Making Sense
"You already have so much knowledge to draw on from your observations — things you’ve noticed, trends you’ve spotted, cultural knowledge unknowingly assimilated, years of training on method."
Semionaut
Giving voice to the global community of applied/commercial semioticians. (This "topic" is named after a now-defunct website founded by Malcolm Evans and Josh Glenn.) Click here to view Semiofest Sessions only, or here to view MAKING SENSE Q&As only.
Making Sense
"Look out for signs, symbols, and patterns in everyday life — and tease out of them the ideas that they communicate."
Session: Mythical Semiotics
A session on how semioticians grapple with the perplexing allure of the mythical.
Making Sense
"Being able to connect, or map ideas — across regions, eras, or cultural objects — requires a comparative way of looking."
Making Sense
"I regularly refer to myself as 'relentlessly curious.' The practice of semiotics is a marathon of mental focus."
Making Sense
"I like naming and describing what’s usually left unsaid, diving into the darker side of things, and uncovering how they show up (or do not) in communications."
Session: Guilty Pleasures
A session on the insights and inspiration to be found in “bad” cultural expressions.
Making Sense
"There’s so much more to learn about semiotics — that’s what frustrates and excites me!"
Making Sense
"My best insights come from sitting with questions rather than seeking instant answers."
Making Sense
"Be passionate. Go crazy. This is the only way to do semiotics."
Making Sense
"Place is storied, and stories are placed."
Making Sense
"Like any great work (in any field), semiotic insight needs to move us emotionally."
Making Sense
"Nothing gives me more cultural satisfaction than a well-crafted Semiotic Square that works."
Session: Doing Semiotics in Asia
A session on semiotics in Asian contexts… and how Eastern philosophies might expand the way we think about meaning-making.