The Second Day, at Maker Faire

Welcome back! It's day two of Maker Faire. In telling our tale, I've spread it out a bit, so let's pretend yesterday was the First Day. So, now it's Sunday... even though you and I both know today is actually Wednesday... oh, never mind. Some things are better left unexplained.

MAKE would like to remind us: If you can't open it, you don't own it. And if you would like to learn more about MAKE, the Shed, the Blog, the Faire, the people, and the magazine, please *click* here!

Max, Maria and I were hanging out in the Young Maker's area, when I recognized Dale Dougherty, founder of Make Magazine and Maker Faire. Please note, and appreciate how calmly I write these words. This was a Geek Celebrity Moment, and I cannot emphasize enough how super stoked and awestruck I was, and still am, about meeting Dale Dougherty. I introduced him to Max, gave him our card, told him about Maker Prom, and Love & Rockets~Young Makers Club, then cooly, calmly released him from my Spazness Geek Celebrity Fan Grip. Personally, I feel I have matured and mellowed since my first bout of Maker Faire Geek Celebrity Spazness, when meeting Gever Tulley made highlights #'s 3-10 of our day at the Faire.

I thought it was extremely cool that Mr Dougherty was just being another guy at Maker Faire, hanging out, taking in all the sights... not with an entourage, not schmoozing with the suits. Like most people at Maker Faire, he was getting engaged with the makers, the young kids, the dreamers, the hobbyists, the tinkerers, and a person like me... a mom who makes, and who wants this country to respect S.T.E.A.M.M. and the people who champion makers, of all ages. Thank you Mr Dougherty. I like what you, and Make, are accomplishing.

Max + Skallops = Awesome!

Our Chickenbloggiversary Giveaway is over, but the fun continues.

By the second day, Max was fully on board with Skallops and his creations. With his new shirt, and some free space in the Young Maker's area, Max was able to share his love of designing and making with passersby, like Dale Dougherty. Maker Faire really isThe Biggest Show (and Tell) on Earth!

This!

Let's face it: I am about to run out of adjectives, and this post has barely begun. Either I can say "awesome" forty-two more times, or we can see whether I am able to, with literary-artistic license, make up whole new descriptive words!

Seasawspectacular!

The art cars, and bicycle wonders at Maker Faire restore magic. Yes, magic. Maybe you never lost it, but sometimes I forget the sheer bliss of imagining a new kind of ride, a fantastical mode of transportation. Someday. I will ride in a Neko Bus, and if it isn't at Maker Faire, or in Arcata, at "The Triathlon of the Art World," then please, God, let it be in my own backyard. That would be awesome. Amen.

Metal and Flames, and thousands of people in love with making and sharing. It feels like home.

Think, Make, Tinker, Play. All day.

The drive home is about nine hours, and the whole way, we discuss next year, and the next project. Maker Faire gets us fired up.

People are inside. Inside this metal monster! Maria was over come with emotion and gobsmacked, she said, "It's. just. beautiful!"

I love seeing that kind of uncensored, moment of love at first sight. Children express it so well.

We go to meet the Makers. We go for the thousands of ways we can share our interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Music, and Math, with people like Cody Vrosh. Unlike malls, and typical conventions, where everyone wants to sell you something, or promote their thing, at Maker Faire you meet artists, inventors, engineers, educators, tinkerers, who respect the process of making, embrace the learning, want to share and engage with others, and who are curious about your experience, your tinkering, too! The whole place and event is like a massive, collaborative dialogue about ideas, solutions, creativity, sustainability, and sharing, generously sprinkled with encouragement and hope. It all makes me feel very excited, and supportive of people like Cody, and his art, and all the participants and visitors who want to make something.

Martin!

Martin Hsu! Thumbs up for this artist, who officially tagged me into his Miyazaki Club! Hey, Martin, I haven't forgotten... you'll be at Comic Con, and we're going to see about hosting a movie night during that week. It would definitely be something from The Club archives!

Glowrious!

Have you heard? Chickenblog was "EXTERMINATED!" By the Dalek Guy. Which, geekalogically speaking was Whotastic.

Maker Faire has this HUGE presence, with big sights and massive stimulus opportunities, and it has opportunities for quiet, introspective, intimate, cerebral moments. I would be hard pressed to not find something that makes me feel engaged, sparkling, inspired, humored. James, and his mom, Robin, came this year, and I think they would agree: The whole place awakens your mind! Firing on all cylinders! Something about being that stimulated and engaged with intelligent, curious masses... it's beautiful, like an exquisite pattern in nature, both rationally sound and emotionally gratifying.

Eli, playing his Smoked Salmon Box guitar. In a separate post, I will be sharing all the projects designed, made, shared, and in progress from Love & Rockets~Art & Engineering, Young Makers Club.

I want to do another entire post just about Young Makers, and all that I love about the children who attend and participate at Maker Faire. And I'll try not to get too emotional, or rant, too hard, about what a colossal tragedy our country and states are making of schools. The children are our future, but budget cuts for public schools are giving them a bum rap today.

Young people love learning! Seriously. And, they have a lot to teach, too. We need these places, where we can all exchange our knowledge and encourage each other.

Being curious, feeling safe to be yourself... it cannot be topped.

It's all just so very, very marvelous... like a double unicorn rainbow of cycling magic! It's indescribably beautiful.

Is there a word for this level of joy?

Yes. Yes, I do have a next project in mind, thank you.

One ticket, people! One ticket, and the whole day is yours to play with and enjoy!

People + Pedals + Steel = Happy-Go-Round

Next year, she may reach the pedals!

The Front Porch is mobile, musical, and homemade.

More Young Makers! Bambi, and Alex, and Maria! I cannot help myself. I love that Make gives all the Makers space and credit in their program, links in the website. They see the future is now! And they respect that.

Alex rode in The Whiskey Drome, last year. It looks wild. It is wild.

He caught the hat. They're moving fast. The Drome is big, for something assembled and transported around, but small for their numbers and speeds. Like I said: Wild!

It makes this great creaking noise, and the boards flex. I cannot decide if I would try this. For sure it would have to be just me in there.

It sure was a crowd-pleaser. Maria could hardly be torn away. Maybe she's got a velodrome future?

I didn't realize how far back these go... The WhiskeyDrome is a homage to the turn of the century velodromes that would travel the country to wow the populace with acts of 2-wheeled daring-do. Specifically Keith's Bicycle Trick of 1901.

Happy: head to toe, inside, and out. All over.

We were all treated to a celestial marvel, and the thousands of us there, finishing our Maker Faire weekend of marveling at the manufactured wonders, were absolutely enthralled and delighted by the show put on by our Sun and Moon. Not everyone knew that this would be happening, or what to expect, but enough generous, informed citizens, came prepared not only to enjoy the spectacle, but also to share, and they passed out these viewers! Sweet!

It was as much fun to share the viewer with people who didn't have one, or who were unaware of what was transpiring, as it was to witness the event. Slowly the day darkened, it got noticeably cooler, and the shadows and reflections... wondrous strange!

The trees and other forms made crescent shadows everywhere. And all over the exclaimed joy and amazement filled the air.

William's shadow and the crescent reflections, as captured on Geoff's phone.

Like a light show, a Maker Prom grand finale, a school field trip beyond imagining... and we were all together to love it all, to enjoy wonder and curiosity.





This moment made it all worthwhile.

Maker Faire 2012, Day One

We are going to peek into Maker Faire, Bay Area, 2012.

Only a peek, because there is so much, so very, very much, that a single post in one blog could never fully share all of the marvels and wonders that are Maker Faire.

We begin, at a sort of beginning. Not exactly the part where we drove, all the way from San Diego to Santa Barbara, camped, made our way to Nepenthe, then drove directly to the gates of Maker Faire, barely in time to get our passes, check in and have a pre-show glimpse. Not exactly. But, yes... let's begin at the pre-show glimpse. We enter the fairgrounds, as the Makers are test driving their rides, fine tuning their robots, carrying tables, dishing up a complimentary paella dinner!

And we realize... this is going to be big. Epic. Better than we hoped. We arrived earlier than in years past, we were staying longer, new friends joined us, and for the first time Love & Rockets would be participants, too!
This is photo-laden, long post. I am not apologizing for that. I'd rather apologize for what I have not included. I have two three intentions here:

1. To make a photo album for Love & Rockets, and our friends and family who helped us get here.

2. To spread the message: S.T.E.A.M.M. education is vital, we want it, we need it, we make it, we share it. Science, Engineering, Art, Music and Math, in the hands of makers, tinkerers, and thinkers is awesome.

3. To convince you to find a Maker Faire, start a club, embrace a hobby, make something! As Adam Savage implores us, "Make what you can't not make!"

The Young Makers of Marin. We featured them and their amazing Saphira in a short video. Now they've come with the much anticipated Viper, a flight simulator inspired by Battlestar Galactica... do watch this promo video they produced!
Who knew Daleks are so huggable?

Early arrival, as participants? Definitely, a must.

Good morning, Love & Rockets!

Present: Max, James, William, Alex, Maria, Bambi, and Eli, Natalie and Geoff.

Arriving soon: Suki, Grant, Cameron, Jame's mother, Robin, Isaac and his cousin, Hannah, Michal and Kellie, Bill, Alison, Dom, and Marissa!

New, next Year!?! Jarret, Bobbie, Michael, Patricia, Filippo, Karen, Luca, Cecilia, Corina, Caia, and Chris? You? We hope so.

The man with the Iron Wooden fist! Everywhere you turn, you will see something amazing, and some things just make you stop and ask, "How did you do that?" "Can I take your picture?" And you find yourself meeting an enthused, creative, curious person who is more than happy to share. He modestly described his last minute decision to make something to bring to the Faire.

He opened a panel, and explained how it was working, how he wanted to improve it. He had us eating out of his hand! This guy! Design and function, and coolness. Maker Faire!

We asked to be pictured with him, because he is so cool. And funny thing... as we are finishing, we hear "Can I get a picture?" So we tried to clear away from the Wooden Robo Hand man, but the person wanting a picture was actually asking to take our photograph!

Isaac! Hannah! We met up, in the same place as last year, and jumped right back into sharing the awe and wonder of all the Maker Faire sights.

Like making envelopes and sending hand written letters through the generous and always uplifting St. Claire Aeronauts! They have welcomed us aboard every year, since our very first visit. Thank you, St. Claire Aeronauts!

Maria wrote a very long letter, and the Aeronauts generously and patiently provided all the supplies, support, and encouragement she could hope for.

New creations, re-creations, all creations... behind every tree, everywhere you turn!

Some are giant!

Some wave back! We Like Giant Cardboard Robots who wave back!

See you around!

Tea, anyone?

It's impossible not to imagine building an art car after a day seeing riding reclining chairs, cupcake cars, tea pots on wheels! Let's go!

Also cool? Buds! Best buds, forever. It's awesome running into friends. You squeee together, exchange recommendations,sqeee again, and make plans to meet later. I sent them off to meet the group that built a submersible, and their captain, a world renowned giant squid expert... sqeee!

Now, let's build a fire! Or try to, at least. It's a bit harder than you might realize. If you feel your wilderness skills could use some honing, some sharpening, then you may want to go to camp, with the Trackers of Trackers Earth.

They say, "The ancient skills are coming back," and we say, Yes!

We also say yes! to King Kong and Jaws doing the high five, 'cause it's nice.

Robin and James. Also nice. Very, very nice.

Hey! Look! It's Marshall! And Max! They've popped in to remind everyone to leave a comment at Chickenblog, for a chance to win a brand new toy- Skallops! Skallops are a clever little tool for building fantastic structures and creations with playing cards. The drawing is May 30th... go, throw your name in the fez!

Whimsical? Fantastical? Fanciful? Colorful? Is there one word for this? We could describe it forty-two ways, and hardly reach the end.

The day began with giant wonders, and as we made our way to the meeting spot at the end of the day, we found ourselves, again, standing with giants.

"We'll meet at the Hoops at eight-o'clock," that was the message we passed around. And everyone who had come before, remembered the hoops from last year.

And what better way to finish Maker Prom than with music, rhythm, swaying, and friends?

Is it any wonder, after last year, we were inspired to make our own hoops? Big hoops are big fun.

James little friend used his hoop for time travel. Pretty much anything is possible with this crowd.

Our group is gathering, the sun is setting. We're making dinner plans... but the fun doesn't stop.

One!

Two!

Through!

Tuck...

and roll!

Everyone finds the meeting place. We'll all go to dinner together.

A beautiful smile. A beautiful day.

Kellie shoop-shoop-hoops. I think she'll come back next year. Don't you agree?

Maker Prom, and a reunion. James has returned from Massachusetts... time to catch up, talk story, share the hoop.

Meanwhile... Max sustains his spin marathon.

And Michal finds his groove.

Even after the Faire, we will recount all the moments we shared, the ideas we formed, the beliefs we abandoned. We will make new plans, too.

Maker Faire... it's like traveling in time, and space... the S.T.E.A.M.M. exists here, this day, we bring it with us, and we take it out and spread it. I am going all poetic, profound... ten hours with fifty thousand engaged people wakes your brain and enlivens everything, including the deep thoughts, and other musings!

Permission to Make, Play, Tinker. Do you remember the feeling you could be anything, try anything? You were an artist, a firefighter, a Ninja, a chef? You still are. Maker Faire reminds me that I can still try, play, experiment, fail, seek help, try again. What a gift.

We like to believe that the Faire never actually packs up and leaves. It is waiting for us, and we will return.

Hey, Grant.

Hands, hands, sticks, and drums. Beating out one last tune, before the setting sun.

Last dance. They're closing the gates.

It's eight o'clock, friends. And our first day at Maker Faire is done...

though we have not nearly run out of fun.