Hi gaterites! It’s been an incredibly busy and amazing week–and I’m beginning to hone in on my business ideas and focus (stick around for an upcoming post…;)). Yay. And here are yummies from around the web:

{Photo-graphee} JT365 – the photography of Jeremiah Tolbert

Jeremy’s photography is out.stand.ing. And I am fortunate enough to know him through Cohere. I have my eye on several photographs to get made into deliciously awesome prints. 

{Leaping. And it’s Dark.} A Provocative Perspective on Fear – Ronna Detrick

Fear is an emotion–not an entity. And even if I’m scared, I’m gonna be okay. {I was scared when I proclaimed/admitted/squeaked in my last blog post that I’ve started my own business. If I say WRITE that I’ve started a business, it’s out there for the world to see–and I’m accountable. That was scary for me. But it’s gonna be okay. It’s gonna be awesome, actually.}

{RSSing} I killed my Reader – DT Pennington 

I’ve read this post at least four times, and I enjoy it every time. Mr. Pennington asks, in essence, “Where is the good online content–I mean the really good content?” I say good content absolutely exists…but it takes work to find it. Just like walking into a library, there’s a lot of mediocre, drab content. But there are gems, too–classics, even. The same is true for the web. 

{Delight for Eyes, Ears & Brain} blakejackson.me

I pretty much love errthing on Blake’s tumblr. Really, it could single-handedly fuel Gater Snacks. So just go check it out & subscribe. :)

{Image} via bear

{Reel} Your Secret

(Originally seen on The Mindfulist.) I am completely smitten with this video.

Your secret from Jean-Sebastien Monzani on Vimeo.

{Eye candy} 20×200 – An Art Project

“(limited editions × low prices) + the internet = art for everyone”

Affordable art. Awesome. I love going to museums, galleries and shows. But I always felt like I would only be able to buy original art once I had a high-paying job and owned a home. There are tons of art collectives on the web where you can buy art directly from artists–for affordable prices, too. 20×200 happens to be my latest go-to site.

{Brain candy} Wordpost: “There are no blog how-tos for the hard stuff”

And here is where you get a well-written, thoughtful kick in the pants. You’ll like it – I promise. Here’s a gem: “reading and talking about action feels like a great substitute for real action.”  The gist of Andrew’s superb post is this: spend more time offline than you spend online; rock your business; DO something.

{Geeky} 5 Practical Uses for Foursquare Tips

Mike Fraietta, who just left Boulder (sadface) to start a new adventure in Toronto (happyface) wrote a great article about the usefulness of Foursquare. Wha?? You didn’t know Foursquare could be useful? Boo.Yah.

{Yay} via Bear

I had an awesome evening this summer playing in the park in the rain. When I came across this photo, it put me right back into that moment.

{squeeee} Freelance Camp comes to Fort Collins – July 28

My Front Range Colorado freelancer/independent worker/entrepreneur friends: get thee to Fort Collins on Wednesday, July 28. It’s Freelance Camp, and it’s going to rock your location-independent socks off.

The concept is easy. Show up. Express interests and ask questions. Break into small groups and exchange knowledge. Become a better freelancer.

Who should come? If you sell your services (or are considering it), you are a perfect fit: developer, designer, accountant, blogger / journalist, realtor, lawyer, carpenter, engineer, financial adviser, marketer, sales, musician, artist, inventor… Historically, the bulk of attendees are from hi-tech.

Get your Freelance Camp Fort Collins ticket here. I’ll be there. {And hit me up for a $5-off discount code good until July 7th!}

{dreamings} Wonder What Their Dream Is – on whitehot truth

If you’re already familiar with Danielle Laporte, you know the rawness and beauty of her ideas. If you’re not yet familiar, go check out whitehot truth. The above post was published almost a year ago, but it sits in my “favorite blog posts” folder and I return to it regularly. [I found this specific post through Gwen. Thanks, G].

I love to wonder about other people’s dreams. Discovering other people’s dreams is why I’ve devoted the last 6 months to meeting people–meeting anyone who will grab a cup of tea or lunch with me. I’ve been enlivened by other people’s dreams–and theirs shape and energize my dreams. Wanna share your dreamings? Skype, email, meet me. Seriously.

{orating} Why Multimedia Storytelling Matters by Nathaniel Whitmore on Change.org

I couldn’t be any more thrilled about Boulder’s very own Unreasonable Institute kicking off their inaugural summer institute for social entrepreneurs. They are also chronicling this summer’s program on their new web episode series. Telling the stories of the entrepreneurs in this way is so rich. This post on Change.org nailed it:

“In a space where the media that is exhaled veers on the one hand towards patronizing and dehumanizing for the sake of the guilt trip buck, to, on the other, arrogant and self-infatuated, I thought that this episode did a great job of introducing the Unreasonable entrepreneurs as what they are: a bunch of deep-hearted, wicked smart kids who have committed themselves to working to change the world and are now in the thick of figuring out how to do it.”

{tune} Heartbeat – J.Period & Nneka featuring Talib Kweli

image via

{image} via bear

Snicky-snack time! Life is abundant in gaterland. Spring is creeping up on Boulder, Denver & Fort Collins, Colorado {the three cities where I divide my time}. I’m still decompressing from SXSWi. I have lots of new projects blasting off. I did some cleaning up and renovation around this blog. And here are some gater snacks for you…

{Short Post, Important Words} Enough. by Jenny Blake

“If you are constantly longing for the past or waiting for the future, your entire life will be spent – well, longing or waiting.”

Wherever you’re at, whatever projects you’re working on, whoever you’re building relationships with…this is a compelling read from Jenny Blake over at Life After College.

{A Bit of Yoga, A Bit of Life} Dancer by Doniree Walker

This post made me reflect inwardly, then pushed me out of my skin. Doniree’s thoughts on being open (to yoga, to new experiences, to imbalances) were *just* what I needed to hear last week. Perhaps her perceptive and intuitive words will resonate with you, too.

{Deep} Philosophy Greats

Who knew that a philosopher could be so…pithy?

{Perspective Shift} Nikon – Universcale

“…an infinite yardstick.”

If you want a perspective shift in how you conceptualize size, space and distance, go check out Nikon’s Universcale. The intro takes a bit of time…but you can click, play around and discover interesting things after the intro. Fun.

{Tune} Cello Song – The Books featuring Jose Gonzalez

Many thanks to David Spinks for introducing me to this song. And the compilation album this song comes from, Dark Was The Night, is ear candy AND supports a good cause.

{Image} via weheartit

Entrepreneurship within the social web has been top of mind for me lately…and the first video (The New Dork) is incredible. I’m headed off to Austin, TX for South by Southwest Interactive in just two days and I can’t wait! Enjoy these chompies.

{Reel: Entrepreneurship} “The New Dork: Entrepreneurship State of Mind“

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exmwSxv7XJI

Produced by Grasshopper Labs and Pantsless Knights this video take-off of Alicia Keys’s & Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind” is a social web-inspired anthem for entrepreneurship. And it’s hilarious. And actually quite on point.

{Entrepreneurship Insight} The Case for the Low-Risk Start — Jeffrey Tang

I’ve written other posts about taking a leap into the dark. Jeffrey Tang makes a much needed case for the “low risk” start, or the slow start.

“The way I see it, there are two main ways to start anything: with a bold leap of faith, or a with a quiet step forward…The low-risk start is not the ‘no-risk’ start.”

{Tune} William Fitzsimmons – If You Would Come Back Home

His beard is magnificent, his voice is luxurious.

{Photo} via loveyourchaos

Daylight saving time begins on March 14. I definitely feel like spring.

So much good stuff to share! The internets are ‘splodin with yummies.

{Rocked My Socks Off} Josh Hanagarne’s “How To Have Tourette’s Part 16: Permission To Fall Apart”

This is one of the most moving things I’ve ever read. Period. Josh writes it best, so I’ll just say: Get on over to The World’s Strongest Librarian and read this piece.

{Blog love} Peace & Projects

Understated. Thought-provoking. Challenging. Melissa Gorzela writes with honesty, vulnerability–and with power. Peace & Projects is one of the few blogs that I’ve subscribed to come directly to my inbox (most blogs I keep up with via RSS) – it’s just THAT good.

{Social Entrepreneurship} The Unreasonable Institute

I have a crush. On the Unreasonable Institute (here in Boulder, Colorado in fact!). They do SUCH amazing work.

From their website, this is what joining the forces of being Unreasonable means…

“We unite up to 25 high-impact social entrepreneurs from around the world to attend our intensive 10-week summer institute. There, we will incubate their ventures with rigorous skill training and expert mentorship. At the end of the ten weeks, we will connect our Fellows with the start-up capital and global network of support needed to give their ventures wings.”

They recently posted an article on their blog, “Where Are All the Women.” I often think about–and discuss–this topic. Although I’m not so sure about the image used in the post (the characters from Sex in the City), I really appreciate that Unreasonable is willing to ask what they can do to make a change. {May I suggest that they hire me…? ;)} Because this is an important issue, here are a couple of related posts I found compelling:

• Sarah Joy Pond responds to Unreasonable on her blog “‘Seeing’ Female Social Entrepreneurs“
• Read Write Web’s “You Can’t Launch the Next Generation of Startups Without Women“

Okay. Clearly I need to make this a blog post in the near future. :)

{Project} It Starts With Us

Do you have 15 minutes each week to help people? To make a difference? Join the ItStartsWith.Us A-Team. I joined several months ago, and have enjoyed the “missions” — simple, heartfelt…and usually I come out on the other side having learned a little more about people around me–and about myself. Being part of the A-Team has also taught me to pay more attention to the little things.

Nate St. Pierre, the founder of ItStartsWith.Us, is one of the hardest-working people I know. You can follow Nate on Twitter here and fan ItStartsWith.Us on Facebook here.

{Tune} Carolina Chocolate Drops – Ol’ Corn Likker

A new take on a traditional string band. LOVE IT. Thanks to my friend Nirvan for introducing me to the Carolina Chocolate Drops!

{Funny} “It’s like a vampire, but awesome.”

=)

{GUEST POST! YESSSSS!} At Denvelopers.com: “Approaching Creativity as a Work-in-Progress”

An important addendum to today’s gater snacks…the smart and talented guys at Denvelopers invited me–and many other people–to guest post. They gave us free rein topic-wise, and I chose to talk about creativity — Approaching Creativity as a Work-in-Progress. Go on over and have a gander — comment liberally — there’s lots of good stuff happening in the comments. How do you stay creative in the social web? I’d love to know!

And have a look around the Denvelopers site. There are lots of other great posts! I really respect the approach that the ‘velopers, Mark Mann and Kyle Davis, are taking.

Denvelopers is:

a social business run by mad scientists and friendly activists. We are always inventing new and interesting ways to develop brands. Our unique approach is a mix of Picasso and Einstein – cutting edge solutions that look out-of-this-world.

Thanks for having me, Denvelopers!

A day late, but worth the wait. Bits and bites from ‘round the net; an ode to awesome, a cyber vignette.

{Reel} Aimee Mullins – The Opportunity of Adversity

The ever-thoughtful, analytical and inspiring Jason Markow pointed me to Aimee Mullins’s TED talks.  Mullins’s story—and more importantly (to me) how she tells her story—is poignant and thought provoking. It’s worth the 20 minutes. Watching this video has made me reflect on the power of language…and how I can {should} use words to create good.

{Local Happenings} PodCamp + Fort Collins + Cohere coworking

For my Colorado friends, exciting news on the Front Range tech front… Fort Collins is kicking off its first podcamp! Mark your calendars: on March 12 & 13 the awesomeness of the unconference will descend on Fort Collins. Sign up now. Sadly, I can’t attend…happily, I can’t attend because I’ll be at SxSWi! (Oh, and if you’re going to SxSWi, let’s meet! Plz?!)

Y’know what’s especially cool about this PodCamp? It will happen at Cohere, a brand-spanky new coworking space. Angel Kwiatkowski took me to tour the space yesterday, and let me tell you—it is gorgeous. You’ll likely hear more about Cohere from me in the future…but connect with Cohere on Twitter to find out more.

{Social Entreprenuership 101} Alvin’s Guide to Good Business

I’m thrilled. BBC & the Skoll Foundation are doing a tv series spotlighting social entrepreneurs. Full episodes of the series will be available for free here. I’m hoping it will be a great introduction to social entrepreneurship for the uninitiated.

{Tune} Django Reinhardt – Sweet Georgia Brown

Sweet.

{Photo} via John Curley on Flickr

This week’s gater snacks are inspired by the music I’ve been listening to this weekend. Nothing cutting-edge or super-underground—just music I enjoy. Get your groove on!

{Senagalese mellow groove} Baaba Maal – Mamadi

Give this song the full five minutes. It builds, and it builds beautifully. I love Baaba Maal’s voice because it reaches deep into my heart…I often listen to his albums when I write. “Mamadi” translates as “Tribute to Parents.”

{Neo soul} Raphael Saadiq – Staying in Love

Whenever I listen to Saadiq’s album the Way I See It, I inevitably build a playlist of all my favorite original soul artists…some Aretha Franklin, a healthy dose of Otis Redding, a bit of Howard Tate. And I usually include some of Saadiq’s songs among those greats.

{¡Sabroso!} Tito Puente & His Orchestra – Hong Kong Mambo

Give me a DJ spinning this song, a hardwood dance floor, my dancing heels and a partner. Groove time!

{Chill} Great Lake Swimmers – Your Rocky Spine

I don’t get sick of this one. And I love love LOVE love love the banjo. (As well as the mandolin and harmonica…perhaps that’s another playlist.)

What have YOU been listening to? I <3 new music…and I’d <3 if you shared the song(s) you’ve been listening to.

Chompies! Here’s my Tuesday installment of things that have moved me this week–literally, poetically, philosophically. Enjoy.

{Reel + Tune} Chromeo – Night by Night

Dave 1 can move. Especially at 3:01…and the spin at 3:37?

*fans self*

The song and video make me want to groove. Seriously.

{Photography + Entrepreneurship} OnceMany

I know that I included OnceMany in my very first Gater Snack post. At that point, I had only booked sessions with Shane Rich, the creative, kind smarty-pants behind OnceMany. This past week we met up in Boulder for the shoot. He took really, really awesome photos. Refer to above photos, please. :)

Here’s the deal: He’s doing the 365 photo project with a twist: he’s selling each day of the year for its numerical value (January 1 = $1, December 31 = $365…and print sizes increase through the year). Shane is stunningly creative. He’s a joy to work with. And you don’t have to be local to Boulder/Denver—he can create awesome photography to promote a business or brand, a blog, a message or a special occasion. Check out his work…serious eye candy.

{Philosophical Snack} The Small Man Builds Cages for Everyone

I’m thinking about building cages versus dropping keys. [- From Chris Guillbeau’s The Art of Nonconformity]

{Tune} Straight, No Chaser – Miles Davis and John Coltrane

This track swings. Hard.

{Quotable} Kahlil Gibran

“Give me silence and I will outdare the night.”

{Photo} She Believed

via Bear

Snack time! Here is your weekly Tuesday installment of gater snacks…yummy blogs, photos, projects and more from around the web.

{Just plain awesomeness} Andrew Swenson, wordpost.org

Andrew Swenson and I ran into each other in the Twitterverse…and I’m so glad we did. After interacting a bit on the social web, we had a phone call that anchored how talented, insightful and forward-thinking I think he is. Then we had a video interview [“A Defense of Grad School”] and I even got to “meet” his lovely wife, who is also in grad school. Andrew is insanely talented and interesting. Go visit Wordpost.org | Snarky Remarks on Biz Today You won’t be sorry. And he has a GATOR in his logo?! It’s destiny!

{Social Entrepreneurship} Change.org’s “Establishing a Culture of Generosity”

While I haven’t {YET!} delved into the topic of social entrepreneurship on my blog, I am passionate about it. A recent post on Change.org, “Establishing a Culture of Generosity” highlights what it means to be an entrepreneur in the social sector. The jist? It’s about giving.

{Reel} Electropolis

I’ve posted this on Twitter already, but I am so moved by this video, Electropolis, that it’s worth sharing here. Of course I’m partial to it because it’s based on dance, but the message is so much more than that. I really think you’ll enjoy it, too. It’s worth watching every minute with your speakers turned up.

From the Vimeo description: “The product of roughly 7 months of work from 13 students in the 3rd year of the BAA Animation program at Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario, Canada.”

A friend, Larkin, wrote a beautiful, literary analysis-type post about the video.

{Tune} The Temper Trap – Sweet Disposition

I love Dougie Mandagi’s voice.

{Photo} Be Yourself

From deviant art via Bear