With each project, I seek to bring about a positive, long-term return on your marketing investment. I’ll give you my complete attention, ask lots of questions, and deliver my creative best. These are some of the values I hold dear.

Shine your light,
Joe Van Wyk • 970-319-6683

Presence

“Realize deeply that the present moment is all you have. Make the NOW the primary focus of your life.”

—Eckhart Tolle

Presence goes by many names, such as consciousness, being, and the now. Jesus called it the “Kingdom of Heaven.” To me, present moment awareness is the holy grail of spiritual growth. The more centered I am, the more I’m able to “show up” for you. When we give presence to someone, it is a gift. When I’m working one-on-one with clients, my note-taking journal is in front of me and my cell is tucked away, because I want to be fully present. I practice presence in my meditation practice, which is a key part of my mental health. Creatively, I find that when I’m in the silence, over and over returning to the breath, it opens me up to solutions I hadn’t realized before.

Work

“Before enlightenment; chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment; chop wood, carry water.”

—Zen Kōan

Growing up in the country in South Texas, Saturday mornings were about cutting grass and mending fence. And I hated it! You would have thought I was on a chain-gang or something. A therapist once told me that I’d rather be out in a field of flowers chasing things that sparkle. So, does “showing up” at work come naturally to me? Not exactly. But, the discipline of putting in my daily work is gratifying on a deep level. Years of practice at business ownership has shown me the wisdom of focusing on what’s in front of me. Work is mindful. And, when I’m using my gifts to serve others, work is sacred.

Abundance

“Abundance is not something we acquire. It is something we tune into.”

—Wayne Dyer

I love this quote because it reminds me that I can’t create abundance. How can I create something that is already all around me? Abundance and gratitude go hand in hand. When we work on creative projects, we can practice abundance together, coming from a place of plenty rather than a place of lack. Your dream is unfolding, day by day in new and amazing ways. I am grateful for the people I have connected with through my career in graphic design and photography. I am blown away when I witness clients manifesting abundance after they combine clear intention with elevated emotion.

Authenticity

“Honesty and transparency make you vulnerable. Be honest and transparent anyway.”

–Mother Teresa

Being authentic with myself and others is important to me. But, I have many layers of ego and fear that distort how I represent myself. I want to be honest and transparent with you, yet I’m afraid you’ll reject me if I do. For me, my biggest vulnerability is being transparent about my own journey surrounding mental health. I know that “Joe/sensitive artist” produces some really cool things for clients. I also know that sometimes it takes lots of work—or should I say acceptance—for “Joe/sensitive artist” to stay sane. Do you feel connected to businesses that authentically represent themselves? If you lost your fear of authenticity, how might that change your client-facing story?

Clarity

“Social intelligence, which is the ability to interact well with others, is one of the highest paid and most respected intelligences in our society.”

—Brian Tracy

I can turn away from seeking clarity by any number of fearful thoughts. For instance, recently I explored contract-signing software for clients. Fear-thoughts told me “clients won’t like that”, but clarity-thoughts assured me “they’ll be grateful to know what to expect.” Clarity and authenticity are close cousins. Can we be authentic and trusting enough with our audience to clearly convey what we’re best at? And perhaps where they might be better served? When we are clear with each other about expectations—when we take the time to define the details and stay in touch along the way—it gives us trust in the outcome.

Connection

“Connection is the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued—when they can give and receive without judgment.”

―Brené Brown

I think my artistic expression is more about connection than anything else. I’m a very relational person and that shapes my business dealings. My successful, long-term client connections have been based on trust. When we do projects together, we are constantly learning from each other, and growing stronger together. Getting clear about your organization’s strengths and weaknesses is challenging work. Heck, I had to undertake lots of soul-searching myself in writing copy for my website. Fortunately, I have relationships that make me feel seen, heard, and valued—no matter what dreams and ideas come up.