Professionally Speaking
I am a designer living just north of Dallas, Texas. I have been leading the creative efforts for WaveTwo over the last two years. My responsibilities range from print design, doing things like brochures, postcards, business cards, mail-outs, to web design, where I handle the front-end design using Photoshop + Illustrator + Dreamweaver and write my own XHTML + CSS + jQuery.
I also handle a small amount of freelance work in my spare time. Most of what you see when you first visit my website are examples of that work. I really enjoy getting to pick who I work for in my spare time as it allows me to follow more creative endeavors. It’s also opened up a lot of doors for me as far as making new connections. I have had the pleasure of working with Enter The Worship Circle, Hello May, LIFT UX and FUEL just to name a few.
A Little History
My training as a graphic designer started 10 years ago when I was first introduced to photoshop and a mac in my visual communications class. After graduating high school I purchased my very own Power Mac G4 and acquired a copy of Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. I took a class on photoshop for the web at my community college to learn more about the basic tools and techniques for working in photoshop.
In the summer of 2001 I worked a 4-month internship at PDX/NHIN with their in-house design department. I worked under the guidance and leadership of the art director, then Charlotte Hicks, and learned a great deal about the printing process. Everything from talking with paper reps, to ordering samples, to paper mill tours, to designing business cards, postcards and even getting the chance to design the branding for their annual fall corporate conference. I learned a lot that summer.
The time period from 2002-2007 brought a lot of new changes in my life. In that 5 year span I never worked as a designer. From 2002-2003 I worked a few dead-end jobs while living at home figuring out what I wanted to do with my life. Then in August 2003 I enlisted in the United States Air Force. I saw the opportunity as a stepping stone in my life, not a career by any means. Over the next four years I would learn more about myself than I ever imagined when I first arrived at basic training. Exactly one year after I entered the military I stepped off the plane on foreign soil in Misawa, Japan. Before then I had never been out of the county, except for a few hours spent on the other side of the Texas/Mexico border, but some might still call that Texas. I spent the next 3 years in Japan, the last 2 being the best years with my wife. Finally in August 2007 my active duty requirement was fulfilled and I was shipped back home as a free man. And in October 2007 I landed my current job.
About the Site
Over the past two years my site has seen many changes, both in content and layout. And I’m positive in the coming years it will continue to evolve as well. But regardless of how this site looks my goal is to always be real and honest in writing about my life, design and most of all my faith.
I have crafted my site with the finest XHTML and CSS I have to offer, while using the power of jQuery to add a little flare. Then I wrapped it all up in a neat little package and gave it to Wordpress as a tasty snack.
Special thanks to Ian Stewart for his wonderful How To Create a WordPress Theme tutorial. And much love to Rogie King for his lovely social network icon pack.
Who I Am
I am a Christian. What exactly does that mean? It means that I have a relationship with my Heavenly Father who loves me. It’s really pretty simple, we were created by God to have a relationship with Him and to love and be loved by Him.
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: ” ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
- Matthew 22:36-40
But it’s nothing we can do on our own, it’s only through inviting the Holy Spirit to fill us and live with us that we are able to let the love of God flow through us.
I enjoy the great community of people I live around and continue to meet online. Relaxing at home with my wife and our two dogs is one of my favorite ways to spend the day. When I’m not online I enjoy photography, cleaning my house, organizing my house and making artwork.