We love talking to other artists to learn about their process and what inspires their work. There’s something fascinating about people who are constantly creating. Not long ago we came across Jenny Kiker’s [a.k.a @livingpattern] work online while doing inspiration research. It was a beautifully shaded painting of a tropical leaf that caught our eye.


We decided to check out Jenny’s Instagram feed and were immersed in an amazing world of nature, plants, and paintings. We clicked on image after image of beautifully styled paintings of cacti, tropical leaves, barnacles, butterflies and found ourselves wanting to learn more about the artist.



It turns out Jenny lives in West Palm Beach about an hour from our studio and her partner Chris went to high school with Ryan, our Art Director. Talk about a small world! We contacted Jenny to see if she would like to be featured on our blog to share her work with all of you. Check out our conversation below.
hc: Tell us a little about yourself and your company, Living Pattern.

LP: I am a traditional artist who focuses on flora and fauna using watercolor and ink. I sell original artwork. Prints and textiles coming soon!

hc: It’s obvious your inspiration is nature. How do you continually find new elements?

LP: I grow most of my inspiration myself. My studio gets great morning light and it is an indoor greenhouse. Recently, I’ve been working from a collection of photographs taken at Monet’s garden in France. And of course, I go out in nature to find it myself!




hc: We saw one of your recent Instagram posts was a picture of the largest cicada species on earth that you had ordered. We thought it was so cool that you had ordered an actual specimen. Is this something you do on a regular basis? Why?

LP: Yes, I order all kinds of reference if I can’t find it locally. I have developed quite the collection of cacti from our favorite nursery Amelia’s in Lake Worth. I strongly believe in completely surrounding yourself with your inspiration.

hc: How much time do you spend creating your artwork vs. managing other aspects of your business?

LP: I’d say 70/30, creating art vs. shipping, emailing, social media, accounting. Chris, my partner, handles my graphic design and web work. It’s amazing to have a symbiotic relationship!

hc: You have an amazing Instagram following. What do you attribute that to?

LP: I am very engaged with my audience, they are amazing and keep me inspired! Photography is very important, I always have the tripod out and wait for the perfect lighting. I love styling too, a consistent feed is a must!

hc: Our work is in the branding and marketing world and we could potentially use your artwork as digital illustrations in our designs for clients. Is that something you would consider or do you prefer that your creations remain as individual works of art? There’s no wrong answer here. We’re just curious how you feel about that. Every person is different.

LP: I really appreciate the aura of an original piece of art and art being displayed as art.

hc: How do you think custom art can distinguish a brand?

LP: For me, the art is the brand. To elaborate on the previous question, using it as digital illustrations would imply that it represents a business, but it is important to me that Living Pattern art only represents itself.

hc: What advice would you give to young artists who are looking for a way to create a business around their art?

LP: Go make! Then get ready for failure and learn how to move on until you find just the thing that works.

hc: And most importantly, what’s your studio music playlist? LOL We listen to music all day in the studio so we had to throw that in there.

LP: I love love a nice thunder storm playlist. When it’s music, I’m listening to the RHCP… haha everyone knows my obsession.

It was great talking to you Jenny! Thanks so much for chatting with us.

Check Jenny out on Instagram @livingpattern and, of course, us @heliumcreative.

Artifact Uprising is a company we’ve had a crush on since discovering them in February. They are an internet-based company that creates beautiful, tangible products for your digital photos. Your images are printed on thick, matte card stock that can be displayed with or without a frame. The thick card stock is just so delicious.







And the photo books are works of art. Meticulously bound, filled with 100% recycled, matte finish paper.




After visiting their website we fell even more in love with the brand. The clean design, the imagery, the language, the dedication to storytelling and their audience engagement had us reading their website in detail for more time than we care to admit.

The website features an idea gallery where they share products people have made and posted to Instagram. It’s not only inspiration for future clients, but they’re giving people an opportunity to show off their creations, which makes them feel special. The gallery is also an amazing social media marketing tactic, because people are hashtagging #ArtifactUprising for the chance to be featured.




Another genius social media marketing move is the TellOn category of the Artifact Uprising blog. It’s a curated gallery of inspiring photos selected weekly from their Instagram #TellOn. The campaign stems from the belief that everyone has a story to tell, a story that inspires possibility.
Their brand statement and core values, the heart of a well-defined brand, are cohesive and inspiring.

The Artifact Uprising Manifesto
ARTIFACT UPRISING // inspired by the disappearing beauty
of the tangible / bettered by a community of inspired
storytellers / driven by the belief everyone has a story
to tell. Tell On.

Our [Artifact] Core Values
CREATIVITY / for all things, endless possibility. for every story, endless ways to tell it.

COMMUNITY / we seek to cultivate a community of inspired storytellers – of movers, shakers, do-ers, designers, creatives, artists, thinkers, joy-makers. we believe in the power of community to ignite creativity.

LEAVE A LEGACY / we believe in the story that is archived for future generations. we believe in moving stories off our computers…and into our lives.
THE POWER OF ONE / to create art. and change the world.

PASSION / without it, we are nothing.

ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY / we strive to be kind stewards to mama earth and her happy forest. we are committed to using environmentally responsible papers and are always seeking ways to minimize our impact on the outdoors – a playground that shapes so much of who we are.

AUTHENTICITY / in all things. in our communication. in our company. in the transparency of our supply chain. in our own story.

When crafting core values for a company we always consider the history and how each word relates to the culture. Artifact Uprising is a great example of how a company can embody their core values. In fact I could illustrate how they meet each one of their values, but I won’t bore you with that. The most obvious is their commitment to environmental responsibility. All of their products are printed on 100% recycled papers and the wood products are made from reclaimed mountain beetle pine wood, which is otherwise considered waste.

So to wrap things up, Artifact Uprising is this month’s #heliumlovesbrand feature, because they have fantastic products, an inspiring voice, well formed brand statements and they engage with their audience in an incredibly authentic way through the power of story.

We’d love to hear about your favorite brands or your brand story, just #heliumlovesbrand and follow @heliumcreative on Instagram, Facebook + Twitter!

There are days when sitting down at my desk, staring at a computer screen and attempting to function like a productive member of the work force escapes me. Today may, in fact, be one of those days. I have to pee, but I am too lazy at the moment to do that.
Hello, Monday morning.
My eyes slightly water after a big yawn as I continue to type. I have every intention to write about positioning a company, what that means, and how to best position within the market.
But that is so not what I feel like doing right now. The words just kind of trickle away like a little stream of water that filters into Monday morning haze. Instead I cozy up on our studio couch amidst a collection of blue, grey and yellow West Elm pillows in hope that something groundbreaking will type itself.
When work takes such a large portion of time, when a routine schedule of 8:45am – 6pm ticks away Monday thru Friday, it can be daunting to sit at the precipice of that work week knowing that 45+ hours stand ahead. Can’t it at least be like Wednesday or Thursday already? Monday’s got a bad wrap. And maybe I need to figure out what I am writing about.
It’s one of those days where this creative monkey has run out of steam. I’m sure you know the feeling. We all feel it once in awhile. When online shopping or Facebook suddenly seems super important. Because I really really really need to know how Miley Cyrus did on the VMAs last night. It is crucial to my ongoing work productivity. Or fuel to my Monday morning procrastination.
Step one is to shut down the mirror maze known as the internet. One site leads to another leads to another leads to 3 hours of absolutely nothing. Shut that mother down. Then what? Then change your surroundings. I got my butt off my office chair, stepped away from the desk, and sat down on the couch. I kicked off my shoes, cuddled among the pillows, rested the laptop on my leg.




OK, change of scenery. Step two. Done and done.
It’s pretty outside. Sunny, blue sky, birds chirping. Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here” is playing on the Dave Matthews Pandora station in the studio right now. I still gotta pee pretty bad. But the cool thing is I opened Word and began typing this gibberish. I got lost in the moment, in the music, in the blue sky, and cleared my head. Embrace the present. Be here now. Maybe that’s step three.




I guess then it’s about doing something. Actually taking that moment and rolling with it. Type. Write. Free associate. Whatever. Don’t get hung up on writing about one specific thing. Just write. Do something. And in a matter of fifteen minutes, a blog about overcoming procrastination has magically been written. Or at least a good chunk of it. I guess we’ll see where it ends when it ends. So there it is, step four.
By just piecing any semblance of work together, by actually feeling like something was accomplished, I am motivated to keep going with the day and warmly greet Monday morning after only one cup of iced coffee in my system.

Now that’s progress.
I may not have written what I intended, but a blog on brand positioning can always be checked off another week. The point is that I can change my day at any moment. I don’t have to stay stuck in a rut, aimlessly avoiding work and losing my mind online. Mission accomplished.
I should go pee now.

Developing our new studio has offered a great opportunity to focus on elements that make helium smile, while also enhancing the overall experience of our space. Interiors can be one of the most tangible expressions of a brand experience, housing various textures, colors, shapes, music, art and design all in one space. This multisensory extension of a brand creates an energy that can communicate your story on a multitude of levels.

With the build-out of our new studio on Fort Lauderdale Beach we have been able to incorporate a few key themes + elements near and dear to us that revolve around the environment and eco-friendly technology.



We’ve been slightly obsessed with eco-intelligent thermostat producer, Nest, for a few years. A clear passion for their own brand and user experience comes out in flawless product design, while its’ energy efficiency and super smart technology has made Nest a must-have in our studio. Plus it looks pretty sweet.

The studio can be managed from an iPhone, which makes our inner-nerd wide-eyed with excitement. The alarm, thermostat, smoke detector, music and all our management software can be controlled using non other than…[drumroll]…an iPhone. Not only is it convenient, but we have access to everything essential at the studio at all times.

Chris got hands-on salvaging pieces of copper to create a custom light fixture in the bathroom. LED Edison bulbs set an oh-so tranquil mood while kicking back on the toilet. Probably the most entertaining addition to the office is the no-touch flush toilet. Wave your hand over the top right corner and it magically flushes. Now that’s something to smile about as you hang out in the loo.



No helium environment would be complete without a small jungle. We upped the anti and installed a green wall in addition to the usual potted plants. Salvaged barn troughs are being converted into planters outside as well. Google says plants not only improve air quality but can actually decrease the indoor air temperature. Added bonus. Thanks Google.




Other cool details are a custom bookcase of reclaimed cedar and galvanized steel pipes, a cedar plank wall behind Chris’ desk, polished concrete floors, and an exposed cinder block wall. This balance of wood, plants, metal, concrete and refined elements creates a balance that is true to our overall studio intention. Refined meets rustic. Organic meets the man-made. Finding the natural balance and harmony of things; whether through design, brand development, or personal expression.




The studio is truly a reflection of our brand. We’re thrilled we could incorporate these eco-tech elements that enhance the helium experience. We’d love for you to stop by sometime soon!

Last week, a few days before the monthly FATVillage ARTWALK, we announced that we have taken the amazing opportunity to purchase a building and will be moving our studio to the new space by Ft. Lauderdale Beach at the end of July. We’re looking forward to this new chapter but will of course miss being part of the vibrant FATVillage neighborhood and all those who make this community great.

Over the past three years we have always featured other artists in our studio for ARTWALK, but wanted to share OUR work as well as a bit about us during our final ARTWALK. The exhibit walked people through our branding process by first introducing who helium is, our services and the overall experience.






Our inspiration board was flushed out so people could see the different types of images we take inspiration from.



Sketch books were hung on the wall so people could flip through and see how our creative takes shape.

A gallery wall of 40 completed pieces from our portfolio featured logos, business cards, print ads, websites, designs for apparel and more. It was fun walking people through the exhibit, watching as they flipped through our sketch books as well as rewarding to see their reaction to our completed projects.





The final portion of the exhibit was a live chalk wall where people could leave a message that we can take with us on the next leg of our journey. Thanks for so many great memories FATVillage!

Once the process of laying the brand foundation is complete, we implement the newly developed look and feel into all materials.  We create a Brand Book that defines and gathers typography usage, logo usage, tone, style, brand voice + language, photography guidelines, and final positioning statement. This book is utilized as a guideline to create all additional supporting brand materials. Website design, stationery packaging, signage, collateral, print advertisement concepts and brochures are a few materials that will continue to communicate the brand.

It all began when photographer Susan Buzzi met with helium’s art director Ryan, to show him her landscape photography in hopes of exhibiting her work in the helium creative studio as a part of Project Fine Art and the FATVillage ARTWALK. Ryan flipped through Susan’s portfolio and came upon her portraits of breast cancer survivors. “This is it,” he said, “you have to show these.” Susan had already shown her portraits of breast cancer survivors six times, but agreed to a seventh installation at helium creative to honor the women’s struggle, to raise consciousness about this terrible disease and then celebrate and share remarkable victories.

Buzzi presented more than 40 large format, black and white portraits shot on film and developed in the laundry room at her home in Tamarac. The images are presented in white matting and simple black, rectangular frames accompanied by a written account of each survivor’s story.



To commemorate Breast Cancer Awareness month we partnered with Ms. Buzzi to host a fundraiser for The Florida Breast Cancer Foundation on Friday, October 10^th, so the survivors could enjoy their portraits in a festive, celebratory atmosphere. We solicited donations from local businesses to ensure the event’s success and were overwhelmed by the community’s generosity. Many wonderful sponsors made the event possible including food donations from Whole Foods Market, Grady’s Bar & Grill, Quarterdeck on Cordova, La Bella’s Delights, beverages from Blue Martini & Tuscany Wines, printing of all promotional materials by Fast Printz on Oakland Park Blvd, flowers from Victoria Park Flower Studio, Gold Coast Publications, pop up boutiques and auction donations from LaLa Couture & Tiger Blossom, Acacia and PR by Blue Daisy Media. The event would not have been possible without their generosity; we truly thank them from the bottom of our hearts.

The evening consisted of the beautiful photographic documentary, a live chalk wall on which attendees wrote messages, pink tribute stones to commemorate loved ones, speakers including Susan Buzzi, Coconut Creek Vice Mayor Becky Tooley and Russell Silverman, the Executive Director of The Florida Breast Cancer Foundation, followed by a raffle and live auction to raise funds for the Foundation.

















We were so grateful to have been able to raise funds for The Florida Breast Cancer Foundation; a cause that is of particular importance to the helium creative family.



Source: http://www.heliumcreative.com/susan-buzzi-event-recap/

In order to pinpoint exactly what I love about my role as an artist + creative, I have to shut my mind up and actually think about it. A feat in itself. But for the sake of this shout out, I sat at my desk and closed my eyes. Almost immediately the word ‘experience’ drifted to shore. Since I was a kid, I’ve always loved creating an environment rich in atmosphere. With perfect lighting, the right music playing, textures and tones, a scented candle that compliments the surroundings almost as if ripped from a movie screen. And that’s where art + design began to shape everything I did. Creating the perfect moment, an ideal experience, is something that sets a brand apart from another. It’s what makes us innately gravitate toward one restaurant over the other. Why we trust one company over their competition.

An experience is something that can’t be imposed, it has to be suggested. It has to exist then be discovered. I have found that, first and foremost, clearly defining what I want to feel – what I want another person to feel – is the most important step to creating an experience. When developing a brand, I focus on the emotion – the essence of who the company is and what their consumer needs to feel. Then it’s all about grabbing inspiration to paint that picture. Mood images, objects, textures, words that when put together embody the emotion, the brand, the experience.

It becomes the same process as making ‘little atmospheres’ for myself as a kid. Pulling together elements to make something that just feels right. That tells a story.

The foundation of any company, of any individual even, is brand. Once we have found that tap root, it is seamless process to bleed into all other materials. A website, stationery, language, interior space, style. A well established brand subtly communicates that experience in every extension of its being. It is in the details. The thought. The story behind the curtain.

And I get to be the storyteller.

Original Source: http://www.heliumcreative.com/in-the-details-little-atmospheres-3/

helium creative can be found in the September issue of HOW Magazine, where a special logo design can be spotted.



We made the cut and were part of the 78 award-winning dynamic designs from around the world. This logo is particularly special to our team of designers because it has now been recognized for a total of four awards.

Make sure to pick up your copy of How Magazine to see the Lion’s Compass logo up close!

Original Source: http://www.heliumcreative.com/were-in-how/

I have always believed a creative leader must treat their team differently. Our industry is ever changing and one of the biggest challenges for any creative team is to try and find a rhythm of success in a changing environment – it’s not easy.
Contrary to some other jobs where the team members know 99% of the time what to expect, how their day will go and how they need to perform to succeed – the creative industry is the exact opposite. Every project, task, client and path to a successful outcome is completely different. The most successful business people in the creative industry are able to be flexible and adapt, a chameleon of creativity if you will.
I was recently asked if I had any pointers to motivate others in the workplace to produce better work. That question has a cornucopia of correct answers, however I have learned that in the creative industry sometimes the most helpful thing is to remove the leash from the people you are trying to motivate the most.
That’s correct. All my managers, directors and CEO’s reading this blog – breathe, it will be OK.
I am going to break down my theory of loosening your creative system in 4 steps that will conclude by building a stronger, more motivated and loyal group of creative professionals.



Step 1: Giving your team members free reign.

What I mean by this is almost the exact opposite of building a highly structured, detailed system of work. The only parts you keep are progress reports and deadlines. Think about it, you hired the best candidates possible to fill positions in your company [or at least I hope you did], what good are their skills if you don’t put them to work? Not only are these employees here to improve parts of your business you have pointed out, but they can also be motivated to take your business to another level through creativity, innovation and responsibility. Let them go and figure out the answers you want from a project. As their manager or leader the only concern you should have is when progress stops or a deadline for a client is not met. Obviously the work must be up to your company standards and correct, but that’s a given.
What you are really doing is not only freeing up stress and work off your plate, but you are using the full potential of the people who you hired. Oversee the success of a project by discussing and analyzing milestones along the way. You should have the attitude of, no matter what happens today my team members are going to find a solution and keep the project running smoothly because I trust they will. Only when that does not occur is when you step in and figure out what needs to be done to get back on track.
Step 2: Knowing when more responsibility is a passion.

It’s a good thing to give your team members more responsibility. It’s a great thing when you can recognize a passion they have and gear their newfound responsibilities to that passion. Not only are you growing a portion of your business with someone who already knows your system and wont require the pay of another employee [if they get paid at all] but you are also fueling someone’s passion – which means the work will always be great because it is important to them. Here are a few examples:
+ Does your company want to start a non-profit? Find the person in your group who has a passion for giving back to the community and let them lead they way in registering your new group with the state, collaborating events, fundraising and press.
+ Want to get your company more exposure on social media, but frankly you don’t have time or know the best way? Find your social savvy team member and see if they would want to lead the social media initiatives and get your company name out there to grow the business. Now ‘social media Sam’ walks around the office with a little perk in his step because through his new social media efforts you have gained 600 new followers and 2 new clients. [By the way, that’s when you give Sam a little bonus! – he’ll only work harder.]
+ Have you been thinking about a group retreat or field trip? I bet someone in your company enjoys event planning and setting up team building exercises. Convey your goals and initial ideas and let that person run with it to make it bigger, better and actually happen!
Step 3: Accepting failure.

Just except it. If you think I’m going to sit here and say that by loosening your business system and giving your employees more room to problem solve and create solutions is always going to be a success, then stop reading.
It won’t.
What it will do however is present a formula that doesn’t work and teach creative leaders a lesson. Failure may be the most important element in this whole equation. I will guarantee the creative companies who fail often but stick it out and come back with a more focused mindset, will in the end be the companies who push their boundaries of fear further. Failure builds community. Failure builds strength. Failure builds mental fortitude. Nobody likes to fail, but we all like to succeed after we fail – why is that? Because the fruits of our labor become that much sweeter knowing we had to go down to go up.
Try this theory with your team. Remember, when your employees fail, they already feel bad. They know to a degree they have let you down. Now, you as their leader have a choice to make. You can hammer home this point of failure, or you can recognize the fact that they failed, but also recognize their effort to succeed and now you want to guide them to success by offering pointers and most importantly continued support as they try and complete the task correctly again. They will bounce back more motivated and the chances of them completing the task correctly, even better than what they planned, is much greater. So maybe you didn’t fail at all.
Step 4: Nature only when needed.

We all complain and have bad days. I am 100% guilty of sitting at my desk sometimes and letting out a long hard sigh, really wanting to scream, “This project is ridiculous!” But what am I looking for? Someone to come over and say “Aw, Chuck its going to be a OK you’re a big boy…” Possibly, but in the end it is much better if someone doesn’t. In the same token as a project manager, I give out assignments all the time to my design team and I can easily tell when they are disinterested in doing it at the moment. But that is the same time I will take step back, put my trust in them to complete it on time and go about my business.
I know some tasks are challenging, but your team members must push themselves through the mud – if you hold their hand every time they will never grow as a creative professional and you will build a team that is dependent on you, that will get old really quick. Again, you are making the most out of the person you hired because they will come out of the project stronger, with a new mental fortitude. Every time we finish something difficult, or a project we never have done before, it feels better. You feel proud and ready to accept another challenge. Let your members feel this and in the end they will grow tremendously.
Loosening your creative structure may seem like a stretch at first. I would say, if you believe in the points I brought to the surface in this blog then also think about how you can loosen up your own personal creative agenda – could the first step be letting your members follow a process similar to this? I’m a believer that the only thing above a creative founding father is the creative industry itself. The creative industry is a higher power we cannot control – and rightfully so or it wouldn’t be creative. Our industry is a gust of wind or a current from the sea – who knows where it will go next. If you want a team of creative professionals who are proud to work for you, feel like they are important to the success of your company, get to flex multiple creative muscles and can keep up with their passions – you will have the hardest working, trustworthy business around – now get to it.

Thinkfully,
Chuck Forbes

Original Source: http://www.heliumcreative.com/how-loosening-up-your-creative-system-can-strengthen-your-team/