Hi there! Sorry for being a day late with this guy — I’m sure you’ve been sitting on the edge of your seats waiting for it. There’s only been one other time in the last 9.5 years that I can remember being late with the monthly wallpaper design, but life has been chaotic lately so I’m trying to give myself some leeway. And also, shhhh don’t tell anyone, but I repurposed this design from a 2020 wallpaper (bonus points if you remember it!). I updated the calendar and tweaked the colors though, so that counts for something.

I’ve been freelancing for 6 years now. And I think that I’ve finally come to accept that there are ebbs and flows when it comes to the amount of work I have. I used to panic every time I had a little lull (ask any of my business besties about the frantic phone calls they’d get). But nowadays I try to embrace the slower times and have faith that it’ll come back around. So when you find yourself coming down from a peak into one of these valleys, here are 3 things you can do when business is slow that continue to build your business and help you get more work coming down your funnel.

Hey party people! Summer will soon be arriving. Can you feel it? I’m seeing tulips blossom, trees budding, and tank tops are making their first appearances at the park (it’s still a little too cold for me, but it doesn’t seem to be stopping the guy doing pushups on the playground equipment while his 2-year-old plays). I’m so glad that May is here and I’ve got a strange little wallpaper design for you this month.

This month I’m starting a new series to help explain some of the common terms that I use everyday as a graphic designer, but that may not be as commonly known to others. I’ve found myself answering questions about these more than a few times, so I thought it might be helpful to start defining some of these terms that I commonly use when talking with clients. This time I’m starting with a few basic terms that anyone with a website or who is planning to have a website should know.

Hello April! I’m glad to welcome you here and hopefully warm spring weather will follow. March was a struggle, so I’m happy to be kicking it to the curb and embracing a fresh new month. What about you? I’m entering a season where I’ll be practicing a lot of patience and waiting, both of which are hard for me. So, I’m reaching into my tool belt for all those coping skills I went to therapy for and hoping for the best 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻

There are three main categories that I typically group logo designs into: illustrative, iconic, and typographical. All three have many great attributes, and each also has drawbacks. But the best way to know which is the right one for you is to figure out how you will mostly be using your logo. Once you do, you may find that you want to focus on a specific style.

Well, February went by in the blink of an eye, huh? I guess it’s the shortest month of the year, but I feel even less prepared to go barreling into a new one than usual. This first quarter is turning out to be very full for me both personally and professionally — full of pressure, joy, grief, laughter, stress, relief, tears…all of the above! I’m looking forward to things hopefully evening out in the next months as things settle down and I get a grip on reality. And I’m hoping that for you as well if you’re in the same boat, my dudes!

But either way, I’m here with a fresh new free wallpaper design for March and we’re back to pattern land! I recently took a long weekend and stayed at a historical hotel that inspired an art deco style pattern for this month’s design. It’s two parts funky, one part traditional, and umpteen parts fun! Grab yours using the links below to fancify your digital screens this month. And as always, please share and enjoy!

How long has it been since you updated your website? Heck...how long has it been since you've even looked at your website? Sometimes we forget (and I'm just as guilty of this) that while we may not be working on nights and weekends, our website is on the clock 24/7 making the first impression that many potential customers or clients see. Here are 5 easy steps to take to make sure your website is working while you aren't - and not embarrassing you behind your back!

Hi hi and hello! Happy February! What a year January has been, am I right?! Why does it always feel like the longest month of the year? Maybe it's just me, but this is the time of year when the cold + dark really starts to set in, and I start counting down the days to spring warmup. So, if you're in the same boat, I've got a message for you: Keep it up! You're doing great! You are enough!

And if that doesn't help, maybe downloading the new free wallpaper design for February will do just a little bit to brighten your day. I was looking for a fun February color palette, but everything is all pinks/purples/pastels for Valentine's Day, and that's just not what I'm craving this year. So, a funky retro design with loads of texture is what I went with instead. The heart wants what the heart wants. Please share and enjoy!

You know how some people cringe at the word moist? It's just got a gross sound to it and sends a nasty image through your mind. Well, if you're not watching the language you use for your brand and website you may as well be shouting MOIST MOIST MOIST MOIST MOIST from your proverbial rooftop. The words you choose to use give off a certain impression of you and when you're representing your brand, you gotta make sure that impression is the right one. Here are three ways you can watch your language and more effectively communication with your audience.

Hello friends! I hope you had a wonderful + restful holiday season! These last 2 weeks looked a bit different to me from the past few years. I actually took time off to rest! Instead of doing internal business things (i.e. redesigning my entire brand and website like I did in one week last year), I spent time with family, played in the snow, read a book, napped, ate lots of pie, saw friends, and overall just tried to savor a bit of time away from my computer. I’m not a big fan of setting goals for the new year, because I can set + work towards goals any time that I choose rather than some arbitrary date on the calendar. However, I have been doing a little reflecting on what I want more and less of in my business in 2023. More: connecting with industry people, deep dives into branding + web design projects, supporting my existing clients, giving back. Less: ignoring red flags, overbooking myself, time spent alone, doing things I don’t enjoy.

But back to the reason you’re here! The free wallpaper design for January is here and ready to brighten up your new year. Playing with brush textures and an unexpected color palette, this one is sure to bring a smile to your face every time you look at it. Slap this baby on all your screens by downloading the size you need below. Please share and enjoy!

With today’s web surfers getting more and more impatient, a slow loading site can mean that your audience is bouncing before they even get to your information. Not to mention that you will get better SEO results for images that load fast because it provides a better user experience (Google loves a fast loading website).

All the more reason you should be resizing and optimizing your photos for web before posting them to your blog or website. Don’t worry, it’s not as scary as it sounds and I have a few tips to help get you started.

Great news everybody…we made it! We made it to the end of one more year. And once we get through the holidays we’re home free to enjoy the darkest and coldest time of the year with nothing more to look forward to. Doesn’t that sound wonderful? Obviously I’m not the most Christmas-y person, or more so I tend to find this time of year to be exceptionally stressful. But I’m trying to let myself off the hook for any high expectations I might have for myself. Be it for decorating the house, getting the perfect gift for every single person in my life, or not always being the most productive at work. Just saying that makes me breath a little sigh of relief, so I highly recommend.

But onto the free wallpaper design for December featuring spruce tree inspired snowflakes in an adorable border pattern that I’m making all the googley eyes at. Over the past few years I’ve intentionally tried to make this month’s wallpaper more about winter/the holiday spirit in general, rather than specifically Christmas, to be more inclusive. That’s what feels good to me, but I promise I’m not telling anyone they can’t say “Merry Christmas” and won’t be offended if you do. So, download this frosty digital wallpaper below and have a very merry time of year! Please share and enjoy!

By now, putting a contact page and form on your website should be basic knowledge so that potential clients can get in contact with you and know that you’re a legitimate business. We all have the basic fields on our contact form: name, phone, message, etc. But there is one simple question you can add to your contact form to give you important insights into your clients and tell you where your time and money should be spent….

Hey internet fam! Hope you're recovering nicely from all the spooky festivities of last month now that Mariah Carey is starting to thaw from her year long slumber. The year feels like it’s already slipping through my fingertips, and I am not prepared for the holiday season at all. So, if you’re like me and are already finding the thought of the upcoming holiday season stressful, I’ve included some extra special good vibes when you download this wallpaper that’ll give you a boost to get you through. You’re welcome ✨✨✨

Designing a logo is more than just creating a pretty looking icon or choosing fonts and colors. A lot of time and consideration should be put into how you want your logo to look and {more importantly} WHY you want it to look a certain way. Before you even get started on the design, you should take some time to decide on the design direction of your new logo to make sure that you are properly representing your business and starting your brand off on the right foot. Here are a few steps to get you started on creating a design direction for your logo:

Hello hello to all my friends (and enemies)! We’re barreling into autumn whether you’re ready or not. Here in Denver it always feels like summer switches off like a light and cools down overnight. And while I’m still not feeling fully ready to let go of the warmest season, I’m trying to make the most of it before it turns to the coldest. For me that means a few days off to take a mountain getaway and hopefully see some gorgeous fall leaves while I’m there. What are you doing to enjoy the season?

I’ve got one thing that should help! It’s a fresh new digital wallpaper design for you this October. I’m still feeling a bit of that retro vibe, but with some more funky + vibrant colors. Paste this colorful funness on all of your screens for the next 31 days for a little extra happy every time you log on. Please share and enjoy!

Face to face in the real world, it’s fairly easy for people to get a feel for what it’d be like to work with you. But online, it’s harder to get the full picture of who you really are and what you’re like. And if you don’t have any presence online at all, it can be a red flag for someone who might not think you’re not a legitimate business because they Googled you, and the only thing that came up was your Xanga page from 7th grade (yiiiiiiikes!). So start here if you’re looking for a way to look more professional online, level up your online presence or maybe even just get started with the basics.

I don’t know about you, but I’m not ready for summer to end! But here we are, starting September, and the pumpkin spiced everything is rolling out on every corner. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have anything against pumpkin spice! In fact, it’s one of my favorite flavors. But I’m not quite ready to give up the warm summer evenings, drinking out of the hose in the backyard, pool/lake days, and the copious amounts of sunshine. So, I’ll be to savoring every last drop before the weather starts crisping up and leaves start falling.

Either way, the free wallpaper for September is here! It also marks 9 whole years that I’ve been doing the monthly wallpaper. That feels bonkers to write. I’ve got a retro patterned wallpaper for you to make all your digital devices slap happy! Please share and enjoy!

Did you know that blogging is one of the best ways to improve your search engine rankings so you’ll appear higher on Google? Everyone poo poos on blogging, but it could be the one thing that truly helps you get in front of more people. I get it, I get it…you don’t think you have anything good to say that anyone would be interested in. Or you feel stupid talking on the internet when it feels like you’re just shouting into the void. But if even one person makes it to your blog, then it’s worth it if you ask me. So whenever you’re ready to pull up your big girl pants and share your expertise, here are 10 fresh ideas to help get you started on your new blog.