As this month's blog is posting, I'm on a creative retreat to tap into and foster more creativity in my work and thus my life. My business is called Studio Haus for a reason: my work spills out into every area of the world where I reside. Sometimes though, I need to break free from my walls and oftentimes it involves having nature all around me. However, for this retreat to happen, I gave myself a self-imposed deadline that "I couldn't go outside and play" until I redesigned my web site.
As you may notice, graphic development of just about any kind is a welcome experience professionally for me, so my portfolio of work can seem all over the place. The fact of the matter is that I still do a lot of the same kinds of projects I've always done: logos, books, ads, brochures/catalogs/other print, and, of course, full-on marketing campaigns including signage. The thing I've always done behind the scenes though has been art and illustration. I began sharing my work publicly after realizing how much volume I had in drawers that wasn't seeing the light of day. It was then that I decided it was time to start making more art again and marketing it. However, my site didn't leave a good first impression after trying to fit this "new" element of illustration into my portfolio. Let's just say the procrastination set in.
“Inspiration is for amateurs. I just get to work.”
After almost two years of trying to make the previous web site design work and getting a metaphorical jolt (again) from a single Chuck Close quote ("Inspiration is for amateurs. I just get to work."), I decided to go much simpler. I decided to stop trying to make something that wasn't working well into something that was easier, cleaner and more enjoyable to maintain and update. While doing these things for clients is always the objective, I'd let the attention to detail for my own marketing plan slip. So I decided to implement and prioritize my own professional deadline while maintaining my obligations to clients. That metaphorical jolt turned into a kick in the butt.
Welcome to my new web site. I can honestly say it was a joy to create. Because a web site is constantly evolving, I know I will still be finessing things along the way. In the meantime, please peruse, share, critique and hopefully enjoy.
This career I've been fostering along with my incredible roster of clients has been one I've loved from the get-go and sharing it with others is an honor. Now I'm off to work! Yay!