Fri 8/7 – Sun 8/9
Fourteen speakers, three panels and three days that will — they say — change your life. You in?
The Weapons of Mass Creation Fest is the Midwest’s premier design and entrepreneurship conference. It’s a chance for working class creatives to join together, share ideas, talk shop, network and be inspired.
Presented by Go Media, the WMC Fest is a melange of speakers, panel discussions, workshops, contests, podcasts and hangouts. Want critique of your work? There are even portfolio review sessions where you can get honest feedback on your design, illustration, and motion graphics portfolios by top firms.
Want to hang out with other creatives? There will be special sessions to do just that, whether it’s hanging out over Rising Star Coffee or joining a meet and greet.
Want to see what others are up to? Hang out at the Vendor Village & Maker Space where you can peruse tables of creative organizations and businesses and get interactive with 3D printers, button makers, t-shirt presses and a sketch space.
But of course the speakers and panelists will make up the bulk of the event. You can expect a little bit of everything — except fluff; these speakers are the real deal. They’re people serious about design, technology and the creative life and have a reservoir of knowledge to share based on their real life work experiences. And their topics are far from ho-hum.
Topics include “Why I’m an Asshole” — an examination of a “journey of risk, questionable decisions and ambiguous accomplishments”; “F#@% Your Function—Fuel Your Fire” — a candid conversation on unleashing your inner exceptionalist; “Constructive Defiance” — on living a successful DIY life; and “Reclaim Your Creative Confidence like a 5 Year Old” — how collaborating with youth can help rebuild your confidence.
Panels will cover everything from the state of merch to “Viewing Cleveland’s Creative Process Through a Lens.”
Then there are workshops. These 1-hour educational sessions will teach you new tools and successful habits to add to your career toolbox. Kat Hanratty will teach you how to be a Girlboss — specifically, ways to be recognized now as a future leader and the do’s and don’ts of communication that all women leaders need to know.
Michael Cavotta and Jen Margolis will show you what happens when you “harness your strengths, pin-point your passions and get grounded in the things that matter most to YOU.”
Wesley Hoffman will show you a new way to network and Dustin Lee will teach you how to build a passive income stream.
With so much knowledge to glean, maybe these three days really WILL change your life after all. Only one way to find out — register now and get ready.
The Weapons of Mass Creation Fest takes place Fri 8/7 – Sun 8/9 at the Allen Theatre.
Cleveland, OH 44115
Cool Cleveland correspondent Sarah Valek studied art and writing at Ithaca College. After graduation, she came back to Cle and served two years as an AmeriCorps*VISTA with the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless. She can be found on all sides of the city in pursuit of homeschooling activities for her son and the perfect soy latte. Contact her at CoolEditor@CoolCleveland.com or via Twitter.