BlogHer '09 - Wanna Go?

Erin Kotecki Vest, aka Queen of Spain, is starting off the year with a most generous offer -- to give away 1 full registration to BlogHer! Queen of Spain will make this decision on January 5th and is paying for it out of her own pocket because she a. is a great person, b. believes in BlogHer, c. (in her own words) "I want this registration to be given to someone who would love to go, but really could use the extra help getting there."

I don't know about you, but I think that $198 (early bird pricing) is a HUGE help to most women in business - especially bloggers.

Where: Chicago @ The Sheriton and Towers When: July 24-25

Then, I started looking at the location's rooms rates. Rooms: $199/night (yikes!) -- Three nights with taxes $688.94!

..and I thought, geeze, Mel., how do you think you'd get to Chicago...since you sold your only vehicle...that means a plane or train, right?

Transporation: Up to you - $395 for me to fly round trip from GSP to Chi-town via US Airways.
But AmTrak, with my AAA discount, $272...and 27 hrs each way...leaves plenty of time for blogging and meeting new creative people. (I'd still have to figure out how to get from the train to the hotel and back...but I'm a pretty smart woman, and I have faith I could figure it out.)

Why Mel Edwards/Votre Vray Wants to Go

I live in a pretty happening little city with many wonderful men and women who are passionate and gifted in their craft. However, I admit, not once, ever, have I met anyone half as good at blogging as I think Queen of Spain (Erin) is. She knows her audience, seems at ease with all sorts of technology, and just getting to meet her would be worth the trip. Multiply that by all the other women (and men) who will be present, and then think of all the ways Votre Vray reaches out, stumbling, mumbling and tumbling, to creative people. I'm awestruck to think of how many more people I could teach and help through my blog if I really knew what I was doing with this medium and technology. (That also means more readers when I talk about you, dear creative friends.)

I admit, I have nothing to wear, no idea at this moment how I can afford it with all my other start-up expenses, but that free registration is the open door to my dream: to be the equivalent of the creative love child of Studs Terkel and Eve Ensler reaching out to creative people everywhere via this blog.

I've spent years telling the world I honestly believe you can live your dream if you're willing to do the work necessary to get there. Talent is nice, but hard work and determination can take you to realms you always dreamed of. I'm willing to figure out my end of the budget if Erin picks me.

Note for Erin (any any other new visitors to Votre Vray blog)
Since you don't know me or what I do, here's the quick summary. I'm a storyteller by education, and a teacher by training and practice, who has interviewed 75 creative women this past summer and wrote a one-woman show about women living a creative life called "Shout: Kiss My Art." The show is one step on the way to the big picture. The next step is March 13th and 14 I'll hold "A Weekend to Grab Your Truth" where women (and men) can come see "Shout: Kiss My Art" and then have a full day workshop on finding their best choices for living their truth -- or a fulfilled life based upon who they are and what they value. The third step is that the interviews will appear in part along with credits to all interviewees, even if they're not directly quoted, in the book (working title) Votre Vray Creative Women. I also list here (sidebar) all the "Friends of Votre Vray" to create traffic for the women I've interviewed and have two groups on Facebook to allow women to claim their art and crow about it (Shout: Kiss My Art group) and post what they're working on to create traffic to their sites (Votre Vray group). I do all this to empower people to live the life of their dreams and create avenues for creative people to find support networks as well as business to pay the bills, and I consider it my mission in life.

So, Dear Readers...are YOU in?
Visit the Queen of Spain's blog and let her know.
Just don't be surprise if you see my hat in the ring too...and may the winner have a wonderful 2009!

Until next time,
keep creating!
-Mel.