THE ACCIDENTAL LOGO

You know the old joke about God and plans. Here is another punch line. I think every business needs a logo. I still have one great business idea that is on hold due to lack of a symbol. I am too passionate about The Santa Fe Traveler to let it suffer that fate. However, there were logo issues. I thought what I wanted was simple, but the reality was that no artist I spoke with got the vision. Here is the vision. I wanted a wheelie suitcase; handle up, perched on its wheels. On the body of the suitcase, there was the same style geometric of design found on Pueblo pottery. Artist one gave me a 50s style suitcase in green. Next. The second one was not much better. To fire the second designer with no hard feelings, I told her a friend was designing the logo. Light-bulb moment- I did have a friend who was a talented graphic designer. I called her, explained what I wanted. We had a brainstorming meeting and I waited. What showed up was a wheelie with a Pueblo style pot in the center. I explained that this was not what I was wanting and was told that I had one more chance and if it was not right… I said that I really needed someone who could work with me until I had the logo of my dreams. We agreed to disagree. She still isn’t speaking to me.

Enter Margot, a very talented artist. Margo was with me for the duration. The first design was again a pot in the middle of a wheelie- but the wheelie had exquisite detail. I was afraid to tell her it was not what I wanted. When I finally got up the courage and told her it was not what I had envisioned, she said not to worry- it was a process. Wow! Someone who got it. The thing is, Margot is a free spirit and disappeared in the middle of our project and I still have not heard from her. I needed a logo for my business cards. Finally let go and decided that I could have a business card without a logo.

Meanwhile, I signed up for Twitter. I needed something to replace to dreaded brown box. I don’t have a flattering photo. I have only once met a camera that loved me and that was wielded by a boyfriend who presumably loved me, too. So, my photo was not going to be my Twitter Avatar.

One day in late spring, my husband and I took his camera around Santa Fe and took photos. We got one of a weathered blue gate. We put it up on Twitter. We needed a photo for my blog site, up went the gate. I wanted a photo on my web site; the gate again came to my rescue. It was time to create a business card and lo and behold, the old gate yet again. What I wanted was something that was unique to the Santa Fe area, accidentally, I got it.