On Friday, January 30, CreativeMornings Winnipeg is celebrating five years! Join founders Christine Watson and Christian Robin as they reflect on how they launched a free, creative community in the middle of a pandemic and how it’s grown since then – despite the odds! All RRC Polytech alumni and community members are warmly invited to attend.

More than a decade ago, CreativeMornings was launched out of a desire for ongoing, accessible events for creative communities to connect. Today, these communities gather in 247 cities across more than 60 countries — including right here in Winnipeg.

Founded five years ago, the Winnipeg chapter of CreativeMornings not only celebrates our city’s creative talent, but also promotes an open space to connect with like-minded individuals. From marketing legends to hometown heroes, speakers are selected by each chapter based on a global theme. CreativeMornings Winnipeg has also been host to many powerhouse RRC Polytech alumni, providing a platform for homegrown artists, creators, and innovators to share their insights, struggles, and successes.

January’s theme is KOORSOO (faint glimmer of hope): chosen by the Tehran chapter of CreativeMornings, Koorsoo inspires us to keep going during times of challenge, despair, and darkness. “In our darkest hours, when everything seems to have dimmed, sometimes a light remains—not bright, not certain, but real. That is Koorsoo—a faint glimmer of hope that dares to survive. Koorsoo is not about triumph or clarity; it is about the fragile yet unwavering light that keeps us going. A glance, a memory, a word—small things that prevent collapse. It represents the quiet resilience of those who continue in spite of the weight, who believe without guarantee. In a world that often normalizes despair, Koorsoo is a rebellion—soft, but profound. It reminds us: even the smallest spark matters.”

On January 30th, Christine and Christian will trace the improbable, quietly radical origin story of CreativeMornings Winnipeg: how a small group of passionate people were stubborn enough to believe that creativity thrives everywhere and to trust the process (and each other) to create moments of beautiful connection, The founders will describe how they invested in possibility rather than prediction and how a small spark lit by “what if” conversations grew into a vibrant community that now shows up—month after month—to celebrate ideas, make connections, and champion each other’s work.

The story of the building of CreativeMornings Winnipeg and the celebration of the community’s 5th birthday is a reminder that building community is an act of courage, that belonging often begins as a whisper, and that even the smallest glimmer of hope can illuminate an entire movement.

Join CreativeMornings Winnipeg on January 30 at The Forks Event Space for an inspiring morning!

Event Details

Date: Friday, January 30, 2026
Time: 8 – 9:45 a.m. *Doors open at 8 a.m. for breakfast and networking
Location: The Forks Event Space (2nd floor, The Forks Market, 1 Forks Market Road)

About this month’s speakers:
Dr. Christine Watson believes in the transformative power of creativity. A prairie girl from Saskatchewan, Christine has always been fueled by stories, imagination, and the arts. She is the proud co-host of Winnipeg’s chapter of CreativeMornings and currently serves as the Vice-President Academic at RRC Polytech, where she champions innovative learning and sees firsthand the impact that creative thinking has on student success and community growth.

Christian Robin is a proud franco-Manitoban Métis intrapreneur who leads Marketing and Web Presence at RRC Polytech. He splits his time between championing user-centric experiences and serving on boards ranging from The Forks North Portage Partnership to the National Film Board of Canada. Known for bold ideas, strategic thinking, and a slightly unreasonable love of winter river trails, his happy place is where storytelling, community-building, and good coffee collide.

The motto of CreativeMornings is “everyone is creative, everyone is welcome” – a perfect fit for Friendly Manitoba. Register now to attend this free keynote.

CreativeMornings Winnipeg x RRC Polytech
As a proud partner of CreativeMornings Winnipeg, RRC Polytech gets to host Winnipeg’s creative community at in-person CreativeMornings events throughout the year. Many RRC Polytech grads have held the stage, including Amanda Buhse, Sean Rayland, Kerri Twigg, Natalie Bell, Joseph Pilapil, Hannah Pratt, Ashleigh Lodge, Tedi Gilmartin, Jackie Wild, Dan Blair, Roberta Landreth, and Jordan Stranger. You can check out their inspiring talks here. Are you interested in speaking at a future CreativeMornings Winnipeg event? Email alumni@rrc.ca expressing your interest and we’ll connect you!