Suggested topics include:

• The ways digital archives enable creative engagement and innovative research
• The use of pop media (blogs, YouTube, social networking, etc.) to facilitate presentation, analysis, and study
• The use of digital research tools in the humanities

This is a great opportunity for undergrad students to develop and present their own projects. Submissions are due by June 14. Visit the Re: Humanities site for more information.

Based in Austin, SXSW draws those in the music, film, and interactive media industries for a week of presentations, networking, and all the Texas BBQ you can eat.

The interactive portion, dubbed SXSWi, brings together web developers, designers, bloggers, content producers, and new media entrepreneurs to share ideas about content strategy, social media marketing, publishing, emerging technologies, and more.

To get a sense of the SXSWi experience, we asked first-timers Lish Dorset and Kristen Byers to share their thoughts on the “spring break for geeks”.

As a newbie to SXSW this year, I blogged the conference for the Detroit Weber Shandwick office. While the entire week was amazing, attending fascinating panels and meeting hilarious folks, listening to Devo talk about rebranding themselves in the social media sphere was fantastic. I’m a big Devo fan and I love the idea that my idea might contribute to the greater whole. Because, after all, isn’t that what social media is all about?
— Lish Dorset, Digital Strategist

Wow…this was my first time attending SXSW, and I must say it was quite the whirlwind! No amount of research could have adequately prepared me for the awesomeness. My friend (and SXSW roommate) Nikki wrote a great post over on lalawag about being a SXSW first-timer, so I encourage you to check out her advice.

There was a great mix of panels, many of which catered to my professional and personal interests, and I attended loads of great sessions (and a couple not-so-great ones). Many reinforced the idea that geolocation services and mobile apps are hot trends at the moment. I brought back some ideas for my web strategy team about how we can improve the content of miis.edu. I think my favorite panels were “How the Other Half Lives: Touring the Digital Divide” and “Selling Subculture Without Selling Out”.

I definitely hope to attend again next year, although there are a few things I will do differently: research restaurants ahead of time, select panels based on speakers as opposed to topics/titles, and RSVP to more parties!

— Kristen Byers, New Media Development Specialist, Monterey Institute of International Studies

If you’re like me and the closest you got to SXSWi was your Twitter stream, be sure to check out the links above along with audio podcasts of the sessions and highlights on YouTube. Cowboy boots optional.

Whether you find pleasure in spotting misprints in copy or discussing favorite punctuation marks, you’re in luck—March 4 is National Grammar Day.

Founded in 2008 by the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar, this year’s Grammar Day is hosted by Mignon Fogarty, aka Grammar Girl. The Grammar Day site has a variety of fun ways to mark the occasion, including a free e-card and “March Forth: The Grammar Song”.

You can also:

• Check out The Oatmeal for comics on how to use a semicolon and how to use an apostrophe.
• Browse sites like CafePress and Etsy for grammar gifts.
• Find out which punctuation mark you are with a quick quiz from OK Cupid.
• Join fellow grammar elitists on Facebook, in groups such as I judge you when you use poor grammar. and Good Grammar Is Hot.

As for me, the grammar 5-O? I will relive my childhood with grammar lessons from Schoolhouse Rock. How will you celebrate Grammar Day?

As the region’s largest tech conference, FutureMidwest will highlight how technology and social media have dramatically changed the way people do business. Speakers and breakout session leaders will provide practical information on how you can implement digital strategies into marketing and communication programs. You’ll hear about brand case studies, tracking results, and using online tools like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

You can register for both Friday and Saturday or a single day. Early bird pricing ends February 15, so sign up early. There is also a reduced price for students.

Join the conversation today on Twitter by following @FutureMidwest or #FMW10.

FutureMidwest 2010
Royal Oak Music Theatre
Royal Oak, MI
April 16-17, 2010
Registration

Inspired by the Center for History and New Media (CHNM) at George Mason University, this isn’t your typical academic conference where you read or are read to. Sessions will range from software demos to training sessions to discussions of research findings. As an “unconference”, you also won’t have to pay the average conference registration fee — $25 covers your meals (breakfast and lunch) and a THATCamp t-shirt.

Writers, academics, developers, students, designers — the list of those who should attend Great Lakes THATCamp is as broad as the field of “digital humanities” itself. If you’re interested in attending, please submit an application before February 10 — but don’t wait too long because there are only 75 openings.

For more news, announcements, discussions, and general hype about the event, follow @GLTHATCamp and the global THATcamp hashtag (#thatcamp) on Twitter or visit the event website.

To find out about THATCamp events in your area, visit thatcamp.org.

Andreev and Covert will be sharing their successes and failures as they transitioned from design students to design professionals, such as:

• How the design paradigm shifts once you leave the comforts of the classroom
• How to end up where you want to be, or close to it
• The best ways to prepare for the reality that follows graduation, i.e. job interviews, landing your first job, making an impact when you start working, learning as you go, and staying happy, creatively

The webcast is only $9.95, and participants will have access to the archived version of the presentation for one year. You can register online here.

Everything We Didn’t Know When We Left School DesignCast
Thursday, December 3, 2009
4 pm EST (Duration: 1 hour)

To learn more about Andreev and Covert, check out their interview with EMPRNT that we featured in April.

I had the pleasure of speaking at the Creative Arts Forum at Michigan State this past week and it far exceeded my expectations. The turnout was great, it was a creative atmosphere, and the event as a whole was very informal…just how us creatives like it.

My 5-minute presentation was titled “Starting a Business on the Side”, which is exactly how it sounds: starting your own business/freelancing while working a full-time job. There were three main tips that I wanted to get across to students: Paying attention in your day job, networking with others, and learning how to balance your work/play life. Here are the slides from my presentation with the summary of them below:

Don’t Snooze

In other words, if you’re looking to start your own business while working full time, don’t just go to your day job to collect a check. It is very important that you learn how business is done, things that are right, and things that are wrong. Learn from your whole working environment: how projects are managed, how collaboration is done with various departments in the company, and so on.

Client communication is also very important. Whether you’re a designer, developer, or technical writer, it can be a challenge explaining exactly what you do to justify a client spending all that money (and trusting you). Talking to clients is something that you will have to learn, and it takes practice to get good at it. Find people in your day job that are good at communicating with clients, and model yourself after them.

Network

As I mentioned in my In the Workplace interview, building relationships is one of the most important things you can do when starting a business. While it’s good to know other people that share your same job, it’s also very important to broaden your scope and meet people outside of your industry. Since you’re soft selling yourself, as is the person you’re networking with, you never know when someone will need your services, or when you will need someone else’s services.

Networking doesn’t have to be formal, which I originally thought. It’s just socializing. It’s finding common interests with other professionals. An easy way to dip your toes in the water is to start online. Join Facebook groups, LinkedIn groups, or interact with people on Twitter. From there, find out about local events that you can attend. I’ve personally met some of the most interesting people at Tweetups.

Balance

Since you’ll be working full time, trying to start a business, and wanting a personal life, you will need balance. It is a must that you learn how to balance your life and manage your time effectively. Some say working more hours in the day equates to more work getting done. I disagree. More hours worked means you’re running a higher risk of burning out. Get off the computer. Seriously, either shut it down, or just walk away and disconnect sometimes. You’ll thank yourself for refreshing your brain and not working yourself into the ground. Inspiration often happens when you least expect it, aka when you’re not working. So go relax, read a book, play video games, or visit a museum.

My favorite part of the Arts Forum was the mixer, where I got a chance to meet some great people and students at MSU. I enjoyed sharing knowledge with students and loved how engaged they were when I was speaking with them. You could really sense their passion for their work and their desire to get the right start to their career or entrepreneurial endeavors. I hope they learned from me, and I hope I have the chance to connect with more students in the future.

Luckily for Megan, there is no shortage of brilliant alumni and fascinating students from Michigan State. Between the 45,000+ undergrad students on campus, 14,868 members in the MSU Alumni Association LinkedIn group, and great events like TEDxDetroit, it’s easy to find someone (or something) great to write about.

You can find Megan at msuCatalyst and on Twitter.

I’ve had a busy morning. I’ve taken the road less traveled, tackled my to-do list with a machete, narrowly escaped the deathly mortal jaws of the lava monster living in my kitchen, and evicted all negathoughts living in my head.

I’m not crazy; these are the side effects of attending TEDxDetroit last Wednesday.

The idea behind TED started in Long Beach, California with the intention of bringing together people from the worlds of Technology, Entertainment, and Design to share their ideas worth spreading. Originally, the only way to experience TED was attending the exclusive California event, but that changed when the organization released videos online, launching a global phenomenon.

The power of the TED concept is obvious. TED devotees realize knowledge is connected and when people from different realms of knowledge share their ideas, powerful and positive change occurs.

The newest addendum to the TED family is TEDx, a string of independently organized events occurring anywhere enterprising individuals are willing to organize an event. When Charlie Wollborg, Founding Partner of Curve Detroit, heard the news, he jumped on the opportunity to host an event that brought the area’s leading creators, catalysts, entrepreneurs, artists, technologists, designers, scientists, thinkers, and doers together to discuss positive ideas for the world from Detroit.

Not just positive ideas—positive ideas worth spreading. And on October 21, that is exactly what happened. The Twittersphere was in hyperactive mode as attendants tweeted snippets from the #TEDxDetroit presentations mere seconds after the ideas were uttered by the presenters.

Chazz Miller presents on Using Art & Technology as a Catalyst for Change

The genius behind the TEDxDetroit talks cannot be captured in a nutshell, so instead I hope providing a glimpse of the proceedings will entice you to explore the videos online yourself (there isn’t a centralized location for all the videos yet).

Turning Inside Out: Dr. Gary Gabel from Infinite Learning
In a fitting start to the day, Gary used a large hourglass to make a harrowing point—our time on earth is limited and every day we wake up, we have one less day remaining. So, if time is your currency, are you spending it wisely? Is your flow of ideas positive and enabling or negative?

Gary challenged the room to think positive thoughts and avoid what he calls “negathoughts,” the thoughts dwelling on the negative—I’ll never find a job in this economy! Negathoughts leave you powerless.

The thoughts that got you to where you are today are also keeping you where you are today, so turn those thoughts positive. Gary also encouraged asking high quality, thought provoking questions and taking action—after all, there’s no time like today.

Taking the Road Less Traveled: Dr. Aaron Crumm for Adaptive Materials
Aaron’s vision of bringing “power to the people” through a revolutionary fuel cell technology provided an excellent example to the morning session’s theme of “Powering.” His company has designed a lighter and longer lasting fuel cell that has piqued the interest of the Army as a way to reduce the amount of gear—up to 80 pounds—soldiers must carry. And that’s just a start; the commercial applications of their fuel cell are incredible.

In the early stages of business, they realized their product was too small for engines, yet too big for batteries; however, there was a void—an opportunity—in the market between those two extremes. By taking the road less traveled and marketing their mini-generator that is five times lighter than average, their Ann Arbor business has experienced a successful start and expects continued growth in an industry that has great potential for creating jobs in Michigan.

Using Art & Technology as a Catalyst for Change: Chazz Miller from Public Art Works
After finding success as a commercial artist for billboard signs, Chazz Miller decided to move back to Detroit in 2007 and quickly noticed something—the city lacked color. So, he set out to change that. For a while progress was slow—it seemed all his clients wanted were repainted bathrooms, which was not exactly the change Chazz hoped to see. However, he wasn’t going to complain—about the jobs or the state of Detroit—he stayed committed to making positive change through art.

An opportunity to paint a mural at an elementary school ignited a string of events that led to Chazz’s breakthrough—a mural in the heart of the city. The idea was that if you could unite the neighborhood behind an art project, they would take pride in the result and work hard to keep the area clean and safe.

The successful project turned into Public Art Workz, a nonprofit that creates “bold, innovative community redevelopment projects that use the arts, culture, creativity, and innovation as a catalyst for reinventing and revitalizing the communities of Old Redford and Northwest Detroit, Michigan.”

The success of Public Art Workz is inspirational, but what had the audience riveted was Chazz’s energetic and selfless spirit. He left the security of a well-paying job to move to Detroit and make an impact on a city he loved. He saw an opportunity and dove in headfirst, and inspired others in the process.

Building an Enterprising Class in Michigan: Matt Dugener from Enliven Software
Following Chazz was Matt Dugener who spoke on “Economic Hurricanes,” people like Chazz who are generating changing winds within Michigan. He stated that we “have taught young people how to be employees, not employers” and the health of Michigan’s future requires creating a culture that allows enterprising people to thrive.

In the late-90’s, Matt’s friend Mike had an idea for a company, but couldn’t get the idea off the ground in Michigan so he moved to Texas. After just two years in business, Mike’s company was worth $25 million dollars. Why the success in Texas? As an entrepreneur, Mike was treated like a hero in Texas; new ideas were welcomed and well supported. In Michigan, those same ideas were scorned.

Matt’s message was clear: if we want to rebuild Michigan, we need to start rewarding people that take risks, we need to start changing the way we think, and we need to create an environment that attracts innovation and new business.

Jump and the Net Will Appear: Charlie Wollborg from Curve Detroit
On top of being the lead coordinator behind the event, Charlie Wollborg gave the final presentation with compact pieces of wisdom that nicely tied together many of the themes presented throughout the event:

• Excuses don’t change the past, they just delay the future. What happened yesterday is done; let’s start focusing on a brighter tomorrow.
• Less busy and more gee whizzy. Ideas are perishable! As Dan Izzo (link: http://bizzo.biz/) said earlier in the day, stop dreaming and start doing. Time is running out.
• Talent, money, and ideas will never be the problem. Ideas are a dime a dozen, time is the precious resource. When your day starts, time is running—so don’t waste your days.
• Quit waiting for approval. If you’re waiting for someone to tell you it’s okay to follow your dreams, start that company, write that book, change Michigan, you’re going to be waiting for a long time. Take the initiative and make it happen.
• Take that one step off the edge. There will always be a reason to postpone your dreams—ignore that reason and go for it.
• If you aren’t living up to your potential that is blasphemy.

These examples are just the tip of the iceberg. Here are great links if you’d like to explore more of what TEDxDetroit had to offer:

• Shai Agassi’s bold plan for electric cars
• Elizabeth Gilbert on nurturing creativity
• Rory Sutherland: Life lessons from an ad man
• Inspiration (a life changing day) by Kevin Ertell
• Thanks Worth Spreading by Julie Becker
• TEDxDetroit 2009 Highlights from Chris Spiek
• A Day In the Life of TED(xDetroit) by Philip Lauri

And if I can leave you with something it is this, a poem by D Blair that exhilarated the crowd and has made its way around the Internet. He took an entire conference worth of passion and promise and condensed it into a six-minute poem that represents the glory of Detroit and the promise of its future—which is exactly what TEDxDetroit set out to do.

The Futures of Digital Studies 2010 conference is currently accepting submissions. The deadline for both paper and artwork submissions is Tuesday, December 20, 2009.

Paper submissions are encouraged on the topics of (but not limited to): human-computer interaction; writing digital art; immersive digital environments; connecting academic institutions via digital approaches; digital theory; and the work and culture produced in digital environments.

Submissions for artworks that engage or address digital media or other technologies are also being accepted. Submissions may feature images, sounds, film, sculpture, networks, code, games, and other works that explore the hybrid intersections between digital and analogue forms.

Futures of Digital Studies 2010
University of Florida
February 25-27, 2010

Workshops will be held on the 16th and the conference will be held on the 17th. Workshops will include designing with CSS3, best practices in web typography, techniques of modern web design, and more. There is a slew of talented designers lined up for the day of the conference, including speakers from Digg, Vimeo, and Microsoft. Click here to learn more about the conference speakers. You can opt for a one-day conference pass for $395 or a workshops + conference pass for $695.

Future of Web Design 2009
November 16-17, 2009
New World Stages
New York City
Registration

99% Conference 2010
The 99% Conference is about making ideas happen. The two-day event co-hosted by Behance and Cool Hunting brings together productive creative visionaries to offer a behind-the-scenes look at their processes as they share insights on pushing ideas forward.

Tickets are now on sale and there is a special early-bird ticket price of $399 (compared to $699 for regular tickets). The 2009 conference sold out quickly, so early registration is recommended.

99% Conference 2010
April 15-16, 2010
The Times Center
New York City
Registration