South by Southwest can be a stimulus overload. With so much to see and do crammed into such a short period of time, it’s easy to forget to stop and take in the smaller details.  Some of the most interesting moments happen outside of the panels and official festivities, and are fueled by the creative energy of the thousands of people who flock to Austin, TX. You never know when you’ll turn a corner and find yourself in the middle of a flash mob or a dance party.  And while these whimsical, serendipitous memories are part of the culture of SXSW, it’s also important to find moments of solitude and reflection, if for no other reason than to maintain some degree of sanity.  At the very beginning of the 10-day festival, we asked you to show us and our partners at CNN iReport to show us your SXSW experiences. We received lots of great submissions, many of which were displayed at the iReport booth during the SXSW trade show.  People sent pictures and videos showing us everything from parties to panels. You showed us quiet moments and flash mobs, the skyline and registration lines. We picked some of our favorites that we thought showed a diverse experience and reflected some of the more unique, off-the-schedule experiences.  Check out our picks below, and see all of the submissions over at iReport.  Flashpacker captured this impropmtu dance party, which broke out at the premiere of the independent film Girl Walk/All Day, led by cast member Daisuke Omiya.  2. Angry Birds Flash Mob  Mhling happened upon this Angry Birds-themed flash mob, proof that you never know what you'll see at SXSW. Who said flash mobs were over?  Colecamplese was inspired by some of the smaller sessions he attended away from the downtown convention center. This shot of downtown Austin was taken while walking back from one particularly engaging talk with app company Mixel.  Sometimes you can find the most interesting things when you aren't trying to look for them. Rapthi snapped this photo of a shop window on South Congress during her first visit to Austin from Sydney, Australia.  5. Band Playing From a Bus  Kalyke was walking down the street when she heard great music, which in itself is not uncommon during SXSW. However, it came from the top of a bus, where Interstellar Transmission was performing live. A truly mobile music experience.  Metagrapher found this trade show booth, which showcased crowdsourced collaborative art. He sent this in because he wanted to highlight the creativity on display at SXSW.  Mikeb1 wanted to show a different side of Austin; he depicted the scene outside the ARCH Homeless Shelter, where he was told these people were sleeping outside because there were not enough beds.  Yet another flash mob! BlueManPic stumbled upon a group of people, who were given sparklers on their way out of the convention center. "It was like a mini party, everyone was dancing. It was such a great finale to a talk," he says.
Along with CNN iReport, we asked to see SXSW through your eyes. Here are our favorite photos you sent us.