Review of Ignite! Fort Collins

Local artist Tracey Kazimir-Cree wrote a review of last nights Ignite! Fort Collins event.  Thanks to Tracey.  You can write a review too!  Just send your review to elmorisette@gmail.com

"Last night, my husband and I attended Ignite Fort Collins #17 at the Lincoln Center. I think the last time we were able to attend was during the first year or so, when it was held at the Drake Center and, wow, I didn't realize how much it had grown! I love that it's held at the Lincoln Center and that it provides food trucks an opportunity. Makes for a great date night!

When you attend Ignite, you are treated to 14 locals, each speaking for five minutes about something he or she is passionate about. They could be businesspeople or artists or scientists or parents, professional speakers or not, but all of them share the thoughts that are burning inside of them. Whether the speakers are serious or funny, there's usually something to think about in each presentation. 

My takeaway from the evening? We all have stories. We all have a bag of things we carry around with us that makes us who we are. Not everybody knows about that inner life we each have, unless we SPEAK UP. Ignite is a great way to share your story, your thoughts, your hobbies, your life, with your community. It's a warm and encouraging audience, so I'm even considering speaking some time in the future -- and I am by no means a person who likes getting up in front of a crowd.

Each talk is called a "spark" and I want to mention a few of the sparks that got me most ignited last night:

• The spark that brought me to tears was by Lora Volwiler. "Wit, Style, and Grace – How To Handle Life’s Harder Decisions" was a talk about her ongoing battle with crappy life events  and how she is choosing to handle them.
• The sparks that made me laugh the most were those by Judd Farner and David Firth.
• Judd Farner is definitely a performer -- he had the whole audience laughing at his opinion on people who show up late to the movies because they'd "only miss the trailers." I personally agree with Judd about the moviegoing experience as a whole, so he really resonated with me. He and I would fight over our favorite seat were we in the same theatre at the same time, however.
• I loved David Firth's discourse on etymology. He had me laughing and thinking at the same time, which I always find make the best presentations. This guy even has me looking up the derivation of my name, my family name and the names we're thinking of giving our daughter.
• The best part about Ignite is learning about the folks that you see every day around town. Just because that woman you saw in the rest room is wearing the most gorgeous red high heels and you feel intimidated by her because she's dressed so nicely and you're wearing a t-shirt and jeans … well, that means nothing to me anymore. Turns out that Kristin Mastre ("Coming Out Of The Cannabis Closet And Why It’s Ok That You Do, Too") is exactly the type of person I'd be friends with because she has very similar struggles to my own and has a sense of humor about it.

You can watch the Ignite performances on YouTube and see the whole show from last night on http://www.ignitefortcollins.com/. Think about attending an Ignite in the future. The whole thing is run by volunteers as a labor of love that brings the community together. And you are a part of that community, one that is rich in smarts, talent, and creativity.