Creativity Lab Report #16: Collaborate, inspire, care
It is "the most wonderful time of the year" once again. While many are busy thinking about gift shopping, home decorating and what to wear for special dinners, I'd like to take a minute to remember the true meaning of the holidays. It is a time for hugs and forgiveness, hope, kindness and good intentions. It is a time to say "I love you" and share with those who have less. The beauty is that these things are not exclusive to the end of each year; they can be practiced 365 days with the same dedication!
In the studio
Our magazines are finally getting to people's homes in time for tea and cozy blankets. Our fulfillment system is in place, and we're starting to make new connections with other small businesses, so people can get copies locally in their neighbourhoods, and we can reduce the carbon emissions associated with delivering individual copies. Please let us know if you or someone you know has a shop with extra shelf space for inspiring artisans' stories. We'd love to keep growing our stockists family and bring our magazine to all corners of the country! In the meantime, you can get a copy online through: hamakamakes.com/shop
We also received a new shipment of the Live Well Cookbooks, a collaboration cookbook made with my dear friend and chef Shauna Versloot, which features wholesome recipes, family stories, culinary tips, guides about gardening, and stunning photograph! ♡
In this neck of the woods
If you haven't joined Creative Mornings Vancouver, I highly recommend you check it out. They organize talks on the first Friday of every month, featuring local creatives and providing space for collaboration and inspiration. The events are free to attend and great for meeting new people from diverse creative fields.
On the bookshelf
It is the best time to recommend reading The Molecule of More by Daniel Lieberman and Michael Long. The book explains the chemical reactions in the brain that make us seek more even when we have plenty. Dopamine's task used to be a tool for survival, but in an era of abundance, it became the leading cause of addiction and damaging behaviours that affect our communities. From dopamine's point of view, it's not the having that matters, but the thrill of the new.
In my browser
Do we really need a Christmas tree? It is hard to think about Christmas and not worry about its impact. There is excessive consumption, unwanted gifts, food waste, single-use wrapping paper, plastic decorations, and fir trees that end on the sidewalk by early January. We don't need to cancel the celebrations but can put more effort into having a memorable time while not turning the holidays into the "most wasteful time of the year. This article exposes some of the consumerism and plastic pollution consequences of the holidays in Hong Kong, which is not too different from our North American version. Here is a fun survival guide for those having to explain eco-friendly holiday practices to outdated minds and some gift ideas to share with loved ones!
In my mind
"The ultimate test of man's conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard." — Gaylord Nelson, founder of Earth Day.
Thank you for the reading time! Remember that we send this emails for free, but they’re not free to create. If you'd like to support us and our personal projects, please invite your friends to join, get some goodies from our shop. If you don’t enjoy our emails, please unsubscribe!