I was beyond stoked to be invited out to Spokane WA to judge their Advertising Federation of America chapter's "ADDY" awards, so I was as good as gone when they asked if I'd make the trip. Done. Little did I know that I would cover more activity in a day and a half, than most do in a week, on vacation—and in Spokane, no less. I'm from a city that gets hated on just the same so I like to highlight why a city is extra nice. NYC is too easy—skip that. But Spokane? I noted that immediately and started the hashtag "#WeBeSpoke" for use while I was moving about town. "Bespoke" denotes a speciality, something one-of-a-kind, crafted with extreme care and attention to detail. If it wasn't before, it is now. Yo, Spokane; trust me #WeBeSpoke when I'm in town. (read on…)

Rashida… Doom… Gear… Kicks…
Rashida… Doom… Gear… Kicks…
Rashida… Doom… Gear… Kicks…

Good, keep practicing. You'll get the hang of it.
If you've master that, then please—read on!

Earlier this year I completed the branding & identity for 'EDNEY Adventure Photojournalism' with the idea of better brand opportunities for the talented "mind's eye" behind the lens—Ms. Jen Edney. On top of her visual creative gifts, she is also a very savvy marketer. Jen was excited to bring me the idea of something that would allow her to advertise her business while she had her hands full of equipment, as well as allowing her to fit right in and draw some attention by looking the part of the nautical athletes milling about her regatta photoshoots—yes, you read that right; this lady shoots regattas! (just what did you do today?!) Truth be told she's a nautical athlete herself so not only is it clever, it's completely fitting and authentic.

On deck are some new goodies for all of the "RDQLites" out there. Just a little fun something to say thanks for the support and get ready for the new drops in coming weeks. Download these new iPhone backs by clicking on the link of the one you want, right-clicking the full-sized image and saving the file. These will be up for a 2-week, limited-edition download.

RGC "Royale" iPhone wallpaper

RGC "Royale" iPad 2 wallpaper

Bill Sitzmann, principal & photographer at Minorwhite Studios has long been one of the foremost artistic eyes—both real & mechanical—in the Midwest. When he reached out and asked me to be the next subject profiled in his "Moving Portraits" series, I said yes before he could finish the sentence.

Armed with a bevy of tech and his trusty (and hilarious) assistant—the talented Jess Ewald—we spent a couple days talking, hanging, laughing and… oh yeah, filming it all. I've never seen two people work so hard to produce a product that makes another person look so amazing. What a great time and such an honor. The shots seen here are mere screencaps of the "dailies," so it goes without saying that I can't wait to see the finished product.

This is my new favorite person. May I present, Jessica Ewald. Budding photographer, currently part of the Minorwhite Studios family, and possibly the funniest person I've met in awhile. Her talent with any lens is beyond remarkable (this is one of her Instagram shots from her iPhone) but more than that, her personality is infectious and her quality—absolutely genuine. I officially only met Jess this week while being captured in video form as the subject of Bill Sitzmann's (Minorwhite Studios) latest installment of "Moving Portraits." After a polite handshake and one of those "yeah, we kind of recognize each other" glances, we fell right in step and you would have thought we'd know each other our whole lives. I love meeting good and talented people here in my fair city. This was an official business endeavor, and yet I left hoping I've made a new friend for life. That's how this thing should go. Never leave empty-handed; exit every situation with something of value and well worth keeping. So, hey Jess; welcome… You're stuck in the land of the 'Hvy Crwn' now, kid! [read more]

RDQLUS CREATIVE has been doing some finishing work for the favorite, incumbent client no.1—RGC (wink wink)—and the refresh of coming into the new year must have jostled some thoughts, because some really fun designs have started to solidify for the Spring 2012 drop. Shown above is a little bit of the process for one of the new RGC tees. Stay posted for more previews and info.

I look at balance a lot as a designer. It's a bit of a curse to alway be translating visual information into design context or communication. After a solid workout, the best part is that 30 seconds of downtime just after a hard final interval In that moment the oxygen is rich on the palette, like your favorite snack, pores are open, your entire body is "breathing" and your vision seems to sharpen as your brain replenishes the O2. In that moment, those 30 seconds that my body is reeling and getting "back to one," I like to sit and notice structures, functions, form, balance. It's usually right after this that a solution to something I was working on clarifies itself beautifully. Love that!

Damn right, I'm hash-tagging real life! #Chillmode is my favorite status on & off-line, and I try to keep it going through work as much as play. The real beauty is in those gray areas where the overlap happens. Nothing spoke louder to this point than this week when the owner/craftsman/namesake of Colley Furniture decided to open up his workshop for one of his illusive—and infamous—"ColleyQs." Good food was slow-cooked with much love (and served with as much or more of the same), and people just buzzed about in a low murmur of activity on a Tuesday night. At one point I spot a beautiful old antique trike parked at the base of one particular pocket of conversation where no one felt it was out of place. This shot is a visual metaphor for my life. Love it. [read on!]

Just before the holiday I had a request for a creative consultation with a small níche apparel & accesories brand that wanted to purposefully out-grow it's old logo, but didn't quite know how as the scope of their offerings shifted so quickly, early in their lifespan. I was all set to just consult and give a bit of strategic advice, but what came of it was a new RDQLUS CREATIVE identity & branding project. It was a bit scaled down but no less important to deliver the goods that every good business deserves. This is a sneak-peek of a part of the new system. More to come when the official word to roll-out has been given.