Recently a client request came through my office for an illustrator that does real time drawings of meetings. The idea behind the concept is that written notes are more apt to be biased and meaning distorted than if an artist sketches the conversation.

This was a particularly interesting concept to me, as I like to think of myself as a “words” person.

1. I like lists.
2. And neatly spaced grids.
3. And bullets.
4. And paragraphs upon paragraphs of 12th-grade-reading-level prose with phenomenal topic sentences.
5. Uncharacteristically, I am also starting to appreciate a well-organized flow-chart.

But words CAN be extremely limiting. Limited by personal vocabulary, by listening comprehension, by connotation and by the language itself.

The best example I can think of is how you explain the middle-ground between liking and loving someone. There isn’t a word in English, at least one that I can think of, that adequately explains the feeling of liking someone more than a casual acquaintance without the full-on connotation of love. Thus, the term “LIKE like.”

Person 1: “I like Chris.”

Person 2: “Do you like Chris, or do you LIKE like Chris?”

Okay, I admit that is probably a horrible example…

Which is a great example of how words can be limiting! (You fell right into that one, didn’t you?)

Anyways, the whole reason that I wrote this post was to share a link with you. But I won’t share the link until I explain who posted it first. My college friend Wendy (you might remember her from the Books for Cameroon project this past fall) amazes me with her ability to learn new languages and successfully interact in many cultures that are very different from each other.

Wendy was born in Taiwan, moved to Missouri in elementary school, studied and interned abroad in London and Paris, and, most recently, spent 2 years in Cameroon, West Africa, serving as a Peace Corps volunteer. She speaks more languages than anyone else I have ever met. She learns new ones for fun. One day, Wendy will probably rule the world, and be able to talk to everyone about it in their native languages.

She shared a link via her Twitter account from the Wall Street Journal on how language influences culture. The article goes beyond the cliche “how-many-words-for-snow-do-eskimos-have” and provides some very interesting facts on the effects of language and perception of reality on criminal justice, politics and economics – see the bit about Justin Timberlake, Janet Jackson and the wardrobe malfunction for proof.

Join us for an evening of fine wines, hors d’oeuvres, chocolate and live jazz featuring Denise Thimes, an internationally known local artist. Help kick off United Way of Greater St. Louis’ campaign!

Tickets are $55/each for early birds through August 1st or $60/each leading up to the event. Only 400 tickets will be sold and must be purchased in advance. All proceeds benefit United Way of Greater St. Louis. We will be accepting canned food donations at the door.

PURCHASE TICKETS AT: http://www2.stl.unitedway.org/chocolatewineandallthatjazz

FOLLOW THE FUN ON FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=136156093078875&ref=ts

I came across this animated video by RSA Animate today that I wanted to share immediately. It really made me think about what time zone I live in and how it affects my thoughts, actions and interactions with others.

Since that traffic has slowed down, I guess I need a new C.M. pic to bring in the visitors.

So if you were thinking about making me my favorite dessert for my birthday (which is in FOUR MONTHS, PEOPLE!), first you would have to know what my favorite dessert is.

That would be cupcakes.

Then, you should think about making me these sweet Cookie Monster cupcakes.

Then, you should actually make them for me.

Don’t get me wrong – I enjoy the occasional margarita. But why exactly should I care about Mexicans defeating the French in the battle of Puebla?

Contrary to what many ignorant Corona drinkers may believe, Cinco de Mayo is not the Mexican Independence day. That’s celebrated on September 16. Not that I’ll be celebrating that either. In fact, Mexico was a sovereign state for 52 years before the battle of Puebla on May 5.

I’ve never even been to Mexico. And from what I understand, most people in Mexico don’t even celebrate Cinco de Mayo unless you’re from Puebla. But hey, who doesn’t like an excuse to sit on a patio and make fun of drunk people dancing the Macarena?

Whew. I feel so much better now that I’ve gotten that off my chest.

Now, where did I put my sombrero?

Photo courtesy of James R. Compton Jr.

Chocolate, Wine & All That Jazz is exactly what you would think it is – yummy dessert, tasty wines and jazz music – all wrapped up into one fun night.

This year’s Chocolate, Wine & All That Jazz is Saturday, September 11 at the Foundry Art Centre in St. Charles. The evening will include a performance by the internationally-renowned jazz singer Denise Thimes and libations from local chocolatiers and wineries.

Last year, more than 200 guests enjoyed chocolate, wine and jazz under the stars, while raising over $10,000 for the United Way. 100% of the money we raised went back to the community the form of programs like job training and food for families and crisis.

I am seeking personal and corporate sponsorships to subsidize the event costs so that all of the money we raise can go directly back to the United Way.

7 Ways to Support Chocolate, Wine & All That Jazz

Big Band Sponsor – $5,000 +

• Complimentary tickets and reserved seating for 10 guests
• Sponsorship listing on event tickets, decorations and promotional materials
• Verbal recognition at the event and annual volunteer luncheon

Smooth Jazz Sponsor – $3,500 +

• Complimentary tickets and reserved seating for 6 guests
• Sponsorship listing on event tickets, decorations and promotional materials
• Verbal recognition at the event and annual volunteer luncheon

Blue Note Sponsor – $2,500 +

• Complimentary tickets and reserved seating for 4 guests
• Sponsorship listing on event tickets, decorations and promotional materials
• Verbal recognition at the event and annual volunteer luncheon

Swingin’ Sponsor – $1,500 +

• Complimentary tickets for 2 guests
• Sponsorship listing on event decorations
• Verbal recognition at the event and annual volunteer luncheon

Legato Sponsor – $750 +

• Sponsorship listing on event decorations
• Verbal recognition at the event and annual volunteer luncheon

Kool Kat – $100 +

• Patron recognition on event signage

In-Kind Sponsor

In-kind donations are being accepted for printing services, apparel, gift baskets, equipment rental, etc. If you are interested in making an in-kind donation, please let me know.

Download Sponsor Packet for 2010 Chocolate Wine and Jazz

See more pictures from last year’s Chocolate, Wine And All That Jazz

But lately I have been surprised by the number of business people I have come across that do not understand the cost (or, more importantly, VALUE) associated with interactive marketing and making digital efforts congruent with other marketing activities.

Grace Smith does a great job providing a basic explanation regarding the process behind quality strategy development and interactive marketing execution in her blog post, “Why Web Design Doesn’t Cost £40.”

There are certainly opportunities to scale pricing, design, technology and even the skill-level of people doing work to cater to clients’ budgets and there are certainly resources that can provide “a” solution for whatever budget a client determines.

But for me the biggest hurdle to any quality project is client education. Having to opt out of negotiations because the client and the agency are not on the same page regarding project scope or objectives is the absolute worst. Having a project end sour because of poor communication regarding expectations and deliverables sucks. Every decision-maker cannot take the time out of their full-time responsibilities to learn all there is to know about the web. Not everyone is willing to trust an agency to guide strategy. It’s my goal on my projects to make the process a little less painless and to develop trust with my potential clients.

A few things I have been working on to ease the pain of these scenarios include:

1. Upfront communication about process, deliverables, timeline and budget
2. Set measurable objectives at onset of the project to evaluate success of initiatives
3. Document, document, document everything
4. Keep up to date on latest solutions
5. Really understand my clients’ businesses, challenges and motivations

Do yourself a favor and take 35 minutes to watch this documentary called Lemonade that chronicles the big things that former ad agency employees were able to do once they were given the gift of losing their job.

During this recession, I have watched fellow colleagues get the pink slip. I have watched friends struggle to find jobs and go on countless interviews. Question their worthiness. Despair over their future. I’ve feared for my own future.

But as these strangers stories will attest, there truly is something to the phrase, “a blessing in disguise.”

My college friend, Wendy, was putting together a monumental Peace Corps project to bring 22,000 books to more than 28 libraries across the West African country of Cameroon. She was just a few thousand dollars short of the funds needed to pay for a shipping container to transport the books from the US into Cameroon. In the days leading up to the deadline, enough funds trickled in to fund the project.

For the last couple weeks, Wendy has been dealing with a lot of bureaucracy trying to get the books into the country. It took trips to the big city to talk with politicians, ambassadors and Peace Corps leaders… and now I am happy to report the  GREAT NEWS!

On Saturday, a 40-ft container of 23,000 books arrived in Bafoussam, Cameroon.  Since then, the team of volunteers has been working to sort through 617 boxes of books.

So thank you for sending moolah or happy thoughts their way. You made a difference!

• Follow the project on Facebook:  http://facebook.com/booksforcameroon
• Read about Wendy’s work in Cameroon:  http://roundtwocameroon.blogspot.com