I Bring More than a Spoon to the Table.
I have interviewed countless people, hired and then trained more than 25 of them in my career.
The skill it takes to interview and seek out the right person is not something you are born with, but it takes experience and the understanding of exactly what your team needs.
It has been a while since I have been interviewed for a permanent position, but in my daily work I have been presenting myself and my skills regularly because really everything is built around selling.
Promoting yourself. It is hard for a lot of creative people, but imperative.
In the spirit of humble self-promotion; here is what I bring to the table. Every design, illustration, ad, website (that is linked) and product on this site was created by me in the last few years. I have been active and now I am ready to join your creative team.
Skills :
Software - Adobe Creative Suite - Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign : over 20 years of experience
Product Development - creating apparel & gift lines for key account stores
Illustration - various styles - Vector illustration is my specialty.
Print Design - catalog layouts, magazine advertisements, sales presentations, comic book design, children's book design, book cover art, packaging.
Retail Store Development - store identity, web store design, in store experience graphics, POP, signs.
Art Direction - able to manage teams of photographers and designers to execute projects under pressure.
Branding - corporate identity, branding, logo design, apparel lines, product development.
Social Media - designing for Facebook ads, web ads, target marketing campaigns
Film Separation - textile printing expert
Web Design Experience - working with Inksoft, Square Space, Wix and other simple UX sites.
Retail Store Management - 16 years in management
Sales - able to make presentations and communicate concepts and ideas.
Personality :
I am able to take direction, work with and under people, as well as lead.
Like most designers, I am an idea person who will thrive in a group.
Criticism is not something I am afraid of because I understand how deconstructing an idea with discussion will most of the time lead to great design.
Attending seminars, lectures, design conferences and other learning experiences are essential to my growth and I am always looking to find more of these opportunities.
I have never been the smartest guy in the room. In a team there is often someone with more skills.
However, my ambition and creativity has always allowed me to rise.
People that like me will say that I am quirky, opinionated, determined, kind and full of ideas.
People that do not like me will say that I am weird, (they will agree that I am) opinionated, competitive, friendly and will never stop talking.
I tell the truth. I love to have fun. I love kids.
I want to leave the world a better place than it was when I got here.
I believe that design can play an important role in making the world better because it helps people communicate and understand each other.
Awards :
"Best Portfilio" 1999 Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale : This award is given to the top student in the graduating class. I won in part because I designed and executed action figures and packaging of each of my professors. How could they resist?
"Best Print" 2003 : Printwear magazine recognized one of my t-shirt design/prints.
"Best Booth" 2012 CBA IRCS Trade Show : This award was for the design and marketing of a 40'x40' trade show experience.
"Best Booth" 2013 CBA IRCS Trade Show : This award was for the design and marketing of a 40'x40' trade show experience.
"Best Poster" 2015 - Winner of the design contest for the Mad Hatter Ball poster.
Leadership :
Boy Scouts of America - Cub Scout Den Leader 2014 - Present
Keep Eureka Fair – Committee Member. Worked with city council members to support a local ordinance of non-discrimination. My role included public speaking, essay writing, event planning, fundraising, networking, campaign strategy, and design.
Eureka Springs Downtown Network - Board Member. We plan events, and strategize about community building efforts.
Client List / Work History :
INK Enterprises - Designed for FCA, Young Life, Compassion International
Kerusso - Designed for Prayer of Jabez, Max Lucado, Left Behind Series, Archangels Comic
VF Knitwear (Nutmeg) - Licensed apparel design for Star Wars, Austin Powers, Harry Potter, Old Navy, Gap, MLB, NBA, NFL, NCAA.
My Own Brands - Gardenfire, Twice Born, Fish Shticks, Twice Born Design, Simply Blessed and Another Good Day.
Wholesale Accounts - Hobby Lobby, Mardel, Books-A-Million, Walgreens, Walmart, Family Christian Stores, CBD, Berean, LifeWay Christian Stores and thousands of independent stores.
Art Licensing - Halmark (DaySpring), Christian Art Gifts, SlingShot Publishing, Crossroads Designs, Kerusso, Brownlow, Trendz International.
Ministries - The Voice of the Martyrs, Ends of the Earth Cycling, Radical God Talks, Mercy Ministries, hundreds of churches around the country.
