Most every time, it’s better to ask questions. What started off as a slight revision of a city seal, turned into a 16-version dance that, to my surprise, didn’t end horribly. There was definitely some frustration and preliminary lack of communication, which I can take partial blame for. I assumed they wanted Ben in the seal. They didn’t. I was told we couldn’t use the courthouse image at all and, well….today I got the news: after two months of racking my brain on what symbol/image to put in the middle of our little enclosure, the city had decided on the bottom graphic above.

So, in the end, the project turned out to be something that was very challenging, but very fulfilling. I feel like I birthed this baby…the old fashioned way.

Version 1 of 3 Original Logo Designs (my favorite)

Version 2 of 3 Original Logo Designs (swaddled earth)

Version 3 of 3 Original Logo Designs (Chosen)

In response to Scomo’s comment to the Hug Me post, here are the three logo designs I did for the G.I.V.E. Initiative out of Austin, Texas. After researching hugs, I came up with the top two versions, but the client liked the leafy/earthy people in the third version.

I picked this little guy up at the HOW Conference with a squeal of delight. After more than 15-years in the design community, my images and my words are collected within a front and back cover, for what they’re worth. I’m among some really great freelance designers, though, and that’s exceptionally cool.

If you haven’t seen me around already, just stop me next time you do. Chances are I’ll be carrying it around ready to show the next person who is willing to listen and look. (insert comment here about how I know how ridiculous I sound and that I fully realize I’m still in the honeymoon phase of this whole “being in a book” thing)

For any freelancers looking for great advice, you can get it here.

Another great freelance book can be found here also.

Lack of fear leads to creativity.

When I heard this, it made me realize just how fear-based my daily routine is. I wake up some, if not most, mornings fearing I’ll miss a deadline. I fear that I won’t find the solution for the design problem that’s next on my plate. I fear the client won’t like what I’ve done. I fear that one day, one of my designs will end up on one of those website/blogs that poke fun at how badly it’s designed. I fear of losing my design mojo. I fear looking silly among my peers. I fear there won’t be enough time for everything I want to do. And, regarding that last point, I tend to do none of it because I feel overwhelmed.

So, after a few days back and, unfortunately, deeply re-rooted into my old routine of not making enough time, I find that I’m growing tired of being afraid. Mostly because I think it breeds this necessity to always be stressed out and not let myself have enough fun. I mean, c’mon, most of the time I handle deadlines pretty well. And, let’s face it, there’s never just one design solution to every problem, there are several. And, chances are, unless I totally don’t listen to the client, I’ll get to at least one of them…eventually.

You know, I left Austin thinking, “I’m going to change. I’m going to finally do what that guy said his friend does where he doesn’t open his email until, like, 10am and uses all of that morning time to do creative stuff that he really WANTS to do. I’m going to be that girl. Sketch everyday. Be carefree. Etc. Etc.” But, you see, I’m not that girl. And, a few days away from it, I see how impractical some of those practices could be in my life.

I think the moral is this: be happy with what and how you do things. Especially if it works for you at least 80% of the time. Sometimes that’s the best we can hope for. I think I spend too much time wishing I could adapt this into my workflow and start designing in that style or lay out my office in this way, when the way I do things is, well, just fine.

But, I’d really like to be less afraid. I think that could be a good thing. I also think these tips that I brought home could help me with creativity, as well as with life in general:

• Don’t get in a rut. Do something different every week. When you aren’t experiencing new stimuli, you stop growing.
• Be honest, not brutally honest. (if I could put this one in all caps in the largest font possible, I would. Trust me on this one.)
• Stop feeling sorry for yourself. If someone is handing you a steaming pile of frustration, make it a challenge and see where it takes you.
• Write down your thoughts. Everyday. More than once a day. Get your ideas out of your head and make sure you have a way to reference them. Not only does it get them out of your head, it gets them logged and available for you to revisit and see which ones are great and which ones aren’t so great.

After tons of thought and talk about taking the homegrown plunge, I finally took direction from the current issue of ReadyMade. Our neighborhood isn’t known for it’s quality of soil, so the above-ground bed seemed like a perfect solution (it’s also Idgie-proof, hence the chicken wire surround).

It took a little over 2 hours (including one trip to Lowe’s to pick up more sod), a lot of sweat and a bit of elbow grease (the hardest part, by far, was the digging-up of the top layer of existing grass). Plan ahead! You’ll need at least 13 bags of sod to fill the entire frame.

I decided to go simple with the planting: tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, green onions and a variety of herbs. Some are seeds, which worry the novice gardener in me, but I figure I can replenish any duds with farmers’ market finds over the next month.

I’m back on the felt horse again and am loving working on smaller scale items. I finish them quicker (sometimes in less than one Biggest Loser episode (side note: C’mon…does it really need to be two hours long?), and I’m finally feeling a sense of accomplishment with my crafting.

Here’s a look-see at my headband creations:

Swim with the Fishes I

Swim with the Fishes II

Blood Spatter Pattern

It might be the creepiest thing I’ve seen in quite some time. And, it kind of makes me feel a little better about the crafty items I’ve created over the past year.

One of the designs I’ve finished up this past week for the upcoming Harrison Center May First Friday.

Before I even knew her name, I was a rabid fan. I can’t remember the exact moment when I made the connection between the images I marked in every PRINT Design Annual and the fact that Paula was responsible for most, but it changed my life. Knowing that this tough-talking, honest female created these amazing pieces of work (in a mostly male-dominated field at the time) just made my head swim. And, to top it all off, one of the greatest compliments I ever received (regardless of it’s appropriateness or truth), was that some of my work reminded them of Paula Scher.

A while back, I saw an interview with Paula. It was part of an Adobe campaign (you can see it here). She talked about her process and I found myself nodding my head in agreement. God, she’s so cool.

The more I find out about her, the more I relate. And the more I see her work, the more she tops the short list of people I would love to meet.