Do you ever attend conventions and wonder if you have learned anything when you return back home? Many people go to conventions because they are told to to be there, but don’t really engage or learn what they need from attending. Some prepare the other way and have detailed notes on what they want to learn, have questions written down on topics they want answered, and collect business cards from everyone they meet. Then there is a third group that just lets it all sink in and party with other attendees. The important part of this is to know how you best get the information from the convention.
We recently just held our annual ISCA convention for caricature artists and supporters from around the world. The convention has many seminars, networking opportunities and competitions. Some attendees are there for the competition and spend every waking moment trying to win in the selected areas of interest. Others are there for the networking and barely draw at all while they are there, but spend time creating a strong network of artists to learn from. Then there are many who go for the seminars to learn new techniques from the top artists in the world. Whatever your preference it is worth going to the convention because you will take away something. I sit more in the latter categories because I am not a big competition person but what really surprises me every year is what happens when I return home. It’s almost like I need to let that information sink in for it to work. When I get back home however I find that I am much more inspired and fired up to create better art.
So everyone is different and maybe you don’t fall into any of those categories, but if you attend you will most certainly learn something from a convention. Unless you stay in your room for the duration you can bet that something will sink in to your brain. What you do with that information is up to you. So if you aren’t into preparing up front, attending workshops, or engaging in competition, go anyway, it may sink in on the way home.
About the Artist
Bruce Outridge is an author and artist specializing in caricatures and cartoons. To learn more about Bruce and his work visit his website at www.bruceoutridgeproductions.com
