LongStation

Frank Warren of PostSecret is here to share some secrets and the stories behind them.

The secrets are amazing… kids, other boyfriends, etc. He recieved a Rubik’s cube that had six secrets on them. He had a starbucks cup with a secret that states, “I give decaf to rude customers”. A sonogram card that says, “I know she’s not mine, but I love her anyways”.

Many of the secrets have a lesson.

1. Treat people with courtesy and respect (much like Jack Welch’s voice and dignity)

Here are some SXSW secrets:

1. All these web celebs have never dealt with clients
2. Someone has a SXSW crush
3. Someone is pretending to be a freelancer to steal secrets for my company

Some folks never share their secrets.

Frank’s favorite secret is: “I would never be the person that would carry that secret in my life”. If you keep a secret it keeps you. You need to face the part of you that is hiding.

PostSecret started in Washington DC with an invitation to secretly share your story. Postcards were passed at Washington D.C. at night. Cards came in to the mailbox. The secrets were posted in “Artomatic”. The postcards were posted physically on the wall. The exhibit did well.

Secrets kept coming even though there were no more postcards. Regular people made their own postcards and the blog was born. Jerry Seinfeld says that “Blog is the ugliest word in the human language”.

PostSecret is self defined and self growing. (I love the offline aspect of PostSecret). It recieved many of the hits.

American Rejects did a video using post secret cards for a $2000 donation to a suicide hotline. Video below:

Harper Collins then put the secrets in book form. (very cool offline addition)

More Secret Secrets:

1. Someone didn’t wear panties when working with very religious coworkers
2. Today someone is strong because what happened to them at 16. (some folks like to reframe a victim scenario
3. A teacher confesses that she is interested in one of her students.
4. Someone likes to watch Dr. Phil
5. Someone said, “All my life I wanted to look like Liz Taylor, now she looks like me.”
6. Someone is still thinking of you (picture of meat and penis on the grill)
7. Someone hates their coworkers
8. Someone thanks someone else for kindness that saved them from committing suicide.
9. Someone wishes all secrets could be fun secrets (couple nude on the card)
10. Someone couldn’t love you anymore
11. Someone rides by the mental ward they were in and smiles that they are out. (hope for us all)
12. Someone tells themselves that they will reunite with their love after their spouses die (barcodes are left on the postcards for authenticity)
13. Someone knows how to fix their life… they just choose not to. (everyone has a secret that would break your heart and they choose not to share)

A Lifetime of Secrets is a book that analyzes and reviews how some secrets change and some do not.

The two most important things are “There is an artist born in all of us” and “

Frank has an amazing relationship with the audience. SXSW is bought in… this is a total contrast to Zuckerburg.

Seriously, someone just asked someone to marry them at SXSW!!!! Very freaky. And Cool. A little twist on the stadium question. Now they are kissing. Rawk on. This is a good feeling keynote.

Some dude admitted that he thought his parents thought he was mentally retarded. Good thing the dude is making some real great comments. He asked about secrets from the virtual world.

A guy asked about what to do when you get a secret about crimes that were committed. Frank said he doesn’t get many of those. He said what he posts helps to get submissions that were related. Also he does admit that someone said he committed a crime that someone else has been in jail for for 10 years.

Panel ends with someone very sad about her sister being subject to a disease that has no cure. It feels weird even blogging this one.