Connecting

[Andrew Hazlett]

Friends:

Below are some details on how we hope to keep the momentum going after our fascinating Saturday at MICA. Based on your feedback and ideas, we'll also keep this page at our website fresh and updated: http://createbaltimore.org/pages/connect

This email list is a logical place to centralize discussions around CreateBaltimore themes, but (of course) we encourage you all to experiment with the various channels to find the best way to keep things in motion.

Again, Scott, Dave, Buck and I are humbled and thrilled by what you guys have done.  

Thank you.

Andrew W. Hazlett
http://www.twitter.com/andrewhazlett
http://www.AndrewHazlett.com
Andrew....@gmail.com
+1-443-928-2966

The response before, during, and after our January 15th gathering at MICA has been thrilling.  It's not often that we get a chance to see and hear from so many passionate, creative people.  Let's ensure that this sort of thing becomes a regular feature of our lives in Baltimore.  

No one will be surprised that we are already at work on a sequel event.  We'll let you know as soon as the details come into focus.  In the meantime, we offer this guide to some tools and forums we can use to continue the conversations started in the halls of the Brown Center.  

* * * *

As with all things related to CreateBaltimore, your ideas and suggestions are eagerly welcomed. This list is far from complete. Like the conference itself, it is up to all of us to take hold of these tools and shape the conversation.  Go to it!

• Join our CreateBaltimore email discussion group [http://groups.google.com/group/createbaltimore]  It would be great if session leaders and note takers could take the lead in resuming the conversations of Jan. 15th.
• Follow the CreateBaltimore blog [rss] for continuing updates.  If you want to contribute posts, video, etc., just contact us directly [in person or via info at CreateBaltimore.org]
• On Twitter, follow @CreateBaltimore and the (very active) #CreateBmorehashtag.  Also check out the related twitter lists put together by@miscellanearts [CreateBaltimore] and @tracycgold [CreateBmore].  There's a movement afoot to hold a scheduled weekly Twitter chat using the #CreateBmore hashtag, so follow closely.
• We need more of a record of what happened in each session at CreateBaltimore. With five simultaneous, equally interesting sessions, none of us experienced more than 20 percent of the awesomeness.  Share what you learned!  View, add, or edit documents in our shared public Google docs folder [http://bit.ly/CreateBmoreDocs] and at Lanyrd[http://lanyrd.com/2011/createbaltimore/] If you haven't already, try to put down your thoughts in a blog post or essay.  We will publish or link to your writing from CreateBaltimore.org.
• On Facebook you can "like" the CreateBaltimore Page and/or contact one of the organizers about joining the CreateBaltimore Group.
• Join the CreateBaltimore group on LinkedIn [http://linkd.in/CreateBmore]
• BaltimoreTech.net is great resource for seeing who is up to what in Baltimore's burgeoning tech scene.  You can also see who attends various events, including CreateBaltimore.

In addition to these useful web tools and digital connections, creative people in Baltimore are hosting a crowded schedule of amazing "real life" events in the coming months.  Though social technology can be very powerful, there is no substitute for actual in-person human interaction.  Be sure to check these out:

• Amplify Baltimore: Led by the unstoppable April Yvonne Garrett, Amplify Baltimore is a series of community conversations that highlight how specific issues affect the city of Baltimore and provide a clear path to a number of reasonable solutions accessible to a diverse array of citizens.  The second of four quarterly discussions will be at MICA's Brown Center on March 12.  The intense, day-long discussion will focus on public education and the city's core economic issues [more details here].
• Ignite Baltimore:  If you had five minutes and 20 slides what would you say?  Ignite hosts semi-annual events that give folks the opportunity to answer this question.  The events are informative and entertaining.  They also provide a great place to meet interesting people in Baltimore.  The next Ignite is March 10th, 2011 at the Walters Art Museum.  We encourage you to put it on your calender and buy tickets early (available 2/10/2011) because they sell out fast.
• Innovate Baltimore: Is a networking group.  Ben Walsh has done a good job getting people talking about technology, entrepreneurship and creativity.  The events are well attended both in number and good people to meet.
• The design center [D:center Baltimore] meets the first Tuesday of the month at the Wind Up Space in Station North arts district for a monthly design conversation.  The conversations expose great people doing very interesting things. It is an intellectual engaging time.  
• Bmoresmart: Is a peer group for socially minded Baltimoreans.  The group meets on the first Tuesday of the Month in the 3rd floor conference room of the Can Company (2400 Boston Street) in Canton at 6 pm.  Founded by Heather Sarkissian, a passionate and active advocate, the group has provided great meaningful connections to entrepreneurs and technologists doing good things.
• NetSquared Meetup:  Is a recently started group that focuses on helping non-profits utilize technology.  They meet at MD Association of Non-profits space in Federal Hill on the 3rd Thursday of the month.  Their next meeting is Thursday January 20th at 5:30 pm. The founder, Kate Bladow, is a wonderful tech consultant and friend of the non-profit community. She also has worked in pro-bono law support.

In addition to our friends at the Baltimore Sun and City Paper, we recommend following these outstanding local media outlets:

• What Weekly: a weekly web magazine "documenting the Baltimore Reniassance." In the process they are helping to make it happen.  They also are becoming the go-to social calender for the Baltimore region.  In less then a year they have a strong following and big plans to expand the horizons of Baltimore.
• Bmore Media: a weekly on-line publication that focuses on the great things happening in Baltimore.  They put out their edition on Tuesdays.
• Radar Redux: the media outlet of the Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance. They are well connected to the established cultural organizations and the up and coming forces in the community.  They also produce a wonderful list of job openings in the cultural arena.

A lot of creative professionals grow tired of working in isolation.  Here are some solutions to that problem:

• Beehive Baltimore: a co-working space in the emerging technology center in Canton.  Baltimore has a space that for a small fee you can surround yourself with people from Create baltimore on a daily basis while you get your work done.
• Baltimore Node: a hacker space in the Station North arts district.  The space is designed with creating in mind.  It in no way is limited to computer geeks.  If you want to let your imagination run and create surrounded by other creators the Node will let you do that.
• Cowork Charles: Coworking at free wifi spots all along Charles Street.

Contact Andrew Hazlett or Scott Burkholder if you see omissions, mistakes, or opportunities in this list of resources.