VIEWFINDER BLOG

ESSAYS ON ART & DESIGN

June, 2024

THE MYSTERIOUS UNDERGROUND

TUNNELS OF LOS ANGELES

Kerry Elkins.

“For every prohibition you create, you also create an underground.”

Jello Biafra

The stories of Los Angeles’ underground tunnels unfold like delicate paper maps. They draw lines between human ingenuity, danger, and creativity. They are a web of historic and ghostly tales. Who did the tunnels serve? Whose idea was it to build them? Answers to these questions are scored with trickery — somewhat like the expensive holes in Swiss cheese.

Throughout history, underground tunnels have existed. They have been the whispers, physical reverberations, of the need for human survival. Carved with purpose and persistence, they have transported water, people, and secrets through the bedrock of time. There were the Catacombs of Rome, the Cu Chi tunnels of Vietnam, the famous Greek Eupalinian Aqueduct, and Derinkuyu’s Underground City in Turkey, to name a few.  All were designed, hollowed out, and intended to serve the people who lived there. As if these people suddenly found themselves having developed the hivemind of termites and were now burrowing into the earth for protection and food — life, seething to save itself from itself. Some of these underground tunnels, labyrinths, and passageways harbored fighters, schools, and kitchens. Others held living quarters, strongholds, and hospitals. Remnants of them can be found all over the world. 

The ones beneath LA were built specifically for children. Why?

That depends on the map you’re reading or the piece of cheese you’re staring down at while wondering where parts of it have gone.

It might be more apt to say that the stories of LA’s underground tunnels unfold more like a deck of cards than a map. With each hand being dealt by a master of misdirection. In this case, were the tunnels built for children, or were they built so that cars could be driven even faster and more recklessly above them? There is one narrative of protection and safety, telling a tale of how the tunnels needed to be built so that children could get to school safely. There is another that speaks of the car industry’s marketing genius, coining the slogan, Jaywalking. Vilify the pedestrian they said, not the cars. The madman’s coin spins and spins. 

Everything began in 1893 when Charles and Frank Duryea built the first American gasoline-powered automobile. Three years later, Henry Ford successfully built his first gas guzzler too, and in 1908, The Ford Motor Company finally came up with a car they proudly named the Model T. I suppose they were proud because it’d taken years to get through Models A, B, and C respectively. T is the 20th letter of the alphabet, and it took nineteen other tries to get them to that one. The Model T was designed to be every man’s car. A version that was durable, affordable, easy to operate, and pretty to look at. The expensive models had been fun, but it was time for a vehicle that was accessible to all. A car that would change the landscape of the slow horse-carriage commute, and revolutionize how man could use time, and command his day.   

The Model T was a tour de force. It could perform stunts, like reaching the summit of Pike’s Peak or traversing the stairs of the Tennessee State Capitol. It was fast, strong, and somewhat affordable. Designed to be sexy, thrilling, and rip-roaringly wild. 

At the time, there were no speed limits or stop signs. There were no laws regarding lessons, or licensing, and no traffic lanes, lights, or designated parking spaces. Once released, this scene quickly became a nightmarish free-for-all resulting in many unfortunate and avoidable tragedies. Mothers got angry. Reckless men were mowing down their children. These mothers began to organize, protest, and demand safer streets. They enlisted their husbands to do the same. Insisted that the city of LA did something. There were scores of meetings to hear from these parents and at one such meeting, a hand was raised, and a wiry voice attached to the hand said, “Tunnels, we need to build the children tunnels.” Heads nodded. 

Whose voice, was it? Was it the proud owner of a Model T? Did it matter? 

The Model T was here to stay — it was the beginning of a revolution. Soon, there would be Models U, V, and W. Not to mention X, Y, and Z. Could they even imagine the speed of a Model Z? What would come after? Models 1, 2, and 3? The city engineers of Los Angeles got to work. They designed several underground tunnels, intended to keep the children safe as they walked to school. And the day came when mothers could pack little lunch bags with pretzels and mozzarella sticks, reassured that the underground passageways would keep their children safe. But the master of misdirection was still dealing cards and flipping coins and the game was still being played out.

This was a time just after the Industrial Revolution. A period marked by innovation. Factories existed now and, in every sector, profits soared. Keeping children safe was important. Sending them to school was important. Factories needed human hands to make things, and hard workers were made in schools. Children needed to learn how to provide for their families and grow up with strong American morals and values. In the background, men and women remained humble and said their prayers, and then…

The 1920s rolled around like an angry revivalist with his windows down. 

Human perfectionism has been preached by churches since before the 1800s. In the 1800s, The Ford Motor Company didn’t exist. Fervent ideas could only move at a certain pace. Churches delivered sermons about temperance and abolitionism, and an abstinence pledge was introduced. Alcohol was bad. It came from the devil himself. From one cattle driver to another, these messages were shared. Then one day, America woke up to rugged, fast cars, and a winning hand was played by our metaphorical revivalist — a Full House. He was able to tear from town to town, city to city, and spread the good word.  He was going to save America. Clean it up. This was the beginning of the prohibition era. 

The sentiment of collective salvation, and control, was flipped high in the air, spinning and spinning, eventually landing on its destined side.

In December 1917, the Eighteenth Amendment passed in both chambers of the U.S. Congress and was endorsed by the essential three-fourths of the states in January 1919. This amendment called for Congress to pass enforcement legislation regarding alcohol consumption. The American people must be perfect, and alcohol was tainting their souls. The legislation was supported by the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Andrew Volstead, and soon, the Volstead Act, or the National Prohibition Act, was made law.

Cha-ching. The birth of organized crime. 

Crime syndicates popped up all over the U.S. as bootleggers brought liquor from Canada, Mexico, and The Bahamas. They made their own Moonshine out of corn. The rum runners of Cuba found a spot opposite Atlantic City, a place still outside of U.S. Jurisdiction. They grew roots there and sent out supplies on crafts that could outrun the U.S. Coast Guard. Illegal economies thrived in every dark alley and shadowy backstreet.

Including the ones over the now notorious Los Angeles underground tunnels. Once pregnant with innocent children, these tunnels were now riddled with narcotics, prostitutes, loan sharks, and poker-playing hustlers. The tunnels led to speakeasies, dens, and nightclubs. Some were run by corrupt city officials. It is said that the mayor’s office controlled a plentiful amount of their supply. The bootleggers also learned they could use subterranean service tunnels and abandoned subway tunnels for their nefarious activities. American gangsters were winning this prohibition game now — they were holding a Royal Flush.

Thirteen years after its commencement, it became clear that prohibition was unenforceable, and it was repealed. However, the networks of organized crime bosses, eating grapes and sharp cheddar cheese in their basements, had already been carved out. The plowing of the underworld was already noodled with purpose and persistence, and the lines between human ingenuity, danger, and creativity had already been drawn. They were a web, connected like the veins of a hand. 

Today, the tunnels are officially closed. Or are they? It is said that behind LA’s Hall of Records on Temple Street, there is a secret elevator, which you can take down into one of these tunnels. Rumor has it, that the tunnel has multiple rooms, musty spaces filled with strange, rusted machines, cryptic drawings, and the occasional odd whistling sound. A singing that sometimes screeches out of the walls. Most likely from a wasp nest. Sometimes it sounds like wings and other times like tiny coins, clinking out of a miniature slot machine. One room, sealed shut by an iron gate, is said to be filled with a thousand playing cards. Kings and Queens, Aces and Jacks stare back at you through the dark gates, reminding you that the game of safety and secrets is still being played. Whispering that you just took an abandoned elevator into the depths of the earth. Questioning the madman who dealt your hand. 

May 2024

THE SCIENCE OF ART

Kerry Elkins.

“Any healthy man can go without food for two days – 

but not without poetry.”

Baudelaire.

Where does art stop and science begin? Or vice versa? There are thousands of legends and stories about remarkable individuals who despite seemingly unconquerable circumstances became heroes through the things they did, made, or discovered. These legends created things like airplanes or discovered things like radioactivity. They painted The Vitruvian Man and The Mona Lisa. The word “legend” comes from the Latin, “legenda,” which is distilled from the verb, “legere,” meaning “to gather with the eye”. Gathering with the eye sounds remarkably like the function of science. And that of art. What then, is the difference?

By the end of this blog, I hope to convince you that there is science in art and art in science and that it all has potency, influence, and magic. 

Art, with its poetic language and emotional resonance, explores the depths of our souls. Science… with its analytical gaze and quest for truth, aims to uncover the mysteries of the universe. Yet, despite the illusory nature that they are alien to one another, these two disciplines share many commonalities. Both involve creativity, experimentation, and a desire to explore the unknown. Both rely on observation, interpretation, and innovation to push boundaries and challenge perceptions. They strive to deepen our understanding of the world and ourselves. 

Let’s look at some of history's art and science masters and their ability to lean into each other’s disciplines. 

We’ll start with Ansel Adams, arguably the greatest photographer of all time. Allegedly, Ansel wasn’t very good at school, perhaps due to dyslexia, and he had trouble making friends. He spent a lot of time alone and in contemplation. Ansel developed a curiosity for wild and untamed places that, as an adult, led him to strange and distant environments. Witnessing innumerable ocean horizons, windswept dunes, craggy mountains, and cracks of light through stormy skies, Ansel was driven to capture and share some of the magic he often experienced. To do this, he meticulously mastered the technical aspects of photography, including light, exposure, and composition. 

He developed the Zone System, a method for manipulating contrast and exposure to achieve tonal ranges. He learned to understand optics, chemistry, and the physics of light. All of this helped him capture stunning landscapes with unparalleled clarity and depth. He showed the world sprawling foggy valleys, sweeping wild trees, and portraits of the moon they couldn’t believe existed. Ansel took photographs of winding rivers that looked like they’d spilled right out of the interlacing hands of God. He was a magician because he had an artistic vision, and he understood the science behind what he was trying to achieve. 

Marie Curie, on the other hand, was a pioneering chemist and physicist. She was born in Poland in 1867 and despite facing gender discrimination, Marie was dedicated to her curiosity. As a scientist, Marie earned two Nobel prizes, the first woman ever to receive even one. The first Nobel prize was for her research into radioactivity and the second was for her discovery of the elements, polonium, and radium. Both elements are powerful, can be lethal or valuable to technology and health, and both are highly significant to nuclear physics. But Marie was not only a scientist. She was deeply passionate about poetry, music, and literature. She was known to appreciate the works of French writer Victor Hugo who once wrote, “Where the telescope ends the microscope begins. Which of the two has the grander view?” Hugo’s lyrical verses appealed to her reflective nature. Marie admired the prominent romantic poets, Zygmunt Krasinski and Adam Mickiewicz. One of Krasinski’s most well-known pieces, “Nie-Boska Komedia” (The Undivine Comedy), grapples with existentialism and the struggle for freedom in the face of tyranny. Mickiewicz’s epic poem, “Pan Tadeusz” is considered a masterpiece in Polish literature, as it celebrates Polish history and culture. To this day, Mickiewicz is regarded as a national hero — inspiring generations of Poles to resist foreign oppression — through his poetry! With his words, Mickiewicz often danced between the romantic themes of love and freedom. 

Marie Curie was a scientist but her appreciation for poetry, literature, and music deepened her inquisitive scientific endeavors. She was always curious, and like a poet, she existed in a state of perpetual wonder. Curie’s work laid the foundation for the development of X-ray technology and cancer treatment. Through her research into physics and chemistry, Marie coined the term, “radioactivity,” used worldwide today to describe the process by which unstable atomic nuclei emit radiation. This can be in the form of particles or electromagnetic waves as they decay and become more stable. As a woman, she was told that science wasn’t her place but her love for poetry taught her to resist all oppression. One could hypothesize that without her interest in art and poetry, it’s possible that many common technologies, including life-saving medical ones, would not exist today.

Whether discussing art or science, some concepts have been created to try to expound on how things work. 

Poets might consider techniques such as “Meter,” in their poetry. “Meter” refers to the rhythm of the accented syllables in a poem. Alternatively, photographers might consider methods like, “The Rule of Thirds,” a technique in which the focal point is purposely set at the third point of a canvas, leaving the other two-thirds open. A tactic that has been proven to be calming to the human eye. Are these measures artistic or scientific?

Alan Watts, the great philosopher once said, “You are that vast thing you see, far, far off with great telescopes.” Was this statement poetically metaphorical or quantumly accurate? Human DNA is 97% stardust after all. Did he know that? Is that what he meant? 

Gathering with the eye, the act of observation, “legere” — is both — scientific and artistic. Observation requires a certain degree of pause. Evocative stillness can catalyze new ways of thinking and provide direction, or providence, for the directionless, or lost. It can provide both inspiration and answers. Both great artists and scientists make discoveries, and like the true legends of history, they hold them up for all to see. If they do it well, they wave their wands, and evoke mental pictures, and understandings, as easily as one might shake the dust from a wall hanging. It is the vocation of both the artist and the scientist to provide meaning. 

Examine the work of master poet, Mary Oliver, who delighted the world with her poem, The Summer Day. In which, she wrote, “Who made the world? Who made the swan and the black bear? Who made the grasshopper?” Mary is pointing our attention to what she is looking at through her mental microscope. “This grasshopper, I mean — the one who has flung herself out of the grass, the one who is eating sugar out of my hand…”

By this point, she has masterfully gained our invested attention. We are with her. Through the poem, she asks us what it would be better for her to be doing, other than walking through nature, filled with wonder and curiosity. She finishes with a motherly tone asking, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”

Like a mathematical calculation, every line of her poem is intentional, every word has its place.

Galileo, the famous mathematician, and astronomer supported heliocentrism — a model of the universe in which the sun is in the center and the other planets orbit around it. This contrasted greatly with the view of the Catholic Church at the time, which supported the geocentric model which placed the earth at the center. This made Galileo the subject of heresy which threatened his life. Galileo made numerous ground-breaking contributions to science and as you might have guessed, he became extremely skilled at providing illustrations and diagrams portraying his ideas. He drew celestial bodies like the phases of Venus and the moon, communicating his scientific discoveries in a way he wasn’t always able to verbally. We call him a mathematician and astronomer, should we also consider him an artist?

Speaking of orbits, it can be said that around 1908, artist Gustav Klimt moved the world. Klimt learned art from conservative traditions as an academic. He was found to be quite talented and adept at the skill, once commissioned to paint a mural in one of the most important theatres in the world, The Burgtheater (Castle Theatre) in Vienna. He was an honorary member of two prestigious universities. It wasn’t until two family members died, his father and brother, that Klimt began to discover his unique artistic style. He had a firmly disciplined foundation in painting technique and theory before he learned he could create something completely new. In The Kiss, Klimt conjured two lovers embracing under elaborate golden robes. The painting illustrates divine intimacy and profound devotion as if he is saying, “Behold the masterpiece that is love!” 

Did he mean for it to work out so beautifully? This lover's embrace. When beautiful elements work by accident, whether discussing art or science, it never seems to be by luck. Rather, it appears to come from an unconscious well of information, a lifetime of wonder or practice, that the subconscious of artists and scientists, brings about before the conscious mind can understand them. This phenomenon is ethereal but not entirely surprising. There is quiet distillation and then, voila, magic. 

Where does art stop and science begin? Or vice versa? Perhaps, at the end of the telescope. Or microscope. Or in our hearts. Or minds. Or maybe it stops in the palm where the tiny grasshopper delights in eating sugar out of our hand.

April 2024

THE ART OF PROVIDING VALUE

Kerry Elkins.

“The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.”

Aristotle.

Branding is the art of storytelling, the delightful mosaic of great products paired with verbal and visual messaging. Branding is personal.

By the end of this blog post, you’ll understand the difference between branding, marketing, and the purpose of a logo. You’ll understand why each is important and how to use them to rebrand your business, entrepreneurial venture, or media content. I’ll tell you some little-known legends about some unconventional people along the way, so stick with me until the end and you might have some quirky stories to tell at the dinner table. But first, what is a brand?

Broadly speaking, a brand is a unique identity, encompassing personality, values, and reputation. But it’s also more than this. Brands weave a kind of ethereal magic in our hearts, minds, and memories. They exist, almost like ghosts, or invisible beings somewhere between our feelings about them, and our physical realities. Brands tell stories. 

When a brand isn’t being directly marketed to us, but we think of it anyway, that is where the magic happens. That brand has been able to find its way into our hearts and minds, into our cellular memory bank, to whisper to us from somewhere deep inside of ourselves. This is the power of great branding. It doesn’t need to be in front of you to move you to a buying decision. 

Brands exist in a kind of virtual reality where they hold and share value, meaning, and influence. Anyone can create a brand, and everyone is a brand. Personal branding, rebranding, or the deliberate positioning of a product or service in a market, is the business of telling persuasive stories. Those who do it well apply careful consideration, strategic execution, and a consistent message that effectively resonates with a target audience.

A brand isn’t a logo, a trademark, or a product in isolation. It’s a blend of many things, with a personality, a vibe, and the promise of something deliverable. While it’s true that a brand communicates an identity, through its verbal and visual messaging, the core of a brand is much more powerful. Think of it like the soul of a person that outshines their physical outer appearance on a deep and fundamental level. Like a family heirloom that has been passed down from generation to generation, brands hold meaning. They imply values, and principles, that certain groups of people can believe in. The brand is the essence people are looking for when they seek out their favorite author, composer, or luxury handbag. Brands entrain us with feelings. 

Marketing is of course a core component of branding. The thing to understand, however, is that marketing makes a brand money, but branding makes a brand powerful. Branding creates community and influence; it holds trust and reputation. Marketing promotes these values to the audience that needs them.

It’s not the Gucci shoes in Vogue Magazine that are marketed or advertised. It’s the meticulous craftsmanship, the iconic designs, and the high-quality materials that only someone of a certain stature would be able to afford or feel comfortable wearing. It’s the value that is marketed and the value that people pay for. 

Marketing is the process of communicating value. People value things like freedom, status, and health. When trying to sell a product or service, a brand will communicate the value or impact their product or service will provide. Doorbell camera companies don’t just sell cameras, they promise home security. Athletic shoe companies don’t just sell shoes, they promise empowerment to athletes. Great photographs and media content communicate how a product or service will provide value. 

With the rise of the internet and the paradox of choice that the internet brings, it’s recently become clear that a picture of a product in isolation isn’t enough to move people into action. Brands now understand the potency of leveraging values, ethics, beliefs, and art. They understand persuasive art and design. People need to know why they should choose a brand and thoughtful photography and media content can communicate just that. Once people have the information, they need to know how to spot the brand out, in a crowd.

This brings us to the concept of a logo. Several hundred years ago, the eccentric composer Erik Satie, a man once famous for his mysterious bowler hat and iconic umbrella, was said to have been invited to a fancy dinner party hosted by an exceptionally wealthy patron of the arts. Finding himself surrounded by antiques of silver and gold and rarities from across the globe, Satie excused himself from the table and when he came back, he brought his umbrella with him. He opened it and turned it upside down in the middle of the dining room table. Then, allegedly, he said to their host, “Your art collection is missing something truly avant-garde my friend, so I brought you this.”

Satie was a brand that encompassed humor and eccentricity. Like a logo or tagline, it wasn’t his bowler hat or umbrella that made him a brand. Still, in his case, his attire, like a logo, promised impulsivity, creativity, and memorability. Wherever that bowler hat and umbrella went, surprises went too. 

Human beings have used signs and symbols to represent identities, affiliations, and beliefs for thousands of years. Corporate advertising emerged in the late 19th century with the birth of trademark law and consumerism. However, visual communication, with specific reference to markings, patterns, and symbols existed long before that. Consider the Eye of Ra from ancient Egyptian mythology, a sign representing the sun god Ra’s protection. Or the Christian cross which has come to represent redemption and salvation. Or the Norse’s Valknut, “the knot of those fallen in battle,” a famous pattern of three interlocking triangles commonly found on Viking gravestones. This has been a sign symbolizing bravery and human fate, the sacrifice of one for the greater good, for thousands of years. These are old signs with old meanings but there are plenty of new ones to point to. Apple’s logo symbolizes innovation. Nike’s athleticism. And Google’s accessibility. 

The world may be full of big brands, seemingly dominating every possible market, but there is always room for someone or something new, for a new variation of authenticity, to be introduced. Whether a brand provides mental health services, bespoke luxury fashion, or integrated solutions for tech companies, people are always interested in authenticity and novelty. And of course, the symbols associated with them. 

The world is a noisy place and if a brand garnishes attention, it is doing something a little bit different. High-quality brands understand the value they provide, how to market that value, and how to offer a symbol or sign that points people in that direction. 

There is an unspoken concept of reliance on the stability and predictability of our environments. A fundamental belief in the continuity of the world around us, and the brands we trust, provides us with a sense of security and certainty. Principles upon which we can base our lives. When we wake up in the morning, we trust the earth will be there to support us when we step out of bed. If we buy a gym membership, we trust that we will be healthier and stronger six months from now. And if we visit an Audi dealership looking for an Audi R8, it’s likely because we trust that this car can take us from 0 to 60mph in under 3 seconds if we ever need it to.

Every time we don’t have to spend mental energy on a choice, or on questioning the value of a brand, we are relieved of a small bit of anxiety in our chaotic worlds. 

As entrepreneurs, creators, and professionals it’s our job to build solid brands. To build trust. 

When people are overwhelmed by choice, high-quality brands use the paradox of choice to their advantage. They say, “You trusted me in the past and I delivered. You can trust me again.” They are authentic, memorable, and consistent. By simply following these three virtues, high-quality brands can have a meaningful impact on humanity and the world.

Have you ever heard of the classical composer, Antonio Vivaldi?

Legend has it that he had a fiery temper. Allegedly, he would often get upset if musicians struggled to follow his directions, once yelling, “You are like a flock of geese without wings.” From that point on, his musicians would refer to themselves as Vivaldi’s “wingless geese.” Vivaldi wasn’t trying to be funny. But everyone knew what he brought to the party, and it wasn’t an umbrella. It was intensity and determination. Fierceness was Vivaldi’s brand and being a priest, a cloak was his logo or motif. It is said that when violinists saw that cloak coming around the corner, they stopped applying rosin to the bow and they focused themselves with their instruments at their chins. 

What branding, marketing, and logos all have in common, is that they are all forms of unified or bonded communication. Brands choose logos, taglines, and powerful photographic images to leverage impactful storytelling. Through their marketing, they make a promise about what can be expected from them. And it's all strategically crafted to evoke emotion and communicate key principles.

These days average content, taglines, and photographs communicate average value. How do the brands you like, the musicians, banks, or hair salons you trust, differentiate themselves from the rest? How do they stand out?

Does your favorite luxury event planning business send invitations out by carrier pigeon? Or does your pet-friendly rental apartment come equipped with a four-poster dog bed? Is your favorite fashionista a tattoo artist who shares tidbits on the evolution of personal style? We are living in an age where it all matters. The product, the soul, and the service. The branding, the marketing, and the logo. It’s all part of the poem, the painting, and the story that represents the value. 

Whether a company sells luxury real estate in Santa Barbara County, provides fine art services in Ojai, or is a consultancy located on the envied Malibu beachfront, the story is going to matter to the people they serve. The story will resonate with a particular audience. If you want to drive leads, sales, or customers to your content, product, or service, you need to know your audience and what they value. 

There is a story about Robert Frost, the famous poet, who once was said to attend a recital where he was asked to recite one of his most beloved poems, “The Road Not Taken.” Midway through the poem, however, he forgot the lines. He improvised and switched to reciting a completely different poem in the middle of that one. Coming to the end of the recital, he froze and waited for the audience's reaction. They gave him a standing ovation. It didn’t matter what lines he was reciting. All that mattered was that he was providing value to people who cared about his work. Later, Frost had a twinkle in his eye when he said about the mix-up, “Well, I suppose that was the road less traveled by.”

No matter who you are, there will always be a company, service, or creator more affordable, more connected, or more talented, than you. It’s not about that. For example, anyone can recite poetry. The people who devoured the words of Frost didn’t necessarily go to the poetry readings of Carl Sandburg or Ezra Pound. They loved Frost. He was the brand they believed in. They wanted to be associated with him.

In a sense, the notion of competition is a little absurd. Composers can compare the weight of Bach to the whimsical work of Vivaldi, vegans can compare their favorite restaurant to the steakhouse on the corner, and soon enough it’s clear not all things are for all people. This is why brands are important. Some people will want the value you provide because you provide it. You are the one that resonates most deeply with them. In the virtual reality of branding, don’t strive to compete with anyone. Strive to stand out by providing premium value, with your consistent authenticity and unique approach. 

Brands that understand who they are here to serve, and why, outperform those that want to please everyone. Brands that recognize opportunities with specialized groups, to transform the mundane into the sublime, win. Obstacles have ways around them. Problems have solutions. High-quality brands send great messages and solve great problems. Sometimes they offer interesting or integrated solutions. This is why brand architecture and strategy are so valuable.

These days brand identity and brand recognition are bigger than life. They can be measured through consumer awareness and engagement. They have long-term effects on physical reality.

Whether you offer high-class luxury travel experiences, high-profile poetry recitals, or some kind of auditing and analysis services, your brand can stand out by implementing thoughtful, concise communication and by sharing an optimal visual presence. Upgrading everything from your LinkedIn, Instagram, or even a dating profile can help tell a better story about who you are, and the value you provide. Help people choose you by consciously choosing your branding.

We all have free will, potential agency, and the capacity to make decisions when we need to respond to stimuli. Should we hire them? Should we buy from them? Should we date them? Can we trust them?

Branding exerts influence. Stories influence how much people respect you and how much time or money they’re willing to invest in you. Like the fuming meltdowns of Vivaldi, or the gentle ruminations of Frost, branding evokes emotion and drives decisions. Effective brand positioning strategies for small businesses are always worth considering. Simply put, people choose brands because of how those brands make them feel and often because those brands put a twinkle in their eye.