Passion Projects
Mentorship
In 2020 NDSU reached out to gauge my interest in participating in their mentorship program. Having had so many outstanding leaders in my life willing to step up and guide my career, it seemed like a natural choice to volunteer my time to support students as they were navigating finding their early career roles. This an outstanding way to exercise leadership skills, embrace networking events, and improve on presentation skills, while examining my own professional presentation.
I have enjoyed mentoring NDSU students ever since in the areas of marketing, creative services, networking, and professional development. The activities we engage in as mentors are resume reviews, LinkedIn and networking etiquette and presentation skills, onboarding advice, job market analysis, job shadowing, and interview rehearsal.
In 2020 NDSU reached out to gauge my interest in participating in their mentorship program. Having had so many outstanding leaders in my life willing to step up and guide my career, it seemed like a natural choice to volunteer my time to support students as they were navigating finding their early career roles. This an outstanding way to exercise leadership skills, embrace networking events, and improve on presentation skills, while examining my own professional presentation.
I have enjoyed mentoring NDSU students ever since in the areas of marketing, creative services, networking, and professional development. The activities we engage in as mentors are resume reviews, LinkedIn and networking etiquette and presentation skills, onboarding advice, job market analysis, job shadowing, and interview rehearsal.
Charitable Involvement
Giving Hearts Day
Founded in 2008, Giving Hearts Day is a 24-hour event for charities in North Dakota and northwest Minnesota. Each year, Giving Hearts Day provides a platform for charities to fund their missions through an ever-increasing community of donors, many of whom get to experience the joy of giving for the first time. The longest-running giving day in the country, Giving Hearts Day has helped participating charities raise more than $138 million since its founding.
I created these looping 3D animated GIFs using Blender 3D and Photoshop as additional support for their awareness campaign. The organizations that I focus on during GHD are the F5 Project, and All Square, both of which are focused on providing support services for reintegrating people with felony convictions back into the community.
Giving Hearts Day
Founded in 2008, Giving Hearts Day is a 24-hour event for charities in North Dakota and northwest Minnesota. Each year, Giving Hearts Day provides a platform for charities to fund their missions through an ever-increasing community of donors, many of whom get to experience the joy of giving for the first time. The longest-running giving day in the country, Giving Hearts Day has helped participating charities raise more than $138 million since its founding.
I created these looping 3D animated GIFs using Blender 3D and Photoshop as additional support for their awareness campaign. The organizations that I focus on during GHD are the F5 Project, and All Square, both of which are focused on providing support services for reintegrating people with felony convictions back into the community.
United Way of Cass Clay
From 2020-2022 I led a subcommittee within Wanzek for the United Way. Our goal was to find a user-friendly, fun way to aggregate donations through a digital platform. With the onset of the Covid pandemic, we had to create a virtual method of keeping the campaign engaging. We built a digital raffle board system through our company intranet and used it to encourage team members to buy digital tickets for themed prize packages.
From 2020-2022 I led a subcommittee within Wanzek for the United Way. Our goal was to find a user-friendly, fun way to aggregate donations through a digital platform. With the onset of the Covid pandemic, we had to create a virtual method of keeping the campaign engaging. We built a digital raffle board system through our company intranet and used it to encourage team members to buy digital tickets for themed prize packages.
Alongside overseeing the subcommittee, scheduling tasks, and updates, I provided additional support from the creative and communications end. One of the most enjoyable tasks was creating looping GIFs to add to our internal communications, encouraging the team with the previous year's impact statements, and aligning the visual identity with the larger campaign.
Overall, we raised nearly $20,000 through our subcommittee and over $200,000 total for the United Way.
Overall, we raised nearly $20,000 through our subcommittee and over $200,000 total for the United Way.
Space
Generative AI Art Collaborations
AI art generators are a contentious subject at the moment, but they represent cutting-edge creative technology. The power to curate and facilitate art direction with the assistance of a machine is truly inspiring, and I look forward to the developments within the creative space.
AI art generators are a contentious subject at the moment, but they represent cutting-edge creative technology. The power to curate and facilitate art direction with the assistance of a machine is truly inspiring, and I look forward to the developments within the creative space.
Character Studies
AI text-to-image generators are an ideal way to explore character studies. They allow for quick and easy creation of images that represent a character's physical appearance and personality. By feeding the AI system a detailed description of a character, a range of images can be generated that capture different aspects of the character's appearance and personality. This can be useful for writers and artists looking to develop and explore their characters in greater depth. Additionally, AI text-to-image generators can help create a visual representation of characters, useful for visualizing scenes and settings in stories.
Practical Use: Industry Collateral
While creating art through AI with creative direction is in of itself monumentally rewarding, finding real-world use cases for these images provides key practical experience with a contentious subject. These images were used on internal marketing materials for clients, as well as printed onto canvas for display around Wanzek offices, and in the homes of our leadership team.
While creating art through AI with creative direction is in of itself monumentally rewarding, finding real-world use cases for these images provides key practical experience with a contentious subject. These images were used on internal marketing materials for clients, as well as printed onto canvas for display around Wanzek offices, and in the homes of our leadership team.
Environmental Explorations
Generators are an ideal way to create realistic and detailed landscapes and environments. By feeding a description of a desired landscape or environment to the AI system, it can generate images that capture the key features and characteristics of that setting. This can be useful for artists and designers looking to create detailed and immersive environments for their work. Additionally, generators can help create a visual representation of a landscape or environment, useful for planning and visualization in various industries.
Generators are an ideal way to create realistic and detailed landscapes and environments. By feeding a description of a desired landscape or environment to the AI system, it can generate images that capture the key features and characteristics of that setting. This can be useful for artists and designers looking to create detailed and immersive environments for their work. Additionally, generators can help create a visual representation of a landscape or environment, useful for planning and visualization in various industries.
Space
Space
Certified Drone Pilot
I have been operating prosumer UAV platforms for the last 8 years, and have been a commercially certified drone pilot since 2016. Flying drones provided me with a creative outlet to learn camera movement in a way that I hadn't had a chance to experience with tripods and stabilizers. One of the most challenging parts of drone operations is staying up to date on FAA guidelines and policy changes. From 2016-2019, I was one of three operators in the Fargo-Moorhead region that had a nighttime operations waiver, granting me access from the FAA outside of daylight hours. Flight safety and situational awareness are top priorities when it comes to drone operations.
I have been operating prosumer UAV platforms for the last 8 years, and have been a commercially certified drone pilot since 2016. Flying drones provided me with a creative outlet to learn camera movement in a way that I hadn't had a chance to experience with tripods and stabilizers. One of the most challenging parts of drone operations is staying up to date on FAA guidelines and policy changes. From 2016-2019, I was one of three operators in the Fargo-Moorhead region that had a nighttime operations waiver, granting me access from the FAA outside of daylight hours. Flight safety and situational awareness are top priorities when it comes to drone operations.
Drone Reel
Aerial Timelapse