Post SXSW Depression

By Brittany Robinson
SXSW Press Team

How do you move on after an event like South by Southwest? Is it because when SXSW ends, spring break does too? Or is it that after a week of music, films and panels with your favorite celebrities, you find it hard to transition back to how things were? There is something very surreal about SXSW. It is not just like any other festival because it has a film and interactive section, it is more than that. I think it is because anything can happen if you really want it too. In my opinion, there is no other festival where the possibilities to cross something off your bucket list are so achievable. My friends hung out with Blood Orange, another saw The Strokes and Deftones for free and one of my friends even ended up accidentally shooting for Charli XCX at a surprise show. All those things sound totally unbelievable… unless you are at SXSW.

The Monday after SXSW is almost exactly like the day after the week of Christmas and New Years. Christmas time is magical and feels totally different than any other part of the year. All the malls are full of people and it seems the whole town has decorated for this one event. That’s exactly how Austin feels during SXSW. Austin has this amazing energy during that week that I have yet to feel on an average day in the town, let alone a festival. Everything just feels so new, diverse and young. It is almost impossible not to make a new friend, see a band you’ve never heard of before or just try something new altogether. There’s nothing mundane about it.

The Monday after SXSW is a heavy one. You probably have tests and work to do while your heart is still at Auditorium Shores or with Kelela at the Mohawk. Of course, you don’t miss the heavy traffic or the $8 sub-par taco from a food truck, but you miss the freedom of the week. To those who have post SXSW depression, all I can say is that you will get through it. It’s something very normal and it happens to the best of us. I will admit that post SXSW depression is slightly more severe than the other post festival depressions because it such a long and extensive festival. This means that it is going to take a while to forget the affects the festival had on you.

It will be hard but it is possible. The secret is to take it a day at a time. Focus on the next festival coming up to get excited about, like MR Fest or Float Fest. Before you know it, Austin City Limits and Fun Fun Fun Fest will be here and you are seeing Drake and American Football. All of those festivals will distract you until SXSW week rolls up on us again. The day after SXSW is a necessary one. Without it, we can’t move forward. The best thing about SXSW is the fact that every year, you know it will be bigger and better than the last. So instead of focusing on how great last SXSW was, let’s get excited about the next one and all the new possibilities it will surely bring.