Tweeting to a better economy. #$hour or #economyhour

Just a thought, “what if all the tweeters posted a local product or service at the same hour, just before lunch or end of the work day?” Would this concentrated influx of testimonial/guerilla advertising encourage us to sink a little cash into our local economies. Would knowing that Margaret loves her new TOMS Shoes, encourage thousands to buy a pair. How about that yummy soup Steve orders–who will run out and purchase their favorite comfort food? Its a big, “what if,” but its worth a shot.

Beginning, well, now. Let’s all tweet our favorite product, or service or online shop the hour before Noon, and the hour before quitting time. Use the hash tags #$hour or #economyhour so we can track and refer to great finds. And, see what happens.

Maybe nothing, but hell, why not. Can the masses move us out of this slow economy? Come on @Oprah, give it a shot.

Filed under: Recent Projects, #$hour, #economyhour, @Oprah, Creativille, TOMS Shoes, tweet

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

The Creativille Tenth Anniversary Celebration

Creativille, Inc. will mark a decade of design by raising $10,000 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 the goal.

Visit the website: The Creativille Tenth Anniversary

About Creativille, Inc.

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.

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

Buy tickets or make a donation to the EAC: The Creativille Tenth Anniversary

Filed under: Recent Projects, Amos Kennedy, Brady Vest, Creativille, EAC, Edwardsville Arts Center, Eric Woods, Firecracker Press, Hammerpress, Ken Botnick, Steve Hartman, tenth anniversary

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

Small: Design Firms in Small Towns Across America

All across the white space of America, are small towns dotting the horizon with their watertower or grain elevator. Tucked into the mountains, beyond the next prairie are thriving hamlets unseen or unspoken. Of course, I know this, because, I find myself in one.

As a solo designer in my own small town of Edwardsville, IL, I wonder what other small-town designers out past the rivers and deserts are creating away in their small office. Questions roll through my mind: What clients are they working on? Are they AIGA members? Do they volunteer in their community? What does their office look like? Is it a barn, a house, a garage, an old church?

Are they the “Design” member of their Rotary, too? What impact do they offer their small town? And, most importantly, how are they percieved by the “non-designer” neigbors?

So many questions about this has lit the fire under my curiousity hot enough to go find them, and report back. Its now my mission to locate, interview and share who is “small” amongst us.

With your help, we’ll locate these folks. There are two group pages dedicated to finding and corralling these loose steeds:

On LinkedIn

On Facebook

Today my criteria is simple: If your firm is located over 30 miles from a major market; and your town has a population of less than 30,000; and your company is less than 5 people; I’m looking for you.

Filed under: Small: Design Firms in Small Towns, Creativille, Edwardsville, Edwardsville Design Firm, Edwardsville Rotary Club, Rotary, Small Design Firm, Small Town

The Original Social Network

Folks are burying their faces into the online social network, but are neglecting the original community common thread–the local barber shop.

It occurs to me as I discuss Facebook while in line at Eakers Barber Shop in Edwardsville, Illinois. The proprietor refuses to befriend online social media, which prompts me to claim, “Kari, you are the original Facebook!”

As seen on TV, in the theaters and in real life, town folk sit and chat and gossip on anything from politics to sports to deals at the local butcher. What’s so different and enjoyable about a local barber shop over online social media? Maybe its real and tangible–the experience of it all. Not that sitting around in your underwear updating your status isn’t an experience, it is. It’s just not socially acceptable.

I encourage you to visit your local barber shop this week (with pants on) and spend a little time, face to face, not face-in-the-book.

To visit Eakers Barber Shop in Ed wardsville, IL you need to do it in person at 227 N. Main St, Edwardsville, IL 62025-1603   p: 618 656 1128

Inside Eakers Barber Shop.

Filed under: 01 Be Simple. (Observations), barber shop, Creativille, Eakers Barber Shop, guerilla marketing, Main Street America, Sacred Grounds Coffee Shop, social networking, Steve Hartman, viral marketing

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

Q. 002. What are you doing to find a job?

Creative layoffs are happening all around us, and the agencies are dropping creative staff. What are you doing for employment? Are you leaving the industry, even just temporarily?

Filed under: 03 Be Creative. (Questions), agency layoffs, Creative jobs, Creativille, layoffs, looking for a jog, Steve Hartman

Mary Todd Lincoln: First Lady of Controversy

Here are a few spreads from the catalog for an exhibit of the same name.

There’s Something About Mary [Todd Lincoln].

The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation and Museum called upon Creativille, to design the the companion book to their current exhibit, “Mary Todd Lincoln: First Lady of Controversy.” Written by Tom Schwartz, resident Lincoln historian, and packed full of artifacts and ephemera from Mary’s life, this catalogue introduces the controversial First Lady to Lincoln fans and historians as no other book has before.

Creativille takes care in representing the content and context of any piece in the final design. In Mary’s case, this book conveys the sophistication of a first lady with a touch of opulence with a foil-stamped monogram (based on Mary’s personal wax stamp) and a debossed texture of Mary’s handwriting.

“I’m very proud of this book,” Steve Hartman says, “its a beautiful catalogue, it’s very respectful to one of America’s most interesting First Ladies, and a great artifact of both American and Illinois history. The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum is a first class institution and a great client. I think this book really captures their excellence.”

Mary Todd Lincoln: First Lady of Controversy is published by the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation, 96 page book, double cover.

This one-of-a-kind book is still available for purchase at the Museum book store, online.

Filed under: Book Design, Creativille, First Lady, Illinois History, Mary Todd Lincoln, Steve Hartman, Tom Schwartz

Self-Generated Viral Marketing

This is an example of a fan-generated response in the form of graffiti that defines self-generated viral marketing. It is the result of a groundswell of public support for a quality product. Other examples would be a Harley-Davidson tatoo, Nine Inch Nails graffiti, or a hand-made political sign. What are other examples that you can think of?

Filed under: 01 Be Simple. (Observations), Creativille, graffiti, guerilla marketing, Harley Davidson, Nine Inch Nails, Sacred Grounds Coffee Shop, Steve Hartman, twilight, viral marketing