Conventions and Shows Offer a Special Kind of Inspiration

Yesterday I took my son down to Hartford, CT for the inaugural Hartford Comic Con. We had a blast hanging out with a bunch of my comic friends, seeing all the cosplayers and spending our allowances on comics and toys. I also recorded a couple of interviews for the Secret Identity podcast and spent some time catching up with my creator friends about their current projects. Not only was the day a ton of fun, but the amount of creative inspiration I took away from the show has given a couple of dormant projects of mine new life.

There is a certain type of inspiration that I can only get from talking to other creators. I am a huge process nerd--I love to hear about and discuss how ideas come together, what form they end up taking,m and every step of the creative process along the way. That need to connect with creators is one of the reasons I’m still doing the Secret Identity podcast after eight years, and the primary reason I started the See Brian Write podcast.

As fun as it is to interview people over Skype or talk shop via Twitter though, there is a special kind of atmosphere at shows that I think every creator needs to experience. Whether it’s a comic convention, a book expo or a film festival, I would encourage everyone to get out to a show and connect with other creators. You get to see the fruits of people’s labor and talk process with them at the same time. You can feel the creative excitement in the air as everyone is sharing their creations, making new connections and discussing their craft.

So, if you’ve never been to a convention or a book expo, do yourself a favor and check out the next one in your area. There’s a lot of creative inspiration to be had for you, and many new connections to be made.