You’d think our 34th anniversary on July 3rd, The Feast of St. Thomas, would prompt at least a mention here. But noooo, I’ve just been too busy living my best (semi-retired) life thanks to the fact my sons are killing it with their careers and life paths so I don’t worry about them. And my clear and unabating need to create has found a new focus.
First to the business. I’ve decided my workday is now from 7AM – Noon, give or take, when I will focus on helping small businesses create brand brand equity and momentum–a salable brand story and marketing strategy–with an endgame goal driven by the brand owner’s timing and aspirations.
Of course, if you have a really freaking cool project that demands more time, well, bring it on and let’s see what it will take. You see, I still REALLY love this brand marketing stuff– my wife calls it my ‘sickness.’
And now the fun new creative direction. On one of my ongoing 3-4 day camping trips this spring/summer, I was at a campground, on the southern shore of Massachusetts, and as I looked back at the beach in about an 150′ stretch I found some washed up and surf-rounded bricks, simply beautiful in the orange and red hues. I asked the staff if I could take them and determining them refuse and below the high water mark, they gave me permission to bring them home–just enough to fill my back seat floor.
Now my dad always had a fascination for water fountains, and had bought one he couldn’t fix when the pump blew out. I’d worked at a co-working space that had a lovely zen fountain, so fabricating one from these bricks, with an easily replaceable pump (and bowls/cistern) became my goal.
I built and rebuilt my fountain a dozen times, finding working with mortar with my hands as satisfying a medium as any with which I’ve ever worked. And, I found myself almost euphoric with each little victory.
You see, while I’ve written and designed websites, blogs, print, radio, TV & digital ads, permission e-mails for database marketing, brochures, you name it, all that was with a professional objective and a brand-building and revenue-generating strategy.
But I’ve finally created something, driven only by my muse and curiosity. My goal was not symmetry (which one of my brilliant creative mentors calls “the hobgoblin of small minds”); it was balance, which along with connection and timeliness, is an inherent element in the definition of design–versus decoration, which may be pretty but is fleeting.
So that’s the plan. Within days I’ll be starting my next one, this made of stones I’ve collected over the 34 years we’ve owned our log home and land in the deep burbs of Boston. And in the 120+ hours I worked on my first creation I learned a lot.
Too, if it happens you have a collection of rocks and/or refuse from favorite beach, lake, land or stream, I’d be happy to come and help you design and fabricate it for or with you. We’d have fun.
And if you’d like some help focusing and balancing your brand for better outcomes (and income) well, after 30 years I’m starting to get good at it. Let’s chat on my nickel: (508) 951-0130.
Thanks, Tom-