[collage by Jen]

I can’t call this a Northern Voice wrap-up post or summation… those terms imply that the experience is something that can be wrapped up, that what I learned can be effectively summarized, and that what I feel isn’t an ongoing sense of transformation and revelation. None of those are true.

[photo by D'Arcy Norman]

It is true that in two conference days, one of which was the unscripted unconference day of Moose Camp, I had more concrete “takeaway” than I do in many times that number of days at other, traditional conferences. Takeaway includes not just ideas that are new to me, but a significant change in my understanding of the importance and utility of ideas. In work terms, I discovered some new tools, all of which will be shared here eventually, and new sites which will find their way here as well. My major work-related insights are all part of the same cluster:

1. I realized how greatly I have been discounting impromptu and informal media. I’m a word-person and not particularly enamored of my voice or visage, so participating in the audio and audiovisual space makes me uncomfortable… but I can’t deny the power nor can I ignore the growing number of ways available to create and share low-production media.
2. I was struck by the importance of the visual (creation and viewing) in understanding (for the person sharing and the person learning). We seek images and imagery the same way we seek narrative, but my expectations and operational processes had shifted far toward the latter. There are so many ways to create that everyone can find something, even if the simplest (and for me most uncomfortable due to my extremely obvious lack of talent)– pen and paper– might be the “best.”
3. My core belief that all of this only works if you can tap into passion and self-expression was reaffirmed. As trying as the length of some of the open-mic readings were, I loved the activity. It reminded me of poetry readings where sometimes the poems themselves are nowhere near as important as the flashes of insight you get into the humanity and creative processes of the person reading them.

[photo by Jen]

But the importance of Northern Voice in my life are the bigger picture items– some of which defy explanation– but all of which will shape my thought and action for at least the next year. I’m thinking here of things like the addition of “love” to my deep vocabulary of understanding social networks, learning and media, where it joins two other apparent abstractions: “scale” and “resonance.” I have a feeling everyone around me will be sick to death of my invocation of these terms, but I can’t get out of my head how love– and all of its facets (in both the popular and classical senses)– are woven so deeply into culture and interaction that we can’t ignore them if we hope to understand what is happening all around us.

[photo by (for) Alan Levine]

Like last year, the people-power of Northern Voice was overwhelming. While there are many people I want to meet and work with, my super-duper shortlist was made considerably shorter by getting some quality time with Alan Levine and Jen Jones. I hate to start listing names because I will inevitably forget some of them, but I want to pass some link love to as many people as I can… if I forgot you or just ran out of time, I apologize in advance!

[photo by D'Arcy Norman]

• Scott Leslie - we complain about other conferences, but not for our shared frustration at a bad conference session we may never have met, I may never have met most of the people on this list, and I surely would never have attended Northern Voice! You are da(standing, dancing) man!
• Brian Lamb - I was a bit nervous– being sick and without a voice last time meant I had to live up to expectations this time around (and live down my sadly un-pirate-like and not-so-deep real life voice). We share some records, a lot of books and a whole lot of ideas. I can’t thank you enough for your hospitality and contributions (and your spoon-playing + kazoo wizardry).
• Keira McPhee - you might be surprised to be the inspiration from someone you don’t feel you know very well, but it doesn’t surprise me at all. Your dedication to your community and passion for change are clear and entrancing.
• Jim Groom - your encyclopedic knowledge of film and unabashed WordPress fanboy-ism can’t obscure your dedication to changing the world for students. And you sing a mean blues too. The Eduglu Blues will be in my head for a long time.
• Alan Levine - you were a rock star in your session and on the guitar and you might just be the one of us who actually reaches the end of the internet and starts over in an attempt to lap us.
• D’Arcy Norman - you let your camera speak for you sometimes, but then you let loose with crazily incisive comments. Your five minutes on EduGlu was a masterpiece of concision… EduGlu is going to blow up!
• Jennifer Jones - it’s no wonder you have 500+ Twitter followers. I’d follow you around in real life if I could (and if your husband wouldn’t be unsettled by it ). Your U-Streaming of sessions was great, but your company and thoughts about technology and education/distance education were even better.
• Nancy White - having your visual participation on my panel was incredible– participating in your session and talking with you were highlights of my time at Northern Voice. Your thoughts on love and respect and groups have already changed my thinking.
• Bill Fitzgerald - in addition to having a company whose name is so completely me, you are a generous coder, philosopher, and english literature wonk… in other words, you fit right in with the crowd and write code better than we can…
• Mikhail - I enjoyed your words, as few as they were. I think I understood– I felt similarly at least year’s event. Those other guys (and gals) can be overwhelming
• Thanks for thinking of me for a podcast interview, goetee-less Chris Heuer. How great was it to not only serendipitously meet the charming Kristie Wells, who I know as a Joyent customer/Textdrive VCer, but then discover she is your wife!?
• Doug Symington - you’ll be hearing from me soon… it was great to meet yet another crazy Canuck Twitterer!
• Robin Yap– you are even more intensely energetic in person than online. Try to make it to Alaska during your travels!
• Jeffrey Keefer– maybe I’ll make it to New York next. Thanks for your Northern Voice liveblogging… and for your own blog, which I do read year round. I appreciated your comments throughout the conference and recognize much of myself in your assessment from year to year. 

[collage of Northern Voice photos by Duane Storey]