Nashvegas

I just got back last night from Nashville, TN, where the CBA Advance convention was held. The week was full of interesting meetings and opportunities. (I realize interesting isn't an interesting word, but I'll use it anyway.) Portland Studios (Mainly Jamin Jantz and I had the chance to meet with many different publishers---Waterbrook Press, Barbour Books, Broadman & Holman, Tommy Nelson, Standard Publishing, Kregel, as well as some other publishers and designers. Met with Justin Areyns from Rule 29 and Kirk DouPonce from Dog-Eared Design. We had just finished a project with Kirk, so it was great just talking about how that had gone, and chatting about how he works. We're working on some potential of doing a poster for Blood: Water Mission. They're seeking to dig 1000 wells across Africa in order to help slow the spread of AIDS. Clean water that people can trust is a major advance in these disease-ridden countries. The trip finished up with a quick trip to Big Idea Productions a few minutes away from Nashville. Paul Conrad was very kind to take us around the studio and introduce us to some of the artists and other employees there. We fired questions at them like,"Where did your big idea come from?, Big compared to what? Are you considering diversifying into other big areas besides ideas?, What if you come up with a bigger idea? And of course, What's the Big Idea?" They were very helpful in confiding in us with a multitude of proprietary and top secret answers that I can't divulge here. The Petersons were very kind to allow Jamin, Justin, and me to stay at their home while they were away on a mission trip to Honduras with Compassion International.

Justin Gerard just last night left on a trip to Haiti to work with his dad to help build some churches. He'll be back at work in a few weeks to continue developing his next story ideas and book concepts.