USSC Seminars

Wednesday morning I jump on  plane and head out to Atlantic City for the United States Sign Council International Conference and trade show. I was invited last year to give three presentations. I must have had decent reviews for I was invited back this year to present three more seminars.

This year I decided to address three statements I often hear that irk me. The three statements are...  'I could never designs signs like that.' 'I could never build signs like that.' and the final being 'I could never sell signs like that in my town.' In my talks I hope to show just how I have managed to do these three things. I want to peel back the mystery of just how it is done. 

The design talk will show how I find my unique ideas, how I puts the designs together from the first basic scribble through to the finished concepts, and how I has developed proven techniques for not only clever designs, but also how to present and sell these ideas to a prospective customer.

The marketing presentation will deal with how we get the word out about the unique product we create. I'll deal with how to pick a business name, develop an image, design and build a storefront, why to fill the store with samples, how we do our web marketing and how to build a name and reputation of doing work that grabs attention for our customers.

It is one thing to dream up a three-dimensional sign like the ones we are known for, but quite another to actually build them. In the last presentation I will show what is behind and underneath the three dimensional skin of our projects using step-by-step pictures as well as detailed descriptions of how a series of various sized projects came together - from the inside out.

I'm looking forward to the sessions and meeting with many of my sign making friends from the east coast and beyond. If you are going to be at the USSC conference I hope to meet you there too! Look for me at the Seminars or around the MultiCam or EnRoute booths.

-dan

In the mood?

A friend asked me today if I needed to be 'in the mood' to be creative. I said no. I can be creative any time I want to be.

But that isn't really true. Or at least it isn't always true until I force myself to actually get down to business. 

From time to time a project I am doing gives me trouble... or I believe it will. In that case the project will languish for a long time in my studio. I keep meaning to get to it, but each time something else that is 'more pressing' takes it place. I'll go to town and change the oil in my truck. The shop needs cleaning. Another project will need to be done first. I have emails to answer or a speach to write. Phoebe needs to be played with... you get the idea. And all are good reasons to put off the project. Eventually a deadline will force ot to actually get on with it. There is no more putting it off.

And as I get down to actually doing this job I find it isn't nearly as tough as I feared. The project is even enjoyable and fun. Progress is rapid and the end result just what I wanted from the start. 

Today I was resolved to do some major work on a project that has just such a history. I've been hacking away t it for weeks but never made great progress. Today I will finish the sculpt ot this project. I've done the dogs faces twice and then taken the die grinder and removed them the next day. For too long other projects have jumped the line and been finished. But today I am resolved to just get down to business and be creative. 

This morning I made breakfast, went to town, had coffee with my dad, changed the oil in the car, bought some new shirts, came home, stuffed some leaves in the dumpster, answered my emails and played with Phoebe. Then I made us some lunch. After lunch I declared myself 'in a creative mood'. Then I mixed up some sculpting epoxy and set to work.

And I discovered once more that I can be creative any time I set my mind to the task. I was suddenly in the mood.

-grampa dan

Hither and thither.

The days of working on one task all day at the Fox & Hounds Pub are now long gone. It is time to go back through the project to catch all the loose ends that weren't totally finished at the time we were there. The list of things to do is still sizable but we are making our way through it. The ladies are still busy faux finishing the ceiling and beams, the last areas requiring this treatment. I am flitting around doing all the other things. The beam in the kitchen area got it's final coat of paint on the lettering. Then it was on to patching and texturing the ceiling here and there and everywhere. After that we finished sculpting the grape vine at the entrance to the pub. And so my day went. 

In the new restaurant area the owners and crew were busy shining up things and arranging the new furniture. Dimensional signs and artwork will be hung in this area early next week.

The project is looking better every day! Guests who have not come in for a while are extremely positive of what they see. 

-grampa dan