The tl;dr of this blog is this: I recommend you avoid using AI flyers for your business/non-profit, especially for anything customer-facing. I’m not going to pretend like that’s a hot take. If anything, bashing AI flyers is low-hanging fruit, especially for someone like me whose business offers design services for hire. 

For what it’s worth, I don’t think AI flyers are cutting into my business, so this is not meant to be a personal vendetta against them. I really do want your business or non-profit to be successful. I want you to reach the people most likely to benefit from your product or service. Running an organization is hard, so, of course, you should use any tools that can help you grow more efficiently. 

I do not think AI flyers are the right tools for growth. Here’s why.

Read More

I authored my indie novel (indie sounds cooler than self-published) Canon I: The Definitive History of the Barista Choice Society in 2017. I republished it in its current form in 2020. To the handful of you who have read it, I desperately owe you the second installment, but that is not what this post is about. In this post, I want to talk a little bit about where the idea came from and how it relates to Creative Marketing Solutions.

Read More

Some of the best mountain biking trails in the state are located here in Wilkes County. The Warrior Creek/Kerr Scott trail system is the definition of flow.

Generally, the trail systems in our area are comprised of well-marked loop trails and out-and-backs, so if you’re traveling from out-of-town, you can park in any lot and have a great time. For those who want a more targeted attack to ensure you’re hitting all the highlights, we are going to be breaking down the best trails in the area.

Read More

Facebook was invented the year I graduated high school. We were all arranging our Top 8 friend lists on Myspace and carefully crafting our away messages on AIM when, out of nowhere, Facebook changed the whole paradigm. I don’t actually remember why early Facebook’s platform seemed so much better than Myspace, AIM, Xanga, etc.; I just remember nearly buying someone’s NCSU email address because my school was not yet on the platform.

Read More

Mary had a little lamb

Its fleece was white as snow

But Mary’s lamb wandered off

To where she did not know

Exploring countries far and wide

The wandering lamb did go

And among an unsavory fold

She took herself a beau

Read More

“Come on man—every single time! Seriously, I get stopped by this light every single time!” That is what I shouted out loud moments before my life was turned upside down, or better yet, inside out.

I often speak out loud in my car to myself (though sometimes my self-speak is directed toward other drivers when they need simple correction from my infinite bank of driving wisdom). After my outburst, I twisted my neck to and fro, subconsciously scanning the landscape to ensure I was the only witness to my little psychosis. I did not see any other car at the intersection. I wondered why the stupid stoplight was red if there were no other cars at the intercession.

Suddenly, I realized I was not alone. In a brief, suspended moment in time, a black-gloved hand, belonging to a medium-sized figure, wearing a ski mask (he could not have been more of a stereotype) snatched the passenger door handle like a ninja on a fly. Even in hindsight, I find I'm never quite quick enough to reach across the center console and depress the manual lock.

Read More