First Blog Post.

Test Podcast

The power of photoshop

The Shining

Six years ago a close family friend broke the news that their 9-year-old daughter, Claire, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Hearing such devastating news about people that you care so deeply about immediately gives you a deep feeling of helplessness. Claire’s father signed up to be a shavee for St. Baldrick’s that year and my wife, daughter and I attended to show our support. Being a fan of all things Irish, I was taken over by the incredible energy of the night… the music, the kids, volunteers and of course, the shavees! I was so inspired that I signed up the following year myself. I've been a passionate supporter ever since. 

Anyone who has ever been tasked with fundraising knows it is sometimes difficult to draw interest. I decided that the best way to create a donor opportunity was via social media, mainly Facebook. The core of running an effective social media campaign is "sharing." A lot of sharing. A strategy developed from that idea. I knew that just publicly thanking the donor for their generosity via Facebook was not enough. How could I make that "Thank you" bigger and more noticeable to others in the process? I decided to combine my passion for helping families dealing with childhood cancer and my passion for graphic arts. 

Star Wars

I decided to begin offering the donors photoshopped images as a way to recognize people's generosity but also to draw attention to the cause in a light-hearted way. I then made sure to keep all these images in a special folder so that they could be seen collectively and inspire others to give. The reaction was immediate.  Friends and family tried to "out do" each other by coming up with the most humorous photo ideas.  Some were based on their kid's favorite movie, some based on a historical moment, some just plain bizarre!  But each was personal and made the donor want to share it with their own family and friends, which introduced many people to the efforts of the St. Baldrick's Foundation.   

I believe it's important to acknowledge the charitable nature of others but also make the participants. It becomes a chain reaction that motivates more generosity. St. Baldrick's is a constant reminder of the power and importance of our children. And I believe the silly nature of this particular way of raising money has become a nod to the spirit of fun found in every child. Although it feels like the love we have for our own children is the most powerful feeling in the world, we must remember it is not unique to us. It's that love that gives families strength during trying times. I believe that is what motivates our family most and why we are all so passionate about the St. Baldrick's Foundation. 

Finding a way to inject fun into your fundraising efforts not only increases your donations, but also encourages others to join the cause.  I have found that by just offering this one incentive, my donations have increased considerably as the years progress.  And I love every minute of it!

DONATE HERE http://www.stbaldricks.org/participants/mypage/657951/2014

Here are samples from the last campaign

Flash Gordon

Goonies

Love Actually

Where the wild things are

Creative Courage Workshop video

A bird's eye view

A bird flies over a forest and identifies a safe place to begin nesting. Once it's found its location, the bird gathers twigs and leaves and starts weaving a nest that becomes a resting place for its eggs. But that's just the beginning of the process. With a bit of nurturing and love, within a few weeks, the eggs hatch and you have new birds that will one day do the same. Do you see the metaphor yet?

Answers come best when you start looking at it holistically. Look at the issue from a bird's eye view and zero in on your concept. Gather ideas and weave a solution. Once you have a solution in place, there is one more step to take, one that we often forget: nurture it and watch it grow on its own. The success of that solution will inspire even more ideas. It's the circle of life AND ideas.

SHUT UP AND WORK!

Shut up and work. We all get frustrated. We feel impatient. We feel discouraged. We try to shift the pieces so they make sense. The belief that the world is a puzzle for you to decode is discouraging, demotivating and just plain inaccurate. Shut up and work. All that noise feels like progress but in actuality becomes wasted energy. The bottom line is to do what you are good at. And do it a lot. Never stop. Don’t get too hung up on the results of the work because the act of working consistently with commitment yields progressively improving results. The act of work creates opportunities and is the birthplace of innovation. Trust that putting your energy into something will lead you to where you need to go. Shut up and work. Stop trying to second guess your progress. Stop talking yourself out of taking chances. Stop placing judgment on the validity or value of your work. Stop fighting the richness of your capacity. Shut up and work. If you’re good at what you do, you’ll get better. If you’re great at what you do it will show. Do what you are good at. And do it a lot. Never stop. Shut up and work. Nothing will fall in your lap. Keep your eyes open for opportunities and act on them. Nobody owes you any favors. It’s up to you and me to shut up and work.

Communicating messages through art

The Sistine Chapel ceiling, painted by Michelangelo between 1508 and 1512, was commissioned artwork for the church. He was asked to paint most of his well-known work by the church in much the same way our client's commission marketing work from us.

Illiteracy was very high In the 1500s. The only way for the church to communicate the words in the Bible was using artwork. Much like we use print media such as billboards or e-newsletters, the church used paintings and sculpture to communicate its vision to the masses.

I still find it fascinating that the most prolific and talented artist in our history was, in essence, a graphic designer whose work communicated the vision and voice of his client, Pope Julius II. I like to think that the relationship we have with our customers is healthier than the one Michelangelo had with Pope Julius II. They were always arguing over payment and creative vision.

Michelangelo did, however, sneak in his agenda whenever possible. It’s cleverly portrayed in his most famous painting in the Sistine Chapel depicting God touching the finger of Adam. This painting was to illustrate how God gifted man with a soul. Michelangelo disagreed with that premise. He believed God gifted man with the ability to reason and think. That is why he cleverly painted God’s robes in the shape of a cerebellum. You can see it in the photos. I had the chance to see the painting first hand on a trip to Rome. We are drawn to it and find a need to understand it. It’s a powerful communication tool in the right hands. It has shifted cultures and documented history. And that’s cool in my book.