Checking in from Austin, TX — SXSW 2010.
“I seem to have heard a thread run through numerous conversations yesterday and it went something like… "If you want to be creative and inspired, step out of what you normally do whenever possible." Not the newest of advice but proven with time.
I attended the #DEFI panel on Saturday. Summed up best: "Future shock therapy = Not having to say "Imagine living in a world where…" because you just did. In a live action prototype. #DeFi #sxsw".
The panel was made up of a number of futurists and ‘Apple cart tippers’ (as Bruce Sterling referred to them). I listened intently – the panel started slow but quickly started ramping up the ideas. How to communicate an alternate future through an interactive prototype or immersive scenario.
Towards the end Bruce Sterling joined them on stage – known for his ability to emotionally convey how he perceives the future – he had me hanging on every word. I asked practical question through the back channel on Twitter and had it answered by all the panelists sequentially. When you get involved in a discussion around a panel, the ideas stick and coagulate slightly better than just listening.
I left with that buzz that happens when you know you’ve just had your brain tampered with – in a good way. Cheers to their creative ideas and my full respect to the hardcore futurists "creating shared futures" in order to better understand our path toward them.”