Daddy Cross, my friend and coworker with the best nickname in the world, is usually a very bold woman. The kind of power house I imagine Julia Louis-Dreyfus to be. Speaks truth to power in a voice that can do all sorts of things. Best physical comedy I’ve ever seen in a person. But I shouldn’t be surprised, because she’s a total theater kid. Last week, as I hobbled my way past her desk, she asked, in a squeaky voice: “Are you busy, like, in general?”

I’m never busy. I learned early on in University that answering the question “How are you?” with “Oh my, I’m so busy” was both boring and unproductive. I always reserve space for emergency design work, on-the-fly meetings, and time-sensitive requests. But Daddy Cross' question wasn’t about work.

In April, she and her theater friends will be on stage in Rotterdam (and hopefully Amsterdam) to perform an anthology of three single-act plays. Did I have a moment to maybe help them put together some promotional artwork?

As you may remember, I spent a week in the hospital becoming enthralled with the workings of Procreate.app. Where I’ve dreaded such assignments in the past simply because of how disappointing I find the work I produce in Adobe Illustrator, I now felt excitement about making something beautiful. And I’m pleased with how it all came together.

One of the prominent memories I have of doing client work out of Studio Zinzy was the utter boredom I felt just doing whatever they told me. My time on-site at technology companies gave me a sense of autonomy and proactiveness that I carry with me to this day. But with small-scale client work, after twenty times of a freelance writer telling me they really preferred a serif font for a heading typeface because it looked softer, I usually just ended up giving in.

I had expected doing this assignment would give me a similar lack of affect, but nothing could be further from the truth. Having been away from freelance work for a decade now, it seems I’ve made a transformation in the process. I suppose “the older you get, the fewer fucks you give” is an adage as true here as it is anywhere.

There were various suggestions Daddy Cross made over WhatsApp that I second-guessed, didn’t like, or quietly ignored. Not because she’s an idiot, quite the contrary, but because I felt entirely comfortable thinking: I’m a designer, I know what I’m talking about. I’d take her considerations seriously, listen intently, and return something that surprised her. Kinda like ChatGPT, but without the hallucinations and poor visual execution.

While doodling hands and phone cords for a week I realized: thirteen years ago, I was giving in because my design practice was immature.

I think the result speaks for itself: delightful film noir-inspired scenes with a moody color scheme and lots of ink wash. And what a blast it was creating it. Daddy Cross already asked me if I’d be available for more assignments. I didn’t tell her no.

If you’re in the area early April, get your tickets. They’re a talented bunch.