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Why Start an Online Summer Camp?
Early 2014, I participated in a month-long creative exercise, and it helped me find new processes, products, artists, and techniques to try in my art/design. This course is called Creative JumpStart and is put together every year by Nathalie Kalbach. (I interviewed her catch that here.) I liked this concept but wanted to get a group of industry leaders and experts and have them teach about business instead. The parts of our education many of us have had to learn on-the-job.
In 2016, I worked with Dr. Fred Baker, an instructional designer, who helped get some things organized in the beginning stages. We put together a list of people and targeted topics. Like many ideas it stalled out because LIFE happened.
Summer of 2020, Camp almost didn’t happen again due to politcal unrest. After speaking with trusted advisors like, Dustin Lee (RetroSupply) and Mario Quezada (MadeXMaker) I pushed through with their encouragement and insights.
Our inaugural year was life-changing and campers made friends and worked together throughout the remaining year. To make camp even better, I employed user interviews of 2020 campers… such great feeback!
Here at Creatives Ignite, we’re always refining details. Camp is about coming with an open mind/heart, ready to make friends, practice what we are learning, and grow together.
Camp is about PRACTICE NOT PERFECTION.
#StrongerTogether #CreativesIgnite
Meet The 2021 Camp Staff
Diane Gibbs
Camp Director
I am on a mission to make sure no entrepreneur ever feels alone on their journey. I love Jesus and was called to serve and teach.
I consider myself a designer first, although I am also an entrepreneur, consultant, and a college professor. I started designing professionally in 1996 and started my design firm in August of 2002 just before moving to begin my second career as a design professor at the University of South Alabama (Mobile, Alabama).
I was working a lot and connecting with professional designers less and less. I knew I needed inspiration and interaction with other designers but time was tight and I didn’t have the budget to go to more than one conference a year. I read a lot and have a summer filled with mowing grass and listening to podcasts and books.
I started Design Recharge, a web show/podcast in the summer of 2012, interviewing designers, illustrators, typographers, professors, business experts, authors, and finally started to feel connected. My growth as a designer and entrepreneur skyrocketed. I want to lift others, shine the light on their awesomeness, and find their gold.
Sarah Barnes
Camp Designer
Sarah Barnes graduated with her associate degree in Small Business Management in 2017 from Coastal Alabama Community College. During her time in college, she entered her personal branding project into the local ADDY awards where she won the Gold in Sales and Marketing as well as Student Best in Show. She graduated in May of 2020 with her BFA from the University of South Alabama. With it being such an unusual time, she kept her day job as an assistant manager and freelanced at night. She snagged job freelancing at Moxee Design where she was able to learn to design using Microsoft Word, and PowerPoint, and helped her design a new website. She plans to move to Nashville to continue her design career in the near future!
Merlynn Hines
camp intern
After graduating with High Honors from West Harrison High School in Gulfport, Mississippi and completing a two-year Architectural Drafting program, the integration of Art and Technology became a serious interest and focus for my future. I knew then that whichever university I selected; a strong Visual Arts department would be a requirement. Studying both Graphic Design and Marketing at the University of South Alabama has proven how vital the brand image is to any company or business and has solidified that Design is my passion. I have learned innumerable skills that have entirely changed my way of thinking and viewing the world around me.
When I’m not designing, I enjoy shopping and spending time with family– especially my 95-year-old grandmother. She provides clarity, focus and intuitiveness that is hard to find these days. She has instilled in me that we don’t always know what the future holds for us, but we know Who holds the future.
de Ingles
sponsor & camp counselor
Growing up in the Midwest found me trekking through the woods, spending time in the garden with family, and of course, sharing stories around a cozy campfire. These are some of our fondest memories.
Today, I spend my time hand-drawing designs that are visual reflections on the precious time spent with family and friends for our mercantile store Wild Routed. You’ll find us at local farmer’s markets visiting with old (and new) friends every weekend. During the week, I’m in the studio with John designing eco-friendly packaging and working with our clients who do good.
Will Truran
camp counselor & web guru (support)
Will Truran has been working as a graphic designer since 2010, with the firm belief that it first needs to work in black & white. During this time he has ran his own clothing brand, worked in a small agency as a UI/UX designer, developed large format displays for Tylenol and Band-Aid, designed t-shirts for Harley-Davidson, runs Noble Folk Design, and will begin Teaching at Doane University this fall. He finds enjoyment in designing creative solutions to aid in better communicating his client’s core message, as well as using design to amplify the voice of the voiceless.
Outside of design he enjoys rock climbing, snowboarding, going to the movies, and playing Dungeons and Dragons.
alan howell
Camp illustrator
Hello, my name is Alan Howell and I create passion projects that consist of illustrations and pattern designs. I’ve always had an interest in illustration but I didn’t notice pattern design until I took a brand identity class. My goal is to one day create a pattern collection to be sold on Society 6. I am an alumnus of the University of South Alabama, where I attained my Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design. I live in Mobile, AL and I am a Graphic Designer for Lewis Communications. In my spare time, I like to watch after-effect tutorials.
andré gagiano
Camp Counselor
I am an entrepreneur continually looking for opportunities and ideas which streamline processes.
With over 20 years of experience, managing and working with teams in third world countries, I understand the difficulties and day-to-day challenges one encounters from logistics to sales.
I’m currently working on a do it yourself brand and marketing strategy resulting in a complete one page web or landing page which can be accomplished over a long weekend under $500.00.
andrew burnett
Camp Counselor
Andrew Burnett is a brand strategist specialising in naming. He is based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Andrew once read that a tagline should be short and simple, he agreed and registered Short and Simple as his trademark.
Andrew has over 2 decades experience branding and marketing brands ranging from nations, blue chips and multinationals to owner operated start-ups.
For 13 years his personal website, andrewburnett.com, was the top result on Google for the search term Social Media Scotland.
Arjuna coles
Camp Counselor
Hey! My name is Arjuna Coles and I am a facilitator, web developer, and Operations Assistant for The Spring Pensacola a co-working space that focuses on providing a hub for entrepreneurs and freelancers. I grew up in Northern Virginia and have always had a knack for creative problem-solving. I believe that empathy, curiosity, and vulnerability are essential to helping others solve their problems.
Some of my greatest friends are creatives, and I’m ecstatic to have the opportunity to give back to the creative community. I look forward to being a counselor at Creatives Ignite this year and facilitating creative conversations!
brandy wright
Camp writer & Counselor
Brandy is as awkward as she is awesome. Her company Chewmarks provides brand strategy and copywriting for wonderful weirdos and audacious oddballs. Passionate about words, print, and speculative fiction, she sniffs paper and watches sci-fi in her downtime.
Using her insatiable curiosity and obsession with the nuance of words, she helps fellow marvellous-misfits—turning their chaotic thoughts and crazy ideas into something clear, concise, and customer-facing.
In 2018, Brandy discovered she’s on the neurodiverse squad (ADHD), which explained a lot. After hiding the news (amid stigma and backlash), she is—slowly—sharing what that insatiable curiosity is deciphering to help other neurodivergent entrepreneurs.
chris martin
Camp Counselor
Chris Martin is a content producer and creativity coach who helps people unleash their creative fire by transforming imaginative ideas into tangible reality. He creates engaging and meaningful creative products, asks profound questions, and is a source of hope and encouragement to everybody he meets.
debbie clapper
Camp Counselor
Debbie Clapper creates modern abstract op art inspired by M.C. Escher and graffiti. She runs gneural™, a contemporary surface design studio that enriches spaces and surfaces with mind-bending abstract geometric art.
Drawing nearly every day since 1989, Debbie has mastered the art of freehand drawing. Her techniques range from hand-drawn originals to paintings to large-scale mural installations and digital art. Debbie is continually pushing the bounds between analog and digital. Through gneural, she frequently collaborates with technologist and creative coder Cacheflowe on immersive art experiences that merge art, tech, and human touch.
Fabio Perez
Camp Counselor
Hi there! My name is Fabio Perez. I’ve been a Graphic Designer for over 20 yrs. Originally from Cuba. I’ve been living in Miami, FL since 1992. Fell in love with graphic design at around the age of 11. However I didn’t really begin to practice it in a professional manner until many years later.
After years of bouncing around from quite the range of miscellaneous jobs that took me from sales to bartending. And many, many more in between. I started to really set and establish myself as a designer at 26-27 yrs old. Since then I’ve had to pleasure to work for a couple of local and national companies, help and collaborate with a ton of local clients with their design needs and launch a successful personal line of prints and posters. And in the process, one of the biggest perks is the bunch of cool people and peers I’ve had the chance to meet.
Today, I’m still freelancing and going after even more personal projects. It’s been quite the ride with its ups and downs but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love what I do and I’m thrilled about what’s next.
molly holland
camp counselor
Molly Holland is a brand strategist and creative director for impact investing firms. Having spent 15 years in the asset management space, she’s helped companies like State Street, Bank of Montreal and Barclays Global Investors with participant engagement campaigns. After emerging from a Futur YouTube wormhole, she learned of brand strategy and the lights went on. Driven by a sense of impatience and wanting to do work she gives a damn about, she’s pivoted her attention to serving impact investment firms. Based in Denver Colorado, Molly has a resistance to closing browser tabs and a passion for Masterclass courses.
pam brown
Camp Counselor
Hello! I’m Pam Brown, the founder and lead creative of Joie Brand Design, a strategic branding and graphic design studio for lifestyle brands, located in coastal San Diego.
What brings me Joie is creating design solutions that build better brands; designing with purpose and passion.
I enjoy working one-on-one with startups and entrepreneurs, small and large businesses, franchises, mentors and speakers. I also collaborate with Marketing and PR firms, along with my creative peers.
We specialize in print, web, and digital design in the lifestyle industry of restaurants, cafes, hotels, consumer goods, retail, home life, travel, wellness, technology, bioscience, professional development, and more.
We believe collaboration creates brand greatness. Because together is better.
rafi hopkins
camp counselor
bio coming soon
timothy adekunle
slack communication manager
A Lifestyle Brand Strategist enabling business leaders to integrate their brand into the lifestyle of their customers by focusing on how they can amplify their vision to build culture, empower innovation and create growth for their business.
My higher purpose is to lead a life of impact that transforms people to become the best version of themselves.
I’m based in Abuja, Nigeria.
shane moran
Camp Counselor
Shane Moran is a freelance designer specializing in branding for early stage businesses.
Irish born Shane spent almost a decade in the UK studying and working within many industries including: Marketing, Sales, Advertising and Design.
Shane has worked with brands like Greenpeace, Gamestop, Sky, Worldvision and many more. Passionate about design, advertising, marketing, and branding.
When not working with clients, Shane loves to read, check out art and design and generally have a good time with nice people.
