This was a logo design I did for a client back in 2008. It's vector-based like many logos, and was scalable for use on the side of his boat. His daughter rendered a graphite drawing of the octopus and skull, which I then traced digitally, and incorporated with the text.

There's all sorts of weird bugs that seem to rear their "ugly" heads in Florida's hot summer. Here's what we discovered in our yard on this sunny-to-rainy Sunday afternoon.

To the left is a Banana Spider - harmless, but big. Scary at first, but a quick visit to Wikipedia.org cleared up any need to freak out. Below, is the Spiny Orb-Weaver. We like to call it a "Crab Spider", but apparently, there's an uglier arachnid that wins that title. Again harmless, and both are actually good for the yard, taking care of a lot of those pesky bugs that buzz about.

Graphic Design can be a tough business. Some designers find comfort in working for a design firm, advertising department, or other position of similar capacity - having access to benefits, a steady pay check, and 9-5 hours. Other designers seek to strike out on their own, taking on freelance work - calling their own shots, and maintaining their own income. Still others, do a combination of both, having a full or part time steady day gig, and doing freelance to supplement their income.

I myself am one of those common hybrids. I find it beneficial to have that steady day gig with steady paycheck, health insurance and other benefits, while still being able to take on a couple of side jobs here and there to keep the creative skills from becoming stagnant. I have come across few designers who have struck out on their own to provide for themselves full time, bringing in a comfortable to well-proportioned salary - albeit they do exist (I've worked for one). It's more common, in my experience, to see designers working for companies to lend their creative skills. Some might take on extra work, and others don't.

The dream is to take on more and more freelance work to bolster that annual income - and maybe someday be secure enough to strike out as an independent contractor.