While related and frequently overlapping, these two specialties require complementary strengths and skills. — Businesses frequently combine Marketing and Communications into the same position (aka “MarComm”). As a result, many people falsely assume that Communications and Marketing are interchangeable words meaning the same thing. They don’t. Sure, they both fall under the umbrella of Outreach and Engagement, requiring strong written and collaborative interpersonal skills…

How their visual messaging enhanced my understanding of the conflicts of today — During my recent visit to Derry-Londonderry and West Belfast in Northern Ireland, I learned a tremendous amount while walking around to view the politically charged street murals of the past and present. Through potent visual messaging, they fervidly expressed the ideologies of the two sides of the region’s continually evolving…

Content Dictates Form – Less is More – God is in the Details – all in the service of Clarity, without which nothing else matters — One of my greatest creative influences is the legendary composer/lyricist Stephen Sondheim. Throughout my 20+ year career, I continually defer to his core principles to lyric writing, as they apply to the foundation of crafting all forms of effective visual and verbal storytelling. …

My recent journey down memory lane reminded me why being distinctive and consistent is essential when crafting creative communications that resonate with target audiences. I was born and raised in Las Vegas, New Mexico, the largest town on the eastern slope of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains that’s an hour’s…

Reflecting on 20 years of history while retracing the steps of my past — During my recent return visit to Great Britain, I couldn’t help but continually feel history’s transformative impact over the past two decades since I lived in central England. In the mid-late 1990s, I attended the University of Warwick, on the border of Coventry, a West Midlands industrial city, and Warwickshire…

Visualizing how we grow from a beginner to an expert – from enthusiastic aspiration through the slump of arrogance and defeat, to the ascent toward lasting success — Often times a story begs to be expressed through the integration of visual and verbal means. This infographic I created exemplifies how designing language can enhance its understanding. I often share this visual with my students when they are learning how to push though the struggle of creative crisis –…

From women’s health to sexual assault, genuine support sparks the essential warmth that diminishes the darkness, helping us all. — One of the most beneficial ways to help victims cope and recover is to offer the simple act of support. When one feels traumatized and powerless, a sincere act of positive support provides encouragement and empowerment to overcome what can at times feel like insurmountable obstacles. The reality that all…