Dive into the archives.
- What’s So Great About Your Comfort Zone?
This week is an exciting one for me and my family. On Sunday, July 4th, Independence Day, we are driving out of Tallahassee, FL, with our belongings in a U-Haul trailer to begin the three-and-a-half-day journey across the country to our new residence in San Francisco. That amazing, unique city is where I grew up, where my wife and I lived for the first 3 years of our marriage, where my eldest daughter was born, and where our hearts are. Although we spent many years in SF Bay Area, we have not lived within the city limits for years, and we are anxiously anticipating our return.
In some ways the City by the Bay could be misinterpreted as our “comfort zone”, the place we feel the most at ease and safe. Yet anyone who knows us and knows our relationship with the city would make the distinction that we seldom ever make the choice for what is safe.
In the McDaniel philosophy of living, safe is equivalent to boring. Safe is for those who are satisfied with the status quo and have little or no desire to experience the adventure that is an intricate element of the potential within every breath we take. Safe may be fine for others, but it reeks of stagnancy, boredom and insufficiency to me and my family.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m sure we have our own comfort zones, and this writing is not an attempt to put our approach to life on a pedestal high above your own. It is, however, rich with the hope that by sharing our story you too might be inspired to examine your comfort zone and maybe, just maybe, step outside of it to experience all that you have been missing.
- My Birthday Thanks and Wish For You [Video]
Today – May 7th – is my birthday. Here’s a video with a small thank you to all my friends for this past year, and my birthday wish for each and every one of you.
- What Do You Do When You Don’t Get Your Way?
Athough this post was inspired by recent events in the US political arena, it is not about them in particular. This is not about which side you or I are on or how either of us feels about recent historic events.
This is about grown men and women making a conscious decision to carry themselves like adults or like third graders when something they feel very strongly about does not go their way. I have been on both sides of that equation for various reasons at different points in my life and, although I probably have not always succeeded in behaving like a mature adult when I have experienced a disappointing loss in something I was fighting for, bearing witness to the poor behavior of others in similar situations has bred in me a distinct distaste for the immature and destructive antics of the poor loser. I want to share one of those experiences in hopes that a view from another angle may help us all to consider with compassion those around us as we determine our next course of action whenever we don’t get our way.
- Should Social Media Relationship Rules Be Different Than Real Life?
My answer is no. But then, that’s just me. I truly believe you are free to answer differently, and even better, we can co-exist with our differences of opinion and practices. The world is full of people with distinctly differing opinions, belief systems, methodologies and more, and while this can sometimes cause tension, anger and even war, the human race is still here. I see that as proof that we don’t have to all believe and live our lives in exactly the same way in order for society to continue moving forward, online or off. In fact, I believe that society benefits from our differences, as long as we allow and even embrace each other’s freedom to be an individual.
There. I said it. You know where I stand and hopefully have an idea how you personally would answer the question in the title of this post. Now why am I asking it?
- I Ain’t No Followback Girl (or Boy)
Just the other day I saw this tweet in my @replies column on Tweetdeck. I have to admit that right at first I was a little angry, offended and irritated. Not because this person chose to stop following me, but because they thought it was necessary to make a public statement about it. It felt a little bit like an attack on me and all because I had not automatically followed this person back after they followed me. Of course, in a matter of seconds my emotions came back to reality and I replied with an apology, explaining that I was weeks behind on going through people’s profiles to determine if I was going to follow them. I have explained my process in further detail in a previous post, but in a nutshell it goes like this: whenever I have time I go through the list of people who are following me and check out their profiles, looking at their bio, background, avatar and recent tweets. If it seems we have something in common, or they seem funny or engaging or interesting in some other way, then I will follow them back. But I don’t automatically follow people simply because they chose to follow me.
I ain’t no followback boy.
- Influencers, Followers and Friends – Oh My!
Is social media unwittingly watering down the true meaning of these words and affecting our relationships in the offline, real world?
- A Quick Update
I just wanted to write a quick note for those of you who are subscribing to this blog to let you know that I am still alive! Yes, I went down with a severe case of the flu last week and I am still in the mode of healing and catching up, so the blog [...]
- What’s Your Motivation For Creation?
Over the years I have asked myself this question many times. Whether in music, art, design, writing, or any other context in which something is poured out of me into a work, I am always considering the driving force behind it.
- The Enlargement of the Online Footprint: Articles Mentioning bkmacdaddy
Last week I started writing a new series of articles about building your online presence. Coincidentally (or not) there have been a few articles popping up here and there mentioning bkmacdaddy – a flattering yet timely example of the results that can come from working at enlarging your online footprint. The powerful potential of the viral nature of the interwebs is available to each of us and can be utilized in countless ways to grow awareness for your campaign, your business, your product(s) and/or your reputation.
- My Secrets To Successful Client Relationships As A Freelance Designer
I have been thinking a lot lately about the various approaches I have to providing the best services I can for my very distinctly different design clients. I have seen a few really interesting and educational articles and blog posts recently that talk about the different types of clients, ways to keep clients from dictating your schedule, things to understand about clients before starting a project, and even 5 Rotten Things No One Else Has Told You About the Clients You’ll Work For. In my 10+ years as a freelance designer I have learned that although not every client is necessarily the nicest person, or the best communicator, or has what I consider to be the best design ideas, each one is ultimately a contributor to the existence of my freelance business. My clients enable me to do something I love, get paid a decent wage for it and enjoy the freedoms that come with being your own employer.
So I thought it might be helpful to share some of my own experiences and how I have learned to work with my clients to give them the best possible products and services I can. Perhaps you have had your own experiences and can share your personal solutions and guidelines so we all can learn and grow together.
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