who you are and not the people around you things will turn out fine. It’s ok to make mistakes. You’ll become better for it and maybe even enjoy it if you let yourself.
Also, you’re about to meet your future husband. You have no idea what awesome adventure are around the bend!
Q: What’s the title of your memoir?
A: Roll with it: learning life by continuously falling.
Emma Bauer is a Being Geek Chic Contributor. Clearly, she’s got great taste. She is a PR enthusiast, dog lover, tea drinker, art appreciator, and of course, aspires to Be Geek Chic. Follow her on Twitter: @emmalynnbauer
