Just before the end of the year, I went to SeaWorld because I had a complimentary ticket that would expire come January first. I got the ticket at IZEAFest, a bloggers conference that was held at SeaWorld. Let’s face it, going to a theme park during the holiday rush isn’t really my idea of a good time, but I could not miss the sketching opportunity. When I got close to the park, traffic backed up for maybe a mile leading into the parking lot. I got sick of waiting and decided to turn off and go down a side street. I found an office complex and parked in its garage. I then hiked the mile or so to the park entrance.
The crowds just kept coming, and I decided to sketch the entrance just in case the park filled up like the Holy Land Experience did several months ago. I was surprised when a Amish Mennonite family walked by. The blue roller coaster in the sketch is new and called the Manta. The turnstile line I decided to stand in ended up breaking down, so I had to force my way into the next line over. My sketch bag was searched and I sighed relief when my ticket actually worked.
I always like seeing the flamingos when I enter the park, but they had been moved to make room for the Manta roller coaster. The flamingos no longer had a nice scenic lagoon to stand in, but were now in a tiny fenced in enclosure. The park was insanely crowded. I stood in a line for a bathroom break once I finished this sketch and then I went to see some dolphins.
IZEA fest – The Influencer
I just have to write another post about IZEA fest. This sketch is of a panel discussion with Sarah Austin and Julia Roy. Sarah who has just moved to LA is an online life caster who interviews tech-oriented developers and Julia hosts a Twitter news show called Tweet Week on YouTube.
However what I want to share is the inspiring comments from Aaron Brazell, founder of technosailor, the keynote speaker at the event. Aaron offered his insights in short concise tweet like bursts. His primary point was that bloggers have the ability and responsibility to help change a community and affect people in a positive way. He particularly wanted to point out that this influence is much different than celebrity. He said some bloggers have a Rock-star mentality that attracts attention for a short span but a true influencer gets attention for the long term.
Someone who is an influencer is hungry all the time they always want to learn more. He told a short story about a hermit in ancient Greece who had a thirst for knowledge. He was socially awkward but studied constantly. He ended up teaching at the Great Library of Alexandria and went on to invent Geometry which is the cornerstone for most every modern advancement. His name was Euclid. The point being that hungry people change the world. Whatever your area of expertise, dive in and dig deep to find its inner workings. Always stay hungry.
He said that an influencer should offer information in an environment that makes people want to come back every day to find out more. They should always be consistent they should offer thoughtful responses not knee jerk reactions. Their is no point to divisive arguments. To many people today are always ready to pick a fight. They should instead offer quality insights.
An influencer needs and should seek out allies. They should find people who are supportive of the same cause and issues.
An influencer needs to do what they say and say what they do. People need to trust what is said. The primary function of a blog is to interact, make friends and influence people. They should create something for the community bringing others into the spotlight. The point being to build others up and inspire them to bring out their best qualities.
An influencer is often unsung. They believe in what they are doing, they love doing it and they just do it. Often they doesn’t even know they are influencing others.
Liz Strauss gave a talk that was just as inspiring. She said that with all the digital discussions going on, that we are more connected than ever and yet all so alone. She said that when you feel alone you should reach out and help someone else. She also pointed out that a blogger should encourage the followers of a blog to comment. A blog should not be a one way conversation. The early followers of a blog are very much a part its growth and development. They are part of the barn raising of the blog.
My head is spinning from from all the insights and inspiration offered. I seem to be experiencing what Liz called the euphoric enthusiasm of the beginner. She said that phase in a bloggers development usually fades after 5 or 6 months. I am at 10 months now and the enthusiasm just seems to keep growing. She claims that every blogger then experiences a period of disillusionment. I hope to coast past that road block with hard work but now I am braced for the inevitable fall. I hope she is wrong.
IZEA fest at Sea World
I got an e-mail from Bob Kodzis founder of Flight of Ideas about IZEAFest which is a a conference by bloggers about blogging. Bob went out of his way to get me a ticket to get in and I am eternally grateful. I found myself in a huge room full of people who love blogging as much and perhaps even more than I do. I felt a little out of place since I didn’t have a laptop, just my paper, pen and watercolors. But when all was said and done I had to rush home in order to share the joy and excitement of the event thanks to the miracle of blogging!
During the presentations two screens had a constant stream of Tweets scrolling by in real time. This was at times distracting and yet very humerus since candid remarks have a tendency to sometimes get out of hand. Lets face it bloggers are a fun group to hang around with!
One concept thrown out that intrigued me was the need to write up and define a “Hedgehog Concept” this should be the one thing that you are the best at in the world. It is also important to know who you want to communicate with. A common theme throughout the day was to give before you expect anything in return.
At lunch time Sea World gave a presentation explaining how they market their theme parks. I didn’t pay very close attention since I was sketching but near the end of the presentation I heard a trainer shouting out “Come on Clyde this is your chance to shine!” Down the side isle I saw a huge Sea Lion ambling his way up to the stage following his trainer. However when he got to the stage he decided he had had enough of the bright lights and crowded room and he turned and started heading back to the exit. The trainer tried to convince him to go on stage but the sea lion outweighed the trainer by at least 500 pounds so he got his way. He still got a standing ovation.
The final panel of the day was very insightful. Warren Whitlock pointed out that the main function of a blog is often to promote other people. This goes to the heart of what a blog is all about. Blogging is all about giving. It is only when you are truly giving that the tools become important. Chris Heuer tried to sum up blogging with this simple series of words… look, listen, learn, join, lead. Whereas Warren summed it up more concisely… listen, love. He said blogging is all about wanting to be a better person and caring. The next century is about listening. How can I help people and how do I connect them? As Sarah Evans said ” Social Media is a conversation, maybe we should talk.”
This inspiring conference suddenly made me feel like I am part of a much bigger online community and that blogging might be about much more that just sharing a sketch a day. On the drive home James Taylor was singing “Shower the people you love with love.” I suddenly realized what blogging is all about.