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Yes, as the title says this is the second part of my interview with Susan Murphy. In the last show we learned about Susan’s work and media experiences, including her visits to PodCamp Toronto and Creator Camp. In this show It’s all about PAB, Podcasters Across Borders. PAB is a somewhat TEDlike, idealike storytelling unconference. You can sort out what that means when you listen to the interview.
Unknown to either of us, at the time that this conversation was recorded, 2012 would be the last year for PAB. I know next to nothing in the way of details of the whys and how-comes, but I expect more news will come our way as time passes and when it does I’ll put it in the blog. The event takes place June 8-10 in Ottawa Canada and tickets are selling fast, so don’t wait.
You can consider this show to be a primer on PAB, it’s mission, what to expect out of it and how the impact it can have in your life long after the doors close. It’s basically a place where ideas fill the air. Susan talks quite eloquently about her experiences there and I think they accurately represent what you can discover for yourself if you attend, whether this is your first year or not.
There are many people who contribute to the success of PAB each year. Without question, Mark Blevis and Bob Goyetche, who came up with the idea for the conference and are the driving force behind it are at the top of the list. Of course in the same breath I want to credit Andrea and Cat, their partners who are also major contributors. Susan also talks about perennial attendees at PAB, Bruce Murray and Scarborough Dude. Bruce not only presented at PAB, but produced a short video about PAB over the two day event, which was a highlight of conference.
I can’t say enough good things about my PAB experiences, but the the most valuable thing that PAB provides to me, something I don’t know if I will be find anywhere else, is that it recharges me, refocuses my energy and as Susan said, makes me want to be creative. It’s been a tough 3 1/2 years, trying to recover from the effects of the financial crash. There was my initial layoff and subsequent short term jobs and internships, seeing my experiences and skills become a devalued commodity and tentative steps toward reconstructing the vision of my future in a drastically changed landscape.
I’m not complaining, I’ve made it through that storm and I hope I can talk about that in future posts in order to pass on the lessons that I learned. But, I didn’t make it on my own, I had a network of people and groups that helped me through and my experiences at PAB were an essential part of keeping my dreams alive. It’s that kind of experience.
I hope you’ve found something or someone similar in your own life. If it’s something you can share, I’d love to hear about.
