Welcome to the first SASvlog! (Super-Awesome Sylvia vlog!!)
Like I promised, the Illinois computing educators conference vlog is out. It includes my crazy little journey from February 23th to 28th and features silly moments, fun adventures, and snippets of the conference.
Hello everyone! I’ve been busy!! ...course I’m always busy. Since I left you last on the blog, I’ve traveled to the White House Maker Faire, Rome Maker Faire, Disneyland, and between every trip, I’ve been writing and finishing my very first book!
The book is called “Sylvia’s Super-Awesome Project Book: Super-Simple Arduino”. It’s got three awesome projects, bonus ideas for you to explore, and fun little doodles and robots to help you along! It’s based on the episode I did 4 years ago when I was 9, but it has a whole new project, tons more about programming, and its COOLER!! It also has some science project ideas, builder ideas, and artsy ideas too. The first of a series of books I plan on making about making stuff, the series even has it’s own dedicated website at superawesomebook.com. If you're wondering, I got my glasses only a month ago! Yes they're perscription, everything is IN FOCUS!!
This book was the most difficult project I have worked on yet. At first, I totally thought it would be easy...and it wasn’t. It took a lot of drawing, writing, revising, revising again... and again… It got quite frustrating. But I am super excited it’s finally done though!! I hope my book can be an opportunity for kids and adults to get into making and building, and to let their creative juices flow!
Anyways, for my second trip to DC: The White House Maker Faire was so cool (even though it was 95 fahrenheit with 90% humidity)! It was a flipping Maker Faire inside the White House! The robot giraffe was even on the lawn! I met amazing people, got to hear the president speak, and saw a lot of old friends. It was really great, and I was very honored to be there. Even though I didn’t get to present anything, I can’t wait for their next one.
Next up in September, I went to Rome in Italy, which was not only my first time to that country, but one of the most memorable trips I have ever been on. I got up on stage and talked about my adventures in making, then we walked around the HUGE Maker Faire there, which was AWESOME. There were a lot of aspiring makers that got to talk to amazing people, see incredible projects, and ask questions. Rome was beautiful, exciting, and a crazy trip. We walked around for hours around the city and saw all the ruins, and we got stuck waiting for a bus that never came and ended up getting soaking wet in a minor flash flood. We ate pasta, and pizza, and weird licorice gum. Italy was extraordinary, and even though we missed our flight on the way back, we got to stay an extra day outside of Rome, and I can’t wait to go again.
After that and just for fun, for the first time in my life, I got to go to Disneyland! I know that doesn’t seem like much, but I seriously felt like a 6 year old again, and I had a ton of fun. I went with my sister’s girl scout troop and I totally thought the whole trip was going to be boring...but I actually made some new friends. I went on a bunch of awesome rides and met a few princesses. Unfortunately on my last day, I sprained my ankle running around on pirate island! I was in crutches for 2 weeks, and I have to wear a brace for the next month... but I still had fun!!
SO! You’re probably wondering whats going on with my videos. Yea, I haven’t made any....in a really long time. Making a book, taking trips, 7th and 8th grade homework, doing talks and leading my younger siblings at home has taken all my time. But now since I’m older, the style of videos I made when I was eight doesn’t quite match up to who I am right now. I plan on changing it up. The videos will include more silliness, references to awesome shows and fandoms and stuff, and I may even try to get out video blogs more regularly. It’s very hard for me to make videos, with school getting in the way. If I don’t make a video, I will make a instructables or a blog post on what’s going on! =D
I hope you guys enjoyed your summer and have a happy thanksgiving/holiday season! Always remember... GET OUT THERE AND MAKE SOMETHING!!
Hey there peeps! In case you didn't know, My name is Sylvia and I’m a 12 year old girl from Northern California, and I've been making this Super-Awesome webshow all about how to make cool stuff since 2010, from paper rockets, to Arduino microcontrollers, to weird and sticky slime. I even try to show awesome experiments, and visualize how stuff works, or the science behind it. I really got inspired to get into making this show and the maker movement by going to Maker Faire, this huge event where thousands of people come to see or show off amazing things they have made. If you haven't heard about it, check out the info here, or see my first Maker Faire Episode.
Before going to my third Maker Faire when I was 8, my dad and I wanted to bring something cool to show off, but we weren’t very good at making real things, so we decided to make a show! I sung the theme song, we made a lab coat, I ran around and did crazy stuff for the intro, and then I built a kit and experimented with it for everyone to see. When we finished, I drew up my very own business card that we then handed out at Maker Faire only a few days later. I got noticed by a bunch of cool people, and by Summer I was doing shows for Make Magazine online, and less than a year later, I was on the cover of Make Magazine! People around the country were asking me to come talk (TEDx Redmond, TEDx San Jose), teach (CMK, STEAM Day), or just be there and make things with them. It was crazy!
Now that I’ve done a lot, and gone to a lot of places, like Kansas city, New york, and even outside the US because of the show I've done, I've learned so much about persistence, drive, and... frustration. Recently, I went to TEDx San Diego and I did a talk! It was so cool to be there and meet so many awesome people, but the talk itself on stage was crazy hard to do! I practiced so much and did it perfectly off stage, but actually being on stage is completely different... and I forgot most of my talk.
I completely failed and got everyone confused, but I got my message out. I learned a lot and I even got a standing ovation just by being honest about how hard it was! I was so happy to know that the audience understood that I want more people to become less focused on success, and more on just trying new things outside their comfort zone. People stop themselves, and get stuck on that first step. Making and creating is one of those things that people need that little push of inspiration to get them started. That’s where I think I can come in. I really want my shows to be a resource for kids or adults (and especially girls) who are still stuck on that first step, and need a little push.
The first baby steps are hard, only because it’s your choice to take them and then to deal with the fact that you might not be very good at first. And sometimes girls who might want to get into electronics or making things can sometimes get stuck because they think it’s only for boys... and that SUCKS! And sometimes they think they'll look uncool or stupid in front of their peers. WRONG! Ignore them, anything you create is unique and your own, even if you copied some part of the idea and built on it, everyone starts from something.
I hope all you peeps reading have been inspired, and maybe gotten that tiny little push you needed. Always remember if you’re ever bored or need to get out of your chair, just get out there and make something!!!!! And don’t be sad if it doesn’t work or you totally fail, I’m proof that it’s never the end when that happens, only the beggining of you getting better. 
