Fuel for the Right Part of Your Brain
That age old myth that you are either one or the other. A left brainer or a right brainer. Left brainers crush it at logic, analytical capabilities, and processes. And our right brainers are our creatives; they are deeply intuitive and are in tuned with the arts and imagination.
We use both and we need to provide fuel for both if we want to realize an incredible life. And communities that create right brain spaces and places for connection and the sharing of ideas through innovative programming and activation are the ones that simply pop for visitors and residents.
Alternating Currents (AC) was founded in 2017 by the Downtown Davenport Partnership (DDP) and it’s the event that sparks the right part of our brains. I just had an opportunity to watch a documentary by the wonderfully talented filmmaker KWQC’s Andre Arkhipov and produced by the team at DDP. The storytelling through this documentary and the passion for our creative energy reinforced to me the power of community and that the Quad Cities is The Creative Capital of the Midwest.
AC brings together creatives and ignites a platform for them to share their stories while highlighting why the QC is a welcoming and authentic region to visit and experience. Hundreds of artists, dozens of venues, and thousands of people will be a part of this amazing multi-day event (Aug. 14-17) that is the best of us from a creative POV. It personifies who and what the Quad Cities are and if you haven’t experienced it, you really should. There is something for everyone!
So, for me as I map out my game plan for AC this year, tell me this. Where else can you go check out a killer up and coming band at Raccoon Motel, see a documentary at The Last Picture House, grab a beer at Wake Brewery and watch some wrestling, get inspired by an art show at Kaiserslautern Square, go to a block party in Arts Alley, have some laughs at The Phoenix, or show off some moves at a Silent Disco in the Skybridge? The answer is you can, and you can do it at Alternating Currents. 
AC also helps to celebrate why downtowns are so critical to the success of our region and it is incredibly inspiring to see how they are programmed for a few days of the festival. There is always something interesting, maybe a little quirky, or just damn fun to discover too.
But what AC means to me this year is that your story is a big piece of the overall event experience. Visit Quad Cities knows that our best champions are those that are right here in our own backyard and/or those appreciated visitors “our guests” that travel to the Quad Cities for something they don’t have near them.
The creativity flowing through AC is good for our community’s soul. It is essential. I hope to see you at the festival this year so we can fuel the right side of our brains together. Who knows, maybe I will see you at the Silent Disco?
