FableVision’s Morning Mixtape: A Commuting Playlist

Ah, the days of mixtapes—when you’d collect a stack of blank cassettes or CDs and carefully create a list of your favorite songs to enjoy with friends or loved ones. Playlists are the modern day mixtapes and the desire to share good music has never faded.

Morning commutes, especially, are a great time to put on your favorite playlists and get into the right frame of mind for work. FableVisionaries travel to the studio in all different ways: train, car, bus, bicycle...even by foot. No matter what mode of transportation each FableVisionary chooses, we all have one mission in mind: arrive at the studio ready to work hard and be creative. Music can make or break a morning, so we’ve put together a mixtape (technically it’s a playlist, but we’re feeling nostalgic) of the studio’s favorite songs for the morning commute.

Continue reading to find out what songs get our team members energized and ready for the day!

A playlist featuring The Killers, Lizzo, Grimes, and others

“The Man” by The Killers
“I especially love playing this before a big meeting, it makes me feel invincible!” (Sarah Ditkoff, Communications Director)

“Juice” by Lizzo
“I love an upbeat song that I can cycle to on my commute!” (Allie Caton, Production Assistant)

“Kill V Maim” by Grimes
“It's probably super weird, but listening to Grimes makes me feel like a fierce warrior that can take on anything. Sometimes lyrics are secondary to the beat for me, so really, I just feel like it’s a music video in the morning of me getting ready to kick butt.” (Christina Kelly, Production Designer)

“Spotlight (Oh Nostalgia)” by Patrick Stump
“The song is all about removing yourself from the endless spiral of reliving past mistakes and sadness, and focusing on the here and now of how awesome you are. It helps me break out of tallying the pile of things that need to get done today, and instead celebrate the fact that I am about to go work with my amazing teams and make awesome games!” (Melissa Schoeller, Associate Producer)

“Hymnal” by Open Mike Eagle
“‘Hymnal’ is a great song about pushing past obstacles and owning mistakes when you're trying to create something:‘To thine own self be felt-tip.’ The track starts off sleepy, but by the time Sammus finishes her verse, I'm ready for my day!” (David Welsh, Production Assistant)

“Unlock It” by Charli XCX
“High-energy PC Music pop is, in my opinion, the best thing to listen to for my walk from the train every morning.” (Nathan Wentworth, Junior Developer)

"Unwound" by Tomtsu
“Along with the fact that this song really gets my toes tapping, my son is the drummer. Hard to believe these guys are only in high school.” (Brian Grossman, Technical Director)

“Someone To You” by BANNERS
“It’s the type of song that makes me want to run and do karate kicks in the air.” (Eileen Moynihan, Marketing Intern)

"The Killing Kind" by Marianas Trench
“One word: drama. This song never fails to energize me in the mornings, and it also has beautifully crafted lyrics and literary references that get me in the right frame of mind for the creative writing I do at the studio.” (Monica Chen, Marketing Coordinator)

“Fight Song” by Rachel Platten
”’Fight Song’ was the anthem of Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, and its meaning for me has shifted over time. At first, it symbolized the possibility of finally breaking the glass ceiling. Then it made me cry every time I heard it. And now it reminds me that we have to get up and keep going in the face of adversity.” (Leigh Hallisey, Creative Director)

Come PLAY at the Studio: Creative Juices 2019

FableVision’s annual Creative Juices Art Show is back, and this year, we’re having a play-date at the studio! The theme for 2019 is PLAY, and our team has spent the last few months creating artwork, games, interactives, food, and more centered around this theme. We have over thirty artists and makers—ranging from FableVision staff to freelancers to former interns and friends—displaying their work. The studio has been hard at work to ensure that all the projects are in place and everything is ready for the night of the show.

Continue reading for a play-by-play from three of this year’s event organizers: Christina Kelly, Production Designer, Hannah O’Neal, Lead Animator, and Bob Flynn, Director of Art and Animation. And don’t forget to RSVP here to save your spot!

What is the history of Creative Juices? How did it start, and what was the inspiration behind it?
Hannah: It came from this idea that we wanted to show the creative activities we do outside of work. We had a blog that we used to showcase our personal work and inspire each other, and we called it Creative Juices. Bob even designed a logo for it, and we still use that same logo today! We decided in 2010 or so to branch out from the blog and actually do an art show. Just like the blog, the show would be open to everyone in the studio to exhibit, not just artists. At first we were going to do something in a gallery space in town, but we decided to do it in our own studio space instead. That’s how the Creative Juices Art Show first came to be!

Bob: Everything that Hannah said. Keith Zulawnik, myself, and Jay LaCouture had been attending art shows at local galleries and figured, why don’t we do something like this? The inspiration behind the name came from a phrase Peter H. Reynolds was known to say: “getting our creative juices flowing.” It took a lot of work to get the first show in place, but each year we take advantage of what we learn from previous years.

What went into planning this event?
Hannah: Though the art team spearheads the planning, we had to put our heads together with the marketing team to work on scheduling, branding, and outreach for the show. The art team takes on the role of finding and organizing people to participate and, with the marketing team, designs and prepares all our lovely labels, lanyards, and other print materials. Preparing the space is a combination of everyone pitching in and putting up their creative pieces and prepping the space for maximum fun and enjoyment.

How did you pick this year’s theme, and why is it important?
Bob: I believe Christina and I came up with it together. We were tossing around ideas. I’m always searching for something simple that can be interpreted a number of ways. The idea of PLAY is synonymous with the spirit of the studio. You learn best when you play—where you’re allowed to make mistakes, start over, and improvise on perceived accidents. I feel my best when I’m in play mode.

Christina: Play is such a fun word. There are so many different things you think of when you hear it. It also allowed us to branch out from the usual 2D art we create at the studio and also make games and other types of projects!

What kind of work will we see at the show? Who is displaying?
Christina: Anything you can think of. Art, poems, food, music, games. There’s going to be a really fun variety.

Bob: We have freelancers and staff who are working on games, which syncs up nicely with the theme. And the children of a few of our staff members are also displaying work.

Hannah: We’re lucky to be a studio with so many talented people, from all kinds of backgrounds and expertise. This is the night everyone gets flex their creative muscles in the many ways we have to make something creative. So we’re going to see all KINDS of things, not just art on the walls. It’s pretty exciting!

What are you most excited about for the art show?
Hannah: Filling the walls and rooms with our creative spirit! And sharing that with some of the most talented and creative people in our area! Over the years our Art Show has become an event where you can’t help but run into some of the finest creative minds in our industry, many of whom are our collective friends and greater community. I love seeing some of my old friends and meeting new creative people. I also hope to make new friends and really glue our artistic and creative community together  over some good food, drinks, and creative work.

Christina: I love talking to new and old faces. It’s great having people come in to celebrate art and creativity with us. It’s also fun just to have an excuse to party with people.

Bob: It’s so great to see old friends. And conversely, it’s the best way to meet people new to the Boston animation, gaming, and educational media scene. I spend most of the night catching up with folks.

When and where is Creative Juices? How do I get my ticket?
Christina: Friday, May 31! You need to RSVP on Eventbrite to get on the list. The ticket is 100% free, though. What a deal!