Tag Archives: stories

Community Feasthouse

“Starting Your Story, part 1” – Social Marketing Kung-fu / workshop & spiel

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Dave Olson and students at Social Marketing Kung-fu Workshop / Spiel in May 2013
Dave Olson and students at Social Marketing Kung-fu Workshop / Spiel in May 2013

“What to do on day one of any new start-up project” – whether for business, nonprofit profit, campaign or revolution including: naming / branding, media kit and various descriptions, and building culture, excitement and a posse – all without spending much money – are covered in part 1 of a fast-paced *master class* workshop by Dave Olson from  May 2013.

Download: Starting Your Story – Social Marketing Kung-fu 1 – workshop / spiel (1:07:02, 98.7MB, .mp3)

Community Feasthouse podcast feed – All manner of discourse from media interviews to various lectures and presentations. Topics include social web fu, creative culture, podcast making, DIY publishing, community cultivating, art making and related adventures.

Continue reading “Starting Your Story, part 1” – Social Marketing Kung-fu / workshop & spiel →

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Short Fiction

“Shoebox” story collection / chapbook, 1987-1991

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Shoebox, chapbook / front cover
Shoebox, chapbook / front cover

Sometime around 2004, i went to a pal’s wedding in Connecticut – knowing i would see some old pals from Utah, unseen for many years, i assembled a run of (whopping) 4 copies of (an obviously handcrafted/bound) chapbook.

This little tome called “Shoebox” contained stories written while living in Utah alongside some of these lads in hopes of sparking memories and giving a little something of myself in thanks for their inspiration and friendship.

Cover photo is a thistle growing inexplicably from the red rocks of the Grand Canyon’s north rim on a wander i did with the groom of the aforementioned wedding.

Shoebox, chapbook / title page
Shoebox, chapbook / title page

As it goes, i never heard anything about the booklet, and forgot about the project until again Utah (autumn 2018) and buddy Dane’s copy surfaced during a move. I dutifully snapped a few lousy pictures for documentary evidence of creation.

The stories were written mostly in the “sudden fiction” style i’d experimented with after encouragement from James Thomas and Francois Camoin.

Shoebox, chapbook / table of contents
Shoebox, chapbook / table of contents

Continue reading “Shoebox” story collection / chapbook, 1987-1991 →

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Social / Startup / Cmty

Social Marketing Kung fu: Choose a topic card, a story or spiel may follow

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Choose a topic card, a story or spiel may follow

These note cards are residual evidence of a “lunch ‘n learn” and/or other spiel presented in some context or another.

As it goes, i can’t cover all of my Social Marketing Kung Fu(n) topics o’ wisdom in one session, so i make a “game show” where attendees choose their own adventure by choosing from these little prompts.

Shared here for future reference.

PS You can hear loads of my spiels about topics including: marketing, start-ups, PR, renegade social community building etc. via the Community Feasthouse podchannel if inclined.

 

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Northern Voice x 11, Pecha Kucha x 4, Static Montages

Forgotten Vancouver Stories (aka Poets, Punks and Revolutions) / collage art boards

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Forgotten Vancouver Stories: 1 - Everything is ephemera
Forgotten Vancouver Stories: 1 – Everything is ephemera (maps, tickets, pins, pennants) #daveostory

Artifact dossier: Collage art boards from “Forgotten Vancouver Stories (aka Poets, Punks and Revolutions)” spiel presented in various formats at Pecha Kucha Night Vancouver, All-start edition, and Northern Voice 2013 closing keynote. Video and roundup of both prezos exists elsewhere in this archive.

Each collage “slide” was handmade (obviously) with ephemera from my personal collection (exceptions credited on final “slide”) then, arranged on hemp cloth “storyboards”, photographed by Rachel Ashe, then disassembled. An analog to digital remix of sorts. Presented here in rather large size for your printing/screensaver/ amusement and posterity.

Forgotten Vancouver Stories: 2 - Young time stories
Forgotten Vancouver Stories: 2 – Young time stories

Continue reading Forgotten Vancouver Stories (aka Poets, Punks and Revolutions) / collage art boards →

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Post'd (cards + letters)

Post’d: Artifacts from likely forgotten places

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Artifacts from likely forgotten places. Resurrected with fresh stories augmented with inky pens, broken typewriters, scissors and glue. Possibly sent to you.

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Northern Voice x 11

Forgotten Vancouver Stories: video release / artifact round-up

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Northern Voice x 11

Revolutions, Punks & Poets: Vancouver’s Forgotten Stories

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Storymaker Dave uncleweed Olson shares an eclectic variety of stories from Vancouver’s counter-culture history on a stage adorned with a record player, campfire & cub scout blanket, art easel, flowers and an Expo 86 mug – plus pulls artifacts from an old-timey suitcase to illustrate forgotten past of a city which is/was much cooler than most realize.

Presented at Northern Voice, June 2013 in Vancouver, Canada, his 11th presentation to this noted personal expression conference (and his last talk before a medical “retirement”).

Filmed by Bruce Sharpe and Andrew Lavigne
Edited, Directed, Produced by Andrew Lavigne (also: With Glowing Hearts and Generation Social).

Music: Derek K Miller (RIP) “(You’re the) Big Sky”

Dave uncleweed Olson shares Forgotten Vancouver Stories
Dave uncleweed Olson shares Forgotten Vancouver Stories

 Topics:

  • Frederick Varley – Group of 7 painter who lived in Vancouver for 10 years
  • Grateful Dead – (tried to) play free shows at Second Beach and Kits Beach in 1966
  • Bob Masse psychedelic poster artist
  • Gastown Riots, March on Blaine, Rock Against Racism
  • bev. davies – rock n roll photographer, community chronicler, punk rock mom
  • Blues in Vancouver – Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee at the Bunkhouse
  • Vancouver punk rock glory days DIY spirit and fanzines (+ final days of The Clash and importance of ephemera)
  • Clayoquot Sound logging blockades
  • Jake Milford and the Canucks recruiting Swedish players in the 1970s
  • United Empire Loyalists + Burner Boys bringing jam band culture
  • Venues of note: Afterthought, Retinal Circus, York Theatre, the Cave, the Bunkhouse
  • Cubscout campfire blankets
  • Howard Hughes, Errol Flynn
  • ++ bits of Kris Krug, Bob Kronbauer, Rebecca Bollwitt, Dan Mangan, Jason Vanderhill and campfire helpers: Mark Blevis, Kemp Edmonds, John Biehler, James Lester, Ariane Colenbrander, Nicholas Demers

Continue reading Revolutions, Punks & Poets: Vancouver’s Forgotten Stories →

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Community Feasthouse, Social + Cmty + Start-up

Creative Social Publicity and Promotion preso – SFU, 2016

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sfu-class

From time to time, I visit various classes associated with B.C.’s Simon Fraser University’s fine publishing program under the stewardship of Suzanne Norman. This time around, the class was something about personal publicity and brand building. As such, I share anecdotes gleaned from Hootsuite and dozens of other personal social and community projects from over the years of activism, media outreach and marketing.

Head to class for: Creative Social Publicity and Promotion at SFU (1:56:08, 84MB, .mp3)

More: Roundup of artifacts from Creative Social Publicity and Promotion at SFU

Community Feasthouse

Making Great Swag – soliloquy on a trail, part 3

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Dave (L) and Richard Loat shoot swag from atop the Hootbus at SxSW HootHockey event in 2012
Dave (L) and Richard Loat shoot swag from atop the Hootbus at SxSW HootHockey event in 2012 (photo by ?)

Creating memorable, keep-able promotional items can enhance your brand / campaign rather than getting tossed out. On a hiking trail, Dave shares “rules” and considerations from experience, including many examples and anecdotes, ergo:

Rules:

  • Light enough to travel
  • Photo-op-able
  • Sizes suck
  • Quality goods
  • Metaphorically yours
  • Will it fly?
  • Thrifty for lots
  • If you’ve seen it before, don’t do it

Examples:

  • Scarves (muted design, subtlely design, useful in chill too)
  • Flags (simple design, sized to fold, wear like a cape, bonus for decorating event)
  • Beer coozies (low cost, party-friendly, connect to home)
  • Passports (independence, handy for notes, interactive)
  • Pins and stickers (easy giveaways, make a bundle for excitement, mailable, each unique)
  • Temp tattoo (inspired by Sailor Jerry rather than just a logo)
  • Masks (remixed from users, great for events, provides interactive activity)
  • Plush owls (remixed from user, take like a traveling gnome, shoot from cannon!)

Other Considerations: 

  • Design for your audience and crew
  • Workshirts with patches + bandanas
  • Swag-box exchange and unboxing
  • Budget guidelines
  • Making best t-shirts

Breaking rules:

  • Lighters and pint glasses with etched logo (renegade “hippie” culture)
  • Coasters (allowed us to leave bread crumbs, bars/restaurants find useful)

Recorded spontaneously in May 2013 on Varley Trail, Lynn Valley, North Vancouver

Listen to: Making Great Swag – soliloquy on a trail, part 3 (23:37, 192k mp3, 37MB)

 

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Northern Voice x 11

Forgotten Vancouver Stories at NV13 – Annotations, Remarks, etc / artifact roundup

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Lists + Awards + Profiles

Vancouver Stories from the Museum on @TheRushTV show

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After a recent appearance discussing HootSuite culture, i sat down with Fiona Forbes and guest host Peter Verge to share a few of my favourite – somewhat-forgotten – Vancouver-centric stories. This time, the set was on-location at the Museum of Vancouver.

I shared anecdotes about rock and roll photographer Bev Davies, the Group of 7 bohemian painter Frederick Varley, and the elusive Grateful Dead shows in 1966 + name check for Janis Joplin and Big Brother and the Holding Company.

The show also broadcasts a livestream which includes all the in between banter and offside comments and anecdotes from the Twitter stream.

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Community Feasthouse

Continuing the Conversation After the Talk – soliloquy on a trail, part 2

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Dave performs "Crowd Sourcing Community Projects like Tom Sawyer" at SxSW 2012
Dave performs “Crowd Sourcing Community Projects like Tom Sawyer” at SxSW 2012 (photo by ?)

Public speaking is often/usually undertaken for a purpose beyond simply giving a talk. Indeed, starting and continuing a conversation is important for gigs relating to business endeavours, civic causes, art projects. After capturing attention and sharing ideas, documenting the reactions, questions, and reviews, as well as following-up in a meaningful manner, give a speech a life beyond the lectern.

Along a trailside stream, Dave shares practical tactics – both off-line networking and on-line curation – for doing so learned from diverse gigs for myriad purposes. Unedited and spontaneous, transcription also available. 

Unedited and spontaneous, transcription also available. Recorded April 2013.

Listen to: Continuing the Conversation After the Talk – soliloquy on a trail, part 2 (21MB, 192k mp3, 11:44)

NOTE: Storify (sadly and neglectfully) pulled the plug on the service in May 2018, the noble company Wakelet now offer similar / same functions.

More: Transcribed version of “Continuing the Conversation After the Talk {DRAFT coming eventually}

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