Gathering Inspiration from Everywhere

I like to watch a lot of movies and shows, and view the work of other artists. Oftentimes, this helps me get inspired and use some aspects in my art and design work. The more you consume, the more you understand. The more creative you are when you consume media. 

It’s especially important to get out of your bubble and explore other genres. You can’t learn something if you watch the same movie twenty times. Funnily enough, I think it’s also good to watch or read “bad” material on occasions. I can’t say you should keep reading and watching bad material, because then you won’t recognize good design when you see it. However, bad material can be instructive because it helps you know what not to do, or helps you learn what you don’t like and shouldn’t incorporate into your creative output. 

On the flip side of that, you have good content to consume, too! Media with an incredible, unique art style, such as stop motion, most animated films, comics, etc — all these can be used as inspiration in design. I have seen plenty of people use comic books as inspiration, take the Spiderverse movies, for example. They leaned heavily on the comic style, and it really worked for them. All the material used to promote the movie has design elements you would see in a comic book.

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Don’t just limit yourself to animated media, either. Live action can also come into play! Look at the film musical La La Land for an example. Color is used to tell the story throughout the movie, but even in the posters, trailers, and marketing campaign, it relied on a palette of yellow, blue, red, and purple, evoking a nostalgic feel that was perfect for the plot and setting.

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Looking at other media usually helps a lot to gather information, and especially looking at other designers. Eric Rosenberg is a film designer who designs flyers, cans, windows, background shots, and anything design-related for a film set. All of these are typically used in the background for filmmaking to make the world feel more realistic and lively. He’s worked on incredible movies, and each design is so dramatically different, and clearly pulls inspiration from other sources, too. For example, if he were designing something for a period piece set in the 1950s, he might look at newspapers and flyers that were made for that time — another form of media!

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In my design work, I often make fictional logos, and Eric’s process resonates with me. The point is to use what’s around you and use other media to inspire you. You need diversity in order to make diversity. If you do gravitate toward familiar favorites, make it a point to rewatch some of your favorite shows and pay extra attention to the objects the actors use.

Get Outside Your Comfort Zone

In the end, I wholeheartedly recommend trying out new media, especially things outside your norm! At least give it a try. Who knows what can inspire you? It’s always best to keep your mind open to new ideas. Sometimes, the source inspiration may result in something entirely new. 

This post was written by our 2025 The Modern extern, Jackie Tinoco. Thanks for sharing a glimpse into your inspiration-gathering process! We thoroughly enjoyed having you as part of our team. 

What are you learning in your new role?

1. Step back to step forward. With so much going on, and so many moving parts to every project, I’ve gotten a crash course in what it takes to keep work moving — and also what it takes to keep from getting overwhelmed. So many times, I’ve had to pause, catch my breath, and intentionally slow down so I can surge forward.
2. It’s OK to not know. For a long time within my career, I prided myself in being an expert in my discipline. Coming to CreativeFuse and this role, I’m finding daily that I don’t always know the answer. Learning how to be comfortable and vulnerable with that fact was the first step in beginning to assemble a team around me that complemented my knowledge by filling in the gaps.
3. Growth never feels like a big leap. Instead it’s a series of small, incremental steps, and many of them feel uncomfortable. If you’re expecting to feel a moment where you’ve “arrived” into growth, that probably won’t come. But you’ll look back at the past six months and be able to see the progression.

Favorite food?

The How Fun from AmerAsia in Covington is phenomenal.

Favorite book?

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman; there are many, many others, but TGC got me into fantasy as a genre and inspired me to write creatively.

Hobbies?

I’ve been a knitter for about 15 years; I started in college after a friend’s mother taught me the basic stitches. Now I knit just about every garment possible (except socks, I hate making them). Shawls, sweaters, and cowls are my favorite patterns to make.

What would you like to share with readers?

I’ve thrived in this industry because it’s people-focused and solution-oriented, and because within an agency, there’s never a dull moment and always a new challenge to solve. If we’re working together right now, know that your successes are mine; I care so much about the work we do together, and it’s a real privilege to operate with the trust you give me. If we get the chance to work together in the future, I can’t wait to meet you and build something meaningful together.

A Cross-Pollination of Expertise

We recently had the opportunity to participate in such a collaboration with Fifth Third Bank at the 1819 Innovation Hub in Cincinnati. In addition to a couple of us from CreativeFuse, the group consisted of several brilliant minds from the University of Cincinnati as well as corporate representatives that are all part of the 1819 network. While I can’t divulge the specific purpose of this session, I can say that we all came out of it feeling tremendously accomplished, and it was a ton of fun! We also made several connections with other participants that have led us down new roads of working together as well.

While this wasn’t a full scale project we were collaborating on, it showed that the concept is, however, entirely scaleable. When a diverse group of individuals collaborate, no matter the size of the initiative, they create an environment that encourages a pretty incredible cross-pollination of expertise. Each person, and their respective entity proxy, brings a unique set of skills, experiences, and knowledge to the table. Financial technology companies excel in developing cutting-edge solutions, data analytics, and risk management, while creative firms offer innovative design thinking, branding, and customer experience expertise. Peripheral organizations, such as industry associations or research institutions, contribute specialized insights and a broader market perspective. The collaboration allows for the exchange of ideas and best practices, leading to the emergence of novel and often comprehensive solutions, all while having fun and sharing lots of laughs along the way.

Accelerated Innovation

Collaborations like this foster a culture of innovation that can significantly accelerate the pace of progress as well. Because these individuals often operate in such different spheres, with varying approaches to problem-solving and ideation, it naturally allows the leveraging of their collective knowledge to challenge conventional thinking, push boundaries, and explore disruptive technologies. The resulting synergy sparks fresh ideas, promotes experimentation, and cultivates a dynamic environment where innovation flourishes.

A project that brings together groups like this will also benefit from a comprehensive market understanding. In our case, the Fifth Third possesses an in-depth knowledge of the financial industry, including regulatory landscapes and customer behaviors. They also possess the resources and infrastructure needed to scale operations swiftly. The creative firms involved, to include us, excel in interpreting consumer insights and shaping brand narratives that will resonate with the intended target audience. And the peripheral organizations offered additional background in market research, macroeconomic analysis, and trend forecasts. Several of the individuals were well-connected in the market this collaboration was focused around as well, facilitating immediate market access. By pooling all of our expertise, we were able to gain a well-rounded understanding of the market, in a very short period of time, enabling us to excel the project exponentially forward in just one afternoon session. The results from this collaboration also allowed the Fifth Third team to later make informed decisions geared toward supporting their audience and stay well ahead of the competition.

Conclusion

The benefits of collaboration between any combination of unique organizations are vast and far-reaching. From fostering cross-pollination of expertise to accelerating innovation and unlocking comprehensive market understanding, these collaborations, without a doubt in my mind, will lead to remarkable outcomes. Embracing collaboration has become an absolute necessity for organizations seeking sustained success in today’s highly competitive and rapidly evolving business landscape.

My only question now is: What are you working on now that could benefit from a session like this? Don’t be afraid to ask… you might just be blown away by the outcome.

Firstly, let’s tackle the obvious question: why would anyone want to fail? Simply put, because failure is an instructor, and in many ways, the best teacher you could ask for in life. The lessons etched into our psyche from mistakes, misjudgments, and missteps are almost always more profound than those from books, conversations or seamless victories. When we fail, we are essentially colliding with reality – with the raw truth of what doesn’t work. This kind of direct feedback can recalibrate our mental models and deepen our understanding of our goals, strengths, and shortcomings.

Personal Growth: Allowing for Vulnerability

From a personal standpoint, failures have an unmatched ability to strip away pretense and usher in introspection. When we falter, our vulnerabilities come to the forefront. It terrifies me to share these vulnerabilities with others, but it is also incredibly liberating. By acknowledging our weaknesses, we make the first step toward addressing them, and we can do so with the support of others.

Moreover, facing and embracing failure cultivates a resilient mindset. Each setback we encounter and overcome hardens our resolve and expands our capacity to deal with the many adversities we will inevitably face. The emotional muscles we build through facing our shortcomings only equips us to handle future setbacks with greater efficacy.

Failure also serves as a reality check. In a world that frequently provides an unrealistically rosy picture of life (and an unending supply of second-hand dopamine) through curated social media feeds and highlight reels, failure grounds us. It teaches us humility, patience, and the value of persistence. It reminds of the setbacks and joys of real life, outside of artificial notions of success.

Professional Growth: A Journey Paved with Setbacks

In the realm of professional development, the power of failure is even more pronounced. Many celebrated innovators and entrepreneurs openly credit their successes to their string of failures. From Thomas Edison, who famously said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work,” to J.K. Rowling, whose Harry Potter manuscript was rejected multiple times before becoming a global phenomenon.

Here’s how failure fosters professional growth:

Innovation Thrives in Failure: The trial-and-error method, which inherently involves failure, is at the heart of innovation. Each unsuccessful attempt provides valuable data points that refine the path to success. In tech and science-related industries, what we term “failures” are just iterations on the road to breakthroughs.

Risk-taking is Encouraged: By embracing the possibility of failure, we become more open to taking risks. And in the professional world, calculated risks often precede significant rewards. When we shed our fear of failing, we unshackle ourselves from the constraints of the “safe path” and open the doors to unconventional strategies and solutions. Yes, sometimes these lead to catastrophic failures, but even these failures propel us toward the outcomes we’re seeking.

Others are Emboldened: When leaders embrace and share their failures, they create a culture where employees are not paralyzed by the fear of making mistakes. These environments are conducive to creativity, as team members feel safe to voice unconventional ideas and take on challenging tasks without the looming dread of retribution for failure. We’ve embraced this mindset from day one at CreativeFuse, and in our experience, it’s been one of the foundational values that’s built our team culture to thrive.

Success: The Offspring of Failures

Consider the metaphor of failure as the chisel and success as the sculpture. Each misstep chips away at the excess, gradually revealing the masterpiece underneath. History is brimming with instances where epic failures led to monumental successes.

Case in point: the sticky note. Dr. Spencer Silver, a chemist at 3M, aimed to create a super-strong adhesive. Instead, he ended up with a weak one. It seemed like a failure until a colleague, Art Fry, realized its potential to create bookmarks for his choir hymnal. This “failed” adhesive became the basis for the now ubiquitous Post-It Notes.

These examples underscore a profound truth: Failure isn’t the antithesis of success; it is its precursor.

Embracing Failure

In life, there are few absolutes. The relationship between failure and success is a nuanced one. However, reframing our perspective on failure can be life-altering. By seeing it as a growth opportunity, we liberate ourselves from the stifling weights of perfectionism and fear.

As we navigate the winding path of personal and professional development, it’s worth bearing in mind the wisdom of Winston Churchill: “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.”

To truly thrive, let’s not just tolerate or accept our failures. Let’s celebrate them. After all, they are the stepping stones paving our path to success. If you are seeking success and personal growth, failure is the only way forward.

The Search Begins

I’ve been on the hunt for happiness, just like most folks. One place I wandered during this quest was the realm of retail therapy—buying things. A whole lot of things, even when I didn’t even need them. I’ve always been a tech geek, and those iPhone and Mac ads had me hooked from the get-go. And let’s not forget those mesmerizing videos showcasing fancy desks, camera bags, and people flaunting their shiny new gadgets in “everyday carry” tours. The folks in those videos seemed pretty successful, leading you to believe that these gadgets could work magic in your life (hint: they don’t).

My journey into this world began when I landed my first job in high school. I had started getting into photography and thought I was “ready for an upgrade.” So, I struck a deal with a family member to put a hefty sum on their credit card, with the promise to pay them back. Don’t worry; I paid every cent back. But I only used that fancy new camera five or six times before it became a dust collector.

I repeated this pattern multiple times after graduating high school, amassing a pile of stuff I didn’t need or use. It hadn’t quite sunk in that these gadgets were just tools to help me achieve my goals. No matter how much I splurged on these cool toys, none of it was bringing me genuine happiness or helping me reach my desired destination.

I’m Outta Here

I thought a change of scenery might do the trick when tangible items didn’t seem to bring me happiness, so I moved! It wasn’t an easy choice, as it meant leaving my family and friends behind. However opportunities presented themselves, and I ended up relocating to South Carolina to live with some relatives. It was around the time I was nearing graduation from The Modern College of Design, and I’d done some research that showed an increasing demand for graphic designers in South Carolina.

Before my move, I’d been facing some challenges back home, and I’d convinced myself that a fresh start in a new state would be the answer to my happiness quest. With new surroundings and new people, I believed that life would finally cut me some slack. Well, I was wrong again.

The graphic design industry is fiercely competitive, and the dream job I imagined proved elusive. So, I persisted for about a year, but luck didn’t seem to be on my side. Eventually, I made the tough decision to move back to Ohio, feeling defeated and uncertain.

Allow for Happiness and Choose Otherwise

Just before my move to South Carolina, I had a significant experience with my faith. I was going through a lot of family-related challenges, and I got an invitation to attend church. That day marked a turning point in my life. I felt a newfound sense of hope that I had never experienced before, and let me tell you, it felt darn good to have that hope.

After my return to Ohio, I landed a sales job, working for one of my older siblings. After about nine months of making sales calls, the opportunity I had been waiting for finally knocked on my door. It came by way of a former college instructor, who mentioned that a design group called CreativeFuse was looking for some freelance work. After a 3 month internship, I joined the team full-time, and I’m loving every minute of it.

But you know what might just be the best part of this journey? It was when I took a trip to North Carolina to visit Andy, one of the partners at CreativeFuse (or as I affectionately call him, “boss”). I went camping out of my truck, spent quality time hiking in the mountains, and wrapped up the trip with a heart-to-heart conversation with Andy. I have no doubt that God had orchestrated this meeting for both of us. While discussing the challenges I was facing and my tendency to seek happiness in all the wrong places, Andy dropped some knowledge bombs that hit me hard.

First, he said, “Instead of searching for happiness, allow for it.” This was like a wake-up call. He explained that happiness isn’t something you find by actively searching for it; it’s right there in front of you. By constantly searching, you’re actually moving further away from it. But if you take a step back, go about your life, and allow yourself to be happy, it will naturally happen. The action to take really became a mindset shift more than anything. Since that trip, I’ve embraced this perspective, and it has made a world of difference. I worry less, and I can approach my days without the constant struggle to force happiness.

The other nugget of wisdom he shared was, “Choose otherwise.” It might sound simple, but it hit home.
I was struggling with some significant challenges, and he reminded me that when those negative thoughts or habits pop up, I can consciously choose a different path. I don’t have to repeat past mistakes. I’ve since replaced many of those negative thoughts with prayer, reading, or simply telling myself to choose a
better way.

I’m done with the relentless pursuit of happiness. I never want to find myself in a situation where I feel compelled to pursue happiness as if it’s a goal or some sort of accomplishment. Instead, I’m going to allow for it to happen naturally, and I’m going to choose a better path whenever life throws a curveball.

A friend of ours, Andy Sharpe, introduced us to a young, talented designer who was looking to get some experience after graduating from The Modern College of Design in 2021. After meeting Drake, we jumped at the opportunity to offer him an internship. Now we’re stoked to have him joining our team full-time! 

Drake is well-versed in graphic design and especially enjoys working on multimedia websites. He brings new perspectives to our current team and fresh energy to each project he works on. Outside of design, Drake also enjoys digital photography, with an eye for landscapes and nighttime scenes with starry skies.

Anyone who has had the pleasure of collaborating with Drake knows that his work ethic is unparalleled. We came to realize this very quickly after bringing him on as an intern. Drake also carries an adventurous energy everywhere he goes. He enjoys spending time on trails all over the country in his free time, and can often be found camping out of his custom-built truck.

When he’s not on the trail, you might find Drake working from his favorite local coffee shops, at the cantina for some great Mexican food, or in the chair at a tattoo shop expanding his assortment of eclectic tattoos. Drake fits in great with our team and we’re excited to have him working with us. When asked what he’s most excited about in his new role, Drake said:

“I love meeting new people and making new connections and Fuse allows me to do that. Through the clients, we talk through on a daily basis as well as the internal team. I have grown to feel cared for at Fuse making it feel like a design family, and that’s more exciting than just another day at some regular office job.”

After attending college and pursuing a career in graphic design, I found myself constantly being asked or offered to assist friends, family, and organizations with pro bono design work. Some of these requests came from people I didn’t know, yet I always felt an obligation to help when someone asked. In the back of my mind, I always hoped that many of these pro bono projects would one day lead to paying work. After all, referrals are a great way to bring in new clients. I married my wife within a year of graduating college, and our work schedules allowed me plenty of time to take on some extra design work without it getting in the way of things we wanted to do together. All was well and I never felt overwhelmed.

The Big Ask

A little over 15 years ago a childhood friend asked me to design a logo for a non-profit children’s medical organization he had started called To Give A Smile (TGAS). Knowing his mission, I offered to do the work at no cost. A few years later he reached out again and asked if my wife and I would be interested in going on a mission trip with him to Peru to set up a temporary children’s clinic. Seeing an opportunity to do some good and have an adventure, we couldn’t say no. At this point, the organization was young and I was asked to serve on the board. As the organization grew I continued to design all of the needed materials. This work ranged from designing a website, brochures, newsletters, social graphics, t-shirts, banners, informational pamphlets in multiple languages and many other things.

Currently I serve as the vice president of TGAS and my wife is the Ohio Chapter director. TGAS currently has 5 chapters nationwide, and hundreds of volunteers doing hospital outreaches, Ronald McDonald House meals, and providing medical care internationally.

I’m truly passionate about the work we do and it has been fantastic watching this organization grow to what it is today. There is nothing like bringing a smile to a hospitalized child’s face. Those smiles make the countless volunteer hours worth every second.

Adding Some Excitement

In mid 2016, my wife and I moved from the Dayton area back to our hometown in northwest Ohio and built a home. After settling in and finding myself somewhat bored with the monotony of working from home 24/7, I decided to join the volunteer fire department. While getting behind the wheel of a firetruck or rescue squad does add a little excitement to my days, responding to emergencies, station responsibilities and even more donated design work sucks up hours every week.

Fast Forward

Now in my late 30s with 3 children, I have my own company, AuraFlux Creative, and I’m part of the CreativeFuse team. I’m still heavily involved in TGAS, the fire department, church, Cub Scouts, our local school and my children’s athletics. There are only so many hours in a week and the weeks seem to fly by. Time seems to be the one thing I can never get a handle on. I’m constantly trying to balance family time, work, volunteer obligations, chores and home improvement projects. I was falling behind on billable design work while trying to meet the demands of volunteer obligations. I’m ashamed to say I had a couple projects get away from me and damage client relationships. 

I was spending what little free time I had at my desk just trying to catch up. It killed me to be tied to my desk while listening to my family go about their evenings without me. I found myself constantly stressed and unable to enjoy any down time. Regrettably, the slightest inconvenience or delay in my day would cause me to lash out at my wife or kids.

Making Changes

This last fall, while mowing the yard, I was listening to the book The Power of Fun: How to Feel Alive Again by Catherine Price. In part of the book she discusses focusing on volunteer work that we truly enjoy instead of taking on every volunteer opportunity that comes our way. The book also discusses how spontaneity is a major factor in what most people consider fun. It really got me thinking about how almost all of my weeknights and weekends are filled with obligations and I have very little room for spontaneous fun. There is always something that needs done or somewhere I need to be.

Recently I have turned down a few pro-bono design projects and a few community leadership opportunities. Simply explaining that I don’t currently have the bandwidth seems to be enough to politely say NO. I may pursue some of these opportunities down the road but, now is not the time.

I’m focusing on my work with TGAS and learning to let go of some control. As the only graphic designer and one of the earliest members I have been able to shape the TGAS brand since the beginning. Making almost all design decisions myself and wanting to maintain a consistent brand lead me to want to control all design work. My email inbox started to back up with design requests from my team and some projects were taking months to complete. My control was creating a bottleneck that was slowing the organization down. We had been looking for another designer/marketing coordinator for a few years but the right person never came along. We are pleased to say we have a fully volunteer team and have no paid positions. This is great at helping us use the overwhelming majority of our budget for outreaches but is a real limiting factor when looking for new team members with specific skills.

This last summer we finally found another designer who was willing to come on as our marketing coordinator. I had designed the To Give A Smile website back in 2014 and some of the backend functionality had started to degrade so it was time to start over. I didn’t have the time to tackle a completely new website so I reluctantly handed it off to our new marketing coordinator. I was involved in the entire process and made recommendations, however there were times I had to bite my tongue. I knew that I didn’t have the time to do it so I needed to let go and not critique every design choice. My wife can attest to the fact that I have trouble keeping my thoughts to myself. Our new website is up and running and is working just fine. Although there are things I would have done differently I’m incredibly thankful to have someone else on the team to assist with design work and keeping everything on track for the benefit of our team, our mission and myself. Letting go can be difficult when we have so much of our time invested in something.

As for the fire department, I have been trying to cut down on the amount of time I’m pulled away from my desk for non-emergency issues during the day. Although structure fires and motor vehicle accidents require all hands on deck, I have also decided that I don’t need to make every EMS call when we have enough staff to cover a situation. This has allowed me to spend more time with my family and block out time to complete projects more efficiently. Some in the fire service will disagree with my decision but it is the right one for me at this time. I can honestly say serving my community as a firefighter/EMR has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

Finding Balance

I do encourage everyone to get involved in some kind of volunteer work they are passionate about. Volunteering is a great way to give back, gain experience and meet people outside of our normal channels. That said, we should never be afraid to turn down opportunities that don’t interest us or allow ourselves to be taken advantage of.

It can be refreshing to find a way to volunteer in a way that forces us to develop new skills or interact with our world in a different way. This can spark new interests and add some real spice to life.

I still have a long way to go but the small changes I have made so far have helped me stay focused on my family, our financial goals and my true passions. Finding balance and knowing when to let go is sometimes the only way to move forward.

Recently, when I hit my 400th day of walking, I took a longer walk to celebrate and thought about why I’ve stayed committed to this practice even when I’ve wanted to quit, and reflected on how my life has changed over the last few years. Amidst a year of uncertainty and doubt, I am better because of walking. 

My walking practice has not been something I’ve shared with others, for the most part it has been a solitary and intimate practice. But when I walk – even though I am alone – I don’t feel lonely. I’ve taken my daily walks across the country, committing to the practice even when I’m traveling for work or pleasure. I’ve taken my daily walks in locations that hold the most gorgeous vistas, like Rocky Mountain National Park and in the hills of Montana. I’ve taken walks in suburban sprawl, neighborhoods where houses are only several feet apart and house cats watch you from window sills. I’ve taken walks when I didn’t want to, where they have been just a quick jaunt around the block near my hotel, because I’m tired from a day of  travel. I’ve also had my fair share of airport walks, which are pretty self-explanatory: my daily walk happens walking from Gate A12 to D47, and if I’m lucky I pass a Starbucks on the way. 

Walking has taught me about the power of commitment. It has taught me that prioritizing something that makes me feel easeful and at peace with myself – even if people don’t understand it –  isn’t selfish. It has taught me that I am worth it. Walking has punctuated my life with the gift of presence. I notice the small things now: the direction the clouds are moving that day, the patterns of bark on trees, the way rain sounds. This newfound presence has carried over into my everyday interactions, creating within me more of a desire and awareness of being someone who makes people feel seen, safe, listened to and held. I notice the color of peoples eyes when I’m looking into them and the different ways my friends hug me. I am a better person to myself and others because of my walks.

I feel proud of myself for believing that I am worth these moments that I notice on my walk and in my life, and with this pride comes a huge sense of gratitude and acknowledgement that I am here to savor my life, and soak up each second with excitement and curiosity. 

Here are some life lessons I’ve learned while walking:

    • Look up.
    • Meaningful habits happen daily.
    • Pick up the trash. It’s not your problem, but it is your Earth.
    • There is no bad weather, only bad clothing choices.
    • Making a commitment to myself and following through is what Love looks like.

Walking daily has blossomed into something much deeper than hitting a step goal or getting outdoors. Although it has been both of those things. It’s about living in the pause. About embodying the phrase “thank you” when I step on the Earth. About taking a moment, whenever I feel I need it. And whenever I think I don’t. 

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but your peace is important. Carving time for yourself is crucial to your healing. Every step you take, even if you feel lost, is leading and guiding you. Do not lose sight of how far you’ve traveled in this life. I know that every path hasn’t been beautiful. I know that some days it feels hard to walk through the absolute rockiest parts of the path. But you can make it through – step by step. 

Home is anything and everything and anyone I can walk to. May I always find joy in the steps. This is my prayer.

Let’s cut right to the chase. Trying to identify your own patterns, whether good or bad, is equal parts difficult and subjective. Determining whether a pattern is good or bad for you is, well, only up to you to define. On top of being difficult to step back and watch yourself, it’s also difficult because it is subjective. Yes, there are articles, quotes and plenty of examples out there that have identified habits and patterns that result in successful people or happy people or wealthy people or fill in the blank. But generally speaking, identifying your patterns in behavior and discerning which ones are good or bad is not going to be summarized from one source. If this is a topic of interest to you, I implore you to continue seeking other resources and examples out there, so you too can extract what works and makes sense for you and only you.

After making this agreement with yourself, my hope is that you take from this the pieces that work best for you. Below is a list I’ve boiled down, in no particular order, into seven points of consideration and further discovery as it applies to identifying your patterns.

• Seek out objectivity
• Surround yourself with trusted friends, mentors and/or advisors
• Submit to the idea you will never peak as an individual
• Remain steadfast in your core values and beliefs
• Always ask questions
• Practice daily
• Allow time for reflection

If you keep these reminders active and close, I’d be willing to bet they might just help you too. Let’s dive into each of them.

Seeking Out Objectivity

As mentioned above, it’s always important to seek out multiple sources of information related to your topic of research, but it is also important, maybe more, to locate credible sources of objective thoughts and ideas around the topic. In today’s world, this is incredibly difficult to do. I always like to start with the most general resources I can find. I often start with places like Wikipedia and yes — I’ll even use the Dictionary when I can. From Wikipedia, you’ll stumble upon additional sources and I tend to follow the breadcrumbs from there. Otherwise, I’m looking for books, articles and/or podcasts that are more focused on breaking something down tactically or more a matter of fact. In my role at CreativeFuse, I lean on sources like the “A Book Apart” series or the online platform, Treehouse. These are just a couple of examples.

Once I’ve exhausted what I can find within grasp, I then intentionally look for opposite opinions on the topic. I find that this helps me further hone in on what I’m looking for. Yes, I want it to be as objective as possible, but in the end it needs to work for me. So I go out of my way to look for extreme opposites around the topic. I ask the most polar opposite questions that I can. As part of this, I soak in the elements that I resonate with most and form my personal way of thinking. It’s critical that when you go the path of the latter, that you set aside as many biases as possible and allow for any/all ways of thinking in the beginning. The ones that jerk me negatively are worth noting to revisit later. Those often lead to further discovery or are confirmations of my core values.

Circle of Influence

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always had this desire to pair up with like-minded people. I’d say this may be true for most, but it’s the leaning into it that has helped me. As a young adult, I made a commitment to myself. If I could not see myself in a relationship, whether business or personal, that couldn’t be long-term or indefinite, then I really had no reason to continue. I’m not interested much in short-term, transactional relationships. I have remained pretty adamant about this. In addition, I do believe your core values play a part in the filtering process. In my role as a leader, a co-worker or a business partner, I’m not looking to be your best friend, but I do seek out a relationship for life. That said, I cannot be all things to all people, so I stopped trying to force that as well. I have a best friend, I have a wife, I have kids, I have parents, I have business partners, I have clients, I have relatives, I have a team, I have social friends. And while some of these can change over time, still one thing stands true. The desire to cultivate relationships with people I trust and can do life with indefinitely.

The catch is to not expect the relationship to last forever and appreciate each day and every moment you have with them. So just because I’m seeking lifelong relationships, I do not expect them to last forever. Naturally people will come in and out of your active, daily life. I try not to see this as a “bad” thing, but it is possible to unintentionally hurt people along the way with this thinking. I’ve learned it’s incredibly important to pay close attention to the impact I have on others. I met some people that have floated in and out, or just more seemingly distant than before, to be amicable in this understanding, whereas others are not. For those that are not, I have tried to note the patterns along the way in order to adjust.

That said, I have relationships today that extend across many years that I cherish greatly. I have relationships with folks that may be more distant now from where we began and I still appreciate the opportunities to reconnect. The memories and stories created together are every bit a part of who I am today. In the end, find people you trust personally and in business and lean on them to help you identify your patterns today, not tomorrow because you never know where life will take you or others.

The Impossible Peak

This could be the most sensitive consideration of all these and I may lose some readers, but hear me out. Submit to the idea that you will not peak, really in any aspect of life. I use the word “submit” intentionally. This has taken me some time to rewire my mind, but the outcome has proven meaningful.

Here’s my most relatable example. I’ve been married to my wife, Sarah, since 2008. Plus, we dated for three years prior to that, so it’s been a few days. One of the best approaches I’ve taken in our relationship is to tell myself, “I will never know everything about Sarah” or “I will always be learning about who Sarah is as a person”. Telling myself this is the first step, but it requires actionable follow-through. And I’ll admit sometimes it can be easy to ignore. This is definitely an aspirational goal and not something I could achieve 100% of the time. Nonetheless, the important thing is that I remind myself to do so as much as I possibly can. This whole process allows me to remain in a position of always seeking, learning, open to change and extending grace. When I’m able to apply this to my daily life, I am much more inclined to remain humble or be humbled by her for example. As a result, I learn more about myself as a person, my patterns even. And I’m also more willing to ask her and talk about it when it’s appropriate. This is a place to strive for in any relationship really, but especially ones that you are engaged with daily.

I will say this is not to be confused with the idea that your life must be a constant challenge or always uncomfortable. This is not a mountain peak to climb or conquer, it’s a journey to experience, a life to live. I do believe in the feeling of contentment and the place it has in a person’s life and mindset. This is definitely a whole other topic of conversation, but the point being you can remain in a place of seeking and learning while being content with the pleasant AND uncomfortable times that come along with doing so.

In the professional world, I’ve recognized that as a creative, I will always be learning and the day I stop I cease to exist, period. The industry is constantly changing and evolving. Toolsets and software become deprecated over time and new ones take their place. I will never be the best creative in the world, but I will strive everyday to grow and become the best version of a creative that’s possible. The moments, or even seasons, I feel like I have it “all” figured out have proven to be the times I’ve missed something or overlooked patterns in my life both personally and professionally. Thus I recommend, submit to the idea you will not peak, ever. You might just surprise yourself and others around you with your happiness, joyfulness and youthfulness.

Core Values, Open Mind

After thinking about how I apply two of the considerations mentioned, Remain steadfast in your core values and beliefs and Always ask questions, I’ve found these go hand-in-hand.

Rather than get into the weeds of how to create core values and beliefs, I’m going to jump ahead and assume you have these. Gino Wickman writes about how to develop core values for your business, among many other business strategies in his book titled “Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business”. Truthfully the method in the book can be applied to creating core values for just about anything, including yourself. There are a ton of other resources out there for creating your core values.

We all have different values, beliefs, motivations and goals. This is part of what makes us unique from one another. The point is to remain steadfast in your values and beliefs. The catch is to do it in a way that you are always asking questions and looking at aspects of your life with an open mind. If I don’t approach it this way, I find it doesn’t allow me to recognize patterns in my life. Without holding true to my beliefs and core values I find it nearly impossible to have a reference point for acknowledging the good patterns from the bad ones. As part of this, if I shy away from asking questions, I naturally push my values and beliefs onto others and close myself off to learning about not only them, but even more about myself as well.

I’m all for aligning with like-minded people with similar values, but even within those relationships it’s easy to lose sight of listening, asking questions and learning from them. Fixating on your values and beliefs is different than committing to them. My goal is that others will get a sense of my values through my actions. And if we’re talking about them, it’s because they’ve either asked me to share or invited me into a conversation around them.

Practice Daily

This is simple enough to understand, but I cannot stress the importance of this one enough. I would really like it to read, “Practice Every Second”. However, I’m trying to be more realistic these days, haha. It’s more manageable to think in terms of choosing to practice each day. The way you practice in a day can look like a lot of different things.

You might choose to read a book or a post, hopefully like this one.
You may consciously decide to listen first in every conversation you engage in.
You could start your day with meditation.
You could place reminders all over your house.
You can identify topics you’d like to discuss with others you trust.
You can recite statements aloud to yourself.
You might go on a walk or exercise.
You could ask a person a hard question.
You might join a support group or seek out a mentor.

Whatever it may be, do it and practice daily. Over time, some of these will become a part of your everyday life and then you can add new practices of identifying patterns. It’s that simple.

Reflection

Practices like meditation and going on walks, are also examples of allowing for time to reflect. This can be done with others, but ultimately I feel it’s important to do it in a place of solitude. For myself, this might be done through prayer, by sitting completely still, hiking miles of trail or wading the streams. Though I did state that these considerations were in no particular order, I do feel this one is the follow-up to all of them. I’m going to share an example of reflection to explain further, but first, I was recently reminded to not listen to the lies I tell myself. Healthy reflection will not come from a place of fear or anxiety rather a yearning for a deeper connection and a desire to grow from experiences.

My example of reflection actually resulted in writing all of this down. I started unpacking this topic back in the middle of 2021. More than a year later, here I am. Part of the reason it took me so long was my time in reflection. I’ve been applying all of the other considerations for a while now. And yes, I have taken time to reflect over the years on other topics, but as I was reflecting on this topic I realized there were some patterns about myself I needed to address. The lies we tell ourselves can be two-fold. It can come across in putting ourselves down, which further cements the idea that we are no good and prohibits us from following through. They can also form as self-defense mechanisms by perpetually ignoring the pattern. I think for me and this topic, it was a little of both. The good news is I’ve managed to face the realities of the patterns I was ignoring, I’ve accepted that I am human and I’m taking responsibility for them. This time to reflect has been met with resistance by not only myself, but others as well.

When I reminded myself about the idea of healthy reflection, to grow as a person, I was also reminded that I am loved for who I am. So, I go forth once more into the fray… to learn, to fail and to seek out healthy reflection. I am not going to share the specifics of the patterns I needed to work through in this post, but just know they were there. I know, I know that was some build up. I feel they should be reserved for the right time, in the appropriate place for the respective audience. Instead I’ll list out some patterns about myself.

• I can be passionate in conversations.
• I am not afraid to voice my thoughts, sometimes to my detriment.
• I work with my friends.
• I can be intimidating to people.
• I ask a lot of questions.
• I want to be outside, like all of the time.
• I impact others emotions negatively and positively a lot.
• I do enjoy a tasty beverage.
• I tend to take on other people’s emotions.
• I seek out genuine relationships.
• I check my phone too many times in a day.
• I like to pee in the morning sitting down.
• I want to believe people until proven otherwise.
• I desire verbal affirmation.
• I am innately selfish.
• I give my wife a hug and/or kiss most every morning.
• I am the butt of many jokes.
• I am troubled by trash along the roads and out in nature.
• I am a devil’s advocate to myself and others.
• I take the brunt of many problems.
• I have natural leadership qualities.
• I bite my nails.
• I pray at least once most days.
• I hug my two daughters every day.
• I like wearing what I want to wear, even if it doesn’t make sense.
• I snack consistently in the evenings.
• I require human interaction.

Through all of your pattern discoveries, I’ll conclude by encouraging you to regularly audit the impact outside influences have on you and the impact you have on others. Patterns are always forming whether we are aware of them or not, good and bad. And people are weird, I am weird.

The Cycle

Just a fair warning – there’s a little doom and gloom in this article, so please bear with me. If there’s one thing I know we’re good at, in terms of the history of humanity, it’s our unequivocal ability to repackage and repeat the same mistakes over and over again. One person’s new idea, solution, or grandiose vision, inevitably based around some underlying act of control, becomes another’s downfall. It’s not always intentional, just near-sighted in most cases – causality in its rawest form. Each culture glides through history on various wavelengths, remarkably predictable with definitive highs and inescapable lows. You can sum this up with the following statement:

Hard times create strong people, strong people create good times, good times create weak people, weak people create hard times. Repeat.

It’s very easy to see and an extremely logical statement, but why do we continue to follow this pattern again and again and again? It’s like there’s something buried deep within us all that limits our ability to simply remember… truly remember, as if we are living it again, those hard times that we try so hard to block out and forget. Maybe that’s the reason – we all loathe the experience of pain. Whether emotional, physical, psychological or whatever else, we avoid it like the plague. It’s more/less a subconsciously driven instinct anymore, probably developed over generations to help preserve our way of life. What if, however, our way of life is on a path toward humanity’s destruction, unbeknownst to us? Sounds dark, I know. If you take a step back and look at things from a 30,000 ft view though, it’s just hard to ignore.

If you look back at all the great civilizations throughout our documented history, and study the many reasons for their falls from greatness, most can be summed up with one word: suicide. Wait, what?! Seriously?! Hear me out… while some were ended by being forcibly consumed by others, most fell as a result of the hostilities that permeated within each culture. Political factions, lack of trust and lack of moral obligations to fellow humans. Is it unreasonable to say that the U.S. is quickly moving to follow suit? I think not. It’s our ego, internal conflicts and entitlement as a nation. I feel our core values being set aside for political gain, and our fundamental freedoms being slowly and surely plucked from our fingertips, one-by-one, and by our own doing no less.

What’s This About Anyway??

So why am I sharing all of this and what does it have to do with CreativeFuse? The purpose of this article is pretty simple really:

1. I’m feeling called to vocalize the many indicators I’ve seen and felt in the hopes that it may bring about some greater awareness of the pattern referenced above.

2. I have a lot of love for a lot of peeps, especially locally, and I feel a moral obligation to encourage everyone to more/less be better prepared at a fundamental level. It feels like a guitar string that keeps getting wound tighter and tighter. No one knows how long it’ll hold before it snaps.

3. And honestly this really has little to do with the service offerings of CreativeFuse. That said, we tend to blend the lines between work and personal life within the organization and use this journal as just that — a journal. A safe, creative space to share what’s on our minds. As a team, we regularly look into our patterns, discuss openly and don’t shy away from having tough conversations, both internally and/or with clients, when they feel necessary. Allowing space for this is a huge part of what keeps us operating with full transparency and authenticity.

Keep in mind, I’m not trying to invoke any feeling of fear with this uncertainty, rather just recognizing the state of affairs today. Normal life is all but gone these days, at least the norm most of us may have known prior to “that which we do not speak of because I’m sick of hearing its name.” We’ve been all but programmed to accept the “requirements” that “will get us all through this together,” one ever-evolving fact after another. This is just me, but my intuition is screaming right now, telling me that everything is not as it seems on the surface. For one, working together through something like this requires people to communicate, listen and compromise if/when needed. It’s NOT creating divisiveness, silencing someone because they don’t repeat exactly what you say, and it sure as hell isn’t forcing your will upon them because you have the power to do so.

Everything that is happening at the moment is so far from anything new as well. In 1841, Charles Mackay wrote Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds. He outlines his accounts of the South Sea Company Bubble, Mississippi Company Bubble, and the Dutch Tulip Bubble. The madness of crowds, such that we’re witnessing on a global scale today, is a cyclical commonality throughout human history. The quote from Charles MacKay sums it all up:

In reading The History of Nations, we find that, like individuals, they have their whims and their peculiarities, their seasons of excitement and recklessness, when they care not what they do. We find that whole communities suddenly fix their minds upon one object and go mad in its pursuit; that millions of people become simultaneously impressed with one delusion, and run after it, till their attention is caught by some new folly more captivating than the first.

Regardless of your political point of view, or even your stance on the vaccine, this pandemic has wreaked havoc on all of our lives. Over 5 million people have lost their lives, tensions are skyrocketing all over the world, and trust (in authority as well as each other) is quickly becoming something from a long lost fairytale. It breaks my heart that we’ve allowed ourselves to get to this point. Most of you who know me, know that I would do just about anything for you, friend or just acquaintance. You know that I’m not aggressive by any means, and I’m a fairly calm, authentic and transparent person. I preface with this in hopes that you may resonate with how difficult all of this is for me to share. If we continue fighting each other and allowing our politicians and media to further divide us, it’s going to turn violent at some point. History has shown this to be true over and over again.

So What’s the Plan?

So what can we do? For starters, we could all stand to be a little more kind and inquisitive toward those who might share a different opinion than our own. As I mentioned earlier, we can also lean more into the opportunities, magic, joy, new relationships and extraordinary experiences and less into all the doom and gloom that consumes pretty much all media outlets these days. Turn off your phone, TV and radio for a bit, brave the world at large and try creating some new experiences for yourself. Go somewhere you’ve never been. Try something you’re afraid to try. And rather than being angry with someone who shares a different perspective, try having a conversation with them to simply understand one another. If you do nothing else, please take a moment to pause, allow yourself to breathe, and release all the trauma you may be holding onto from the last two years. As much as I’d love to just ignore all the things in life that worry me, or make me feel less than excited, that kind of denial isn’t good for anyone. Which brings me to #2 above… we can still choose to be better prepared for extenuating circumstances.

I’m not saying to become a doomsday prepper and build a bunker out in the middle of nowhere. Or to go out and buy up a bunch of toilet paper and freeze-dried foods… what I am saying is that we’ve all sensed some red flags in recent months and things could quickly take a turn for the worse if they continue as they are. For instance: there is a major supply chain problem right now, and it’s getting worse every day. There are riots popping up all over the world due to the mandates being pushed. Russia is on the brink of a war with the EU/NATO. And the political landscape is so far divided at this point that the next presidential election is sure to bring about even more chaos than the last. The list goes on, and regardless of who’s at fault, the fact remains that these are real issues that aren’t going away anytime soon.

Just think about your current situation and what would happen if there was any kind of disaster, natural or man-made, tomorrow. Something that forces you out of your comfort zone and even just temporarily removes access to all the things you have readily available to you at the moment. How much food do you have in your home? Enough to feed your entire family for a week? How about a month? What if the water isn’t safe to drink, or stops flowing out of your tap and your power goes out for a couple of weeks? What if the supermarkets run out of food because their shipments continue to get delayed, even for a few weeks? All hypotheticals of course, and I’m sure I’m not the only one with a normalcy bias telling me that these scenarios could never happen here in the U.S., but they can and have… many times over.

I’m a firm believer in the fact that we all have a moral responsibility to be prepared for the inevitable ups and downs in life. Self-reliant, not system-reliant. The system is great while it’s here, and I have no qualms with taking full advantage of the resources available to us all. We humans are also fully capable of taking care of ourselves though, as well as those around us, with a little basic knowledge and fundamental skills that have all but been forgotten in today’s society. What harm is there in simply having a sort of “savings account” in your home with some basic essentials? I just care about you… all of you, and I’m more than happy to help you if you resonate with this mindset. Just hit me up. And if it makes you feel better to call me your crazy doomsday prepper friend, then go for it. While I don’t consider myself as such, it’s a small price to pay for potentially saving the life of a friend.

Onward & Upward

Whew, that was a lot, I know. All things aside, this year has just as much potential to be the best year of our lives as well. I’ve shared my intentions for the year, but I’d love to hear about yours! Let’s grab a drink, raise a glass and chat. And here’s to 2022… may it be full of extraordinary experiences, delightful conversations and zero apocalypses.