My Favorite Things at Alt

I realized at the very end of the conference that what I really liked, and where I learned the most was in small groups. This realization came to me just when I was finishing the last design camp of the day, and I asked myself what I had really enjoyed and gained the most from the conference. This is where:


1. Growing and Maintaining a Small Blog with Pride
     Led by Tiffanie Turner from Corner Blog

I read "small blog" and I was immediately sold. When I sat down I was a bit apprehensive as the previous day had been full of conflicting information, and I felt a bit overwhelmed by the whole thing.
Here my eyes opened, my mind deleted all of the information it contained until that moment, and everything suddenly felt much better. A group of ten or so bloggers talking about why they blog, where they wish to go with it, and how to be happy where you are. With Tiffanie at the head of it all explaining to us how she got where she is, and what she's learned along the way.

These are some of her thoughts: (taken from the beautiful workbook she handed to us)

• The format of your blog creates an unavoidable template, fill it with unique content
• When you find your voice the statistics will mean much less (but will probably climb more)
• There aren't any rules. Your blog is your very own online gallery
• Blogging is a creative outlet, and has a way of changing your thought process, from reactive to proactive. Go with that!
• Your most original posts will be the ones you are most proud of, whether anyone reads them or not.

2. Things I'm Afraid to Tell You
     Led by Jess Lively from Jess Lively and Ez Pudewa from Creature Comforts

It ended up being a circle, no table in the middle, so I guess the term roundtable is not appropriate here. Thank goodness for me, and for the rest of the ladies plus a man who were there to share in a more intimate setting, such a delicate subject. This two ladies who were leading the discussion really blew my mind with their honesty and energy. And I'm really grateful I chose to sat in this group.

They talked with us about;

This was the only thing I wrote down; "because it is TRUE." I added the share, thinking it filled in the blank.

• Forms of authenticity (an example would be; sharing a personal struggle)
• Why authenticity matters (for personal growth or to inspire others)
• Addressing fears and concerns (what is holding you back?)
• Boundaries and Guidelines (what you will share or not)

3. Bookbinding
Led by Allison Chapman from Igloo Letterpress

This was also a small group. A crafty one. My kind of group. Especially with all that beautiful paper around, and  simple instructions on how to make a beautiful book, make that 3 books! I was relaxed and using my hands to actually make something, which I hadn't in what was starting to feel like a very long time. I had never done this before (I think I skipped that class in art school), and I really enjoyed learning another craft.

So there you go! I'm missing something, but I will leave it for later.