Recently I attended Creative South in Columbus, GA, a design conference unlike any other. I mean, the tagline is “Come as friends, leave as family,” so there’s a clue right there that this experience will be different.
My good friend and fellow AIGA Raleigh board member, Lenny Terenzi, has been evangelizing about this conference for over a year. His praise inspired a group of us from AIGA Raleigh to attend this year, and to be his cheering section as he was a speaker at the conference this year. My AIGA Raleigh family represented well at Creative South, with two speakers—our former president, Matt Munoz, was also a speaker—and eight attendees (Lydia Kuekes, Tracy Maniaci, Niki Litts, Courtney Leach, Caryn Sterling, Tim Swezy, Jake Tennyson, and myself).
The conference started off with a series of workshops on Thursday, followed later that evening with an opening party so big it spanned two states. The party took place on the pedestrian bridge that crosses the Chattahoochee River and the Georgia/Alabama state line. Having lived in both states, I got a kick out of this fact.
Friday and Saturday were filled with inspiring speakers, deciding which souvenirs to take home from the Vendor Village, cheering each other on during Type Fight Live, and making new friends. (And to my utter delight, plenty of “War Eagle’s.” Seeing so many other Auburn alums was an unexpected bonus!)
There are so many reasons why this conference is unique.
One of those reasons is that everyone is on equal ground. The speakers are so approachable. They are just as excited to be there as you are. They are humble, genuine, and open.
Another reason is the sense of community that surrounds this conference. It is completely amazing what happens when a group of passionate designers and creative people gather in one place. The amount of passion and energy is inspiring, it fuels our creativity, and makes us feel empowered. It motivates us to break out of our shells and share more of ourselves, to try new things, and just go all in.
“We are better together.”
-Jen Mussari
I think this is why, as designers, we seek out and build communities. We crave that connection with others who understand the nature of the creative soul—those who think and see the world as we do, who geek out about the same things, who face the same challenges, and have the same fears that we do.
With a lineup of talented and accomplished designers as speakers, you might think that the talks would center around their work and their creative processes. While these things did make an appearance, the soul of each talk was a personal story. Each speaker shared what they have learned from their successes and more so from their failures, how they moved forward, and what inspires them to be better people. Not better designers, better people.
“Humans first, designers second.”
-Meg Robichaud
Hearing these personal stories from people that I admire made the speakers more relatable, as I saw similarities in my own story. It gave me reassurance that I am on the right path and made me want to share some of what I have learned on my own journey; because just maybe I have figured out some things that could help someone else on theirs.
I enjoyed all the speakers and each left me with valuable takeaways that I want to incorporate into my life and inspired me to share more—more of my work, more of myself, and what I have learned. Community and connections are a theme running through all the takeaways. (I’ll have more to say on those in future posts.)
IMG_3231Of all the speakers, I have to say the highlight for me was Lenny. He is such an amazing, generous, and inspiring person with such passion for what he does in his life, his work, and the relationships he builds. It is an honor to call him a friend, and it was with pure joy and much pride that I watched him share his story.
One reason that his story resonated so much with me, was how he transformed his life. This is something I have spent the past several years doing, and the struggle to get to where I am today was worth the effort. I am so much happier now, and I know I am a stronger and wiser person.
I am so glad that I went to Creative South and that I was able to share this experience with so many members of my AIGA Raleigh family. It has brought us closer together, inspired us to be better people, designers, and share more of ourselves. I am excited to be a part of the Creative South family and to forge the connections I made there. I can’t wait for next year’s Creative South! You can bet I’ll be grabbing one of those “love is blind” tickets again.
To Mike Jones, his family, and the rest of the Creative South team, you people are amazing. This thing that you’ve created is pretty incredible. Thank you for pouring your love and passion into creating this community, inspiring us, and of course, the hugs!
