SXSW is an event like no other. Where else can you hear Rainn Wilson's thoughts on spirituality, Ray Kurzweil on artificial intelligence, Anthony Bourdain on social media, and Al Gore and Sean Parker on democracy?

This annual event attracts creatives, developers, marketers, educators, non-profit folks, and start-up entrepreneurs from around the world. For the first (and definitely not last) time, Duarte sent a small team to SXSW Interactive. Over the course of five days, we attended as many sessions, keynotes, and conversations as we possibly could. We came back to work with new insights and renewed enthusiasm. We still have plenty to process, but here are some of the highlights.

Cartoonist Matthew Diffee gave one of our favorite talks, "How to Be an Idea Factory." He draws single cell cartoons for the New Yorker and TEXAS MONTHLY, and he walked us through his creative process, from coming up with an idea to drawing a cartoon and writing a caption. We realized that, at its most basic, a single cell cartoon isn't really all that different from a slide in a presentation. Each begins with an idea or concept and is executed with visuals and either speaker notes or a caption. Diffee has the extra challenge of making it funny every time. His presentation incorporated the worst clip art he could find, making the cartoon interludes of his own work that much more satisfying.

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We appreciated how Diffee broke down his creative process into simple, manageable tasks. "I fill a pot of coffee, then I empty the pot and fill a page with ideas," he said. This approach makes it easy for him to get started. Eliminate distractions. Make your creative process a matter of habit. Practice everyday. Let yourself get better. Do a little more everyday. Remember, being creative is fun, and it's hard for everybody. It's great advice, no matter what your medium.

Baratunde Thurston gave the first keynote, "How to Read the World." He is Director of Digital for The Onion and co-founder of the black political blog, Jack & Jill Politics, and he recently published How to Be Black. He began by talking about his family's political history and his own relationship with politics and humor. He asked, "What happens when comedy takes on power on a global scale?" He shared inspiring examples of how political satire is shining a light in some very dark places around the world, including Egypt, Iran, Afghanistan, China, Nigeria, and others. He gave a great speech, and you can listen and see his slides.

We learned about technology, transmedia, advertising, design, social media, and social change. We sketched, tweeted, talked, and trekked all over Austin fueled by breakfast tacos & BBQ. Next year we'll be even more ambitious.