Alt Summit recap
Wednesday, January 30, 2013 at 4:16PM Well last week was quite the whirlwind! The kind folks over at Vecco Studio invited me to come along with them to Alt Summit in Salt Lake City. I have to admit it wasn't something I would have gone to on my own volition. Mostly because I feel so out of touch as a blogger and social media maven and wasn't sure I'd fit in or know the hottest/ latest that everyone was talking about. But I am glad I did. It was intimidating at first to feel stylish and important enough to even announce what you do. And my simple letterpress business cards weren't really up to par with all the bells and whistles that crafty bloggers are churning out these days. But in the end it doesn't matter. I made some good connections, I got inspired to simply do more stuff, return to writing and just keep in contact with like minded folks. There were so many great sessions and talks, some of which I couldn't attend because I was busy setting up parties for Vecco, but I think the point is that everybody comes away from Alt with a different experience. Even though I don't feel so cutting edge I still feel like I have something to offer and even if no one ever reads my blog it still is therapeutic to me to have the outlet whenever I feel like it.
And then there's the rabbit hole... At one point I looked up from my phone and said to my friend Elise, "I'm going down the social media rabbit hole." I was tweeting, instagramming and facebooking all at once, opening apps, closing them when they wouldn't load fast enough.. my eyes were going wonky and I didn't recognize myself. I honestly don't know how some of these bloggers do it. The hashtag maze and the liking and following and updating and posting can get so addictive, not to mention exhausting. I guess that reminded me why blogging doesn't bring me the kind of pleasure it used to. I always feel behind the times. And maybe that's the big lesson for me. Don't inundate yourself with what others are doing. Jealously is the fatal enemy of creativity. Practice moderation and remember to have a life away from the computer as well. Every now and again look at something beautiful and take it in instead of photographing it. Use your imagination, and use your hands to make things. Power down the iPhone instead of checking your email unecessarily until the battery dies. Don't go down that rabbit hole.
Phew! Now that I got all that off my chest I will say that the folks at Alt Summit run an extremely well oiled machine and I will definitely be going back. It was great to meet people who understand what I do and have a passion for similar things, plus it was incredibly inspiring. I got home anxious to try out my new Photoshop skills and reorganize my life. Which is something that I'm always itching to do every January but never carve out time for it. And by the way... the Vecco event was a hit, if I do say so myself! Here's some photos from the party I styled, and from my lovely time at Alt Summit:
BOC, alt summit, blogging, design in Inspiration, Parties 
