A wonderful new market is coming up this weekend at Mitchell Farms. Its one last celebration of summer and a market with a ‘nu’ twist.
Its called Golden Harvest Market & Festival.
We had a chance to speak with CEO and Founder of Nu Motive, Christa Fontaine, now based in Baja California, who along with Kimberly Allan, the Vancouver Island organizer are putting on this unique event.
A little background about Nu Motive:
Tell us a little bit about the genesis & evolution of the Nu Motive? When did the company form and what are its main goals?
Christa – This time 2 years ago I packed up my apartment in Victoria and hit the road in my new (very old) RV and my pup Mystic. We head due south with no plans, rhyme or reason, other than to fully immerse ourselves in the grand adventure of the great unknown. We ended up spending a great deal of time in the desert in Southern California and then crossed the border into Baja California, Mexico. It was March 10th, 2020 when the “Cosmic Download” first hit. It was massive, and very magical…I’ll never forget it.
I felt like I was being gifted with something immense. On that day, I knew I had to find a place to hunker down in and work, I found a property to stay on in my RV and moved in on Friday the 13th, which as I’m sure we can all remember as the time where life as we knew it, had changed for good.
The name of all of the ideas and happenings at the time were under the umbrella “Ultreia Vida” which literally translates to “Beyond Life” I’m big on words, an alchemist if you will.
So without wi-fi and very spotty 4G from the passenger seat of my RV, I started sharing my ideas with my personal, entrepreneurial & creative connections far and wide.
It was pretty easy to do actually, as everyone was at home, and I had nothing but time.
Nu Motive emerged as an e-zine that originally aligned with the astrological seasons and themes, and featured unique and original multimedia content from creatives, artists, facilitators, and practitioners worldwide (up to 35 per issue). The gist of it was to create a publication that would embody the essence of an epic potluck garden party, and everyone brought their best dish. The idea was for readers and contributors to be able to indulge in seasonal musings, practices, poetry and more at their own leisure, and feel genuinely connected and inspired by each other. No competition, no judgement, no experience necessary, just genuine and authentic expression and creative generosity.
The ethos has always been more about the people involved, more so than the medium. I truly believe that we are all incredibly gifted, and that when we have the permission and platform to express ourselves safely and authentically, we are limitless. The community aspect of Nu Motive took the spotlight before I could even pinpoint what it was that we were doing, or what Nu Motive was all about. It’s always been about the people, and that’s not always easy to explain. I’ve always believed in it, and in us though – and I think that’s because I really know and believe in myself too.
After 4 publications and the passing of my mom, Nu Motive took the back burner in September. Not knowing if/when it would return, it made its comeback in February 2021.
Bigger, stronger, and this time in person and in print.
Collaboration seems to be a key component of Nu Motive. Tell us a little about what it means to your company, the magazine you produce and the events you run?
I often refer to Nu Motive as both my life line and drug of choice during the hardest time of my life, and with that –
“Collaboration and community mean everything to me personally, and all that Nu Motive stands for”
I truly believe that my mom would not have left this world if she wasn’t 100% sure that I would be able to cultivate a family of my dreams through my life’s work, passion and purpose. One of the greatest lessons that I have learnt in my life so far is that I don’t have to do it/navigate it/carry it all alone. What an outstanding relief!
Every connection that I create and each conversation that I have – I am looking for golden opportunities to collaborate (and I don’t have to look that hard!) They’re everywhere once you start to attune your energy in that direction. And that direction, in my opinion, is towards a brighter and more creative future.
Photo – Slow Sundays
The Golden Harvest Market and Festival is coming up this weekend on Sept 25th. It sounds like it’s going to be a lot of fun. What does this market offer that we haven’t seen before on Vancouver Island?
We’re turning the dial all the way up on providing an elevated and immersive experience, just like with everything we do and create. We’re pumping consciousness into responsible and ethical consumption and with all of our bases covered, we’re ensuring nourishment of the mind, body and soul. Something we vibe hard on is the edu-tainment edge. So yep, entertainment and education. We believe that when education is experiential, fun and entertaining, it sticks, and then ripples outwards.
We want everyone involved in Golden Harvest (and everything we do and put on) to walk away feeling inspired.
We’ve aligned and partnered with small businesses and community initiatives such as the Community Action Bus (that will be offering a shuttle service at the event!) and are really excited to give them a platform to shine and thrive! And one more thing – We’re all the stars of the show at this party! We’re the art, the headliners, the big event…and we’ll stop at nothing to make sure every person feels that, and can take that experience with them when they go.
Sounds like you have a very diverse group of vendors. Tell us a bit about some of your faves?
Ahh! Thank you! That’s been really important from the get go. I personally have been a service provider at markets in the past and always felt that there oughta be more of an “all sorts” mix up – as that’s what makes the best kind of parties. The way we see it, is that we love everyone joining us, and that they’re either already inner circle homies, or we really want them to be!
We can’t wait to see what everyone does with their spaces, and are extra stoked on the installs from CREAM Life + Style, Femme Seventy and SALT who will be creating interactive zones!
The market is actually now sold out. That’s awesome. Did you expect this kind of response on the island?
Eeeeep! Thank you! And lol, if we’re honest? YES! We absolutely did.
We created what we wanted to go to, and then made it happen!
It’s a real extension of both myself and Kimber, which is like a beyond the backyard kind of vibe. We both love to host and attend theme parties, events, markets, festivals! We both love our friends and small businesses so much!
We both are natural connectors, and we’ve got that stoke factor which people feel and love. And we love them right back!
What’s next for Nu Motive?
Definitely more workshops, collaborations and high caliber experiences in the very near future!
There’s talk about Magazine subscriptions and memberships as well, so we’ll throw spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks, what makes sense, and what feels most fun!
Nu Motive is a realm of infinite possibilities, after all.
To find out more about the market, the magazine and other events and workshops coming up visit their site https://numotive.co/ for more info.