Thoughts

I want my site to reflect who I am, not just the best-foot-forward, generic gig-getting stuff. So I’ll write about projects, tools, work ethic; all kinds of things related to work and life.

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  • I Can Be Your Ghostwriter

    For a time, I used the domain “allroundcreative” and referred to myself as an “all ‘round creative person.” At some point, it was too cutesy. Since my given name is pretty memorable, I started keeping things simple. I am creative in many ways, though, so I sometimes miss using that phrase. I started out in…

  • Don’t Assume the Worst

    I keep a 30-gallon planted aquarium with RO-water, so I visit my favorite “fish shop” regularly. Last weekend, there was a new-to-me staff member working a very busy Saturday shift.  My tank is happy. My tank is SO happy that I have become a guppy supplier to my shop. I never ask for store credit…

  • Woahback Thursday

    “Woah!” I’ve been meaning to make good on my goal of adding more work to this site and keeping things current. It requires digging back into years and years of work samples. “Woah!” is an exclamation I’m making pretty frequently as I look at things I had forgotten about. “Wow! I remember when I needed…

  • A Few Words On Deliverables

    If you’ve purchased a logo, icon, or other pieces of artwork that are key to your brand, be sure you have this file type if nothing else in the file release from your designer: .ai / Adobe Illustrator / Vector Art If you do not have Adobe Illustrator installed, it may appear as a blank…

  • Know Your Stuff

    Whatever your business is, and whatever stage it’s in, you probably have at least a few properties and tools used exclusively online; social media accounts, a website, web apps. Do you know all of your account credentials? Do you know when your hosting re-ups and what it costs? Can you get into the back end…

  • We All Work Differently

    Recently, I was admonished in a one-on-one meeting for making notes in a work journal. I was completely taken aback. How could someone be irked by a colleague taking notes in their training session? I had barely put pen to paper when the person waved their hand at me and tersely said, “No, it’s simple.”…

  • Collaborative Playlists for Team Building

    This walks hand-in-hand with an earlier post about earbuds and the productivity of creatives. Another way to leverage sound is with #collaborativeplaylists for #teambuilding Media creates undeniable connections. Creating a collaborative playlist (I like to use Spotify) helps teams get to know each other, creates genuine points of reference, and fosters communication. It takes minimal…

  • The CAN-SPAM Act | #TBT

    I’ve done email design in a variety of industries for a while now. I have created designs informed by the strategy developed with a team of creatives; art directors and designers, merchandisers, email marketing specialists, and copywriters. My experience has been developing designs that are then discussed a bit further and revised for approval. Until…

  • Earbuds for Work

    I’ve seen and heard managers’ hesitation when #creatives explain that they need to use #earbuds to work. You can see the incredulity in the ever so slightly raised eyebrow. But it really is a genuine tool. Many tasks in #design require a unique kind of focus that is aided by #music or by #ambient or…

  • Concept: Failure Flashbacks | #TBT

    The concept of leveraging failure is one I’ve read about for years. Most recently, I really enjoyed Courtney Johnson’s charming TED talk “Failure is Necessary.” He is so clearly afraid of failing even as he is doing his talk that it is impossible not to relate. Elizabeth Gilbert’s “Success, failure and the drive to keep…