Happy Tuesday Reader! Have you ever walked into a space and just... felt it? I've been designing experiences for most of my adult life, long before "experiential design" became a thing. Promoting in my 20s. Then curating. For four years my business partner and I produced a World AIDS Day event called Safe & Sexy with live testing, real stories, a full reframe of the stigma around HIV/AIDS. We had liquor sponsors, decor, a photographer, a videographer, and one of the best DJs in the city. We...
6 months ago • 2 min read
I'm getting better at storytelling...or at least I think so. After getting home from the airport on Sunday morning, my teenagers conveniently 'forgot' how to make their own breakfast. I needed to prepare for my week so, naturally, I gave in. We hopped in the car and pulled up to our closest Dunkin' Donuts ft. Baskin Robbins mashup store. We ordered the usual -- 3 hot turkey sausage, egg and cheese croissant masterpieces & for the lady, a mint chocolate milkshake; we drove around to the...
6 months ago • 2 min read
Hey Reader, did you miss me? This email is going out later than planned, but I've been busy, and I mean that in the best way. I'm more excited than ever about the design projects coming my way, and this one was too good not to share. Last weekend, an old friend and client called me up. This is someone I've always admired -- bright, tenacious, and never one to complain about the odds, just beat them. When COVID hit, he pivoted his brick & mortar to a mobile tattoo and piercing supply shop. Now...
6 months ago • 1 min read
Happy Lunar New Year Reader! Today marks the beginning of the Year of the Fire Horse, a rare and powerful combination that only comes around once every 60 years. If you're not familiar, the Fire Horse year carries a specific energy: forward motion, passion, untamed creativity, and relentless drive. It's considered one of the most intense years in the Chinese zodiac. People born in Fire Horse years are known for being independent, ambitious, and unwilling to settle. A few notable fire horses...
7 months ago • 2 min read
If you don't follow me on Threads, Reader then you missed what I posted earlier this week that got people talking a bit. I was hesitant to share a logo and some other pieces I designed without showing the full branding suite that went with it. And people had... opinions. Some thought I was being insecure about my work. Others thought I was overthinking it. A few LOVED the logo and icons I designed with it. But here's the thing: my hesitancy had nothing to do with the quality of the design....
7 months ago • 2 min read
With the Super Bowl being one of the most anticipated annual events of the year, I'd like it's the one that officially kicks off event season and frankly, sets the tone for events to follow. Bad Bunny did his THING. There is no doubt about that. Regardless of where we watched it, I guarantee that for a moment, we were all in community; dancing, cheering, singing along in Spanish (or maybe Spanglish for some of us) and having fun...being present. This show was spectacular and symbolic with...
7 months ago • 2 min read
Reader, To be clear: this isn't a political newsletter. This is a design newsletter, but some things are bigger than politics. I know the past few emails have been...heavy. I've been staring at my content calendar all week wondering: should I even be posting my designs right now? Another ICE killing. People being detained. Communities living in fear. And I'm supposed to...what? Post about design trends? Share a carousel about brands I've created? Act like everything is normal? I've been...
7 months ago • 3 min read
Hey Reader, I had a whole email drafted about 12-week sprints and goal-setting, but I keep staring at it wondering: how TF do we stay focused when so much is at stake? This week, a woman was killed in cold blood by an ICE agent; a man was killed the same way just the week prior. The country feels like it's unraveling at lightning speeds. Rights are being taken away. Resources are becoming more scarce. And for some of us, what we knew would happen...is happening. I'm furious. I'm tired. I'm...
8 months ago • 1 min read
Hey Reader, I don't know about you, but I am glad it's 2026. I spent the better part of last year trying to be...an all-purpose professional when really, I was flying by the seat of my pants. General graphic designer. Logo creator. Flyer designer. Whatever any potential client needed and/or wanted. I didn't reach my financial goals for the year, but I did reach burnout...quickly. Not great. [Thank goodness for my savings!] Here's what I finally figured out: I already know what I'm good at....
8 months ago • 1 min read