Nature has everything we need.
Pigeons & Elevator Buttons
January 11, 2021
My latest book is for kids, big and small. ~ Love, Alison
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That was fun. Now, page by page:
Happy Holidays
December 25, 2020
Environment Canada is calling for a macroburst of sparkle and fairer winds in 2021. (Abstract illustration by Alison Garwood-Jones)
Life Drawing during Covid
December 9, 2020
- Dude throwing javelin
- Woman in fetal position
- Grizzled man hunched in deep thought
I’ve pointed my drawing horse at all of these classic life drawing poses (back when it was possible to attend pay-as-you-go art classes).
During Covid, to prevent rust buildup, I’ve sought out figure poses in Google image searches and YouTube channels, including “Draw This.” But none of these classic stances have inspired me to get better at depicting human proportions. And I want to get better. I can’t draw faces forever.
Then I discovered that drawing models in yoga gear from clothing websites — featuring real women, not human chop sticks — felt more relatable than said gnarly dude throwing the javelin. The thought, “He’s getting paid $15/hour to show us this,” always distracted me from the drawing challenge at hand.
It’s the small changes that can point you to open fields of discovery.
Thanks internet,
Alison
Why we love dogs
November 30, 2020
I’m Lio and my mom asked Alison to draw me for my upcoming birthday.
I’ll be one on December 19th.
If I understand the family chatter correctly, I’ve helped everyone get through some ups and downs lately.
Everyone keeps saying it’s bad out there, but I feel great. Nothing’s gonna get me down.
Stick with me and you’ll be fine.
Custom Home Portraits
October 20, 2020
CUSTOM HOME PORTRAITS make a unique holiday gift.
I like to plant the seed in October to give me enough time to complete your one-of-kind drawing.
HOW IT WORKS: I create the high-res art in PhotoShop, and you take the digital file to your favourite local printer/framer.
That way, we avoid sending original art through Canada Post/US Mail, both notorious for their seasonal backlog.
Feel free to email me for more details: alison (dot) garwoodjones (at) gmail (dot) com
Alison
Empowering Women
October 14, 2020
When Nargiz asked me what change I wanted to see in the world, my thoughts turned to women.
Nargiz grew up in Azerbaijan, one of many countries now in political turmoil.
____________________________________________
The following clips are from my interview with Nargiz Mammadova, the co-founder and CEO of the Destin AI app, an AI-powered virtual guide that simplifies the immigration process to Canada.
Nargiz and I met a few years ago after I delivered a talk for IABC Toronto. She came bounding up to me.
It turns out, while building the Destin AI app with her team, she was simultaneously filming a web series of interviews with creative entrepreneurs, both as a way to fuel and encourage herself through the day-to-day challenges of building something that didn’t yet exist, but as inspiration for her friends, also trying to make their way through disrupted workplaces and the evolving technological landscape.
Our conversation was shot pre-Covid.
You can check out all of Nargiz’s full interviews (including this one) at Insights With Nargiz.
Produced by Nargiz Mammadova • Videographer: Gary Chen • Video Editing: Elnur Valiyev • Extra photos and text added by Alison Garwood-Jones
Avoid the hard sell
October 8, 2020
As a University of Toronto (SCS) instructor in #DigitalStrategy, I like coming up with different ways to explain what it takes to build a commercial relationship with your audience, without being obnoxiously salesy or transactional. #AdBlockers
When you want something too much … it doesn’t happen. #Desperation
The art of persuasion is about laying down a string of breadcrumbs with your stories and ideas, and letting your readers come to the conclusion: “I need what they are offering.” #LightbulbMoment
It’s kind of like a marriage: sometimes you have to let the other person think that your idea is theirs in order to get what you want.
In this cartoon, I’ve drawn an imaginary conversation between Virginia and Alice. two persuasive storytellers.
Inspired by the teachings of Ann Handley, CC Chapman, Gini Dietrich, Marcus Sheridan, and Jay Baer.
My Freelancer Life: Think Diversification
October 5, 2020
In these clips with my interview with Nargiz Mammadova, I talk about:
- Learning magazine writing on the job
- Preserving my naivete, and not giving in to fear
- My dashed dreams of being a newspaper columnist (don’t be a dinosaur, Alison)
- Why the media business model is still in flux
- Adapting constantly
- Why the old markers of success — where you went to school and who you know — are losing their power.
Nargiz Mammadova, the co-founder and CEO of the Destin AI app, an AI-powered virtual guide that simplifies the immigration process to Canada. (@destin.ai)
Nargiz and I met a few years ago after I delivered a talk for IABC Toronto. She came bounding up to me.
It turns out, while building the Destin AI app with her team, she was simultaneously filming a web series of interviews with creative entrepreneurs, both as a way to fuel and encourage herself through the day-to-day challenges of building something that didn’t yet exist, but as inspiration for her friends, also trying to make their way through disrupted workplaces and the evolving technological landscape.
Our conversation was shot pre-Covid.
You can check out all of Nargiz’s full interviews (including this one) at “Insights With Nargiz.”
• Produced by Nargiz Mammadova • Videographer: Gary Chen • Video Editing: Elnur Valiyev • Extra family photos added by Alison Garwood-Jones
Growing up in an artistic home
October 5, 2020
The soil I grew up in was planted with art, music and literature. Mind you, I didn’t start seriously reading until university. I was too busy staring at the layout of my marker sets.
The following clips are from my interview with Nargiz Mammadova, the co-founder and CEO of the Destin AI app, an AI-powered virtual guide that simplifies the immigration process to Canada. (@destin.ai)
Nargiz and I met a few years ago after I delivered a talk for IABC Toronto. She came bounding up to me.
It turns out, while building the Destin AI app with her team, she was simultaneously filming a web series of interviews with creative entrepreneurs, both as a way to fuel and encourage herself through the day-to-day challenges of building something that didn’t yet exist, but as inspiration for her friends, also trying to make their way through disrupted workplaces and the evolving technological landscape.
Our conversation was shot pre-Covid.
You can check out all of Nargiz’s full interviews (including this one) at Insights With Nargiz on YouTube.
• Produced by Nargiz Mammadova •Videographer: Gary Chen •Video Editing: Elnur Valiyev • Extra family photos added by Alison Garwood-Jones
