Social Media + Real Life

I’m fascinated with how social media and real life experiences are mashed together to make up my crazy life.  Sometimes one drives the other, and sometimes they blend in a crazy complex web of connections that you never knew you had. Instead of just geeking out about these stories to my friends, I thought I’d share one with our readers.  And because nothing here can go unnamed, we shall call this a Yaybia Social Media Meets Real Life Bedtime Story!

Last Thursday I was walking through Dinkytown on my way to Blarney’s for happy hour with some of my fellow Yaybies and I stopped mid walk/mid sentence/mid life to stare at these two amazing posters in the SaraCura window.

I freaked out at the fact that I could actually buy such awesome Twin Cities artwork.  I posted the Grain Belt picture to Brightkite (which syncs with Twitter and Facebook) with a quote (So we walked across that Grain Belt bridge into a bright new Minneapolis) from Minneapolis natives, The Hold Steady.

Enter, the social media mix.  Our loyal reader Ben commented on my Facebook status with a link that started it all. Said link brought me to the artist’s (Adam Turman ) web page with the very same Grain Belt poster.  I immediately sent the link to Libby through IM and we drooled over the Minneapolis pop art for a good 15 minutes.  I shared some of the images on Google Reader and set my home and office desktops to the Grain Belt painting . (side note: I don’t even really drink Grain Belt, unless it’s free after Twins games , but love local and the style!)

 As I was taking a breather from work and browsing one of my fave design blogs, there was a post about Minneapolis art and specifically featured Adam Turman! Coincidence or fate? I don’t care, as long as it gets me a wall full of his artwork. Then later this afternoon my friend Tyler comments on the note in Reader saying that he works with Adam and will see him tomorrow morning! What! All this from a window shopping photo that I posted?!

Sometimes we have just real life or just social media connections – but sometimes they mix and lead me to discoveries that I would have probably never found otherwise.  It’s times like these when I fully comprehend the power of social media and how it fits into my life.  If you have any social media/real life stories let us know!

And the origin of this post..

(4:39:32 PM) Erin Lamberty: maybe i'll yaybia an online/offline/social story

(4:39:55 PM) Libby Issendorf: only if it's in bedtime story form

(4:54:43 PM) Libby Issendorf: can you just add that to the end of the yaybia bedtime story "ps cheer on libby and erin in speding freeze 08!"
(4:54:53 PM) Libby Issendorf: "but especially libby"
(4:54:57 PM) Libby Issendorf: "cause you love her more <3"
(4:56:29 PM) Erin Lamberty: you're terrible

Next post :: The Libby and Erin Spending Freeze 08!