MANIFEST CREATIVE - A Year In Review

Happy New Year everyone! We here at Manifest Creative would like to extend our most sincere wishes for a very happy, healthy and prosperous 2008 for you and yours.

With the onset of a New Year comes a fresh set of New Year’s resolutions - and the same could be said here at Manifest Creative. In 2008 we look forward to bringing you new and exciting services, as well as providing the highest level of customer service possible. We are resolved to bring you the best creative and design services available in the area!

As we enter into the New Year, it is amazing to look back just twelve months ago and see how far we have come... 2007 marked an especially great and exciting year for Manifest Creative! The company itself experienced a huge amount of growth, and as individuals we had the honor of working on some great projects with simply outstanding customers. We feel it is only fitting to attribute a great deal of our success to the companies and individuals who trusted us with their unique design needs.

That being said, we would like to share a sampling of projects that stand out as some of our best work.

The web development side of Manifest Creative really took off in 2007, and is still experiencing an ever increasing level of growth. One of the key websites that we developed was a high-traffic custom site for one the area’s newest and most exciting publications, the Big Sky Sun. Now, thousands of people from all over the world visit www.thebigskysun.com as their source for informative and entertaining news from across Southwest Montana. We admit that developing a website to handle the challenges of a rapidly expanding newspaper was a difficult task, but we are confident that the results speak for themselves.

Recently we also launched yet another noteworthy project in late December 2007 for Rivers To Peaks Real Estate in Big Sky, MT. The new www.riverstopeaks.com is a fine example of how we were able to design a beautiful and well functioning site, while overcoming challenges from not only a development standpoint, but also within an unique time frame to have the job completed. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank Martha Johnson and the entire staff at Rivers To Peaks Real Estate, for trusting us to develop one of the most visited realty websites in the region!

Although the web development side of Manifest is going strong, we still have our roots planted deeply in the print industry as well. Throughout 2007 we catered to a broad range of customers, and completed a vast array of print products including creative postcards, brochures, family photo letters, wedding invites, and entire business identity packages with logos, business cards and letterhead. We often took projects from the very basics of initial logo concepts, clear through to printing and delivery.

We take extreme pride in every print project we create, as we do with all products we design. Some pieces that stand out from ‘07 include logo and/or identity work for Full Circle Indoor Kart Racing, Jackson Law P.C., Alternative Flooring, Alternative Waterscapes, RainDrain Seamless Gutters, Bozeman Fence, McAllister Contracting and Mail & More Bozeman. We’ve also had the privilege of working on advertisements, flyers, newsletters and a host of other unique products for clients such as American Land Title Co., The American Prairie Foundation, Montana Travel, Montana Tile & Stone and many others.


In closing (and since it is the New Year and all), we’d like to extend an offer to help your company fulfill the resolutions of increasing your brand’s awareness, making more profit, expanding your customer base and client satisfaction.

Call Manifest Creative today at 406-585-9406 and schedule your complimentary initial consultation. After all, it’s FREE… but the ideas we come up with may be priceless! If you then decide to schedule a project anytime in the first quarter of 2008, we’ll give you a $50.00 CREDIT towards any of our design services.

We look forward to hearing from you, and again wish you all the best in 2008!

Sincerely,






David Howlett & Philip Downer
Manifest Creative
www.manifestbozeman.com

I'm a BLOGGER!!!

Well finally I did it... I joined BLOGGER! You see, I used to have do all my blogging on MYSPACE, but WEBSENSE has been blocking me from doing that for a few months now. I was deepy discouraged by this, and in turn stopped posting blogs for a while. Then something happened... I missed it! Seems that some part of me really enjoys putting my thoughts into words for anyone to read... so after some research I found myself here on BLOGGER.

I figured it would be a waste to just abandon all my blogs on MYSPACE, so I copied and pasted them all on here, which is why I have so many postings on January 15th. As you may have noticed, I put the actual dates of the original posting behind the blog tittles in parenthesis. It was interesting to re-post these blogs as it gave me a chance to re-read over all of them. I found it amazing to reinterpret how I was feeling during a particular day, time, month or even a year previously. It really was quite entertaining!

So YEAH... I have a new home on BLOGGER... I hope my life as a blogger only gets better from here. So I extend an invitation to please read, enjoy, think about and last but not least comment on my little blog. After all, that is what I'm here for!

Your's truly,

SuperDave

You Can’t Make A Heart Love Somebody (09/16/2007)

So I was surfing the internet at work this morning, and as usual I had iTunes open in the background as I navigated my way through my normal electronic stomping grounds. I was listening to some country tunes (George Strait specifically) when the following song a came on. As the melody played, the words seemed to strike a haunting chord in me.

Suddenly I was deeply saddened by the truth of the lyrics, and couldn't help but look back on moments when those very words perfectly described scenarios in my life. Times when I was dating people and I fell haphazardly head over heels for them, only to learn they did not share my deep feelings of connection. Every time I can remember wondering what I could have done or said to somehow win the love and affection of the person I so desired.

I have also been on the opposite end of that spectrum. Yes, believe it or not I have had females vying for my attention. I have even been proposed to a few times. I am not proud of the fact that even I have broken a heart or two.

One time in particular, was with a beautiful, intelligent, vivacious and promising young woman, whom I had shared a lengthy relationship with. I recall one night we were engaged in a wonderful dinner. It was late fall and the interior of the upscale restaurant was lit with dozens of candles... shadows flickered and music played softly in the background. It was in fact very romantic. We had both a few glasses of wine, and suddenly she stared intensely into my eyes and then came right out and told me "David, you are The One".

I was at a complete loss for words, and I did the hardest gut check I can ever remember. The moment of silence seemed to drag on forever as she waited for my response with glowing anticipation. My mind was telling me "Say you love her!", but everything in the rest of my being was telling me not to. As much as I wanted to tell her she was "The One", I already knew she was not. That one single night was a distinct turning point in our relationship... she never forgave me, and ultimately it ended up destroying it.

So this goes out to all of us who have ever endured that helpless feeling of wanting the love of someone so terribly bad. It is also for those who have had to be the bearer of news that ended up hurting someone they truly cared about. Being let down or being the person doing the letting down is never easy...

So I share with you the lyrics to "You Can't Make A Heart Love Somebody" by George Strait

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

At a table for two, with candle light and wine.
That diamond burnin' holes in his pockets, thinkin' now's the perfect time.
When he popped the question, he could see the teardrops fill her eyes.
She said I knew this was comin' and I'm sorry, but I hope you realize.

You can't make a heart love somebody.
You can tell it what to do, but it won't listen at all.
You can't make a heart love somebody.
You can lead a heart to love, but you can't make it fall.

Then she reached for his hand and said, I want you to know,
I've done everything that I know of to make the feeling grow.
I've begged and I've pleaded with my heart, but there's no gettin' through.
My heart's the only part of me that's not in love with you.

You can't make a heart love somebody.
You can tell it what to do, but it won't listen at all.
You can't make a heart love somebody.
You can lead a heart to love, but you can't make it fall.

You can lead a heart to love, but you can't make it fall.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Well there you go... a moment to reflect. Friends all I can say is love and learn, learn and love. Someday... God willing, maybe just maybe we will all find that soul mate we are in search of.

Good luck friends!

Your's truly,

David

Call me Jerry... or just call me! (09/01/2007)

I have a problem... you see by nature I tend to be an extremely social person. I am an extrovert to the highest degree, and I love to include others in the activities I enjoy. That being said, I don't enjoy doing most things on my own, as I would rather share my experiences with others. Admittedly I would rather be in the company of friends than be alone. This is a condition of mine that I struggle with constantly, as often I find myself not participating or failing to enjoy a particular activity due to the simple fact that I can't talk somebody into enjoying it with me. So go ahead and call me Jerry Maguire, but I just don't do well by myself.

Now I'm not saying that I can't do things alone, in fact I end up doing that more often than I care to admit; it is just that I prefer the company of others is all. I have known about this condition of mine for quite some time now, and I'm sure that is blatantly apparent to those who know me well. Fortunately for me, I have a wide pool of friends who I try to evenly displace my need for companionship on.

I don't know where this desire for socialization stems from, yet I cannot deny it's persistence in my psyche. Maybe it is due to the fact that for a number of years growing up I was extremely shy and somewhat quiet. Then somewhere in my late teens that all changed with an influx of new friends who thankfully pulled me out of my shell.

This metamorphosis from an introvert to an extrovert has had it's benefits, as well as it's drawbacks. On the plus side it has done amazing things to help me in my career... especially in sales. I have also been able to develop quite a few amazing and fulfilling relationships with a number of individuals, both professionally and personally. It has also helped me to have fabulous times up on stage singing, and has been an indispensable resource when the time comes to make a speech or toast.

On the flip side to this is there are periods of time in my life when I simply don't have friends available for one reason or another, and sometimes this leaves me with incredible feelings of despair and an unnerving sense of being alone. Often during these times I find myself desperately reaching out with phone calls, texts, emails or a number of other means of communication to anyone who will listen. There have been times when every effort I make seems to go unnoticed, every call ends up unanswered in a voicemail box, every text goes out with no reply or maybe simply ignored. It is at those times that my feelings of distress compound and intensify.

Luckily those moments of feeling alone are few and far between for the most part, and I consider myself blessed to have the great friends I do today. All in all, the benefits and positives of my "condition" far outweigh the negatives. As is the norm, I remain an optimist and each new day brings promise of that next experience.

In conclusion I have to say thanks to all of you who entertain me or bear with me as I attempt to entertain you. As my friends and loved ones, you are the sparkle in my eyes... the joy in my laughter... and my reason for living. You are a resource I hope to never lose and I sincerely hope that I am able to repay all you do for me whatever that may be.

~ David

Ode to Summer! (06/14/07)

I wake up, the sun is already streaming through the shades covering my window and the light makes the room feel bright and warm. I stretch and smile as I hear birds of all kinds singing as they forage for worms, grubs, seed and other food in the yard. I feel a movement at my feet, and a little small lump under the covers slowly makes it's way up from the darkness. Then a small furry head peaks out from under the sheet, and in an instant I feel a cold nose on my ear and wet licks on my cheek. This is my dog Brutus's morning ritual, and his way of telling me it is time to roll out of bed and let him outside.

Lazily I pull the sheets away from my body and stretch again, before placing my feet on the floor and standing up. Just as soon as I'm on my feet, Brutus springs from the bed and awaits me anxiously at the door... tail wagging furiously. I slide into a pair of shorts and throw on a T-shirt before opening the bedroom door and watching Brutus bound off down the hallway. I too make my way down the hallway only to find Brutus waiting at the patio door leading to the back yard. I slide the door open and in mere seconds he is down the steps of the deck and sprinting across the lawn. He goes off and hides as he does his thing, and then returns to the center of the yard. He rolls on his back and sprawls out to and fro, joyfully basking in the moring sunlight.

I step out onto the deck and am immediately showered in intense sunshine, the warmth of which energizes my soul. I make my way cautiously across the aging deck which is riddled with nails precariously positioned in numerous locations like painful land minds for the soles of unlucky feet. Leaning over the rail, I look out past the fenceline and down at the still swollen and muddy Gallatin River. The recent rains and temperature have the water rushing madly and mightily right up to the banks. The plant don't mind though, as the trees have exploded into full bloom and everything is lush and green.

As I look out at the back yard, I realize that I am truly happy... Summer has finally arrived! I begin to think of all the recent adventures I have been on, and smile to myself. Just over the past few weeks I have had many a good time occupying myself with river rafting, hiking, mountain biking, bonfires, playing Frisbee golf (folf), riding the motorcycle, golfing, playing on the 4wheeler, and just the other day I even went up in a helicopter. Along with the warmth of Summer, comes almost too many fun opportunities to choose from. There are so many things still on my agenda to do, and so much more fun to be had... I can't wait!!!

So I raise a toast to Summer... to backyard barbecues, to sunburns and good friends, to hot days and tubing trips down the river, to girls in bikinis, to motorcycles, to fishing, to steep hikes up to mountain lakes, to tents and camping, to muddy roads and ATVs, to flat rocks for skipping, to skiing and tubing behind powerboats, to bonfires and roasting marshmallows, to drive thru movie theatres, to fireworks, to fairs and carnivals, to cotton candy and sticky fingers, to kayaking and rafting, to road trips with the windows down, to Music on Main, to the Crystal Rooftop, to hearty meals on outdoor patios, to ice cold beer, to 18 holes of golf, to cliff jumping, to everything else there is to see and do in this all-too-short, wonderfully warm season we call Summer.

So savor it... enjoy it... make the most of it... because as we all know, it will be gone and over all too soon! Have fun, be safe, and if if something springs up that I 'd be interested in... well for the love of it all, give me a shout!

Later,

Dave

I love you Mom!!! (05/12/07)

Tomorrow is Mother's Day, so this one is for you Mom...!

Mom,

You are the amazing woman who carried me for three quarters of a year, and endured the pain of bringing me into this world. It was your voice... ever so soft and comforting, that soothed and reassured me even as I grew in your womb. It was you who first cradled me in your loving arms and looked into my eyes.

You introduced me to my Father, and my older siblings. It seems you were a mom long before really becoming a mom, taking in your step-children Vickie, Pam and Warren Jr. and raising and loving them as your own. Stacey was the first of your actual children, and it was your love that helped pull her thru the many complications of being premature. Although her chances of survival were unbelievably slim, you never gave up on her, and eventually through your strength she became healthy and strong. You and Dad called her your miracle, but in actuality you were really her miracle.

After you had me and we all came home from the hospital, you welcomed me into a clean and tidy home already filled with love and laughter. Even with all us "rug-rats" running around, the house was always immaculate... yet wonderfully comfortable.

As a baby I was always close to you, and you had the patience of a Saint through sleepless nights out in the rocking chair. You took me everywhere, showed me everything, and you made it a point to tell me about everything. You always talked, sang to me and kept me entertained, and I was always learning from you. You would often tickle me and get down on the floor to play with me. You have always said that I was a happy baby, and I have to believe that much of that comes from you.

Once I learned to crawl you told me that I was quite mischievous and tried to get into everything, but you always had a watchful eye on me. Before you knew it, I was walking... and then I caused some real trouble. You were always firm and strict, but yet somehow laughter would eventually win-out... at least most of the time.

I think I was about three when you gave birth to Danny, giving me a little brother and bringing the grand total of kids to six. Of course some of my older siblings were already out of the house at this point. Seems like there was usually at least five people at the dinner table on most nights. You are an amazing cook, and we always had wonderful hot home-made meals to feast on. Despite a number of mouths to feed, you never let us go hungry.

As kids, you allowed us get dirty and when we'd had enough, you would throw a couple of us in the bathtub and scrub us clean. You always kept a good supply of bubble bath at the ready, and we would sit in that tub and play until the water turned cold, and you'd have to remove us kicking and screaming because we wanted to stay in! Then, before putting us to bed you were always there to read us a story and kiss us goodnight.

Some of my favorite times were the camping trips we would take every summer, and you always encouraged us to be adventurous and to go explore. You and Dad made it a point to get us out into the mountains and to the lakes and rivers... showing us a respect and a love for nature. Sometimes that exploring would lead to bruises and scrapes though, so when we came to you hurt and crying, you were always there to administer first-aid, brush the tears away and make it all better with a kiss.

As we all grew up, you always let us be who we wanted to be, and even though you sometimes disagreed with it, you were usually somewhat accepting of our friends and behavior. I remember a period of time when I had a mohawk, an earring, and a host of skater punk friends that were pretty much up to no good. You weren't very fond of them, and I laugh now at your comment of "Hey, if you all want to look and act like morons, that's up to you!" Must have sunk in though, because I eventually shaped up.

During my years in Junior High and High School, you always pushed me to do better and to pursue my interests. You were also there to reprimand me when I got into trouble, which I admit was sometimes far too frequent. Through your nudging and encouragement, I managed to get through everything and graduate.

It wasn't to long after that that I moved out on my own, and I remember how proud you were when I got my first job in Graphic Design at the newspaper. It was first time ever being away from you for long periods of time, and boy did I ever miss you... especially at dinner time! Fortunately I didn't live all that far away and was able to visit frequently.

Then suddenly we lost Dad, and unbelievably you were a cornerstone of strength for all us kids. Although I tried to be strong throughout the whole ordeal, seeing you... my mother... cry for my father, is one of the hardest things I have ever experienced. I'm your Son, and that day at the funeral I witnessed your heart break, and that in turn broke mine. It was the toughest thing I have ever had to go through, and it is one of the only times in my adult life that I have truly wept. I know you miss him everyday Mom, and so do I and the rest of the family, but as you know he is watching over us now and blesses all of our lives.

Those difficult times are quite a while back, and now all us kids are all grown and are pursuing lives of our own. We are all busy trying to survive and we don't get to see you as much as we would like. You are always there though Mom... mirrored in our mannerisms and expressions, and in our thoughts and prayers.

There is so much more I could have written... seemingly endless volumes of memories and experiences that we have shared. To me you are the world's best Mom... you have gone from being a step mom, to a wonderful mother, to a grandmother, and even to a great grand-mommy. You have taken care of your own children, raised step children, looked over other peoples children, and even taken in your grand-babies. You have been there for all us, giving us hope, inspiration and love. The impact you have had on our lives cannot be measured, and we could never repay you for everything you have been and done for all of us.

Thanks for being my Mom... I LOVE YOU!

Sincerely... your Son,

David

The Decay of Modern Communication and Socialization (05/05/2007)

I must preface this post by saying I am very much a fan of new technology, and the convenience of today's modern devices and means of communication. I admit to being guilty myself of purchasing, subscribing, using... and sometimes even abusing much of what I'll be writing about in this blog. So I post this blog to hopefully add some insight and stir up the pot to get people thinking and talking... as always I want your opinions and kudos!

OK, so the other day I was talking to a friend of mine over the telephone about modern communication and some of my concerns with it. It seems as though with today's modern gadgets and conveniences, such as cellular phones and wireless internet, much of the population is losing it's grip on social interaction and proper communication.

What do I base this opinion on you ask? Well that's easy, as I simply have to open my cell phone and read a few texts, or log into my email and browse through some of my incoming mail. It's all right there in front of me... it's everywhere... spelling errors, the lack of proper punctuation and capitalization, words being used in the wrong sense, countless abbreviations... and blatant disregard of the English language as a whole.

Now this isn't something new, it has been going on for centuries. You see, with almost any great new invention, there are not only advantages, but also the adverse effects or fall-out that happens as a result of that invention. It is your basic cause and effect, although sometimes we are so caught up in the new fangled "thing" that we lose focus on what side effects it may be causing.

Let me give you some examples:

Letters/Messages - Written language in it's many forms, continues to be a powerful communication method, despite having been around for thousands of years. A side affect of written communication is that we lose the ability to relay our message in person, thus missing out on key signals from our other senses, such as body language, touch, taste and smell.

Telephone - The invention of the telephone is one of the most amazing technological breakthroughs of our time, and I can't imagine life without it. With all the benefits of the telephone, some of the side effects are that we lose much of the same things as listed above with the written message. So not only do we miss out on significant visual clues such as a handshake, head nod, or hand signals might give... but we also have nothing that is tangible. There is nothing to hold onto, all you have is just a voice on the line.

Email/Texts - Oh what would modern communication be without these wonderful tools? Although through the use of email and text messaging we are able to share entire thoughts or messages to single or multiple individuals with the press of a few buttons, it has many of the same limitations as the other previous examples. Then when you add in today's mix of ridiculous abbreviations and so-called "options" that these services provide us, it can get particularly messy.

Let's see, so I've described briefly how communication deteriorates when you are not dealing with the individual(s) you are interacting with face to face. Now I understand that there are certain parts of this degradation that are to be expected, and for the most part are unavoidable. I don't have much of a problem with that sort. What I do have concerns about though, are some of the adverse effects that our modern conveniences enable us to exercise.

One of my main complaints with today's communication is the manipulation of the English language. You see, with all our technological advances that are supposed to save us time and help speed up the world, it seems as if everybody is looking for ways to cut corners when it comes to actual communication. In doing so, many people have thrown the English book right out the window... trading it in for terrible spelling habits and an ever-growing and somewhat controversial phenomenon known as "internet slang" or "initialisms".

Initialsims such as "LOL" (Laughing out loud), which are more correctly described as acronyms, have traditionally been used in chat rooms and other text based communications. These acronyms are simply abbreviations originated to quickly express bodily reactions in the form of text. This list of initialisms is constantly growing, ever changing, and is now used along with "emoticons" and "smileys" by a majority of internet users. This form of relaying a message has also seen considerable widespread leakage into other forms of digital communication as well.

These initialisms/acronyms are becoming quite controversial, and as more and more of them emerge, they are becoming ever more problematic and obscure. While abbreviations such as "r" (are), "u" (you), and "4" (for) have become fairly common, these acronyms can often be difficult to decipher or misunderstood all together. The use of this type of communication, has been viewed down upon by many professionals, and they recommend against their use, either in general or in specific contexts such as business communications. These professionals tend to agree that these new words, being abbreviations for existing, long-used, phrases, don't "enrich" anything; they just shorten it.

On the other hand, there are those people who would say this isn't the decline of English at all, but instead a brand new youthful variety of language that's just beginning to evolve. Now I always had strong marks in English class, so I am relatively against this suggestion. I actually cringe when I get messages filled with spelling errors, initialisms, and the such. I mean are we as a society going to accept this "laziness" as the norm? I certainly hope not!

There are also a growing number of people who actually prefer electronic communication to actual physical contact. I think that speaks volumes about what type of impact these communications have on people these days. With modern technology we are able to control, who, when and where we want to message others. We can even avoid being contacted all together! So this is what being "connected" feels like huh... is it any wonder that there are more people than ever that feel isolated and alone?

If you ask me, I'd say modern communication is rather cold and emotionless. It gives us the ability to say things without expression, effectiveness or emotion. I'm sorry, but seeing a sad, Pacman looking emoticon has nowhere near the same effect as the sight of tears running down a someone's cheek as you hear them cry and feel their sobbing. That being said, nor does ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, underlined text, exclamation points (!!!), or even LOL have any of the power of uncontrollable laughter, a smile, and a gleam in the eye. As further evidence, I also have never been nearly as turned on by XOXOXO, as I have by the scent, touch, and kiss of a woman.

So to all of you out there I give you the following advice:

If possible plan a nice trip to visit a friend and bring a small gift... instead of simply just calling them. If visiting isn't an option, then call and talk to somebody.... in place of sending them a letter. If making a call just doesn't work out, sit down and in pen and paper actually write someone a nice message... before sending an electronic email. If you have no stamps, type up an email and make sure to use spellcheck... before texting to their phone. If completely out of options or you have to send multiple people the same message, then by all means text their cell. Now with all of these options, remember to use some class... respect yourself and respect the person your communicating with. This means using proper English, checking your spelling and grammar, using appropriate capitalization and punctuation, and for the love of English... can you please refrain from using initialisms, emoticons, smileys and such as much as possible!

Thanks for reading... LOL!

SuperDave