Monday, December 28, 2009
2009: A Year in Review
Hello all,
I think its fair to say that to date, 2009 has been the most important year of my life. Obviously since my last blog entry was in June of 09, its been quite a busy year for me. I’m going to attempt to collect my thoughts as I reflect over the year and even draw a conclusion or two.
First and foremost, and most importantly, I married my best friend. If you’re reading this, then I’m sure you know Ashlee, but if not, then I’ll give you the concise version. She’s by far the most interesting person I’ve ever met. No offense to any one of my friends or family, but no one has ever kept me on my toes the way she does. She is at first glance a free spirited, fun-loving, eyes-closed singing, dancing, laughing, joyous, firecracker who will smile and talk to anyone she crosses, and if possible try and find a way to make their day, if not their life better. Pardon the run-on sentence. Then, beyond that first glance, you’ll find one of the most deep-thinking, contemplative, God-loving/fearing, late night conversation having while coffee drinking, caring, compassionate, constant betterment seeking, loving individuals you’ll ever meet. And for some reason she likes to spend her time with me. Its the strangest thing. She’s taught me an incredible amount about life as well as myself and furthermore showed me there’s so much more to learn. I’m excited to face all of it with her. She’s incomparable.
In 2009 my work took off. At least in comparison to the years previous. Before this year, I think the only person who ever paid be to design was my mom. In 2009 I had the honor of working with Sonic Drive-in, Beams Seatbelts, Oklahoma City Ballet, The Non, Wishing Well - Water for Africa, Toy Gun films, as well as many others. The most fulfilling part about most of the work was that I believed in it. Films, albums, conferences, and non-profits. All of them were touching the hearts of others, and addressing real needs, and I was humbled by what they were doing and just lucky to be a small part. And along the way I made more friends than clients. Thats a great feeling. Clients are great because I have the same bills as everyone else, but I like to think I have a little more fun paying them than most. Since I’m on the subject I’d like to mentions a few of those friends.
Brent Green - Brent, along with his business partner, Jeff Goldberg have combined their knowledge and backgrounds in the film industry to create Toy Gun Films. TGF is a film company focused on making cinema for a greater purpose. I won’t attempt to interpret their purpose. You can visit their site http://www.toygunfilms.com. Anyway it was a blast to work on their first film with them and I can’t wait for our future collaborations. I have no doubt that their films with be life changing for people, and especially young people. Its amazing to see people so dedicated to producing change, rather than revenue.
Wil Norton - I consider all the members of The Non friends, but Wil has been the one who I’ve spent more hours with dreaming about The Non’s future and their marketing. Its always a good, laid back conversation, that usually is about 10% business and 90% music,art, and who knows what else. He’s also been a spring board for my business. The majority of the clients I have been contacted by in the last year have almost always said, “I saw your Non posters, and Wil told me that you did them.” I always appreciate a plug haha. The most impressive thing about Wil is his stupidly long list of talents. Its hard not be jealous of someone who makes amazing music and then simultaneously juggles 15 other talents he’s killer at. So if you haven’t heard The Non’s music I suggest you check it out. http://www.thenonband.com
Jesse Owen - I almost hate to talk about him because goodness knows, if someone is thinking of hiring me and they see Jesse’s work, I’ll will subsequently be forgotten haha. At some point in college I was shown Jesse’s work and instantly thought, “that’s what I want to do!” So I spent hours trying to make my work look like his. I think I may have even accomplished that goal a couple of times. In time, I realized I couldn’t replicate someone else’s style and I grew into my own sort of artist on my own path. This past year, I was introduced to Jesse in person and the first chance I got, I picked his brain about design, business, and life in general. Its been great advice, great friendship, and a great benchmark to measure myself by. Check him out at http://www.10am.org
Paul Wilkes - First I must admit that a few short years ago I had a multitude of ill feelings towards Paul. Those feelings were all based on miscommunications, misunderstandings, and incorrect assumptions. Fast forward back through those few years and Paul was right behind by brother on stage at my wedding. In this past year he has been an incredible business associate, but moreover a best friend. I tend to dream big, but not see them through, due to a process of self doubt and discouragement. Paul’s mantra is seeing things through and I’ve been lucky enough to have a bit of that rub off on me this past year. Being involved with Resound OKC, The Non’s Tadaima campaign, and Toy Gun Film’s En Tus Manos campaign could’ve and most likely would’ve been disasters without him. Watching him dream up and execute Resound was hands down one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. Not alot of people saw the frustrations and headaches that were behind that project, and to see him push through in spite of those was quite an impressive journey. We’ve collaborated on multiple projects this past year and have big plans for 2010 and our collaborative effort The Foundry Collective/ http://www.foundrycollective.com. I look forward to late nights of coffee, conversation, and marketing/creative/design awesomeness.
So that’s that. Moving right along.
In 2009 I feel I’ve learned more about myself than I have in previous years. I attribute that to Ashlee more than anything else. She is quite the mirror when it comes to seeing the truth about myself.
In this past year, I got my feelings hurt. Often. In 2010 I intend to change that. And I don’t mean that I’ll surround myself with different people, or avoid certain places or clients. I mean I’ll grow up. I’ll learn to not take things personally. I learn to accept criticism. If you questioned something I designed, and were instantly met with defensiveness, well then I apologize. I remember a very large project I was working on earlier this year. The new marketing campaign for Oklahoma Christian University’s admissions department. I thought I had hit the nail on the head. I was sure of it. First try, in my head, I just killed it. So imagine my greif when I was met with “it’s not right. keep working on it and let’s see what evolves.” The stress and conflicted thoughts I had were ridiculous. I couldn’t believe that I was questioned in such a manner. I felt untrusted and disrespected. Looking back, I’m beyond embarrassed to think about the things I thought and said at that time.
I’ve since found that my work is exponentially better when I am open to being pushed and challenged. I have no doubt that my work in this next year will be better than ever. And not necessarily because I’ll be better than ever, but because I will collaborate, communicate, and accept criticism better than ever.
In 2010 I will be more than a designer. I’m not sure yet what that means. But in previous years, that’s really all I was. It had all my focus and many other things in my life suffered because of that. I can’t be that person anymore. I have a family now. A good friend of mine reminded me of that. Brian WInkeler has been a mentor to me for a few years now. On a drive home one day I was struggling with a business decision and could not find peace with it to save my life. I called Brian and laid it all out for him. I told him all about my inability to lean one way or another on the decision. His response was as simple as it was brilliant. “Scott, you have a family now. What’s best for it, is not what’s most important, its all thats important now.” The clarity that followed that statement was incredible. So I know now that I am a husband, a son, a brother before everything else. I am a friend, a counselor, a listener, a fellow road tripper, and confidant. I am flawed human lucky enough to know Jesus. I am forgiven, despite what a disappointment I often feel like.
I also intend to be more than a designer in the business sense. I don’t like sitting on the sidelines and hearing “make that 3 pixels wider, can you use a bluer blue? Can you put some make-my-logo-bigger-cream on that?” I want to have my hands in far more. I have high hopes of being a more integrated “businessman” for lack of a better term. I want to be a marketer, a producer, an all-things-creative-super-genius-killer-marketing-superpower. Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen job openings for that description so I guess I’ll have to define it. Not to self: add that to list of things to do in 2010.
In 2010 I will read more. Someone should really hold me to this one. In an epic practical joke, God had me marry the bookworm of bookworms. When I met Ashlee I owned less than 10 books. Most of them were all from the graphic design section of the book store and the pictures to words ratio was approximately 100/1. Not a day goes by that Ashlee doesn’t make time to read. Every time she includes some interesting fact or quote from a book she has read into a conversation I think, “crap! I all i got is pictures popping into my head.” Thus, I sit there with that blank look on my face that J.D. gets when he goes into his dream sequences on Scrubs. Ha, so there you have it. I will read in order to be a more interesting person. I always feel like a lesser human being when Ashlee and Paul discuss books in front of me and I’m just completely out of the loop. This past holiday season I was told that both intended to get me books, but didn’t think I’d read them. Awesome! I’ll just go do my finger paintings while the adults talk haha. So anyway, yeah I’m going to make time to read and learn and take in rather than just produce. I’m almost sure that my life and especially my work will be better for it.
So…....I am blessed. I am thankful for those blessings. I know how undeserving of them I am. It’s been an incredible year. There were times I wasn’t sure how I’d make it through it. But we made it. Just barely haha. I wouldn’t change a thing. I have the best of friends of family and the lines between those two groups blur more and more every day. I have learned so much from all of them and I hope I’m better person for it. I thank God every day I have all of you in my life. To my friends: Jake, Paul, Stevens, Clint I thank you for being there. To my mentors: Judson, JC, Brian, Mike, DeeDee, Deborah, Mom & Dad, thank your for your guidance. I hope in 2010 I show people what they mean to me. I hope I think more of others than I do myself. I hope I do things that are worth remembering. I hope I make a difference in someone’s life for the better. Even if its just one. I’ll take it. I’m done thinking, dreaming, designing for just myself. Its time to put whatever talents I’ve been given and use it for the good of others like I see so many of my friends doing. And I’l do a better job of chronicling it all. I cracked open one of Ashlee’s books the other day and read a couple of pages. I came across a quote that I am paraphrasing but it was something to the tune of “a memory isn’t worth making, if you’re just going to forget it.” So again I will chronicle better. Whether it be with this blog, or on camera, or in a journal. i don’t know yet, but just consider that a new year’s resolution of sorts.
In closing, I’ll say if you’re still reading, you obviously have some reason to care about my life and I thank you for that. Lets keep in touch. If you and I haven’t had lunch lately, lets fix that. And watch out for me in 2010. Some friends and I have big things in mind and I can’t wait to tell you all about them.
I love you all.
Thank you for everything.
God bless.
SAH
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
ALL THE PLACES ME & MY IPHONE SHALL GO
So I know I never update this, but maybe once the wedding is over, I’ll have time to do so. For any of you still stopping by, I thought I’d put up some of favorite Iphone pics. Warning: Lots of Ashlee Peterson, my beautiful fiance. I offer no apologies and stand firm behind my sappy behavior. So there.
I will now provide captions. From left to right, top to bottom.
Ash and I at the Rose Gardens in Tulsa, Ash trying really hard to explain something to me, trial run in learning to make pop-up books and other pop-up goodies, our awesome couch that Ash got off the side of the road and reupholstered by hand, Top of the Rockies mmmmm snowboarding I miss you, that’s a 4-leaf stinking clover baby, nap-time, ancient fire extinguisher at the church where my dad preaches, Me and Ash’s first Christmas together, My best friend Stevens when I visited him in GA after he finished Basic training (Keep him in your prayers please!), I’m in trouble at IHOP for some reason, what you do when you’ve won at scrabble and in turn rubbed into fiance’s face, My beautiful future wife herself, sunset leaving Deep Deuce after dinner with Paul, wedding invite, and last but not least, a little screenprinting action with my good friend and colleague J.C.
Until next time
SAH
Friday, May 22, 2009
LONG TIME, NO BLOG
Ok so if you care, I am very sorry that I haven’t updated this thing in a while. When I first got it, I was way excited and came out of the gate hot and then burnt out a bit. Anyway, I’ll try to be better on that.
So to make up for lost time this post is going to be quite extensive. If you’re not up for it please exit to the left or right, single file, keeping on all hands and feet to yourself.
First off, on the business front I’m very excited to tell you all about a project I’ll be starting in June. Local artist/designer/generalcoolerthanavergagedude Matt Stansberry is set to release his new album this summer. I’ve been asked to design and layout the packaging for the album and I’m stoked about this on two accounts. The first being that I’ve heard a few tracks off of the album and they’re ridiculously good! Like kill anything on the radio, make you cry, make girls take guys back after they mess-up good. So I’m always excited to be associated with something that I feel like has such an appeal. It’s an honor to be quite honest. Secondly, my very good friend Paul Wilkes is dusting off his camera (haha) and shooting all the photography for the album. If you know him or his work than you know my job has become exponentially easier. I can lay anything I want on top of his photos and its going to look beautiful.
I’ll be sure and let you know when that’s coming out. Til then go listen to Matt’s music on his MySpace.
Next on the agenda is just to let you know there is a new campaign on my website with 4 new pieces. If you get a chance, stop by and check them out, have a look around, kick you shoes off and stay a while, tell your friends about all the pretty things you see. Hopefully in the next month to month and a half I’ll have some more updates for the work section.
To transition from business to the ol personal life, Ash and I just got done sending out the invites to our wedding! And when I say we, she did all the work because she’s amazing and I just designed them. Its a wonder her hand didn’t fall off from the addressing. If you get one and its a little sloppy, that means you were at the bottom of the stack haha. Just kidding. But seriously…
And lastly, if you hadn’t heard Ashlee moved into our new place. We’re pretty stoked about it and its going to be even better when we have stuff to put in it haha. The only thing at this point that looks finished is HALF of the living room. This pic looks pretty cool, but what you dont know is just out of the frame there is a TV on top of a tupperware tub! Also that coffee table is currently our dining room table, until we actually get a dining room table. Anyway, I’m really looking forward to being able to move in come July and the getting hitched and what not. Woohoo life!
Until next time
SAH
Friday, April 24, 2009
WOOP! NEW LOGO
Rail Head BBQ is the restaurant of a great friend of mine Ron Sharp and his family. I just finished this logo up and now its going to be made into a 16’ X 10’ sign by the highway off I-35 in Guthrie! I’m pretty excited about that. That’ll be the biggest my work has ever been in print for sure! Anyway hope you like it. Let me know what you think. Thanks!
Until next time
SAH
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
WHAT I’M UP TO
So I’ve been up to ears in marks/branding lately. It is not always fun stuff. For one thing, when you are trying to get just right the mark that someone is paying you to define them by, they can be pretty picky and rightfully so. I’m not sure that last sentence made any sense, but oh well. Anyway, point being, revisions, and many of them are always expected. NONE of the three marks I posted are done. They’re all actually still in said revision stages. So I’m not going to tell the story or purpose behind any of them just yet, but I’m definitely excited about all three, and the involvement even past design I will have with some of them.
In other news, Josh McCullock, the fantastic photographer who shot Ashlee and I’s engagement photos said he enjoyed working with us so much he’d like to shoot some shots of us in our wedding attire. Not sure when its going to go down, but he mentioned some locations that sounded very exciting. So looking forward to that!
Until next time
SAH
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
ENGAGEMENT PHOTOS
Sooooo Ash and I searched high and low for someone to shoot our engagement pictures because those were the ones we knew we really wanted to look the best. Finally we found OKC photographer Josh McCullock. He is ridiculously talented. His composition and eye are spot-on and I was pretty much sold from the second I saw his photos. Anyway, despite a serious trek through the backwoods of Hefner Park, we got some fantastic pictures and our expectations were far exceeded. Anyway this is a shameless plug for Mr. McCullock. If you have a wedding or an engagement session coming up you seriously should call him. You won’t be disappointed. So anyway the link is for our pictures.
Until next time
SAH
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
FINALLY UPDATED MY WORK PORTFOLIO
Finally got something besides posters up in my portfolio. Go check it out if you havent yet. Thanks!
Until next time
SAH
Monday, March 23, 2009
WOW
GSP Film Fest Intro from Colin Trenter on Vimeo.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
LADIES AND GENTLEMAN, JOHN CALVIN
So this is a project I’ve been pretty quiet about but it just came together last night and even though I had to tough it out til 6 am this morning we got it to press today and everything should be ready for his April 3rd release part in Norman! Anyway, Mr Calvin is a very talented individual and you guys should check out the album once its out. Anyway let me know what you think of the album. I don’t work with photography much so it was really fun for me to do something a little different.
Until next time
SAH
Monday, March 16, 2009
NEW NON
So if you’ve made your way here again, then I suppose you probably saw that scottallenhill.com is no longer just a blog but my portfolio site now. I’m really excited to have it up finally. There’s a few finishing touches to put on it but I’m really happy with it. A BIG thanks to my good friend Paul Wilkes for devoting this past Saturday to sitting in his third floor office and grinding this out with me. We pretty much had no exposure to the outside world, besides a short stint with the pizza delivery man. Anyway, the “work” section is sort of just filler right now. I’ll be updating tonight hopefully when i get together exactly what I want to show. So wait a day, THEN TELL ALL YOUR FRIENDS!
In other news, I finished the new Non poster of the weekend. Let me know what you think. Enjoy!
Until next time
SAH
Friday, March 13, 2009
GOOD TALK. SEE YOU OUT THERE
A few nights ago I was facing an inevitable all-nighter as I was finalizing all the artwork for the Theatre Breaks Loose album as well as creating the initial concepts for an Easter Seals benefit event. I had already accepted that sleep was going to be minimal if even present that night. So late evening I got a text from my good friend Paul Wilkes and said he and a couple of friends were just hanging out talking. I decided I could use a break and what the heck I had all night, so I made my way to the other side of Mesta Park to enjoy their company. There I met two new friends, both photographers, both working in Texas and New York. Admittedly, I expected a bit of snobbishness as accomplished artists who work in New York. I feel awful admitting that. And if either of them read this I extend you a sincere apology for my misplaced assumptions. Eric Anderson and Andrew Shepherd were two of the coolest people I’ve met in a long time. Paul, Spencer, Eric, Andrew, and myself talked about design, music, art, rufus, and weird Sushi Neko waitresses. It was good times.
However, the highlight for me, and the reason I’m even writing abut this, was a conversation Eric, Andrew, and I had about integrity through business and the relationships we build through our daily interaction with clients. It was an incredibly inspiring conversation as someone who carries Faith with them into every meeting. We talked about how a photo, or a design, or logo, not matter how killer it is at the time, will fade away and in a matter of years a new campaign or direction will be taken. But what is still there when that photo is gone? Did your photo change culture? Did your design make people take a new outlook on a social issue? Maybe for a second. Or even a few seconds. But the relationship is where your mark was made. During a shoot with a very important client, Eric and Andrew said that the most gratifying part of the shoot was not the artwork or the process, but when they were told that he and Andrew were the nicest, kindest, easiest-to-work-with photographers they’d ever done business with.
One thing that has been heavy in my prayers lately is how I can make a connection between my spiritual life/faith and my passion for design. I feel very wasteful if I don’t seek out a link between those two parties. So I do not begin to think that this conversation was coincidence. I came away very inspired to be more mindful of my business relationships and not to treat customers as nothing more than a handshake and a name on a check. Not that my attitude beforehand was contrary to that concept, but I suppose it was re-energized by our conversation. I feel very challenged to show integrity, ethics, and moral fiber through my business relationships as well as in my personal life.
Hopefully in the future I’ll have the same sort of occurrence Eric had, when at the end of a shoot, someone he was working with, asked, “So you’re pretty into this Jesus thing huh?”
Until next time
SAH
Thursday, March 05, 2009
BEING SKETCHY. GETTING CARDED.
Hello all! Ashlee, Sister, co-worker. The three of you who read this. I’ve been sketching for the next Non poster and got the go ahead for the above sketch. I’m pretty excited about it. I’m not sure if it is going to be a real guy, or a scarecrow or what. Also not sure about color scheme yet either. Anywho, I got my new business cards in! Whooooo I really dig them. I wasn’t sure how they were going to look. This is a crappy iphone pic but they’re a flat black with a transparent UV coat for the info. SO CLEAN! I love them. I just hope no one ever has to read my card in a very dark room haha. Oh well.
ALOT of cool new projects coming up! I’ll fill you in soon. By the way in case you haven’t seen this, check it out. Exceptional work: http://www.theroscoegroup.com
Until next time
SAH
Monday, March 02, 2009
ABOUT NON TIME
So over the next few days I’ll be creating a new gig poster for my good friends The Non. If you dont know who they are, then you arent from OKC and you should check them out. http://www.thenonband.com . Theyre amazing.
Anywho, if you’ve never seen any of the previous collaborations we’ve had, I put some of them up here. I can say without a doubt, The Non are my favorite clients I’ve worked with to date. It’s been a while since the last poster so I’m pretty excited about getting back into it. As for imagery on this one, I got a few things up my sleeve, but I haven’t decided quite which directions to take yet, so if you have any ideas PLEASE COMMENT and I’ll definitely consider them!
Oh and personal update: My parents came to OKC last night from Tulsa to meet Ashlee’s parents for the first time! Yep, pretty big time. It went great, and they’re all big fans of each other. So that was very exciting. Its really great to have the support of those 4 during this whole tying of the hitch and getting knotted or whatever! (That was a joke. And a real bad one at that.)
Finally, besides a few family members and Ashlee, I have no idea who reads this. But if you know Stevens Copeland, then you know he’s my best friend. He might as well be family. He’d drop anything anywhere to help me out and that is not just a saying with him. He’s had my back in more than one pinch. Anyway, he’s going to the army on March 11th and while I support him by all means, I wish he weren’t going. I don’t know who I’m supposed to get into trouble with now. But seriously I love him to death and if you know him or not please keep him in your prayers. Thanks!
Until next time,
SAH
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
JONBEAR FOURTET
This was an album I did last Fall for The Jonbear Fourtet out of Norman. Their album was full of nature/animal lyrics so I talked them into letting me illustrate woodland creatures playing instruments haha. It was good times and pretty challenging at the same time. Anyway, thought I’d share the outcome.
Until next time
SAH