This weekend I took my first dive into the Providence arts scene.

Saturday was the Providence Street Painting Festival and I spent the day drawing in an 8x8 foot square. Considering I am a mere 5’2, that was a lot of space to cover. I was excited to get started Saturday morning and after getting there, was not disappointed. I was one of many artists “painting” (its chalk so I’m not sure why they call it a painting festival) and there was a lot of amazing talent. Providence truly is the Creative Capital!

In addition to all the street artists, there were vendors along Westminster. I’ve been to quite a few art festivals in the past and sometimes the vendors leave something to be desired. This was not the case. The vendors all had incredibly polished work in an array of mediums; from jewelry and greeting cards to slippers and baby onesies. Their products also reflected the stores on Westminster very well. From Symposium Books to Craftland, the stores definitely have the same vibe as the festival. If Providence is the Creative Capital, Westminster is definitely its centerpiece.

From a marketing standpoint this festival was very well done. The location fit with the theme of the festival, definitely driving art goers to the local shops, bringing in vendors this year (first year to do this) brought more people to the event equaling

more money for the Rotary Club. The addition of vendors and new street locations created more opportunities to network with artists and people who are interested in the arts. Overall, smart moves.

At the end of the day I really like the way my chalk art came out, met some very talented people and look forward to my next exposure to Providence’s art scene.

Social Wordsmithery

I love words. I love the written word and spoken word. I believe in word equality and love homophones, heteronyms and onomatopoeia. I love spelling and punctuation.

I am a grammar geek and, as a communications writer, I am consumed with finding the proper word to use in a specific context.

I am interested in many things, from pop culture and trends to black and white movies and Irish music. But the English language is definitely at the top of the list. Here is a centuries-old method of communicating, and it is still evolving!

One only need look to social networking media for evidence of the ever-changing landscape of language and communication:

• capitalization? Don’t worry about it.
• Complting wrds in txt msgs? Not necessary.
• Say it in 140 characters or less? Even better!
• Have you DM’d or RT’d on Twitter yet? Don’t forget to # for trending.

With this brave new world of social media comes a whole new set of social etiquette rules: Do you friend your boss or clients? Should you really be “poking” people you haven’t seen since 1992? Is it obnoxious to “like” your own status updates?

And shame on you if you think Facebook and Twitter are just for “kids today.” There are opportunities for professional networking and brand growth worth exploring.

It is daunting, this new world. Concepts, ideas and applications are constantly developing or getting re-tooled for user ease and, frankly, its all pretty cool. So, I say jump on in, the water is fine!

I think it's possible to blend the traditional with the new and creative – and as a PR professional, I look forward to finding that balance on a daily basis.

With this blog, my aim is to share my odd fascination with all things language – including social media management. My hope is to entertain by keeping things relatively informal and in my voice. My goal is to inform with tasty little nuggets that may surprise you.

Most importantly, I hope you find this blog like a sturdy pair of khaki pants: casual yet still professional.

See you back here soon.

You can take the boy out of Rhode Island...

Like a bad penny (or health care reform) I just keep coming back. Bill and the True North team have graciously asked me to come back into the fold and serve as a contributor to the TNblog.

A little about myself: From 2004 to 2008, I was a student at Providence College and graduated magna cum laude with a BA in English and political science. During my time at PC, I served as chairman and then executive director of the College Democrats of Rhode Island. After graduation, I was hired by Obama for America (OFA) to serve on the staff of their Ocean State operation.

After the campaign, I was lucky enough to be hired by Bill as an account executive at True North, where I had the opportunity to learn from some of the best minds in the business. Last month, I left True North to pursue a Master of Public Policy degree at the University of Minnesota's Hubert H. Humphrey Institute for Public Affairs.

Now, the million-dollar question: What will I be bringing to the TNblog?

Unlike many in my program, who come from the nonprofit sector, I come to policy development with a decidedly political lens. Politics is my passion – a passion I share with many Rhode Islanders, where politics is a favorite local sport. My goal is to discuss political issues that are fermenting beyond Lil' Rhody and its New England neighbors, and bring a focus to the national scope of the political landscape. I look forward to the opportunity to post on the TN Blog regularly.

The Buzz On Creative Culture

As a TNblog contributor, I look forward to sharing my thoughts and opinions on what I find and see in regards to art, design and the graphic design industry in general.

The reason I entered the field of advertising was to find a balance between strategic design and the artistic approach. Advertisements, packaging, brochures… all of the branded material you see on a daily basis, is more than just a single message or a call to action, it is a form of art. Someone labored over that idea (well at least should have) and design trying to create something memorable. I look forward to sharing great ideas, innovative design and snappy advertisements with you.

Along with my insights on the design industry, there is also great architecture, local art and a diverse creative culture here in our little state. There are some great art scenes in the area, tons of festivals and gallery crawls, not to mention a thick history of culture and design.

There are new design innovations happening, local culture to uncover and little snip-its of information that are super useful. I hope to discover, offer, and discuss all of the interesting aspects of design, art and my surroundings and share them here.