One way to exposure yourself or your business is by getting your name out there, right? Well, one way to do this is by becoming the “expert” in your field and hopefully getting your name in print somewhere. I am about to reveal my PR secret, people. Actually, you may already know about it and it’s been on the Today Show, so it’s not very under wraps at this point!

The site is called Help a Report Out, and the organizer gets queries from reporters that need sources for various stories. The reporters often work for huge newspapers (like NY Times) or Network TV stations. It’s for real! If you sign up, you receive 3 daily emails with ALL the queries, and you can respond directly to the reporter that fits your skills / story to tell.

I’ve been interviewed several times as a result of HARO queries. Below are links if you’ve missed out!

- Interview with Inside Digital Design

- Small mention about typography usage

- This one you have to pay $$ to watch, but I was interviewed live, in a TV studio. A great experience!

So, as a lot of you know (I think) I got my pilot’s license in 2003 and still occasionally go up in my dad’s airplane. Here we are together a few years back:

So far, I haven’t found a way to merge my love of aviation and design — that is, until now!

I’m happy to report that we’re going to be working with the team at Auto Pilot to assist in layout of their magazine. I’m very excited! This is a small trade magazine that can be found in regional airports and pilot lounges nationwide. I will definitely post some of the spreads I create as they come. Below is a cover I recently worked on.

This morning I was looking through old emails and came across an “interview” that I did with a reporter looking for story sources. The piece was to be about time management tips for the freelancer. My portion was never published, so here it is below. Looking at this now, some of them seem like no-brainers, although I constantly need to be reminded of no. 5. It could be the most important of all!

1. Have a defined work area that you enjoy spending time in: make it functional, make it pretty, and keep it organized so you can easily sit down and get to work. Also, and probably most importantly, keep this area away from the distractions of general life.

2. Have set work hours. One of the fabulous things about being independent is that you can work at times that make the most sense for you and your clients. Try to determine what these times are and stick to them. That way, you begin to separate work and personal life, even when they both happen at home. Clients will also appreciate the consistency.

3. Potentially the biggest adjustment to freelancing is that you are in charge of ALL aspects of your business. Remember to set aside the appropriate time for marketing yourself, paying bills, cleaning your space, doing the books and networking. If you do these tasks at regular intervals they won’t pile up on you.

4. Track your time! Remember to keep up with how much time you devote to each project and what the particular task was. This will help you in estimating future projects that are similar, and ensure that you are charging the appropriate amount.

5. Get out in the world! Freelancing—especially if you are always working at home—can be socially isolating. It’s important to stay involved in your industry, have networking lunches, and just getting out to smell fresh air. Find ways to build this into your day. Take the time for yourself!

We’ve been busy the past few weeks, getting things in line for the upcoming year (more on that soon)!

I wanted to post some designs I recently created. Originally I thought of these as a series that could go in a child’s room. I thought I’d sell them in my Etsy shop. After I got that set up, I realized it is a bit hard for me to produce prints that are archival quality (at least, within a decent budget), so for now I am sticking to stamps. So, not sure what to do with these designs at the moment; hopefully they will inspire someone!

Hope everyone is having a nice holiday! With the new year right around the corner, I am feeling optimistic. Why, you may ask? Well, I have won my very first prize!

One the blogs I follow for inspiration is Jill McDonald’s. She is a surface designer that creates art and patterns for Pottery Barn Kids, The Land of Nod and Babies R Us among others. A very talented lady! She recently did a random drawing for her readers to win a children’s book that she illustrated… and, I won (first thing I’ve randomly won. ever.)! Here’s a holiday drawing she created with my little name at the top:

And here are some spreads from the book:

Can’t wait to receive the book and share it with my son Emmett. This fun little contest makes me look forward to next year and all the new work I will be able to share. See you all then!! Thanks for reading my blog!

I’ve changed some things around in my Etsy shop. We have to decided to focus only on custom address stamps for now, and see where that takes us. I’m excited, because these little guys are so fun to design. I want one of each. Below are some new creations that I just added to the shop. Please visit us by clicking here!

We are keeping it simple at home this year, so that’s reflected in this little holiday card from Sara Cowley Design. Hope everyone can find time to relax and enjoy as the holidays approach. We are thankful for our readers of this blog, our clients and our students! Can’t wait for a great 2010….

It’s a been a little while since I’ve posted! Work has been slow-ish, so I’ve been taking some time off to soak up the Christmas tree lights and hang out with my family. My typography class is also winding down, and we watched Helvetica, the movie for our last meeting this week. The more I see this film, the more I love it. In fact, it has inspired me to incorporate my love of type around the house, particularly when I redecorate my office next year. Here are some fun finds my search uncovered:

First, these would look excellent on my mailbox or on the front of the house- Helvetica house numbers!

This would be fun decor for my office:

I’m also a sucker for hand lettering, and this would be great by the desk:

Every home needs a clever calendar:

And, more for me, rather than the home, is this ampersand necklace. I am a lover of ampersands.

Yes, that’s right. Believe it or not, I’m working on concepts for a project that involves the little guy. I’ve had a nice afternoon researching vintage toy packaging. Such a tough job I have! These graphics are so fun…

Via Vintage Toys Blog.

Can’t wait to share my project!!

Next up in my typography class is designing Public Service Posters. Really what we are focusing on is the introduction of visual hierarchy—essentially the skill of guiding viewers through a chunk of information successfully. My students focus on on the PSA genre, and it must revolve around Thanksgiving in some way. To simplify things, they can only have 3 elements to their posters, and the hierarchy must be incredibly obvious. I’ll post the best of the bunch when we revene after the holiday this week!

Here are some well designed, typography-focused PSA campaigns I found when looking for examples for my class. Some are funny, some are serious, but I think the common theme throughout is a clear, short message, which is key for these campaigns.

And- please forgive me, I searched for these in a flash, and didn’t save the sources. If anyone knows, please email me!