6 Themes We Noticed at SXSW 2019

Should you (like us) had been studying, listening, and collaborating at SXSW this yr, you already know there was lots to glean from each particular person second, speak, and interplay. However, by way of all of the noise (and we imply that in a great way due to all the fantastic showcases!) a number of frequent themes stood out to us and actually resonated. From collaborative classes, skilled panels, inventive keynotes, and even podcasts at SXSW this yr, we realized A TON and depart Austin extra impressed than ever to stay a inventive life.

1. Attempt New Issues

Creators at SXSW had been poised to push boundaries, depart their consolation zones, and check out new issues as we witnessed when Sunny Megatron and Ken Melvoin-Berg of American Intercourse podcast joined Ashley Manta of CannaSexual to take their podcast stay for the primary time. The group held an informative and entertaining dialog whereas taking an unconventional and humorous take a look at sexual expression — all in entrance of an engaged viewers (take a look at our Tweet stream, right here). The end result? The group liked it!

Resident consultants on making an attempt something, The Attempt Guys shared their views at their Home of Creativity panel, noting that “making an attempt issues makes you a greater particular person.” That was Monday. On Tuesday? They tried (and nailed!) their first ever podcast taped in entrance of a stay viewers.

We additionally had synth-pop musician, Zola Jesus, take the stage throughout our Monday evening showcase, sharing a brand new, stripped-down set that even featured a canopy of Beyonce’s Halo, a lot to the group’s delight. Zola Jesus had fun, too…

Embedded content material: https://twitter.com/ZOLAJESUS/standing/1105346691660726272

Not satisfied? Should you want extra cause to attempt one thing new, take a cue from artist, musician, and creator Amanda Palmer, who shared how selecting up the ukelele helped her turn into a greater musician.

“Choose up an instrument you’re not good at and make it your second instrument. Make it your songwriting instrument. I’m so unhealthy on the ukulele but it surely unlocked a brand new degree of songwriting – as I’m unhealthy at it, it allowed to make errors.” — Amanda Palmer

Learn the entire thread from Amanda Palmer’s dialog with Ben Folds and Patreon CEO and co-founder, Jack Conte right here.

2. Get to Know Your Viewers

With regards to creating, it’s necessary to know who you’re creating for, why they love what you create, and what makes them tick. That’s why so many SXSW audio system had been targeted on attending to know their viewers on a deeper degree.

For instance, when Grace Helbig and Mamrie Hart, took the stage for a stay taping of their podcast “This Would possibly Get Bizarre,” issues did certainly get bizarre once they realized one in every of their followers needed a photograph of Grace’s toes. Fortunately, an viewers member volunteered to share his toes as a substitute, and everybody current felt concerned within the motion. Inviting your followers in builds connection and fosters neighborhood, which might solely assist bolster your inventive enterprise.

However this tip isn’t nearly toes pics (#Feeties? Forgive us.), as we additionally realized that viewers suggestions can rework the way in which artists and creators create. As an example, Ashley Manta of the Cannasexual, carried out Fb polls to decide on the title of her challenge. She needed one thing that mixed intercourse schooling with hashish, and this proved hottest together with her followers. Not solely did this save brainstorming hours, however this straightforward act let Ashley’s viewers really feel in on the expertise from the very starting.

Hayley Rosenblum, digital music strategist and head of Amanda Palmer’s social and neighborhood crew, gave quite a lot of tips about the significance of attending to know your viewers throughout a session with Patreon’s Head of Merch and Product, Camille Hearst. Hayley is continually taking a look at knowledge, studying social media posts, and digging deep into what followers are searching for and what they care about. As additionally they mentioned within the session, it’s a must to take into consideration what you already know to be true about your viewers. What do they like, what do they get from you? Then ask, “what can I provide that’s attractive to my viewers?” The trick is to analysis, ask, and take into consideration your objectives, after which? Attempt new issues.

Figuring out your viewers can rework the way in which you arrange every thing, from the content material you create to the tiers and advantages you arrange by way of Patreon. Alexis Homosexual, Patreon’s Creator Partnerships Lead put this nicely when she instructed attendees at her workshop to ask, “why do folks interact together with your content material? What retains your viewers coming again week after week? What’s on model for you?” Figuring out your viewers is crucial to your success, each on and off Patreon.

3. Belief Your self

As our CEO, Jack Conte shared (throughout his standing-ovation-inducing) speak on The Enterprise of Creating, ”Life is a unending trash fireplace and artwork makes all of it price it. Artwork is the very best a part of residing – it provides life that means.”

So sure, we all know that as a creator you’ve witnessed that to be true, however once you’re strolling the road between intestine intuition and pure knowledge it might tremendous tough to only ‘belief your self,’ however we’ve heard first hand from creators that it’s attainable. Embracing change — shifting in a unique path — might be scary, however your actual followers will come alongside for the trip.

In a chat targeted on the thought of Talking “Your Reality” vs. “The Reality,” creator Tanya Depass, of I Want Numerous Video games, and different panelists mentioned the cultural shift between “talking your fact” and “uncovering absolutely the fact” and the authenticity behind figuring out the distinction.

That capability to belief your self additionally reigned supreme throughout the aforementioned American Intercourse Podcast session, when Ashely Manta talked in regards to the significance of preserving a journal of what works for you and getting clear on what you need. Readability and belief.

Say it with us: readability and belief.

One other nice takeaway we witnessed was throughout the Propelling the Subsequent Gen of Artistic Entrepreneurs Panel as Dayna Johnson who shared her ideas on fact, stating “Simply because one thing is trending doesn’t imply it’s best for you.” You don’t should be every thing for everybody. You want to be your self for your self, and the appropriate folks will discover you.

4. Embracing neighborhood and rising “good”

Inside your sea of followers, you’ve received tremendous followers. Tremendous followers are magic. It doesn’t matter what you make, they’re listening, watching, and fortunately alongside for the trip. How do you join with them?

Right here at Patreon, we’re all about constructing, embracing, and being a part of dynamic communities, and so are the creators we met at SXSW. Mainly, we’re agency believers that you simply’ve received to seek out your folks and community with them as a result of, nicely, life’s fairly lonely with out them. As Gloria Kellett shared, “We are sometimes remoted as creators. The extra we are able to construct communities round us and maintain ourselves accountable with different creators by doing nourishing and inventive issues, it should make the entire thing much less lonely.”

Constructing a neighborhood doesn’t imply it’s a must to be in all places — the appropriate method is rising the place you’re planted and constructing your community there. And, as soon as you discover your neighborhood, give them real worth by utilizing your platform for good.

At a panel on designing emotional experiences, we heard lots a few want to make folks really feel human once more. On this gentle, “doing good” is about accessing, experiencing, or acknowledging our feelings with out the interference of a digital display screen. Rebecca Throne who does Ticket Operations for Burning Man spoke in regards to the alternative to shake folks up sufficient from their on a regular basis experiences so that they query their common experiences. In a means, that’s a pressure for good, so we don’t turn into complacent with how we’re shifting by way of the world at this time. Hannah Hart of Hannahlyze This, talked in regards to the significance of destigmatizing conversations round psychological well being.

5. What you’re doing has worth

As Hayley Rosenblum additionally shared in her session famous above,

“Your followers are completely happy to offer you cash. Let’s pause and keep in mind that.” — Hayley Rosenblum

Hayley continued, “you’re giving them worth and so they’ve providing you with worth. You’re providing worth within the artwork you make. However make it good artwork. Make it one thing you’re pleased with and proud to share. Your price ticket ought to mirror what it took to create and that can help you create extra.”

We all know that creators usually really feel like they love what they’re doing a lot that they’ll simply create it without spending a dime, or that for some cause folks received’t need to pay for what they’re providing. We’re right here to let you know that you simply’re price it, and so are the audio system we hung out with at SXSW. Whenever you create one thing nice, keep in mind why it has worth, as a result of as Amanda Palmer shared, “I simply made a file I actually standby and I’ve received the self-worth demons of doom sitting on each shoulders. My self-worth is extra outlined by the precise human beings within the room capturing the music than the designated gatekeepers.”

6. Your Voice Issues

Some of the necessary themes from SXSW was giving the proverbial microphone to numerous voices. As Emily Ladau shared in a session on The Incapacity Story, ”Too usually our story is instructed by able-bodied folks and we’re right here to take again our story. And that theme comes into play fairly often when the tales shaping the way in which we view folks, aren’t instructed by these we’re viewing.” Your story deserves to be within the dialog.

We additionally noticed the significance of numerous views and voices throughout a session on cognitive bias known as, How You Can Struggle Bias with Content material Technique, the place we realized that it isn’t all the time simple, however consciousness of and the need to work on our innate biases can rework the way in which we create. Being extra conscious provides us the chance to make inclusive content material that reaches and resonates with our total viewers.

Whereas many classes and audio system targeted on the higher affect of a number of voices, legitimate technical factors had been raised throughout panels on podcasting. Through the “So, You Assume You Can Podcast” panel we realized that though it could appear tremendous easy, one of many causes folks will flip off your podcast and discover one other one is that they’ll’t hear you or what you’re saying clearly. In fact, you must keep true to who you might be and by no means trash your distinct voice, however annunciate, decelerate, and ensure your listeners obtain your message.

Now what?

The educational doesn’t cease simply because SXSW does. We’ve received ample Patreon Workshops that continually cowl subjects that affect creators:

• Instruments for podcasters and musicians
• The right way to speak about membership
• Membership greatest practices for 18+ creators
• Instruments for video creators
• Advantages greatest practices
• “Promoting is loving: The right way to achieve new patrons by way of love” with Writer Ksenia Anske
• Instruments for Authors and Illustrators
• “The right way to not waste your cash on Fb/Instagram adverts” with Suzanne Yada

Additionally, take a look at Patreon U, the place you may entry all the information, methods, and instruments you must get began on Patreon. In search of what you might need missed in our SXSW protection? You possibly can view every thing, from our Home of Creativity recaps to particular put up on classes we knew you’d love, right here.

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