So as a designer I want everything potential clients or employers see to look fabulous…

I’m pretty liberal with my work… since I publish this blog I do post some things that maybe aren’t my finest, but I just like to put it out there anyway.

Today I realized that my resume was super ugly.

Embarrasing.

It was a bad representation of me and definitely wasn’t going to work the way I wanted…

and that Arial type… uggh..

So I started the makeover with a clean slate and was determined to keep it as clean as possible. This makes the document look better and read better, but more than that it fits my style more appropriately.

The first thing I did was add a second column and change to Helvetica which made a dramatic difference right off the bat.

I got rid of all the scary dark areas and high contrast black and white in favor of more eyeball-friendly colors.

Finally, after playing around with some custom illustrated type similar to what I’ve done for Thunderbeard and other projects, I opted for a header that was slightly more conservative but still showed a bit of my personality.

Even though I could have done much more, I am happy with the results and think it definitely represents me better than that terrifying form above.

Like how it turned out? It’s a pretty simple design, but if you’d like to save a few steps feel free to download this AI template. Enjoy!

My submission to the ReadyMade Magazine’s “How Does Music Inspire You?” contest has been selected to be part of their exhibit during the South by Southwest festival.

I wish I had more time to create multiple submissions. It would have definitely helped my odds (the Grand Prize winner submitted 9 different pieces to the contest).

Her Grand prize-winning entry is a good one though, so I’m happy her hard work paid off.

And I’m really proud and excited to have my work displayed where people are partying in public.

Here are some close-up images to show the details:

All are editorial in nature, and some of them are quite personal.

I like to think that each image can tell a story… even without the accompanying article.

I guess that is why I love illustration, and especially illustrating in this sort of minimalist style… the most concise storytelling you might find.

Bon Iver

From just a quick, funny thought about the differences between Bon Iver and myself.

Guess the Smell

A fun illustration from another brief but funny piece.

A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall

A very personal illustration created on a day I received what may be life-altering and death-impending news from  my doctor.

The Real Wolverine

One of my longer articles about Autism and evolution. It was a reaction to another article I’d read that day regarding Autism in the workplace.

Denial

Another very personal illustration about cancer and the luxury of denial.

Thanks a lot, God

More personal thoughts surrounding my own lack of faith even in response to answered prayer.

It only takes a day of easy life for me to feel entitled to the reins of my life.

Do any of these resonate with you?

Do they actually tell the stories that I imagine?

I’d love some feedback to see if I’m hitting the mark, if these illustrations make sense, or make you uncomfortable, or you can identify with any one of them, or whatever….

What do you think?

The blog will feature original illustrations, photos, and writing from Troy DeShano Creative.

It also has a really cool playlist so you can listen to related music (as you read about Neko Case, for instance).

The content is about processing life. We all share experiences, we all have our own unique experiences as well… sometimes they are “good,” and sometimes “bad.” Regardless… these experiences shape us, change us, and ultimately make life alive.

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