---
title: "Sketches of the TED Conference"
description: "Lorna, of Lornamatic, has posted some fantastic sketches she drew at the recent TED Conference she attended. I chose the one above because it’s of Michael Pollen who wrote one of my current..."
url: https://www.boxcarmarketing.com/sketches-of-the-ted-conference/
date: 2007-03-22
modified: 2025-10-10
author: "James Sherrett"
image: https://www.boxcarmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/michael_pollan_sketch.jpg
categories: ["Events & Other News"]
type: post
lang: en
---

# Sketches of the TED Conference

Lorna, of (http://lornamatic.com), has posted (http://lornamatic.com/wordpress/?p=138) at the recent (http://www.ted.com/) she attended. I chose the one above because it’s of Michael Pollen who wrote one of my current favourite books, [*The Omnivore’s Dilemma*](http://www.michaelpollan.com/omnivore.php).

Why did Lorna draw the sketches?

> It’s another very strange time now, while our society transitions to the role of technology in our lives and homes. Every moment is duly recorded and digitally collected in a fraction of a second, and I’m not sure what shape that leaves us in for making good decisions and actually experiencing the here and now. Sometimes (usually when I find myself mindlessly reaching for my blackberry) I start to worry that we’re all in danger of disconnecting from ourselves and our own thoughts. Putting down the technology for a few days was really refreshing and restorative.

I mention it here because I find the same thing—putting down the technology is refreshing and restorative. As much as I love what my tools let me do and know I also relish being away from them and living only through my body.

Whenever I’m at a tech conference I’m always amazed at how many people are working on their laptops, disconnected from the world around them. I wonder, why did they come?

This year I made all kinds of notes from my conference experience at (http://2007.northernvoice.ca/) (with (http://www.mynameiskate.ca/), published on (http://www.onedegree.ca): (http://www.onedegree.ca/2007/03/01/northern-voice-day-1-a-recap), (http://www.onedegree.ca/2007/03/04/northern-voice-day-2-a-recap)) and I found that just having my laptop open to make notes isolated me from the people around me. I tried to open it only to make a note and then to close it right away, but I’ll admit that I may have checked an email or two at the same time.