Fun pastimes and side projects, where I get to follow my interests while stretching my communication and design skills…
Selling personalized merchandise • As a fun side business, I’ve created hundreds of graphic designs over the years that appear on t-shirts, mugs, postcards, and most recently, facial masks at my 15 micro-themed Zazzle.com stores. I’m always bemused by what the top sellers are—most recently Hygge Rules merchandise, my Gaelic & Celtic humor meme, a face mask for wine lovers, and my perennial bestseller, a quote from Virginia Woolf “Anonymous was a woman”!
Wingman • Helping various friends through consulting, writing, fund-raising, laying out, and self-publishing their passion-book projects, like this one and this one. More about what a wingman is in this post.
Executive volunteer • Consultant on various editorial and design projects for national nonprofit Compassion & Choices. Regional action team leader, lobbying in Albany and running the Lower Hudson Valley website.
Create pro bono branding, websites, and videos for nonprofits and local political candidates.
Writers’ group facilitator • Helped a local writers group, called The Marmaduke Writing Factory, form a community website and get the word out about their activities, all in support of their many book projects. The site launch and early events were covered in the NY Times, HuffPo, and the local press.
Local columnist • Movie reviews, local news, and opinion pieces, including this and this.
Exhibit curator • Worked with 4-person team in writing and organizing a multimedia exhibit titled “Reader’s Digest: The Local Magazine that Conquered the World,” at the New Castle Historical Society in Chappaqua, New York.
Family reunion planner • Coordinated communication via Evite and dedicated website for a 60+ person family reunion in May 2010. My favorite part was selecting and editing more than 500 family photos for a multimedia movie I created for the big dinner event. Second favorite part was getting reacquainted with a lot of long-lost cousins and having more laughs in one weekend than I can ever remember. If anyone wants help creating a family-movie keepsake using the iMac, just ask.