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It's an absolute delight watching dormant seeds sprout decades after they were planted.

The other week, while out running errands, I picked up my phone to check my email. At the top of my inbox was a message from my old friend Molly Crabapple with the subject line, "Very cool news!" Cool news from Molly? This is something good. Molly is a talented illustrator and every time we've collaborated, I've had fun.

The "very cool news" is that a piece we worked on together, for MoCCA Art Fest 2009, is going to be part of an exhibition later this year at Poster House, in New York City! The piece features Molly's beautiful underwater illustration scene (see below) and was designed by me.

Molly and I have a solid history working together. It got me thinking... I don't feature that work on my website. Yet, it was some of the most inspiring and interesting work of my career! Needless to say, I dove into looking through old drives to retrieve as much as I can in preparation to display some of it.

Back in 2007, I became the Dr. Sketchy's Philly Director. Some of you probably remember. What fun that era was! A match made in heaven. An excuse to bring all of my interests together for one night a month via a debaucherous party I'd curate for my fellow artists. BONUS: I'd handle design and marketing for the event. When I think back, this was a key part of what sparked me starting my own business. Some of you will remember the collectible posters I designed for it. The work I produced and the time I had during that era qualifies as one of the highlights of my design career and life.

Sprinkled throughout that decade or so were other projects I did for Molly to promote her work. I thoroughly enjoyed making this one (see below) that parodies "The Birds" film poster art.

I flexed my skills and got super creative in these projects. So much fun is had –and results are pretty spectacular – when you get such creative freedom. Molly is the best collaborator. Our styles compliment one another in such interesting ways. The work we did together holds a very special place in my heart.

But the weird thing... the sort of kismet piece of all this is, while Molly and I are connected, we hadn't been in personal contact for a while. So, seeing her email land in my inbox was extra special. Special because of the conversation that occurred right before I checked my email.

I was tagging along with my partner Maki, who was picking up books he'd worked on from Ahoy Comics. Ahoy's series, The Toxic Avenger, came up in conversation. I lit up because Fred Harper, an artist whose work I adore and who also happens to be Molly's partner, is the illustrator. I said, "Oh, yeah! That's the project Fred Harper's working on with you, right?" Then we all chatted about the small worldness of the immediate conversation and people involved – how the five of us are linked via small threads of connection over time. The way we were all connected in the space of an hour and how that came to be:

Dr. Sketchy's Philly ➡ project collabs w/Molly ➡ SketchyCon hangs w/Fred & Molly ➡ meeting Maki ➡ Maki's work w/Ahoy Comics ➡ meeting w/Ahoy to pickup Maki's books ➡ our convo & mutual connections ➡ Molly's email within the same hour ➡ learning our work will be on exhibit!

Maybe it's not that weird, but seeing the way these connections unfolded over time is a bit magical to me. 💫

You never know when seeds planted will blossom. In this case, the seed I planted is perennial. I would never have guessed it'd come out for another curtain call. Life is funny and beautiful sometimes. 🌷

Let's work together!

Whether you need help designing a logo for your product or business, need to tap in for a Creative Direction consult, or need an event promo designed, my books are open. Set up your free 30-minute consultation to discuss your project or simply respond to this email to start the conversation. I look forward to helping! 🎉

Other ways I can help:

My Light Brand Identity Audits are a great way to see if you're on the right track with your visual brand identity (logo, brand fonts, and brand colors). Especially if you're a DIYer! Get pro guidance to see what's working, what needs attention, and immediate actions you can take yourself to improve it.

Not sure where to start when it comes to DIYing your new business's logo, colors, or fonts? Read Logo To Go! Written specifically for small business owners who aren't designers, this eBook will help you understand what's needed in your DIY design journey.

And lastly, learn more about different aspects of designing your brand identity using the FREE resource of my site articles. I plan on adding more in the coming months, but for now, there are a few good posts to get you started. 😉

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Talk soon,

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