Let’s light this candle!

After a year’s plus break from Creativille the company, I’ve decided to breath new life back into the brand, Creativille. But, of course, want to make it something worth while. This is where you come in. I would LOVE your feedback and comments one topics that move you. Bare in mind, my passions to write and create will ultimately focus on creativity in design, art, food, business.

Please. Send me any comments about what this blog site thingy can become, and I will certainly take note.

Filed under: 01 Be Simple. (Observations), 02 Be Passionate. (Inspirations), 03 Be Creative. (Questions)

Steve Hartman Invites you to The Creativille Tenth Anniversary Party and Exhibit: Impressed by Design: Letterpress in the Heartland

Steve Hartman invites you to celebrate The Creativille Tenth Anniversary.

Creativille is celebrating its tenth birthday by curating a letterpress exhibit and raising money for the Edwardsville Arts Center

Saturday, September 5, 2009 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Creativille, Inc. will mark a decade of design by organizing a benefit for the Edwardsville Arts Center (EAC). By curating “Impressed by Design: Letterpress in the Heartland,” at the EAC, Creativille plans on gallery and gift shop purchases, party admission of $10 and general donations to reach a $10,000 goal.

Purchase a $10 ticket, or make a donation to the EAC.

Visit the website: The Creativille Tenth Anniversary

About Impressed by Design: Letterpress in the Heartland.

Other than great bar-be-que in their backyard, what do these artists have in common? The letterpress. What was once the standard in printing books and publications, has now become an artform based in letterforms, design and communication. These 5 letterpress artists will share a range of the printed art from the fine-art book to expressive folk art. During the 6 week exhibit, guests of the EAC will view posters, books, broadsides, greeting cards; purchase what they see in the gallery and in the gift shop; experience hands-on letterpress demos, lectures and a documentary film.

Exhibit Runs: August 26 – October 3, 2009

Exhibit Celebration/Anniversary Party: September 5, 2009 6:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.

The Artists.

Amos Kennedy, Jr., Alabama
Ken Botnick, St. Louis
Eric Woods, Firecracker Press, St. Louis
Jim Sherraden, Hatch Show Print, Nashville
Brady Vest, Hammerpress, Kansas City

For more information

Steve Hartman

Creativille, Inc.

(618) 659-2861

Visit the website: The Creativille Tenth Anniversary

About Creativille.

Creativille, Inc. opened its doors in September of 1999 by renting a one-room office from friend Karen Handleman at 501creative in Clayton, MO. Later, moved to the historic St. Louis Hill neighborhood, and shared space with Gregg Goldman and Scott Smith photographers. Today, Creativille resides in a pre-civil war brick colonial on Edwardsville’s Main Street in Illinois.

Filed under: 02 Be Passionate. (Inspirations), Amos Kennedy, Brady Vest, Creativille, Edwardsville, Edwardsville Arts Center, Eric Woods, Firecracker Press, Hammerpress, hatch show print, Impressed by Design, jim sherraden, Ken Botnick, Letterpress, Steve Hartman

A Small Part of Abundance

"Touch" Poster designed for LIA by Justin Ahrens, Donovan Beery, Steve Hartman, Christine Taylor and Nate Voss

It was February of this year (2009), that I traveled to one of my favorite mid-western cities, Omaha. As in Nebraska. I was invited by the Reflex Blue Show to join designers Justin Ahrens of Rule29, and Christine Taylor of Hallmark for a weekend of design.

In celebration of their one year anniversary, Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, hosts of the Reflex Blue Show, brought us all together for an anniversary podcast, plus design workshop to raise awareness for Life In Abundance (LIA). LIA is a nonprofit organization serving to empower Africa’s poor.

The five of us set our huge egos aside and put our heads together, melded with a little liquid courage and created “Touch.” Our creation is a spiffy letterpress poster, printed by the very talented folks at Spark Stationary on paper graciously donated by Neenah Paper. This 5-color letterpressed poster (including one blind emboss) came back gorgeous. To raise funds for LIA, the poster is on sale now for only $50. You can purchase it from the LIA online store. Only $50!

What I love about the concept is the tactile quality of the great paper and fine printing quality by Spark. The letterpress skillfully kisses the paper in areas, and hammers it hard in others. The copy we jointly wrote for the poster hints of this textured artifact, and reiterates the mission of LIA. It reads, “Touch. One touch creates a lasting imprint of an abundance of lives.” Brilliant.

You might want to buy two.

Filed under: 02 Be Passionate. (Inspirations), 36point, Creativille, Donovan Beery, Letterpress poster for charity, LIA, Life In Abundance, Nate Voss, Neenah Paper, Rule 29, Spark Stationary, The Reflex Blue Show, Touch Poster

I owe my career success to AIGA St. Louis

Commemorative Poster for AIGA St. Louis by Creativille. It glows in the dark. Printed by Handprints in St. Louis.

AIGA St. Louis turns 20 this year.

I wouldn’t be the designer I am today without my experiences as a member of AIGA. Without AIGA I would just be a this guy designing from a small town. With AIGA I’m a nationally known designer.

This valued career confidence came from many hours of volunteerism as a committee member, chapter board president, regional organizer, national leadership facilitator and national board member. In this case study of organizational involvement, I definitely received the value of my membership in AIGA.

Some designers wonder what are the benefits of joining AIGA. Well, just by joining, there are benefits listed on the AIGA Website. But, nothing listed compares to the benefits that come from being active in AIGA:

• I don’t think that HOW Magazine would have written an article on my first year in business without AIGA, plus subsequent contributions.
• I wouldn’t have been invited to judge HOW’s International Design Competition (along with AIGA chapter competitions in Washington DC, Cleveland, Richmond, Wichita, and Omaha–still waiting Honolulu).
• I wouldn’t have been invited to attend the first AIGA/Harvard (now Yale) Business Perspectives for Creative Leaders program.
• I wouldn’t have been able to drop into cities around the country and gather other AIGA members for a last minute happy hour like those times in San Diego, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Omaha, Des Moine and Minneapolis.
• I wouldn’t have been invited to Omaha for Reflex Blue Show podcasts and design workshops in Omaha, and lectures in South Dakota.
• And, I wouldn’t have an honest ability to drop names of rock star designers and the lattes we’ve sipped together over the years.

AIGA has blessed my career. And I owe it all to my friends in St. Louis. Happy Birthday AIGA St. Louis. Here’s to 20 more years. (I wonder if I could be President again?)

If you are interested in the ROI (return on involvment) of joining AIGA, you should seriously consider getting involved in your local AIGA chapter.

Filed under: 02 Be Passionate. (Inspirations), AIGA, AIGA St. Louis, HOW Magazine

Celebrating Lincoln as a Designer

The evening was a sublime anchor to a eventful and lengthy process of design for the 2009 Bicentennial Celebration of Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday at the Abraham Lincoln Association Banquet.

Over 800 people packed the room to hear President Barack Obama, Governor Jim Edgar, Senator Dick Durbin and Author Michael Burlingame.

The President spoke of Lincoln determination and hard work; he drew comparisons to inheriting a troubled nation; and he left us with the theme, “we are the last best hope on Earth.”

Humbled, I realized my part was insignificant to the task before us. The need to enrich the world we live, the need to keep mindful of the larger fight and not our daily peeves. What can I do to push the world around me to become a better place? I’m not sure the program I designed for the event was it, nor was the commemorative book Creativille designed for the event attendees.

Inspired, I believe I certainly shouldn’t diss the work that I do. The products of a designers labor have the power to evoke change, summon empathy, and inspire action. If I can pass along any wisdom that I absorbed from the speech by President Obama in the light of Lincoln’s legacy, is that its our duty as designers to step up to the challenge of transforming our times to a positive era as influencers of commerce, culture and community.

If you can, please share what you can do to improve the community in which you live and work.

AIGA share’s a few ideas

Filed under: 02 Be Passionate. (Inspirations), Recent Projects, 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial, Abraham Lincoln, Barack Obama, Edwardsville Design Firm, Influencer

Nothing beats the smell of a new print job.

You’re sitting there quietly, patiently, waiting, oogling, awwing, then its handed to you. DAMN this shrink wrap! Why didn’t the mill rep remove this first. Rip it off and the woft hits your nose, your eyes close and you take it in. Mmmmm. The smell of a recently printed paper sample. Mmmmmm. Sure, texture and brightness is good, ink coverage is smooth and flawless, even the design is spot on. Who cares at that moment, who cares who’s watching. Lift it to your upper lip, even touch the cool texture to your lip, and take it in. Nothing beats the smell of a new print job.

Filed under: 02 Be Passionate. (Inspirations), Creativille, mohawk paper mill, offset printing, paper mill, paper rep, Paper sample, soy ink, Steve Hartman