Creatives Cupboard iNote 2013 by Crystal Ink

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I’m back! Welcome

What you hold in your hands is a personal passion project that has grown that has grown because of the HOW community's support. This is my fourth HOW Design Live Conference, and each one has been eye opening in very different ways. My first conference in 2001 was in San Francisco, while I was working in-house at the University of Calgary. After, it took a few years of working full time freelance to make it to the 2011 conference in Chicago where I woke up and met the person I am today. A person who thrives on making connections, with a love for publication design. I was inspired to start a publication that was for my creative peers – you. One that inspires each of you to reach for your dreams, as well as catch you when you fall, no matter where you are in your creative career. To know that the work you do, no matter how significant, always matters. Whether you create signs for a local barber shop or feature spreads for a national publication – your work impacts those around you. If we all approached our jobs with this type of respect, I like to think it would translate into our clients also respecting and appreciating our industry. The goal of this notebook is for you to use it as a creative dump as fellow HOWie Josh Beaton has referred to it, even after the conference. I want you to leave with a tangible piece of the event that you can refer to after the closing keynote.

I want to thank Nancy Sinsel and her husband Greg at Red Dog Graphics for partnering up this year to print these for us. Nancy was featured in last year’s issue. When I first met her, I asked for her biggest piece of advice for a freelance designer. I love that her response was to always "Get 1/2 up front!" Thanks also to Ilise Benun, our own Marketing Mentor, without her support from the beginning of my Creatives’ Cupboard idea, you would not have this book in front of you today. To top everything off, I am over the moon to be working with Neenah Paper. As a lover of their products, the joy to design my own baby with such a fabulous paper is icing on the cake. A special call out to all those at HOW. Their support of this project and the experience they provide by hosting such an event, along with how they manage to bring together all walks of creative professionals, is simply astounding. During this conference you should feel welcomed. Consider anyone with a HOW badge your colleague, happy to share stories and insights. As Stefan Mumaw mentions in his book, Creative Bootcamp, the point of this event sometimes isn’t so much about the sessions, but immersing yourself among your peers. It is from that experience that you find inspiration and energy to return

to your job and life with a new found wonder and excitement. So, what will you find inside? One thing I have discovered, is the more you know about a speaker, the more you get out of your experience. To help you, I have interviewed a few of the speakers as well as people like you to help you get the most of all that HOW is. Hopefully chatting them up and hearing their stories and experiences inspires you. For those you meet who don’t have one of these books, please let them know they can download a PDF of the full publication, less the notes pages at CreativesCupboard.com. What is next? Well, that is my mission at this conference: to develop an idea of taking this dream concept - creating custom notebooks that hold real value as a service and pitching it to other conferences and events. As well, I'd like to start publishing a similar style book that can be subscribed to by creative professionals and even others outside of the industry, further elevating the respect and level of professionalism within and outside of the industry. I would be happy to hear what you have to say.

Please Keep in Touch: Twitter: @CreateCupboard E-mail: crystalink@me.com CreativesCupboard.com

Crystal Reynolds › Creative Dreamer

170 lucky HOWies found one of these babies in their hands at last year’s HOW Design Live Conference in Boston. The response was so positive that the distribution this year has been expanded to 500+ exclusively for the welcome session Creative Freelancer Conference (CFC).

Discover

Insights & Information Creative Extras

Speaker Insights:

Creative Collaborators. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Luke Mysse. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Crystal's Lessons Learned. . . . . . . . . . 4

Mark O’Brien. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Creatives' Bookshelf. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Alisa Bonsignore. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Conference Information

Cami Travis Groves. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Justin Ahrens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Welcome to CFC: Ilise Speaks . . . . . . . 5

Von Glitschka. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Look Who’s Talking at CFC . . . . . . . . . . 6

Bryn Mooth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Eat, Dine & Dish in SF. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 After Hours. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 HOW Newbies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

The Magic Inside

CFC Conference Details. . . . . . . . . . . . 34 HOW Design Live Custom Pull Out Conference Schedule. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Creative Peer Follow Up Worksheet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Conference Peers: David Michael Moore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Katie Raymon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Julie Goldsberry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 David & Bridget Ashcraft. . . . . . . . . . . 26 Sam Polcer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

This iNote has been created by Creatives' Cupboard for the 2013 Creative Freelancer Conference and you! Last year, the description of my first Creatives' Cupboard issue was in reference to the creative design based on my unique publication/notebook's dimensions being the same as the iPad. Coincidentally, I found it fit well in my bag, allowing me to comfortably carry it around. While talking about the next issue of Creatives' Cupboard, I started to simply call it the iNote without thinking of too many implications it could have. Outside of the obvious copyright concerns, the fact is my publication is actually called Creatives' Cupboard. I had only intended the iNote design to be a one-time spin off. So here we are with issue number two and still referencing the iNote. Going forward I am going to keep the dimensions, though I will be considering another descriptor, and altering the cover designs, which are all still noodling around in my brain. When Red Dog Graphics offered to partner with me on this issue, I left it to them to make final calls on design elements, such as the die-cutting of the rounded corners. I was thrilled to learn just recently that they have chosen a corner die-cut, which really makes this a work of art.

CreativesCupboard.com • @CreateCupboard

Disclaimer: I am not a trained writer or editor. I leave that up the pros. I have had a few eyes helping me along the way on this issue. I find it amazing when it comes to copy, no matter how many times you read things, you will almost always find errors or better ways to phrase things. I have a love of designing. The realities of giving writing a try for this project is pushing me out of my comfort zone. In that spirit, Creatives' Cupboard is not about perfection, only striving for it. That means there will be mistakes along the way I have the pleasure of learning from. If you find this publication useful at all, please visit creativescupboard.com and sign up to be kept in the loop on news associated with its growth and development. I forsee this not only being a stand alone publication, but am also working with the business development idea of creating similar custom conference notebooks that I create for other conferences, tieing in my love of publication design with the future I want my business to have.

For Inquiring Design Minds: Front cover: Illustration by David Michael Moore @retweetartist. Typography and layout by Crystal Reynolds . Letterpress printing in Pantone 220 Red and Pantone 877 Silver by Red Dog Graphics on Neenah Paper Classic Crest® Cover Red Pepper 130 DTC Stipple

Collaboration... Thank You

expanding perspective I had initially thought it would be a challenge to find content to fill 30 pages or more of creative inspired content. The real challenge is actually deciding what to share. With so much inspiration online, printed and direct advice from creative professionals I have been lucky to meet through my HOW experiences, how could I choose?

I want to highlight a few other creatives who stepped up and helped improve the value of what you hold in your hands. To start off, all the speakers this year who graciously set aside time to answer my questions on and offline. Further affirming that the people on stage all began where we all have. They have an honest desire to share their insights which will in turn improve the creative industry at large. My heros of the day have been my editing team. Fellow HOWies, Damien Golden (iKANDeAdvertising.com) and Cami TravisGroves. Then my own local posse here in Calgary, AB Canada, Michelle Woodard, Lindsay Harle (@lharle) and Jennifer Stack (genuinewords.ca). I was lucky to have a few fabulous people contribute their own articles and information to create a well-rounded creative perspective. There are also some unique perspectives by those who have attended. of Creatives' Cupboard Photo by @MsK atieRay. A group

recipients join in for a group photo

You meet the best people in the oddest of places.

These fabulous illustrations above are provided by Kristin deNeeve (kristindeneeve.com). I first met her in Chicago after the closing party in the ladies room. We got chatting and I asked her where she was off to next. Apparently the one person she connected with was off to bed so she had no plans. Needless to say in HOWie fashion I collected her to join my new HOWie friends as we continued the party. Keeping in touch over the past couple years, she moved from New York to California where she is now focusing on her freelancing. With her unique style I see great things coming her way.

at the Boston 2011 HOW Design

Creative Contributors

In this issue of the Creatives' Cupboard, instead of doing it all myself, I put a call out to other HOWies to help provide content, illustrations and overall feedback. When I compare last year’s book to this one, I can honestly say it is no longer just about me. Rather, it now reflects the Creatives' Cupboard's mission, “Spreading the word that every creative has value. Knowing this will extend respect for each other which translates into more respect of the world at large for our creative industry.”

Live Conference.

CreativesCupboard.com • @CreateCupboard

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www.CreativesCupboard.com • @CreateCupboard

Crystal's Lessons Learned

Two years later...

I hit my own milestone this year, the big 4-0. For me, this has been a time of reflection. I have never been a person who dreamed of writing, or even considered I had or desired the talent for it. But, what I have always known, is I do have something to say. In the beginning, I found that voice in graphic design. Finding the message that was important and doing my best to ensure my designs emphasized it. Over the past couple of years, I have found a voice and have leaped into the blogging sphere by sharing such thoughts and perspectives. So, on my birthday, I decided to summarize what I have learned over the last 40 years in a series of tweets #top40at40. After the fact, I learned of a book with the same premise. That goes to prove – not all great ideas are original. In the first Creatives' Cupboard, I reprinted some of the lyrics from Baz Luhrmann’s, The Sunscreen Song. In the same spirit, here are a few of my own meandering "Top 40 at 40" thoughts: 1. Being envious of other successes only brings you down. Being supportive however, encourages you to achieve your own goals.

3. You WILL make mistakes. Own them. Address them. Move on. Being a downer about them doesn’t help anybody.

2. Choosing what you say YES to, IS your choice to make. You should benefit from your efforts in some way; money, spirit, or both.

4. Everyone else is too wrapped up in their own lives to care what you look like. So make your decisions for you - not anyone else.

The books highlighted above are the outcome of me choosing to say YES to my own dreams. Working to create my own publication (creativescupboard.com) as well as partnering with an author to design a cookbook, NOURISH, elanperformance.com, all tied into the origins of Creatives’ Cupboard. I am happy to share all the ups and downs of this experience - and what better way then tracking me down for that? Sharing stories over a drink is so much more FUN!

The only person who truly cares that you succeed is YOU. Everyone else is too wrapped up in their own lives to worry about yours. Standing up for yourself and asking for what you desire is the step that takes you closer to your dreams. 5. Give of yourself, but don’t give yourself away. 6. Trust that there is a reason a door closes. Let things go, and keep moving forward by choosing a new path.

7. Hold on to relationships that encourage you and your dreams, and let go of those that hold you back. Relationships change over time, guaranteed. Respecting and understanding that will help you to get through it all. Hold onto what keeps you, true to yourself, and respect that others need to do the same. 8. If you want good things in your life, ASK for them and live in appreciation of them. 9. High-five someone not only when they are up, but when they are down. That is when they need you the most. 10. Do what you love. What is the worst that can happen? You may actually have some fun?

So what will you achieve in your next year or two? How will the HOW Design Live Conference impact your dreams if you risk it all and open yourself up to your own potential?

CFC Tips

Ilise Speaks

I had been following and learning from the illustrious Marketing Mentor way before the first CFC conference. I have to say, she is a large part of the reason I am surviving and succeeding at doing what I love. Ilise is one of the reasons you have my Creatives' Cupboard in your hands, and for that I am truly grateful. Now a few words from our fearless leader: It’s hard to believe that this year – 2013 — marks the 6th Annual Creative Freelancer Conference.

Working alone is very isolating. Solo creatives need camaraderie – contact with your peers, a place you can interact in real time, to laugh together, commiserate, share war stories and resources, to literally learn from each other’s mistakes.

Well, I’m happy to say, we were right! The response has been tremendous, despite the fact that this has all taken place through a very difficult economic time. The conference and the community have grown and gained momentum every year, further proving the need. We’ve come out the other end with a much stronger event.

Most freelancers need to develop confidence through business training before being able to grow. Without it, you can feel inadequate, sometimes even like an imposter.

One aspect of that evolution is that CFC has become much more than a conference. It’s also a lab where freelancers can grow (no matter how you define growth) and a place where you can practice the skills you need to succeed.

What we didn’t know was whether, with the growth of online communities, you would spend real time and money to learn from real experts and your peers to

Creatives' Cupboard is a perfect example of this. Crystal had a vision. She wanted a notebook for all her CFC ideas. We didn’t have the budget to provide it so

she decided to make it happen. She connected with many people, made multiple pitches, got a lot of resistance. She did everything she could to make it happen and she didn’t give up. She even committed to doing it herself if she couldn’t’ get the support. I will bet that this process has taught her a lot. And I have a feeling Crystal will use the experience publishing Creatives' Cupboard to go even further. And if so, CFC will have done its job. So while you’re at CFC, think about how you can do more than just listen and learn. Ask yourself: how can I use CFC as a lab? And let me know what you come up with…

Ilise Benun, Co-Producer of CFC, Founder of Marketing-Mentor.com @MMToolbox (201) 653-0783

Ilise an d

I, Chicag o

Welcome to CFC

When the Creative Freelancer Conference was born in 2008, it was just an idea, a response to a need we perceived. We weren’t sure if it would work. All we knew was that:

address the real challenges of your business. We had no idea whether you’d be serious enough about your business to travel (sometimes across the country) for a live event. But we thought you might.

This ph oto is fr om t he confere la nce. I g ave t he st day of t he r un for Big Tic its mon ke ey and BU T, I it k illed t a would never r me. Ilise re e g la x ret it. I saw on a pa ing in t he su n by he tio and rself fig chance to say h ured now wa s t he i and o my ma fficia lly rketing meet idol. W what w e ta lke e got o d abou u t of t he and an t co y t houg hts I ha nference super p d. She ow e r o uses he f listen With a r ing ver k n ac k y well. to put y prod o ou at e ut t he d ase and et inside you - a ails you k now ny con a re her is a ve r s a unique ex per ie tion w it h of itself nce in . and

CreativesCupboard.com • @CreateCupboard

2011

Look who’s talking... CFC Tips

the CFC Speakers Ilise Benun

Founder, Marketing Mentor 1

National speaker and founder of Marketing Mentor and the Creative Freelancer Conference (with HOW Magazine), Ilise specializes in coaching creative entrepreneurs who are serious about growing their business. marketing-mentor.com @MMToolbox

Letterer, Illustrator

Alisa clarifies complex ideas, helping multinational medical device, high tech and healthcare IT companies translate complicated technical and clinical concepts into understandable English. clarifyingcomplexideas.com

@clearwriter

Jonathan Cleveland

Founder, Cleveland Design 5

Jonathan’s strategic approach to design communications has earned him the respect of a wide range of clients, from Fortune 100 market leaders to innovative startups and non-profit organizations. clevelanddesign.com @CDesignBoston

Jenn David Connolly

Founder and Creative Director CreativesCupboard.com • @CreateCupboard

President and Founder, Suite Seven

Stacey is the president and founder of Suite Seven, a content strategy and brand communications consultancy based in Oakland, CA, that helps brands win customers and build long-term relationships through wellorchestrated content. suiteseven.com @suiteseven

Clarifying Complex Ideas

Speakers

Stacey King Gordon

Since 1994, Big Duck has worked to help nonprofits increase visibility, raise money, and move the needle on missions. She was named a top fundraiser under 40 by Fundraising Success Magazine in 2006, and one of the most influential women in technology by Fast Company magazine in 2010. bigducknyc.com @BigDuckSarah

Alisa Bonsignore

Principal, Big Duck

Day 3 AM Post Conference Workshop

Circled numbers represent session numbers. Refer to schedule on page 37.

Sarah Durham

Founder and creative director of Jenn David Design, a full-service graphic design studio in San Diego with a passion for and commitment to creating unique design that commands attention. jenndavid.com @JennDavidDesign

Johnny Earle aka Johnny Cupcakes

Founder, Johnny Cupcakes Monday 6:30 PM: Reinventing Your Ideas: How the Little Things Yield Big Results Recognized for his innovative business strategies, Johnny has been named America’s #1 Young Entrepreneur by BusinessWeek as well as placed #237 in Inc. Magazine’s top 500 fastest growing independent businesses. johnnycupcakes.com @johnnycupcakes

Jessica Hische 13

With a degree in Graphic and Interactive Design from Tyler School of Art, Jessica started out as a Senior Designer at Louise Fili Ltd. and grew a busy freelance career. After a couple years, she left to further her freelance career and embark on several personal projects. Her success as a ‘letterer’ is matched with her impressive roster of clients. Jessicahische.is/awesome @jessicahische

Jezra Kaye

Jason Early

Founder and Designer, gruntmonkey 17

Jason has worked with clients such as NASA, M&M/MARS, Boeing and Motorola, providing designs that maintain a balance of beauty and functionality, and is an advocate on the importance of design and its impact on all aspects of our lives. gruntmonkey.com @jasonearly

President, Speak Up For Success 10

A speaker coach and former Fortune 500 speechwriter who shows people how to present themselves and their ideas with power, passion, authenticity, and ease. speakupforsuccess.com @jezrakaye

Austin Kleon

Best-Selling Author HOW Design Live Opening Keynote: How to Steal Like an Artist Austin Kleon is a writer, artist, speaker, and New York Times bestselling author. He’s brought his depth and range of experience as a creator to his new book, Steal Like An Artist, an illustrated manifesto for creativity in the digital age.

Jim Krause

Designer and Author Jim Krause Design, 6

Jen Lombardi

Head Honcho and Creative Genius, Kiwi Creative 17

Jen runs a small marketing and design studio located in the lovely suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio. She is a self-admitted graphic design geek with a slight obsession with Apple products and a strong hatred of Comic Sans. kiwicreative.net @KiwiCreativeOH

Dana Manciagli

Networking and Career Expert 7

Dana is a combination of Jillian Michaels and Suze Orman for careers. She been a corporate executive for more than 30 years and has leveraged her employee hiring and management experience into that of author, blogger, keynote speaker, career coach, and global career expert. danamanciagli.com @DanaManciagli

Bryn Mooth

Independent Journalist and Copywriter 4

Grover Sanschagrin

Co-Founder, PhotoShelter Day 3 PM Peer to Peer Mentoring

As a business-minded creative, he strategically generates revenue for his clients. A frequent business conference speaker, a TEDx presenter and four-time CFC speaker, Luke is known as an activator, strategic thinker; some say that he talks too much. crossgrain.com @LukeMysse

Grover is responsible for a steady flow of photography business education through live speaking engagements and the PhotoShelter blog. photoshelter.com @heygrover

Dyana is not for the faint of heart. She’s spent the past 12 years instigating entrepreneurs and teams to complete seemingly impossible projects—we’re talking major brand overhauls, six-figure product launches, full-fledged manuscripts. She serves up straight-from-thehip advice in online magazines and columns all over the net. dyanavalentine.com @dyanavalentine

Dyana Valentine

Speaker, Teacher and Motivator 8

Mark O’Brien CEO, Newfangled 15 Day 3 PM Post Conference Workshop

Mark’s company specializes in working with agencies to create conversion-focused websites for themselves and their clients. He speaks internationally on web strategy topics at events, and is the author of A Website That Works: How Marketing Agencies Can Create Business Generating Websites. newfangled.com @NewfangledMark

Erin Pheil

Owner, TimeForCake Web Strategy 17

Running her boutique agency in Colorado since 2002, Erin’s company has helped hundreds of businesses across the country transform their websites into invaluable marketing tools that achieve specific online goals through increased traffic, leads, and sales. timeforcake.com @timeforcake

Kirk Roberts

Owner, Kirk Roberts Design 5

Kirk wants to single-handedly make our planet a slightly happier and more peaceful place. A husband, father, drumming enthusiast, and the sole embodiment of Kirk Roberts Design, a website consultancy that powerfully extends the online capabilities of client-collaborators across the English-speaking world. kirkrobertsdesign.com @gokrd

Colleen Wainwright communicatrix 14

Colleen Wainwright shows creatives how to promote themselves effectively in the postmodern marketplace. In 2011, using the methodologies she teaches, she raised $111,000 in 50 days for an L.A. nonprofit benefitting teen girls. She fully believes everyone should have this much fun marketing something. communicatrix.com @communicatrix

June Walker

Tax Advisor and Accountant 16

June services solo entrepreneurs tax and accounting needs in the USA, Europe and the Middle East since 1979. She is an advocate of simplicity, order and ease in understanding a tax system that is complex, confusing and unfair to independent professionals. junewalkeronline.com

CreativesCupboard.com • @CreateCupboard

Bryn Mooth is an independent journalist and copywriter focused on food, wellness and design. She helps publications, creative agencies and brands tell mouth-watering stories to their audiences. brynmooth.com writes4food.com @writes4food

Crossgrain

CFC Tips

Multi talented as a designer, author, photographer, videographer and illustrator (and all five in a single day, surprisingly often), Jim works from his office in northwest Washington state. He is the author of over a dozen books on design, creativity and photography. jimkrausedesign.com @JimKrause4

Luke Mysse

Speaker Insights

Luke Mysse > In the Clouds?

Look Out! It’s "DareMan" Mysse! I interviewed Luke last year but as things happened, he never made last year’s debut issue of Creatives' Cupboard. I felt it was important that Luke be represented here, not only because he is opening the CFC, but also because I owe part of my pursuit of this publication to his double-dog-dare challenge back in 2011. The best part of interviewing someone is having the chance to really get to know them. Below are some questions that I think really help to elaborate on who Luke is and what drives his work and love of speaking.

If you were a super hero what would your name be? I would say Dareman, because I call people out all the time. If you hang out with me long enough, you will do things that you're uncomfortable with.

What is your dream job?

It seems to change up every five years. I look and evaluate where things are at and keep adjusting my plan based on my strengths. Instead of focusing on what the norm is for my job, I have chosen to really focus on my strengths and see how those can benefit my clients as well as streamline my business. When I really ask myself this question, the two areas that I love are speaking and riding my bike.

Biggest fears?

I don’t want to be successful without being significant. I see them as two separate things, which overwhelms me. When I talk about changing the world, some of it can happen simply in the day-to-day conversations I have with people.

What do you want more of in your life? 8

More time spent with family and friends. Keeping closer to home. Speaking more at local events so I can do what I love without leaving home.

Most ashamed of?

That I got so out of shape. I gave up my health for business success. The health issues associated with my weight at the time of 340 lb. and in the end it was for something that I really didn’t want.

Who are you in 20 words or less?

I am an activator and a strategic thinker. Some say I talk too much. I plan to spend my life helping people.

Luke will be start in the CFC. Don’t m g an d ending iss out!

What are your greatest accomplishments?

What is the greatest thing about you?

How transparent I am with my failures and successes, It can make others uncomfortable, but I just say what people are thinking. I like to think that sharing my experiences helps others. Luke has shared his experiences of failure and success, which are inspiring and help us to see possibilities for change in our own lives. I wanted to know:

How have your fears evolved over the years?

I don’t think my fears have changed all that much, but I’m getting better about talking them through with others. I tend to make mountains out of molehills and when I get stressed, I’ll internalize everything. My friend Matt says people like me have amazing highs and do great things, but we also have amazing lows. I’m learning to talk through my fears with others. When we chatted last year, I asked Luke about his double-dog-dare challenge and how much feedback he received. If I recall, he said people weren't banging down his door.

People fear change or that someone might find out they don’t have it all figured out. The truth? None of us have it figured out. My focus has been on getting so clear on my vision that the weight of achieving it is more than the weight of those fears. I don’t have time to be scared.

What do you love most about speaking?

I like making connections with attendees, but the challenge of speaking to such a large group is being able to find the time to get back to so many people. I wish people would stop me in the hall with a specific question or comment that I can answer or discuss with them. That way there is a great dialogue that gets started.

What is your take on business plans?

Freelancers seem to come from two camps on this issue. Either they love to plan and create their business plan or they don’t like to plan. So, I like action plans based on intention.

How do you approach changing the world?

Starting with home, staying healthy, and continuing to working with a not-for-profit. Being more intentional with the opportunities when I talk to people every day - and changing the world one conversation at a time. I don’t necessarily see the effects right away, but hear them later. Change the world with the people who are in front of you. Luke found speaking keeps him away from home a lot and planned to slow things down.

How is the plan going to reduce your travel?

It’s great. I’ve cut my travel down to a couple times per year and have been speaking at some other local events to stay sharp. This year I’ve

What do you love talking about when you are off the stage and chilling with a few HOWies after hours?

I like hearing about challenges people face and sharing stories from my life. Honestly, I’m not much different off stage. It’s about the same, only with more sarcasm.

How do you justify/ balance the needs of your business and love of speaking?

I actually speak locally as a way to build my network in Orange County. Most of my speaking engagements the year I was traveling heavily were non-design community events. I’m looking for more things in OC where I can connect with a business audience or someone who could benefit the non-profit.

Do you feel like you have everything figured out and things are clear sailing for you now?

Absolutely not! I’m far from figuring things out and I don’t believe in clear sailing. Too many of us aren’t willing to suffer for the things we believe in. Certainly, parts of life get easier, and they should, but I don’t believe we should ever ease up and grow complacent. When I’m suffering because of stupidity that’s one thing, but when I suffer because I’m working hard to make a difference that’s what I’m after. This might be why I love cycling so much. One of my favorite quotes from cyclist, Greg LeMond, is “It never gets easier, you just go faster.” I look forward to ending CFC with Luke as he helps us all to wrap up the conference and start thinking about next steps.

Twitter: @lukemysse lukemysse.com

CreativesCupboard.com • @CreateCupboard

Why do you think people shy away from reaching their dreams and challenging themselves?

I always felt called to speaking, but I didn’t want to be a pushy self promoter. I was waiting for someone to ask me. So after a few years, the local AIGA chapter asked me, and then that increased my confidence. The luck continued when someone recorded one of my talks and forwarded it to Peleg Top and Ilise Benun. They invited me to speak at my first CFC in Denver.

co-founded a new non-profit and I’m anticipating some travel for that, but I still want to keep it at only four trips per year.

Insights

This was a really hard question to answer. The thing that comes to mind is being married for 15 years – though I would give my wife more credit than me. I will say I am proud to be self employed since I was 18 years old. Also, my cycling and associated weight loss accomplishments are pretty cool.

How did you get started as a speaker?

Speaker Insights

No Regrets

What gets you up in the morning?

I don’t wake up wanting a ‘thing.’ Newfangled always has so much going on that I look forward to seeing the staff and working with clients to propel our mission forward. My family life is very fulfilling. I wake up excited to overcome life’s daily challenges.

Regrets?

No. If you are happy with the sum of your life, how can you regret a major decision that played a part in it?

Are you content with your life or do you find yourself always striving for more?

I would say a mix of both. I really enjoy all the facets of my life. I am always so excited about what is coming up next that I never get complacent.

What are your greatest accomplishments?

I recently turned 37 and I feel like I’ve done a decent job of utilizing the skills I have. The hardest part of that was figuring out what they were—and weren’t. Newfangled has allowed me to have a very healthy work/life balance. The relationships I have personally and professionally are my greatest treasures.

eeve

What wouldn’t we know about you?

st in DeN

Later that day, I attended his session called How to Make Websites Work. What really surprised me the most were the insights I came out with.

Honestly, I had expected more technical information, but listening to him speak, I found myself getting more and more excited about a website’s potential. The ultimate lesson being ‘content is king.’ As visual designers, we can get caught up in making things pretty, but if your site doesn’t provide value for your reader, then what you have is a very elaborate business card.

n by K ri

I was first introduced to Mark when I heard his podcast interview with Ilise Benun. After, via twitter, I challenged Mark to attend the morning Netwalk during CFC in Boston, which he never did make it out to. During the first morning of CFC, I saw him chilling at the back of the room while I was heading for another stack of Creatives' Cupboards from my hotel room. I re-introduced myself and was with his friendly demeanor. I was instantly at ease speaking with him. So of course I just had to offer him a copy of Creatives' Cupboard.

Il lust ratio

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Mark O'Brien > Newfangled

A brilliant, goofy smile comes to mind when I think of Mark O'Brien, president of Newfangled. Not only is he a great speaker, he's also super smart and friendly. Mark has an ability to get creatives to look at websites as a company marketing tool that is more than just an online portfolio.

I started my career as a cook. After 12 years of cooking in high school and college, I found myself dreaming about a 9-5 cubical office job. I remember talking with a friend, and he suggested web design as a career option because it was a field that was booming. We were walking by an ad for Newfangled, and he suggested contacting them. So I called up the owner with absolutely no schooling or experience to offer him, but with a drive to learn the business. I lucked out with a paid internship. Now, 13 years later, I am the CEO and sole owner of Newfangled.

I was so blown away from this insight and how it tied into the beginnings of how Creatives’ Cupboard got started that I asked Mark to share one of his favourite recipes. For all those who are keen on a healthy option, give the Best Raw Kale Salad a go. I was intrigued to hear how Newfangled has evolved over the past 10 years. Mark discussed the dot com bubble burst that occurred just months after he started there, then the economy crash that followed a few years after. These economic challenges forced Newfangled to make tough, but necessary changes. These changes were inspired by David C. Baker’s hard-line advice - realizing that bigger businesses aren’t necessarily more profitable.

Mark’s tips on business Straight from the David Baker rule book:

Three metrics that are fundamental to the success of a creative marketing services firm, whether solo designer, advertising agency, PR shop, web company, etc.: 1. Aim for 20% profitability (after expenses, including salary). 2. Total payroll, including normalized principal compensation, should not exceed 45% of the total AGI.

In order to be successful, a company needs to make all these numbers. If you aren’t, eventually there will be challenges. Stick to it and good things will happen.

There are the crazes, for example flash, blogs, social media, and recently, marketing automation. When these tidal waves come in, we need to realize that everybody doesn’t need ‘x’ just because that’s the hot item. It’s important to evaluate each new tech trend that surfaces and think critically about how it should or shouldn’t be used to support your business. There will ALWAYS be trends, but you need to unhinge from that and be comfortable observing and strategizing if you do decide to jump on the band wagon.

I really enjoy working with the HOW staff; they really know what they are doing.

Does speaking translate into business? Yes, in fact my very first speaking gig still provides work to this day.

Your marketing in and of itself should be a profit centre. It seems that the most effective marketing opportunities are the ones for which you get paid the most. Imagine, getting paid by others to sell your expertise!

How much do you speak?

I have been speaking for four years, with about eight to 20 speaking events a year, which I really enjoy. I write as well, but actually prefer speaking. These are the two skills that showcase your

Twitter: @NewfangledMark newfangled.com

The Best Raw Kale Salad Ever

Mark LOV ES this recipe! An easy and nutr itiou s experience that take s little prep time, though it does requ ire a few hours to ‘cook’.

Serves 2 Prep 15 min Cook

3 hrs

INGREDIENTS

1 head dinosaur kale (The dark , dinosaur skin looking stuff, not the green frizz y stuff.) 1 lemon juiced pinch of sea salt 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (the best you can find) 4 garlic cloves thinly sliced 2 slices prosciutto chopped (opti

onal)

2-3 tbsp parmigiano thickly shav

ed (optional)

METHOD

1. Wash the kale, and slice it (side 2. Thoroughly combine the kale,

Catch Mark’s CFC session Sunday, June 23 @ 10:15am The Conversion-Focused Website

expertise. Through a lucky break I was given an opportunity to speak at HOW and have been extending the experience to the MYOB and recently the HOW Interactive conferences.

What digital ‘trends’ are going to last?

to side, not top to bottom) in 1/4"

lemon juice and salt in a bowl.

strips.

CreativesCupboard.com • @CreateCupboard

3. 60% of ALL possible hours in the company should be paid for by client work.

Speaker Insights

“Cooking still plays a large part in my life on the personal side. I love how the experience of sharing good food can connect family and friends.”

3. Let it sit for 2 hour s, stirring ever y once in a while. (This step actually cook s the kale which makes it edible without the use of heat . It’ll break down a lot over this time due to the salt and the acid in the lemon juice.) 4. Before you serve it, add the garlic and the olive oil and toss it all together. Fanc y it up by placing it on top of a few slices of prosciutto then topping it all off with thick shaves of parm igiano.

Speaker Insights

Clarity Girl

... and there is no amount of money worth working for an asshole.

Alisa has been to every single CFC, but had no interaction with HOW because, as she put it, she is not a designer. Something I have been trying to share with other amazing writers is that creativity is not limited to pretty pictures and colours. Without the brilliance of copy, that is all we have – pretty pictures and colour. That never tells the whole story. At first, Alisa couldn’t see the value in the CFC. She thought it was a design conference where designers learned designey

things, and couldn’t see how that applied to her other than networking. She had no idea that it was a business conference. Her first conference was a true revelation. The things said were what she already knew - but the aha moment for her was when she asked herself why she was NOT doing the things that she should?

slack and yet berate ourselves for it at the same time. At CFC you get the advice as well as motivation to follow through. This reminded me of the article I wrote last year with Stefan Mumaw - we don’t need more inspiration we just need a kick in the ass. Hence, some motivation to follow through on our creative dreams.

The exposure to the CFC gave her the ‘accountability’ to get off her tooshie and follow through. This is the challenge when you work solo. We give ourselves too much

For Alisa, the ‘heavens parted’ when she realized,

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Illustration by Kristin DeNeeve

Alisa Bonsignore

I have been trying to figure out a superhero name for Alisa. Her fabulous ability to listen and provide insights you makes her look like a superhero of perception.

“You can fire the bad client!” While I was in shock from this aha moment, during the next break I called up my ‘bad client’ and fired her right then and there! That made the trip worth it. Logically, you know you can, but you get out of the mode that I have to do anything a client asks. The realization I could tell her to go to hell, opened up the doors to a real love of my job! Once I got home from CFC, I managed to get my list done within six weeks of the conference. I had a lawyer write my contract and got an accountant. Then the year continued and I slipped into bad habits, which led to the second CFC where I got the swift kick to the butt again with a new list. And a vicious circle - fall back to bad habits and attend the next CFC to get going again. But year after year I am slowly getting these things done and I rely on the conference to keep me moving forward. Now that I have a lot of the knowledge covered, the reason I keep returning to CFC is for the contacts I make and the energy I get from them.

I was a math and science geek turned English major because it was more challenging. BUT, had I known that I could have charged more if I had the science/math degree first, I would have likely gone that route!

First jobs were in a children’s hospital, then freelance working with pharma companies. When we relocated to California, it was the dot com boom and there were no medical opportunities available. I was able to get a tech job because I had a pulse. It was good, fine pay, but it didn’t inspire like health information did. I feel more about life-saving medical devices instead of network security. After a few years, I managed to get back into health. I loved the job, got pregnant came back after mat leave and found out the company was closing up shop and moving to Colorado. I was miserable at first because I loved the job. So it looked like I was meant to go freelance. The beauty was that 400 people were scattered in the wind - a network of people who have all moved on to other new companies. I had those contacts and it was serendipitous.

How do you manage freelancing with a kid?

It has turned into a great benefit so I can easily split my time. Clients get work/day home time and my kid gets me when he is home, without mommy saying, “Just wait one more minute, mommy has some work she has to do.”

and running meetings or project management. I could, but I don’t love it. I would rather be the one doing the work and be hands on. So that role is as an individual contributor.

I agree about the distraction of kids. There are times for me (I don't have full-time care) when the six hours the kids are at school isn’t enough time for me to get my work done. So I have been the one telling my kids – to please be quiet and eat the snack on the counter. Mommy is in a phone meeting until 4 p.m.

I am not doing what I do just for the paycheck - I want to be doing the work I am good at and love doing. Why promote myself outside of what I love?

Each person needs to make the kid/work balance work for them. I don’t see it as a bad thing for my girls to see me work and learn to respect that. They appreciate that even though they can’t hang out with me directly - they do see me more and I can be there for them when those with full-time jobs can’t. I love that Alisa has figured out what works for her - so don’t ever let another parent’s decision make you feel less if you don’t do the same thing. In the end, you need to decide what works best for you and your family.

Do you think having a kid has helped to focus your time more?

Yes, I think my inclination would be online - when he is home, I can’t be online. My kid needs me. I compartmentalize my work. I have a separate room as my office, which helps to define things.

Outside of work, kids, what else fulfils you?

I enjoy volunteering, but have learned that I need to be in a position where I don’t feel obligated to say YES all the time. It is hard, but it is okay to say NO, which is always a learning experience.

What are your fears that nag at you?

Looking like an idiot. Doing that thing that reveals I am odd. My fear is not living up to the standard that I set for myself. Internal pressure is my stress and fear. Alisa brought up a solid point we are all guilty of this - we set these expectations for ourselves and when challenged, we aren’t as forgiving or understanding of ourselves as we are for others. We pressure ourselves so much. Why is that? When it comes down to it, if you don’t have your own back, how can anyone else?

I am not sure. I think so. It is pretty close. If I started all over I can’t say for sure I would make the same choices. But I am happy that I have flexibility. I make good money, and I work on projects that I really like. I am really happy with the way things have worked out.

I try to remind myself that the bar is set low for freelancers. Companies are used to working with agencies who are known to overcharge and under deliver. So if you can provide something coherent, on time and on budget you will be the hero! Don’t shoot for 110% most of the time 70% of your internal expectation is still above and beyond what the client has been trained to expect.

Do you see your business growing?

What are you most proud of?

Is this your dream job?

I don’t want to manage people so I don’t see wanting the responsibility of other’s jobs/lives. Part of the reason I am good at my job is because of my writing skills, not because of planning

Learning to say no, which took me a really long time. Knowing how to set boundaries. Understanding some things don’t work and this is why. Having justifiable reasons which are based on confidence, as Continued on Page 14

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DAY CARE! Full-time day care. I decided early on unless I had the day care, I couldn’t do what I needed to do to solicit the work. How do you make phone calls with a toddler in the background? It was important to me that I seemed professional. I didn’t want it to seem like I was working from the kitchen table. I wanted my clients to know they were my only focus.

Bottom line, I can’t really focus with my child around. As behaved as he is, the mommy ear comes into play and distracts me from being able to focus on the work and doing my best.

Speaker Insights

How did you decide to focus on a niche of medial industry writing?

Speaker Insights

time goes on. You realize what you can and can’t get away with. What you are capable of and not. What you can and can’t say. I have learned that without a proper contract/proposal, it is hard to come back. It’s much easier to preserve my valuable time when I have an agreement to fall back on.

www.CreativesCupboard.com • @CreateCupboard

More from Clarity Girl

What is amazing and wonderful about yourself?

I am a good listener which makes me good at what I do. I come in and will let you talk until you are blue in the face, the more I hear the more I realize what you actually need. I can turn the tables and provide you with alternate suggestions. I showcase myself as a genius knowing when to keep my mouth shut. Even when I don’t know everything, I can listen, absorb and research after the fact. This way I am able to advise. Listening is my big, super power. I listen and am able to put the puzzle pieces together.

How did you get your solo speaking shot?

It was a combined effort on my part as well as feedback from the conference. I am at a point where I have met many people and have become known as an experienced CFCer. I started clueless, and now have insights I have learned from attending CFC, I am the ultimate ambassador.

What are the insights we can expect from your session on client relations?

Nothing in your life will fall into place until you manage your client relations. Responding to them 24/7, affects your health, family life and personal joys. When you control your client relations then you control your daily challenges. You determine your day - not your clients. I think a lot of people approach balance through scheduling better by balancing the number of hours etc. But you can’t do that until you moderate what the clients give you. You can schedule in the family and personal stuff fine, but if the client work is slamming you - hindering

your ability to meet those plans, there is no balance.

know people, don’t always sit with them at EVERY session. Split up.

Alisa will be speaking in back to back sessions – her session and part of a panel discussion on the first day of CFC. So if you see her after and her eyes glaze over, don’t take offense. Just help prop her up and get her a drink.

The great thing about CFC are the round tables that encourage chatting and exchanging of business cards. But the fact is, you won’t make solid connections with everybody. I have sent out emails and notes to some of the people I had collected cards from though I never heard from again. I have learned to be OK with that. You can’t be EVERYONE’s friend. You need to manage it to the core of people that you make honest connections with.

Since this is her hometown, she will be sticking around for the whole conference. So, for those around for the whole conference who don’t get a chance to connect with her at CFC - keep an eye out over the week to snag your moment.

Top 3 lessons that have impacted your career and creative growth?

There is something about listening to Dyana Valentine talk that makes you feel like you can FLY! She has set you up to do whatever you can. Reality hits a little later, but still she is so Dyana! She is a recurring theme that I love coming back to year after year. I love to hear Luke Mysse speak as well. Each year there may be the same topic, but a new speaker with a new perspective that can make things click for you where the other didn’t.

Do you wander or schedule your time during conference?

Some things are pre-scheduled, but I try to leave a lot of time open to see what happens. You just never know what will happen. Show up with a little structure but keep your dance card open. Back in the Denver conference I had sent out a random tweet to no one in particular that I was looking for anyone to join me for lunch. Because of that random tweet I got to lunch with a speaker, Luke Mysse!

So your tips for getting the most out of the conference?

Twitter is the best possible networking tool. It especially helps those of us who don’t know anyone. See who shows up! During the sessions, don’t sit at the same table. Mix it up - even if you

What is more important? Late night conversations or sleep?

Sleep. No doubt. I used to do the all nighters, but I was unable to retain the conference information as well. Pushing it pushed out the good ideas. I am better off having slept on it and getting up early to review things. A clean brain and having down time to approach things sideways a little helps me. That said, though, you’ll still see me out WAY later than I usually intend to be.

Any last-minute tips?

Stop apologizing. Clients don’t care about what goes behind the scenes. If they do - then you aren’t consulting, you are their employee. You need to define yourself as a consultant instead of employee. You aren’t always cut out for every project. It is like a dating game. Find the right match.

Twitter: @clearwriter clarifyingcomplexideas.com

Catc h Alis a 2:45pm ta Saturday, June 22 @ lk Saving Your ing about: Sanity Th Be tter Cli rough en 3:30 PM f t Relat ions an d ro panel disc m t he Tre nc hes ussion.

Image is of: TEABOWL (chawan), 16th century, Karatsu ware, H.: 2 5/8 in. (6.8 cm), D.: 4 in. (10.2 cm). From the collect ion of Kokubun-ji temple in (former) Owari Province.

These days, would you even consider a broken ceramic bowl worth repairing, let alone consider it more beautiful for having been broken? Probably not. But I ask you to pause and slow down a minute. Consider the bowl, it was made with care by someone’s hand. Made of malleable clay and fired to a couple thousand degrees, forever altering its molecular structure. The bowl’s creator strived to create an object of usefulness and beauty, if not a form of perfection.

Some scholars attribute the origin of the repaired-ceramics art form to story from the mid-1500s:

The complete essay can be found in Flickwerk, The Aesthetics of Mended Japanese Ceramics, online: http://bit.ly/NP2D21. The essay goes on to say that instead of the damage “… diminishing [the bowl’s] appeal, a new sense of its vitality and resilience raised appreciation to even greater heights.” The bowl has become more beautiful for having been broken. The true life of the bowl “…began the moment it was dropped…”

“So it is not simply any mended object that increases in its appreciation but… the gap between the vanity of pristine appearance and the fractured manifestation of mortal fate which deepens its appeal.” In other words, the proof of its fragility and its resilience is what makes it beautiful.

Like you—striving for perfection, but already beautiful because you’re not perfect. Your good juju today: Don’t strive for perfection, just be you—cracks, lines, dings, and all. You being YOU is what makes you worth knowing.

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A handmade object, like a bowl or cup, is revered for the care it took to make, its beauty, and its purpose. But broken, the object is demoted and loses its honor, so to speak. Repaired, however, the object is raised to a whole new level of appreciation. Not a idea found often in Western culture.

The much-loved but hot-tempered military leader Toyotomi Hideyoshi was given a beautiful bowl for an important tea ceremony. Someone accidentally dropped the bowl, which broke into five pieces. The witty Hosokawa Yusai spoke up with an improvised poem cleverly linking lines from a well-known verse, the name of the giver of the bowl (Tsutsui), and the five broken pieces (izutsu), to the style of the bowl (tsutsui-zutsu), making them all laugh—consequently avoiding the wrath of the hotheaded leader, Hideyoshi. This specific bowl, thusly named Tsutsui Zutsu, has since become quite famous, and is considered now an “Important Cultural Property.”

Cami Travis-Groves

Kintsukuroi More Beautiful for Having Been Broken The word kintsukuroi came up thanks in part to a post by Sam Harrison (@zingzone). Kintsukuroi is the Japanese art of repaired pottery, but it’s something more than that. An important something.

Speaker Insights

Catch Cami’s session Tuesday, June 25 @ 2:00 PM Battleground to Higher Ground: Resolving Conflic t

Speaker Insights

First comes sight, then comes wonder, and now...

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We can learn from filmmakers as they explore the voyeuristic, vicarious, and visceral through visual storytelling. When I interviewed Justin last September, I asked him about the progression of his topics in his talks. From Seeing to Wonder and what was next? At the time, he didn’t have an answer. He was planning to sit with it and see what evolved. So when he said his favourite place to wonder was at the movies, I chuckled. He did know what his talk was going to be about - he just hadn’t realized it yet! I haven’t attended one of Justin’s talks, an omission I look forward to fixing this year. I have seen his online TED talk, “See Different, Do Different.” His story was about his travels to Africa, with the purpose of helping the world see things differently. They were so inspiring I shared them with a colleague who responded with,

“Thanks a lot. Like I needed to cry first thing in the morning!”

His topic then evolved to ‘bringing wonder’ back into our creative process. I was looking forward to meeting the man and was happy to learn that the rumors are true – he is pretty awesome. Between Justin’s authentic work and his boy next door personality, it is obvious why his studio, Rule29, has grown and done so well over the years. I wanted to learn how Justin managed to fit so many projects into his life, as well as be there for his wife and four kids.

eeve in DeN y K rist tion b

Great story has the power to shift the way we look at the world around us. There is no better example of this than through the experience of film. It makes us laugh, cry, and pause.

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Justin Ahrens > Rule29

Justin Ahrens is speaking this year at HOW about creating powerful and memorable work with a better understanding of story.

What is a day in the life of Justin like?

Running a firm equates to a very early start in the day. On a good day, I get a workout in first thing so I am not yelling at my kids. If I plan things right, I can leave right when my daughter gets on the bus and I get to embarrass her to start her day. For those of you who don’t have children, you could view these comments as harsh, but it is the honest truth. As parents, the

“Entrepreneurs work 16 hours a day so they don’t have to work 8 hours a day for someone else.” - Brett Wilson As I listened to Justin continue on about what transpires in a day, I was shocked at how much like my own it was, just a different locale and set of people. (Except for the embarrassing my kids part, I might have to take note of that for future reference when my kids hit their teen years.) As a creative director, I meet with everyone before their day starts. Then work with clients. Gosh it sounds really boring! We really do have a lot of fun during the day. By the afternoon we are working on strategy. As 4:00 PM hits, you wonder where the day went. On a good day I get out of the office by 6:00 PM and home in time to beat my kids like any good American dad - just joking!

Family photo provided by Justin of himself,

Does work stay at the office?

The first couple of years when we started Rule29, it was a struggle to balance my two ‘loves’ (work and my wife/family). As it is, creatives are always thinking about design all the time. When you start your own company, it gets more intense. We have managed to create space over the last few years that is focused on our family, which these days translates into chauffeuring them to their activities. I wouldn’t change anything. I love my life.

What got you started in the creative industry?

I went to a small school in Illinois with no idea what design was. In fact, I went to school to become an art teacher. It was after I blew out my knee during football practice that I had to change gears, so I took a second art class that opened me up to design. I found work in the industry and started freelancing on the side which led to a stint running a studio with a couple partners. Once we got to a point where we wanted different things, I moved on and took a job at a publishing

his wife Sarah, his kids Quinn, Ava, Jackson,

company. But even that didn’t seem to be ‘enough’. So in 2000 I started Rule29 as a ‘freelance’ business with a friend from school. After six months, we were faced with the same decision again, either take it full time as our own company or end it. Needless to say, this one has stuck.

Speaker Insights

challenge is to keep perspective when we’re on the go, deal with the pressure we put on ourselves to achieve our dreams, and still be there for our families. A daily feat for us:

What is the story behind the name Rule29? We wanted a name that would make someone ask this question and it needed to stick in peoples minds. Our names combined sounded like a law firm, so we looked for ideas. We had created a bunch of ‘rules’ that were funny and serious from college. Our favourite was number 29. I remember saying, “I just really want to make creative matter,” which became our mantra.

Continued on Page 18

Catch Justin’s session on Tuesday, June 25 @ 3:45pm What Movies Can Teach You on How to Be a Better Designer

Mackenz ie and Molly the family dog.

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What would your advice be for best practices in a studio?

Speaker Insights

1. You can’t have enough things thought out from a process standpoint. Template as much as you can: such as forms, letters, invoices and more. It it allows you to spend time on work that really matters.

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Can’t Get Enough Justin

2. The more you visualize the way you want your reality to be, the better the chance that it will turn out that way. As such, when you do grow, you have actually thought out a plan/guideline to follow as things do progress. 3. From a practical standpoint, you need a good accountant and lawyer on your team. 4. Do the kind of work you want to be doing. We all do work to pay the bills that we wouldn’t show anybody. But there is a fine balance to keep. Oh hey wait! I wrote a book about it! [Review Life Kerning on page 7.]

How do you balance passion work and business?

You have to incorporate them into your business. In order to have any type of ‘life balance’ you need to. Life Kerning grew out of a talk I did at HOW called Design Sobriety which turned into a blog about best business practices. That turned into a second talk for HOW where I just picked my favourite parts of the blog and retooled for the presentation which in turn, translated into the book. Passion projects come from a pure desire to make our work more available to us and our souls. I brought it all in house to extend this positive experience to my employees.

How do you budget for pro-bono work?

When we start out, we typically can’t get the kind of work we want. So often we go and approach organizations we admire and try to work out a deal for little to no money for them as well as good for us when it comes to portfolio and work experience. There is nothing wrong with this approach,

but the process is broken because in the end you aren’t doing these organizations a service if you don’t talk to them about budget, strategy and value that your creative solutions bring to the table. We choose to give 20% of our time away, because we value giving back.

What is the ROI of 20%? I don’t think you can really measure it. It is true that some of our best work comes from these partnerships and translates into getting us other work because of it. Our partners and their committee members do their best to ‘pimp us out’ to organizations they think would be a good fit. Though I have to admit, the best returns are what happens in-house, how the staff act and see things differently.

As an established professional, do you feel like you can crush other designers?

No. I don’t. In fact for a long time, I didn’t think what I did was important. I thought I was just average and that there was this whole echelon of people who did stuff that was like working on Mount Olympus, e.g. NIKE. But I eventually realized that if you are doing the work that you love to do, that is making a difference for your clients. It doesn’t matter who you are. The whole reason I wanted to get on stage was to share that I am just an average guy from the Midwest who works in the middle of a cornfield. My job is to do the best work possible, make a difference, be nice to people and see what happens. I try get people at my talks to see that what we do is wonderful and we need to believe it. One of the many things I love about HOW is that we are a community. We all have the same struggles. In fact our profession is kind of weird. When you tell people that you get excited about typography, paper, imagery and concepts, they look at you like you are looney. But that is what is so great about us. We need to celebrate it, and change peoples perspective by creating common courtesy and respect in our profession.

Follow up questions to Wonder:

What are your favourite spots to ‘wonder’:

I love the movies. Go and let yourself go with the story. I am the kind of guy who can talk about the movie after the movie for hours. I find it very inspiring. I have a very active imagination. The second is my car. During a long commute - I turn the music off and think about my day and decompress and brainstorm about projects.

How do you prepare to be able to wonder in your day?

I find I have to ‘let go’ and be present. There are times when you are talking to somebody and you are thinking of too many things at once which takes away from being present. I try to sit still. In fact, I challenge anyone to sit still for ten minutes, whether it is on the park bench or your couch with nothing on - it is excruciating! I find the best way to get free is to try to be. It takes actual effort. Be OK with space. It may sound crazy but you should try it.

When did you become brave enough to be the real you?

This is a wonderful question. For me, it was the first time I was on stage giving a talk and thinking, “Is what I am saying really going to matter?” I realized that my talk was based on what I think people want to hear, not necessarily what I believed to be true. So from that point on I decided that if I am going to offer insights of value whether, writing, speaking or work, I needed to be true with who I am. I needed to be vulnerable, honest and willing to take risks which required me to be comfortable with myself. This is hard for artists. We all have misgivings about our ability. I now start my talks with a story from my childhood so I connect more emotionally with the topic. What is it that is motivating me? What was I authentically made to do and what do I really care about? Once I had that nailed, then I was ready to be me.

Twitter: @justinahrens www.rule29.com

Creative’s Book Shelf Creative Stuff

Creative Extras

Creative Bootcamp I have loved Stefan Mumaw getting a chance Yes, the insights are valuable and insightful. Yes, you will get a to meet the new look at the world so you can improve your creative output. people behind But what I never get enough of is how Stefan speaks and writes. some pretty His eloquence in delivering insights makes reading fun! If amazing books you are anything like me, a visual creative, I only read if I have to, and wanted to and if I do set aside the time to highlight a couple really sit down with a book, it has to be written well and capture that are worth my attention and imagination. Creative Bootcamp does all considering. that and more.

Dave Gouveia & Chris Elkerton Getting a chance to know Chris Elkerton over the past couple of years, I was holding out to get a signed copy of the book he co-authored with Dave Gouviea. When I finally had it in my hands, I was impressed with the variety of creative activities and insights in this little gem. Creative Stuff is one of those books that can grace your bookshelf that you can randomly pick up and give a go - then just as quickly put it back but with a little skip in your creative mojo.

Work/Life Series

UPPERCASE Publishing

The Work/Life series is working on its third issue of an amazing collection of the who’s who of great illustrators. (In fact, in its third issue, our own Kristin DeNeeve made the cut!) Have a project that needs a specific style? Well, browse Work/Life and find that perfect someone by getting a full spread of their work process along with some visual samples.

Book Reviews

Janine Vangool has built a publishing ‘empire’ dedicated to the love of print. Along with her UPPERCASE Magazine, she also publishes unique creativeinspired books that are deserving of the space on your bookshelf.

Life Kerning Justin Ahrens

CreativesCupboard.com • @CreateCupboard

I think what I loved the most about holding Life Kerning in my hands when Amazon first delivered it was the size. I wasn’t sure, based on what I saw online how physically big it would be. When you have a topic about how to balance career and life, I assumed it would be a weighty publication. But I was very pleased that the essence of the book - to focus and reduce - was reflected in the light weight of the publication. It is a fabulous, easy read where words are not wasted and yet filled with insights to ponder and pursue.

Speaker Insights

The Creative

energizer bunny

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Von Glitschka > the Drawsigner

A random chat with Von Glitschka about creativity back in Chicago 2011 inspired Creatives’ Cupboard. Who do you consider your own personal mentor?

I never really had a distinct mentor. I would have loved to have someone take me under their wing as a young pup designer, but as it turned out I never really had that opportunity. I did however take notice of several designers around 1989. I watched what they were doing and they sort of played that roll for me indirectly. The work of Neville Brody out of the UK was a huge influence on me both in terms of process and his use of digital to execute unique solutions. I learned everything traditionally and didn’t start using a computer to create until around 1991. So from 1986-1990 I was purely analog. Another designer who I admired because he wasn’t afraid to inject his personality into his work and try different things was John Sayles out of DesMoines, Iowa. I didn’t like everything he did, but his ability to try a diverse range of illustrative approaches in solving a design context really resonated with me. So from that point forward, I really dedicated myself to improving my work flow and how I would think as a designer. Pretty much everything they don’t teach you in school. I take these same themes and parlay them into speaking topics or talking points. Something has to really affect me on a personal level creative-wise and compel me to action, and then once it has, I can than turn it around and use that to compel others. Because if a designer doesn’t

find their own work compelling, then they shouldn’t expect anyone else either. It’s a constant state of growth and change on a personal creative level that can be harnessed as a fulcrum for creating work on a professional level, I’ve found. You have successfully created an amazing educational video experience with Lynda.com.

What could be next?

Without getting into specifics, I am actually working on the next one that should be out now. I love the whole experience. Writing scripts and working on graphics for animation and video production is a lot of fun.

What happened to get you to speak about the creative industry?

Before the dawn of social media, I used to hang out online in the old HOW Design forum. I’d browse threads that interested me and participate in open conversations about design and everything related to it. I met some great friends this way, like Karen Larson. At one point, HOW Books posted a thread on the forum asking what books designers would like to see. Coincidentally I had a text file on my computer with my book ideas compiled over time, so I posted a few of them in the thread. The editor contacted me the next week and the rest is history. I got into speaking after another HOW forum user and designer,

Dawn Lively, asked me if I’d be interested in speaking to their AdFed group in Iowa. I’d never done anything like that before so I was not initially interested, and rather intimidated. But she encouraged me and I discovered it was a lot of fun. This led to other speaking opportunities and in 2008, HOW asked me to speak at their conference in Boston. It’s said that a writer should write about what they know. And I find that true about speaking. So I focus on what I know and try to make it very practical so the listener can take it and use it. If I can make them laugh along the way, then I consider that a success.

What brings you back to the HOW Design Live Conference?

This is easy. The people. But truth be told, I could get plenty of inspiration and practical information, methods, processes and general knowledge about our industry and design via the internet, and do so without dropping a dime. This event isn’t cheap. But that said, I love attending HOW because of the people I interact with there. It’s like a small design vacation in the middle of the year where I get to catch up with close friends of like mind who I don’t see on a regular basis. I talk to them all the time via email, phone and the internet portals but it’s like a graphic family reunion at each HOW Design Live Conference. Staying up and talking into the wee hours of the morning

A speaker’s schedule can get extremely hectic. So I wonder if:

Do you get an ything out of the conference on a personal level?

Three things: 1. Personal time with close design friends. 2. Hooking up with clients who attend and schmoozing them. 3. Discovering awesome foodie hotspots locally. 4. Making fun of Justin Ahrens, Stefan Mumaw, Karen Larson or Donovan Beery. I showed my husband the poster you created for Neenah paper at last year's HOW in Boston. His reaction was... WTH? To me, Poster created for Neen

ah Paper 2013 .

when I see your work - I love the imagery and how you bring your imagination to fruition on paper.

How would you describe what transpires in your mind that creates such unique images?

I named the poster “Really Weird” but I guess it could have easily been named “What the Hell?” too. LOL That poster is what I call a super doodle. With super doodles, I have no over-arching narrative in mind when I’m starting them. I just start and fill the given size until I’m done. I open up the cognitive flood gates and see what comes out. I use to call doodles “Dark Morsels” because many had a seemingly sinister aesthetic to them, but in all honesty it’s not meant to be bad, it’s just what pops into my head at the time. I did have a psychoanalysis look at that poster and I posted more about that on my blog here: http://goo.gl/BQGmu

Do you have negative experiences that impact the work you do?

Speaker Insights

is what I value the most when I attend. The relationships and fellowship. Because I enjoy that so much, I see the value in the price tag.

As much as I try to refine my work flow and improve my process of developing designs for my clients, I still run into situations where, for one reason or another, nothing I create satisfies the client. That happened two times this past year on a couple logo projects. I feel like I gave them some great ideas that would have worked well but for one reason or another they simply couldn’t make a decision on anything. The thing is, I saw the signs of potential trouble and chose to ignore them. So now I turn down work when I recognize those same red flags. I think most creative people, to one degree or another, battle with self doubt. Self doubt leads to fear, and as Master Yoda said, “Fear leads to the dark side,” and none of us want to go to the dark side and start working on crap for 99designs.com. Every designer has a design batting average and no one gets a hit every time. You manage to create a high output of illustrations. How do you do that as a solo creative managing a business and yet, in your free time, you continue to do more drawing (work-forfun, speaking to your cardboard dudes).

Would you equate creative output to endurance via exercise?

Catch Von’s session Monday, June 24 @ 10:30 AM Creatively Recalc ulat ing Your Daily Design Routine

Designers should never stop drawing! So stop whining and grab a pencil already.

Twitter: @vonster www.vonglitschka.com

CreativesCupboard.com • @CreateCupboard

Drawing facilitates digital. The more you draw the faster you get and the better you get. But that is just half the battle. Thinking and ideation to formulate clever ideas and visuals is the essential. Once you have a great idea (mental) you can than use drawing to flesh out the actual (visual.) Thus what Saul Bass said is so very true: “Design is thinking made visual.”

Creative Peers

David Michael Moore 22

The people you meet could be the people that help you with that one big idea, create that one big project, or push you in a direction you never thought you had the courage to go.

Drawing his career ...one illustrated retweet at a time. I learned of the retweet artist, David Michael Moore, through a retweet by Dyana Valentine. I found his custom illustrations of a person's thoughts to be original and inspiring. So I started to follow his pictorial tweets. While attending the 2012 HOW Design Live Conference in Boston, through twitter I learned he was also at the conference so I arranged to have David join me and some others for lunch. To my surprise, David’s face was familiar. Of course! I had seen him the day before during Netwalking and talking with Ed Gandia. I suddenly realized, if I had been open to the opportunity, I could have met David during Netwalking!

Be sure to check out Netwalking Sunday, Monday and Tuesday at 6:00 AM during the conference. Follow @MMtoolbox for time(s) and place. You never know what amazing person you may meet – an aspiring artist, possible mentor, or colleague going through the same challenges as you. So be open, come early and stay late! David gave me one of his custom business cards that truly encapsulated his illustrative style, and his humble sincerity. Hence I felt his inspiring story was important to share with anyone who strives to meet his or her own daily career challenges. I interviewed David last September and while reviewing it, I had to laugh at the coincidence. Because of the work involved creating this book, I asked some HOWies to help out with the writing. In fact I had asked Katie Raymon (her story on page 24) to do the write up for David since she seemed to be a fan. After, as I was listening to the interview some of the questions I had for David were actually from Katie! So in the end, she was writing

an article based on her own questions six months prior. It really seems only fitting that Katie finish the story.

Take it away Katie…..

First let me start off by saying I love the connections HOW creates. The people you meet could be the people that help you with that one big idea, create that one big project, or push you in a direction you never thought you had the courage to go. I feel like all of those things are true for the stellar person known as the Retweet Artist, David Michael Moore. I felt so inspired listening to his interview with Crystal. He began as a graphic designer and worked on projects, much like many of us do, while illustrating on the side. When he went to HOW, he decided to

attend Peleg Top’s session. I would call this his life changing moment… simply because every HOW, I have one from the people I meet and the sessions I attend. He took the time to speak to Peleg after the talk and told him what he was about…and illustrated one of Peleg’s tweets. This is where the genius comes in. I love how he target markets! Peleg ended up taking him under his wing and helped him push his illustration dreams further. Something that started off as a creative exercise has now become his calling card. One of the things I couldn’t figure out was, out of all the tweets in the world, how does he pick which one to illustrate? Answer: random target marketing.

“You never know where it may lead and that’s the exciting part.” Random target marketing. Genius. Most would take this as a creative exercise and maybe do it for a day, week, or month. So, how does he stay motivated to keep it up? Well, you can’t get better at anything if you don’t practice. David uses this as his way of getting better and quicker at illustrations. One of his greatest accomplishments is that, “Each visual narrative gets better each time.” With his work, he has learned to silence the perfectionist inside him. When you work on a computer, you can obsess over how a line needs to be, but with pen and paper, it’s there, its done. If you don’t like it, you have to re-do it. You have to create the work you love and let other people decide if they like it.

While learning to silence the perfectionist and be comfortable with what is on the paper, he has become more comfortable with sharing his work. He still has a few never before seen tweets and I can only hope we see those sometime at an exclusive gallery viewing of his amazing work.

Creative Peers

He mentioned that he created a list of people on twitter that inspire him and sometimes he will pick one of their tweets to illustrate. If he can’t find one there, he searches a hashtag and illustrates a tweet from someone completely random.

So, how does Peleg fit into all of this? As a mentor, he helped David with the idea of doing this full time. He sprinkled some inspiration dust and with David’s focus and dedication, it became a reality. We all love what we do, but I’m sure some of us are not happy or excited about the future of where we work. It impressed me to hear that David refused this feeling, and went into business for himself. I love that he went to HOW, found a mentor, and was inspired to follow his passion. When he searches hashtags, he searches a feeling. Here’s hoping HOW works it’s magic again and we can all find our #passion #dedication #focus or #lovefordesign.

Twitter: @retweetartist www.davidmichaelmoore.com

CreativesCupboard.com • @CreateCupboard

Ray

Creative Peers

a o f sunshine The people you randomly meet surprise you the most.

CreativesCupboard.com • @CreateCupboard

Illustration by @kristindeneeve

Katie Raymon > @kray4cy

I connected with Katie after reading her blog post about the 2011 HOW Design Live Conference. I admired her insight and reflections as well as her writing. Keeping up with her through social networks, she made it onto my list to get a copy of Creatives' Cupboard, though due to the craze of the first few days I am afraid that my list was an afterthought. As it turned out, I was in the HOW Bookstore when I heard this quiet voice behind me say, "Hi Crystal!" I turn around, thrilled to see Katie, and relieved to have one last book in my bag that I could give to her. Below is what she wrote based on our interview. Crystal and the HOWie crew were so welcoming when I finally met them! So, when she asked to interview me and chat one-onone, there was no hesitation on my part.

How did you first become interested in design?

I can’t pinpoint an exact time—I’ve always loved art! My parents were amazing at embracing my wicked imagination and helped me develop a love for creativity. Once I was in high school and found out I could take art classes, I jumped at the opportunity. From then on, I took any art class I could and found myself applying to Iowa State University in my senior year to major in design. Once on Iowa State’s campus and in the thick of college art classes, I realized that this is where my passion is and couldn’t wait to learn more about it. (And to think, I almost became a lawyer!)

After graduation?

I have to tell ya, not much. I wasn’t one of those amazing graphic designers who had a stellar internship that led to working in a small studio with great people. Instead, my college experience led to a stellar internship in Chicago and even though I was offered a position with that company after college, I decided to turn it down. I felt as though the position wasn’t something I wanted to pursue. This led to me becoming the typical college graduate who crashes their parents' basement in hopes of landing a job. I did take a few months off, simply to decompress from all the things I had going on in college. (I don’t remember sleeping my whole four years so I made sure to make up for that!) After a few months I was able to find a temp job creating tables and graphs for the State of Utah’s testing materials. From there I moved on to Yellowbook as their e-Learning Specialist. Had no idea what the job was but it was full-time with benefits!

How did you first hear of the HOW Design Live conference?

I had bought a HOW Magazine somewhere and saw their advertisement for their conference. It had postcards that you could punch out and give to your boss to ask about attending the conference. Fortunately, I had a great boss at Yellowbook and she approved me to go! This was the moment that started me down a whole new path in the design world. Are you ready? This is the part where I tell you all about fate and how things happen for a reason…

If I never bought that magazine, I would have never seen those creative postcards. If I never dropped one of those postcards in my boss’s mailbox, I would have never gone to my first HOW Design Live Conference in Boston. If I never went to my first HOW Design Live Conference in Boston, I would have never found out how amazing it was. If I never found out how amazing it was, I would have never asked to go again. If I never asked to go again, I would have never gone to experience Denver, Chicago, and Boston again where I met the amazing Crystal in person. If I never met the amazing Crystal, I would have never received her very last copy of Creatives' Cupboard and we would not have had a great conversation and thus, you would not be reading this right now! So things really do happen for a reason. Because of all of this, I now have a group of designers I can chat with about anything and everything. I love the connections I am now able to make. Having someone talk to me about my design life is very fun and interesting. It makes me think about things I usually don’t think about. Every day there’s always something to learn and every day I hope to accomplish that goal. I know I still have a lot to experience to reach the level of designers at the HOW Design Live Conferences but, as they say, the greats had to start somewhere! To everyone who has welcomed me and connected with me, I say thank you. You have no idea how much it means to this shy designer who has high hopes of one day becoming a big shot Art Director in a corner office.

Creative Peers

sharing the gold Julie, Julie, Julie. I asked her to provide her voice this year. Why? She touches on the main points below, but I need to clarify that she is a prime example of what you can accomplish and achieve when you open yourself up to your own potential. By standing up for your own dreams, you own the accolades and benefits. Nothing is ever ‘given’ to you and you need to see your value so others can see it too.

So while you are getting “Hugged by Julie”, ask her about her journey.

How are you? Well, wait. I already know! You are awesome, you made the decision to come to the HOW Design Live Conference. And bonus, you have in your hand a custom conference publication, created by my friend, Crystal.

Illustration by @kr istin

deneeve

Two years ago, I attended HOW at the suggestion of a friend. I was an in-house designer for just over six years, and I felt stuck. Actually, worse than stuck. I felt hopeless. After the second day of HOW, my entire perspective changed, and so did my life. I realized that I was not alone. After only five days connecting with HOWies, I gained cheerleaders and a support system I am forever indebted to. I would name names, but there is only so much room. They know who they are. Exactly how has my life changed? Well, I finally started to do freelance work, which led to me having a more experienced portfolio, which led to me getting a graphic design position in a creative agency, where for the first time in my life, I have a mentor who I have learned so much from. I can say that, without a doubt, I would not have gone out and done all of this without having met my HOWies. In particular, not without being double-dog-dared by Luke Mysse.

Julie Goldsberry

At this point you might be wondering what you’ve gotten yourself into, and how you are going to maintain your energy and retain the information that you are about to receive over the next few days. You have the solution to the latter in your hands. This is your codex for the information that you find to be important and worth remembering. This is your HOW/CFC experience. And I can say from experience, it is going to change your life. If you are anything like me, you are likely rolling your eyes. It seems that everything nowadays will change your life. But I am living proof of this.

So in the spirit of the HOWies I wanted to impart some of my own advice:

2. Eat lunch with someone different every day. A gem of advice I got from Cami TravisGroves (Page 15). You meet the most interesting people.

3. Check twitter. Check twitter. And check twitter. This will be where people will tell you where the HOWies are heading or already hanging. Even if you have never been on twitter, join for the week, it will be worth it. 4. Don’t be afraid to talk to the speakers after they have finished their presentations. They are some of the coolest people and they like to talk. That’s why they are presenting at HOW. Just remember that they are people, so don’t freak out on them.

If you find yourself having an insightful conversation with another conference attendee, it is OK to skip a session. Really. In fact, when you walk into someone else with the Creatives' Cupboard – they might let you look at their notes – or heck, you may end up in another amazing conversation. 5. Find me and help me in my mission to hug as many HOWies as possible. You get a pretty sweet sticker out of the deal too. Track me down via twitter @julieofthewolfs.

CreativesCupboard.com • @CreateCupboard

1. First and foremost, thank Crystal for creating and sharing Creatives' Cupboard. Give her a hug, a high five, create a secret handshake, but at the very least say THANK YOU CRYSTAL! And follow @CreativesCupboard because I think it is amazing.

Creative Couple

Collaboration in their designs and in their lives together.

Both designers, Bridget and David have a dynamic that I wanted to learn more about. There was a difference between these two interviews, Bridget was energetic and dynamic compared to David's slow and thoughtful responses. They are not two peas from the same pod at all. I found myself envious of having a spouse in the same profession who understands the demands of a designer, and a relationship where there is mutual awareness and respect for each other's strengths and weaknesses. Bridget and David balance each other out when they need it.

She says... Let's start off with Bridget, David's wife and mother of three. Over the year, I never really had much of a chance to chat with Bridget so was really looking forward to the opportunity to get to know the woman behind such a great man. (Yes David, I am talking about you.) I was pleased to find a great rapport with Bridget (and it could have helped that we both have children and work in design; getting a chance to talk with a designer mom is always a bonus!)

www.CreativesCupboard.com â&#x20AC;˘ @CreateCupboard

The Ashcrafts

What is your design background?

I went to Montana State University design program, the same one as David. I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts with an emphasis in Graphic Design. I have been working as a designer for 12+ years at the same university, starting in production. I had an opportunity to take on the role as an art director, but found the demands with a newborn at home to be too much. I held the position temporarily and managed to tailor a new position that met both the university's needs with my love of larger print projects such as books and publications.

Where did your interest in design come from?

I was always elbow-deep in art. While in college, I took an elective in design with Anne Garner as my professor. She created album covers with an impressive amount of artists. Anne was able to marry her artistry with guidelines in design. Learning from Anne helped me create a foundation for my own art. Stretching oneself beyond the expected is what drew me to design - the challenge and ideas and tenacity required to fit all the rules of design and still be unique.

Are there challenges when a couple both pursue careers in design? Yes. We value each otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s opinion and aesthetic so we are each other's best and worst critics.

Learning to communicate well, learning how to be respectful of each other and yet at the same time still be critical is a fine balance, in both the giving and receiving end. I have had to learn to not be defensive. The artistic egos need to be respected. Design is a part of our lives - our pillow talk is sometimes about fonts, which is not normal, but does relate to our similar interests.

Do these similar interests increase your connection? Yes, but it also might keep us in a bubble. Because we can be so into our passions, we find we have to make the effort to get out of our bubble and connect with things outside of design.

How do you collaborate on a freelance project.

We assign one person as the client contact, then bring in the other person to help with areas when we need it. We pursue our interests, for example, David is interested in multi-media and I am more interested in print. We collaborate on logo design, but still bring our unique perspective to the table. Ultimately we balance each other really well, letting each other work towards our strengths.

How do you juggle the demands of parenting?

Some days well, and some days not so much. Overall, we have a relationship based on very clear communication. The only problem is when we are both done with the

kids. We have an implicit language where we can tag each other out when we need it. We have learned to accept each other for who we each are.

Any creative endeavours are very kid specific. Any interest is based on our child’s creative powers. For example, my oldest daughter loves to draw on a blank paper versus colouring in a colouring book, while my youngest son has no interest in drawing, but loves to dress up and play. I have to admit that the art projects they bring home from school I tend to shake my head and cringe at. I really wish they would think outside the box sometimes and expose my children to more than the same cookie-cutter construction paper projects that I did in school.

Are your career interests changing? Yes. I am currently in graduate school pursuing a masters in

Was there a trigger to this new direction?

No. There was never a trigger, it is just something I have always been interested in. It was my involvement with an organization in crisis for sexual assault that began that pursuit, though I had to wait until I was emotionally ready. Now that my kids are older and I have more life experience under my belt as well as more self awareness, I am ready to pursue that direction. I have actually found similarities in some of the skills associated between design and counselling, the listening to a client and working to really understanding what someone

is saying; the following up with strategies based on what you have heard.

What was your perception of David when he came back from each conference.

Creative Couple

Do you find your children pursue creative activities because of your profession?

counseling. I always had an interest in counseling, but with my background in art, that was the path I initially pursued. Recently, I have gotten to a point where I am less inspired and more excited by pursuing counseling. I've thought about art direction, but I have little interest in the business end of the industry. I will likely always freelance with David and work with the design community because of my connection with him.

He has come back each time inspired in a different way. The most recent one he found to be less about design, but it did inspire him to be more authentic in his personal and professional life, in relation to our marriage and to our family. Shortly after the last conference, David and I took a 12-hour road trip without the kids. Plenty of time to really talk and connect. He seems to still be searching to see where he will go. I enjoy watching him grow and push his vision, and change his approach from putting himself last to validating his own perspective. It is a much safer place to be, to watch someone be inspired, than it is to open yourself up and be vulnerable with respect to your own passions.

He says... At the time of this interview, David was working at Montana State University Extension and was in charge of the design in his department. David is one of those quiet ones with so much going on upstairs. He is a great listener and is very particular in how he processes and shares his thoughts and creative ideas. His blog at bdeyescreative.com has some really great posts about his meandering thoughts. His desire to be authentic in his posts comes across well. Many thanks to David for providing the design for PHLE located on the inside back cover of this notebook.

Why did you get into design?

I found design school showed you how to be creative, but lacked in teaching concrete skills in print production and spot colours, etc. Like many newly graduated designers, I had a grandiose dream of doing designs for big names like Nike. Deflated when I was rejected by Nike, I began to float around finding projects and jobs that would wow people but were really horrible.

What have you gotten out of the past three conferences? Denver 2010 InHOWse was really important to me because we had just finished cuts to the department and there was talk about charge backs and time tracking. My department needed to make ourselves relevant to our superiors. I had lunch with a speaker and she helped me figure out the importance of design from a business standpoint. I was so focused on that one issue that the other sessions, though good, were not as important.

CreativesCupboard.com • @CreateCupboard

Because it was easier than architecture. I had an interest in design back in high school, but with my teacher's suggestion that I didn't need a degree to pursue it, I turned that passion for drawing into technical drawings. I pursued architecture in college and realized early that I really didn’t care if the building sunk, or met fire codes who cares? I just wanted to make it look good. I felt like leaving was a cop out, but if I wasn’t going to be happy with the career, then what was the point? I followed in my

sister's footsteps and chose the MSU design program. It wasn't very competitive to get into the program at the time and, to be honest, if it was, I can’t say that I would have still pursued it.

Creative Couple 28

CreativesCupboard.com • @CreateCupboard

The Ashcrafts

Screen captures from my interview with David and Bridget Ashcraft - I'm in the middle. A great conversation with a great designer couple.

Chicago 2011 I signed up for InHOWse again but wasn’t as concerned about getting so much information. I found most of the session topics to be repeats from the previous year. I took that experience to try and get more out of my shell and meet a few more people, and take in more of the city. Then Boston 2012 happened. I signed up for the Die Line because the topics seemed to be interesting and I expected I would learn more about designing for products. There were a few good talks, but the rest of the conference was based on what I had already read and researched about the essence of design, and how to make things original. I did catch Melissa's talk on How to Survive Your Soul Crushing Day Job and was shocked to realize she was talking about me. I wasn’t in the same situation, but I saw plenty of similarities in the restraints of freedoms in a corporate job.

So where are you going from here?

I started my career doing what I was supposed to do, and now I am rebooting. I think I am really starting my design process career over. I have experience, time and tools. Now what? I am really lucky to have a partner who is prodding me along and

pushing me to really start working towards the next "now what?"

What career options are you thinking of?

I am not sure. I feel the agency life has its draws, working with a group of creatives in a dynamic working environment. But the challenge of finding the situation where it isn’t affecting my home life tends to quash that idea. I am considering expanding freelance and contract work by pursuing larger companies with in-house creative departments and offering my name to be put in the mix for support as needed. I am not ready to jump off the cliff and just go solo. There are so many responsibilities with a young family. The additional risk here locally is that there are lots of solo designers, and being able to find enough clients to warrant being solo is a challenge. The financial situation will change as our kids grow, but I think the competition for work is the first and foremost thing I would have to get over.

How has the authentic topics affected your mindset?

My brain was starting to get into a routine, and I was always looking at the here-and-now. Now I am thinking with purpose, instead of mindless activities and choices.

It isn’t always about just putting something out there, but instead being responsible about what you put out there; when you don’t agree with your client, you have a choice to make. Either talk about it and come to an agreement or decide to pass on the project and/or client relationship. After the last few years and his exposure to HOW Design Live Conferences, David found he had grown beyond his current role at MSU. After HOW he started to really think more about his own goals. He had originally thought he would have been a lifer at MSU to take advantage of the benefits. I was really thrilled to hear he pushed himself out of his comfort zone and applied for more senior positions at other organizations. Not to anyone’s surprise, David landed a new job and recently has found the role to be extremely challenging but at the same time, energizing. Getting out from the education industry into a retail environment for a company that is more about change and improvements has brought life back into David's love for design.

Twitter: @bdeyescreative bdeyescreative.com

Creative Peers

The Badge...of honour? This article is reprinted with permission from the September 2012 Issue of GO Magazine by Sam Polcer (@polcer). I sat next to Sam during the Dyana Valentine session, Pitch Perfect, last year and offered him a copy of Creatives' Cupboard. He graciously declined as it was nearing the end of the CFC for him and he was more a digital note taker. He had recently reconnected with those he met via e-mail to promote his newest blog project Preferred Mode (www.preferredmode.com). I loved

the article he wrote about his HOW experience and wanted to share it with you:

But then a funny thing happens: Over the course of a few days, if the conference is long enough, you start to wonder who you are without it. You like the badge. You miss it, in the evening, at the hotel bar. You wish everyone around you had them on, at the restaurant, at the mall, on the train, so you could know what to say to them. “Hi Steve, oh you’re from DC? DC’s great. Last time I was there I ate at Jaleo. Oh, you like tapas too? That’s great, what an interesting coincidence.” The badge, it works—it gets the conversation started and signifies purpose.

I’m here for two reasons it says: To learn and, more importantly, to network. Perhaps I appreciated the badge more than most. I’ve worn a few hats over the years, but the ones that fit best were big enough to hide under: filmmaker, photographer, writer. Put me behind the camera, in front of the computer, at the end of a phone line, and I’m fine. Making connections—talking to people face-to-face—has always been my Achilles heel. I like to think my work speaks for itself. But sit me at a roundtable and ask me to talk about myself, and, well, George McFly in Back to the Future comes to mind.

I chose this conference because I’d been thinking about taking another crack at freelance photography, and what better place to widen my lens than at HOW Design Live, an annual frenzy of graphic designers, art directors and font nerds, where I could promote myself to a pool of potential clients. Just thinking about it, I could feel the flop sweat coming on. Nevertheless, I packed my bags, headed to Boston’s Hynes Convention Center, and this is I learned.

So, anything that could loudly introduce me to a room before I had a chance to open my mouth was welcomed—the badge was comforting.

Sam Polcer

The badge. At first, you resent it. You’re handed this stupid thing at the conference registration desk, a little plastic sleeve containing a printout of your name. It has your company and city typed out underneath in a barely considered font. It becomes the centerpiece of your outfit, ruining any attempt to present yourself uniquely and styled. A lot of good your carefully considered tie will do you now.

But the badge wouldn’t be enough to transform me into a handshaking, card-swapping, notetaking, intel-gathering, deal-closing, networking machine.

Awkward Lessons Learned:

2. Don’t say “Hey, who’s going to the after party?” unless you’re sure everyone is aware of said after party. Awkward. 3. Apples, while healthy, are not an ideal food to eat at a breakfast roundtable discussion. Slicing them up makes you look weird, the crunch is too loud and there is no subtle way to bite into an apple midconversation and not look like you just fell out of a tree. 4. The importance of looking the part is huge, but I also felt more confident. Advice from fashion stylist and founder, Ben Wolff of www.re-dress.com, “If you’re going to buy anything, make it a clean white shirt and try some fun socks.” At the closing reception, people who obviously hadn’t followed the two-drink rule came up to me to say they remembered me because of my wild socks. Another thing, yes this is a design conference, but guys, flip-flops and cargo shorts? Are you kidding me? Even I know better than to expose my toes to future clients.

CreativesCupboard.com • @CreateCupboard

1. Don’t underestimate the number of business cards you’ll hand out. Nothing says “I’m a pro, please hire me” like a handwritten note ripped out of your book. The badge may be your entry into conversation, but your card is your lone representative after the conference.

Food for thought:

Fuel your brain and get better ideas.

Bryn Mooth > Writes4Food

Insights

The inspiration of Creatives’ Cupboards began with my love of cooking so it seemed right to bring in the love of good food here. I asked Bryn Mooth if she would be gracious enough to allow me to share a sampling of her blog posts on food and the creative workflow. You’ve heard the phrase "starving artist"—but you may not know what a role diet plays in our creative and artistic pursuits. We may think of food as fuel for our bodies, but it charges up our minds, too. Whole grains, fruits and vegetables and nuts have all been shown to assist with brain function. In fact, studies have shown that foods high in antioxidants—like blueberries, plums, strawberries, walnuts, artichokes, kale and spinach—can help boost the brain’s natural cellular repair function and may improve memory. James Joseph, who leads the neuroscience lab at the Jean Mayer Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, wrote in the study, “Weighing just 3 pounds, the brain accounts for only 2 percent of the body’s total mass, yet it uses up to half of the body’s total oxygen consumed during mental

CreativesCupboard.com • @CreateCupboard

Other studies have shown the value of Omega-3 fatty acids in promoting our mental capacity and ability. And if you’re considering a fast-food chicken sandwich and side of fries for lunch, know this: Diets high in saturated and trans fats can negatively affect our cognitive ability.

Tips for feeding your brain and satisfying your body Don’t skip lunch. Even if you’re cruising on a creative project, be sure to fuel up mid-day.

Snack smart. Take a quick break to eat a piece of fruit and a handful of healthy roasted almonds. Eat whole foods. As author Michael Pollan and nutrition advocate

Marion Nestle advocate, avoid packaged foods that make health claims. Get your fiber from whole grains, your antioxidants from fruits and vegetables. Nutrients delivered in pills or supplements work in isolation and lose the benefit of being in their natural form and consumed in combination with other nutrients. Drink more water. If you’re feeling sluggish or hungry, drink a glass of water before you reach for another cup of coffee. Fatigue is a sign of dehydration. Drinking water throughout the day helps nutrients circulate through your body, including to your brain.

Bryn Mooth · brynmooth.com @writesforfood You can read this full article and others on Bryn’s website at www.writes4food.com

salty chocolate chunk bar coo kie

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 300o F. Spre ad the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and toast until they ’re fragrant, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Remove the pecans to a cutting board and let cool, then chop them very coar sely. Then increase oven temperatu re to 375oF. 2. In a bowl, cream the butter until it’s smooth, then add the sugar and cream together until fluff y, about 2 minutes. Mix in vanilla extract.

Makes 30 Squares

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup good quality

activity. Phytochemicals, together with essential nutrients in foods, provide a health-benefits cocktail of sorts.”

whole pecans

1 cup unsalted butter softened at room temperature 3/4 cup sugar 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extrac t 2 cups all-purpose flou

1 tsp table salt 1/2 cup chocolate chi ps (choose a variety of milk, dark and semi-sweet) 1/2 cup chocolate chu nks divided 1/4 tsp good-quality flak y sea salt

3. Add flour and table salt, mix gently to combine thoroughly. Add chocolate chips, 1/4 cup choc olate chunks and chopped pecans; mix to combine (please note that the dough be crumbly). 4. Line a rimmed 13" x 9" bakin g sheet with parchment pape r. Place a plastic baggie over your hand (to prevent sticking) and use that to press the crum bly dough evenly into the paper-lined pan. 5. Scat ter the remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate chunks over the dough and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp of flaky sea salt. Bake for 25 – 28 minutes, or until cookies are nicely browned and pullin g away from the pan slightly. 6. Cool for 30 minutes, then use the parchment paper to carefully lift the cookie out of the pan and cut into squares. Cut them when they’re just sligh tly warm.

Eat, Dine & Dish in San Francisco

Recommended for:

Lunch

•

Dinner

•

Happy Hour

Definitely Try Salt House

Contemporary American Trendy good food for lunch and dinner. 545 Mission St (415) 543-8900 $$$

••

Anchor & Hope Seafood Lunch and Dinner 83 Minna St (415) 501-9100 $$$

•••

Chez Papa Resto

French 4 Mint Plz (at Jessie St) (415) 546-4134 $$$

••

Roy’s Restaurant

Asian fusion lunch and dinner. Quality food, good for groups. They also have a prix fix dinner menu starting at $36. 575 Mission St (415) 777-0277 roysrestaurant.com $$$ Raw oysters. The best deal with the best views. Selective alcoholic beverages are $5.00 and beer $3.00. $1 oysters everyday from 11:30 am – 6:00 pm. 399 The Embarcadero S (415) 284-9922 waterbarsf.com (Note: 10 minutes taxi ride) $$-$$$

•••

Belden Lane

On the edge of Union Square/ downtown area. An alley with rows of restaurants with both indoor and outdoor seating with a European flair. Not to be missed while in SF. www.belden-place.com

Super Duper Burger

Good Quality Local California Style Burgers 783 Mission Street (415) 882-1750 OR 721 Market Street, between 3rd & 4th street (415) 538-3437 $

•

Chipotle

Mexican Grill Casual walk in grill known for it’s burritos with fresh ingredients. 121 4th Street San Francisco, CA 94103 (415) 500-9635 www.chipotle.com $

•

Tropisueño

Local Mexican spot for lunch and dinner with good atmosphere and reasonable pricing. Happy Hour: 4 pm - 6 pm M-F 75 Yerba Buena Ln (415) 243-0299 tropisueno.com $

•••

Westfield San Francisco Centre Food Emporium

Inside the Westfield Shopping Mall. A high quality food court with many eatery choices. 865 Market St San Francisco, CA 94103 (415) 495-5656 $-$$

•

Wichcraft

Gourmet Soup, Salad & Sandwiches Westfield Centre 868 Mission St. @ 5th St. (415) 593-3895 wichcraftnyc.com $$

•

Firewood Cafe

A good variety Italian pasta, pizza, sandwiches and salads. 101 4th Steet (at the Metreon) (415) 369-6199 $$

•

Sushirritto

Sushi in the size of a burrito! A local favorite. Take out only. Expect lines out the door. 59 New Montgomery Street (415) 495-ROLL (7655) sushirrito.com Mon-Fri 11 am – 3 pm ONLY $$

•

Must Dine in SF

These require transportation.

Asia SF

Great Asian fusion food and entertainment by gender-illusionists. Dinner and entertainment all in one. Prix Fix available for parties of 5 or more. Good for groups. 201 9th Street (415) 255-2742 $$$

•

House of Prime Rib

A San Francisco landmark. Juicy and tender Prime Rib. Good for groups. 1906 Van Ness Ave (415) 885-4605 $$$

•

Gary Danko

Reservations are a must. May be easier to get in during the week night. Food and service is impeccable. 800 N Point Street (415) 749-2060 3 Courses $73; 4 Courses $92; 5 Courses $107 $$$–$$$$

•

Forbes Island

Dinner only Pier 41 Neighborhoods: Fisherman’s Wharf, North Beach/Telegraph Hill (415) 951-4900 http://forbesisland.com

Late Night Diners

Pinecrest Diner (24hrs) 401 Geary Street (at Mason St) (415) 885-6407 www.pinecrestdiner.com

Lori’s Diner (24hrs)

336 Mason Street (between Elwood St & Geary St) (415) 392-8646 www.lorisdiner.com

Grubstake

(open until 4am) 1525 Pine Street San Francisco, CA 94109 (415) 673-8268 www.sfgrubstake.com

Ophan Andy’s

3991 17th Street (between Castro Street & Hartford Street) (415) 864-9795

Osha Thai

Lunch and dinner. If you love Thai Food, then this is the trendy place to be. 149 2nd Street (415) 278.9991   oshathai.com $$

••

Kate O’Brien’s Irish Bar & Grill Pub Grub (415) 882-7240 kateobriens.com $$

••

The Chieftain Irish Pub & Restaurant

Pub Grub 198 5th Street (415) 615-0916 $$

••

Zero Zero

Italian 826 Folsom St (between 5th Street & 4th Street) (415) 348-8800 zerozerosf.com $$

••

Canton SF

Chinese Dim Sum (Lunch Only) Lunch and dinner. 655 Folsom Street cantonsf.com $$

•

B Bar

American 720 Howard Street Yerba Buena Gardens Upper Terrace (very close to the Moscone Center) (415) 495-9800 bsanfrancisco.com $$

•••

sanraku Japanese at the Metreon 101 4th Street (inside the Metreon) 415-369-6166 $$

••

Thirsty Bear

Spanish Tapas A good local spot specializing in Spanish Tapas and known for their crafted beer. 661 Howard Street (415) 974-0905 thirstybear.com $$

••

Pazzia Restaurant & Pizzeria Lunch & Dinner 337 3rd Street (415) 512-1693 $$

•

CreativesCupboard.com • @CreateCupboard

••

Waterbar

Quick & Easy

Good for Groups*

Calvin Ng, San Francisco HOWie Local

I had the pleasure of hanging with Calvin Ng (@calvinng67) the last couple of HOW conferences. He was in the know when it came to where to dine and as a SF local I asked if he would share some local favourites that you can check out while you are in town.

Insights

•

Note* Saturday and Sunday can be iffy so call ahead to confirm they are open. If you are looking to dine in a larger group - make sure to call ahead and make reservations.

After Hours

Insights

ial coordinator. With beloved ‘unofficial’ HOWLive soc

We are all here to get the most out of our conference experience, that shouldn’t have to stop when the last session ends or when the official networking parties close. Taking in the local nightlife is a great way to hang out with fellow attendees in a relaxed setting and really unwind. You are put into a more open state of mind, which creates a more fulfilling learning experience.

CreativesCupboard.com • @CreateCupboard

Keith Smith @smitcat

Bars & Breweries:

There are a number of bars near Moscone that offer a spot for a quick drink and bite to eat before or after the HOW Design Live Conference networking events. These bars offer an alternative from your typical hotel bar, but there is one must-see,The View lounge at night is a must if this is your first trip to San Francisco. The View atop the Marriott 4th Street Bar the Marriott hotel bar Jillian’s Pool Bar in the Metreon Mall Thirsty Bear Brewery 661 Howard Dada 86 Second

Lounges: I’ve been one of the unofficial HOWLive social coordinators for many years. I’ve organized pubcrawls, club nights and happy hours in cities across the country (it’s amazing what you can find online). Living in Southern California has afforded me many work-related trips to San Francisco. I’ve become quite familiar with the SOMA (South of Market) area adjacent to the Moscone Center and conference hotels. One of my first night traditions is to walk the four to five block radius of my hotel to check out the nightlife. SOMA has a diverse mix of bars, clubs and lounges. There is something for everyone’s taste. I’m going to give some quick, convenient, yet still cool spots for SOMA nightlife during HOW Design Live. All are within walking distance or a short cab ride from the conference hotels.

You can actually stroll down ONE street and hit several cool lounges near Moscone. Minna is somewhat of a hotbed for Lounges that offer a nice, chill atmosphere, tasty drinks and a place to dance. These are nice alternatives to the huge mega-clubs. 111 Minna the name of bar IS address John Colin’s 138 Minna Harlot 46 Minna Eve’s Ultra Lounge 575 Howard

Nightclubs:

Because sometimes you...just...have...to...DANCE! There are several large dance clubs that offer several rooms with different types of music from Hip-Hop to Trance to House or Techno. These spots fill up quickly and usually have a hefty cover charge. There are ways to bypass the lines and covers by getting on the clubs guest list through their websites. Sites like californianightlife.com and SFStation.com are nice places to get deals to these clubs and the lounges mentioned above. Temple Nightclub 540 Howard 1015 Folsom the name of bar IS address Qi Ultra Lounge 917 Folsom Manor West 750 Harrison End Up 401 Sixth - This is an afterhours club.

Insights

The How Awesome Newbies (Twitter #hownewbies) are a group of really awesome neato How attendees who are also new! We started in 2011 with a happy hour to mingle with people who were similarly awkward, fresh and flat out green. Now we get together and invite new people every year to join our ‘crew,’ because we remember what it’s like to be new and we welcome you with open flabby arms and hungover minds. Be new with us. What the cool kids are saying about our group:

“I have found the How Newbies to be such a valuable network, both personally and professionally, and us Newbies, are ALL always here for each other. The input is AMAZING! It’s a 24/7 fabulous network, at your fingertips. The response on posts is just awesome (wicked awesome, from Boston, here). So glad I am a part of it.” - Pam Clasby “As a bonus, when the conference is over, you get initiated into this group. Here is a whole group of designers/ creatives at your disposal. No idea/question is too weird. We’re all mad here. You could find you have a new set of friends for life.” - Josh Beaton

“The first actual meet up is not only recommended, but should be one of the only things that you do that weekend. As soon as I sat down, it was like I was hanging with people I knew for years! Out of all the other networking events, this one was where I made the most substantial connections and am a better person because of it!” - Marc Piper ”My biggest worry was attending a conference alone, I luckily found the Newbs on twitter and It has been awesome ever since!” - Shon Quannie

 Find Jessie (The girl with the blue hair) and Josh, then buy them a beer. They are the leader and the humor in the group, you’ll see.  Don’t be shy. Everyone was a newbie once.  Free Thundercock with attendance to Newbies events (inside joke that you’ll be lucky to know).  Wear comfy shoes and clothes.  Bring snacks.  Take advantage of the HOW shipping services for all the SWAG!  Bring cash to happy hours and group gatherings… group checks stink!  Drink lots of water. You’ll never make it past day one if you don’t.  Get on Twitter. Everyone at the conference uses hashtags.  Meetup with the How Newbies group! (Twitter #hownewbies)

CreativesCupboard.com • @CreateCupboard

“It’s a welcoming group for sure. Connecting with them throughout the conference, talking about each session, critiquing it, learning from it made it sink in more. Spending lunches and dinners talking about our own creative goals put it over the top.” - Dominic Monte

Top 10 HOW to HOW Tips for Newbies!

Newbies > HOW to HOW

Are you new to HOW? Nervous about meeting new people who look like they’ve been attending this conference since 1978? Where do you start? Who do you eat lunch with? Where are the best parties? Don’t fret! Stop here!

Conference Tips

There are a few events and sessions that are either included within the conference or as an extra fee to purchase. Please note some key events and sessions that you really don't want to miss.

NEW

Saturday, June 22, 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM for CFC and InHOWse Attendees

CreativesCupboard.com • @CreateCupboard

CFC Events & Information 34

Happy Hour + Matchmaking

Attendees from CFC and InHOWse Managers will come together for a happy hour to mingle and get to know each other. These managers of in-house design departments (people who work for large companies with marketing budgets—wink, wink) often hire freelancers to do overflow work. And don't forget that freelancers hire other freelancers as they grow, so the other freelancers in the room will be prospective collaborators you’ll definitely want to meet, too. How will it work? Basically, CFC attendees who have signed up will be presenting from various tables, showcasing their work. InHOWse and CFC attendees are invited to wander around organically, as this is not a formal matchmaking event, and discussions about work and those interested can chat and get to know each other's work and company needs.

Breakfast Round Tables Sunday, June 23 & Monday, June 24, 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM During the complimentary continental breakfast, all CFC attendees are invited to join one of the following tables to discuss the assigned topic, discipline, region as well as an opportunity to meet one of the speakers and share what is on your mind. A great way to start the day and meet a fresh face or two.

Discussion Topics • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Running an Accountability Group How to Vet a Programmer What if your passion isn't digital? Social media: The Latest on What's Working How to Get from Newbie to Veteran Tools to Run Your Biz Running a Business from a Rural area Transitions: International Consultancy to One-Man Band Personal Branding for Business Development Why are you self employed? How do you balance family, work + self without guilt? How to Grow Beyond Solopreneur Freelancer? Solopreneur? Contractor?

Geographic region: • • • • • • • • •

US/West Coast US/East Coast US/South US/Mid-West US/Southwest US/Southeast North of the US Border South of the US Border Overseas

Disciplines: • • • • • •

Print designers Web designers Photographers Illustrators Copywriters Videographers

By Speaker: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Luke Mysse Sarah Durham Bryn Mooth Jim Krause Dana Manciagli Dyana Valentine Alisa Bonsignore Jezra Kaye Colleen Wainwright Mark O’Brien June Walker Ilise Benun Jenn David Connolly Jen Lombardi Erin Pheil Jason Early Stacey King Gordon Jonathan Cleveland Kirk Roberts

NEW

Expanding the CFC Experience: The lowdown on what to plan for and expect from the Monday CFC offerings.

Conference Tips

CFC was expanded to 3 days this year, so on Day 3, attendees can take time to digest and absorb what they’ve learned on Days 1 and 2, instead of rushing back to clients (and life!) before figuring out how to implement the new ideas. Day 3 activities include hands-on workshops with Ilise Benun and Mark O’Brien (extra fee; walk-ins welcome) and informal peer-to-peer mentoring (no fee required).

Day 3: Hands On Marketing Workshops:

If you haven't already, you can register on-site for these 2 in-depth, hands-on sessions with Ilise Benun and Mark O'Brien. A huge value for the price: $99 each.

AM Workshop

Determine Your Positioning and Find Your Target Market: You will walk out of this session with your positioning statement created and a market to focus it on.

PM Workshop

Monday, June 24, 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM Mark O’Brien, CEO of Newfangled.com and author of A Web Site That Works You Don't Know What You Know: Develop Your Content Strategy You will walk out of this session knowing what your online content strategy is. There will be no more, “I don’t know what to say!”

If you do both of these workshops, you'll be able to start implementing as soon as you get home! No more procrastinating the marketing!

Day 3: Peer-to-Peer Mentoring (FREE for CFC Attendees)

Although attendees often leave CFC on a high, one of the complaints is that you have to go right back to work without time to digest what you’ve learned. So the peer-to-peer mentoring on Day 3 is designed to eliminate that problem. It’s an afternoon for you to design yourself so you can use the learning in whatever way makes the most sense for you. Only you know what that is.

PM Mentoring Session

Monday, June 24, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM Grover Sanschagrin, co-founder of PhotoShelter.com Set aside the afternoon as a time of informal and unstructured collaborative 'peer-to-peer mentoring' among freelancers. The plan is for freelancers to come together in pairs or in small groups, under the 'supervision' of facilitator and veteran freelancer, Grover Sanschagrin, to take the session materials to the next level.

Sunday, Monday and Tuesday 6:00 AM for all HOW Design Live Conference attendees. Hope you brought your walking shoes so you can join Ilise Benun on her networking walks — especially those coming from the East Coast who will already be awake! No RSVP required. Just show up. Ilise will tweet location details so follow her on Twitter: @MMToolbox

NEW

Exhibit Hall Sunday . . . . . . 8:00 PM Opening Party Monday . . . . . 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12:00 PM – 6:30 PM* Tuesday . . . . . 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM Wednesday . . 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM

*New extended hours on the Monday to allow for more opportunities to meet service providers at the exhibit hall.

CreativesCupboard.com • @CreateCupboard

AM Netwalking

CFC Events & Information

Monday, June 24, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM Ilise Benun, Marketing-Mentor.com and author of The Creative Professional's Guide to Money and more.

Supporters CFC

This Creative Freelancer Conference is pulled together by an amazing team who are also supported by some just as awesome sponsors:

Partner Sponsors The Creative Freelancer Conference is presented by:

The Creative Group Marketing-Mentor.com

Thank You

Visual Media Alliance

Many thanks to:

Mowhawk Navitor Skillfeed iStockphoto CreativeWorx

Speaker Gifts The products of two creative freelancers have been chosen as speaker gifts for all CFC speakers. They are:

iKANDeAdvertising

Damien Golden www.iKANDeAdvertising.com Custom designed notecards.

Suzy Morais Design

Suzy Morais www.sumocreativestudio.com Custom origami cards.

CreativesCupboard.com â&#x20AC;˘ @CreateCupboard