@JoelECarlson – Hello everyone and welcome to today’s Twitterview of creative artist @grandciel. Get your brushes & CS5′s out to begin. :)

@grandciel – Hello everyone. I’m here, just trying to keep sandwich mustard off the keyboard.

Q – #1    To start off with – Where did you grow up, and what are some of the steps that got you where you are today?

A:    I grew up in Morris, MN. My dad was a founding art professor at UMM

I always knew I was and artist. I drew on everything and even designed books at age 5

In college concentrated on fine art, art history, heavy dose of biology

When I moved to the TCs, I chose to work for smaller companies. I got to wear a lot of hats.

Most of my design experience and education has been on the job. I did take courses at MCAD, though

Q – #2    Nice! So what kind of projects and jobs have you been working on recently?

A:    I design print and for web. Lately I have been working on a direct mail campaign + revamping a city newslettter

Then there is ongoing website updates for clients

Sprinkle in an ad design requests and I’m pretty well rounded

Q – #3    Got you. So what kind of things do you get your creative inspiration from?

A:    Other people’s design work — I love seeing how they solve problems in a creative way

Writers I team up with bring out the best in me creatively

My husband is great at generating ideas — we have a good time brainstorming everything for serious to silly

Q – #4    How have you been able to use Social Media in the work that you do, and what tools do you use?

A:    Design tools: good ’ol paper and pencils, my Mac + CS

Twitter has actually generated project leads for me

Q – #5    Good to know! So name 5-15 people that you follow on Twitter for inspiration, humor or education.

A:    That’s a tall order. Like I said everyone on Twitter is my teacher.

My social media gurus are @socialnicole, @JenKaneCo, her CLO @KaryD. Also @irishgirl, @nlyons. Those two could host SNL

For all things web and then some: @drawer, @jasonlynes, @JansonSpeaking, @jophillips

Oh, and I can forget you! I enjoy your Twitterviews daily.

Q – #6    Thanks! Now for the FAVS questions – Favorite: restaurant, online store, art/supply store & summer activity?

A:    Favorite resturant @sajiyasushi Had my first date with husband there. He took in too much wasabi & could hardly talk

I miss @sajiyasushi little bridge and waterfall. Love sushi!

Fav on-line store. Amazon. I know super boring pick, but I love books.

Don’t get me near an art store. You’ll never get me out! Favs: @ArtMaterialsMN and @WetPaintArt.

Fav summer activity: Anything on, by or in the water. I can’t imagine living in a place without so much fresh water

Next Fav summer activity: Gardening. I get better at it every year.

Q – #7    Very nice! So do you have any personal or professional goals for the next year or so that you’d like to share?

A:    I’d like to have/working on getting clients in alternative healthcare, book publishing, green energy

I’ve been working on writing and illlustrating children’s books. Getting one published next year would be huge!

I also do watercolors. I’d like to get a body of work ready to have a gallery be interested in showing them.

It should be a busy year if I can accomplish all that.

Q – #8    To end with today – What final thought or mantra would you like to share with everyone today?

A:    The Four Agrements I try to live by. Be Impeccable with Your Word; Don’t take Anything Personally (that’s a hard one)

Don’t Make Assumptions and Always Do Your Best.

Act courageously even when scared. Remember that everything you need is inside you.

@JoelECarlson – Thanks for your sharing some of your insights and your life with us today @grandciel. You have a great afternoon!

@grandciel – It was delightful. Happiness and good fortune to you!

Last week there was a good deal of media coverage over LeBron James’ decision as to which NBA team he would sign with to play for starting with the 2010-2011 season.

People who lived in Ohio, especially in Cleveland, hoped that their “Hometown Kid” would stay home and continue to play for the Cleveland Cavaliers. That didn’t happen. On Thursday, he chose to sign and play for the Miami Heat.

The response in Ohio was very negative. People were crying in bars, burning his jersey and then ripped down any poster or signage that indicated that he had ever played for the Cavaliers. They were disowning him. Even the Cavaliers owner got into the “spirit” and called him a coward in a written public expression of anger. These are not people that Liked the Cleveland Cavaliers, they are Fans of the Cavaliers.  Coming from the word fanatic which many people look at as those who enjoy or appreciate something to an extreme degree and  that are strongly effected emotionally by it.

This brings us to Facebook, and their decision in changing their Fan button to a Like button.  Like better describes how most people will feel about a company, service or article that they’ve read.  When you Like a local restaurant, nobody expects you to cry or burn a menu if it chooses to close or move. That would be be showing strong if not excessive emotional displeasure for something, being  fanatical. Do you think Facebook made a good choice, or do you wish it brought back the Fan button?