At Florida Blog Con the closing keynote by Pat Moore of Marketing Nutz. Nothing she talked about made any practical sense. I glanced around the auditorium and most people seemed to be surfing the web or checking their Facebook status.

There was a Ford after party in Full Sail‘s back Lot. Sysco provided the food, and Pinnacle Vodka provided the drinks. The Mudflappers provided the entertainment. I pulled over a chair and sketched. One woman and her child danced to the music but for the most part the music was something people shouted over. I’m sure I should have mingled but it is just as important that I do what I do. The performers thought that I was writing an extensive review. I last saw the Mudflappers at a Fringe Fundraiser at Hard Rock Live. Their music is lively and fun and I tapped my toe as I sketched. Their music pulls its influences from the outlaw country of Johnny
Cash, the blazing bluegrass of Earl Scruggs,  the roaming melodies of gypsy swing
à la Django Reinhardt, to the prohibitionary jazz of your local
speakeasy. This sonic gumbo is held together by the sultrily celestial
harmonies of leading lady Sarah Elizabeth Patrick the violinist who, as it turns out, is expecting a baby. Her flapper’s dress hid that fact quite well. Soon there will be a little Mudflapper kicking up his or her heels.

 When the band stopped, one performer stopped over to see what I was up to. He knew my work and said one of my sketches was being used as his laptop desktop. I smiled, but groaned inside, there was another use of my work where I wasn’t getting paid. Then all the performers started coming over.

By the time I was done, most people had left. I had some pasta , a coke and some incredible peanut butter cupcakes and then headed home. I learned plenty at the conference and now it was time to implement changes going forward.