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Had a great time at the Pinchflat opening this past Saturday. You can purchase my print here: http://www.wildgoosecreative.com/Pinchflat_Posters_2012.html

Printed by the fine folks at Vahalla Studios. Sized 20x16. Signed and numbered. Here’s proof.

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I’ve been lucky enough to design a lot of work for a lot of musicians. I often create this work, send it off, and never really get to see it’s life span. But when you’re able to create something that people truly appreciate, and sometimes even obsess over, it’s one of the most rewarding accomplishments any graphic designer can experience.

I’ve been doing doing design here and there for many of Skrillex’s previous musical ventures, so naturally, when I was asked to design a logo for his new label, OWSLA, I took on the project without hesitation. After a very quick and minimal spell of revisions, the OWSLA logo was born.

I was told, via email, about how stoked Skrillex, and everyone in his camp were about the new logo. I found myself creating posters and flyers for him, often utilizing the new logo. I also watched him give an acceptance speech, as my logo, tattooed on his arm, crept out beneath his sleeve as he accepted his Grammy!

Overall, it’s been a complete joy to watch this little mark that I created get so much mileage. I’m honored to be a part of it.

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Creative mornings is a fantastic lecture series, and is put together well enough that visiting the site, and checking the videos allows you to get an experience almost as good as actually being there.

One of my favorite designers, and one hell of a human being, Aaron Draplin, did a recent lecture in Portland. I’ve had the pleasure of having a quick conversation with Draplin, but watching his lecture was one of those moments where I realize that someone else sees things the same way as I do, and that someone is on the same team as I am, when it comes to design in general.

My favorite points of his are that of humility and entitlement. People have lost the genuine excitement of “creating something cool for someone” and have tacked on ridiculous invoices and expectations. After watching Draplin’s lecture, maybe you can sit back, take a deep breath, and realize you get to create art all day, and leave it alone.

Anyway, thanks, Draplin, for spelling it out for the design world. Respect.

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I was excited to be asked by my friend, and extremely talented designer, Jeremy Slagle, to participate in this years Pinchflat Bicycle/Poster Show. Below is my submission for the shindig. I’ll be having the fine folks over at Vahalla Studios screen print these bad boys at a 11”x17”. If you’re in the Columbus, Ohio area, be sure to make it out to Wild Goose Creative on May 5th to see all of the wonderful prints. My poster, as well as a ton of others will be for sale.

And for all of you designers, there is still time to submit your bike-related art to the show.

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Our generation is more powerful than those before us, for the simple fact that we have the power to inform and increase awareness at alarming rates. Joseph Kony is a bad man, and we can use our power to spread awareness, so that his crimes cannot be ignored by our government. By simply sharing a link, we are changing the way we deal with issues, and are doing what we can to take immediate action in any way we can. Be part of it. Watch and share this video: http://youtu.be/Y4MnpzG5Sqc

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I’m honored to have been asked to be a part of Ferocious Quarterly. This issue’s theme is Deep Sea, Deep Space - where a deep sea image interacts with a deep space image. My assignment was to do a Deep Sea panel. While it may be unoriginal, I think the Octopus is gnarly, and I really wanted to draw one. Here is a video of my process:

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I’m never too cool for some big positive statements regarding the future, and what I hope to achieve and become. Today is my twenty-ninth birthday. My twenties have been wonderful. I spent the first bit of them having the time of my life, touring and recording with my band. I got married. I moved to a new city. I bought a house, and through a quite elaborate home renovation, became the type of man that can walk through Home Depot feeling like a badass. I created a very steady and dependable freelance operation on my own, and have been able to create some work that I’m really proud of.

But the reality is that the past couple years have been a bit boring. 2011 was especially dismal. But it’s okay. I knew that, on New Year’s Eve, I was going to do everything I could to bring a steady supply of excitement back to my life. Six days in, I see some really great things on the horizon, and am confident that 29 will be one of my best years in a long time.

We need to keep an urgency to improve our situations. There are avenues that can allow us to be more excited about what we do, and about life in general. Typically, however, we are either too lazy, or convinced that we don’t have the time to pursue those possibilities. Our continued excitement is worth the pursuit, and I have the belief that many of those barriers will work themselves out along the way.

Here’s to a motivated, excited, passionate, active, and happy 29.

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Click the image below to see this rad video from the Thread’s Not Dead hardcover book signing that I took part in a while back. “>Buy the book now from Amazon!

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There was a bigger idea that I was hoping to make with my previous post, “The Curse Of Ambition” that was lost as I elaborated on another point. The idea is what I believe to be the true curse of being an ambitious person.

There is this excitement that goes along with a mind full of ideas. Like a child thinking of the endless possibilities of “What do I want to be when I grow up?” we can also feel that excitement when a light bulb goes off above our heads. I often find myself coming up with a good idea, buying a domain name for the idea, and usually leaving the idea sit there on the shelf. Either way, there is this excitement of what that idea could some day become, the next step would be carrying out the idea.

But what I want to pinpoint is the obvious pros of being so ambitious, but also many of the cons. The first con that comes to mind is being in an environment where others could roll their eyes at your ambition, as if ideas are only for children, and adulthood is about consistency and safety. Boredom is about consistency and safety. The possibility of boredom should hold some amount of weight in choosing what path you take your career.

But the acknowledgment of boredom leads to the big curse of ambition. What if the truth is that the really ambitious people may never be truly happy where they are? Sure, there will be plenty of exciting moments, but we may never find ourselves saying “This is exactly what I want to do every day for the rest of my life.” Because the next idea is always in their head, waiting to be pursued.

I believe that there is a way to balance a life of ambition. Maybe the answer to is to stay consistently ambitious, and know that you will always be trying new things throughout your life, and learn to be okay with that. It doesn’t mean that previous ventures need to be fully abandoned, only that we should be getting into the habit of regularly breathing new life into our work, to always be finding new, exciting ways of using our talents. I think it’s only right to at least make a decent attempt at every interest that we think we could succeed at.

Many American clones will steer you in a much more boring direction, and we’ll always have to fight that. I just want to look back on my life, and know that I stayed excited. I doubt I will look back and be so proud of how safe I played it.

I hope the new year holds new ventures and new possibilities. I’m anxious to see the next chapter.

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The gift of a constant stream of ambition is one that I’ve been so lucky to have been given. I’ve always had an idea, and then found myself bound and determined to achieve that goal, or at least to give it my best try, and have a lot of fun in the pursuit. Either in the pursuit, or in the success of completion, we are fulfilled by simply being immersed in what we sought out to do.

In remembering the ambitious ventures that I’ve went after throughout my life, I’m realizing that there was one other factor that allowed me to pursue such endeavors with such vigor, and reckless abandon - necessary, in some amount, to actually achieve any amount of success. That factor, I’m now realizing, was that I had nothing to lose.

Nothing to lose. What a powerful motivator. It singlehandedly removes all fear from any ambitious idea. The disgusting truth, one that I’m so ashamed to admit, is that having “nothing to lose” is a luxury that fades as we enter further into adulthood.

As I inch closer and closer to the milestone age of 30, I’m so increasingly annoyed with the fact that I do, in fact, have a few things to lose.

The main thing I have to lose is the incredibly steady and stable income that freelance graphic design gives me. I’ve been so lucky to continue to have work, and work that I enjoy, for all of these years. I may be among the few that truly feels like being a freelance designer is the most dependable and steady style of work that I could possibly be involved with. Crazy, right? I’m a freelance designer, and am convinced that I have more job security and stability than the majority of Americans? It’s crazy, I know, but it’s true. I’ve been ridiculously lucky to get the amount and nature of work that I do, and for that I am insanely, and eternally grateful.

But that’s just it. That’s exactly what I have to lose. This wonderful, dependable stream of work. As time has gone on, work has continued to get better and better. So I’m left here, with an occupation that people would kill to have. I love what I do. So there is, in fact, a tremendous amount of blessings that I have to lose.

So what’s the problem? The short answer? Nothing. The long, and more honest rambling? Here goes…

My favorite thing in the world to do is to design graphics, specifically for the music industry. Yes, that’s exactly what I do for a living. But, my second favorite things in the world to do include music, clothing lines, writing, video, house renovation, blog posts, facilitating creative community, having great conversations about things I care about, speaking, etcetera, etcetera. I would love to put a decent amount of time and effort into all these other avenues, but I can only find the time to focus on the amazing freelance design workload that is always sitting in front of me, this freelance job that allows a comfortable life for my wife and I, puts food on our table, and pays our mortgage.

So my struggle, now, is figuring out how to inject these other interests and passions into my life on a regular basis. It only seems right to make design my absolute priority, but that leaves hardly any time for the other things that make me happy.

Many designers who have spent the last decade or two devoting their time to 50-60+ hour work weeks probably feel a certain threat from the up-and-coming designers. While I wouldn’t yet call myself a veteran, I have been around long enough to be able to look back on the way I was when I was just starting a career in design. There is this fire and excitement that allows you to do anything that pops into your head. Whether it be personal projects,  or 3-4 blog posts a day, you have this passion that makes you want to create non-stop, as it’s all so new, fresh, and exciting. As time goes on, however, you begin to know when it’s best to stop. The wife has dinner on the table, and your brain would be better off if it could have a break.

The frustration is that you see the young excited designers, and you envy their “nothing to lose” attitude. They make anything they want because they haven’t yet began to care about a client, or a client’s needs. There is also the envious commodity of time. Those young designers seem to have plenty of it - and use it for tweeting, blogging, website starting, and making something out of any idea that pops into their head. They have so many unused ideas, and nothing to lose.

Now, before anyone rolls their eyes at this (still very young) 28 year old’s rant, I fully realize that I can be viewed as one of these youngsters, and thrown right in with having all of the aforementioned luxuries. My point, though, is that I see the division between the young pup and the old dog, and I recognize that I have to do what I can to stay a young pup in some areas of design.

I must maintain a certain amount of reckless abandon when it comes to pursuing my ideas. I must be ready to learn from failures. I must not take myself too seriously. I must allow myself regular time to do the things I love. I must not be afraid to pursue an idea that pops into my head. I must stay a little crazy. I must stay a little foolish. I must not turn my career in design into a corporate rat race job - I am an artist, and it’s okay to act like one every now and then. Finally, I must be okay with doing less freelance client work if it means that I can fulfill other passions.

As I get older, I’m learning that life is about more than just staying happy, it’s also about staying excited. All of the “play it safe” mentalities didn’t get me to where I am today. So, they shouldn’t hold as much weight as I proceed in life. “Playing it safe” is a quick ticket to a life of boredom and regrets, and I have no plans of either.

The ambitious have been blessed with an amazing gift that we must not suppress. People would kill to have the ambition and capability that many of us designers possess, and it’s imperative that we don’t let it go to waste.

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Just signed a numbered a batch of screen printed posters that I designed for Euphonic Masters. Big ups to Josh Horton for putting the whole project together, and Ryan at Kangaroo Press for the wonderful prints.

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Jeff Finley has put together Thread’s Not Dead, a comprehensive guide to the apparel industry, and the book will launch tomorrow in hard cover! I’ll be up at the Book Launch Party at Visible Voice Books in Cleveland. If you’re in the area, come stop by and say hello. Or buy the book in hardcover online!

I’m honored to be among the artists featured in the book, as I contributed a few pages with some of my thoughts on the industry.

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I think it’s important for us as designers to be a bit insecure about our work from time to time. It pushes us to improve and to push our boundaries. There is a difference between sulking or whining about not being good enough, and what I’m referring to - which is the statement “Dang, they’re better than me. I must get better!”

I deal with this from time to time, for different reasons. I’m a true lover of graphic design, and I have a physical reaction in my chest when I see a piece that is just done right. Good design hits you, and I want my work to be able to hit people the way good design hits me.

My usual frustration is that I have a willingness to take on nearly any project. I’ve been this way for a long time. After starting doing band tees in 2002, I’ve found myself trying my hand at so many different aesthetics. I’ve always felt that more value comes from being extremely versatile. I like to think that I continue getting commissioned for a vast array of projects because they know I can do it.

My portfolio looks like a smorgasbord of aesthetics. While many of my peers have referenced my style, I don’t think it’s as pronounced as many other designers’ portfolios. With so many styles, it’s hard for people to be able to see who I am. In being so versatile, do I lose my identity completely? Is specialization better than versatility? What if you can do it all pretty well?

In my 9 years doing this, I’ve seen styles come and go. I’ve seen designers’ names get big, and then fade away just as quick as they came. I guess I steer clear of the temptation of bombarding the world with one very distinct style, getting recognition for it, but then being pigeonholed with the style, and having to go down with the ship.

But the hard truth is that the One-Trick-Pony steals the show. The old horse that’s been around for years, steady and consistent, sits out of the spotlight. But that horse will always be around, when the crowd gets tired of the Pony.

I want to continue to find my identity, and my true aesthetic — but I know that I need to maintain my versatility in order to keep a career of doing what I love to do the most.

I am a graphic designer. I’ll do everything that I can to stay one for the rest of my life.

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