Inspirational quotes from PSFK 2012

Looking back over my notes from this year’s PSFK conference I’m not struck by as many obvious themes as last year. While the big overarching themes of creativity, inspiration, and entrepreneurship are there, the collection of speakers felt a little more random. Not to say there weren’t some great speakers (I’ll post my favorites as soon as they are available), but they didn’t feel as connected this year.

So until I get the videos, here are some quotes that jumped out at me from the day (they are pretty close to verbatim, but I can only write so fast):

• “It’s hard to have original ideas when you are surrounded by people who all have the same experiences as you,” – Jonathan Harris, Cowbird
• “I don’t open at 7:30am because I don’t like getting up early. And I don’t sell sandwiches because I don’t want the conversation to be about mustard,” – Todd Carmichael, La Colombe Torrefaction
• “All technology extends a pre-existing urge that is already within us,” – Marshall McLuhan (no, he wasn’t at PSFK, someone had this quote in a presentation)
• “People are at their best when they create,” – Georg Petschnigg, FiftyThree
• “Don’t ever give into bad design. Be the dumbest person in the room. If you’re not helping get out. Be nice,” – Simon Collins, Parsons New School of Design
• “If I find myself complaining about something over and over again, I do something about it or let it go,” – Tina Roth-Eisenberg, @swissmiss
• “The best way to complain is to make things,” – LCD Soundsystem (also not in attendance, but the quote was used in a presentation)
• “Do less, be more,” – Shantell Martin
• “Valuable stories are ones that contain teachable moments, ” – Jonathan Harris, Cowbird
• “To understand is to perceive patterns,” – Isaiah Berlin (used in a presentation)
• “We’ve lost the meaning of the word ‘passion,'” – Todd Carmichael, La Colombe Torrefaction
• “If your business plan is to be Steve Jobs, get a backup plan,” – Todd Carmichael, La Colombe Torrefaction
• “Sometimes it’s not filling the balloon with helium but cutting off the sandbags that gets you aloft,” Clay Shirky, NYU ITP

I hope that you got some inspiration from these and if you noted any quotes you loved from the day, share them in the comments section below.