Draw! Pilgrim does Alt Design Summit – Closing Keynote & Thrift Tour

Written
by
Jenny Butler
Writer
Jenny Butler
18th of February 2011

Sadly we must say goodbye to the wonderful Pilgrim Lee after an outstanding week on the Guest Blog. A HUGE THANK YOU to Pilgrim for documenting & sharing her time at the Alt Design Summit - hopefully a few more of us Aussies will make it over for 2012?? Be sure to visit Pilgrim's brilliant blog & excellent Etsy store too. Happy weekend everyone! - Jenny x

Last day of dispatches from the alt summit conference! Let me share with you the closing keynote, delivered by Tina Roth Eisenberg of Swiss Miss.

image from alt summit flickr

CLOSING KEYNOTE

Speaker: Tiny Eisenberg of Swiss Miss

Credit your sources. Obvious but important, and often overlooked.

Have good intentions and respect the reader. If you're in it to make money, you have the wrong motives. If that's all you're in it for, just quit.

Find your niche. Figure out what your place is, and own it. Have a unique voice, and don't just copy other blogs.

Don't blog too much. Leave them wanting more.

Personality is key. Be personal and approachable.

Don't wait for the solution. Go out and make it happen.

I loved the keynote. Tina spoke so candidly and so amusingly about herself and how she's built swissmiss.com to what it is today. It was definitely a highlight of the conference and I admire her positivity and enthusiasm.

So what to do now? There were plenty of offer - stop by Sundance festival? Take a photography tour? Skiing? Or how about a thrifting tour followed by lunch at a delicious french bakery? Now that's more like it!

image by pilgrim

image from pilgrim and modern kiddo

Before I knew it I had a new suitcase full of bargain vintage threads (seriously bargain, people: the fancy 'expensive' vintage boutique's prices were Australian thrift store prices) and I was shuffling through the demoralising security check at the airport. Sigh. Was it all a dream? The heavy new suitcase and the notebook groaning with new friends' business cards and information suggested otherwise.

image from pilgrim

Looking back (through the business cards and the notes) I'm so happy I could attend alt. The atmosphere was really positive and friendly. People on the whole spoke openly about how they managed their blogs and the experiences they'd had along the way. It was really exciting to be around like-minded people, all trying to make their unique corner of the internet the best it can be.

I hope you've enjoyed my coverage and can apply some of the information to your own blog. If there's one thing I took away from the experience (apart from the aforementioned new suitcase full of thrifting goodies), it's that there is room for everyone online and all that matters is you do it with heart, for the right reason. Happy blogging!

- pilgrim x

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