Navigating the many facets of the Multiverse

Fresh off my 2nd Multiverse Fan Convention and my 1st as a Guest presenter I am so humbled and grateful to have had that experience, and yes MULTIVERSE is more than a convention, it is an experience. I got the privilege of seeing a lot of it play out and come together over the course of the weekend, and that was amazing to be a part of and witness. 

There is so much energy to just reach out and absorb while at Multiverse. Watching folks from Chelsea Eckert making sure you know about this and that before we got there and encouraging you to check all this out via all of Multiverse's social media to Holly Hogan welcoming you to the experience to Charlotte Moore making sure you get the most out of every step of this experience to Aimee Andrichak (The Kitchen Witch) making sure you are hydrated and fed for the experience to Cooper Blackwood and his team making sure you hear, see, and read all of the goings on while sitting at a panel experience to Richard Fife queuing up the teleprompter so you can belt out your favorite tune and let loose at the Karaoke. What all this does for the congoer is place you in this state of bliss and amazing euphoria. The kind you so rarely get in this life unless you seek it. I kept saying to myself, "I belong somewhere, and this feels like home."

The above staff and countless others not mentioned work their asses off so you don't have to, though efforts of your own merit are certainly appreciated. It is very little work involved in procuring the bliss factor and it is virtually seamless. Something else though I feel like if you are so inclined, and I certainly was and tried hard to make sure of, shouldering the responsibility to make sure you are at the very least I am paying forward the love and energy I received on my first time at Multiverse. Now understand this is not a requirement and not for everybody either but if you are interested in how you evolve, that is certainly one of the best ways to embrace a role as part of this family. 

The other reason everyone works so damn hard to make this a success is that we do it for the 2 people who have set that standard, who believed in this idea and sought to make a better convention-going experience, and then made it into reality; your Convention Chairs Allie Charlesworth and Jesse Adams. 

While it is beyond true that they would not be able to pull this off (and probably would be sitting in a corner rocking back and forth in the fetal position having gone completely mad) without the help of a lot of the volunteers and staff, they had the vision and set a tone that reverberates throughout and that seems to fuel every person that becomes involved with this event, myself included. I really could not say enough nice things about these 2 beautiful souls.  

Every successful convention starts at the top and I can tell you having had the incredible opportunity to talk to both Allie and Jesse, to see their minds work, and watch them throughout the weekend,  I feel like I learn so much from that experience alone. What an incredible privilege that is and honestly I could take that and make that the sole reason I love this event but, of course, it is so much more than that. 

I am also learning from so many more as well. In that comes the panels and various rooms at Multiverse. Richard Fife the vice chair and the head of programming has assembled a team that may be second to none. I mean I am a bit biased because a lot of them are already my friends and were before I ever knew about this event but with an all-star line-up and great minds like these, it's almost failure-proof. I know that's a bold statement but I found it true and that does not come without the tremendous amount of effort and work they all put into year round to make it that. However, I feel like even when something goes not the way it's supposed to, when things happen that are uncontrollable, there is never a sense that it will go off the rails (from this point of view of my personal perception), and I am not sure I have felt that experience too many times in my convention/festival-going travels. Often what derails a great Convention or Festival is the lack of support, the lack of camaraderie, and letting the internal become part of the external. Once that happens its hard to recover. SO even if Behind the Scenes that is the case, the troubleshooting, where with all to deal with that is not in the guest's purview.  I can't help but appreciate that so much. 

The other thing that is so much better at Multiverse is the sheer intuition of its programs to reach further into familiar subjects and dive into those that should have a place within other cons but don't. In getting to spend a lot of time last year watching L. Marie Wood just program one of the best line-ups I had seen for a genre ladened program in the Horror track and then this year having spent some time watching Venessa Giunta and Robby Hilliard run an incredible Writer's Track, I am telling you right now the amount of learning, networking, and fun you have at any of these tracks is no coincidence as to why this convention rates as one of the highest you can go to. 

I also got to experience the Meet Track this year and what Gigi Eng and Anna Puerta have done to encourage that space and bring like-minded folk together. That may be the single most invaluable opportunity at a con there is for fellow artists and its more than just providing the space and putting folks together, it's the care in which they manage that and help foster it. Again I took so many mental notes from my experience in that room, things are going to make me a better manager, and Go Indie Now a better network too. 

When I come back to Multiverse I do hope to broaden my horizons and experience so much more that is there. Look that's another key to what also makes this a must-have-to, not just a "you should" convention to attend. Now having gone twice I can say I haven't even scratched the surface of what Multiverse has to offer. For a smaller con, with a much more compact setup, to be able to say that is priceless. 

I keep saying I want to experience the art room and create space. I need to make a point of that the next time and you all can hold me accountable here with this blog for that. Call me out if you see me spending too much time somewhere, unless its the bar. Once I am there it will be hard to get me to go anywhere else, although Venessa's awesome bedtime storytime for adults did do that, and I am so glad I got to experience that, thanks Venessa ;). All of you need to put that on your schedule list for next year. If all this, along with how everyone else's experiences you should read about (some great blogs out there on this event), doesn't make you think about attending, I am not sure anything will and I am saddened by that honestly. 

You know I do have one more reason to throw at you. I always talk about how with Go Indie Now the intention was to have a place where all Independent Artists could gather and mingle, support one another, and feel not so alone and feel included. Multiverse has taken that philosophy a step further and said this isn't just about the art and the artists (which are a big focus and part of it no doubt) it's about human beings. In the inclusive, loving, safe environment that Multiverse has fostered, I am not sure I have ever felt more welcomed, more encouraged, and more beautiful than in this space. 

Again that goes back to Allie and Jesse who aimed for that, who have worked tirelessly and have brought together the right people to make sure this stays that way. I mean I watch them interact with everyone and not a single person did they blow off. Even when they have a million things going on, and so much going right and wrong simultaneously they'd take the time to stop, converse, encourage, and be grateful and show that gratefulness to the guest talking to them. I am so damn lucky to observe and learn from that. 

I know firsthand the toll it plays on all of these folks. How difficult that all is to manage, but also how amazing it all is to see it come together too. That level of gratefulness and mindfulness is impressive. They're going to continue to do it too, and continue to strive to make it better (which honestly it always can be, nothing's perfect but boy does this convention come close), and I AM extremely grateful for that.     

So if you are on the fence, if you are thinking about what it would take to get to Atlanta in October, the uniqueness of the experience (because it is different for everybody), the sheer massive volumes of opportunities to not only network but find your people, to feel included, and to learn, grow, and just be; I am not sure you will find a better choice. Certainly, I think you should aim to give it a shot when you feel like you are making those types of decisions about where to have an experience like this. 

And there is no better time than now to sign up. Pre-registration is open for 2023. It is the cheapest it is to purchase a badge right now. You can go to https://www.multiversecon.org/register and experience it all for yourself. 

When you do, if you feel so inclined, make sure to come and find me too, and let's have a conversation or two, and if its okay, if you so allow it (and its okay if you aren't so keen on it and I will always ask first) a hug is waiting for you as well. Even if you choose to not find me, which is also fine, an event and experience like no other are there for the taking; right now.  

The question is are you ready to be a part of this multiverse? I hope to see you there next year if you are.