The Launch will be focused on making. Each session, all of us will make something — with goals of lowering our own barriers to entry, freeing ourselves from overthinking, and using group accountability to encourage each other to create for the sake of it.

Everyone will also launch a low-stakes, high-joy personal project while exploring questions like:

- What inspires us as humans vs. as workers?
- What would we make if we didn’t overthink? How do we get out of our own way?
- How do we personally and collectively find playful creative flow?

You do not need to have a personal project in mind before signing up. Some examples of projects from previous Launch seasons:

- A crocheted outfit for a kitten.
- A dinner party where guests eat and wear only one color.
- A Spotify-wrapped-style mobile experience based on a year’s worth of Fitbit sleep data.
- A zine about sex positivity inspired by a tweenage fascination with the Nars Orgasm collection.
- A paper mache replica of a cactus.
- A Matisse-ification tool for redesigning iconic 21st century visual artifacts inspired by the print that is in seemingly every StreetEasy staging photo.
- A microblog of useless car facts.

This course is for you if:

- You make things or would like to make things in any medium.
- You’re looking to inject more spontaneity, community, and ease into your creative practice.
- You’re not sure which (if any) personal projects to pursue, or how to pursue them.
- You’re interested in exploring creative work outside of its commercial value.

This course is not for you if:

- You’re seeking VC funding or a spot on Shark Tank— although “a zine ranking episodes of Shark Tank based on how much an actual shark would enjoy them” would be an excellent Launch project.

• Build community through creative play while holding each other accountable for collective making
• Challenge assumptions about what we make and who we make it for
• Practice getting creatively unstuck by stepping outside of comfort zones and frameworks of commercial value
• Launch an experimental personal project!

*Every session will include at least one short period of active making to lower our individual barriers to creation.*

Week 1 – Intention & Soft Structure

We’ll explore new frameworks for making, develop our individual and collective goals, and discuss possibilities for unlearning.

Week 2 – Attention & Ideation

We’ll learn the value of sharing our joy, practice imagining without editing, and rethink what makes a “good” idea.

Week 3 – Finitude & Selection

We’ll embrace the freedom of finitude, hone our ability to scale ideas up and down, define our projects, and work toward less overthinking—more making.

Week 4 – Obstacle & Action

We’ll reflect on internal and external gatekeepers, subvert the crit process, and uncover tools to turn obstacles into flow states.

Week 5 – Reception & The Meaning of Done

We’ll reframe “reception,” explore what “done” looks like to each of us, and collectively troubleshoot/plan our final project stretch.

Week 6 – Celebration & Reflection

We’ll present our projects, discuss the importance of rest and celebration, and establish means of support for the future.

• The Creative Independent
• Learning By Heart: Teachings to Free the Creative Spirit by Corita Kent & Jan Steward
• Frog & Toad Are Friends
• Taskmaster (TV series)

“Something about meeeee is that I love taking classes and have taken many over the years, but none have ever been as impactful as The Launch. If you’re an over thinker or just need a shake up, I couldn’t recommend Olivia enough. She taught us how to do with now expectations and embrace the experience of making more than the output itself, which has honestly improved my approach to life beyond my own creative practice. If you’re contemplating this class at all, please, just take it. It’s beyond worth it.”

—Ana Realmuto, The Launch Season Two

“The Launch' is like a gym for your mind; with the supportive guidance of a highly skilled creative fitness coach (Olivia), you will cultivate the skill of embracing ambiguity as a tool for exploration. 'The Launch' helped me learn how to refrain from self judgement and doubt during uncomfortable moments in my creative process and cultivate some much needed bravery.”

—Dana Davis, The Launch Season One

Olivia Crandall is a writer and artist whose work explores reality, relationships, and the degree to which we perform within both. Her writing can be found in places like Bustle, Cake Zine, Gossamer, InStyle, Points in Case, and Vulture, where she is a long-term contributor. Olivia’s personal Launch projects have included a collaborative map of the cats in her neighborhood, an embroidered garment exploring an alternate universe version of herself, and a collection of Hallmark holiday movie haiku reviews. Originally from the Midwest, she currently lives in Los Angeles.

Index scholarships are designed to benefit underrepresented groups, BIPOC members of our community, and those for whom the class price is not accessible. These need-based scholarships will go to the candidates who best demonstrate why they should be chosen for the free spot to our class based on the following criteria:

• Belong to groups that are traditionally underrepresented in the graphic design and creative industries
• Do not have jobs that would pay for these courses as professional development
• Cannot independently afford the class at list price
• Share our value of intentional community

The number of selected applicants chosen is subject to the discretion of Index and the instructor, but every course will select at least one. Apply for a scholarship here. Applications close June 9th.