My eyes were opened when I read this literacy study, showing that girls were drawn to digital media while boys preferred print. I was even more intrigued when I read further and learned that Black girls read the most out of any other ethnic group captured in the study, comprised of 32,000 students at 130 schools in the UK. I was a girl who loved to read and write. I'm now a grown woman who primarily utilizes digital media for communication. Children today are growing up in the digital age, and I can't help but wonder what the future (both near and distant) will hold for this medium. With those thoughts in mind, my next Mirror Images event was born.
On Sunday, September 27th, I'll be hosting my 2nd Mirror Images event, called Mirror Images: The Culture Of Digital Content Creation. After last year's awesome inaugural event, I knew I'd be back with another topic to delve into - and I'm really excited about this one.
After reading stats like the aforementioned girls in digital media, and breaking news about the rising rates of entrepreneurship among women, I was attracted to the idea of talking with women who have their hands in one or both of those areas - women who are digital content creators, who have expanded into entrepreneurship, and who have done the research to understand how women - particularly women of colour - are utilizing digital media in unique ways. As a blogger and freelance writer, I constantly engage in conversations about digital media online, but with Mirror Images, we're taking the discussion live and direct!
I'll be moderating a lively talk with the group, while representing the blogging/freelance writing side of digital content creation. My incredible panelists include:
Emily Mills: A mom, wife, full-time media professional, and creator of How She Hustles, a network for women. With solely a social media presence - no website or money spent on advertising - Emily has turned her online network into one that thrives offline, consistently selling out her How She Hustles live events.
Nehal El-Hadi: A writer, researcher, media producer, and doctoral candidate in Planning at the University of Toronto, where she's studying how women of colour engage online through social media.
Sajae Elder: A graduate of Humber College's Journalism School, Sajae is a digital content producer with a passion for hip hop, film, and cultural identity. Currently, she's a freelance writer, social media manager, and segment producer of the wildly popular podcast, Gyalcast.
Rochelle Brown: One of Canada's most popular vloggers, Rochelle is the mastermind behind Crazylightskingirl on YouTube. After vlogging for just one year, Rochelle's following has surpassed 110,000 subscribers on YouTube and over 64,000 followers on Instagram.
Dope lineup, right? I thought so. My sponsors SoulAfrodisiac and RFlavour are also helping to make this entire event pop.
If you've ever wondered about one or more of the following, raise your hand:
How do you start out in digital content creation, and how do you find your niche in what seems like an oversaturated area?
What's the trick behind turning an online audience into a live one?
How can digital content creation become an entrepreneurial income stream?
What is the best way to capture - and keep - an audience or online following?
What are the top social media applications, and how can you use them to share content or build business?
In what ways are women - and women of colour - utilizing digital media uniquely?
To get the answers to these questions and more, take that raised hand and click here to buy your ticket for Mirror Images!
There will be mix and mingling time. There will be an interactive talk with my panelists, moderated by yours truly. There will be a Q&A session for you to delve deeper into some of the themes and topics that arise. Come to connect offline, and leave with ways to improve online!
Here are the details:
When: Sunday, September 27th at 2-6pm
Where: The United Steelworkers Hall - 25 Cecil Street (near College and Spadina - free parking at rear, and wheelchair accessible)
How much? $15 earlybird tickets available at http://mirrorimages.ticketleap.com/digital/ (but not for long! Prices rising soon!)
Questions? Want to be a sponsor? Media inquiries? Get in touch with me.
My 1st Mirror Images event was a great success, and I'm looking forward to the same on September 27th - one month to go! I hope to see you there, where we can connect, learn, and grow together!