On Nov. 1-2, the 2024 Accelerate Creative Conference at FGCU gathered numerous creatives from Southwest Florida and beyond. The conference featured guest speakers such as best-selling author Bob Peterson, actor Grayson Russell and director Adam Drake.
The International Network of Creatives (INC), a Southwest Florida faith-based global non-profit organization, hosts the Accelerate Creative Conference every year.
Founded in 1992 by William Barnett, Ph.D., INC’s mission is to encourage and inspire creatives in their craft while also teaching them how to embrace their identity in Christ.
This conference served as an opportunity for creatives to learn about their God-given talents and be able to hear from an array of experts in various fields.
Throughout the weekend, participants had the opportunity to attend mixers, breakouts, plenary sessions and panel discussions with the creative leaders.
“I wanted there to be collaboration and community, and that people would know that they belong,” Barnett said. “I wanted them to be able to connect with like-minded people, walk alongside each other and encourage each other.”
Attendees were able to choose three breakouts according to their creative abilities and interests. Some of the options included storytelling, visual language, cinematic arts, leadership and songwriting.
“Part of the reason I attended this conference was to get some guidance on how to write good music that really praises and celebrates the Lord,” said Haven Grace Gearhart, a junior majoring in Spanish. “I’ve never gotten real advice on writing songs, and that’s something that I really enjoy doing.”
One of the most notable guest speakers from the conference was Drake, the assistant director of the hit TV series “The Chosen.” Over 200 million people have watched “The Chosen,” making it one of the most popular TV shows of all time. It is also the first multi-season series about the life of Jesus.
Drake currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee. Besides filmmaking, he is also a part-time film and television instructor at Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville.
“I’ve had people all throughout my career mentor me and show me the way. I love being able to be here and give back,” Drake said. “Dr. William reached out to me, and even when I’m busy, I’m always looking for opportunities to network with others.”
Community centered around Christ was the focus of the conference. All creatives were surrounded by other thinkers and innovators from the arts and media who reflected and proclaimed their faith in their work.
“I love getting creatives together because it brings a multi-faceted group of art and creativity to the table,” Barnett said. “It’s one thing to get artists together to talk about being artists or why they became artists, but it’s another thing for a bunch of creatives to get together to share their music, art, writing and more.”
This was the first year that the Accelerate Creative Conference was held at FGCU.
“One of my reasons for having it [at FGCU] was that we now have a chapter of INC here,” Barnett said. “Ultimately what I want to do here is I want to touch the hearts of every creative on this campus and affirm them that they are unique, and they have a unique purpose.”
FGCU’s chapter of INC had their first meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 20 from 6 – 8 p.m. at the Bower School of Music and the Arts.
“It’s a small beginning, but a massive vision,” Barnett said.
