A little about me
Clear communication is – I will dispense with the jargon here and simply say – fun. It’s the express train bypassing the hiccups in service on the local line. No waiting, no interruptions, no delays. It’s the shortest distance between two points, and the fastest.
It’s the fewest possible words carrying the most meaning at maximum speed. Journalism gave me the tools to choose those words. Designing my own ads at my college newspaper showed me how those words, presented with strong graphic art, amplified the message and focused reader attention.
Teaching at a competitive high school in LA showed me new insights into clearer, faster communication. Teens reward clarity and brevity. So I devised strategies to connect: keep things moving, insist on discipline of thought, listen with intent, indulge the authentic, and interject the unexpected. As students learned to use these techniques for themelves (which was the goal), their achievement rose to the extraordinary.
After building a nationally-recognized publications program with them, I was asked to speak at many state and national scholastic journalism conventions, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Then UC Berkeley asked me to manage a student publishing program, where I learned about budgets, staff management, and the habits of large organizations. After five years, I moved to New York and went into professional photography as well as content design, marketing, branding, and publishing.
To this day, I take the express train whenever I can.
As art evolves
Living on the West Coast for several years profoundly shaped my general aesthetic. Compared to the Midwest where I grew up, the drama of vistas, sunsets, and horizons looking toward the Pacific and Asia literally opened my eyes to a new point of view.
My work in academia brought me a couple times a year to Columbia University where I taught workshops and gave presentations. As I departed LaGuardia for San Francisco one dusky-gray evening, quietly floating over the iridescent diamonds of Manhattan's tiny office windows, I had no doubt of my next move.
New York's compression challenged me to a new expression of efficiency: horizontal expanse turned to vertical imperative. The dual influences of West and East define my style to this day – natural wonder tempered with disciplined execution.