Sunday, May 12, 2013

Going Social

Flying High in the #YYJ
View through Fairfield to the Olympic Range, WA
G. Cornwall, c. 2011

Going Social

During the past week, I attended Social Media Camp in beautiful Victoria, BC. It was two and a half days of intense learning and interaction with friends and colleagues on the topic of social media.

This was my second year in attendance and a significantly different experience than that of my first year in which I only knew 2 or 3 people at the camp and I was very new to Twitter. As a result, during my first year, I spent a good portion of the conference on my own, with mild anxiety and shades of elementary school isolation as I sat outside, eating my bag lunch alone in a crowd, hoping the cool kids would talk to me. 

Over the past year, I made efforts to increase meaningful conversations with my local (and distant) Twitter community. I set up and went to coffee 'tweet-ups' with folks I hadn't yet met in person, helped with some fundraising efforts and and community events, attended local chamber of commerce and public relations mixers and reached out where and when I could, sharing content from my blog and interacting with others based on their online content. 

This year at Social Media Camp, while I was there as a representative of my workplace, I also had the opportunity to meet many people IRL (in real life) with whom I've had a long Twitter association. Additionally, it was an opportunity to introduce myself to new people with whom I can now continue to interact online. 

Before attending this year, I made a promise to myself to find 3 people at camp on the first day who were standing alone and looking lost, engage in conversation, welcome them and introduce them to others. Two of the folks were new to camp and one turned out to be a session speaker! I was happy to help the new folks have a more engaged experience and share with others. I don't like to think of anyone having lunch alone unless that is what they want!

I met many incredible people with great big hearts and minds this year and I am grateful for the opportunity to share experiences with all of you! The most common threads in sessions and conversations throughout the event resounded with human interaction:
  • meaningful conversations
  • shifting mindset between the one and the all
  • kindness as a starting place for all acts
  • attention economics - the consideration of others and room for them in your content
  • self-awareness and acceptance
  • gratitude
This year's camp has helped me to understand my social media 'maturity' level and to learn from my social media elders. It has taught me to listen and to ask. For the friendships and the lessons, I am eternally grateful to each person I meet along my path, each person who shares potential, choices and ideas, all who hold up mirrors when I lose sight of myself, all who hold up lamps to light the way and those who quietly allow me to make my mistakes and learn, holding out a helping hand when I slip and fall.

Thank you. I hope you will grace me with the gift of helping you in kind. Social Media Camp organizers, volunteers, speakers, participants, award nominees and winners, supporters and sponsors - congratulations on an epic success!

See you in the Twitterverse. 

-Gillian Cornwall, c. May 12, 2013.

"Pono"
G. Cornwall, c. December 2012.



7 comments:

Gillian said...

Testing new comment filter.

Chel said...

Eloquent and accurate reflection of a Camp experience. :)

Gillian said...

Thanks so much Chel!

Unknown said...

She is eloquent and eclectic in her writing and most helpful in navigating this other universe we call Twitter.
Many thanks Gillian!

Gillian said...

Joy - thank you very much! High praise from you, my journo-goddess! I've always looked up to your ability to tell clear, concise stories without the element of personal opinion. I'm afraid I may be too narcissistic to attempt what you do so flawlessly! Thank you for your comment.

Hotel_Goddess said...

I am so grateful for the friends and interactions I have made from social media. It has opened up the world; - literally!

Gillian said...

As it has for me! I am so grateful for you and so many people who have opened up my world online and in real life.