WMC: Off-The-Grid: Our Blog

Hi, my name is Heather Sakai and work at Go Media, a creative agency in Cleveland, Ohio that specializes in graphic design and web development. You may know us as the firm that sells design resources over at the Arsenal or throws an annual design conference known as Weapons of Mass Creation Fest. If you’re familiar, hello again. If not, nice to meet ‘cha.

We are thrilled to introduce a new event to our community this year, an offshoot of Weapons, called WMC: Off-The-Grid. This event is an intimate three-day retreat aimed at graphic designers, small business owners and other design-minded creatives looking to unplug and recharge.

Reason #1. Content that will fuel you all year-long.

The three-day event will still have a serious educational arm to it — two and a half days of solid content from our nationally recognized faculty (talks, workshops, portfolio reviews, fireside chats, etc.)

They include-

Shiu Pei Luu, Art Director for Facebook and Creative Director and Co-Founder for The Beehive Society, a non-profit that fosters creativity through pop up art shows and workshops facilitated around the Bay Area

Tara Victoria and Brad Weaver, co-founders of design firm The Banner Years, a customer experience studio who has worked with the likes of NPR, Coca-Cola, Disney, Lionsgate, Sony, and more

Tony Diaz, founder of Austin’s Industry Print Shop and someone who has undoubtedly cemented himself as an authority on all things screenprinting.

Ken Schneck, producer and host of This Show is So Gay, the long-running, award-winning radio show and podcast.

Marshall Shorts, award-winning entrepreneur, owner of Soulo Theory Creative and co-founder of Creative Control Fest.

Dylan Menges, owner of Menges Design, who has a client list including Subaru of America, Mozilla, Sherwin Williams, and more…

Lenny Terenzi, designer and illustrator of Hey! Monkey Design will be our host.

Reason #2. Fuel your mind AND fuel your soul.

Our weekend itinerary is jam-packed with talks, workshops, and portfolio reviews. There is no shortage of content. Too, you’ll leave with a syllabus that you can pour through for months. But some of the best stuff is what lies in between — the unspoken — those quiet moments you’ll experience hiking and floating downstream, the peace that will wash over you once your notifications finally quiet. The opportunity to unplug and have a chance to reflect on how far you’ve come and where you’d like to go. How often do you truly allow yourself to get lost and found again?

Reason #3. Genuine, one-on-one interactions.

WMC: OTG is open to around 60 attendees only, so the genuine and authentic vibe our larger conference, Weapons of Mass Creation Fest, is known for will only be magnified this year. Grab your ticket now if you want to be a part of our intimate fireside chats, if you’d like one-on-one instruction and feedback from our faculty, and to network with each of our attendees, speakers, and workshop leaders in a way you could not do at a typical conference.

Reason # 4. Hang with our crew at the coolest place ever!

I swear, you guys are going to love Mohican Adventures! It’s way too much fun. When we scouted it, the Go Media crew didn’t want to leave. We have reserved ten cabins, which are all lined up next to one another, so it’ll feel just like summer camp (just nicer and with hot tubs). Here are just a few things that surround the cabins:

Canoe livery (also, kayaks, tubing, paddling & more)

Aerial park (for our ropes course!)

Adventure golf and go-karting

Campfire spots

Biking and hiking

Fishing spots

Zip-lining

Restaurants and bars

Reason #5: We need YOU!

We need you add to the conversation, to help paddle our canoe. And don’t worry. If you don’t have a buddy coming to WMC: OTG, you mustn’t worry. Most of the attendees enrolled thus far are coming solo, so you won’t be the odd woman or man out. After an hour or so, we’ll all be as thick as thieves.

There is still time to enroll, so head to our official site to learn more about the event and to our ticketing page to grab one of the last flying blind tickets, or to put down a deposit if you can’t pay for a full price ticket now.

Have any questions? Email me at [email protected] and I’d be happy to answer anything!

Hope to see you there!

Help Us Inspire Hope! When you purchase tix to WMC, a portion of sales will go to those @touchedbycancer. http://gomedia.com/zine/weapons-of-mass-creation-fest/the-gathering-place/

Hey WMC: We're Donating to the Gathering Place!

RSVP for the WMC Fest Ask Me Anything! http://gomedia.com/zine/weapons-of-mass-creation-fest/rsvp-for-the-wmc-fest-ask-me-anything/

RSVP for the WMC Fest Ask Me Anything!

Here's how you can get a free WMC Fest tee this year... http://gomedia.com/zine/weapons-of-mass-creation-fest/wmc-ticket-2016/

Here's how you can get a free WMC Fest tee this year...

Here's how you can get a free WMC Fest tee this year... http://gomedia.com/zine/weapons-of-mass-creation-fest/wmc-ticket-2016/

Here's how you can get a free WMC Fest tee this year...

Help Us Inspire Hope! When you purchase tix to WMC, a portion of sales will go to those @touchedbycancer. http://gomedia.com/zine/weapons-of-mass-creation-fest/the-gathering-place/

Hey WMC: We're Donating to the Gathering Place!

Contest: Win Unlimited WMC Fest 7 Workshops! Enter in seconds here > http://gomedia.com/zine/insights/contest-win-unlimited-wmc-fest-7-workshops/

Contest: Win Unlimited WMC Fest 7 Workshops!

Contest: Win Unlimited WMC Fest 7 Workshops! Enter in seconds here > http://gomedia.com/zine/insights/contest-win-unlimited-wmc-fest-7-workshops/

Contest: Win Unlimited WMC Fest 7 Workshops!

Watch This Speed Drawing of the WMC7 Tee by Jetpacks and Rollerskates, Grin from Ear to Ear. http://gomedia.com/zine/weapons-of-mass-creation-fest-7/jetpacks-and-rollerskates/

Watch This Speed Drawing of the WMC7 Tee by Jetpacks and Rollerskates, Grin from Ear to Ear.

How lucky are we?

These Are Things is a sponsor of and vendor at this year's WMC Fest! 

We can't wait to gobble up all of their charming and witty patches, pins and other goodies in our vendor village. 

What are they looking forward to? “ Meeting the most awesome creative people in the Midwest!”

Now, back to their goodies. Go obsess over them at thesearethings.com! 

So psyched to bring our beloved emcee and faithful sponsor, OkPants, back on board this year. 

How does he describe WMC in three words? "Ignition for change." 

We are so excited to have 11 x 17, poster company, back as a sponsor and vendor at this year's WMC Fest! 

Here are five things you should know about Keith Ten Eyck, company owner: His company in 1 to 2 sentences: "My Uncle Otis always wanted me to do something with artistic sensibilities – I think he would be proud that I'm still pursuing my love for art through designing posters."

His impression of WMC in 3 words or less: "Designer Orgy." ​

Why he's excited about WMC: "The people. Absolutely, 100%.​" 

What we can expect from him this year: "I've kept my minimalist aesthetic to a minimum (lulz) and hiked up the illustrative details in my poster designs. Still, more weird than ever." 

Fun fact about 11 x 17: "I ran with the circus for a few years. Doing so actually got my life on track, since I'm a 9th grade high school drop-out..."

Hey, it's Bryan and Heather here with the latest from the Cleveland festival you know and love, Weapons of Mass Creation Fest.

We're here to tell you the latest, including a bit about our line-up and some of the latest from our camp. By the way, subscribe to our YouTube Channel and don't miss a thing! And don't miss a thing!

Our sponsors are the best and Justin Ahrens and his team over at Rule 29 are no exception! 

Rule29 is a strategic creative firm specializing in Making Creative Matter. 

They describe WMC as "making, original, and surprising" and they are most excited about "hugging Debbie Millman...again."

http://www.uxpassion.com/

The folks over at Jakprints have been faithful sponsors of our design conference, Weapons of Mass Creation Fest, since we can remember. Their enthusiastic support has made this fest possible – and we are truly appreciative of their passion for WMC and this community that matters so much to all of us. Jakprints will be returning to Weapons of Mass Creation Fest 6 and we have no doubts that their palpable energy will be at an all time high. Before the fest kicks off, let’s be reminded of why we love them so:

1.    Tell us a little bit about Jakprints and how you came to be

Jacob Edwards and his band couldn’t find a printer that offered the quality shirts they needed at a price a young, touring band could afford; so, he started making them himself. When other bands asked about getting their own shirts made, Jacob realized this was something musicians really needed. Bands needed all kinds of merch and promo pieces, like flyers and stickers, done quickly. Plus, most bands didn’t want to wrestle with multiple print providers (tees from one guy, flyers from another shop, stickers from a third place). Things are way better these days; but, at the time, it was a hassle even getting a printer to talk to you if you weren’t doing large print runs. A couple thousand flyers? Pfft, they had better things to do.

Anyway…

Jacob and Dameon Guess were able to combine their screen printing and graphic design experience. We gained a reputation for great products from people that were comfortable talking to you, regardless of your order size. As Jakprints grew, we reinvested in things we’re passionate about: environmentally-friendly production, art, technology and finding ways to create new products we are excited about. Now, our Cleveland headquarters cover half a block and we just opened a new production facility in Oceanside, California. Our staff is extremely talented and equipped with the most cutting edge equipment in the print industry. In fact, we just got the United States’ first Heidelberg Speedmaster XL 75 Anicolor, the most eco-friendly printer on the market and the world’s first carbon neutral offset press. We’re very proud of the community we’ve created and we’re excited to keep expanding and pushing the boundaries of the print industry.

2. Every great story at Weapons of Mass Creation Fest involves how an individual “defied the hand they were dealt.” What obstacles have Jakprints had to overcome to find success?

Jakprints has been DIY from the start — we had no other options. Jacob and Dameon didn’t have any initial investors or overhead to work with, everything had to be built from the dirt up. We’re constantly focused on creating a business that we would want use ourselves, setting the highest standards for ourselves and following what we’re passionate about. Jacob and Dameon started by focusing on the markets they knew (art and music) and have applied that same ethos to every industry we work with. Jakprints is the ultimate DIY success story. Work hard, don’t be intimidated and follow your passions.

4. Jakprints has such a strong brand presence and is known nationwide for not only your high-quality product, but your personality. How did you achieve this amount of brand awareness?

Our creative team works really hard to make sure everything we put out reflects the personality and values of Jakprints. Our Creative Director, Ted Barnes, works with Dameon to managethe Jakprints brand that Dameon built. Together they’ve created a brand that is both approachable, knowledgeable and tries to not take ourselves too seriously. The personality of Jakprints is very much a collection of our entire community, including both our customers and employees. They make it possible to create awareness of our brand in a very natural and effective way. We apply the same DIY attitude that we started with to a larger scale, bands tell other bands, friends tell their friends and word spreads. We’ve been able to grow the best way possible. We always put ethics, like being green and supporting events we care about (ahem, WMC Fest) before profits. People love us for that.

5. Jakprints, Go Media and WMC Fest have had a long relationship and we appreciate the contributions you have made to our community, as well as the design community at large. Why is it important to make this contribution?

We look forward to WMC all year, not only to get one-on-one time with the design community, but to see what drives our fellow creatives. WMC Fest creates such a fantastic environment for us to all come together, to learn from each other and become inspired. We’re ecstatic to be a part of it!

6. What should we expect to see out of you at this year’s Weapons of Mass Creation Fest? We’re going to have some great people there to answer any questions you have about printing or what Jakprints does. This is your opportunity to ask anything, no matter how off-the-wall it might sound. We’ve got exclusive sticker packs (designed by WMC heavyweight champ OkPants), catalogs, little baby pencils and tons of product samples — including some new ones! Expect to take home some great stuff. Also, be sure to get a Jakprints Inkling vinyl toy: We’ve got an Instagram scavenger hunt! When you come by, make sure you grab one of our Pocket Notes, our favorite products to pass out at shows like this. Take notes during speakers and capture all of the sweet, gooey inspiration that will be seeping from your pores.

7. In closing, what’s one piece of advice you’d give to a designer facing fear or doubt, as you may have early in your career.

Regardless of your experience level, all creatives constantly struggle with fear and doubt. Any creative who says they don’t is a liar, period. It doesn’t matter what your skill level is, there’s always someone better than you. Accept it. Move on and use it as inspiration. Focus on your strengths, shore up your weaknesses, find what makes your style unique and concentrate on constant improvement. The only way to move past doubt is to use it as motivation to make yourself better.

Learn more about Jakprints over at jakprints.com and hang out with Jakprints & Go Media in the WMC Fest Maker Space next week!

Tickets to wmcfest

WMC Fest is sponsored by: