Creativity, Community, and the Power of Showing Up Reflections on being a panelist (again!) at Connect CRiA NYC

I’m still buzzing from the energy of Connect CRiA this past week. It was my third time speaking at this event, and honestly? It never gets old. The experience keeps getting richer, more emotional, and more inspiring.

To be surrounded by so many creative, passionate, successful Brazilians in the city I now call home New York felt like pure magic. I had the chance to share a bit of my story, but the real gift was hearing everyone else’s. Each conversation, each panel, was a reminder of how powerful it is when a community comes together with open hearts and open minds.

One thing I shared during my talk really seemed to resonate:

I remember being scared before opening my agency (Pixalies). I had this irrational fear: What if one day I just ran out of ideas? What if I woke up and couldn’t design a single logo or layout ever again?

Well, after 25+ years in the creative field, I can safely say… that’s not how it works. Creativity doesn’t dry up. If anything, it multiplies. The more I create, the more ideas come. But here’s the twist:

The best ideas usually show up when you’re doing… absolutely nothing.

And that’s something I worry about today. We’re constantly distracted, scrolling, listening, clicking, consuming. We rarely let ourselves get bored anymore. But boredom is where creativity lives. When we’re always plugged into other people’s ideas, we leave no space for our own.

Another thought I shared:

Creativity is what happens after your first obvious thought.
Most people stop at that first idea. But if you push a little more, stretch that mental muscle, something special starts to emerge. That’s where the magic lives.

This year’s Connect CRiA was full of those magical moments. I made new friends, had deep conversations, and even invited a few folks to join me on The Hybrid Experience podcast. The energy in that room? Unforgettable.

Huge congrats and gratitude to Larissa Rinaldi, the incredible CEO and founder of CRiA, for creating this platform.

The seeds being planted in this community are full of promise. I’m honored to be part of it.

Until next time,