From the first time I was reprimanded for drawing Bart Simpson or a favorite logo during class, I have always said, “Yes, I am paying attention!”

You see, for me, doodling has always been my way of paying attention. It’s like this: If I had to sit through a lecture delivered by Ben Stein’s vocal protégé on the topic of igneous rocks and how they differ from metamorphic rocks – without some outlet to keep me sane – I’d still be in the 5th grade. It’s that simple.

Mindlessly doodling doesn’t mean I’m not listening, mind you. I stand by what I said earlier…I am paying attention, Helen! But instead of mentally fighting the painful drone with thoughts of being anywhere but in the present, doodling allows my brain to relax just enough to let the information flow in through my ears and settle into my brain cells.

Sketching has always kept me in the moment. Surely I’m not the only person on the planet who has developed the fine art of passive listening while doodling. So, why is it that some people think just because you’re not staring directly into their eyes, you must be a troublemaker who doesn’t pay attention to anything? On behalf of all doodling passive listeners, I’m here to say we are not all troublemakers. (more…)

Mother Nature astonishes me all the time. While dd|a’s designers make me look like I don’t know one end of a pencil from the other, it is reassuring to know that Mother Nature can trump everyone on occasion. Apparently, huge discharges of magnetic energy create an electrical frenzy in the planet’s ionosphere, resulting in the dazzling Northern Lights. A group of scientists at Astronomy North have captured these using time-lapse videos. Watch the one with this post and see more at their Web site here. They are mesmerizing.

Competition–any healthy competition–is good, right? It keeps us on our toes. It pushes us to our limits. It makes us faster thinkers, smarter, and a lot of times even makes us richer. Who doesn’t want all of those things? (more…)

Take an odd tour of our space with Dave. This is our beloved creative nest. It’s fun, colorful, retro and…well frankly…a tad weird. Let me take you through some of the nooks and crannies at “wacko central.”  (more…)

One of the key reasons that I am a strong brand designer and consultant is my intense passion for, and loyalty to, the brands I love and those I work for. 

You can pry my iPhone or my Mac from my cold, dead fingers! 

Unless it’s an Omaha Steak, it’s flavorless shoe leather! 

No lady – Diet Pepsi is absolutely NOT okay!!!

But I have a big secret. And with this post, I’m completely out of the closet. My first – and still one of my strongest brand connections is to a freakin’ furry cartoon character. Strange but true. I confess my soulful adoration for Bugs Bunny. Yup. The irreverent nonchalant hare is one of my true heros. (more…)