Mental Graffiti

You’d think this would be an easy lesson for folks, one that comes naturally, even. But some folks just can’t overcome their desire to hang their drawers in the front yard for all the world to see, despite what grandma told 'em. More

From the day we’re born, we’re faced with THE RULES. It’s this giant, unending collection of things we can and cannot do. Tell your mother-in-law no, you don’t want to join her for dinner on your birthday? Serve cheese and fish in the same course? Oh, the horrors! There are so many rules the only thing you can be sure of is you’re gonna be wrong a good 75 percent of the time, 95 if you’re a man. More

There’s a rule I was taught in college: Just because you can doesn’t mean you should. That especially holds true for the Internet in these days of easy, do-it-yourself websites. I’m sure none of us have ever committed one of these cardinal web design sins: More

I love downloadable clip art, background textures and tutorials. It’s my dirty little secret. I collect imagery the way some women collect shoes – stealthily, under cover of darkness, away from the prying eyes of my peers and loved ones.  More

Tell the truth: when you're throwing your business card into the bowl for a free margarita at the Mexican restaurant (you know you do it, too), does your card stand out? Does your card look exactly like the one your dry cleaner uses? Or (shudder) did you make your own cards using MS Publisher and print them on perforated paper on your home computer?  More

If a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound? Not sure, but I do know that content no one bothers to read doesn’t help your cause. More

Turns out the Super Bowl wasn’t just good for the Saints and the Who Dat Nation. Some advertisers scored really big, and some should have saved their money to buy the coats they’ll need now that Hell has frozen over.  More

Great designs can be found anywhere. You can visit sites on the internet that will sell an entire identity kit for $99.99. But turns out Mama was right about at least one thing: being pretty ain’t enough, and no amount of either silicone or Pantone will change that.  More

This sounds like a given, I know. But I don’t literally mean the guy who fixes your coffee. I mean the person in your office who needs more help than the customers calling your support line. (You know who I mean. And if you don’t, then it’s probably you.) I’m talking about the person who offers more questions and no answers when a client calls with an issue.  More

Let’s call this an introduction of sorts. I’m five foot, two inches of irreverence. I like my cars small and fast, my trucks big and loud, and I wear my boots tucked safely underneath my pant legs as God intended them to be.  More