Megan and I were cleaning some junk drawers a few weeks ago. You know the kind. Full of random things you haven't looked at in years but can't quite throw away. Found an official-looking envelope she didn't recognize at first. Point Park University stamped across it. My college transcript. The official one. Meant to stay sealed until presented to some future authority who would need proof of my academic record. Megan opened it! Just ripped right through that seal like it was junk mail. My...
23 days ago • 4 min read
I’ve sat through more talks than anyone I know. Hundreds of speeches. Keynotes. Panel discussions. Corporate presentations. Government briefings. Sermons. Industry conferences across every sector you can imagine. Not the slightest exaggeration here. It’s literally my job to sit in rooms and listen while drawing what people say. Which gives me a strange vantage point, seeing what lands and what doesn’t. Not by judging the content or critiquing the delivery, but by what shows up on the page...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Want a quick test to know if you can run a business with your partner? Do a house project together. Megan and I tested this theory for years before launching RedTale. Not intentionally. We were just trying to change ceiling lights and assemble IKEA furniture like a normal couple. But looking back at all these little house projects, there’s something decently important that stands out. Try installing a ceiling light with your arms above your head for two solid hours. Or putting together a...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
In June 2024, I was sitting at my desk doing something very simply. Trying to hold a pen for 30-35 minutes straight. But my lousy hand wasn't cooperating. The grip felt just a little too weak, a whole lot too unfamiliar. A few days earlier, I’d been in a car accident, and something in my drawing hand wasn't quite right. So, of course, the thought was there before I could come close to stopping it: What if I can't draw anymore? This thing I do every single day. The quotes, the sketches, the...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Part of my daily process is drawing each and every morning. You know this by now if you’ve been reading along. One sketch. One quote. One small act of creating something where nothing existed before. And of course, there’s the client work. Corporate sessions. Murals. Strategic planning visualizations. But there’s another part of the process I haven’t talked about much. It’s what happens every Monday morning. That’s sitting down with my friend Doug, a business consultant to talk about RedTale....
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
I had to start drawing on the smallest pieces of paper. Not because Post-it notes and napkins are the easiest when it comes to sketching. In fact, they’re more difficult. It was because I knew if I started with a huge canvas, it would be overwhelming, and I’d never begin. Smaller = easier to start. And a lot of the time, starting is everything. That simple decision changed how I work. Heck, it changed my life. One massive painting might take months. Instead, I’m trying to do about 100 pieces...
2 months ago • 2 min read
There’s a moment when I’m live sketching where everything just clicks. Ideas thrown out faster and faster. Voices are rising with excitement. A dawning realization in the room that things are coming together, crystallizing, getting clearer and more colorful. And it’s just so awesome. I’d love to take all the credit in the world for this. After all, there I am with the expensive markers, huge sheets of paper, and industrial-grade knee pads. Doing the physical work. But that’s not really what’s...
2 months ago • 2 min read
Megan and I were taking a real look at our business the other night. Spreadsheets open. Notes and thoughts. Trying to map out everything happening right now. And, yes, there’s a lot happening. It’s exciting. RedTale bookings for corporate work. Daily quotes going out to hundreds. Murals going up in town. Merch orders coming through the shop. LinkedIn posts connecting with people I’ve never met or haven’t seen in a while. We weren’t stressed about it. We were kind of excited, actually. All...
3 months ago • 2 min read
Trust is a funny thing in professional relationships. In my visual work, I’ve had all sorts of clients. All sorts of jobs. All sorts of engagements. Books (due out in November) Murals (rooftop) Massive corporate events (150 ft of artwork) Strategic planning sessions Live sketching for talks and podcasts And obviously, daily quotes You name it, I’ve drawn for it. (Not really, but it’s fun to say at least.) The point being, over the last six years, I’ve prided myself on being able to take on...
3 months ago • 2 min read