People continue surprising me at every conference I speak at. It doesn’t matter if I’ve followed them on Twitter for years, or if I’ve just met them while speaking at the 140 Characters Conference. And the surprise is all Twitter’s fault. Better yet, it’s social media’s fault. Because this. is not. the real. you.

At the next conference you attend, drop the digital veil and get to the definition of YOU. – Corvida Raven

Let Your Character Be An Experience

Your offline character is the real you. What’s the real you? The part of you that social media doesn’t allow others to not only see, but experience you wholly. It’s the part of you that gives a shy smile after saying “thank you.” The part of you that is bold with the words you use and the way they use them. It’s the experience of an instant connection when your ideas are in-sync with others. These elements are what makes us a delightful (or unpleasant) surprise to one another another when we finally meet!

When I spoke at the 140 Characters Conference in NYC this week I was humbled by my interaction with some vibrant characters. Women like Liz Strauss, Sarah Cooley, Lauren Litwinka, Tina Shoulders, and Cathy Brooks have character that fascinates me. They’re very different from how I imagined behind the tweets and blogs (in a good way ladies!). While you certainly can see their brilliance on their blogs and Twitter profiles, it’s nothing compared to their offline characters and the experience of truly engaging with them.

Drop The Tweets!

Which makes me wonder who you become when you’re not tweeting or talking blogs. For example, if you were to share this post with your next door neighbor, from one hand to another:

• How would you deliver this message?
• What would your body language convey?
• Would you look them directly in the eye?
• How would you define your in-person experience and the character behind the @signs?

This is something that growing up with the real-time web is inviting our communities to take a closer look at because it’s an ability we’re losing with time being “scarce”. Ironically, the drive for these in-person experiences are being fueled by social media. Welcome to the evolution of text and instant messaging. What this evolution concludes to is something that looks like this:

 Click to Enlarge (Credit: Jessica Mullen)

…a city of experiences digital document, possibly forever.