I need to get better at...

 ...asking for help, asking for more time, and asking deeper questions about the why. Being less nose to the grindstone and more face into the wind. Standing firm on what all this costs. Traveling more. Creating more. Thinking about work less. Embracing uncertainty. Blocking out time to make something for no reason in particular. Being even more selective about the projects I take on.* Understanding the divide between talk and action. Experimenting. Getting all philosophical. Acting intentionally. Having conversations at a deeper, more profound level. Not feeling bad for being pissed. Not just going with the flow. Not accepting of the way things are. Letting things go. Showing more of the love. Enjoying more of this life as it continues, at an increasing clip, to move on by.

* As of now, I feel like this will be a big theme for this year.

Do the projects you’ll be proud of

And here we go. 2016 off and running. New projects, new clients, and new energy. But before getting too far along, let’s make a special note about 2015 and what made it great. Sure, there we low points, but this is about the highs. It’s about those projects that make a designer feel he or she is worthy of taking up space on planet Earth:

Why mention these now? Because it’s important to be able to go back, when needed, for extra guidance when it comes to what to take on next and how to make sure it’s as good as it can be. It should always be about doing the projects you’ll be proud of. Because without that, on the working side of life, what else is there? 

Here’s to the New

This year was amazing. Challenging, exhausting, too busy at times, out of sync every now and then, but still amazing. Sure, you’ll lose RFPs, get frustrating client feedback, have a terrible meeting, and keep yourself up at night worrying about how it all keeps going. But you work with inspiring people, you learn something new everyday, your projects can make an impact, and the fire deep down in your being burns hot for the need to keep making things because that’s when you’re at your best. And for that, the uncertainty and the stress are beat out by the thought of what’s to come. Another year passed, here’s to the new.

JKDC offices will be closed until January 4th. Enjoy the magnificent downtime.

A year of our weekly consciousness

2015 has been the year of coworking. In early January, Jake Welchert and myself began operating full-time out of a small space in midtown Omaha we branded Round and Round. Last month, Adam Casey joined the fold. It was initially conceived as a space where independent creatives could come together to work, learn, and enjoy their careers. To think and make, to share and collaborate. On those accounts, it’s been a wildly successful year.

I’ve come to think of the space as a consistent source of inspiration and momentum. Where to go to make things happen, to create impactful work, and to enjoy these days of working on projects with some really amazing people in our city. Part of the R+R mission is to make great design available to organizations and causes we believe in, whether in the arts, the environment, or equitable community development. I’m really excited for what the new year is looking to bring on that front. 

High level, looking back on what went down at 5013(?), I can say with some certainty that the Boss was the most played artist, the Bulldog the most preferred for lunch, and people looking for the tailor our favorite guests. We now all get professional haircuts next door, most of us honed the skill of yelling loudly, and one of us can speak with a pretty good accent. And I think it’s a toss-up between what we’ve made fun of more, either the shitshow that is the Republican field for President or LinkedIn. 

If you’re curious, you can view the type posters I typically made every Saturday morning to recap the previous week. Starting with #1, you can scroll through a year of weekly consciousness of the independent designer mind. That was life this year, documented and retold with emphasis in our favorite typefaces. 

Where to next? We have a fairly good idea, at least for Q1. If you’re in the neighborhood, definitely swing by. We can talk 2016, top 10 albums of this year, and try to determine what to destroy next. If we don’t see you, in the twilight of 2015, keep on keepin’ on. 

Round and Round 2015 »

Punk Rock, Political Science, and Nebraska

My foundation for what it is that I do. The how, the why, and the where it comes from. This is how I frame all my presentations and was the basis for my 5-year self-evaluation. Read that marvelous piece of work on Medium. And after five-and-a-half years of independence, these 3 philosophical framings still hold. All intermingled yet profoundly important enough to stand on their own. So punk, so political, so just another guy from the good life, land of the flat water.

Road Trip!

A story about tips from the Tiperosity blog.

Whether with the biggest, most epic road trip to date or the simplest dish in my repertoire, I’ll be the first to admit, I love the starting point. The first cup of coffee in the morning, the first play on a highly anticipated vinyl release, and where to start after getting off the plane on a trip abroad. There’s magic in the beginning, as it hopefully leads to something meaningful and memorable.

Read on Medium »

Oh what to do...

... when you find yourself locked in a meeting with a blowhard. In my experience, the blowhard is the least effective member of any team. They talk and talk, and talk and talk. And seek to fulfill no other purpose other than to firmly assert themselves in the middle of something. A lot of times this thing they feel compelled to insert themselves into is moving along just fine without them. But of course, they couldn’t give less of a shit about this fact. Instead, they must pontificate, insult, assert, and simply assume to be the end all be all of anything and everything. It’s what they do. 

If you are unlucky enough to find yourself in such a situation, I suggest this approach; listen, play nice, seek clarity, and reiterate the fact that you are going to keep things moving. If you’re feeling bold, you can, of course, thank him or her for wasting everyone’s time.