While I’m still a relative newcomer to this conference stuff, I learned a lot during my first South by Southwest festival in ‘06, and a lot more than that since then.

Stuff like…come alone! And with an open mind—the better to let old stuff drizzle out and new stuff pour in. Make plans, but be prepared to toss them out the window. Set goals, but don’t be surprised if your ultimate takeaway is breathtakingly, stupendously, maddeningly different.

There are also some technical things to consider, like not showing up tired. Learning to listen to your body’s “no” over your head’s (or heart’s) yes. We may be energetic beings with bodies, but the bodies are no less real for that, and will punish you mightily if you choose to ignore them too long.

So took a page from my own book and carved out quiet time here & there. Like giving myself the unspeakable (for me) luxury of coming in the day before even the “soft start” of the festival on Friday. One extra night of ramping up and sleeping in, plus one delicious morning of quiet, leisurely breakfasting with an old SXSW friend from Germany. (Bonus extra: super-short line for getting my attendee badge.)

Also, compared to all but the dead, I took it relatively easy with the parties. I am not built for loud and crowded places; my vocal cords were shredded after that first night of shouting over amplified music blasting two feet from my ears. Three more nights of same didn’t help. And while we’re at it, it’s a bit on the noisy side in the old conference center.

Also-also, I slept in and opted out more. I probably averaged two panels per day, which is far, far less than I did two years ago, when I guess I equated sitting in panels and keynotes with getting my money’s worth. As my friend, Eric, pointed out, all the panels are available as podcasts after the fact, but never again will you get so many nerds happening in one place at one time. Well, not until next year, anyway.

What did I do with my time? I hung. In the halls of the conference center. In this hotbed of A-list bloggery (I know, I know) dubbed the BlogHaus. In bars, a deux or trois or maybe neuf. Over breakfast and lunch. At my first BarCamp. At a movie. On the ‘dillo. At the Whole Foods. On Twitter (yes, it can be a little scary hanging out there, too.)

Basically, I let my gut be my guide. And when it got overly nervous, I talked it down and walked through whatever imaginary fire it was edging away from. All in all, a pretty good five-day stretch for a hopeless introvert.

I did, however, eat crap. Worse, I drank beer: about as far as you can get from an SCD-legal beverage. I enjoyed BBQ (excellent pulled pork at Stubb’s, no matter what the cranks say), and I enjoyed it with two acquaintances freshly made just minutes before. (Thank you, lovely Rebecca! thank you, charming Steve! You guys were so gracious, I forgot what a fifth wheel I probably was that night.) I enjoyed fucking Rolos, for chrissakes, almost every day. Not sure what’s up with that, or the repeated trips to the lobby Starbucks one night for dark chocolate, shortbread cookies and a lemon bar. Even before I got sick, I wasn’t much of a bar-cookie type.

We’ll have to see if I get to skate on the gut infractions. There have been some nervous-making stabbing pains in the past 36 hours—never a good sign. I’m hoping it’s me being overtired, and that a weekend of sleep (and a few weeks of fanatical adherence) will get me back on track.

If not, well, I’ll deal with that, too. Life is too short for a whole lot of worry. Keep it loose. Keep it weird.

Oh—and for the record? It wasn’t Quentin Tarantino. Not unless he’s managed to replicate himself or teleport a white-haired version of himself 2000 miles.

Does that take away from the fantabulousness of me walking up to someone I’ve never met—someone I thought directed one of my 20 all-time favorite films—sticking out a hand, and telling him to quit following me around?

No. No, it does not.

Here’s me, dorky as ever. But maybe, thanks to SXSW, just a little bit braver…

xxx
c

UPDATE 03/15/08: I also posted about SXSWi more from a general networking perspective on The Marketing Mix blog. Included there are some links to other summaries of this year’s SXSWi, and a great comment from Kathy Sierra, who was a (terrific!) speaker at this year’s event.

Image of my blog card deconstructed © 2008 Hugh MacLeod.

TOPICS: Austin, communicatrix, SXSW, SXSW 2008, SXSW08, SXSWi.

I’m still wiped out from my five-day sojourn at SXSW, and I seem to be in good weenie company. It was a notable experience in many ways: my first trip to Austin; my first trip to a real conference; my first trip when I’ve been on the precipice of a Crohn’s flare.

But the most notable thing about my trip was that I went without an agenda. Yes, I’ve long wanted to see Austin, and yes, I was interested in seeing what a big festival was like and sure, it’s always nice to do those things in a tax-deductible fashion, but trust me—it’s always hard to plunk down a serious amount of hard-earned cash with no guarantee of tangible benefits in return. I’d looked over the list of offerings beforehand, and didn’t see that panel or presentation which was going to give me answers to the big questions that consume me nowadays: How do I find that thing that feeds me and the world at the same time? How do I keep body and soul together while I do it? Or maybe, after I find it?

I’m planning to post more about the panels and films I attended later, but my major takeaway I can get to right now:

I will probably not make money with any of my online ventures, present or planned. And I’m okay with that.

I’m okay because I no longer need stuff so much as I need happiness. (Recognition is still attractive to me, but I figure by the time I get any, I won’t care much about that, either.)

I’m okay because I saw people up on those daises (which looks a lot like daisies, doesn’t it?) who were making money and people who might never and the only thing that I found compelling in either was the passion that drove them.

I’m okay because I found out that for the most part, the people up there on those pretty daisies weren’t receiving outrageous renumeration, but maybe a small perquisite in exchange for sharing their time and knowledge.

I’m okay because for five days, I saw passionate, well-crafted films that took years of people’s lives to make about topics so obscure and unmarketable the filmmakers couldn’t possibly expect to receive adequate renumeration.

And I’m okay because for five days, I was immersed in an atmosphere of nurturing and tolerance and possibility that I’d started to think couldn’t exist in this scaredy-ass, me-first world anymore.

More later. Much, much more…

xxx
c

TOPICS: Austin, communicatrix, SXSW, SXSW2006.

The BF and I will be getting our geek on at SXSW from tomorrow through Tuesday.

Too many great things to do in a city we’ve both always wanted to see—I’m getting simultaneously excited and tired just thinking about it.

Not to mention the BBQ. If I can just keep away from the beer and the BBQ, I might be alright…

xxx
c

TOPICS: Austin, communicatrix, SXSW, SXSW2006.