FRAUD

WARNING: Adult language.

I'm ashamed.

All day long I talk about God. I pray before meetings and in groups. This morning I thought that my worst sin was attempting to steal glory from God (which in Christian work is like saying "I'm too much of a perfectionist" in a job interview). I end my prayers with "I love you and praise you."

Tonight though I came face-to-face with how little that has taken root in my life.

Sarah and I were driving through the neighborhoods around our home looking at Christmas lights, laughing and cutting up, our two dogs in the back. We found this cute little community and were talking about her parents living there or maybe us one day. There was even an adorable Airedale (dog) in the front yard.

Next thing I know there's a middle age man screaming at me, cursing, threatening. I stopped and tried to take stock of the situation but I think my senses had already left, along with the love of Christ. Before I knew it I'd called him names, cursed back at him, threatened to call the police for his lack of adherence to the leash law and as I drove away I flipped him off, only to hear "fuck you" as we left.

The whole thing only lasted one, maybe two minutes but it was enough to ruin the last three hours of our evening.

But, this isn't about us. It's about Christ and the fact that for some reason he never entered the scene. Not because he couldn't but because I didn't call on him. I "took care of it" under my own power. To be honest, I felt like I'd really shut this guy up, gotten him good. Don't get me wrong, the guy was definitely the agressor and I think drunk but I was the one the really showed how little I had allowed God to indwell me.

Where was the new creation, the peace, patience? Where was the spirit of reconciliation--the evidence that anything was different in my life than his? Absent. I'm a fraud.

This guy could have been drinking because he lost his job. Maybe another guy did go down his street and hit his dog. Maybe his wife is cheating on him.

Yeah, I guess I got him good. I guess I got the last word. But, isn't that like getting the bigger bowl of dessert, the one that makes you sick. The sweet taste of victory that causes your soul to lurch in an attempt to vomit it back up.

So, for now the Christmas lights are off, the wrapping looks a little paler, there's no carols to sing. My sin separates me from the joy of the love that Christ showed us as he became man.

I know I'll pray for forgiveness, I even know I want to find that guy and apologize but somehow Christmas just lost a little something for me, at least this year.

Bye Old Friend

It's hard to change. It's hard to stop doing the same things you did over and over again. It's even harder if that thing is a person, a friend. However, there are times when relationships should and do end.

That doesn't make it any easier to not wake up early on Wednesday morning, not walk upstairs for a talk, shoot that person a quick email or read their blog.

To my dear beloved friend, goodbye.

Five Things to do when you make a Mistake

Have you ever had the client that won't stop, the project that won't end or the worst mistake you've ever made. As much as we never want to see any of those things happen they do and the question isn't how it happened but what to do now.

These problems present us with unique opportunities to really show what we're worth. Will we throw up our hands or will we do everything possible to make it right.

In college I worked my way through as a waiter. As much as I checked my tickets or reviewed something occasionally food came out wrong. I could have misheard the client, typed it in wrong, the kitchen could have prepared it wrong or even it just wasn't what the guest was expecting.

What now?

I could argue with the guest that this is what they ordered, tell them it wasn't my fault, blame it on bad ordering software or a myriad of other things. We all know that isn't the right way to handle the order. Many restaurants had exact steps for handling those situations:

1. Remove the order from the table: don't let them sit there and look at the mistake.
   
2. Apologize: It doesn't matter whose fault it is. Be the bigger person and diffuse the situation. Ultimately these people are your clients and are paying your salary (waiters don't get a pay check other than their tips).
   
3. Clarify the order: Make sure you understand the problem and how to fix it.
   
4. Correct it- Quickly: Get the order in to the kitchen ASAP, don't hold the ticket. Talk to the kitchen and let them know the problem and bring the manger in on it.
   
5. If all else fails bring a manager into the process: They are equipped with higher levels of authority to make good for the client, not to argue with them.
   

How easily though we forget that when we enter the professional world. I think the same could apply to almost any industry including design.

I wish I had remembered that earlier today.

Lifechanging iPhone Apps

Thought I'd post a few apps that are way above normal (sorry for the lack of links but just type any of these into the app store and they'll pop right up):

MobileFiles: This app allows you to view your iDisk from your phone. Built in support of several file types makes it easy to view the files once you're there.
scenario where this rocks: I set up all my computers (my macbook for travel, my iMac at home and my iMac at work) to sync with my iDisk. I then designated one folder active projects and created an alias on my desktop. This is where all my files for everything I'm presently working are at. Creative briefs, proofs, support docs and images are all there. Now I'm in a meeting and someone asks what the deadline for the project's first proof. I just open up MobileFiles and view the creative brief. Maybe I'm meeting with the client and nobody has the latest proofs, same deal just open up MobileFiles. It means always having my files with me and viewable.

Remote: This robust app allows you to control your iTunes libray from your iPhone. The interface looks a lot like your iPod interface on the phone and you have access to everything.
scenario where this rocks: I have my home stereo and a few other rooms of speakers set up to play off my iTunes via a airport express (another little device that has changed my life). I can not only assign and unassign those rooms from the Remote app but now anywhere I'm at I can change the song. The possibilites are endless but bottom line it makes your home entertainment that much more seemless. It's like having an iPod with a remote in every room.

Weather Channel weather app: I love the simplicity of the iPhone weather app but I'm always left wondering a little bit more. Here steps the Weather Channel's weather app. These guys did a great job. It's still very simple and you can get that at a glimpse view when you start the app but if you want the 36-hour forecast or the 10-day or if you want to see the radar it's all one click away. These guys should be proud. In my opinon they outdid the iPhone team on this one.

Flashlight: This definitely hasn't changed my life but it's one I wouldn't want to live without. It basically turns your whole screen white and can provide a bit a light when you need it. Worth having around.

I'm sure I'll have more but these blew me away this weekend.

Must have applications for a new mac

For all my new Mac friends a few (free) programs I can't live without:

istat pro- everything that's going on with you Mac from disk storage to fan speeds to temperature.

Screenshots- This has to be my most used app. It allows you to set what format a screenshot is taken in (screenshots are Shift + command + 4 for you new guys, you can then hit space bar to take that whole window). From jpeg to PDF to GIF to TIFF. This is especially helpful since many programs don't especially love Mac's default of PNG.

Flip4Mac- This is one of those programs people get early on and then forget they have. It's crucial allowing you to view windows media player files natively in quicktime. This allows quicktime to truly be your all in one media player.

OpenOffice- For any kind of power user I'd recommend getting iWork to meet all of your presentation, word processing and spreadsheet needs however for the casual home computer open office is awesome. It allows you to open and create word, excel, PowerPoint and access files. It even looks just like the older versions of MS office so PC users will feel really comfortable.

Version Tracker- Okay so not a program but it's the one site that I get almost everything for my Mac for free. Anytime you want anything stop here first. Most likely someone has made it and made it freeware.

Sites I really like

Wow I didn't even know this blog still worked. Sorry it's been so long since I posted but honestly I'm not near important enough to have anything to say.

BUT I do surf the web a heck of a lot looking for "stuff." A lot of my creative and web friends ask where I get this or that resource or where I find out about that. So I put together of list of my favorite sites for FREE vectors and images as well as the blogs I follow that give me even more goodies. Sorry there's not screen grabs, just didn't have time. Click a link and see it for yourself.

Sites I go get stuff from:

Kuler- Amazing color site by adobe. Type in anything and get a great color palette.

Brusheezy- Cool photoshop brushes and patters. This site has literally saved me hundreds if not thousands.

myPhotoshopBrushes.com- Same deal as brusheezy but they also have custom shapes, styles and gradients. This stuff is that little extra that makes your work extra sweet and someone else did a lot of leg work for you. 

Vecteezy- You guessed it, it's brusheezy but with free vectors. This site is especially good for floral, ornaments and icons. 

Dafont- This is my favorite font site. Almost everything is PC and Mac so no finding the perfect font and then oh wait font designers love PC better. They have a great range of fonts but by far I love the destroyed and eroded sections the best.

Urban Fonts- Not near as cool as dafont but they have those gems. Dafont has hundreds of good fonts. Urban font has 5 amazing ones.

CreativeMYK- This is a site specifically for churches and Christian designers. The art is really good and people upload their work in layers. Check the terms carefully, not everything is free to use, however being able to look at how someone achieved a look in layers is a cool way to sharpen your skills.

BgPatterns- This sites mostly for fun. I've never used anything here but it's a cool way to create a truly custom background.

Bittbox- Another cool site I've never been able to use things from but it definitely feeds me.

morgueFile- A free stock image library. I don't know that I'd say the art is amazing but it's free and it can be that spice in there that is not the critical piece.

Lost and Taken- amazing super hi-res image backgrounds and textures. Fun stuff.

Blogs I follow:

Creattica Daily- Great commentary and links to anything in the creative world. The highlight cool designers, designs, sites, conferences, etc. It's a one stop shop for creative fun.

Smashing Magazine- Another one just like Creattica. Actually I found this site on Creattica one day. Another one stop shop for everything awesome.

Usability Post- They basically crawl the web finding problems or solutions and put them out there for everyone to see. Lots of little things that make your world, err, I mean site better.

For sale

I want to put my projects up for sale. Not to designers or printers but to my clients.

I want to create a new level of ownership with my clients, on their counterparts jobs.

How can I bring them into the process and ask them to help us have ownership?

A few quick ideas.

Invite them to:

• weekly department meetings
  
• daily standup meetings
  
• weekly big idea brainstorm sessions
  
• other clients discovery meetings
  

Anybody have any other ideas of ways to bring them in?