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.
