Yesterday, I started a campaign to get support to attend The Future of Web Design next month in London so that I can do a presentation on the graceful degradation of CSS3 and launch myself onto the web conference speaking circuit.
So, after only one day of tweeting and asking friends to put the word out by retweeting, there have been over $400.00 of donations! Wow!
Not only that, but my friends Kiratiana, whom I just met at SXSW last month, and Liz Burr, who was one of my panelists at last year’s conference have contacted me to include me in articles and give an extra shout out.
Having so many people show such amazing support in a such a short time feels incredible — especially on the heels of having isolated myself for eight months doing research, developing example sites, and trying to crank out chapters. During that period of time I cut myself off from Twitter (which, while a great tool, can also be such a huge distraction), social events, and making an effort to hang out with friends. Because of this, I felt disconnected from the many communities that in actuality feed me and help me feel balanced and normal.
As the @replies and direct messages were coming in yesterday, I had a total Sally Field moment:
So, this the first post of thanks. Thank you to all of the people who have contributed so far and thanks to the people who may contribute in the future. I am excited to be able to give back!
This past year has been absolutely magical with all of the wonderful professional opportunities that have appeared in my life, and things are continuing to get better and better!
Here’s the latest news: I have just gotten myself scheduled to present at The Future of Web Design (FOWD) in London next month, and I am so insanely, ridiculously excited about it!
For a speaker looking to break into the web speaking circuit (such as myself), this is an incredible opportunity — to not only share professional knowledge and expertise, but to also build visibility, reach, and authority. It is the perfect venue and opportunity, and exactly what I have been waiting to bring into my life.
However, there is one sticking point: how to finance the trip. This is an instance where, while the conference usually does pay the presenters to speak, FOWD is featuring a track called “Rising Stars” which is designed to give aspiring speakers the opportunity to present at a large conference. Unfortunately, speakers in this track are not paid (but we do get full passes to the conference). While this is not problematic in and of itself, the travel to and accommodations in London are far more than I can cover right now.
So, in the spirit of Baratunde Thurston’s “The Baratunde Got Jacked Recovery and Reinvestment Act,” I am enlisting the power of the greater community to help me achieve my dream of becoming a regular presenter on the web conference circuit (and beyond). They say it takes an entire village to raise a child. In this case, it takes a whole virtual community to send a newly-published author and aspiring web conference speaker to London to begin to realize and achieve her dreams.
Here’s what I’m asking: $5.00. That’s it! Of course, you can donate more or less, but if you have $5.00 to spare, it will help the fund tremendously! That’s only 500 folks to make it all happen: every little bit all goes together to make one great big bit. The funds will cover the costs of my plane ticket, accommodations, food, local travel and incidentals.
So please, support a sista! Check out the red widget below or in the first sidebar to chip in to the “Send Denise to FOWD London” fund.
For every single person who donates to the fund, I will list your name at the end of my presentation. That’s right: every single person! My vision is to have all your fabulous names listed, and to have all of them light up individually like stars in the night (it may sound tacky, but don’t worry, it will look cool. Trust me.) So post a comment, give me a shout on Twitter, or email me at denise (at) denisejacobs (dot) com and let me know so I can give you credit.
And if you would like to be an official sponsor, that would be wonderful too! I have other benefits of what you would receive in a sponsoring partnership with me.
I will be reporting regularly from my adventures in London in just three short weeks, so stay tuned!
Whew! This last few months have been quite a wild ride! But the heavy lifting is over, and now I get to play at one my most favorite events in the whole wide world: South by Southwest Interactive Conference. Fortuitously, I was asked by Min Jung Kim to be on the awesome “How to Rawk SXSW” panel this year. Not only that, but she let me design the logo (which I am quite happy with, I must say). Yay!
So, the big, huge, hurkin’ tasks of finishing my first book, The CSS Detective Guide (and the accompanying website, CssDetectiveGuide.com), contributing to the upcoming InterAct with Web Standards: A holistic approach to web design book, and co-developing a course on Project Management for WaSP InterAct with the wonderful and talented Steph Troeth are all completed.
So, now, happily, I get to get all knee-deep in the hoopla of totally RAWKING SXSW. Come and join me, Min Jung Kim, Jeremy Keith, and Ben Huh for some serious rock out. RAWK!
(ps – if you want a “How to Rawk SXSW” t-shirt, let me know. We’ll work something out.)
Denise R. Jacobs is an Author, Speaker, Web Design Trainer, and Creativity Evangelist. Based in Miami, Florida, she is author of