This morning, I woke up in a cheery mood for the first time in a while. I found myself replaying conversations I’d had, at Pikes Peak Writers Conference 2018, over and over again… so that I wouldn’t forget them.
I will forget them anyway, because I am me, but still, I enjoyed them so much I found I was actively trying to remember them. I have to admit, this is a little unusual for me. I normally talk with people and move on, as I suspect most of us do. I don’t try to commit the conversation to memory unless something about it seems really important, like the boss telling me what I need to do, or something happened I am afraid I will have to repeat in court. (Fortunately neither of those happen to me very often anymore…)
As I am a writer, especially if you are one yourself, you might assume I was trying to memorize what an editor or an agent had said to me. And you’d be right, kind of. There is one specific thing one specific editor and I talked about that I was trying to remember. But there are dozens of conversations I had with people (editors, agents, writers, and more) that were just… conversations.
And they were awesome!
And I feel like I love writing again.
Not that I had stopped, but being around “my kind of people” made everything shiny and new again. I was even singing this morning! (Oh, I hope that didn’t ruin anyone’s day.)
I made some new friends this weekend, I got to see old friends, and I strengthened acquaintances. What more can I ask for? Not much. But I got more anyway.
I learned things. And not just from the sessions I attended. Even in the sessions I taught, I found people who knew things I didn’t, and who were willing to share. (In a wonderfully nice way, not in that “I’m going to try to take over your talk” kind of way.)
And now, with all of these happy memories filling me up to overflowing, I am soooo ready to write!
And that is the point of this post.
If you are a creative type, do you take the time to find conferences in your chosen field? Do you get to rub elbows with people you respect and admire? Do you get to spend some time with peers who “get it” even if maybe they don’t quite get you?
If you don’t, and if you find yourself battling creative fatigue, or maybe even depression, you might want to seriously consider surrounding yourself with like-minded fools for a little while. Find a conference that focuses on your area of creativity, or at least an area close to it, and go mingle!
This is not the first time I have felt this, but, hats off to Pikes Peak Writers, this is one of the most impactful. I don’t see how anyone who comes in, and gives it a chance, could not have been engulfed by the friendly, helpful attitude that surrounded the weekend.
By the way, each and every one of the keynote speakers gave a talk that was… Well, let’s just say, they were all that good.
I have come away inspired, hopeful, and ready to write.
If you feel like you having problems feeling inspired, and hopeful in your creative field, maybe you should consider going to a conference? If you can’t find one that you think fits you, I would certainly recommend this one. Even if you’re not a writer, I’m sure they would welcome you in.