Napstaches in Austin

I recently gave a talk about my new book Unstuck at the SXSW Interactive conference in Austin, Texas. And I ended it with a challenge: make a napkin moustache (inspired by Phil Ford's Napkin Moustache A Day project) with a new friend while you're at SXSW. Several people took the challange and here are some of the results...

 

Yes, that's me on the right with an invisible napkin mustache!

Why not give it a try! It's an easy way to get out of your comfort zone and have an unusual experience that could spark some new ideas and connections. If you do try it out please share the results with me and I'll post them on the site.

Also if you're interested to know what I said, you can now hear the audio from my entire talk HERE.

Napkin Moustahce A Day Follow-Up

I've decided to periodically check back in with some folks who have completed their 365 projects...
 
From November 11, 2010 to  November 10, 2011 Phil Ford created a Napkin Moustache A Day...

#008 - One of my first really good ones, and something about the angle of this that makes my large head minuscule in comparison to the HUGE drink they served.

What are the biggest lessons/skills you learned from doing your project? Creativity, no matter what level you perform it as, will spark fires -infernos-  of the ability to pursue other projects even further.  Which leads to the answer to the next question...

#064 - I like this one for the note on the napkin.  I had an idea that if I ever got a "book deal" about the napkin moustache that this would have been the cover on the book.

In what ways did the project change your life? Doing this Napkin Moustache A Day has changed my life immensely.  I am a freelance writer, have the degree in English, but never did much more than write magazine articles, columns and reviews of movies and music over the years.  Naturally I always wanted to write on a larger scale, short stories, etc.  Through this small effort of blogging about putting a napkin on my face, not only did it spark my practice writing regularly, creatively, entertainingly, but it also brought me in contact with other creative people that I may have never met.  The project showed me determination of seeing things through, to have something more than just an idea in my head.  It jumps starts the creative engine that often stalls for people.  

#093 - I love this one, crossing generations!  This is one of the first "groupstaches" I did, when people started doing them with me.  She's a lady at a retirement home that we visit on my job on the library Bookmobile.  The best thing about this, is that she didn't think twice about doing this with me.  No reason was necessary because it was, well, fun!

Now what? More.  I have co-edited a book called "Richmond Macabre :  Nightmares from the River City", a book a short horror stories by various other authors (including one by me) that was well received and the first of its kind for Richmond, Virginia.  You can go to www.richmondmacabre.com to find out more or order it through your local bookstore or amazon.  I am also now involved in a few other creative projects, and planning more.  It's all about following through with these ideas now.

#144 - Hitting my creative stride with this, was creating mirror shots, hard to find me in it, plus I made it like a seek-and-find in the blog post.

Read Phil's original interview HERE.

#275 - The wackiest place I did it was on a roller coaster!  Awesome!  Also with my kid, we were on Apollo's Chariot at Busch Gardens.

See all of Phil's moustaches HERE.

Napkin Moustache A Day

My friend Phil Ford was inspired by me to start making a Napkin Moustache A Day!...

Why did you decide to do this project? Being silly for my wife at various meals, then Noah had to go and do this thing to inspire to create and all that...so, can I do this for a year?

How has doing a daily project affected your life? I have already had a positive response from people, some even asking to contribute (which I may do as the year goes on).  I think what has been interesting so far is the directions that I can go with it.  What is kind of happening is that I have been writing about what is happening at that moment to bring me right up to the photograph of the Napstache.  A captured diary moment, if you will.

See all of Phil's "napstaches" and read the stories of the meals behind them on his site HERE.