"I'm coming back to where the core of the problem is." - The Roots, Long Time
It's amazing what a little dancing, a little quiet time, and some solid conversation can do to change one's mood. I'm still quite amused by the jumpbysharkwest hashtag and subscribe to several of the ideas -- it's too big and it's not techie enough -- but I think I figured out what I need to do to make my experience here (and at other conferences) better in the future:
- Be A Panelist - the two years that I haven't been a panelist have been my least favorite years at the conference. I want to contribute and feel like I'm part of things. It helps me stay invested.
- Plan Ahead - I just kind of showed up this year. I didn't do much prep work in seeing who was here that I wanted to meet or what parties I might want to attend or in understanding how the conference had changed.
- Have Goals - I knew I wanted to focus on seeing what others were doing in Kid's Entertainment and Social Responsibility but beyond that I didn't have any stretch goals. I needed some. When a panel didn't meet my expectations or plans fell through, I was without any quick options.
And, while this is my last day at SXSW, I'm actually leaving with a lot of inspiration. I have some blog posts planned, some connections to follow up on, and some clear ideas about where I want my own professional development to go.
Oh, and the best things about Day 3?
- Brunch with Erica, Gillian, Lainie, and Tiffany at Moonshine
- Meaningful conversations throughout the day away from the panels
- Dinner off-campus with some of my most favorite people in the world mostly talking about life with a little bit of this digital space we're working in seeping naturally into the seams.
- Nap Time!