What I Learned Working With the Designer of My Dreams
Make it fun, good is done, and more…
I’m so excited to share a new look and feel for my newsletter, Mia’s Queue. I’ve got a new publication icon, an approach for hero images, a custom (!) font, and my own iconography. I am over the moon. It feels so me.
For this, I thank the designer of my dreams, Michael Cina, and Sam Valenti IV for introducing me. I had long admired Michael’s work over at Herb Sundays and Ghostly. Many times, when Sam posted something, I would breathlessly ask who designed it. Soon enough, I knew the answer: Michael strikes again.
So I went for it, pinched myself when Michael said yes, and we immediately got down to business. Our process was hyper-focused, boundaried, and more profound than I expected. Our Southern Italian heritage connected us, but also it was deeper than that. Michael brought his life’s wisdom to this work, and I took away a lot from the process.
• Listen deeply
Michael started by listening intently to what I wanted. I made a Pinterest board that offered a visual representation of “my vibe,” and I explained my loves (collage, neon, rave iconography), challenges (consistency, coherency, time), and wishes (something cool that I could do myself).
• Teach a girl to fish
Michael immediately understood that I needed a system and guardrails, not an answer key handed to me. He armed me with assets, instructions, and a few examples — a bike with training wheels. Now the wheels are off. NGL, it’s a little scary to be trying something new in public, but I will publish even if it’s not “perfect.” It’s part of my staredown with discomfort.
• Push past discomfort
I admit that when Michael first showed me the font, I had a flash of panic. “Oh, this might be too out there for me,” I thought. “And is it too hard to read?” But I told myself to wait before reacting to ensure I understood his vision. When he explained the whole system, I saw the font as an artistic element first and foremost. The fact that it’s unconventional is what makes it so cool. You don’t have to be able to understand what it says instantly. Maybe sitting with it for a while is exactly the point.
• Make it fun
If it was going to be too hard or complicated, it was no good. Michael kept repeating “This should be fun for you.” After a lifetime of shoulds and musts, this felt like a rule I wanted to follow. He said this four or five times. How freeing! How…fun! Now I can’t wait to make images for my posts.
• Put a box around it (literally and figuratively)
You don’t want to waste Michael’s time. I noticed he put a box around everything we did, forcing efficiency. In the template itself, an invisible grid structure keeps me within bounds and provides some of the consistency I was craving. Our collaboration process was streamlined and fast: a few surgical meetings, to-the-point emails, keys to the castle, and scene.
• Good is done
How do you know when art is finished? How do you know when to stop tinkering and fretting? “Good is done” is another thing Michael said to me more than once. I got it. Spend an hour on it. Tweak if necessary, or start fresh if it’s not working. But at the end of the day, don’t overthink it and move on.
I didn’t expect this project to be much deeper than its deliverables. Thank you, Michael, for empowering me with a system and an aesthetic that I love. Thank you for being a true creative angel!
Check out the books and music Michael recommends on the original post at Mia’s Queue, a newsletter devoted to conscious culture.
