One more time
Okay, this is the last time I'm gonna post about Insomania.
Thanks to everyone for your supportive comments and putting up with my complaining. Several fellow attendees have jumped on the CA forums to express many of my concerns. Chief among them, that there was very little instruction at the "workshop," which was more like a convention with a few seminar-like attributes.
Surprisingly, the people behind the scenes won't hear any of it. Despite using the phrase life-changing to describe the event (both pre- and post-workshop) they insist that anyone who attended and didn't come away with a bold new vision of themselves and their work is defective somehow.
I consider myself a generous and fair guy. I've taught design, art, and other subjects at public schools, seminars and community college off and on for the past 12 years. What I attended this past weekend was not a workshop.
Live and learn, I suppose. Time to shake off my jet lag and get ready for Christmas.
2 Comments:
I've been to a couple of those things that used "life changing" to describe themselves.
Mostly I discovered that getting together in the hotel bar with a few of my fellow professionals (in this case photographers) was both more informative and pleasurable.
Merry Christmas and a prosperous new year, John.
Leon
Right on about the hotel bar, Leon. I can attest to that; maybe the twenty-year-olds hanging out in the hostel with their rented sheets had a blast, but then it's hard not to when you're twenty in San Francisco. As for the "life-changing" bit, attribution from external parties is fine, but I've found that such things that advertise themselves as "life-changing" are like people who say on their websites that they're "fun people." In other words, wishful thinking. (I didn't know until now that the organizers had done such a thing.)
Still, I had hoped it would be inspiring--even life-changing--as well. As a nonparticipating guest I thought the opening party performers were pretty sweet but John really wanted to get to work. We were already on East Coast time and with no coffee (or speed) to be found, that was the highlight of the con (take that word however you wish).
I had a good time in SF, but then I always do. I just wish John had had a simiarly full experience.
Live and learn and write it off on your taxes.
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