Austin Way Magazine - GreenGale Publishing - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.
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Me and the boys: (clockwise from top left) With actor Glen Powell at the Austin Film Festival; enjoying Ballet Austin's Fete with my husband, Steve Scheibal; interviewing Ryan Hahn (left) and Taylor Rice at the Austin Way Artist Shack during the ACL Music Festival; celebrating the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame with KLRU CEO Bill Stotesbery (left) and host Nick Offerman. PHOTOGRAPHY BY ARNOLD WELLS (POWELL); DAVID BRENDAN HALL (HAHN, OFFERMAN); BEN PORTER (SCHEIBAL) My friends and family know the drill when we're eating: They don't dare touch the food or drink until I've whipped out my iPhone and snapped a pic. My patient husband now instinctively knows to move condi- ments out of the frame and to bring the flowers closer. Even my 10-year-old understands how we dine in the Insta-age: "Foodies are people who take pictures of their food. I don't think they have to eat it." Although I'm a writer and a word editor, I love the thrill of telling visual stories about how we live. It's such a simple way (depending on your filter skills) to communicate, but it can be incredibly inspiring in the hands of people who know what they're doing. For this Winter issue, we selected five Austin Instagrammers whose photog- raphy goes to the next level. Scrolling through their feeds, I am amazed by how they can make me see something familiar in a whole new light. Learn more about them starting on page 76, including their tips and favorite places across the city. Another art form we use to elevate our daily lives is music, of course. I was lucky enough a few weeks ago to attend the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame, with Willie Nelson performing for each honoree. Like all good Austinites, I get chills every time I see him. Once again, our favorite stranger will ring in the new year with three shows at ACL Live—we give you five other reasons to go on page 35. Before we welcome the new year, we'll have the chance to say goodbye to late music greats, including some of 2016's biggest losses. Austin musicians will share music and stories about the legends they worked with, including Charlie Sexton on David Bowie and Redd Volkaert on Merle Haggard, in an evening called "True Stories, Sordid Confessions & Music from the Heart of the City" to benefit the SIMS Foundation, which helps local musicians with mental health and recovery. To learn more about this only-in-Austin event, directed by Adrian Quesada (whose Grupo Fantasma played with Prince), see our Charity Register on page 128 and check out my online-only interview with Sexton on Austinway.com. Whether it's through Instagram, music, or more traditional formats, Austin embraces and inspires storytell- ing. Make sure to follow Austin Way's story on Instagram @austinwaymag, and keep up with fresh, online-only stories—including extra tips from our cover story Instagrammers—on Austinway.com. . k athy blackwell 18 AUSTINWAY.COM LETTER FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF