Okay, yes, let's please talk about TAFCon:
It's hard to capture the exact alchemy that happened this weekend, because no one part of the day was some keystone perfect moment. For me personally, it was incredible to even just be in the same room as so many of my closest collaborators and people who have made art that has deeply moved me; but then, there were also a good number of audiodrama fans who showed up and kept things from getting too "let's all talk shop." The vibes, so to speak, were immaculate, with people all coming together to appreciate each others' expertise and artistry - and that is NOT a given!
I think the thing I was most struck by, consistently through the whole day, was the spirit of generosity and community from setup at 7:30 a.m. (when more volunteers showed up than Tal planned for) to 8:00 p.m. (when the venue coordinator seemed genuinely shocked by how helpful everyone wanted to be putting the space back together). I had constructive, inspiring conversations with titans of the field and new artists under 20. I learned about how people brought their own loves to their work: linguists, teachers, musical gear distributors, used bookstore owners, ex-marketing firm full-time writers, experts in Greek history, civil rights history, marine biology. And not once - genuinely, seriously, taking account of the whole 12+ hour day - did I feel a single shred of selfishness, competitiveness, or jealousy in any room or conversation I was in. Acknowlement of our egos? Sure! But never indulgence in shit-talking, never a single person saying "that show is so overrated" or "that actor didn't earn that part" or "[whatever] should have been successful instead" and that is *remarkable*
In the closing presentation on how to keep making art in our dark, dark days, Lauren Shippen was asked "what gives you hope?" She thought for a brief moment, and said what I'd been thinking all day: this. This gives me hope. This community that refuses to be cruel to the naive, refuses to be lazy about inclusion, refuses to look away from the pain of the world and yet writes, sings, acts, designs, creates, creates, creates. Dear listener, I did tear up. I did feel that lump in my throat. To be in a room of 200 people who love so fiercely the creative act was nothing short of a spiritual experience for me.
I don't know if it's possible to catch this lightning in a bottle again. There will be a TAFCon 2, and I will do nearly anything to be there, because I loved being so indulgently immersed in our so-often atomised community. It reminded me how powerful our stories are, how essential. So thank you to each and every person who gave me even a minute of their time at the @re-dracula table, who told me about their weird, wonderful pet project, who joined me and @chemicallywrit for the script clinic. It was one of the best days of my adult life. Long live the creative act and the spirit of giving. Long live audio fiction.
origamiaround
ellievsbear
vaporwave
pixelskylines
theartofmadeline
yousharknotpass
romaincrisis
