CreativeMornings

Release Day: Sam Furness on Moving From Procrastination to Celebration

CreativeMornings — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 11:00:00 -0400

What if sharing your creative work didn’t feel like a chore, but a celebration? That feeling is why Sam Furness created Release Day.

Born from his own struggles with procrastination, Release Day on May 29th is a collective deadline for launching your personal project and a ritual of accountability and support.

This story is part of a series celebrating people who participated in Release Day 2025. We hope their stories inspire you to join us this year.

Sam Furness is a cultural producer and the founder of Creative Quest, a global community and playground for people fueled by curiosity. In 2025, he launched the first Release Day.

(Please note that this interview has been edited for length and flow.)

Interviewer: What is Release Day?

Sam: In simple terms, it’s a 24-hour celebration where creative people collectively release their work. It’s a shared deadline for individual projects.

But the bigger ambition is to establish a new day in the creative calendar like World Book Day or Record Store Day. It’s a shared ritual of sharing the things that we’ve been working on and celebrating our creative lives.

Interviewer: How did the idea for Release Day come about?

Sam: It came in fragments. Part of it was realizing I was procrastinating on my own projects. I wanted a way of putting creative projects out in the world that feels less lonely.

Then I remembered working in the music industry. The day an album was released was always special. People would say “happy release day,” and it felt like a shared moment.

I missed that.

So, I started wondering: what would it look like if we created that feeling for all creative work?

^{Fragments of inspiration that lead to Release Day.}

Interviewer: Why do so many of us struggle to share our work?

Sam: There are so many reasons. Fear of what people will think, perfectionism, procrastination. A lot of it comes down to wondering if what we’ve made is “good enough.”

And often with personal creative projects, we don’t give them deadlines, because we associate deadlines with work. And we don’t want our personal projects to feel like an obligation.

What we’re trying to do with Release Day is reframe the deadline, not as something looming and stressful, but as something exciting. Like a festival you’re looking forward to.

Interviewer: You mentioned procrastination and perfectionism. Do those fears show up in your own work too?

Sam: All the time. I don’t believe anyone who says they don’t feel some kind of fear around sharing our work.

Every single thing that I’ve put out into the world that has felt fulfilling or has been successful is because I didn’t wait for the thing to be perfect before going for it.

It’s about publicly experimenting. Playing with an idea and seeing what happens.

It’s like being a runner. I did a marathon a few years ago. And you don’t just go straight to the marathon. You have to train, right? And actually, part of what makes you a better long-distance runner is getting better at running short distances faster.

And I think the same applies for working on creative projects. ‘I’m going to give myself a week to deliver this thing’ and I’m gonna learn some stuff along the way.

Interviewer: The funny thing about training for a marathon, you can’t do it just by thinking about running.

Sam: You have to run! In creative terms; getting to that book manuscript, or the art show, or the new website, or whatever it is that you’re working towards - it gets easier if you release things along the journey.

Dismantle the enormity of feeling like you have to run the entire thing right away.

Interviewer: You also run Creative Quests. What is a creative quest?

Sam: It’s a global community for people fueled by curiosity. We host learning programmes, live creative experiences and last year we released our first book. In our flagship Quest programme we set a theme for one calendar month and challenge people to immerse their curiosity in a shared theme. We host workshops, invite guest speakers, and set creative missions along the way.

^{Each Creative Quest explores a different theme.}

The world looks incredibly different when you channel your curiosity in a certain direction.

And when you have other people exploring with you, it multiplies your creativity.

Release Day became a natural extension. Questers take their explorations and the output becomes a release.

Interviewer: What makes creating in a community so powerful?

Sam: If we’re all working towards the same deadline, you’re actually growing an audience for your work, because suddenly Brian’s invested, Tina’s invested, all these people participating are invested in my project because they’re putting projects out too. And I’m invested in their projects too.

It’s like skateboarding.

At a skate park, everyone’s working on their own trick, but you’re cheering each other on, learning from each other. Seeing someone else nail their trick raises the bar for everyone.

Interviewer: Do you think it helps for people get past the self-consciousness of talking about their work?

Sam: I think it absolutely does. It’s a way of starting a conversation around being part of something bigger than yourself.

Interviewer: The default setting for a lot of creatives these days is just making an Instagram post. What are some other ways people can think about releasing a creative project?

Sam: Start with why you’re releasing. Think about what you want. Is it growing your profile as a creator or artist? Or maybe it’s because you just need to let this idea go. Or maybe it’s about building community where you live or online.

A release isn’t just the mechanical process. A release is a feeling. I did it! I did the thing that I wanted to do.

If you finish a painting, don’t just post a picture of it. Throw yourself a reception in your home. Invite your neighbours!

Depending on your goal, there’s all kinds of things you can do. You can put posters up around your town, you can make a zine, or put on a performance at a park.

One time, I took a giant laminated world map and sat on the steps by the sea in my town and asked people to tell me a story about places they’re been. We had amazing conversations and I met new friends.

^{An IRL release that fostered new connections.}

Interviewer: What are you most excited about Release Day this year?

Sam: Well, obviously the collaboration with CreativeMornings and Adobe.

Last year was a small experiment.

This year, we have all the programming in the lead-up to Release Day. Co-working sessions to help you focus and workshops with Adobe experts to help you develop your skills to actually bring your idea to life.

It culminates in Release Day but we’re traveling on a journey together to get there. It’s the road to Release Day!

We’re honouring each other’s their ideas and the act of putting them out in the world. Because the world needs what you’re making.

Interviewer: Speaking of bringing things into the world, you have a new baby. How has becoming a father changed how you think about your creative output or how you approach your creative practice?

Sam: Time is a very different resource now. My creative practice has always been very exploratory. Following my curiosity and seeing where it leads me.

There’s less opportunity right now while we have such a small child because I want to be around, support my partner. So, it’s making me re-evaluate, how do I still live a curiosity-fueled life?

Because there’s a lot of negative narrative that your own life stops when you become a parent.

But if questing has taught me anything, it’s hold your assumptions lightly.

What kind of creative life do I want my daughter to see? I want her to see me making things, being playful, taking risks. Not just sitting on a laptop and looking at my phone.

One day we’re going to explore together. That’s a big motivator.

^{This new Dad is still exploring.}

Interviewer: What are you releasing on Release Day this year?

Sam: I’m hoping to put out two things.

One is a song for my daughter that I’ve been writing for a while.

And I’ve been questing for 10 years, so I want to make a zine about 10 lessons from 10 years of living a curiosity-fueled, creative life.

Interviewer: I can’t wait to see that.

Sam: Seeing what everyone else releases in one of my favorite parts!

What are you going to release on May 29th?

Learn more about Release Day and join us

Release Day is a Creative Quests and CreativeMornings collaboration, powered by Adobe.

Fun Stuff To Click On

CreativeMornings — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 14:34:00 -0400

Welcome to our joyful, little corner of the internet where we share our favorite links that we discover each week.

Take control of your time instead of your business controlling you. §

Where did the idea for Release Day come from?

Why do you feel disconnected? https://youtu.be/bWpR-3oDtME

Design inspiration for miles: your ticket to ride.

Instead of a big goal, try a tiny experiment. †

How do I even start creating my own work?

Become an imperfectionist.

Overcome the excuses why creatives don’t share their work.

Train your brain to release dopamine on demand.

Little actions have ripple effects. These little zines are making a splash. †

3 reasons you should show your work.

§ Curated by CreativeMornings HQ and brought to you by our partners.
† Thank you to Harma-Mae Smit and Adam Sparks for sharing these links.
Have a fun link? Share it with us.

Want even more fun stuff to click on? Subscribe to our Weekly Highlights newsletter and we’ll send cool links right to your inbox.

LEVEL UP: Tools for Social Media Video Creators

CreativeMornings — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 14:11:00 -0400

You can’t control whether a video goes viral. But you can control the quality.

In this Virtual FieldTrip on building your portfolio with Brand Strategist, Phil Pallen, you’ll discover the tools, software, and framework your need to stop overthinking and start creating.

Watch the recording for a walk through of an achievable setup, workflow, and starter gear list.

This FieldTrip is a part of Level Up, a series of workshops and resources designed to help you grow, gain confidence, and take meaningful next steps in your creative career. This series is made possible by CreativeMornings’ global partnership with Adobe .

Want more helpful tips to level up your creative career? See all of our upcoming LEVEL UP Virtual FieldTrips.

LEVEL UP ACCOUNTABILITY HOUR: Your Portfolio

CreativeMornings — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 17:56:00 -0400

A strong portfolio doesn’t just show the work. It tells the story behind it.

In this Virtual FieldTrip on building your portfolio with Designer, Nick Longo, you’ll learn a simple visual storytelling framework for building compelling case studies for your portfolio.

Watch the recording and learn how to structure your project, showcase your thinking, and present your work with clarity and impact.

Want more helpful tips to level up your creative career? See all of our upcoming LEVEL UP Virtual FieldTrips.

Featured Talk: Trust Your Collaborators

CreativeMornings — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 22:30:00 -0400

“Try to help other artists you work with. To be a collaborator, you have to be really serious about sharing ideas.”

Niall McNeil is an acclaimed artist, writer, actor, playwright, director, and filmmaker, who just so happens to live with Down syndrome. Watch his talk at our Vancouver chapter to learn from his artistic drive and collaborative approach.

Discover more inspiring CreativeMornings talks from our chapters around the world.

Fun Stuff To Click On

CreativeMornings — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 22:26:00 -0400

Welcome to our joyful, little corner of the internet where we share our favorite links that we discover each week.

Why hosting small meet ups matters. (This is why we’re experimenting with CreativeMornings Clubs!)

Funding a creative life.

NASA's wake up song playlist for Artemis.

What to do when work is draining your creativity.

How instant coffee was invented.

Impossible street art.

You can train your brain.

What to do when someone copies your creativity.

A generosity experiment.

Just sleep more. †

† Thank you to Roxana Petrus for sharing this link.
Have a fun link? Share it with us.

Want even more fun stuff to click on? Subscribe to our Weekly Highlights newsletter and we’ll send cool links right to your inbox.

LEVEL UP: Photoshop Sprints: 3 Creative Projects to Master Your Workflow

CreativeMornings — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 22:43:00 -0400

If you’re looking to bridge the gap between classic retouching and the future of digital art, this is the session for you.

In this Virtual FieldTrip on Photoshop sprints with Photoshop Educator, Aaron Nace, we’ll dive into three mini projects in Photoshop.

Watch the recording to see how to balance the precision of manual tools with the sheer speed of AI.

This FieldTrip Covers:

Smart Object Tutorial
Generative Expand Feature Demo
Photoshop AI Workflow Demonstration
AI Features in Photoshop Demo
Adobe Generative AI Credits Guide

Want more helpful tips to level up your creative career? See all of our upcoming LEVEL UP Virtual FieldTrips.

Fun Stuff To Click On

CreativeMornings — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 11:12:00 -0400

Welcome to our joyful, little corner of the internet where we share our favorite links that we discover each week.

Explore free virtual workshops to level up your career skills. §

How to rekindle your creativity when you’re feeling burnt out.

Pen pals aren’t just for kids. †

Why it’s good to suck at a hobby.

Make a list of little sparks in your day. †

The joy of bringing strangers together for a shared purpose.

You never know which seeds will grow.

Portraits of fathers and sons holding hands.

An art retreat provides reflection and renewal.

Why you should go to CreativeMornings.

Why is fire a metaphor for creativity?

§ Curated by CreativeMornings HQ and brought to you by our partners.
† Thank you to Mandy McGee and Claire O'Connor for sharing these links.
Have a fun link? Share it with us.

Want even more fun stuff to click on? Subscribe to our Weekly Highlights newsletter and we’ll send cool links right to your inbox.

LEVEL UP: Curating Inclusive Visuals in the Age of Generative AI

CreativeMornings — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 09:00:00 -0400

AI can help us create imagery faster than ever, but speed without intention can amplify bias at scale.

In this Virtual FieldTrip on strategic networking with Creative Cultivator, Nicte Cuevas, we’ll explore how to apply inclusive imagery principles when working with AI-generated content, stock photography, and personal assets.

Watch the recording and you’ll learn to thoughtfully combine different image sources, identify and mitigate AI bias, and build visual stories that authentically represent diverse audiences.

This FieldTrip Covers:

Creating Inclusive and Diverse Content
Cultural Sensitivity in AI Visuals
Inclusive Visual Content Creation
Visual Content Emotional Analysis Strategy
Ethical AI Image Representation

Want more helpful tips to level up your creative career? See all of our upcoming LEVEL UP Virtual FieldTrips.

April's Theme is EMBER

CreativeMornings — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 17:30:00 -0400

Our theme for April is EMBER. It was chosen by our Poulsbo chapter in Washington and illustrated by Sarah Gordon.

The literal meaning of ember is a small piece of burning or glowing coal or wood in a dying fire. But as a metaphor, it means so much more.

Our Poulsbo chapter had this to say about the significance of this month’s theme:

“Embers represent the quiet, enduring remnants of fire—what remains after the intensity fades. They carry a smoldering potential, a subtle strength that holds heat long after the flames have gone. As a quieter community outside the city, we may not always burn the brightest, but we never burn out. Our spark lives in reflection, resilience, and the space we have to pause, think, and grow.

In those calm moments, we find what many others miss: the steady glow of ideas, relationships, and dreams that don’t need noise to thrive. Embers remind us that even after challenges or change, something powerful remains—ready to reignite when needed. We hold that same quiet fire within ourselves, and in community with each other, we kindle more.

Together, we tend the quiet fire—fueling one another through presence, care, and shared warmth.”

Watch this video from our Poulsbo chapter for more on what ember means to them.

What ember is quietly glowing inside you? And what new fire will it ignite in your life?

April Playlist: EMBER

CreativeMornings — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 14:02:00 -0400

Our theme for April is EMBER. It was chosen by our Poulsbo chapter in Washington.

Music has the power to kindle a flame in our heart, light up our soul, and set our passions aflame.

Listen to songs about burning embers, old flames, and the quiet strength glowing deep inside you in our playlist for April’s theme EMBER curated by our community around the world.

You can add a song related to ember that lights you up to this playlist too!

Go to the playlist using this link on YouTube Music.

Click “join” on the pop up that appears.
Search for the song that you want to add.
Click the three dots next to the song title.

Select “Save to playlist” from the menu that appears.

Select our EMBER playlist in the popup that appears.

Meet our EMBER illustrator: Sarah Gordon

CreativeMornings — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 13:00:00 -0400

Each month, CreativeMornings has a different theme for the talks given at our local chapter events around the world. It is our tradition to work with an artist in our community to create an illustration for each monthly theme.

Our theme for April is EMBER. It was chosen by our Poulsbo chapter in Washington and illustrated by Sarah Gordon.

Sarah Gordon is a British artist and textile designer working from her coastal home studio on Bainbridge Island, WA. She is known for her curious, contemporary artwork that brings together seaweed and coral with botanicals, insects, birds and other natural elements. Her bold incorporation of contrasting color and mark making is influenced by the simplicity of modern art and contemporary interiors combined with her love for quirky antique botanical illustrations creating a unique view into nature.

Sarah has had the opportunity to collaborate with a range of clients including interior designers, fashion/home collections and book publishers. Select clients include: Anthropologie, Boden, Soma, Penguin Publishing and Bespoke Letterpress.

In addition to original artwork and giclee prints Sarah has now expanded her brand to include wallpaper, textiles, and soon to come home products.

Sarah shared the following reflection on her illustration for this month’s theme:

“I was inspired by the quiet, glowing moment at the edge of a fire - when the flames have settled and only warm embers remain. This botanical vignette grew from that sense of calm and gentle radiance. I shaped the tendriled flowers to feel like drifting smoke trails, and added moths and insects that are drawn in like “moths to a flame.” The colors echo glowing embers - dusty pinks, deep reds, and warm ambers to keep the mood peaceful, still, and luminous.”

Listen to how to pronounce Sarah’s name.

You can see more of Sarah’s work on her site and follow him/her/them on Instagram @sarahgordondesign.

Selected Works

Join The Reel Squad to Make Awesome Social Videos

CreativeMornings — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 22:00:00 -0400

Learn from experts and each other! Powered by Adobe.

Wow! We’ve already reached capacity for this cohort! Should we create another one? Please tell us if you’re interested.

The world needs to see the magic that you create. But how can you get the word out in a way that’s sustainable and helps you grow as a creative? Short form video is where it’s at! But filming, editing, and posting videos in a vacuum can feel overwhelming. Don’t stress. CreativeMornings and Adobe have got your back!

Meet the Reel Squad, a cohort where you’ll learn how to create short-form video content to promote your creativity without the ick.

In this FREE five-week program, we’ll cover the techniques, tools, and strategies it takes to create and share compelling video content. Each weekly virtual session is led by an industry expert. The cohort will also meet in a private online space to trade tips, share our work-in-progress videos, and cheer each other on.

This free 5-week cohort starts on Monday, April 13th.

We have reached capacity for this cohort.
Should we create another one? Please tell us if you’re interested.

Virtual Session Topics and Schedule:

Identifying Your Content Niche | Monday, April 13th, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. EDT

Explore what truly sets your work apart and how to position yourself. Led by Lucas O’Keefe.

Set Up and Capture your Shot | Monday, April 20th, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. EDT

Learn the fundamentals of framing, lighting, and filming. Led by Jordan Ellis.

Edit Your First Vertical Video & Launch Yourself On Social Using Premiere For Mobile | Monday, April 27th, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. EDT

Dive into the tools that make editing like a pro easy. Led by Hallease.

Posting Best Practices For Better Reach | Monday, May 4th, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. EST

Get your videos seen and assess what performs best for you. Led by Hallease.

Growth Strategy and Creating a Content System | Monday, May 11th, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. EDT

Build your audience without burning out. Led by Lucas O’Keefe.

Please note that you must join the cohort to recieve exclusive access to all five virtual sessions and more!

The Reel Squad is a cohort-based program made possible thanks to CreativeMornings’ global partnership with Adobe.

Sketch Notes on LOCAL

CreativeMornings — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 03:29:00 -0400

Each month, CreativeMornings chapters around the world host talks on a theme – and members of our local communities take sketchnotes (visual notes created with a mix of handwriting, drawings, hand-lettering, and other doodles.)

Our theme for March was LOCAL. It was chosen by our Santos chapter in Brazil and illustrated by Simone Matias.

Amy Linville captured Jim Sweeney’s talk from our Columbus chapter.

^{Photos by Alex Peck.}

Aly Miller captured the talk given by black cowboys at our Milwaukee chapter.

Eric Ngan captured Lissy and Rudi Robinson-Cole’s talk from our Auckland chapter.

Jes LaVecchia captured Michael J. Garcia’s talk from our Santa Fe chapter.

Emily Garfield captured the March event at our New York chapter.

^{Photo by Nelson Luna.}

Megan Hill captured Giovanna Torres’s talk from our Charlotte chapter.

Petra Sonnenberg captured Max Maubach’s talk from our Cologne chapter.

Ami Plasse captured Kelly Chappell’s talkfrom our Austin chapter.

Erica Richard captured Madeline Hissong’s talk from our St. Louis chapter.

If you create your own sketch notes at a CreativeMornings event, share a photo of them with the hashtag #CMsketchnotes and tag us, so we can include them in our next roundup.

Fun Stuff To Click On

CreativeMornings — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 15:24:00 -0400

Welcome to our joyful, little corner of the internet where we share our favorite links that we discover each week.

A free project management template to help you reclaim your time. §

If you want a better life, become a regular.

Own your expertise online.

23 women shaping visual storytelling. †

What type of content performs best on each social platform.

It's time to bloom.

Don’t seize the day. Gather moments.

Is it better to be an early bird or night owl?

How short form videos have changed the music industry.

The power of a having a point of view in your work.

§ Curated by CreativeMornings HQ and brought to you by our partners.
† Thank you to Jon Feinstein for sharing this link.
Have a fun link? Share it with us.

Want even more fun stuff to click on? Subscribe to our Weekly Highlights newsletter and we’ll send cool links right to your inbox.

Chapter Highlights: From Maps to Threads

CreativeMornings — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 16:37:00 -0400

Every CreativeMornings chapter is organized by a team of local volunteers who pour their hearts into creating fun and interesting events that foster meaningful connections. Check out these recent highlights from around the world.

Our Dallas made maps out of coffee stains for February’s theme CAMINO. And they had an El Camino parked out front!
^{Photos by Jaida Brinkley.}

Our Phoenix chapter made guide books for people to fill out for CAMINO.

^{Photos by Claudia Johnstone.}

Our Medellín chapter gave people a map of their past and future to fill out for CAMINO.

^{Photo by Valentina Zapata Restrepo.}

Our Singapore and Vancouver chapters featured speakers who live with Down Syndrome.

Our Detroit chapter had a film screening for Black History Month.

^{Photos by De’Juan James.}

Our Raleigh chapter is doing a bonus evening cohort series called Business as a Creative Act.

Our Wellington chapter is holding a fundraiser.

Our Valencia chapter gave out these cards to encourage people to find their breakfast match and strike up a conversation.

^{Photos by Carmina Marco.}

Our Chattanooga chapter offered custom embroidery on clothing that people brought to their February event.

Want in on the fun? Find a CreativeMornings chapter near you.

Release Day: Clarence Kitt on Safety and Letting go

CreativeMornings — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 19:05:00 -0400

Our creative work often gets trapped by hesitation. We enjoy working on a project, but it never feels quite good enough to show it to anyone. We tweak, second-guess, and imagine all the ways it might be judged or misunderstood. Self-doubt and fear stop us from realizing the full potential of our talent.

Release Day on May 29th is our collective deadline to finally share that special thing we’ve been working on.

This story is part of a series celebrating people who participated in Release Day 2025. We hope their stories inspire you to join us this year.

Clarence Kitt is service designer, fashion photographer, and data artist. He crafts participatory experiences that invite people to see and feel ideas in new ways.

For Release Day 2025, he created a visual reflection on his journey in fashion photography that he released on his photography site.

^{Screenshot of the landing page on Clarence’s site.}

After stepping away from fashion photography for nearly a decade, Clarence wasn’t sure if he would ever return.

Release Day became the moment he reclaimed his complete creative identity without compromise. His project explored storytelling, vulnerability, and owning his unique point of view informed by his cultural background.

(Please note that this interview has been edited for length and flow.)

Interviewer: Tell us about the project you released.

Clarence: It was a reintroduction of myself back into an industry that I decided to leave almost 10 years ago. I had told myself that I didn’t belong and that it was something that I failed at. I think there was a lot of shame and narratives that I set up for myself. But I realized over time that I still love fashion and I want to do something around it and create work again.

^{The opening spread of Clarence’s visual reflection.}

Interviewer: What led you to participate in Release Day?

Clarence: Before Release Day, I joined Creative Quests because I was experiencing creative fatigue and burnout.

I’m usually someone who gets a lot of joy and energy from creating, but last year I went through months where I couldn’t sketch anything. Ideas just weren’t coming naturally anymore.

It appealed to me because it reminded me of something simple: the joy of creating together. It felt like being back in an art class where everyone is making things side by side.

When Release Day was introduced, the idea clicked instantly. The idea that we could all release something imperfectly, candidly into the world felt exactly like what I needed.

^{For Clarence, sharing his story brought a sense of freedom.}

Interviewer: Did releasing your work alongside other people make it easier?

Clarence: Absolutely. Everyone was showing up with the intention of releasing something. That created a sense of lightness.

I also loved the name “Release Day.” It didn’t feel like “Portfolio Day” or “Showcase Day,” which can feel very performative. “Release” felt more like just letting something exist in the world.

Knowing there were others participating made it exciting. I couldn’t wait to see what everyone else would release.

Interviewer: Did having a deadline change how you approached the project?

Clarence: It was huge. I have perfectionistic tendencies. So, you start comparing your current work to your past work. But the deadline reminded me that it didn’t have to be perfect.

“It feels like as you get older, your standards for yourself get higher because you’re measuring yourself by your prior self. So, I think having a deadline was so important to me. Just to know that whatever I’ve got at that moment is enough.”

And just because something is released doesn’t mean you can’t revisit it later. Release Day became a moment to take a breath and let the work exist.

Interviewer: Did Release Day change how you think about sharing your work?

Clarence: Completely. Before Release Day, I had a difficult relationship with sharing my work publicly. It felt heavy; like each piece represented all of me.

Over the last year, that’s changed. Now sharing feels much lighter. It’s more like here’s what I made. I see myself like a bookstore tender. Like I just put something on a shelf.

^{Another Spread from Clarence’s story.}

Interviewer: What was your biggest takeaway from the experience?

Clarence: I realized that creativity, for me, comes from safety. When I was burned out, I thought creativity was something I had to force—like a muscle I needed to grind back into shape.

But what actually brought it back was feeling safe. Being around people who are open, curious, and supportive. Having a space where you can share ideas without judgment.

Release Day created that environment. And once that safety was there, ideas started flowing again.

“I can just do the damn thing. Just having an ease about setting up more photo shoots, meeting new people without this self-limitation anymore. It really represented a moment of challenging my own thoughts.”

Interviewer: What would you tell someone thinking about joining Release Day?

Clarence: You’ve got to experience it. It’s such a beautiful, shared experience to see people interpret release day in their own ways and so many different creative pieces all shared at the same time. It feels like a holiday, an exhibit, a moment, a ritual all in one.

“It felt like an album drop times 20.”

What are you going to release on May 29th?

Learn more about Release Day and join us

Release Day is a Creative Quests and CreativeMornings collaboration, powered by Adobe.

Release Day: Morgan Duta on Finding the Bright Spots and Committing

CreativeMornings — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 17:20:00 -0400

Our creative projects have a funny way of lingering. An idea keeps rolling around in our head that we never find time to act on. That half-finished project is stuck in a notebook or a folder on our computer. We tell ourselves that we’ll get to someday, when there’s more time or we feel ready. Maybe what we really need is accountability.

Release Day on May 29th is our collective deadline to finally share that special thing we’ve been working on.

This story is part of a series celebrating people who participated in Release Day 2025. We hope their stories inspire you to join us this year.

Morgan Duta is a designer, researcher, and lecturer who loves to uncover insights, and bring ideas to life. Recently with Creative Quests, she helped create and publish ‘The Quester’s Guide to Exploring Your World.’ Currently she’s working with Just Looking Press on a book about pigeons.

For Release Day 2025, she released an online zine that showcased a personal project that she’s been working on behind the scenes for years.

^{Screenshot of the cover of Morgan’s zine.}

For nearly a decade, Morgan ended each day by writing down the best moment of the day on a small piece of paper.

What began as a personal ritual slowly became something larger: an archive of joy.

Release Day gave her the push she needed to transform that private archive into a public display of gratitude.

(Please note that this interview has been edited for length and flow.)

Interviewer: Tell us about the project you released.

Morgan: The project actually started about nine years ago. I called it Bright Spots. At the end of every day, I would write down the best part of my day on a small piece of paper.

It became a habit I kept up for years. Eventually I realized I had more than eight years of personal data about my own life.

As a designer and a researcher, that’s a bit of a treasure trove. But it’s also something very meaningful; it’s a record of the best moments.

When Release Day came around and the idea was that everyone would share a personal project, I realized this was my moment to turn all that data into something.

^{Sorting the archive of bright spots.}

Interviewer: What themes emerged as you looked back at all those moments?

Morgan: One big theme was creative community, which feels very fitting for CreativeMornings.

Some of my happiest moments were when I had created something and friends showed up to support me. Or when someone unexpectedly bragged about something I had made.

“I noticed that having people around me that also supported me in my creativity, really impacted me in a in a beautiful way.”

Another theme was trying new things—those moments where curiosity leads you somewhere unexpected.

And another theme was simply creating things. As an industrial designer, I spend a lot of time building prototypes and working with my hands. Seeing something come to life brings me a lot of joy.

^{A collection of bright spots about making things.}

Interviewer: Had you always planned to turn this archive into something?

Morgan: Not exactly. I’d been thinking about it for a long time. A student once heard about bright spots and insisted that I had to do something with it. But nothing ever came of it.

When I heard about Release Day, though, I realized it was exactly the push I needed. I know myself, if there’s a deadline, something will happen. Without one, it’s easy to keep thinking about something forever.

Interviewer: What other executions did you consider?

Morgan: There were so many directions the project could go. You could build a timeline of how life changes over eight years. You could make a website that filters the data by themes—food, friends, seasons. I even thought about creating something like a museum exhibit.

But all of those ideas felt overwhelming. Eventually I realized a zine format would work well because it’s small and approachable.

Interviewer: What was your experience on the actual day of Release Day?

Morgan: I had stayed up late the night before to finish the zine, so I remember feeling exhausted earlier in the day. But then we had this online meeting where people who contributed to release day gathered together to share their creations. And it was quite a personal thing that I’m putting out there, so I was a bit nervous.

“I knew that they were also putting something on the line by releasing their own projects. There were shared amounts of vulnerability. So that was really comforting as well.”

It very quickly turned into a celebration. After that call I had so much energy.

Interviewer: What would you tell someone considering participating in Release Day?

Morgan: Sign up. And don’t overthink it.

You don’t need to know exactly what you’re going to create. Trust the process and trust that other people are going through the same thing. Some people released huge projects. Others shared something small, like a painted postcard. Both are equally valid.

Interviewer: Did the experience change how you approach your creative work?

Morgan: It inspired me to create more small publications. The zine format feels approachable. It’s just a few pages, but suddenly you have something tangible. If I had tried to call it a book, I would have felt overwhelmed.

It also definitely made me more open about sharing things I’m working on.

For a long time, I thought work was only worth sharing once it was finished. But inviting people into the process changed everything. Friends offered ideas and encouragement along the way.

And when Release Day finally arrived, those same people were celebrating with me.

What are you going to release on May 29th?

Learn more about Release Day and join us

Release Day is a Creative Quests and CreativeMornings collaboration, powered by Adobe.

Release Day: Immy Hunter on Building Community and Diving in

CreativeMornings — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 16:10:00 -0400

Release Day on May 29th is our collective deadline to finally share that special thing we’ve been working on.

This story is part of a series celebrating people who participated in Release Day 2025. We hope their stories inspire you to join us this year.

Immy Hunter is a nature loving, freelance graphic designer and freediving instructor from North Devon, UK. As a passionate side quester, she founded Flow State Freediving to share freediving as a practice of slowing down, reconnecting with the body and exploring the ocean in a holistic, mindful way.

For Release Day 2025, she launched her freediving instagram account.

^{Screenshot from Immy’s freediving instagram.}

When Immy Hunter discovered freediving, it quickly became more than just a hobby.

She wanted to share her new adventure and what she was learning. But posting publicly was harder than she thought.

(Please note that this interview has been edited for length and flow.)

Interviewer: Tell us about the project you released.

Immy: For Release Day, I launched my free diving Instagram page. I had actually created the page before, but I hadn’t posted anything on it. I’d been free diving for about a year and a half and had become totally obsessed with it. I wanted a space to share my journey, but I didn’t want to overwhelm my personal Instagram with free diving content.

So, I created the page but I hadn’t really had the guts to properly launch it. When Release Day came along, it felt like a chance for me to treat this as like an official project.

“It was like an investment into something that’s going to grow in the future potentially.”

Interviewer: So, what is freediving?

Immy: Freediving is diving underwater on a single held breath. No scuba tank.

There are different ways to practice it. One is diving down a line attached to a floating buoy. That style is very internal. It’s about focusing on your body and breath, almost like meditation.

Then there’s more exploratory diving, where you swim around and observe marine life. What I love about freediving is that it allows you to experience the ocean in a very calm, non-invasive way.

^{Screenshot from Immy’s freediving instagram.}

Interviewer: What made Release Day the moment to finally launch?

Immy: The deadline was a huge part of it.

As a graphic designer, I’m used to working with deadlines for client work. There’s the structure and the timeline, like do this, then this, then this, because you have a start and an end.

I think like with a lot of creative projects, if you don’t ever say I’m starting on this day and it’s going to be finished by this day, then it never happens. Release Day gave me a month. That made the project feel manageable.

^{Photo of Immy and her partner.}

Interviewer: What was your biggest takeaway?

Immy: I think you should start things before you feel ready. The whole atmosphere around Release Day was very low pressure. The idea was just to release something. It didn’t have to be perfect. That mindset really resonated with me.

Interviewer: What did your process look like during that month?

Immy: I’m not the most structured person, I work when I feel energized. Bit I did set aside time and gave myself small goals each week. One week I focused on the visual identity. Another week I worked on content ideas.

Because the timeline was short, it stopped me from overthinking everything.

Interviewer: What did you do on Release Day to actually release your project?

Immy: We uploaded our projects and wrote a short description about them. That was actually really meaningful, it made the project feel official.

Then we had a group call where everyone shared what they’d made. People talked about their process and what they hoped might happen next.

It was really rewarding to finally present something that had previously only existed in my head.

Interviewer: What has happened since Release Day?

Immy: When I first launched the page, I had around 100 followers; mostly friends.

Over time it grew slowly, and then my partner and I started working on the page together. We began treating it more like a real project, posting more consistently.

Now we have nearly 7,000 followers and a growing community of people interested in freediving. We’ve also both become certified freediving instructors.

“It gave me a bit of confidence. if I hadn’t done Release Day then maybe I wouldn’t be where I am now.”

Interviewer: What would you tell someone thinking about participating?

Immy: Just do it. Releasing something, even if it’s imperfect, is always better than never releasing anything at all.

If it doesn’t work the way you hoped, you’ve still learned something. But if you never start, it’s easy to get stuck in decision paralysis.

“Start something before you’re ready.”

What are you going to release on May 29th?

Learn more about Release Day and join us

Release Day is a Creative Quests and CreativeMornings collaboration, powered by Adobe.

Release Day: Alina Cristea on Complexity and Finally Hitting Publish

CreativeMornings — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 16:00:00 -0400

Why does making something for yourself always seem to fall to the bottom of the To Do list? There’s always another task to finish, another priority that feels more urgent, another reason to put it off.

Behind that procrastination is something harder to face; the vulnerability of putting our whole selves out there. So, we tell ourselves that we’ll share it when things slow down. We trick ourselves into thinking that the problem is not having enough time, but really it’s not having a deadline.

Release Day on May 29th is our collective deadline to finally share that special thing we’ve been working on.

This story is part of a series celebrating people who participated in Release Day 2025. We hope their stories inspire you to join us this year.

Alina Cristea is an artist and researcher working with photography, film and text, currently based in Brussels and Bucharest. Her work explores urban space, narrativity, and how stories are constructed, fragmented, shared, and retold in both personal and collective contexts.

For Release Day 2025, she released a portfolio site that showcases all of her endeavors.

^{Screenshot of Alina’s portfolio site.}

For years, Alina Cristea had been meaning to publish a website that truly reflected her work.

As a photographer, writer, and academic researcher, her creative output lived in different places but she never had an online home that reflected the entirety of who she is.

At the time, Alina was writing her PhD dissertation; hardly the perfect timing to launch a site. But the Release Day deadline pushed her to stop overthinking and start publishing.

(Please note that this interview has been edited for length and flow.)

Interviewer: Tell us about the project you released.

Alina: I released my website, which was long overdue. For many years I struggled to actually publish a public portfolio. I had different online portfolios, but they were scattered because I do many different things. I’m a photographer, I write, and I also work in academia. I’ve written books and produced research as part of my PhD, and it was always difficult to figure out how to bring those different identities together.

When I saw the Release Day open call, I realized this was the moment to finally do it.

“I’d been thinking about it for 10 years because I do different things and it was always a struggle how to bring everything together and tell all the different stories of me.”

Interviewer: How did having that deadline help you move forward?

Alina: I actually did far less thinking than I normally do. It became more about taking action.

I saw the open call when it launched and made a mental note, but I didn’t really start working on the website until about a week before Release Day. That deadline helped me stop overthinking and just make something happen.

“When I saw Release Day, it felt like a now or never.”

Interviewer: How did you balance everything?

Alina: Honestly, I mostly squeezed it in wherever I could. My dissertation was my main focus for the year, so the website was something I worked on in small moments when I had time.

It might sound strange to say that about a website, but after postponing it for so long, I knew I had to finally release it.

^{A project from Alina’s portfolio site.}

Interviewer: What did it feel like when the site went live?

Alina: I was nervous, to be honest.

But I also reminded myself that no one was really waiting for the website, it was mostly pressure in my own head.

My mindset became, I just want to make it exist first and make it good later. I saw a post that really resonated with me. It showed two circles. The first circle was incomplete, with the caption: “Just make it exist first.” The second circle was perfect, with the caption: “Make it good later.”

That idea stuck with me.

Interviewer: What was your favorite part of participating in Release Day?

Alina: The community call at the end was my favorite part. People from different time zones joined and shared what they had released. Everyone was cheering for each other. It felt incredibly supportive.

Interviewer: Did the experience change how you think about sharing your work?

Alina: Yes. It made me more comfortable sharing complexity. I used to worry about how to present all the different parts of my work together. I realize that I can highlight different aspects and they all add up.

^{Alina’s portfolio site features two sides of her work; research and photography.}

Interviewer: What would you tell someone thinking about participating?

Alina: Mark the date in your calendar. Then choose a project, especially something you’ve been postponing for a long time.

Release Day is a great opportunity to finally take that leap.

What are you going to release on May 29th?

Learn more about Release Day and join us

Release Day is a Creative Quests and CreativeMornings collaboration, powered by Adobe.