Ever had a feeling maybe you were doing the wrong thing?  Everything seems logical in your mind.  All the reasoning behind a particular decision support what you’re about to do.  You’ve bounced the idea off of a few friends and they liked it.  Yet, there’s something nagging in the back of your brain, whispering, “Are you sure you want to do this?”  For those of you old enough to remember Animal House, it’s the devil on one shoulder and the angel on the other.

Well, that’s what I was feeling yesterday morning,  just before I pushed the “Publish” button on the blog about trying to turn Akron into a photo-educational hub!  However, between Facebook comments and comments here, I actually got one of the biggest responses I’ve ever had.   They were all positive except for the one guy who said, “Why Akron?”   To which my response is simply “Why not?”

I’ve also got a HUGE “thanks” to my buddy Jasmine Star who indirectly helped spread the word yesterday with her interview of me on her blog.  Ms Jasmine, there’s a reason why close to 3000 people showed up for your program at WPPI when there were only 1200 seats!   Now I’ve got to talk you into coming to Akron in the winter, so you’ll appreciate the California weather – seriously, if you haven’t seen Jasmine’s blog put her in your network like I suggested in her profile as a Summer School instructor a couple of weeks ago.

And one of my most favorite comments was in an email from a friend:

…”So if I thought your idea was nutzo I would say so.  I think it’s brilliant.  Akron is the perfect place for a photo-ed hub for all the reasons you mentioned and more.  It’s also a cheap place to stay and there are several good places to hold workshops…It’s scenic there, too….then, in reference to Matthew Jordan Smith he wrote,

“Oh, and btw, I’m signing up for MJS.  He’s amazing.  And he’s got depth – not a one trick pony.  I respect that.  The guy could shoot concrete blocks and make them look sexy.”

Only time will tell if we can make Akron a hub or not, but thanks to all the encouragement from yesterday we’re going for it with an even greater intensity. 

I’ve made fun of cities like Akron most of my life, but you don’t know an area until you actually live there.  It’s right in the heart of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park system.  It’s got lots of good restaurants and places to photograph – not the beaches of Malibu, but places that are just pretty, more like the scenery the majority of American photographers have to photograph at every wedding.  It’s simply real.   And, if you’re flying in, Greystone is only 20 minutes from CAK (Akron Canton Airport) and 45 minutes from Cleveland Hopkins.

So, thank you for your support.  Thank you for believing we can pull it off.  Thank you for embracing the idea.   But I still need your help spreading the word!  You read the speakers we’re working on for the first round. 

Who else would you like to see come to Akron?