Alt State of Mind

Okay, kids, if you've been strolling through the blogosphere lately, you're probably tripping up on one post after another extolling the virtues of the recent Alt Summit. This post ain't gonna be any different. And, if you think we all drank the Kool Aid? Well, they didn't actually have that, but they did feed us which certainly helped in the conversion process. But, next year, Kool Aid could be a nice tongue in cheek addition.

So this was the third year in what will likely (hopefully) be a long running conference. It was my first appearance - my debut, as it were. And, kids, your uncle felt a bit like a celebrity. But it's not hard to get noticed when you're one of a handful of men in a sea of hundreds of women and you have all the wallflower capabilities of a circus sideshow performer. Plus, as a former Women's Studies major, let's face it, I can hang with the ladies.

KELLY, YOUR UNCLE, & LISA WITH VICTORIA BEHIND THE CAMERA.

But enough with the hardy-har-hars and wink-winks. I have to say that I almost don't know what to say or where to begin in regard to my own Alt experience. How people have already put together their Alt recap posts is beyond me as my head and my heart are still spinning. If you were there, then you know what I'm talking about most likely. And if you weren't there? Then I hope you can either bear with me or feel a bit of vicarious inspiration.

Now don't worry. I won't go on some kind of a bullet point spree here, kids. Plenty of other bloggers have have discussed the finer points of Alt with plenty of details. And I'll do my best to keep my images edited, although that is a much taller task for me as I love a good visual. So we'll see how that exercise in restraint goes. (Don't hold your breath!)

What I will say about Alt Summit is that it was like a breath of freakin' fresh air! Woosh! Ahhhh! I mean, it was awesome to hear about the ins and outs of other bloggers' experiences, the business side of blogging, branding, etc. All great. (Jasmine Star could have had a gospel choir along with her given the inspirational charge she brought to a room!) But, what resonated the most deeply with me was this feeling of camaraderie. In short, bein' with m'peeps, y'all! That was a long time coming. More than I realized.

Look, I spend a lot of time in the tiniest room of my home perusing inspirational finds at ungodly hours of the morning with the current bulk of my socialization limited to twitter or my pets. When I do find myself out in the world, the mention of being a blogger will more often than not bring about feigned interest and/or a virtual head pat. Sure, what we do may not always be earth-shattering, but those of us who tuck ourselves away in pursuit of finding and sharing things of beauty or inspiration actually work pretty hard at what we do. Not that everyone is obligated to appreciate that fact, but some days the dismissive reaction of others can be pretty dejecting and leave you feeling like you're wasting your time and maybe everyone else's.

And yet we continue to do what we do irregardless. The whys of that fact would likely be different and multi-faceted for each blogger, but it's worth noting that we all share that common, needling pursuit. To bring together en masse a group of individuals who share that mutual appreciation for all things aesthetically pleasing, well designed, and just plain sparkly is bound to create a stirring. But, you can also count on two other things - gorgeous shoes and "kumbaya" moments.

TOP PHOTO: MY ALT POSSE! (L TO R) KATIE, ESTELLE, MOI, JEANNE, BRANDI, KIMBERLY, MELISSA, & MELISSA (SERIOUSLY!). AND I GOTTA GIVE A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO BEE AND COURTNEY. NOT PICTURED BUT SO PART O' THE POSSE! BOTTOM PHOTO: (L TO R) CAPREE, KATHLEEN (BEHIND MY GIANT HEAD), DANIELLE, CARINA, & KELLY.

Yeah that's right. Your uncle came away with some seriously soulful connections and my own designer-y version of the "Ya Ya Sisterhood". It wasn't uncommon over more than one bonding session to have an Oprah-worthy tear or two shed. I was ridiculous on one occasion. Uh huh, I'll admit it. (Hey, I cried during "Finding Nemo" and that wasn't half as life affirming as Alt Summit was for me!) But, to be in the company of generous and talented people who understand what you do and why you do it (even if difficult to articulate) can be a profoundly moving experience. And it certainly was for me. If you're a fan of the "Joy Luck Club", then you might sum it up with the line "I see you." (You need to get a tissue? Don't worry, I'll wait.) So to walk away feeling that all of my 4:00AM posting sessions are important on some level was more than I could have asked for.

So now I sit here, post-Alt, feeling refreshed and buoyed by a host of supporters new and old. I'm feeling invigorated and motivated by the moving keynotes that were given by Ben Silbermann, founder of Pinterest, and Gretchen Rubin, writer of "The Happiness Project". I'm also feeling a deepened gratitude for each one of you who comes here to read, peruse, comment, or click on any number of your 'follow' options. I know there are a ton of blogs out there these days so the fact that you would take even a moment of your time to check in here means a great deal to me. It really does. Allowing me to share my thoughts, musings, inspirations, or trivial moments with you brings a joyous quality to my life. And, I thank you for all the days, months, or years that you have allowed me to have that comfort and gratification.

In the end, Alt cracked some things wide open for me. One of those was the decision to put away the top-hatted cartoon that has so long represented "me" and put my face to these pages. I'd like to feel like we're getting to know each other a little better, a bit more authentically. That's a gift that you all granted me a long time ago. Alt just helped me unwrap it.

Yours in gratitude,

SPECIAL THANKS TO CARYL FOR MY PHOTO.