What to Know When You Go
 | |
| Author | Kira Layli Moore |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Kira Layli Moore |
| Genre | Article |
| Published | EF Issue 2015.4 |
Publication date | Fall 2015 |
| Media type |
|
| Pages | 14-15 |
| Website |
|
Things to know when going to the convention by Kira Layli Moore found on pages 14-15 of EF Issue 2015.4
Article Transcript
There are only two things you absolutely need to bring to the convention: yourself and a credit card. If you’ve got that covered, then there’s nothing to worry about. If you want to avoid a really really huge credit card bill from that week, then read on, dear reader.
Rooming at the Kalahari
You can always walk up to the front desk at the hotel, flash some plastic, an ID and wink to book whatever room is available (and hope that one is available). I should let you know, though, that using the ISCA booking code online or over the phone ahead of time will probably get you a better rate than a wink. Besides, I like to know there is a room waiting for me when I get there – but maybe that’s just personal preference. It is important to note that there will be very little sleeping actually going on during the week. (Don’t be alarmed if there are bodies strewn about the ballroom – they’re just napping.) Rooms mostly serve as a dumping ground for your clothing, and a place to shower. If you’re sharing a room, remember to mark off your area of the room using masking tape and warn everyone what will happen if they cross the line. On that note, if you’re looking for a roommate, put some messages out there on the ISCA members Facebook page and get in touch with your roomies ahead of time. Avoid the awkward situation where your roomie doesn’t know you were planning to share his or her room.
Registration
This is the easiest part. Find the registration table when you get there and ask the board members lots of questions... ...Seriously, though – if you’re pre-registered, all you have to do is pick up your goodie bag, T-shirt, and name tag with your competition number. You can pre-register by going to the ISCA website. Oh, yeah – you can also sign up for certain competitions like the speed, likeness, and retail competitions. If you want a coveted spot for Art Fight during the ice breaker, this is where you can pay to play.
Drawing in the Ballroom
So now you’ve arrived, you’ve put the hotel stay on the credit card. You’ve registered and peppered the board with lots of questions. You need some art supplies. Simple. Get a cab to Walmart and purchase your favorite Rose-art pencils and markers... ...what, you don’t like Rose-art? You want to bring your own? Well, I suppose that’s what everyone else does.... OK then, there are a few things to keep in mind. Pack only paint bottles with lids, make sure there are caps on all your markers and don’t run with scissors. You can use any art supplies you want. You just have to use them in the ballroom. This is where all the fun is happening and you don’t want to miss out on all the creative juices leaking out everywhere. Besides that – it’s actually the rule. Anything that goes up on your wall has to have been made on-site. Put art that you make up on your wall. There are usually a bunch of rolls of blue tape floating around that is safe to tape to the hotel walls. Don’t kidnap the tape. There are wall specifications and rule stuff. I don’t know them, so I can’t write about them. Go read the “rules” article. By the end of the week, if this is your first convention, you will be floored by the walls.
Mingling and Participation
There’s no space for wallflowers at the convention. We need that wall space for artwork. One aspect of the convention is to actually be walking around in the same non-virtual room. There are no “like” buttons installed on the walls, so you actually have to engage people using organically created sound waves projected from your face. Here’s your chance to talk about process and mediums and other artsy stuff. At any given time there will be wanderers, intense workers, and people getting distracted...and maybe a few nappers. You will switch between these categories during the week. This is the way of the convention. Take special care of the “intense workers.” Only you can prevent distraction. On the other hand, getting distracted is part of the fun, so if you glue in your earbuds, be prepared for an antisocial week. There are no participation ribbons at the convention, but what you get to bring home is what you learn during the week. There are guest artists and speakers who have lost a lot of last-minute sleep perfecting their seminars the night before. They have a lot to offer, so make like a sponge and soak up all that knowledge flowing freely from their brains and experience. Marinate in those aforementioned creative juices and try out some new things. Your brain will be in a pressure cooker. Avoid a messy explosion. Make art and relieve the pressure.
Attire
Remember, the Kalahari is a waterpark. So dress accordingly. You can wear your swimsuit in the ballroom if you like, but sometimes it gets cold in there. So you might want to have a backup plan for when it gets a little nippy. I like to bring something snuggly to cozy up in to nap – I mean work – when the ballroom temperature falls at night. The culmination of the week is the awards banquet. This is your chance to get all gussied up for the evening. All the greasy artists who have barely showered all week suddenly turn into beautiful swans. (Even though swans are actually kind of scary, and if you ever get chased by one: run.)
See you there
By now, you might be having anxiety dreams about the up-coming convention because you are so excited and nervous. This is normal. If you’ve been there before, you are probably addicted to the convention high, and if this is your first time – well, then – you will be changed forever.
See Also
External Links
This Navigation box may not show up on mobile browsers. Please see Exaggerated Features Issue 2015.4 for the full contents of this issue if the navigation box does not display.
 |
| | |
| |||
| |||
| |||
