Yesterday I attended a SXSW panel here in Austin on "The Future of Lifestyle Media" - so incredibly up my alley it was as if it had been catered specifically for me. The panelists were Camille Styles of
CamilleStyles, Tolly Moseley of
Austin Eavesdropper, Grace Bonney of
Design*Sponge, and Andrew Wagner who founded
Dwell, edited
ReadyMade, and is director at
Krrb. It was a brilliant mix of personalities and though they did not always agree the overall messages were cohesive, the topics well-considered and the discussion inspired - which is more than I can say for other
"I didn't prepare anything" speakers I saw yesterday. I thought I'd share the top 3 points that I found myself reflecting on long after the panel had ended.
No. 1 - Find your muse. For Tolly it was her city, for others it's DIYs, whatever it is, let it guide your blog (or any creative endeavor) and you will not stray far from your voice.
No. 2 - Edit. Only use images that are absolutely stunningly beautiful. Before publishing a photo Camille likes to ask herself if someone were to visit your blog for the very first time and see that photo, would they stick around? If the answer is no, it probably shouldn't be there. You better believe I came home and deleted a post or two.
No. 3 - And lastly, the moment that stuck with me the most: when asked what each panelist saw as the future of their blog, what is their big vision, none of them had a clear picture of what that might be. Which had me feeling
relieved above all else. Even these successful, inspiring leaders in their field don't know what lies ahead. I think we just have to get used to that feeling of not knowing (whether it's your blog, any creative outlet, even your job) just be open to opportunities and willing to adapt.
Of course there was SO much more covered (social media, photoshop, ad revenue) but I hope these tidbits helped illuminate your Saturday afternoon!
xo Cristina
