This weekend I had the pleasure of speaking at the Revive blog conference in Phoenix, Arizona. It was put on by two cool ladies, Coley and Lindsey,
who run an outdoor antique market twice a year called Junk in the Trunk Vintage Market. The next one is April 27th at Westworld—and I will SO be there.
They wanted to reembrace their blog and improve
their approach, so instead of waiting to attend a remote conference or researching
the subject online, they decided to assemble an event to educate others while getting an education
themselves.
I was asked to
give a keynote address, but because I am in the throes of designing
another fabric collection—yes!—that is due this week—we decided
on a Q &A
instead. That way, the audience could glean what they most wanted from
my being there. The other speakers joined in as well— it was great.
It's always nice to step out of the studio for a break when I'm in the thick of a big project. Time
away helps me gain perspective on where I'm at. And more
than that, this time, I got to meet and help some wonderful and creative women in my own area.
So, as I was posting images from the conference on Instagram during
the event, a couple of women commented on Instagram that they felt like
the only bloggers in their states. (It was Maine and South Carolina, I
think.) They wished there were meet-ups in their areas as well.
If you feel this way too, can I just take a moment to empower you to make it happen!?
You can rent a small space or see if the city has a meeting room you
can use, ask a couple of bigger bloggers to do a shout-out for you, see
who might be willing to come speak. Bring in some food. Or keep things
super simple with a round-table discussion amongst the attendees. The
fact is, if you're feeling alone in your area, the chances are that
others around are feeling the same way. You can be the solution.
And you don't have to make things all fancy and froo-froo. Just get
started and see what becomes. You will likely return home with a few new
friends, some great ideas, and a good helping of fresh energy.
Photos above are from my Instagram feed: www.Instagram.com/heatherbailey or @heatherbailey if you're in the app. Sign up for Instagram, it's awesome.
I am that Maine girl….I am currently buried under the snow and getting more in the next 24 hours – which means I should start planning something….my only problem is – I don’t do simple…lol! My friend calls me “Kerry with a red bow”. However – I will get my gears going. This could be fun.
Thanks Heather for the challenge – maybe I’ll see you out here soon? lol!
its been in the back of my mind for a while now to put together a phx area blogger meet/greet. something fun and affordable for anyone who just wanted to meet others in the area. wish i could have attended revive!
Next time, I’ll get an announcement up in advance. I’ve been so consumed with these deadlines. Sorry if I didn’t mention it to you when we had lunch! Maybe we can put together a casual get-together for local creatives and bloggers sometime soon. Like a lunch. Something comfortable.
xo—Heather
Thank you again for coming and joining is! we loved having you and look forward to working together in the future!!! We are in the works of putting together some meet ups in response to Revive! We will keep you posted!
Wonderful, Coley. Thank you. And I will definitely see you at Junk in the Trunk in April. xo—Heather
I love “Kerry with a Red Bow.” That is one of the best nicknames ever! Your friend deserves a nicknaming prize. xo—Heather
Love this post, and your uplifting encouragement.
I often feel _all alone_ too!
But I suspect this is a small misunderstanding
between my head and reality. I love this proactive
movement, taking the initiative.
Where are you located, Natalie? Maybe someone needs to make a blog-mapping app to help bloggers meet up. Hm.