tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37126814870796170552024-02-07T03:14:19.959-06:00The Austin EquationExperience + Community = SceneBijoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15442882007675771070noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3712681487079617055.post-19585469628777200562018-03-08T17:46:00.004-06:002018-03-09T12:13:44.531-06:00Create and enjoy SXdipity<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b>Serendipity</b>: discovering something awesome while looking for something else. i.e. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serendipity">penicillin</a>.<br />
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<b>SXdipity</b>: discovering something awesome while looking for something else at SXSW<br />
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By now, you've scanned the <a href="https://schedule.sxsw.com/?_ga=2.213076822.35813315.1520379611-1298653577.1516353879">schedule</a>, consulted <a href="https://t.co/5yOSWzQyZc">guides</a>, RSVPd to umpteen parties, added the <a href="http://bit.ly/2oNnYB3">SX Houses</a> Google Map and you're ready to go. And while you will indeed have a fantastic time, no matter where you are, there's a whole other experience to be had where you generate and enjoy SXdipity with your fellow SXers.<br />
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While you can't engineer it (it wouldn't be SXdipity if it were planned!), here are 3 simple actions you can take:<br />
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1. <b>Create a SXdipity Posse</b>. SXdipity arises from a group of friends discovering and sharing the cool things they're encountering. <a href="http://groupme.com/">GroupMe</a> is a fantastic tool for this. Start up a SXdipity group and add new friends to it as you go along. Then start sharing, especially as you're experiencing anything cool.<br />
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2. <b>Be present</b>, wherever you are. As you engage in conversations, be curious. Ask yourself, "what SXdipity can I create for this person?" It could be a cool panel or party they should check out. Or a person they should connect with. Or something you learned that would be valuable to them. Then make that connection right then and there.<br />
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3. Prepare to <b>abandon the plan</b> for something entirely new and unexpected. As you talk to people, they might share something great that will take you away from your plan. Go for it!<br />
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When in doubt, keep in mind the immortal words of the New Radicals: <a href="https://youtu.be/DL7-CKirWZE">you only get what you give</a>!<br />
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Enjoy! And use #SXdipity to share the goodness that's happened!</div>
Bijoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15442882007675771070noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3712681487079617055.post-51422306717062080582017-05-04T20:27:00.001-05:002017-05-05T15:33:38.691-05:00Austin: A Temple for You<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;">Public art in a city can reflect and steward its unique meaning. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And so it does in Austin, where we have a number of </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">iconic artworks which convey "be yourself" to visitors and inhabitants. </span><a href="http://austinot.com/best-murals-in-austin" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Murals</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> like </span><a href="http://do512.com/hihowareyoumural" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Hi, How Are You? (Daniel Johnston)</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, </span><a href="http://www.roadhouserelics.com/2013/11/27/greetings-improved-austin-postcard-mural/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Greetings from Austin </span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">(<a href="http://www.roadhouserelics.com/artist-statement/">Todd Sanders</a>), </span><a href="http://www.joscoffee.com/culture/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">i love you so much</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (<a href="http://www.joscoffee.com/south-congress-jos/">Jo's Coffee SoCo</a>) convey the care with which we treat each other and our journeys. The </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://hopecampaign.org/hopeprojects/hope-outdoor-gallery/">HOPE Outdoor Gallery</a> is a collaborative art space where all are welcome to contribute. </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Three </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Austin heroes </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">have statues around town. </span><a href="http://austinplacesandstories.blogspot.com/2013/04/angelina-eberly-sculpture-on-congress.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Angelia Eberly</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (Pat Eliphant, </span><a href="http://www.capitalareastatues.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">CAST</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">) saved Austin as the capital of Texas by sounding the alarm. </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevie_Ray_Vaughan_Memorial" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Stevie Ray Vaughan</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Helmick">Ralph Helmick</a>) and </span><a href="http://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/willie-nelson-statue-austin/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Willie Nelson</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (Clete Shields, CAST) embody our live music and the spirit of expressing yourself. And p</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">erhaps soon, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leslie_Cochran">Leslie Cochran</a>, who was so inimitably themselves, will take their place in the Austin pantheon. </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Even </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://goo.gl/maps/ytdFpLfvVAk">Eeyore</a>, whose birthday Austin </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eeyore%27s_Birthday_Party" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">has celebrated</a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"> since 1963, has a statue. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline;">In the fall</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline;"> "</span><a href="https://blantonmuseum.org/collection/ellsworth-kellys-austin/" style="font-family: times; font-size: medium; white-space: normal;"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Austin</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline;">" by <a href="https://vimeo.com/187875053">Ellsworth Kelly</a> will open on the lawn of the <a href="http://blantonmuseum.org/">Blanton Museum</a>. The project was <a href="http://artthisweek.com/art-this-week-ellsworth-kelly-symposium-blanton-museum-of-art/">introduced</a> in late 2015 and has been in construction. Just a</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">s <a href="http://www.atxequation.com/2017/04/vegas-city-of-illusion.html">AKHOB</a> reflects Vegas as the City of Illusion, "Austin" evokes Austin's "be yourself" ethos. </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">As if to describe the city of experiences that Austin is, Simone Wicha, Blanton Museum director <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/06/arts/design/texas-museum-to-build-ellsworth-kelly-design.html?_r=0">described</a> it as, "... a space you walk into and experience." Which Austin is she describing - the art piece or the city itself?! </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Kelly envisioned it as a </span><a href="https://youtu.be/ejxRV_phhcE?t=1m31s" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">place of contemplation</a><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">, a spiritual place.</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">On each of the walls of its three axes are circular panes of multi-colored glass, arranged in different configurations and projecting light into the space. To the ATXequation, these represent Austin's scenes and the communities and experiences for the individual to explore. A</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">long eye level are black and white yin-yang squares, each comprising different shapes. From the spectrum of possibility, a set of choices to be made about who we are and how we express various aspects of ourselves. </span><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">They remind us that there is no one right way to be yourself and each one of us must find our unique expression in the world. In the chancel is the only object in the structure, a solitary <a href="http://dcaiga.blogspot.com/2011/08/ellsworth-kelly-and-richard-meier-getty.html">obelisk</a>. It's a literal "I" standing in for the individual for whom this temple exists. It is both a space to reflect on and a metaphor of our (</span></span><b style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I)</b><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">ndividuation; the </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">never-ending journey of </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">becoming ourselves.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">This fact of our uniqueness was solved by Kelly in a most curious way.</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">As art historian Yve-Alain Bois </span><a href="https://youtu.be/zF2StwVG42A" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">explains</a> (<a href="https://www.ias.edu/ideas/2013/bois-ellsworth-kelly">text</a>) <span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">he spent a lifetime eliminating the "artist's hand" trying to achieve </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">impersonality and non-agency. Responding to Picasso, whose hand was so ever-present in everything he did, Kelly went the other way, trying to take individuality out of the frame. In these efforts he arrived at 5 methods: transfer, chance, grid, monochrome panel and silhouette. </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Through all of these efforts, practiced over many decades, the exact opposite happened. Kelly "proved' that the individuality cannot, in fact, be removed. </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">A</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">s Bois points out, "nothing is more recognizable than a work by him and nothing is more idiosyncratic than what it picks up...in doing so, he teaches us there are many more ways to see...his art is an injunction to explore in our OWN terms an expanded field of vision.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-matisse-turrell-8-artists-designed-transcendent-chapels">Chapels by other artists</a> focus on what's "out there." <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chapelle_du_Rosaire_de_Vence">Christianity</a> as with Matisse, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rothko_Chapel">the void</a> with Rothko. Turrell's </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>AKHOB</i> embodies</span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> Vegas by </span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">discombobulating the viewer and transporting them directly into the illusion. </span><i style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Austin</i><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> does the exact opposite, gently embracing and holding space for us, providing illumination to and reflection for our unfolding journey.</span></div>
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Bijoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15442882007675771070noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3712681487079617055.post-35062427728909859002017-04-19T18:55:00.003-05:002021-03-01T18:51:53.759-06:00Vegas: City of Illusion<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;">If Austin is "be yourself" and LA is "be famous" what about Las Vegas? "Be your alter-self" is the phrase that often comes up. And indeed, Vegas is the place to indulge our novelty and stimulus-seeking primal brains, where we can participate in the activities that allow us to let loose and have a good time. Its monikers "sin city," "adult Disneyland" and tagline: what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas - perfectly capture the city's unique ethos. More over, when Vegas tried to be family-friendly a decade ago, it completely flopped and returned back to its core.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;">How does Vegas pull off its "be your alter-self" theme? By turning the whole city into an illusion, a magic trick, a mirage. First, and most importantly, Vegas is a mirage in the desert of Nevada. It appears, most improbably, out of nowhere, especially when approached by road. As if to exemplify the point, one of the marquee hotels on the strip is called the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mirage">Mirage</a>. Vegas has housed the largest number of literal illusionists, including <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penn_%26_Teller">Penn and Teller</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Copperfield_(illusionist)">David Copperfield</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criss_Angel">Criss Angel</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siegfried_%26_Roy">Siegried and Roy</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cirque_du_Soleil">Cirque du Soleil</a>'s incredible shows transport you to different worlds. The illusion continues as you walk into <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_Las_Vegas">Paris</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York-New_York_Hotel_and_Casino">New York</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luxor_Las_Vegas">Luxor</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Venetian_Las_Vegas">Venice</a>. You listen to musicians playing cover songs, either of <a href="http://www.celineinvegas.com/">themselves</a> or others. Elvis finished his career in Vegas, playing the Elvis of a bygone era. You engage in the illusion that you can make money at a casino, whose odds are setup against you. And even on the streets, the illusion continues as buskers and street artists help to complete the illusion. In that sense, it's even more impressive than Disneyland, where all the performers are employed by one company. In Vegas, thousands of "independent actors" human and non, work side-by-side to co-create the fantastic illusion. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;">And soon enough, you will hit the limit of your primal brain's enjoyment and it will be satiated. It seems the average is 3 days, but it's likely not much more than 5! At whatever place you hit your cut-off point, you're ready to get back to your real life, having fully enjoyed the illusion. Vegas has done its good work as the temporary off-road for your primal brain.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;">In 2013, Vegas got <a href="http://motherboard.vice.com/read/tripping-face-on-nothing-but-light">AKHOB</a>, created by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Turrell">James Turrell</a>, whose <a href="http://jamesturrell.com/about/introduction/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">artistic statement</span></a><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> reveals his fascination with illusion and created realities </span>which perfectly captures the city's unique meaning. It sits atop the Louis Vuitton<a href="https://goo.gl/maps/9sxME5wCGvR2"> CityCenter Store</a> and can only be viewed by appointment. After you enter the chamber and stay for a while, things start to distort and your sense of time and space warp. The illusion is at work!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: medium;">The stewardship of a city's unique meaning, is incredibly important because it orients visitors and inhabitants alike. Interested in illusion-making? Come to Vegas! Interested in fame and the creation of personal brands? Come to LA! Interested in discovering and expressing yourself? Come to Austin! And so on.</span></div>
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Bijoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15442882007675771070noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3712681487079617055.post-69460315354465670522011-11-10T10:37:00.002-06:002011-11-17T11:34:03.279-06:00Making a Scene<p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin">As told by ATXEquation student <a href="http://www.twitter.com/scomeaux">Sydney Comeaux</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; ">Up to this point, we have broken down the first two components in the Austin Equation—experience and community. While these elements are both imperative, the equation remains irrelevant without discussing the final outcome. At last, it’s time for us to begin investigating the unique characteristics of the third component—scene. The general idea of the term scene has been tossed around during lecture often, but it’s now time to start delving deeper with a more critical approach. In class we learned about three different perspectives that offer unique approaches for analyzing what’s in a scene and how scenes are made. The first perspective is purely Austin Equation-based. The second perspective focuses on scale free Networks. And, the third perspective is concerned with platforms.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin">The first perspective focuses on everything that comprises and makes up a scene. It is purely Austin Equation-based. According to this model, a scene is an aggregation of experiences and communities surrounding a particular area. The things you see within the scene are the communities and experiences that we’ve already discussed. Mapping is useful tool for illustrating the networks within a scene—not just what it is, but how everyone and everything within it is connected. While there are many scenes that are somewhat limited within their own networks, there are also some scenes that crossover. For instance, charity, fundraising, and non-profit organizations exist in every scene from education to music to media alike. For every scene there are several defining factors. In all scenes, there are a vast amount of experiences that aid in bringing and holding the scene together. Also, scenes are noted for bringing people from the outside in. In a sense, scenes are put on display. They bring all of the communities under one roof and can cross-pollinate with other scenes. Scene-level organizations, as opposed to communities, evangelize for the scene. In this way, they operate at a different, higher level. The steward-level responsibility is much broader as well. At the scene-level, you have to think beyond yourself; instead you must focus on how to integrate others.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin">The second perspective explains Scale-free Networks. These types of networks exist in every aspect of life including communities, scenes, nature, and so on. Scale free networks include many small nodes that are held together by a few hubs. Small world explains the short paths between any two nodes. Evolution occurs when hubs emerge through growth and preferential attachment. Competition exists as nodes with high fitness become hubs. Robustness denotes resilience against random errors. There’s something about certain nodes where connectivity is something they do. This is precisely how you get a scene. There are important nodes that hold the network together. Nodes also connect other nodes to one another. In class we compared this to DNA, which has the same network structure. From a stewardship perspective, you have to be strong, hyperactive nodes to have a robust scene. Connectivity must be nurtured because that is what creates a sense of connection, cohesion and so on.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin">The third perspective takes platforms into consideration. Platforms include architects or sponsors, providers, enhancers, and end users. For example, consider the iPhone as a platform. The sponsor or architect is Apple. The platform providers are Apple, ATT, Verizon, and others. The enhancers are the minds behind the varying applications, and the end users are the consumers that benefit from getting to use gorgeous devices that have integrated experiences. As a platform architect, you have to think through a lot of different complexities. There are a lot of different characters within a scene, so how do you help the scene move forward while still making sure that everyone gets what they need? Very few organizations are able to maintain a high level for a long time for this reason.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin">So, how does one make a scene? First, there must be quality experiences at the scene level such as Southby, ACL, and Fashion Week. There must be vibrant, unique communities that all serve a different purpose—think MRE model. Finally, there must be scene-level awareness and cross-community collaboration including events, members and promotions. When a person feels like part of a scene they should feel like they are not just a part of a small, independent group; rather they should feel like they are part of something much larger.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Heather McKissickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11507092408434429583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3712681487079617055.post-44846358260379104092011-11-10T10:06:00.003-06:002011-11-17T11:34:54.202-06:00Austin Creative Scene Steward Marcy Hoen<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" >As told by ATXEquation student <a href="http://www.twitter.com/ktdahlstrom">Katie Dahlstrom</a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; line-height: 32px; font-size: small; ">Brain researcher, hair stylist, and steward in the Austin creative scene, just a regular day in the life of <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/MarcyHoen">Marcy Hoen</a>, the Executive Director for <a href="http://www.austincreativealliance.org/">Austin Creative Alliance</a>.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; line-height: 32px; font-size: small; "> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; line-height: 32px; font-size: small; "> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; line-height: 32px; font-size: small; ">Austin Creative Alliance, whose mission is “to advance, connect and celebrate Austin’s arts, cultural, and creative communities”, was born about a year and a half ago.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; line-height: 32px; font-size: small; "> The </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; line-height: 32px; font-size: small; ">ATXEquation class had the pleasure of hearing Marcy’s journey from her internship at a brain research laboratory fresh out of college, to her current position.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; line-height: 32px; font-size: small; "> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; line-height: 32px; font-size: small; ">“An embodiment of the Austin Equation”, as Bijoy dubbed Marcy, began her Austin art scene stewardship working as a hairstylist and manager at Saks Fifth Avenue.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; line-height: 32px; font-size: small; "> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; line-height: 32px; font-size: small; ">Fed up with the tired, old hair photos adorning the walls of the salon, Marcy decided to instead fill the space with local artists’ work.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; line-height: 32px; font-size: small; "> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; line-height: 32px; font-size: small; ">Word got around and soon other businesses and clients wanted her to do the same for their spaces.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; line-height: 32px; font-size: small; "> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; line-height: 32px; font-size: small; ">Marcy’s local art expertise then led to guided tours of galleries and curating of shows at private homes which caught the eye of Austin Creative Alliance, where she has been since last March.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; line-height: 32px; font-size: small; "> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; line-height: 32px; font-size: small; ">Marcy described Austin Creative Alliance as a “scene of scenes, without one strength you do not have the other”, which is represented in its logo of overlapping circles.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; line-height: 32px; font-size: small; "> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; line-height: 32px; font-size: small; ">She went on to describe what she believes about stewardship, “stewardship is about leadership…people are becoming more aware that they don’t want to be led…the community leads itself.”</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; line-height: 32px; font-size: small; "> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; line-height: 32px; font-size: small; ">It is about listening, and going out into the community and seeing what its needs are.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; line-height: 32px; font-size: small; "> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; line-height: 32px; font-size: small; ">In stewarding a scene you have to find partners that may not initially be seen as a fit, but best serve the community. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; line-height: 32px; font-size: small; "> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; line-height: 32px; font-size: small; ">When asked, “why Austin?” Marcy’s response was a speedy, “Austin is the ‘Marsha’, everyone wants to do things the way we’re doing them.”</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; line-height: 32px; font-size: small; "> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; line-height: 32px; font-size: small; ">I couldn’t have said it better myself.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; line-height: 32px; font-size: small; "> </span></p>Heather McKissickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11507092408434429583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3712681487079617055.post-2389162044761533322011-11-10T10:03:00.001-06:002011-11-29T17:37:57.135-06:00Don't be part of the scenery, be a part of the scene!<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">As told by ATXEquation student <a href="http://www.twitter.com/Ben_Lorimer">Ben Lorimer</a><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Starfish-Spider-Unstoppable-Leaderless-Organizations/dp/1591841437">Starfish or Spider</a>? These two models of networking have very different qualities. Out of context, other than the shape, these two entities are very different. In the context of scenes and social networking, they too, are very different. The spider can be seen as a centralized entity; it can't function without all of its parts. It has a clear leader and works to make economical profits. What is a starfish? Well, we look at the starfish as a decentralized model of human management of a network. One important quality to focus on when talking about a starfish is to understand the adaptability it has. If you cut off one of its legs, it will grow back; in some cases, a whole new starfish can regenerate from just one leg.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Why then, is this model favorable? The beauty of this design feature is that there is no one true leader. Anyone can take on that role through example, but the important part of this is that the whole system works together to create something other than just market capital.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">We have three areas of capital interest to look at: market, social, and political. We assign the spider to market capital, the starfish to social capital, and have political capital as an area in between the two. We see the starfish as a favorable model because of its commitment to adaptability and creating more and more social capital. Sure, market capital helps the world go round, but we want to step back from that and look at this in smaller sections. Take Austin for example. Austin is a city booming in entrepreneurial involvement. It's the "be yourself" city! This scene focuses around the starfish model. You can have one area of involvement and interest, but if it doesn't work out, breaking off and finding another suitable area of interest is possible, thus creating more and more social capital. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">This is where we see the awesome example of <a href="http://www.twitter.com/bijoy">Bijoy Goswami</a> and his involvement in the entrepreneurial scene here in Austin. We talked about how Austin is being nationally recognized for its entrepreneurship, but which kind. <a href="http://www.bootstrapaustin.org/">Bootstrapping</a>! Austin is the be yourself city, so why should that change in relation to local business? We're a city of unique people with unique ideas. Starting a local business, though Austin is full of them, isn't an easy task. It is more important that you first understand who you are and what you want to accomplish. That is the first stage of this model; the you stage. Second, it's the question stage. This is where you awaken and figure something out that you have a passion for and want to progress this passion on an entrepreneurial journey. Third, we have the ideation stage where you start "doing". Networking, talking to people, and getting your idea out in the community. Fourth, the Valley of Death. This is where you start to get your return on investment in a social sense. Never underestimate the power of social capital. From there, the final stage is growth. If the networking has been achieved, then your business may start to grow and expand further than you might have expected. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">It's not about one leader in the entrepreneurial world; it's a collection of leaders that work together to exchange social capital with one another that will in turn help each other's entrepreneurial goals come to reality. Remember, don't be part of the scenery, be a part of the scene! </span></p>Heather McKissickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11507092408434429583noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3712681487079617055.post-84058936568805976712011-11-10T10:01:00.003-06:002011-11-29T17:39:47.894-06:00Group Presentations on Austin's Fashion and Food Scenes<p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 14px;">As told by ATXEquation student <a href="http://www.twitter.com/FredTanAustin">Fred Tan</a></span></span></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Two of the scene groups the Austin Equation presented today: the fashion scene and the foodie scene. This was the first of three presentations that will occur throughout the semester. In this presentation, the groups focused on the experience and community models.</span></span></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" ><br /><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;">The fashion group was the first to present. The experience the chose was a visit to the innovative jewelry store Kendra Scott. This jeweler is unique because they specialize as a community centered store, engaging customers in an interactive and personalized shopping experience. The have the customers design their own jewelry and wow them by never saying no to a design. The fashion group also touched on the various local communities in the fashion scene and listed several of them. Some of the communities identified were 2nd Start, Fashionably Austin, Fashion Freakout, and Tribeza Style. These communities, as they discovered, fit nicely into the community model. The fashion group went more in depth with the UT fashion community known as Hook Em’ Fashion, a community of University of Texas fashion enthusiasts with missions, events, and protocols.</span></span><br /><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%;font-size:100%;" ><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white;">The foodie group members were the next presenters. They followed the same presentation formula as the fashion group, but talked about… food. For their experience, they chose the 2010 Gypsy Picnic. Here, almost all of the food trailers banded together to showcase their food in a fun local community event. However, the group found that the experience was a large failure due to long lines, poor parking options, and food shortages. Despite its shortcomings, they Gypsy Picnic still met the criteria of the experience model, locating attendees with popular trailers, engaging them with a children’s playground and a cook-offs, and wowing them with live music and an environmentally conscious mission. The foodie group continued their presentation with a discussion about the various communities in the food scene. Some of the communities they listed were Austin Food Trailers Alliance, Casa De Luz, Vegans Rock Austin, Farm to Market, and the Whole Foods Community. Like the fashion group, they placed these communities into the community model and explained their mission, activity, interconnectedness, and protocols.</span></span></span></p>Heather McKissickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11507092408434429583noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3712681487079617055.post-82396422489412697452011-11-10T09:48:00.004-06:002011-11-14T11:01:39.379-06:00Personality and Experience reflected in Austin<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Excerpted from a class blog post by ATXEquation student <a href="http://www.twitter.com/annietaylor0">Anne Taylor</a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Recently in class we recapped the connections between the explored the 3 different personality types we have been studying, outlined in Bijoy Goswami's book The Human Fabric and the ATXEquation Experience Model. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" >The three types are the maven, the relater, and the evangelist. We reminded ourselves that the maven is knowledge driven. The relator wants to make connections. The relater wants the acceptance of others. They want to be in a community and the relator wants to have peace and harmony. The evangelist takes action. They persuade, multitask, and are the front leaders. We then asked ourselves what "type" is Austin? </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" >We debated and at first many of us agreed that Austin would be a primarily evangelist city. In Austin, we get things done and make things happen. We make ACL, one of the largest music festivals in the country happen successfully every year. We then said that Austin could be the relater because we constantly network and we have so many different communities from music to non-profits that help define the city. We decided that the maven doesn’t seem like Austin although we took into consideration UT and St. Edwards are knowledge driven which is a key component of a maven. One student pointed out that, “Austin gives the idea that a lot is going on but we don’t see it happening”. Another said that “You need to have your niche or community or else you can feel isolated in Austin”. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" >After that discussion we moved on to recap the ATXEquation Experience Model: Locate, Engage, Wow. Why is this formula so important? This comes up in businesses and communities to measure positive and memorable experience. Without all three components it might not be a good experience. You have to locate yourself in order to engage. Engaging is the personalization in an experience and the work that is done. The wow factor is what you leave from your experience and can sometimes include memorabilia. We had 3 different creators of experiences come talk to our class, including Michael Barnes from the Austin American Statesman, Craig Nadel from Groovelabs, and the Creative Director from Alamo Draft house. What did these 3 guys have in common? They are passionate about what they do. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Finally, we discussed the reading we have done and how it connects to what we have learned in class. Richard Florida's “Who’s Your City?” compares cities and tells us that where you choose to live could be one of the most important decisions of your life. The Human Fabric relates to experience by seeking out different experiences by personal needs.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" >The class continues to be an interesting exploration into Austin, it's core "type" and how it's experiences create it's true personality ...</span></p>Heather McKissickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11507092408434429583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3712681487079617055.post-535994199642454572011-11-10T09:41:00.004-06:002011-11-14T11:02:07.414-06:00GoLab Austin redefining Co-Working and Creating a Community<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; ">As told by ATXEquation student <a href="http://www.twitter.com/sydneykayATX">Sydney Hilgers</a></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 32px; ">St. Edward’s ATXEquation students were recently treated to a tour of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/GoLab-Austin/215200895157101">The GoLab</a>, a co-working office community located in the heart of downtown Austin that not only houses different companies, but also encourages networking between them. The term “co-worker” has recently changed from the familiar meaning of a fellow worker or work associate, to a more modern definition. Wikipedia defines co-working as “style of work which involves a shared working environment, sometimes an office, yet independent activity …those co-working are usually not employed by the same organization”.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 32px; text-indent: 48px; ">Intrigued by this new approach to co-working, <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/stevegolab">Steve Golab</a> established The GoLab Austin, a community of “like-minded, creative people” and where professionals, who would normally work from home, can come together in a “safe environment that revolves around emerging technology and design.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 32px; ">The GoLab possesses all the elements that are required for a group of people to be considered a community. The GoLab is about connecting professionals and creating a functioning co-working environment. They also take action by having weekly “learning lunches” where the members of the community get together, have lunch and engage one another in what is new in their various businesses as well as the community itself. The members of GoLab are connected through their need for a coworking environment and those who do engage in business together are connected professionally. Finally, there are protocols within The GoLab such as membership fees and general behavior requirements and understandings within the GoLab members. Steve mentioned, “when a member has their headphones on that is the universal signal at here for ‘Do Not Disturb’,” Other such protocols like cleaning up common areas and remaking the coffee are other protocols that members of the community are expected to follow.</span></p>Heather McKissickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11507092408434429583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3712681487079617055.post-47472743507751523852011-11-10T09:34:00.008-06:002011-11-10T10:09:47.585-06:00Co-working a prime example of Community Building<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" >As told by ATXEquation student <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/WilkesGeorge">George Wilkes</a></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" >Recently the ATXEquation class was graced with the presence of the ambitious <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/LinkCoworking">Liz Elam</a>. Liz is the owner and curator of “<a href="http://www.linkcoworking.com/">Link Coworking</a>,” an up and rising new business idea that is gaining momentum across the globe. However, Liz prides herself especially on the uniqueness of her co-working establishment and her ability to not only cater to those who need a space to work, but to create a community within her walls. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" >Before our conversation with Liz the overall assumption was that co-working entailed the simple interaction of working together on the same project or for the same company in the same location. Liz quickly corrected us and opened an avenue for further discussion. A co-working environment is comparable to holding a membership at a country club. You pay a monetary value and in return gain a social experience. For the monthly or annual fee Liz provides a stress free working environment along with coffee, snacks, indoor and outdoor amenities, and the opportunity to bounce ideas off a diverse group of workers. The community is guided by Liz’s stewardship and a number of protocols to follow by. The protocols for the community are that each member must respect space, privacy and confidentiality of each other’s work. Members cannot simply shut themselves off within the community, interaction must occur.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span class="Apple-style-span" >According to ATXEquation, in order for a community to exist there must be a particular mission at hand. For the sake of Link Coworking the mission is to work efficiently while interacting in an environment, away from home, where the people you work alongside are pleasant and communicable. A community must have leadership, in this sense Liz is the leader and sets the example for the whole community. Through her stewardship others learn how to interact within the community while also becoming leaders in and of them-selves.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" >In order for Link Coworking to happen effectively Liz and her employees (interns) must interview and asses prospect members. On top of this requirement the prospect member must work one day at the center in order to assess their behavior and see if they are a good fit within the community. If all seems well Liz will allow membership and the member will sign and agree to a contract explaining all the guidelines and rules. Liz here is working as what <a href="http://www.twitter.com/bijoy">Bijoy Goswami</a> would call a Relator in his book <u>The Human Fabric</u>. “Relators focus on everything about people—their mood, their “energy,” body language, tones and how they are feeling.” With Liz analyzing prospect members she is ensuring that this particular individual can connect with the other members of the community. In doing this there is assurance that cohesion will exist and a new member will not create disruption among the community. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" >Connectedness is essential in a community, and this is what distinguishes Liz’s business from her competitors. By not allowing groups larger than two to join, she ensures no one “takes over the office” and that everyone interacts on an equal level. However, she is currently experimenting with a small business of three people who are trying out her service. Her rules have been iterated clearly to these new members and if all works well then she can consider opening to door various other groups consisting of more than two. However, this is a rare exception and she does not want to open to gates to groups of people who will use her amenities without contributing to the environment; or bringing negativity to the environment by having no interaction with others outside their work group. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" >The people she is attracting to her community are in the age range from thirties to forties, working out of home and are family orientated people. The idea is that people working at home have constant interaction with their family while working which causes two things. First, it is a distraction while working and is hard to separate home from work. The second is that when these professionals return home there is good balance between work and life. The spouse and children are excited to see them when they return home as opposed to no excitement when they stay at home all day. Her tough 9-6 hours are purposefully emplaced for this specific reason. She is encouraging a good balance between work and home so that people do not simply post up in her establishment all day and night while disregarding their family obligations. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" >Liz is also taking her community building outside of “Link Coworking” and is engaging with the entire co-working realm. In a national sense she and others are beginning a co-working association so that they can build collaboration among all of the co-working establishments within America. On an International level Liz has attended a conference in Berlin in order to learn the differences between European co-working and American and hopefully bring the two continents closer in co-working procedures. The goal is to build a cohesive community that can interact and learn from each other’s experience. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:200%"><span style="line-height: 200%; "><span class="Apple-style-span" >Overall, Liz Elam believes that community is the glue that holds everything together. It is what she believes in and is what sets her apart from her competitors. By bringing like-minded people under the same roof who share a common goal, Liz has been able to establish something special and meaningful for her members. The people who are apart of Link Coworking have become a family; missing one another when one is gone, knowing each other past their formal work experience, and care enough to help each other with their work. Liz has built her business model around creating community and is fulfilling a long time dream of hers while enabling the long time dreams of others. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" ><a name="_GoBack"></a><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>Heather McKissickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11507092408434429583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3712681487079617055.post-2309244409098210892011-11-10T09:26:00.005-06:002011-11-10T09:34:03.057-06:00Musings on Good Community<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span class="Apple-style-span" >... excerpted from a class blog post by ATXEquation student <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/CatBurr1">Cat Burr</a> ...</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span style="text-indent: 48px; ">In class we've been gaining some insight into the dynamics of a good community. Community is a collection of people who are gathered together by a common topic or area of interest. A great community is very action oriented and its members are all connected to each other. The members don’t just</span><span style="text-indent: 48px; "> </span><i style="text-indent: 48px; "><span>know</span></i><span style="text-indent: 48px; "> </span><span style="text-indent: 48px; ">each other, but they are all deeply tied. Each community has its own personality. We're also learning that great communities don't just happen – it must be organized in a way that creates and communicates certain standards and protocols. Many communities operate on social capital.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span class="Apple-style-span" >Market exchange is about de-personalization, while community and social exchange can be very personal. For example, a guest will generally bring a bottle of wine to a party as a way to contribute and say thank you to the host. This is a much more common and accepted tradition than, say, taking $20 dollars out of your pocket and handing it to the host. That's the difference between social exchange and market exchange, and it's this kind of distinction that separates a loose, disconnected community from a great community.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; "><span class="Apple-style-span" >More to come on how communities form and connect to create scenes ...</span></p>Heather McKissickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11507092408434429583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3712681487079617055.post-38871140014567369072011-10-09T12:47:00.003-05:002011-10-09T12:51:23.921-05:00Cold Beer, Hot Movies, and Delicious Snacks<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">As told by ATXEquation student <a href="http://www.twitter.com/goericflores">Eric Flores </a></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Two hours at the <a href="http://www.drafthouse.com/">Alamo Drafthouse</a> and you’ve got all you need: a tasty dinner, a round of drinks, a box office movie, and an evening well spent. But it’s more than that—way more. Recently, members of my ATXequation class at <a href="http://www.stedwards.edu/">St. Edward's University</a> and I had the opportunity to take a behind-the-scenes tour of their newest theater, the Ritz. There we meet with chief creative officer, <a href="http://www.twitter.com/henrimazza">Henri Mazza</a>, who fancied name-dropping and sharing tales of memorable Drafthouse events. Besides making me completely hate my day job, Henri gave us an in-depth look at my favorite theater.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Over the past decade, the Alamo has grown tremendously. But what caused this growth? Most would venture to say that starting a theater could be dangerous territory with theater giants, Cinemark and Carmike practically monopolizing the market. Originally a second-run movie theater in Austin’s warehouse district, founders Tim and Karrie League were not afraid. They knew they, along with many others, loved movies but disliked all the negative things that could come with it—all the bullshit. Crying babies, talking, annoying advertisements, etc. So to distinguish themselves from the rest was to pay particular attention to this thing we like to call “the experience”. <span> </span>From an all day Lord of the Rings food and film pairing, to disco dancing Justin Timberlake sing-along’s, to Austin’s favorite movie mocking maestros, Master Pancake, the Drafthouse spares no expense at creating engaging events.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Because of their dedication to making the viewers experience as enjoyable as possible, its no wonder they were dubbed “#1 theater in America” (Entertainment Weekly) and “the nations #1 moviegoer destination” by Fandango. They are undoubtedly #1 in Austin’s book. Critics and cinephile’s alike will agree, The Alamo Drafthouse is one of the most innovative exhibitors in the country, and people love them for it. </p>Heather McKissickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11507092408434429583noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3712681487079617055.post-11083155001011938492011-09-27T19:21:00.007-05:002011-09-27T19:29:21.837-05:00“Locate, Engage, Wow!”<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span><o:p>-- As told by ATXEquation student </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><a href="http://twitter.com/amarettosmiles">Amarette Edmonson</a> -- </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span>“An experience occurs when [an organization] intentionally uses services as the stage, and goods as the props, to engage individual customers in a way that creates a memorable event.” – <a href="http://www.strategichorizons.com/strategicHorizons.html">Pine and Gilmore</a>. Recently in class, we spent the evening talking about experiences and what comprises an experience. We began class by looking at how parents prepare for a birthday party as an analogy of experiences. There are four important things that compose an experience design: commodities, goods, services and an experience. Goods are composed of commodities, services are delivered using goods, and experiences include various services. In relation to the birthday party experience, Chuck-E-Cheese allows the parent to relax and enjoy the whole experience because it stages the experience. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span>There is a whole business of experience design and how to create an experience that can be compared to a film production. The organization is the producer/designer of the experience; the audience is the customer; and the actor is the employee. In order to create a memorable experience, its important to understand the needs and wants of the audience or as <a href="http://www.twitter.com/outandabout">Michael Barnes</a> stated, “align goals” with your audience and “attune personality” with your goods or services. <span> </span>An experience designer has to be able to slide up and down the scale of commodities, goods, services, and experiences depending on the level of participation and engagement of the particular audience. For example, a movie buff might be more interested in the experience of watching a movie in a theater with surround sound and a huge screen, whereas another person might be interested in simply renting the video from Redbox or something like that. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span><span class="Apple-style-span">According to the ATXEquation model for experience, there are three parts of creating a good experience:<a href="http://www.slideshare.net/bijoyg/bootstrap-experience-alamo-drafthouse-7-23-2009"> locate, engage and wow</a>. Locate happens before the experience and its important to find your audience where they’re at and help them navigate the experience. <span> </span>During the experience, it’s important to engage the audience. For example, make them work, make it meaningful, personalize when possible, and gather key data. After the experience, it’s important to wow your audience by customizing the outcome, give a take-away, and by adding some element of surprise and delight factor.<span> </span>All of these elements are an important part of the experience. In Austin, <a href="http://www.amysicecreams.com/">Amy’s Ice Creams</a> has done a good job of utilizing all three of these elements in their stores.<span> </span>There are so many examples of this model in all kinds of experiences, large and small. Since learning about these elements, I’ve been noticing them when visiting different places in Austin. What are your favorite Austin Experiences?</span><span class="Apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-latin"><span> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>Heather McKissickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11507092408434429583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3712681487079617055.post-50705798391911717762011-09-22T12:33:00.012-05:002011-09-22T12:55:40.154-05:00ATXEquation Course: How to Pitch a Scene<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span >- As told by ATXEquation student <a href="http://www.twitter.com/ericajaded">Erica Tillson </a>- </span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); " ><span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span><br /></span></span></div>Recently the ATXEquation class at <a href="http://www.stedwards.edu/">St. Edwards University</a> had an opportunity to learn from a highly experienced professional with an excellent reputation. Austin socialite, blogger, and writer for the </span><span><span><i><a href="http://www.statesman.com/">Austin American Statesman</a>,</i></span><span> <a href="http://www.twitter.com/outandabout">Michael Barnes</a>, joined us as a guest speaker.</span></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; "> </p><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; ">Taught by collaborators and ATXEquation co-founders <a href="http://www.twitter.com/heathermck">Heather McKissick</a> and <a href="http://www.bijoygoswami.com/">Bijoy Goswami</a>, the Austin Equation aims at exploring what makes Austin uniquely Austin. Through experience and journalism, the class dissects the various scenes in Austin including those selected by the student groups: nightlife, food, music and fashion. Barnes shared his extensive knowledge of Austin. He also shared some fundamental aspects of good media journalism with students that day.</div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; "><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; "> </p><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; "><span><span>I think it's safe to say there aren’t many people that wouldn’t want Michael’s job. </span></span><em><span>Michael Barnes</span></em><span> is the </span><em><span>Austin</span></em><span> American-</span><em><span>Statesman'<wbr>s</span></em><span> social columnist. <span> </span></span><span><span>Michael is an ‘experiencer’ of events and scenes. Michael’s <span class="il" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgb(34, 160, 211); color: rgb(206, 226, 234); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">blog</span>,<a href="http://www.austin360.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/outandabout/index.html">‘Out and About’ </a>depicts Austin’s uniqueness and fabulous experiential capacity as seen from his point of view. </span></span><span><span><span>Two out of 3 people in Central Texas read the </span><span><i>Austin American Statesman</i></span><span>. <a href="http://www.twitter.com/outandabout">@outandabout</a> </span></span></span><span><span>currently has almost 6,000 followers on Twitter.</span></span></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; "><span><span><br /></span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; "> </p><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; ">This savvy entertainment journalist didn’t get to the top with out a few ground rules—which he was quick to share with students. “Remember only four words” Michael said about media journalism and pitching the Austin Experience: “Align goals. Attune personalities.” What is most important, it seems, is aligning goals with your audience and attuning with their personality - especially when it comes to media relations.<br /></div><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; "><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; "> </p><div style="margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-left: 0in; ">Some students agreed there is no better way to learn than getting hands-on experience from a teacher after a lecture. Barnes shared more insights as a journalist covering people, places, and scenes. He added that a journalist must constantly ask him/herself certain things and be self-critical of the work. After reminding us that a good journalist must ask "What are the communities in the scene?" Barnes surprised us during class by announcing we would be inviting him to the scenes of our choice via Twitter, email, by phone and in person. What followed was a fun, interactive workshop that was beneficial to all the students in "pitching" our selected scenes.</div></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br /></span></div>Personally, I had a wonderful experience during Barnes lecture and workshop, and practicing my scene-marketing skills on the Yoda of the Austin Experience only made me a more skilled communicator.</span></span></div>Heather McKissickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11507092408434429583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3712681487079617055.post-60597998657177642892011-09-21T18:11:00.004-05:002011-09-21T18:18:25.259-05:00Energy Scene expands outreach<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">Several leaders in various Green Energy communities have been working with various members of the Austin clean tech community, under the guidance of ATXEquation to </span><span class="Apple-style-span">steward our own "Energy Scene".</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; ">The ultimate goal is to convene community participants together to </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">communicate, share ideas, share calendars, and further develop and nurture </span><span class="Apple-style-span">the "Energy Scene". This will ultimately help organize and facilitate a </span><span class="Apple-style-span">stronger sense of coordination, cohesiveness and collaboration amongst the </span><span class="Apple-style-span">different people, groups, and companies within Austin.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">Our first step was to map out all of the people, companies, groups, and </span><span class="Apple-style-span">resources in Austin relating to energy. In June, we opened the first </span><span class="Apple-style-span">draft of the "Energy Scene" map to the public. In total, 39 people </span><span class="Apple-style-span">requested access to edit and view the map and 16 made changes.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">Now, we will personally sit down with key stakeholders that expressed </span><span class="Apple-style-span">interest in the first round of edits.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">With this stakeholder feedback, we will begin to identify next steps and </span><span class="Apple-style-span">outline an implementation plan that will move us toward a more organized </span><span class="Apple-style-span">and navigable clean energy community in Austin, benefiting all parties </span><span class="Apple-style-span">involved and stewarding the future of Austin's clean energy economy.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span">As we continue to progress, we will keep you and the community informed.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">Please contact any of us (emails below) if you have any further questions, </span><span class="Apple-style-span">or would like to provide input.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span">We look forward to your continued participation, support, and interest.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span">Best,</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; ">Chad Blevins (</span><span style="color: black; "><a href="mailto:cnblevins@mail.utexas.edu">cnblevins@mail.utexas.edu</a></span><span style="color: black; ">) - <span class="apple-style-span">Jackson School Energy Resources Group, President</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; ">Audrey Thompson (</span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; "><a href="mailto:audreythomp@gmail.com">audreythomp@gmail.com</a></span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; ">) - Solar Austin, President</span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; "> </span></span><span class="apple-style-span"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; ">Stephen Garten (</span><span style="color: black; "><a href="mailto:sgarten@ati.utexas.edu">sgarten@ati.utexas.edu</a></span><span style="color: black; ">) - Austin Technology Incubator, Senior Associate</span><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; ">John King (</span><span style="color: black; "><a href="mailto:john@focusedadvocacy.com">john@focusedadvocacy.com</a></span><span style="color: black; ">) - Focused Advocacy, Senior Associate</span><span style="color: black; "><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; ">Jeffrey Sabins (</span><span style="color: black; "><a href="mailto:Jeff.Sabins@mba12.mccombs.utexas.edu">Jeff.Sabins@mba12.mccombs.utexas.edu</a></span><span style="color: black; ">) - McCombs Cleantech </span></span>Group, President</p>Heather McKissickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11507092408434429583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3712681487079617055.post-67776227360875451032011-09-08T13:34:00.002-05:002011-09-16T15:40:18.512-05:00The ATXEquation course has launched<div><div><div>Just a quick note to say how much fun it has been to launch the ATX Equation course at <a href="http://www.stedwards.edu">St. Edward's University</a> this Fall. We're thrilled to have a great group of 2 students with us exploring the model and helping us unpack and expand it. The semester is organized into three units (conveniently) - Experience, Community and Scene. Each unit contains some lecture, some reading, some personal blogging and a healthy dose of guest speakers and field trips to round out the "experience."</div><div> </div><div>We are excited and grateful for our friends and supporters who are helping us as it unfolds. Stay tuned here for guest posts from students and others who will be chronicling what we're learning together. You can check out the partial reading list <a href="http://www.amazon.com/lm/R1TIINCPM2OTEU/ref=cm_lm_pthnk_view?ie=UTF8&lm_bb=">here</a>. </div></div></div>Heather McKissickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11507092408434429583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3712681487079617055.post-68243524605066603042011-07-01T09:44:00.006-05:002011-07-01T10:20:14.728-05:00Open invitation for feedback on Austin Energy Scene Map<div><div>A number of citizens with interests in the Central Texas Energy Industry have been working with various members of the Austin clean tech community, under the guidance of ATXEquation, to organize and facilitate a stronger sense of synergy and collaboration amongst the different stakeholders within the Austin clean tech community - all in an effort to create an "Energy Scene".<br /><br />The team is currently reaching out for help and input from stakeholders all across Austin.<br /><br />The purpose of creating this 'Energy Scene' is to facilitate cross-community collaboration that breaks down barriers and enables communication, resource sharing and innovation. The ATXEquation teaches that when a scene truly becomes a scene, it is no longer perceived as (or perceives itself as) a collection of related communities, but as a nimble, decentralized collective with shared motives and goals.<br /><br />The creation of an Austin Energy Scene should benefit every individual and group within the community by providing greater direction in navigating the community, connecting the various organizations within the community, providing greater communication within the community, reducing overlap and repetition between different groups, and driving greater numbers to each organization's events and programs.<br /><br />Following the ATXEquation process, the first step in helping to steward the Austin Energy Scene is to "map" the scene. The team has created the foundation of this map with a Mindmeister account and invites all stakeholders to sign in and contribute to the map. Please add freely, but we ask that you not delete anything, rather comment on this blog, or via email, with your suggestions to remove an item.<br /><br />To access the mind map, please contact any of the following people to request that they send you a mindmeister invite:<br /><br />Chad Blevins - <a href="mailto:cnblevins@mail.utexas.edu">cnblevins@mail.utexas.edu</a><br />Stephen Garten - <a href="mailto:sgarten@ati.utexas.edu">sgarten@ati.utexas.edu</a><br />John King - <a href="mailto:john@focusedadvocacy.com">john@focusedadvocacy.com</a><br />Jeffrey Sabins - <a href="mailto:Jeff.Sabins@mba12.mccombs.utexas.edu">Jeff.Sabins@mba12.mccombs.utexas.edu</a></div><div><br />Again, we ask that you only add to the map and submit a comment via email with your suggestions for the removal of any entry.<br /><br />The team will keep this round of edits open until July 14, 2011. The next step will be to convene community participants together to communicate, share ideas, share calendars, and further develop and nurture Energy Scene relationships. The final step is to evangelize the Energy Scene, advocating its development both to itself and to the people and communities outside of the scene.<br /><br />Stay tuned on this blog and elsewhere for more information and progress!</div></div>Heather McKissickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11507092408434429583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3712681487079617055.post-85552316144643138832010-12-01T19:02:00.017-06:002010-12-01T19:44:27.611-06:00Next Scene Lab Meeting on 12/08<div style="width:100%; text-align:left;"><iframe src="http://www.eventbrite.com/tickets-external?eid=1091148655&ref=etckt" frameborder="0" height="192" width="100%" vspace="0" hspace="0" marginheight="5" marginwidth="5" scrolling="auto" allowtransparency="true"></iframe><div style="font-family:Helvetica, Arial; font-size:10px; padding:5px 0 5px; margin:2px; width:100%; text-align:left;"><a style="color:#ddd; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank" href="http://www.eventbrite.com/features?ref=etckt">Event registration</a><span style="color:#ddd;"> for </span><a style="color:#ddd; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank" href="http://scenelabdec2010.eventbrite.com/?ref=etckt">Austin Equation SceneLab</a><span style="color:#ddd;"> powered by </span><a style="color:#ddd; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank" href="http://www.eventbrite.com/?ref=etckt">Eventbrite</a></div></div><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size:13px;"></span><h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="margin-top: 0.25em; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 0px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.4em; color: rgb(204, 102, 0); font-size:18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Come join us for the next SceneLab on Wednesday, December 8th. We want to connect with you and hear how your scene stewardship, using the Austin Equation model, has been progressing.</span></span></span></h3><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">SceneLabs are the gathering point and discussion area for people actively engaged in, or wishing to be actively engaged in, mapping and stewarding Austin's vibrant creative scenes applying the Austin Equation model (Experience + Community = Scene).</span></span></div><div class="post-body entry-content" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.75em; margin-left: 0px; line-height: 1.6em; "><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); line-height: normal; font-family:Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"></span><p style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 8px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br /></span></p><p style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 8px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Agenda:</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><br />We will be speaking with </span></span><a href="http://twitter.com/cknicker"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Charles Knickerbocker</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> and </span></span><a href="http://twitter.com/jonl"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Jon Lebkowsky</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">, two people who have rich experience growing grassroots communities from scratch, locating stakeholders and encouraging participation. Specifically we will be talking with them about the "Community" part of the equation and the lessons they have learned.</span></span></p><p style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 8px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">As with previous SceneLabs, we will have the opportunity to discuss how and whether our emerging process of cultivating, documenting, and stewarding scenes "maps" onto their pragmatic experience of engaging individuals to form a community.</span></span></p><br /><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">5 - 5:15 Connect/meet/chat</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">5:15 - 6:20 Intros and “Keynote” segment and group-wide discussion</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">6:20 - 6:50 Scene steward status reports (mapping, convening, collaboration requests, etc.)</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">6:50 - 7:00 Housekeeping & next steps</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">7:00 Adjourn for follow-up social time at separate venue</span></li></ul><br /><p style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 8px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Potluck beverages: We'll have a few drinks available, but please feel free to bring your favorite beer/wine/other and share.</span></span></p><hr /><p style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 8px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Charles Knickerbocker has over 20 years of experience as a professional community organizer and political campaign staffer: campus strike leader in high school and college; Movement for Economic Justice; ACORN (at its beginning, when it was </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Association_of_Community_Organizations_for_Reform_Now"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Arkansas Community Organizations for Reform Now</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">); Consumers Congress; Industrial Areas Foundation; and city, state and national political campaigns.</span></span></p><p style="line-height: normal; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 8px; padding-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Jon Lebkowsky managed </span></span><a href="http://wireless-future.org/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">W</span></span></a><a href="http://wireless-future.org/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">ireless Future</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">, a year-long economic development project via the </span></span><a href="http://www.ic2.utexas.edu/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">IC2 Institute</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> at The University of Texas towards catalyzing the wireless business scene in Austin, bringing wireless companies and other stakeholders together and thereby actually creating a robust wireless scene. He was also an instigator with Rich MacKinnon of Austin Wireless City, a project to promote wifi in venues across Austin. Jon leveraged the synergies of the two projects in his scene-building activities. Currently, Jon is a web strategist, developer, and freelance project manager through </span></span><a href="http://polycotassociates.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Polycot Associates</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">, Chief Digital Officer for the events company </span></span><a href="http://plutopiaproductions.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Plutopia Productions</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">, and writes about culture and technology at his </span></span><a href="http://weblogsky.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">blog</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> and various other publications. More information in Jon's </span></span><a href="http://weblogsky.com/bio-jonlebkowsk/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">longer bio</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> and in the </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Lebkowsky"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';">Jon Lebkowsky article</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"> at Wikipedia.</span></span></p></span></div></div></span>Robert Matneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13098134685227773164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3712681487079617055.post-27821213793050204152010-11-21T17:47:00.002-06:002010-11-21T18:14:24.940-06:00September 28th SceneLab RecapAt our September SceneLab, we visited with Blake Shanley of <a href="http://www.eastvillageaustin.com/architecture.php">The East Village</a>, and Shea Little of the <a href="http://www.eastaustinstudiotour.com">East Austin Studio Tour</a> (EAST) to visit about how their rich experience in real world scene stewardship maps onto the Austin Equation model.<div><br /></div><div>Blake Shanley has been working to develop and galvanize the changing commercial and cultural scene that surrounds the East End Cultural Heritage District, and has been responsible for creating events such as East End Fourth Fridays, that have generated renewed interest and excitement around the East 11th Street district. Blake shared that early on she fell well in love with the history of the area, which is <a href="http://diversearts.microassistdemo.com/category/history-and-culture/culture-art-music">storied and rich</a>, and has its origins in segregation, and its glory in community and music.</div><div><br /></div><div>Shea Little saw a problem and built a solution. The East Side was populated with artists, but there was little that showcased their work to Austin. So he built EAST, now in its ninth year. Annually, this event creates a dynamic art show in studios that spans styles, media, and many square miles.</div><div><br /></div><div>During our conversation, we dug into how they defined and identified stakeholders and leaders in their scene, how they have convened those participants together online and off to generate collaboration, how they have evangelized their respective scenes to the broader Austin community, and their central challenges. The SceneLab was fortunate to have these two visit and share their expertise and experiences. </div>Robert Matneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13098134685227773164noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3712681487079617055.post-85475157955940631872010-11-10T22:07:00.008-06:002010-11-10T23:04:48.385-06:00The Proof is in the PuddingOver the past two years we have been slowly watching the model unfold – testing its validity against a wide variety of audiences and circumstances and allowing it to evolve as appropriate. But a shift has occurred that is noteworthy in the lifecycle of the project – a shift away from theory and into practice. At some point the timer on the cosmic oven buzzed, indicating the model was done. Because suddenly we’re receiving requests for active intervention and also watching the model in action. Three immediate examples come to mind - one non-profit, one corporate, and one municipal.<br /><br />The <a href="http://www.austincreativealliance.org/">Austin Creative Alliance </a>recently asked us to help operationalize their new charter by explicitly mapping and stewarding several targeted creative “scenes.” We’ll be helping to identify, train and guide multiple scene stewards who will undertake the ATXequation process of map/convene/evangelize/constitutionalize – in an attempt to help the various creative communities get the lay of their own land, as well as identify the gaps, leverage points and opportunities for greater collaboration. It’s an ambitious project that will both assist the Alliance and provide concrete case studies for the ATXequation over time. Large scale, city-wide application across multiple scenes – with dedicated resources and measurability. Sweet.<br /><br />After a recent presentation about the scene mapping process as a non-traditional method of community leadership, we were approached by a local high tech executive in attendance. She believes the model to be of potential value within her own enterprise. Her take is that the ATXequation concept of Experience + Community = Scene has applicability in an organizational development context. What if a business unit could use the model to examine it’s practices and evaluate the unique experiences that it does or does not create for it’s clients or customers? And what if the various departments could, much like given “communities,” map out the key individuals, events and organizations that help to sustain them – and then, you get it – aggregate those things in a way that gets people out of their silo mentality so they can see and take action on the themes across the set? That the model has business application as well as at large is especially appealing to us. Why didn't we think of that??<br /><br />And at a city administration level, Austin’s new and first-ever <a href="http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/news/2010/cso_2010.htm">Chief Sustainability Officer Lucia Athens</a> was recently welcomed into her role at a City Hall reception hosted in part by Sustainability Scene-mapper Brandi Clark. In a brilliant stroke of convene/evangelize, Brandi used her <a href="http://austineconetwork.com/content/filling-austins-sustainability-scene-map">Sustainability scene map </a>as a center point for conversation at the reception – inviting attendees to not only view but contribute to the map itself right there on site. It was a perfect application of the mapping process and exercise – utilizing the map as icebreaker, orientation device and tool for advancing the collaborative good of the scene as a whole.<br /><br />These three highly varied examples of applicability are exciting to us, and combined with the wild success of the Entrepreneurship scene that Bijoy is so steadily stewarding, offer significant opportunity for immediate challenge, research and most importantly at this stage – tangible results. The model’s baked. Time to serve it up and see if those who partake come back for more. Keep your fingers crossed. And we’ll keep you posted.Heather McKissickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11507092408434429583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3712681487079617055.post-73859973445084213982010-10-12T00:37:00.003-05:002010-10-12T00:43:42.417-05:00Evangelizing the Entrepreneur SceneI've been sharing the <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/bijoyg/austin-entrepreneur-scene">Austin Entrepreneur Scene</a> around town and will be doing so again at public events in November:<br /><br />1. <a href="http://tinyurl.com/2dparq2">WILCO Entrepreneur Community</a> (11/11)<br />2. <a href="http://www.mbcaustin.org/schedule.php">Metropolitan Breakfast Club</a>: (11/17)<br /><br />I will also sharing the scene in other forums:<br /><br />1. <a href="http://www.leadershipaustin.org/programs/experience">Leadership Austin Experience </a>(11/9)<br />2. <a href="http://www.austinblackmba.org">National Black MBA Conference</a> (11/12)<br /><br />A couple of key insights have emerged from the process:<br /><ol><li>Every scene needs a story/narrative in order to evangelize it effectively </li><li>The narrative emerges from <a href="http://www.atxequation.com/2010/07/how-to-make-scene.html">mapping and convening</a> the scene!<br /></li></ol>The #ATXentScene continues to serve as a fantastic testing ground for scene stewardship. We'll have more to report by the end of the year!Bijoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15442882007675771070noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3712681487079617055.post-52118132545075810372010-09-22T17:53:00.004-05:002010-09-22T19:27:00.788-05:00Next Scene Lab Meeting on 9/28The next Scene Lab Meeting is this Tuesday, 5-7pm at <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&safe=off&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=leadership+austin,+austin,+tx&fb=1&gl=us&hq=leadership+austin,&hnear=Austin,+TX&cid=0,0,6254624880933392947&ei=FomaTNevLsGAlAf1i-nnBw&sa=X&oi=local_result&ct=image&resnum=2&ved=0CBwQnwIwAQ">Leadership Austin</a>. <div><br /></div><div>We will hear from <a href="http://www.austin360.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/outandabout/entries/2010/09/18/on_june_25_the.html">Blake Shanley</a> and <a href="http://www.schliefkevision.com/Interviews/little.htm">Shea Little</a>. Blake has stewarded the 11th St Scene in her role at the <a href="http://www.eastvillageaustin.com/">East Village</a>, while Shea has stewarded the Art Scene through <a href="http://www.eastaustinstudiotour.com/">East Austin Studio Tour</a> (EAST). </div>Bijoyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15442882007675771070noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3712681487079617055.post-92065845003312551202010-07-22T11:04:00.002-05:002010-07-22T11:17:42.963-05:00How To Make A Scene<p>Stewards of more than 15 different Austin scenes are actively engaged in the ATXequation. We thought we'd let you in on what they're doing and why ... and please consider this an open invitation to join in anytime.</p><p>The purpose of “making a scene” is to facilitate cross-community collaboration that breaks down barriers and enables communication, resource sharing and innovation. When a scene truly becomes a scene, it is no longer perceived as (or perceives itself as) a collection of related communities, but as a nimble, decentralized collective with shared motives and goals.<br /><br />The scene-making process is undertaken by “scene stewards” and their collaborators. Scene stewards are subject matter experts who have a desire to expand their awareness beyond their known communities and in so doing expand the awareness and capacity of others.<br /><br />So what is the role of the Scene Steward?<br /><br />To galvanize communities in loose affiliation with one another, in order to strengthen and create greater synergy and collaboration among them. </p><p>To coalesce the scene itself by elevating the perception of those involved from an individual or community mindset to the larger scene perspective/mentality. </p><p>To lead the process with the good of the whole in mind, keeping individual or business interests in the background. Personal gain will result from the process, but should not be the motivating force for engaging in the process. </p>Scene stewardship consists of methods and action to identify, describe, and develop a scene. Scene stewards loosely organize their activities in the following categories:<br /><br />• Mapping<br />• Convening<br />• Evangelizing<br /><br /><strong>Mapping</strong>: creating a visual representation of the scene, the organizations that make it up, influence it, the participants and stakeholders.<br /><br />Consciously identify the known players and communities occupying the same “space.”<br /><br />Seek out the history of the scene, to inform the current scenario.<br /><br />Map the known entities and players as documentation of the collection and connections.<br /><br />Use the ATXequation protocols and tools for mapping and data gathering to ensure consistency with others maps. <a href="http://www.twitter.com/atxequation">Contact us </a>for instructions and access.<br /><br /><strong>Convening</strong>: calling scene participants together to communicate, nurture relationships. An event of cross pollination and relationship building.<br /><br />Share the map with all stakeholders in one form or another. It is preferable to convene people as a group, or have small group discussions. Explain the overarching ATXequation initiative, and how mapping the scenes is an attempt to strengthen Austin by identifying opportunities to collaborate and synergize, and shifting our mentality to the “scene” perspective.<br /><br />Identify gaps. Get feedback on what is missing and where the connections could or should be. Re-map based on feedback.<br /><br />Get others engaged in the mapping discussion, and more. Decentralize when you are comfortable giving other people edit rights to the map. Allow it to grow and expand.<br /><br />Stay connected with your stakeholders. Update them when the map gets updated. Invite them to periodically check in.<br /><br /><strong>Evangelizing</strong>: Advocating the scene and its developments both to itself and to people and communities outside of the scene.<br /><br />Scene stewards have the unique opportunity and challenge of “leading” this decentralized effort. A few thoughts on how to successfully take on that role:<br /><br />As mentioned before, lead the process with the good of the whole in mind, keeping individual or business interests in the background. Personal gain will result from the process, but should not be the motivating force for engaging in the process. Decisions should be made by and on behalf of the scene itself, representing all constituents.<br /><br /> Keep a spirit of curiosity about the process. It is not a prescriptive process, but one of true innovation. Loosely guide and let the process emerge as you go. Use your intuition about when to intervene, and be prepared to “let go” a little more than you would in other endeavors.<br /><br />Keep in mind this process may be foreign to some, even to yourself, as many of us are accustomed to a more centralized or “command and control” approach. Be prepared for pushback, factions, dropouts and informal fans and leaders to naturally emerge. Information about the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuckman%27s_stages_of_group_development">stages of group development </a>may help at this stage.<br /><br /> To help with information exchange, use <a href="http://www.atxequation.com/">http://www.atxequation.com/</a> as a central repository for blog-posts, links to articles, maps, etc. Mention @atxequation in your twitter feed or #atxequation when you are at an event that inspires you.<br /><br /> Create a loose system of communication with your stakeholders such as a google or yahoo group. Keep them posted on your efforts. Ask their suggestions and ideas, even if you don’t feel you need them. Always err on the side of inclusion.<br /><br /> Encourage others to document the results of your efforts, and keep your own documentation.<br />The proof in the pudding is the actual collaborations, new connections, innovations, friends and products that result from scene mapping and discovery.<br /><br /> Participate in the Scene Lab, online discussion and other events made available by the initiative overall. Scene Lab meetings and updates are communicated via <a href="http://www.twitter.com/atxequation">twitter </a>and the <a href="http://www.atxequation.com/">blog</a>.<br /><br /> Stay in touch with other scene stewards, within and outside of the framework provided by the initiative overall. The true power is in the connection between the scenes, which is the next evolution of this work.<br /><br /> Have fun and give us feedback! This whole thing is a work in progress. We’re eager to hear about your adventures in the equation.Heather McKissickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11507092408434429583noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3712681487079617055.post-13258271436037056862010-06-25T22:08:00.002-05:002010-06-25T22:41:25.064-05:00Converting Experience Into ExpertiseAs our Austin Equation community continues to pioneer the process for Scene Mapping and Stewarding, the Scene Lab meetings are being used to share lessons-learned to convert our experiences into expertise. <div><br /></div><div>In the June 14th <a href="http://www.atxequation.com/2010/02/atxequation-plans-for-2010.html">Scene Lab</a>, we applied a variation of a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fishbowl_(conversation)">fishbowl conversation</a> to excavate experiences, knowledge and lessons from <a href="https://twitter.com/brandi_clark">Brandi Clark Burton</a> (Sustainability Scene Steward) and <a href="https://twitter.com/bijoy">Bijoy Goswami</a> (Entrepreneurship Scene Steward). In this format, a set of open-ended questions were posed to both, with the rest of the attending stewards and community members seated around them, and engaging in structured and broad dialog. </div><div><br /></div><div>We discussed how each: </div><div><ul><li>initially mapped their scene</li><li>collected feedback and critiques of their mapping work</li><li>convened discussion groups of scene participants</li><li>evangelizes for the mapping process and their scene</li><li>poses their 'elevator pitch' about their scene and the stewardship work</li><li>articulates their challenges and next steps</li></ul><div>... and the discussion was unsurprisingly rich and enlightening. We've captured the conversation in notes and video and are distilling the shared lessons into collaborative documentation, which we will be sharing here and in the Google Group.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>Coming soon:</div><div><ul><li>Date for next Scene Lab</li><li>Google Group-shared documentation on suggested and required Scene Map data for mappers to collect</li><li>Google Group-shared documentation about talking points/elevator pitches distilled from Scene Lab discussions for getting started mapping your scene</li><li>Tweaks to this site to increase usability and clarity</li></ul><div>As always, please send Robert Matney your queries, ideas, and feedback on the Scene Lab (rmatney AT g mail).</div></div>Robert Matneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13098134685227773164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3712681487079617055.post-51516239254124324652010-04-01T19:27:00.004-05:002010-04-01T19:53:48.413-05:00The Evangelist TestThe best indication that a message is on target is when others articulate it better than you do! This has been happening a lot in the first 3 months of 2010 for the Equation.<br /><br />In January, Bijoy gave a talk at <a href="http://www.igniteaustin.org">Ignite Austin</a> and GigaOm's Stacey Higginbotham posted a wonderful <a href="http://gigaom.com/2010/01/15/can-austin-ignite-the-fire-of-entrepreneurship/">blogpost </a>of the Equation highlighting the stewardship of Austin's Entrepreneur Scene.<br /><br />In March, when Heather and Bijoy facilitated a SXSW Core Converation on "Austin, the Killer App," the participants (half visitors to Austin) beautifully articulated the equation with little guidance from us. Blogger <a href="http://www.connectioncafe.com/authors/joey-martin.html">Joey Martin </a>captured the equation and <a href="http://www.connectioncafe.com/posts/2010/march/causelikeaustin.html">applied it to the nonprofit world</a>.<br /><br />Brandi Clark, wrote in the <a href="http://www.austineconetwork.com/">Austin EcoNetwork</a>'s March newsletter about the importance of mapping the various scenes, including, of course, her <a href="http://austineconetwork.us1.list-manage.com/track/click?u=cb71eb97292fb88df4f3fa1fc&id=c47b28e4e2&e=bf6c42bf53">Sustainability Scene Map</a>.<br /><br />And most recently, <a href="http://curiouscapitalist.blogs.time.com/bio/">Barbara Kiviat</a> of TIME wrote a <a href="http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1973135-1,00.html">cover story</a> on Austin's unique ability to weather the economic downturn. While not explicitly stated, she perfectly described our high-functioning set of scenes, particularly Entrepreneurship. (with a mention of Bootstrap Austin on page 3!)<br /><br />We'll keep looking out for awesome articulations of the Equation - and encourage you to answer the question: what is the Austin Equation to you? (And let us know so we can highlight it!)Bijoy Goswamihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03363166623393411669noreply@blogger.com0