To write a blog post about the latest Breakfast Club session without speaking about the recent injustice of George Floyd's murder did not seem okay with our mission. Our hearts ache. Injustices are ingrained and we as designers have an avenue to aid in the change. We can listen, learn, be open and understand that we ( I) may never understand. We stand together. We are here together. We will make a better world – together.
As noted in our previous post, the Breakfast Club originally set out to be a casual in-person meetup, however, as with everything related to Quarantine (literally everything), we had to do a quick shift and think of different ways to connect with each other. Realizing we are all hitting meeting fatigue, and did not want another generic zoom call or meeting to have a meeting (we’re all doing enough of that), we wondered, as creative people with this extra “time” (seeing the glass half full)… What have you been doing to stay or be creative? And we could not be more excited for the responses. Each creative was unique and different, however what was most inspiring was the story and process behind each image.
Taking inspiration from PechaKucha (Japanese for chit-chat) presentation style, we adapted the format to keep us within our 1hr timeframe. This worked out to be 5 slides in 5 minutes, with 3 minutes of Q/A with the audience. To highlight and recap:
Kara Magoolaghan – Solving an accessibility problem to connect her pup to her backyard, Kara created a new staircase that connected her backyard to her house so her pup has greater access.
Joy VanDeVelde – Wanting to create a connection with others, Joy shared her origami bookmarks process that she mailed (yes USPS) to friends and clients to check in. The activity is even great with kids, and her children shared with their friends.
Lauren Pataky – Expanding and customizing her previous garden beds, Lauren shared her process of developing a custom planter and screen.
Lindsay Quinter - Expanding her water marbling technique, Lindsay experimented and shared her water marbling process on leather to make stunning statement art jewelry.
Amy Maceyko – An experienced knitter and crocheted, Amy shared her amazing knitting and crochet pieces, including a pattern test COVID 19 knitted hat, and crochet squares.
Cythia Andujar – Unfortunately could not present due to a last minute conflict, however she shared her beautiful slides on Mixed Media explorations and works. We hope there’s an opportunity to hear more in the future.
Katie Walsh – Trying to limit her screen time and keep her hands busy, Katie explored coil rope bowls. Her shortcomings became gifts (or hats) for her quarantine partner in crime pup Phil, and learned how to work through oops moments.
Share with us in the comments below what you're doing to stay creative during the quarantine. And visit our Social Justice Resources page to learn more about the socio-political climate we live in and how you can start to make a difference as a designer and as a person. We hope you and your families are staying safe and healthy at this time.
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