musings

Almostronaut Marleen looking up thoughtfully, her head surrounded by a drawn astronaut helmet, with white thought bubbles above her on a dark background.

AI and the Creative Process

On Wednesday, I attended the Pacific Northwest Creatives Summit in Victoria, as a panelist on a discussion titled "AI for Creatives: Smart Use, Real Risks, and What’s Next". Here's how...
Illustration of a smiling astronaut floating in space with stars in the background. An orange and yellow beam extends behind the astronaut. The text "Almostronaut Creative" appears on the right side.

On Niching Down (And Why We Didn’t) (…or Didn’t We?)

As we’re stepping into a new year, I’ve been doing a bit of looking back. 2025 was a year where our own brand quietly but firmly solidified. We overhauled the...
Three Pantone color swatches labeled for 2024, 2025, and 2026 show Peach Fuzz, Mocha Mousse, and Cloud Dancer against a dark background with small white dots.

Pantone’s Color of the Year 2026: Cloud Dancer

Pantone has released its Color of the Year 2026. It’s a dove grey called Cloud Dancer. For background: Pantone’s Color of the Year is a trend forecast, part cultural snapshot,...
Almostronaut Marleen looking up thoughtfully, her head surrounded by a drawn astronaut helmet, with white thought bubbles above her on a dark background.

Can we talk about AI notetaker bots for a moment?

It's starting to happen more often that people are sending their AI notetaker bots to video meetings, but then don't show up in person. AI notetakers can be useful to,...
Almostronaut Marleen looking up thoughtfully, her head surrounded by a drawn astronaut helmet, with white thought bubbles above her on a dark background.

Marketing, but With Consent

What even is marketing? One answer is: marketing is when you manipulate a person into buying a thing. It’s not wrong. Working in marketing full-time, I’ve really had to reconcile...
Two large, orange and yellow gradient circles resembling planets are set against a dark background with small white dots representing distant stars.

AI on Your Website: When to Use It, When to Avoid It, and the Ethics of It All

Artificial intelligence is everywhere right now, and it’s tempting to think it might be the shortcut you’ve been waiting for: quick logos, instant illustrations, endless streams of blog posts. But...
Almostronaut Marleen looking up thoughtfully, her head surrounded by a drawn astronaut helmet, with white thought bubbles above her on a dark background.

I don’t Believe in Competition

Some industries are cutthroat, but small business doesn’t have to be. I’m not saying competition doesn’t exist; I just don’t think it’s the whole story. I don't feel in competition...
A white and blue plumbing van with a cartoon bear holding a wrench, water spraying from pipes, and contact info.

Vehicle Wraps – Why Blend in if You Could Stand Out?

Traffic has never looked more boring. The roads, right now, are dominated by a limited palette of vehicle colors: most cars white, gray, black, or silver... far fewer colorful options...
Almostronaut Marleen looking up thoughtfully, her head surrounded by a drawn astronaut helmet, with white thought bubbles above her on a dark background.

Writing About Yourself Is the Worst

I would know. I left my own agency website untouched for years, happily letting client projects take priority every single day. Because writing about somebody else? Easy. Praising another person’s...
A card labeled "Artistic License" jokingly granting creative license for imaginative acts.

Creative License in Marketing: How to Balance Rules and Whimsy

In marketing, we walk a strange tightrope. On one side are design rules, industry standards, and cultural expectations. On the other side is the urge to do something unexpected, funny,...
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We respectfully express our gratitude and appreciation to live and create on the unceded traditional territory of the T’Sou-ke First Nation - HÍSW̱KE - as well as in Apple Valley, located on the traditional, ancestral, and contemporary lands of the Mdewakanton Dakota people, part of the Oceti Sakowin (Seven Council Fires) - Pidámaya, and along the length of the Mississippi River, where Indigenous peoples have lived and cared for these lands since time immemorial. We strive to uphold our mutual values of storytelling and environmental stewardship.

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thank you from
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