Photo by semanticpoetry
Wow. I am so filled with joy and pride and love and inspiration. Though we have been building up to this for the past year, I’m still trying to grok all the wondrous experience of the past weekend, and our inaugural convention. To say the least, it was simultaneously the most stressful and most fulfilling event of my life so far.
We had first time con attendees coming out of their shells to make new friends. We had veterans saying it was the best con of their life. Every detail of our collective effort was noticed – from the breadth of programming topics, to our design, to our family-friendly vibe (that didn’t preclude adult programming), to our incredible weekend volunteers, to everyone’s smiles. And everyone was generous enough to say “thank you.”
Wow.
I am so proud of our team. Over the course of a year we have evolved from a “What if?” to a successful organization.
GeekGirlCon began as an idea for a fan con for women – a gathering that honored their obsessions. But now we are continually creating opportunities to bolster self-esteem, as well as foment community, networking and mentor relationships. And make friends. It’s so hard, and so important to make friends.
Props to our team. They are talented, driven people who believe in something and are willing to work for it. We have taken a learn-as-you-go adventure that has at times been as scary and frustrating as it has been rewarding. But we’ve taken it together. Thirteen months of all-volunteer blood, sweat, and tears, over fifty promotional and community-building events, staff changes, more than two hundred panelists and nearly seventy hours of programming are behind GeekGirlCon the convention. But a lot of sisterhood and supported individual growth is embedded in our organization.
I can’t wait to see what we do next.
Oh, wait! I know what we are doing next! Coming up we will be co-hosting a TV Dinner night at Central Cinema. The theme is Geek Girls and Wonder Women. (November 9th) We will also be co-hosting a screening of the documentary Miss Representation at the new SIFF film center with SIFF and Reel Grrls. (November 30th) Stay tuned for details on both.
Finally, I want to say that GeekGirlCon would not exist without everyone who cares about it – And that includes You. We are making this community together. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, and most sincerely, for being a part of something truly special.