So many people gave to Project:Love Kristina and I thank all of you, from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for blessing my family.

I ran a contest on Dribbble to raise awareness for her need. Of all the amazing artistic submissions out there, three stood out to me. One, because it was the winner by lead in votes (not to say it wasn’t great as well), one because of it’s artistic style and another because it went above and beyond a 400×300 piece: the artist made a print piece that will be framed and hung on my sister’s wall in her new home. First place goes to the winner by votes, second to the one of my choosing, and the third place I added because I felt the artist’s piece to be so good, I needed to make a third place.

Without further ado, I’d like to announce the two winners, and surprise third place winner :)

First Place: Jake Dugard

Second Place: Tim Boelaars

Third Place: MC Baldassari

Check out all of the other entries

You can see all of the other amazing entries here. Mad props to Matthias Dietrich of Rainboxx for building the page to aggregate all of the contest entries.

Prizes are announced on Dribbble here. Feel free to at reply or DM me on Twitter to receive your prizes!

Tonight, February 21, 2011 my sister’s home was completely burned to the ground. Thankfully, even though most of her five children were sleeping and sick, she was able to get them out of the house and to safety. Unfortunately, they lost nearly everything, except for a few photos and a computer.

Her situation is tough. They were building a home and had it about half completed, but had no fire insurance. I happen to know they were putting every penny they had coming in, into the building of their home, paycheck to paycheck. Their four girls and son currently are in snowy Idaho in pyjamas. My sister, Kristina is nearly 9 months pregnant. They’re definitely in need of some immediate cash.

They’ll definitely make it and be fine. They are surrounded by family that loves them and will help them through this, however, I felt that I wanted to do my part to make their need known. Without a doubt, they are in immediate need of some funds, so I figured I would turn to my community, the community I love, the web community.

Please feel no pressure to give. Your love, support, kindness and prayers have already been amazing. However, if this is something that you’d like to give to, then I thank you from the bottom of my heart and I’m sure that it will help make this time just a bit easier for my sister and her family.

A Contest to Raise Awareness

I’ve started a contest to raise awareness on the design community website, Dribbble. You can view the contest here.

If you’d like to see the amazing pieces of artwork that the design community has done to raise awareness for my sister, you can see those here.

Cash Donations

If you have a large donation that you’d like to be tax deductible, you donate to our church, who will then cut Kristina a check. Be sure to put “Kristina” in the donor code input on the second step.

Donate Now (Tax Deductible)

If you don’t care about your donation being tax deductible, you can donate quickly via paypal using the following button:

Thanks to all of you for your prayers and kindness once again.

Me
Jameson, do you like it when Daddy is on his phone?

Jameson
No.

Me
Why?

Jameson
Because when you are on your phone, you are not with me.

Sure I was with Jameson. After all, I was 2 feet away from him…right? I’m finding that I am questioning my sons a lot, whether or not I think they are capable of an intelligent answer. Almost every time the answer teaches me a big lesson.

I’ve learned a lot from these little detox sessions, like massive productivity boosts and creativity soars, so it’s time for a new one. I’ve got a big month ahead of me with a store opening soon, plenty of awesome client work and more, so I’m gonna mess with my habits again.

This time, I’m going to remove myself from Twitter, Dribbble and Facebook, but ONLY from two way communication. Yup, I’ll still do status updates and post an occasional shot on Dribbble, but no reading of comments and replies. I will ONLY contribute to the web, but not consume. In this way, I can focus solely on creativity. It’ll be interesting to rebound a Dribbble shot with my own thoughts vs listening to the thoughts of others. It’ll be interesting not looking at the like counter or the popular page to see how well something I posted is doing. It’ll be interesting to voice my thoughts on Twitter without knowing it is heard. Maybe a tweet will affect millions or maybe not at all. Basically, it’ll be like yelling into emptiness. Maybe it will teach me something about something. Maybe.

King out. Seeya next month.

I’ve got a totally different take on this one, and it doesn’t negate what has been said by Kyle and Gary Vee, but offers another perspective on it. What I hear in their message is this:

If you don’t love your job, stop moaning about it and get out there and make efforts to be doing the thing you love. However, don’t just be stupid and jump…but find what you love and take the calculated risk to do so, not allowing life’s stupid distractions to get in your way (like xbox, gaming, tv, movies, free-range chicken herding, whatever).

…and I agree. Pursue, find and do that thing you love!

Locational Happiness

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard people talk about locational unhappiness. Let me explain. Fred’s got a dead end job, but he always talks about how as soon as he get’s that next big job as a freelance designer, he’ll be happy. Horace and Mabel are having marriage problems, but instead of addressing the real issue, they constantly cling on to the hope of their vacation, or how everything is going to be better once they leave this dusty little town. Once they move back to Texas or New York, or Italy or wherever, there, they finally will be happy.

I’ve seen this all the time with not just locational moves but in acquiring things. Jen and Nathan are having serious marital problems, but instead of facing the issue and talking about it, however painful that may be, they buy a puppy…later some four-wheelers, later gym memberships and dance lessons. It seems to always be about covering up the pain or the problem with a bit more happiness from some other source, be it a move to a new town or a new pet.

My wife and I have talked about leaving Montana for years now. I actually thought at one point that if I moved to San Diego, life would be better, right? Wrong. We’ve found joy here and that’s because joy didn’t exist in a job title or a location. Joy doesn’t exist just a day away, tomorrow, when you finally get that job, when you move. Joy can be here now. You can thrive now.

It’s in YOU

Unhappiness is part of a problem in you. If you aren’t happy at your current job, it’s not necessarily because you aren’t doing the thing you are meant to do, or at least that’s how I see it. It’s indicative of a much bigger thing that merely slapping on a new career won’t change. Do you want to be the sort of person that can find joy in whatever you are doing? If you are helping an old woman across the street, working in a soup line, or having a beer with the buddies, are you just as joyful?

I’ve worked some crazy jobs. I’ve worked in dish pits, scrubbing dishes til 2am. I’ve worked as a Taxidermist’s apprentice, shaving rotting flesh off of old animal hides in a small back room. I’ve worked two feet away from people on a small desk, with an old, busted up computer, running windows. I’ve delivered pizzas and hauled rocks. I loved it all and was so joyful doing it — ask anybody. You have no idea the amount of fun you can have with a coworker washing dishes or in a lineup of 4 people making pizzas. I honestly feel alive when I am serving others, even to the point where I have given up design work at times to wait tables, because I love serving people. But, I loved shaving old deer hides too.

Don’t wait. Embrace Joy Now.

The answer is not in adding to your life. It’s in contentment and possessing the joy within you for any moment, any thing. Sure, there are things in this life that I believe people are truly more passionate about and when they are doing that thing, their joy will skyrocket — and do pursue that, but I just want to say to you, yes you. Don’t wait and postpone your joy. Your joy is now, wherever you are at. Be the kind of person that thrives in any situation.

That is the kind of happiness that will make this world a better place.

I’m gonna detox myself for a month from social networking online. No Twitter, Dribble, Facebook or Skype.

Nearly three months into self employment, it’s time to experiment with productivity. Surely, socially networking online has helped me immensely, however I’m sure it’s hurt me in productivity at times too. My ultimate goal in regards to work looks something like a 3 day work week, so I have to start somewhere. Social networks happen to be the first target.

I haven’t been as productive on my blog or producing content as much as I’d like to, so we’ll see how this experiment works. I’m hoping for to spend more time with my family, more time with Jesus and boost my productivity to produce more meaningful content on the web. If in one month I hate being absent from social networking, I’ll jump back on in a fury and be tweeting and facebook-ageing with the best of them. If I’m loving the detox, we’ll see what happens!

Stay tuned.

And the official winner of the drawing for Tweetie goes to Adam Souders of Elion Design Company. Congratulations Adam and thanks all for the kindness in voting for my site.

Come on down Adam and retrieve your prize! If aren’t on a Mac, I’ll give you something of equal value, say an iTunes gift card or what have you.

Now, onto the leftovers from the MacHeist. I’ll be giving away the following throughout the day, so stay tuned:

• Acorn
• Picturesque
• Kinemac
• The Hit List
• Delicious Library
• Multiwinia

I could not be more proud and humbled at this moment. I have a new son, Jackson Titus King, named by his 2 year old brother, Jameson. My amazing wife Toni, gave birth to him at 12:43pm on April 6th, 2009. Here are his official birth stats:

Length

21 inches

Weight

7lbs 9oz

Time

12:43pm on April 6^th, 2009

Hair

Brown

Eyes

Blue-ish?

He looks a ton like his big brother Jameson did at birth. He has the same King family scowl. He has already taken well to feeding and loves to suck on his left hand. Toni tells me that he loved his left hand in the womb as well and it showed on his ultrasounds. He is breathtakingly beautiful and all the doctors and nurses have not hesitated to tell us that. Yes, I’m sure they say that to every new parent, but I’ll take it ;)

Hopefully we’ll be heading out of the hospital tomorrow. You may have noticed the IV in his right hand. He has been in the NICU for a day now as he had a fever when he was born, but that fever has now subsided, thank God. The only issue now has been a bit of a dip in his oxygen levels when he sleeps, but nothing too alarming. We are stoked about getting home and sharing him with his older brother, who will, I’m sure will put Jackson to the test.

Toni is doing well and healing well. She hates any time at the hospital and has been waiting to get out. Any time at the hospital other than for seeing or giving birth to babies is not the greatest time at all so with that in mind, we are thankful we are here for a baby birth, but ready to get out.

Thank you

The biggest thanks of all go to 3 special forces in my life. First, God. Thank you father for answering every prayer that we asked of you. You have given us a wonderful gift in my wife’s health and our new son. You are awesome. Second, my wife. You are my hero. To see how much you have had to deal with in this high-risk pregnancy for our family and to bring us one more child is amazing. You worked incredibly hard to bring this little miracle into the world and you deserve all honor for your love and amazing motherhood. Third, thanks to my son Jameson. You named your little brother Jackson Titus even when your parents had no clue what to name him. You are going to be an amazing big brother.

Also, thanks to all of you who have prayed for, hoped and wished that all went well in this childbirth process. Thank you for your friendship and kind words.

Rad

Perhaps in overuse, I’ve drug this word back up from my past. Maybe it’s my desire to see more Trapper Keepers or Grip Tape in this world. Whatever the reason, I’m sure my overuse of the word is annoying.

Use: Dude, that website is Rad
Origin: Dunno, some 80’s dude

Dudical

My little brother (in attempt to be cool like his older brother), always said “Dude, that’s Radical”. Well, it just got too hard to say those three words, hence “dudical”. Use it, don’t abuse it.

Use: Look at 360° I just pulled off. Dudical!
Origin: Derek, my brother

Este´ Dudical

A phrase derived from Dudical. Basically it is the mexican version of Dudical

Use: This taco is delicious. Este´ Dudical!
Origin: Derek, my brother

Hory Clap

The Engrish version of “Holy Crap”. Works well for when you see a stunning website or get pwnd by some n00b on Unreal Tournament.

Use: Hory Clap this hot sauce is strong!
Origin: BFF Ed and yours truly

Radtastic

Simply, Rad + Fantastic. Use sparingly, because if everything is Radtastic, then Radtastic really loses it’s meaning.

Use: Battlestar Galactica is straight-up Radtastic
Origin: Yours truly

Flend

The Engrish version of Friend. Just sounds cooler. Use it.

Use: Wanna be flends?
Origin: BFF E and yours truly

Geesh

A strange adaptation of Gosh. Honestly, it really sounds lame when I say it, but I can’t shake it. Years of idolizing my cousins’ exaggerate use of this word embedded it permanently in my lingo.

Use: Geesh, Hagrid is such a cool Harry Potter character
Origin: Unknown (learned from cousins)

N00bari

In the movie Kill Bill, there’s this chick named Gogo Yubari – and she is the opposite of a total new-b (or n00b) – she kicks total butt. In true butt-kicking style, Gogo Yubari can totally own you, making you a n00b, hence making a n00bari of you. Use this as a substitute for n00b to get the one-up on your gamer buddies. Heck, use it to get a one-up on that kid on the playground.

Use: Back off before I pwn you n00bari!
Origin: Yours truly

Freakbag

An adaptation of freak, this word implies a whole lotta freak, or a whole bag of freak. This is a great name to throw out to those friends that are such freaks, that you gotta one-up it.

Use: Whoa dude, that J-Crew scarf makes you look like a total freakbag
Origin: Yours truly

Country

Yes, this is a word. But used in the context of “cool” or “rad”, it’s a totally new use for me. I learned this from my hillbilly friend George after he spastically yelled “Country” at something that he felt was extremely cool.

Use: Hey dude, wanna go out and fish for some delicious Bass? Country!
Origin: George P. Sonnenberg

I’d love to hear about your lingo, albeit probably not as freakishly strange as mine, but then again, who knows? Let’s hear it!

Sweet Skillz

What are my skills? Well, you can sure see some of them around you hiding in various nooks and crannies of this site, but here is a quick overview:

• Web & User Interface Design
• JavaScript, jQuery, AJAX (I know its not a language ;))
• Icon Design & Illustration
• Standards-compliant XHTML/CSS

Am I a good fit?

I love Web and UI design, especially making a site/application unique by adding sweet interactions as well as stunning design. I love finessing a design until it is perfect. I love making a dead-sexy UI with killer interactions to boot. I love pixel-perfect icons. I love being on the cutting edge, messing with all web technologies to provide that one-of-a-kind experience. I love forward-thinking companies that aren’t afraid to rock the boat. I love creating trends.

If you are a potential employer or know of a potential employer looking for a dude like me, please contact me either via the contact page or my online business card (see for instant messenger accounts, resume, email and more)