“Voting with your money” is a way of demonstrating your values though your purchases. Choosing to buy from family-owned, local, eco-friendly, ethical businesses instead of predatory corporations is a small, but important way of making a positive impact. As a business owner or an independent artist, you have another way of making an impact: choosing carefully who you sell or give your time to. Read more...
Writing about art for me is writing about my process—not only the physical process of painting or drawing, but the process that happens in my mind, because that’s where most of the struggle is. In that spirit, this article isn’t a how-to, and it isn’t focused on technique—I’m documenting my thoughts here like I would in a journal. Learn how I managed to get over my crippling self-doubt and started painting with joy again. Read more...
There are businesses who seem to burn through creative talent faster than their dirty socks. And then there are business owners who stick with their creative service providers for years, recommending them to anyone who will listen. The latter one is just beautiful when it happens. You can’t force it, but you can do your best to encourage it—whether you’re a client or a freelancer. Read more...
Small business owners who look up to big corporations to show them how branding is done are left believing in a myriad of misconceptions, and some downright lies. Here are the myths that may be holding you back from designing a human-centered brand that creates a lasting impact. Read more...
“If you don’t make content, people won’t pay attention. If you don’t post frequently, people will forget about you. If you don’t follow through with a commitment, people will think you’re flaky and won’t listen to a thing you say anymore.” I've heard this from so many people, and sometimes I repeated it. Now, I'm not so sure it's a message I can stand behind. Read more...
Let’s not beat around the bush: my design services are not cheap. I wouldn’t call them “expensive”, but for the majority of people who might benefit from them, they’re currently out of reach. I don’t have a problem with that, as there are different designers that offer logos at different price points, so hopefully everyone can find one that’s ideal for them. But there's a huge gap between people who read my articles and enjoy my free resources, and the few people who can actually invest in my services. If I want to assist those who cannot yet afford my help in a deeper way than blog posts or free classes can achieve, I need a more affordable range of products. Read more...
Brand design has a secret language: visual language. A logo has many roles in your business, and perhaps the most important of them is communicating your main brand message to your audience. In this post, I explain how visual design works, and list 4 types of brand messages you can create for your business. Read more...
Design is not just for designers. Everyone uses design at some point—whether it’s making a presentation for a conference talk, printing “Lost dog” posters, or creating social media graphics to promote your business. Check out some of the most common beginner design mistakes, and how to fix them. Read more...
Creatives typically find marketing tasks a chore, but it doesn't have to be that hard. People in the creative fields have an advantage when it comes to content marketing. Learn how you can use any of the digital tools currently available, and create new art forms that complement your primary medium. Read more...
I loved digitally editing photographs since I was a teenager. It grew into elaborate collages that required a lot of painting to get everything look like a part of the same image. Today, I'll show you how my last piece “Santa Muerte” has evolved from the original photograph, to a final composition that included collage, painting as well as vector drawing. Read more...