A little bit about me

Growing up, i was always into drawing, painting, building things. In high school art class, I created a portrait of Big Al, the University of Alabama mascot, sparking my interest in photo manipulation. Despite drawing with wax pencils using a grid, I was intrigued by a professionally done version in an Alumni magazine. This high school portrait now decorates my home office wall.

I have created pencil drawings of my nephews and niece for my parents over the years. These portraits are framed and displayed above their TV cabinet, allowing them to see their grandchildren while watching TV. My next artwork will feature my first child, Cecilia.

While having my drawings framed, the shop owner consistently praises the work and suggests selling them. Despite my parents' encouragement, self-doubt held me back. However, after much contemplation, I realize that pursuing art is my true passion, even at almost 40 years old.

After pondering the concept of transforming memories into art, the name 'Sketchy Past' (now chad holt designs) sparked in my mind and started a new path for me. It captured the essence of drawing pictures from people's past, a simple yet intriguing idea. Driven by this inspiration, I began 'doodling' logo concepts for my graphic design business. The initial logo, displayed on the left, resonated with me the most and sparked a deeper reflection on its significance. Beyond just sketching with graphite, it symbolized the act of rejuvenating old photos into fresh perspectives. Each image could be revitalized, preserving its essence while adopting a new identity. This endeavor aims to highlight those special moments and expand into additional creative services. A natural progression, isn't it?

This offering is tailored for individuals, families, groups, events, educators, charities, grandparents, and pets. Small business opportunities and needs will also be considered.

I have been creating proposal graphics for over 20 years. While it's a rewarding job, I sensed untapped potential in my professional role. Working on impactful projects brings me great fulfillment, especially those post-disaster initiatives. I have worked on projects such as the recovery effort after the earthquake and tsunami in Indonesia where my previous company helped develop a water purification system. My current company has worked on several disaster projects. From Haiti to Japan to New York. My most memorable opportunity was a trip to Japan for two months while assisting on and providing graphics from my company in cooperation with a Japanese partner to the Japanese government. It is an experience I will never forget. Although I never visited the Fukushima Diiachi nuclear facility, which I was hoping I would, I experienced more in those two months than most people ever do.

After Hurricane Sandy, I went to New York to help. Not for graphics or presentations, but for customer service, visiting homeowners stranded in their damaged homes. This changed my perspective. I realized there's more meaningful work beyond office tasks.

I've been invited to do graphic design for free a few times. I took on many projects without asking for payment because I saw it as good portfolio building. I've invested a lot of time in these projects, including my own and others'. Although I'd like to make some money from this work, I'm also open to doing it for free when needed.

The project will be flexible. I have initial thoughts and ideas that could lead it in various directions if executed well. However, these are more for future consideration. I value your input and ideas to shape the project's path. Its outcome can evolve or change, and we'll adapt as we go along.