New Photoshop users proudly produce images with fat drop shadows, big linear gradients, lots of glowing and fuzz, mostly because they are easily accessible options — simply double click on a layer and check the effects you want.  Though Adobe produces a very powerful piece of graphic editing software, a large chunk of its users develop their taste and skill around these early-learned features.

And so, the tools built to enhance a skill have been around long enough that they begin to define it.  We have more than enough 4-chord pop music, glossy billboards, and clip-art flyers.

How different would mainstream music sound if guitarists spent their growing years learning minor 9th chords? …or learning a mandocello instead?

Blake Ross, a local artist and good friend, tells gallery viewers that the varied methods and tools with which he manipulates paint is very important to the final value of his art.

Perhaps a certain creativity can be found in simply varying the starting point.

Global communication is improving.  You have real-time information about how many Americans were killed in battle last week at your fingertips.  College classes are being taught with no preparation other than a few Google searches (Dr. Pellerin.)  Sex-trafficking in Colombia, South America is a major concern to a church in Greenville, South Carolina.  The state of our world is transparent.

The Obama administration at least claims to be doing their part to streamline bureaucracy and waste.  With freshly redesigned news sites, we can now closely observe to see whether that’s true.  News about the earthquake in Haiti traveled instantly, and a text message is all it takes to send money.

I plan to be at the forefront of the crowd that implements more possibilities to use new-age communication to do justice.  Once upon a time, ignorance was a great excuse; now, our radius is expanding, our knowledge is vast and our responsibilities are large.

As I juggle the professional hats of business co-owner, Creative Director, web programmer and part-time salesman, I am becoming increasingly aware that I am not a multitasker.  Add to that the endless decisions that come with planning a wedding in 3 months, the responsibilities of being a landlord and a tight entrepreneur’s budget, the end of 2009 found me scrambling to tie up loose ends, and doing so poorly.

I strive to impress in many areas and skill sets, but a big limitation is that I must do them in big, concentrated blocks.  Also, I program computers.  The result?  I get a sadistic sort of satisfaction in automating the tasks that otherwise would need constant care.

For those of you like me, I offer this list of tools, lessons, and thoughts.

• Things by Cultured Code • I dropped $50 on this gem of an OSX/iPhone combo app about a year ago, and it is invaluable to me today.  It wipes out my forgetfulness, reminds me of my priorities, and allows me to schedule my big-chunk-at-a-time blocks of creation, planning and communication.

• It takes a certain amount of discipline to switch focus.  Morning workouts, weekly meetings, and expected daily phone calls from my lovely fiancé at lunch keep me from getting too lost in one task or project to remember that some things are just plain important.

• Use an iPhone, if solely for the purpose of instantly saving notes of things to handle later.  You won’t forget the important stuff that randomly comes up, but you don’t have to switch focus from the situation at hand.  Just make sure you have a system in place to check for, and handle, those notes every day.

• Personal interactions can’t be automated.  Rule #1: Loved ones are always allowed to interrupt focus.  Those of us with a one-track mind require more discipline to invest in family & friends properly, and such discipline should be carefully protected.

• Find and trust counterparts who are excellent at multitasking.  Ashleigh and Chris, here’s to you.

Our company came into existence just in time to hop on the roller coaster and ride the loops, climbs, and falls.  We haven’t spent the past two years rolling in excessive bonus checks or hosting lavish parties, but we’re still here!

When cash flow is tight, it’s necessary for businesses to be creative in how they give back and contribute to the community.  We’re trying to do just that.  Today we’re unveiling our first Engenius Grant. This grant offers a brand new top-notch website to a nonprofit in Upstate SC.  We recognize that it is vital for all nonprofit organizations to have a high quality website for their supporters, participants, and beneficiaries.

Any nonprofit in Oconee, Pickens, Anderson, Abbeville, Greenwood, Laurens, Greenville, and Spartanburg Counties may apply for this grant, but must do so by Jan. 22.  Please spread the word to nonprofits you know!  In a time when funds for investments like this are nowhere to be found, we can’t wait to give one lucky nonprofit a phenomenal resource they will benefit from for years to come!

You can access the application, as well as instructions on how to submit it here:

Engenius Website Grant Application

Good luck!

This was one of those times where I didn’t think about the words I was saying until they were said.  The last time I tried to give blood, I passed out.  It wasn’t pleasant.  My blood pressure was too low.  But the man seemed like he needed some people.  So I followed him to the other building and said I would give it a shot.

Back in the “interview room”, they took my blood pressure.  It was normal!  Then came the next step:  the finger prick.  Now this brought back some memories… when I was five, they pricked my finger in the doctor’s office.  I screamed at the top of my lungs.  Shots?  I’m fine with.  Sight of blood?  Sure.  Finger pricks?  Heck no.  That one moment in my earlier years scarred me for life.  But I looked away and told the nurse not to give me any warning, just to do it.  She did.  I lived.

I passed the initial test.  Now, could I actually go through the whole thing without passing out?  Long story short – one Sprite, an ice pack, and a reclining chair later, I gave one unit of blood.  Woohoo!

I tell you this story not to prove I can overcome my fears, but because of the things I overheard while I kept squeezing my fist alternated with opening it wide.  Our church used to get quite a few donors when we have the blood drive.  They now get a dozen.  Manufacturing facilities used to open their doors to the Blood-Mobile and allow employees time off to give blood.  Of those that still have their doors open, many are phasing this out.

Just in the area stretching from Clemson to Spartanburg, 300 units of blood are needed every day to fill the need our own neighbors have in their darkest hours.  While I enjoyed some orange juice and home made cookies afterward, the gentleman who invited me to come give sat down next to me.  We brainstormed for a while how to get more people from our church to overcome their fears and give.  This very wise man reminded me – “it only takes one.”

On the way out, they presented me with my very own Clemson orange t-shirt that proclaims, “My Blood Runs Orange!”  It really is a beautiful sight to behold.  But no matter what color your blood may run, I encourage you to overcome any fears you have and give blood.  It’s the easiest and quickest way I can think of to save a life.

And hey, if you hurry, they might even give you your very own orange t-shirt too!

Chase Finch, my better half in this business, will soon have his own better half in the journey of life.  Today he became engaged to the beautiful Ashleigh Lassiter!  Join me in saying, “Congratulations!” to them both.

This day will be greeted by some with a “finally!”, though no matter how the day is greeted, it is indeed a great day and the next step toward an entire future together for this wonderful young pair.  Congratulations Chase!

We’re taking it in a Web 2.0 direction, starting with this new logo and ending with a professional product that will integrate video chat, phone calls and text messages into a simple social network.  Veribu just may be the next step towards blurring the lines between traditional methods of communication.

Each visit from Scott is followed by a few weeks of graphic design gifts through email.  This is today’s:

Thanks buddy.