Interactivity
Today’s first session, Sources in the Social Media Age, was different than I thought it would be (through nobody’s fault but my own), and was strictly geared towards journalists. The second, On Creativity, Inspiration, and Doing the Work was a quickie. Even at just 15 minutes long, people were constantly getting up to leave, which was distracting in such a small room and made it hard to hear the soft-spoken presenter. But I did like what I caught. The speaker, Erin Feldman, discussed finding inspiration when there isn’t any; writing when creative juices have run dry. As writers, we don’t have the option to not provide the client with work. We need to do what we need to do (get our coffee, eliminate distractions, play with our pet monkeys) to get into the zone and prep for the real work that’s ahead of us. As writers, there really is no such thing as writer’s block. We will always produce good work. We have to; it’s engrained in our beings. I do think, however, there is such thing as creative block. We’re constantly striving for perfection, and it’s frustrating that we so often get stuck trying to find the most perfect…whatever. Descriptive word, flavor, you name it. It’s what takes our work from what’s expected to what’s succinct and flowy and purposeful and colorful. It’s an art form.
When it’s time for my lunch break, I head up 6th street to check out a place called Iron Cactus that supposedly has great guacamole and lobster tacos. It’s two levels, really busy, and looks a little intimidating, so I hang a spontaneous left and walk into The Old School Bar and Grill. I am so glad I did, because I’m going to spend the rest of my life here. It’s my home away from home. It’s laid-back, has killer service, is open-aired, and the food (all homemade) is the best I’ve ever had at a bar and grill. They have a portabella mushroom sandwich that is seriously the greatest alternative to a burger ever, and the salsa has a strong kick to it. If there’s another thing Austin knows, it’s heat.
The beginning of my afternoon started out pretty crazy. There were a lot of long, long, long (like way too long) lines that, naturally, I avoided. Note to newbies: if you really want to see a particular presentation and it’s in one of the convention center ballrooms, your best bet is to get there early and wait outside the door at least 30 minutes beforehand. Otherwise you’ll be SOL, so having a Plan B is a good idea.
Since my first two picks ended up selling out, I went to check out a session about the business plan for makelovenotporn.com before heading to The Punk Rock Guide to Working across the street. The punk speaker, Ryan McMinn, was charismatic and matter-of-fact. He claimed punk isn’t about how you dress or the music you listen to; punk is about people pushing ideas forward, free from profit. Real rock stars aren’t the people who pose or talk big but never act. Punk is knowing what you want to accomplish and fearlessly venturing out to get it. Sometimes we hinder what we have to offer because we feel like we owe other people. Whether it be a boss who gives us a promotion or a mentor who helps to shape our career, we can get stuck limiting ourselves because of guilt. The truth of the matter is that people give us chances because they believe in our capabilities and we deserve it.
Austin After Dark
Writing this a few days late was a bad idea, because my days here have started blending into each other. I no longer remember what, exactly, we did on Saturday night. I check my Foursquare history for clues, but it’s eerily silent. What I do know is that this was the night that I drank myself under the table and birthed a mean hangover, and also the night that daylight savings time stole an hour from me. Note to newbies: there will be fuzzy nights.
Spring forward.