Well, well, well. Glad to see we meet again young reader. You may have thought me a fool for not posting anything for quite some time, but ah-ha, that's where you're mistaken. Things may seem silent on the outside, but inside there are enough thoughts, ideas, earth-shattering plans to make you wet the bed at night.
But before I lose any more of you to unrelated topics like bed wetting, I would like to share some insight to my life over the past few weeks.
Collaboration Celebration
Over the past couple of weeks I have been collaborating on a small project with Ben Pasley for a website he has. He asked me to come up with a new brand/header image that would convey the message of his site to the readers. From the start I was given total creative freedom to do so, with no real boundaries except sticking to the site description; "Worship House Concerts". The site itself is part of the Ning network, so there wasn't much in the way of customizing the layout besides color. The existing theme on the site was dark and didn't feel very inviting or personal. So I chose a lighter palette for the new theme, which uses more natural warmer colors. The new branding/header image is really what sets this site apart from others though.
Collaborating on this project with Ben led him to call me up for another project he needed done on short notice. But I was more than happy to take on the challenge and deliver something of value and quality. What started as a small header image has now turned in to an ongoing creative relationship.
Organic Creativity
From start to finish, we all have different ways of completing a project. Some stick to rigid guides and timelines while others enjoy a more free-flowing, organic path. I think I would categorize myself in the latter simply because that's how I like to live my life. This is not to say that timelines and guidelines are not important, because they are. Otherwise, nothing would get done and our clients would end up with one hefty bill. But allowing yourself to draw outside the lines and follow that sudden burst of inspiration is what it means to be creative.
Design for the now
As most of you probably haven't heard, I am planning a total re-design/re-structure of my site. There are a lot of bridges to cross and many miles to walk before I will be releasing any sneaky peaks at it. So instead of whining I would like your encouragement to help me get through these initials phases of planning and brainstorming. And if you're feeling lucky (well, are you punk?), give me a call or email and let's discuss what you like, don't like or think would be beneficial to my site. I can handle the constructive criticism of my peers, but please don't make an ass of yourself.
Thanks
I would like to thank the following people:
Amanda Steed (@sweet_baby_jane) for putting up with me while I work late nights and haven't had much time to spend with you.
Aaron Irrizary (@aaroni268) for putting things in perspective about the design process. This was the boost I needed to quit getting caught up in all the details and just put something out there.
Garth Humbert (@IamGarth) for posing the question "when's your next blog post going up..." to me on twitter. It was like a double-shot of espresso to my monday morning.
The design community on twitter. You guys are such a huge inspiration.