Musings Archive

Illustrated half-tone scene of a lighthouse at night. Surrounding it are Adobe software icons.

Culture Sarah

A year in retrospect: Navigating the creative world as a non-designer

Every challenge is a stepping stone and in this case, a very rewarding one. Read Sarah’s musing where she reflects on her first year at Initiate as she navigates the creative world as a non-designer.

2025-07-31

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Culture Michael

Fatherhood: A blueprint for leadership

Dad energy is about showing up consistently with patience, humility, and quiet strength—traits that make a lasting impact beyond stereotypes.

2025-06-11

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Culture Linden

Art in the Midst of Ache

Working as a creative while coping with chronic pain looks different for everyone. It’s a deeply personal journey, often messy, always courageous — and sometimes, strangely beautiful.

2025-05-21

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A colorful abstract floral illustration featuring stylized flowers and leaves in bright shades of red, yellow, pink, green, and blue. The central element is a large four-petal red flower with heart-shaped petals, surrounded by various petal and leaf shapes, all with dotted gradient textures on a beige background.

Culture Jennifer

Honouring Women This Mother’s Day

True celebration means not just gratitude, but also advocacy for women’s rights, healthcare, safety, and the freedom to thrive on their own terms.

2025-05-08

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Culture Owen

Graphic design and the folk process

A lifelong love of folk music fuels both my creativity and my design work, connecting past and present through storytelling, adaptation, and community learning.

2025-03-28

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Culture Danni

Initiate’s first summer intern reflects on a summer of design

Emilie-Danni was our very first summer design intern here at Initiate. We asked her to reflect on her journey with us.

2024-12-06

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Culture Jennifer

A musing about perspective

The ability to see what others fail to see is at the heart of what designers do. This is a short personal story to illustrate.

2024-08-05

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Culture Leadership Michael

Hello, my title is not graphic designer

I went to school to be a graphic designer, but I learned that we are much more than that. I want to explore why I’m uncomfortable with this term, its genericism and the boxes it puts designers in.

2024-07-22

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Culture Jennifer

A Rose by Any Other Name Would Smell as Sweet

When women show the same drive and clarity as men, we’re often called ‘aggressive’—but I’ve learned to reject that label and stand proud in being assertive, ambitious, and unapologetically myself.

2024-07-08

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Culture Christi

Vintage design treasures, by our designers

Here at Initiate we’ve realized that most of us own or collect vintage items, or love a good craft market! We want to share our favourite finds with you.