Part 1 of SXSW 2017: Creative expression flows
A SXSW welcome, Texas style.
SXSW 2017 PART 1
SXSW 2017 was another incredible experience filled with the convergence of creative expression, emerging technology, amazing artwork, incredible music, touching films, late-night parties, big food, craft beers, epic tacos, and happy Austinites. As thousands of people eagerly descend upon Austin over the course of two weeks, we are greeted with smiles and friendly banter.
My SXSW focus
At this year’s SXSW journey, my main focus was on how mindfulness, wellbeing and technology merge. As a digital technologist and a certified yoga teacher, I've been curious to see how my skills can converge to a single offering and this is the best place to find out. My secondary focus was to learn more about storytelling and hear other people’s stories of where they've come from and where they're going.
As in my previous SXSW experience, talks spanned across decades and disciplines. In one day, I heard from veteran entertainer, Donny Osmond, children’s memory-maker, Frank Oz, and historical legend, astronaut Buzz Aldrin. Where else but SXSW can you hear talks from the likes of these legends?
Emerging themes
It’s taken a few weeks for all that was to sink in and start to settle and to allow the interesting pieces to bubble to the surface, but the pieces are finally starting to melt into some cohesive topics for me. And, I've decided to create a few different posts focusing on the key themes for me.
Mind mapping my #SXSW2017 experience
The key themes from my experience:
Creative expression flows all around you if you look closely enough
Service, not celebrity is key - finding your purpose and delivering that message through your own curated snapshot of life is where it's at
Do what you can't - by exploring and learning we keep reaching for our best selves
The convergence of mindfulness and technology is happening now
Since I couldn't possibly cover everything in one post, I've decided to break it down into a 4-part series, each dedicated to a single theme.
PART 1: Creative expression
I love the street art at SXSW. There were some amazing murals, political posters, social graffiti and tons of stickers all over the place. It's inspiring, colourful, meaningful and in true Texas-style, it’s usually quite large!
Enjoy a little peruse through my shots.
There were some politically motivated street murals, which were not only vibrant and loud but also conveyed a simple message of love and inclusivity for all. There were some great social campaigns, like Like to Know It They were at SXSW giving a talk about their service but the bigger buzz came from their street graffiti. Who doesn't love a good selfie behind a great backdrop of love?
My SXSW buddy, Sian
Like To Know is the company behind this great logo that was tagged throughout the streets and who created this amazing backdrop. This app lets you shop items in screenshots from your fave bloggers. It was a great little campaign for #SXSW2017 and @liketoknow.it created some lovely images to inspire more selfies, so thanks for that!
Please leave your comments below if you went to SXSW and found some amazing art. I'd love to see your inspiration. I hope you enjoyed viewing this great art from my #SXSW2017 experience.
Here are the four themes I identified from my SXSW experience:
Creative expression
Service, not celebrity
Do what you can't
Mindfulness and technology converge
Watch for my next post: PART 2: Service, not celebrity