Geek Girl Con 2011

This weekend I was in Seattle at Geek Girl Con!

I was asked to speak on a panel about parenting geeky kids, something I know quite a bit about. I talked about our After-Dinner-Art projects and encouraging kids in whatever they are interested in. Oh yes, and I did hand out homemade Yoda cookies to the very enthusiastic, hungry + geeky crowd.

I also spoke on another panel about running my own business. Since I have both an online retail business and a recipe blog that is also a business - I had a lot to say about the best way to promote through twitter and facebook. I was honored to be able to talk about juggling life along with long hours doing something I love.

I went to the con not knowing what to expect and by the end of the weekend I was shocked at just how much the experience touched me.

More than any other con I came away with a renewed desire to create, to become a better person. For the first time at a con - every single panel topic appealed to me and pertained to my interests. It was small enough to be able to walk and talk with my heroes and my peers and it really felt like the things that I did mattered.

I heard some people felt that the word 'Girl' made it exclusionary. I'd have to disagree. Geek Girl Con was all encompassing of all genres and no place showed that more than the vendor floor. There were video games, steampunk tables, artwork, jewelry and books. Things of all sorts of geeky nature that was of interest to every type of geek girl.

Not only was I lucky enough to speak on panels but I had many friends who also spoke on what they were passionate about. Geek girls in popular culture, Star Wars, Star Trek, Women in Fantasy and even a dude's panel about men who care about female characters and why they are important no matter what their gender.
There were women from television, movies, writers, artists - it was an amazing group of empowered women who all were just happy to celebrate our love of geek culture.

It was a fantastic weekend and I left feeling fulfilled and hopeful. Geek Girl Con was about camaraderie, creativity and support and I can't wait until the next one.