TRIFECTA IMPERFECTA:
Harbor Island Studios, Smokin’ Word Open Mic, and Winter Solstice Vinyasa Flow Painting, 2024
Well… sorry to admit, but events don’t always go as planned- even when you plan to blog about them!! There were a number of events in which I attempted to attend recently and they fell through for a full blog one way or another. So, let’s cover them in this new feature I’d like to call, "the Trifecta Imperfecta”. We will covered three failed events in one blog. Let’s get it going, going, gone!
EVENTS ATTEMPTED TO ATTEND / Topics Covered:
Harbor Island Film Studios: Movie Studios, Filming Locations, VFX
Smokin’ Word: Writing, Spoken Word, Community, Cannabis, Freestyle, Poetry
Illuminate Winter Solstice Vinyasa Flow and Painting: Yoga, Painting, Art, Self Expression
Conference Overall Ratings:
Harbor Studios: Venue (3/5) - Food (N/A) - Speaker Content (N/A) - Networking Opportunity (N/A) - Likeliness to Return (5/5) —- more details below
Smokin’ Word: Venue (4/5) - Food (3/5) - Speaker Content (5/5) - Networking Opportunity (4/5) - Likeliness to Return (3/5) —- more details below
Vinyasa Painting: Venue (N/A) - Food (N/A) - Speaker Content (N/A) - Networking Opportunity (N/A) - Likeliness to Return (5/5) —- more details below
Initial Conference Thoughts - Why Attend?
Harbor Studios: I wanted to attend this for the behalf of my blog 😉 (yeah, you’re welcome!) and cause I really love this studio and its potential. I love that Seattle invested in a full-fledge movie studio and I want to support this decision. We need more movies filmed out of Seattle (and the world), so I wanted to attend this to really understand the details better. It’s always my dream to make more longform edutainment & entertaining content.
Smokin’ Word: This event sounded really unknown to me. I was assuming it was spoken word, open mic - which it was… but for some reason the fact that happened I was surprised. It was not the right type of events to be taking notes, I started to realize, because the only notes I could take were of people’s words and creativity. And it wasn’t the right type of event for taking pictures too. It wasn’t an event for reporting in my normal sense. I’d like to write some notes below, and a funny story, but I realized it wasn’t quite right for what I’m looking to do with this blog.
Vinyasa Painting: Well this sounded really nice, in the sense it perfectly matched up with yesterday’s “winter solstice” mind and body creative arts event. I figured to just have a super creative weekend and embrace body/mind/dance/yoga haha.
Photo Collage & Commentary
Notes from Conference—
Harbor Studios: I never made it there, but I’ve toured this building twice before. It’s so cool and I’d love to make it into a high-demand movie studio for big movies… but, mannnnnnn that traffic. Read more in “travel route” below. IDK what they’d do if there were a legit movie filming there, but, perhaps “going the only other route” works….
Smokin’ Word: There were a lot of takeaways from this event. As I said, the more I was writing notes, the more I felt like it just wasn’t the place….cause I was like just taking people’s words and writing them for my own blog, but their words are their art, not just spitting off facts about their company. I was just caught myself off guard, realizing I was just copying their art in my notes. So, with that, though, I do want to write a few things I noticed/learned. Maybe a few amazing lines, but with a lot of awareness/recognition that this is like beautiful human art!! And it’s other peoples. So its way less notes than usual for that:
There was a girl freaking out before giving her presentation/spoken word. I recently heard: “one of the best things you can do for someone where they’re nervous is ask them for a favor".” so I asked her for a pen (I needed one). It calmed her down.
It was very strange/ironic. The pen she handed me was the exact same pen I’d been borrowed earlier at that event, only this one wasn’t broken. The host of the event let me borrow a pen earlier, same brand, same pen style, everything - but then he later asked for it back. I noticed how amazing that pen was while writing with it, but part of the pen was broken on his. Then she let me borrow a pen, same same but different…
“What are you leaving behind in 2024” - discomfort, self doubt, bulllshit, trying to impress, being cowardly, worrying, not raising prices, alcohol, trying to control everything (these were peoples responses)
What are you taking from 2024-2025: positive relationships, discomfort, wisdom, motivation to trust self
“Who is leaving an ex in 2025? Congrats”
I spoke up and said it’s possible to get along with your ex and have a good relationship, maybe even for your whole life. I had a business partner tell me how this still works for him to this day - they have kids together but still hang out a few times a week. So, I’m doing the same and it’s going fine. “Breaking up with an ex - shutting them off for good” such a dramatic cut off doesn’t need to always happen. There’s a reason you married. There are good qualities you can find again if you want.
Lots of spoken word mentioned elders, ancestors… half of them were focused on making ancestors proud.
There was one sad presentation talking about how she was watching her mom lose her memory and it was all happening super fast.
One guy gave a spoken word using a dessert as a metaphor for “love making” (?) it was not exactly clear what 100% he was talking about. TBH he was talented at his writing, so I think he could become a musician/lyricist hahah, just needs to be a little more clear if he chooses - or of course, make it media with more than one element. Only spoken word isn’t enough. Not that I”m like “bring it on, show us the stuff” - but he was truly talented, so I think he can do good work in multimedia forms. But, the host kinda gave him a hard time after saying that probably everyone felt awkward hahaha. Which was true, it was pretty vulgar. hahaha.
They offered breaks for 10/15 minutes every 5 speakers maybe. It was nice to have that time between to socialize.
a few nice lines:
the heartache of the imbalance of missing someone
slow down and take a beat, see the magic in everything
freedom is to be free not to act on any desire
revenge: why would you want to give that pain to someone yourself
one guy said a poem about “if you hear this, there will always be a part of me with you” then went and sat down next to his girlfriend. he had said it was his first time reading aloud.
(Ii’m like “duddeeeee - why didn’t you read a bit about your girlfriend, or something less ex-focused-romance potentially/vague 😂😂😅my guy…). She looked a bit unpleased after, for real. And then she spoke next and her poem was like “nothing will soften you like decomposition can” - and then her BF’s phone was going off in the middle of her speech and he was like looking at it to turn it off, lolll - really… reality.
“Anyone remember where the red fern grows? I was crying over two dogs in a book! That brought back some sh*t”
Vinyasa Painting: No excuse really except that they have more than one location and I went to the wrong one!! lol….. So, you can at least enjoy my travel story it was decent… if you want some sort of something from this event. hahah.
Travel Route -
-
Walking, train, bus, Lyft…. but then the Lyft (only supposed to cost $4) got stuck in traffic for like 15 minutes (yeah! only like half a mile away) cause it’s so hard to get to that island… so then he went to go another route but there was traffic that way too and then I realized I’d be so late.
I’ve been on the tour before and I fetl like I didnt want to be rude and show up so late!! Just would rather try again next time, full fledge experience, and that time, have the Lyft pick me up from the other side of the island, going onto the exit from the other (Seattle) direction rather than West Seattle…
So then, I just had him drop me off where we were (by the Starbucks Headquarters at this point!) and then I walked to the subway from there, cause I knew it by heart, and traveled back home. I was not about to get stuck in traffic again on a bridge. -
Walking, Subway, scooter. I bought a pass so that it was $9 for 1 hour of scootering for the next 3 days.
-
Well, I walked, took the subway and then a fantastic scooter, to get to…. the wrong location. The right location was a 25 minute drive or a 45 minute transit… and it was only a two hour event. ooffff.
Good news - the whole experience only cost me $3 (and the lost price of the event ticket) because my scooter was free from a pass I’d bought the day before.
So… it was $3 to walk around downtown for 2 hours. Good exercise… and, good to pay double close attention…
Conference “Overall Rating” Further Elaboration:
VENUE -
Harbor Island: 4/5 - Just so hard to get to! But once you’re there it’s cool… I am not sure what’s nearby. Having no experience in the filmmaking industry, I’m not sure how it competes as a venue as a whole for movie making. But I think I’d still choose to make a movie there. At least one or two :D
Smokin Word: 5/5 - This place was very cool and had a nice design. It was almost too small for this event, in a good way.
Vinyasa Painting: N/A
FOOD -
Harbor Island: N/A
Smokin Word: 3/5 - lots of food, but all junk food… and especially when you smoke (for me) I get really aware of what I put in my body!! haha. I want nutrition (also I hadn’t had dinner either, so it was tough to have fake-dinner even with this setup. But, now we know.)
Vinyasa Painting: N/A
SPEAKER CONTENT -
Harbor Island: N/A but they are very good at sending emails with directions, etc. They’re good communicators.
Smokin Word: 5/5 - Yeah, was amazing, entertaining, and authentic. The emcee was funny too.
Vinyasa Painting: N/A, though they could learn from Harbor Island and be good communicators. I’m sure I’m not the first/last to mix up their two locations. They should send a little friendly email to alert people of this mistake.
NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES -
Harbor Island: N/A
Smokin Word: 5/5 - The community tables made it very fun and easy to talk to people. it was a nice setting and a good vibe to be open and chat.
Vinyasa Painting: N/A
LIKELINESS TO RETURN -
Harbor Island: 5/5 - yes! next time, with a new strategy. I want to work in here on day! hahaha.
Smokin Word: 3/5 - I’m not too into poetry, but also - what the heck? Why not. It was interesting and heartfelt. So, probably.
Vinyasa Painting: 5/5 - yeah! this sounded awesome. Just need to go to the right location next time.
Kelly’s Remaining Questions:
How in the world do I make a movie really happen? Or a tv show? I have some ideas haha. And I know some people. But I want help/a mentor.
Should I try writing a spoken word?
Why do people get so embarrassed to speak in front of others? What are the different vulnerabilities it allows? What opportunities does it allow? Could it be useful to learn to focus on those?
How can companies with more than one location better handle new customer travel experiences?
Does practicing yoga before painting have an effect on how you paint? Probably. But would be interesting to blind A/B test many, many times to see hahaha.
Until next time, I wish you the motivation and success to search for opportunities around your area. Search and explore: Who is out there giving talks? There are new things happening all of the time.
Find relatable or interesting topics you like and check them out! Maybe even something hosted at a cool venue, if there’s no other reason to go. Let’s see what you can learn and discover not too far from home. 😊
