What is Charlotte known for? Ask the average person on the street and the answer will more than likely be “banking.” True, banking has been our bread and butter for a while now and is where our notoriety lies, but there is also a design, arts, and technology scene that is booming exponentially. It’s time to capitalize on this. 

So how do we do that? How does the local creative scene get noticed on the national stage? I personally believe it all starts within the creative community itself. If we have a united community with the common goal of bringing recognition to the Queen City, then nothing but positive things will happen. 

That is where Creative Mornings comes in. Creative Mornings is free monthly breakfast lecture series started by Tina Roth Eisenberg, of the blog swissmiss. Each meet-up consists of a 20-minute lecture on everything design, art, development, and technology-related, followed by a Q&A session, coffee, and networking. It’s a simple way of connecting with other like-minded folk while also learning something new and exciting. It started in New York but has since grown to 15 other cities including San Francisco, London, Berlin, Portland, Milan, and even as close as Atlanta. Speakers have included everyone from Milton Glaser and Hillman Curtis to Michael Bierut and Steven Heller.

I believe Creative Mornings would not only bring deserved street cred to Charlotte by putting us in a small club with other large creative hubs, but it will also bring all facets of the local creative types together in one place. This includes all creative, not just print and interactive design, but also tech startups, development firms, visual artists, performance artists, and everything in-between. 

I’ve taken on the challenge of bringing Creative Mornings to Charlotte because I truly believe in it’s benefits. But I can’t do it alone. That is why I am reaching out to you. I need a brave and fearless crew to help me bring this to fruition. It will be a lot of work, and I mean a LOT of work, but it can be done. In the end, Charlotte will not just be known as a financial hub, but also as a premiere creative hotspot in the South and perhaps the nation. 

So what do we need? Well, to be honest, quite a bit. Locations, speakers, topics, possible sponsors, videographers, and photographers, just to name a few. To see everything that is needed please check out the Creative Mornings application. It describes everything in detail. 

So what do you say? Interested in being a part of something great for Charlotte? Just email me at edavis@wrayward.com. Any help would be awesome and any amount of time would be appreciated. 

For more information about Creative Mornings, visit their website at creativemornings.com. While there, be sure to check out some videos from former speakers.