The Do’s & Don’ts of Attending Creative South (From My Perspective)
Are you feeling a bit stagnant in your work and desperate to get around like minded creatives?
If so, then it’s time you attended a conference like Creative South.
Here in a few weeks, April 6-9 to be exact, hundreds of people will invade the tiny downtown Columbus, GA area.
When you arrive, there is a buzz in the atmosphere as you know you’re around the right people. Shit, the tagline is even “Come as Friends, Leave as Family,” and this couldn’t be truer.
In 2015, I attended Creative South for the first time it sparked a massive swing of momentum in my life.
There were several reasons I purchased the ticket because I:

felt compelled to try something different.
needed to surround myself with like-minded individuals who are doing what I strive to do.
needed to get out of my comfort zone and get out of my little bubble in Cedar Falls, IA.

All three of these were accomplished and Creative South has become an annual affair for me. I’ve built so many amazing relationships that I’m actually bringing my wife, Emily Russell, this year so she can see what the hype is about. 
If you’re attending for the first time, this post is for you.
Here is a list of Do’s and Dont’s to ensure you experience Creative South like a champ in 2017. 
Do’s

Attend All the Speakers

The speakers Mike Jones and company bring in are the real deal. They’ve built or are building a name for themselves in their respected industries. Their focus is to provide you with something to act on when you leave the conference.
Each year I’ve made an effort to reach out to several speakers who inspired me. It led to great conversations over lunch, dinner, etc. and resulted in some great relationships.
Some speakers I’m particularly hyped to see this year are Jamal Collins, Dominque Falla, Bob Ewing, Alicja Colon and Ced Funches.

Take Notes

Listening is great, but these speakers are dropping gold and you’re going to want to refer back to some of the bombs they dropped.
You can even take sketchnotes like Emily Carlton who I’ll plug in the workshop section. You can then share your notes on social media with the Creative South #CS17 and let people know what they are missing!
In 2015, I shared my sketchnotes with Jason Craig after his talk. This led to a screen printed coffee poster collab and he also became a great friend and a mentor to me.
He even hung out with me back stage last year to help me prep before my talk.

Attend the Bridge Party

Thursday’s opening mixer party is absolutely ridiculous and sets the tone for the conference.
They shut down an entire bridge and deck it out for one epic party. There are food vendors, drinks, fireworks, great conversations and Ink Wars…

Watch Ink Wars

Ink Wars is held Thursday on the bridge. It’s a setup of about 5 artists who are equipped with only a small sketchbook, a large white canvas and a massive black sharpie to go to war with.
The artists have 1 hour to create something based off a random topic. These constraints unleash some pretty wild concepts that’ll blow your mind.

Participate / Watch Adobe Creative Jam

Alright, this one is new to me and its’s replacing the beloved Type Fight...RIP.
Adobe Creative Jam is an event series where creatives share a behind-the-scene peek into their processes and projects. Meanwhile, teams compete in a tournament that puts their creative skills to the test using Adobe Creative Cloud.
Be sure to check it out wherever it’s hosted. The vendor hall is my best guess.

Attend Workshops

Some of the best value comes from attending workshops which range from hand lettering, passive income, sketchnotes, etc.
Here’s a little shameless plug. This year I’m actually co-teaching a workshop with the homie Brian Manley called "Crafting Your Killer Talk." If you’re looking to get into public speaking, podcasting, vlogging or videos in general, then this workshop is for you.
Sharing your brilliant and strange ideas publicly can be difficul