An Honest Review of the SXSW Experience
I’ve heard about SXSW in Austin, Texas for years and had a number of clients, friends, and role models speak or attend with rave reviews. The conference is geared towards “creative innovators across the fields of tech, music, culture, and more”. Although “art advisor” is not part of this description, I’ve committed to continuing to invest in myself this year. When reviewing ways to do this, I zeroed in on SXSW, bought myself a ticket, and carved out 4 weekdays of my life to attend.
I was excited, especially as the reality hit that I had never before made a space for this kind of learning experience - one where my personal and professional calendar was clear, I knew no one else going (and accordingly had no social obligations), and I could just attend whatever workshop, talk, or other event interested me. Once I arrived at my Austin hotel at 11pm on a Monday, I wasn’t so pumped, however. I questioned why I traveled halfway across the country, away from my family and obligations, to do something that doesn’t directly relate to the art world.
The events I attended the following day appeased any concerns as I curated my schedule to learn about topics that just seemed interesting, and they did not disappoint. These included: women advocating for themselves, building trust with your clientele, authentic creativity vs. trend chasing, developing meaningful dialogues with strangers, being innovative in your field, and so much more. Absolutely all of this relates to my personal and professional work, which are inevitably intertwined; when you are stronger personally, your professional life has a sturdier scaffolding that translates into more effectively servicing your clients.
One of the small but amusing realizations of this trip is learning how badly I mispacked. In retrospect, I should have looked at event pictures to see what people wore. Instead, I packed like I was going to Art Basel Miami Beach with various polished professional/casual options, including heels and blazers. Instead, SXSW attendees go for the Texas casual look, i.e. whatever you’d wear while at home watching TV.
More importantly, here are brief takeaways from a selection of the sessions I attended, followed by larger key ideas:
Dia Bondi: Ask for what you want, not what you think someone else will say yes to. Her book, Ask Like an Auctioneer, is here.
Charles Duhigg: There are 3 types of conversations: practical, emotional, and social. To communicate most effectively with others, you must ensure you’re all having the same type of conversation. His book, Supercommunicators, is here.
Michael Dell (worth $99 BILLION and extremely approachable): Failure is where you learn; let your kids explore whatever makes them curious.
Tim Ferris: In thinking about where you direct your energy, consider whether you’re running towards something or away from something.
Bonnie Wan: Author your own life by developing a “creative brief” for the relationships you have with yourself, your partner, your children, money, and more. Her book, The Life Brief: A Playbook for No-Regrets Living” is here.
And larger key ideas that I support:
Learn about topics well outside your niche. The ideas used in other businesses, or shared by leaders in their field, can inevitably inform how you operate in your personal and professional life.
Invest in yourself.
Spend time with people who are curious, creative, and excited to learn themselves. It creates a contagious and positive energy.
Will I attend the conference again? Maybe, but I most likely will find an alternative, just to diversify the topics covered, people and setting, and even though there is so much more I could have done here (like the music festival).
Should you go to SXSW? Yes, you should, if any of the topics on the schedule peak your interest. People from a broad range of different industries will get a ton of value out of the experience, and most importantly, you determine your own schedule to make it optimally worth your time.