Back in September of 1999 I went to New York City for my first time. I was a 22-year-old film student at UNLV, and my fairy tale short The Devil and Butterscotch Gaye was screening at the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival (where it would go on to win Best Animation). I had four great friends who went along with me, and we had an unforgettable time. On our first night we went to a pre-festival party at a venue inside Madison Square Garden, where filmmakers screened trailers for their films and handed out flyers. (That’s mine up there.) I got to see Times Square and the Statue of Liberty. We even stayed in a hotel at the World Trade Center. It was thrilling.
About six months later I quit film school and started working as an entry-level graphic designer at Las Vegas Weekly. As time went on, I found myself more and more interested in graphic design than in filmmaking. I didn’t get to go back to New York for more than 11 years — until last month, when I returned as a judge at the 46th annual Society of Publication Designers awards.
(Photograph by Joe Zeff.)
In all the years I’d worked in magazine design, I’d always admired the SPD from afar, collecting the annuals and frequently visiting the website. But I’d been too intimidated to enter any of their competitions — or even join their group — until last year. I just didn’t feel as though I was ready. So it was a genuine honor to get the invitation to judge in the same year that I joined.
It was a staggering weekend. I got to see the best in 2010 magazine design from around the world, meet some truly great designers, make some new friends, and hang out with a personal hero — Fred Woodward from GQ Magazine. And I was beside myself when I saw that one of my entries had made it into the annual, and was competing for a medal. The whole thing was surreal. Life-changing, even.
I’ve always wanted to live in New York City — I think anyone who works in a creative field would. Well, I’m ecstatic to announce that I’m finally going to get that chance. This is my last week as Art Director of Seattle Met. At the end of the month I’m moving to New York City to take on the role of Creative Director of Men’s Journal.
