Last night I attended Pecha Kucha in Milwaukee. Pecha Kucha is the Japanese term for the sound of conversation or chit-chat. Last night each of seven participants presented 20 slides and discussed interesting, amusing, artsy, and innovative ideas. The slides change every 20 seconds, whether the presenters are ready or not.

The first Pecha Kucha took place in 2003 in Tokyo and has been re-created in 127 cities worldwide. I love that on Pecha Kucha's list of cities, Milwaukee is sandwiched between Milan and Montreal.

Of last night's presentations, one of my favs was by Daniel Goldin from Schwartz Bookshops. He talked about his love affair with department stores. He still has shopping bags from his favorite stores that date back to the 80s. I also enjoyed Tom Crawford's talk. Tom is the Radio station manager for WMSE-FM (91.7). His talk was entitled, "Avian Anarchy/Ornithological Overthrow! Radical Anti-Authoritarian Bird Watching. Peace Through Superior Lens Power!" Although my friends at Birder's World would be shocked to find that not one of Tom's slides contained a photo of a bird or even a feather. Apparently there is an amazing place near Kashube Park here in Milwaukee where 200 species of birds can be seen. And of course any event with the name Faythe Levine attached to it has to be worthwhile. Faythe showed slides with images of 'craftivism' (craft + activism) and creative community projects.

I wanted to spend an evening mingling with some creative folks, but the event exceeded my expectations. If Pecha Kucha ever comes to a city near you, check it out. Pecha Kucha is a creative presentation and community event and is a great opportunity to network with interesting people.