MSMF launches Expert Mode with a session at Impromptu Studio focused on Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop. Participants will work together to share tips, tricks and tools to help everyone unlock the “Expert Mode” in their inner creator. This is a beginner through expert friendly session where we will show off what we’re working on, walk through tutorials together, and help each other figure out cool new ways of doing stuff.

Bringing a laptop computer with the software you want to explore is highly recommended, however, you may be able to share with another participant or pick up some tips just be being there. If you are interested in participating but unable to bring a computer, please e-mail scott -at- therevuecreative -dot- com and we will try and connect you with someone willing to share.

Have some great stock images, macros, or other fun stuff you can share? Bring ‘em along! USB keys will be handy for passing plug-ins, templates, and preference files around.

As this is the first Expert Mode, there will likely be as much discussion about other programs, sessions, and resources we want to develop as there will be user groupin’. Bring some ideas!

Most people are too polite to tell you your baby is ugly. If it’s a real, authentic, from your loins flesh and blood baby, well, that’s probably a good thing. It’ll grow out of it (hopefully). But if your ugly baby is a business baby, a design baby, a project baby – it’s staying ugly until you do something about it.

Your Baby’s Ugly will be a starting point for improving the aesthetic appeal of your project, business, or brand. It will also be a useful lesson for non-designers in the basics of aesthetics and give you some simple advice you can apply daily to enhance the visual appeal of anything you work on.

Bring your business baby – corporate identity, marketing collateral, websites, product packaging, logos, etc – and a team of working artists and designers will direct an aesthetic critique. No excuses and no pulling punches – find out if you’ve got an ugly baby.

If you want to put your baby up for critique, please RSVP to Scott at info@cultivatedsm.org with “Ugly Baby” in the subject. Give a brief description of what you’d like to have critiqued and we will take it from there.

If you are a working designer or artist and would like to participate on the critique panel, please contact Scott at info@cultivatedsm.org with “Ugly Baby Designer” in the subject.

YES! You can attend Your Baby’s Ugly as a spectator, however, participation is STRONGLY encouraged.

We’re kicking off a week to move forward by taking a moment to look back. The best speeches from November’s Ignite Des Moines event will be shared and conversation will begin anew about where Des Moines is and where it needs to be heading. Need a refresher? Check the Ignite Des Moines site for videos from the November 2008 event. Ignite was a simple and straightforward event organized to create a chance for Des Moines’ finest to gather and speak to each other about anything!

Lunch will be provided. Please RSVP via EventBrite here!

Impromptu Studio – Iowa’s premiere coworking community – is  launching Freelancer Fridays as part of Advance: A Week to Move Forward and in celebration of their one-year annivesrary. Come by Friday July 24 and experience coworking for yourself! The coffee is free, the wi-fi is free and the company is invaluable (and also free).

Bring your laptops, iPhones, sketchpads, notebooks, portable typewriters, crochet needles, Bedazzlers, button makers, paint-by-numbers kits or whatever else you feel like working on and pull up a chair. Test pilot the coworking experience for yourself and break out of your coffeeshop rut!

Rewrite is a collaborative, hands-on copywriting workshop. Yes, copywriting, not copyrighting. We’re sure. Bring a small bit of copy – maybe an artist statement or the opening few paragraphs of a marketing piece or the welcome message on your website – and the room will tear it to shreds as nicely as possible. Subtle changes can mean huge differences in communicating your message effectively. THIS IS NOT A GRAMMAR WORKSHOP. Grammatical errors bug English teachers and grammar Nazis. Ill communication bugs everyone, unless it is a Beastie Boys album, in which case it’s fine.

To participate:

• Print your copy in a nice large font (Times/Helvetica is good) in black and white on a normal printer paper.
• Bring it with you
• Participate.

That’s it.

If you are completely printer-less and are trying to run a business or grow your arts career it might be time to sign up for Market Street or Impromptu. We have printers and a few other resources you might find useful.

We will produce photocopies and overheads as needed. Red pens will be provided.

Copy will be workshopped in a moderated, first-come first-serve setting. MSMF and Impromptu members may sign up in advance at MSMF to guarantee that their copy will be examined.

Tara Hunt, author of “The Whuffie Factor” and one of the leaders of the Whuffaoke tour, will give an informal presentation and Q&A about using social capitol to build your business and how she has leveraged it to drive across America, singing all the way!

Event: Advance Capstone ft. Whuffaoke
Time: 6:30pm-11pm
Location: Impromptu Studio

Description: The evening will begin with conversations led by local and national coworking, arts and business leaders. Beer, socializing and networking (with a little Karaoke for good measure) will provide a relaxed atmosphere for sharing your thoughts on Moving Forward.  The focus of the conversations will be: “Advancing Biz and Art Culture by Strengthening Communities via Engagement, Innovation, Vision, and Collaboration.” Energizing figures will draw on past to extrapolate lessons and a present their visions for the future.

Advance will be held July 20-25 with events at Impromptu and Market Street. All Advance events are free and open to the public. The program is designed for creative and business professionals alike with useful, casual events encouraging people to work together and get to work.

Wednesday’s events will anchor Advance week with conversation, learning, and socializing. Acclaimed author Tara Hunt (The Whuffie Factor) will lead a presentation and Q&A about using social capital to build your business. A social meetup with conversation and karaoke led by local and national coworking and arts leaders will conclude the evening. Other Advance: A Week to Move Forward events include the Ignite Des Moines Remix luncheon, Your Baby’s Ugly aesthetic critique night, Rewrite copywriting workshop, Freelancer Friday, Expert Mode, and Market Day.

Keep watching this site for more information and schedule updates. Individual event descriptions and RSVP’s are coming soon.

Detailed Schedule

Monday

• Event: Ignite Des Moines Remix luncheon
• Time: 11:30am-1pm
• Location: Impromptu Studio
• Description: Kicking off a week to move forward by taking a moment to look back. The best speeches from November’s Ignite Des Moines event will be shared and conversation will begin anew about where Des Moines is and where it needs to be heading. Lunch is provided.

Tuesday

• Event: Your Baby’s Ugly
• Time: 7pm
• Location: Market Street Media Foundry
• Description: Most people are too polite to tell you your baby is ugly. We’ll fix that. Bring your business baby – corporate identity, marketing collateral, websites, product packaging, logos, etc – and a team of working artists and designers will direct an aesthetic critique. No excuses and no pulling punches – find out if you’ve got an ugly baby.

Wednesday

• Event:  Presentation by Tara Hunt, author of “The Whuffie Factor”
• Time: 4pm
• Location: Impromptu Studio
• Description: Tara Hunt, author of “The Whuffie Factor” and one of the leaders of the Whuffaoke tour, will give a presentation and Q&A about using social capitol to build your business.
• Event: Whuffaoke
• Time: 6:30pm-10pm
• Location: Impromptu Studio
• Description: The evening will begin with conversations led by local and national coworking, arts and business leaders. Beer, socializing and networking (with a little Karaoke for good measure) will provide a relaxed atmosphere for sharing your thoughts on Moving Forward.

Thursday

• Event: Rewrite
• Time: 6:30-8:30
• Description: A collaborative copywriting workshop. Bring your artist statements, one paragraph business summaries, band bio, or any other short copy that you think needs a little spit polish. No computers. Bring a plain printout with a nice legible typeface. Red pens provided.

Friday

• Event: Freelancer Friday
• Time: All day
• Location: Impromptu Studio
• Description: Free coworking! Grab your laptop, sketchpad, iPhone, or whatever else you need to work and pop in to Impromptu Studio for some collaboration, conversation, and a fun work environment where the Wi-Fi AND the coffee are free

• Event: Expert Mode
• Time: 3pm-6pm
• Location: Impromptu Studio
• Description: A creative user group on ‘roids. This session of Export Mode will be Adobe-oriented with Illustrator and Photoshop on the table. Bring a laptop if you’ve got one or just a good old fashioned pen and notebook to take notes as we guide each other through tips, tricks and shortcuts to unlock the “Expert Mode” in our own inner designers. Beginners welcome.

Saturday

• Event: Market Day
• Time: 9am-2pm
• Location: Market Street Media Foundry
• Description: The third installment of MSMF’s hip and funky garage sale meets art gallery. Local vendors selling everything from original paintings to vintage Fonzie puzzles. It’s work from the people who actually do all that cool stuff you see on Make and Craft and Lifehacker or get to the thrift store before all the good stuff sells out.