Where
ARE
They
Now
Catching Up with
Past Keynote Speakers
BY MAE MAÑACAP-JOHNSON
hroughout the ISPA Conference & Expo’s history, a remarkable number of speakers
have graced the General Session stage—all leaving an indelible mark in the hearts of
attendees who were once touched by their inspiring message of living life fearlessly, creatively
and generously.
For ISPA’s 25th anniversary, let’s lean back and enjoy a cup of tea while we catch up with
some of the ISPA Conference’s well-loved keynote speakers.
ERIK WAHL
Graffiti Artist, Entrepreneur and Author of UNthink
2004 and 2014 ISPA Conference & Expo Keynote Speaker
Pulse: What’s keeping you busy?
Erik Wahl: I write and paint every single day. Writing
is to thinking as painting is to seeing. They are the lenses
by which I view the world and process new ideas. I am
currently publishing my second major book in the spring
of next year. I also have a production team of developers
and agents creating online curriculum and films to make
my writings, ideas and artwork into consumable and
actionable bite-sized chunks.
P: How do you productively manage your time?
W: I am exceptionally disciplined in how I delegate time,
including on relaxation, meditation, massage, yoga, wander
walks, writing, working out, eating, relationships, research and
strategy.
P: How do you continue to grow your knowledge
in your area of expertise?
W: I consume information and musings from a wealth of different channels—from literature, art, movies, business, speakers to
TED talks. I love this diversification.
P: How do you handle stress in your daily work
and personal life?
W: Very intentionally. I am a passionate and wildly volatile individual. It is my greatest asset and my greatest weakness. To the
extent that I am aware of this is the extent that I can harness
44 PULSE
■
October 2015
and manage it. As I feel stress
overtaking my soul, I intentionally relax, breathe, meditate and
get a massage to physically
change the sight, smell and feel
of the environment of my
stress.
P: If you have a chance
to hear a fellow
speaker or an expert in
another field speak at
an ISPA Conference,
who would you like to see and hear?
W: I see a different speaker every single day being on tour. I
enjoy some. I learn from some. And I am bored by some. It
depends as much on my current state of mind as it does on
their content, skill or presence on the stage. But truth be
told—I prefer live music to speakers. I get much greater ideas
and inspiration from a concert than I do from an individual
speaker.
P: Recalling the time you spoke on stage at the
ISPA Conference, what was your favorite
moment?
W: My favorite ISPA moment was remembering the engagement of the audience. The best kind of audience is an engaged
audience—and ISPA was the best.
FOR MORE ABOUT Wahl and his creative visions,
visit theartofvision.com.