Adobe Max Keynote: Create Tomorrow Together was the first networking event that I attended on October 26. This event was for three days but I only took part in two sessions on the first day. Before the sessions began, there was an introduction from multiple people who were talking about the importance of Adobe and what to expect for the new features in the Creative Cloud Apps. Shantanu Narayen kicked off the event, he is the chairman, president, and chief executive officer of Adobe. Narayen talks about creativity and how it is powering the digital economy from every surface and media type. Creativity is a catalyst for positive change and is about telling your story in fresh and impressing ways by using design to visually create that concept. Not only can it be done individually but it is also a team sport that brings together the community.
Another speaker who stood out to me was Scott Belsky, who serves as Adobe’s Chief Product Officer and Executive Vice President of Creative Cloud. He talks collaboration and the future of connected creativity or in simpler terms, creativity + connectivity = impact. Connected creativity includes your assets which is the Creative Cloud libraries such as colors, fonts, etc., your apps which are the cloud documents and your team who determines your impact based off of organization and alignment.
The first session that I attended was The Art of Storytelling: Making an Impact, hosted by Esther Havens Mann. She is a Humanitarian Photographer, Storyteller and Speaker based in Dallas, Texas. Mann spoke about how to photograph someone with dignity and respect and how to tell stories through images. There is beauty in connectivity between the person and the camera. It is crucial to keep in mind that the person is more important than your photograph, building a relationship with who you want to photograph is something that should be done beforehand which includes asking them for permission to take their picture. Getting to know them determines the climax and resolution in someone’s story. The questions you should ask yourself when building their story are, what did they overcome? what are they hoping for? what were the way things were? and how are they now?
The second session that I attended was The Future of Design: Creating the World You Want to See, hosted by Laci Jordan who is a Multi-disciplinary Artist from Alabama. Jordan talked about how to get yourself out there in the design industry, as well as dropping some of her favorite gems and tools on us to help us grow and become the best version of ourselves. Three of my top messages that were said by Jordan were, “Pay attention to your experiences, nothing in your journey happens for no reason.” I believe this is absolutely true, no matter what stage you are in your life. People, opportunities, and failures all happen for a reason and sometimes it happens for the better. Laci Jordan also stated, “Closed mouths don’t get fed!” I probably heard this quote over 20 times in my entire life, it encourages me to always have a voice because my voice may have a positive impact on others. Lastly, another message that stood out to me was, “Your difference is your strength, stay different”. I used to struggle with being myself when it comes to social environments because I tend to fear that nobody will accept me, but I began accepting the fact that I am different for a reason and that’s what makes me stand out.
