What “Just a JPG” Taught Me

It’s officially “Maycember.” If you know… you know.

That magical time of year where calendars stop making sense, school events multiply overnight, work gets extra busy and somehow every single thing happens at once.

Right now, I’m deep in one of the biggest creative projects of my career — helping lead creative for a massive global event experience with huge screens, motion, storytelling, music and all the moving pieces in between. It’s exciting, inspiring, exhausting and honestly stretching me in the best ways.

And somewhere in the middle of all of it, I had a really special moment recently while texting one of my very first bosses — my “day one” person. (You’re the very best D. Nigh!💕)

He’s always been one of my biggest cheerleaders.
Supportive. Encouraging.
But also very much: “You’ve got this. Go figure it out.”

The shift feels big when I stop long enough to think about it.

Turns out I was never “just” anything.

Just growing.

And maybe that’s why this month I keep finding myself pulled back toward learning, growing and revisiting the foundations.

Because in the middle of a season that feels this big, I’m realizing how much all the small things still matter.

The quick tips.
The simple tools.
The little mindset shifts.
The resources that help spark new ideas or make something click in a different way.

Growth usually doesn’t happen all at once. It happens little by little — through curiosity, repetition, experimentation and staying open to learning as you go.

So this month, instead of overcomplicating things, I wanted to share a few favorite reminders, tools and resources I keep coming back to lately.

What’s On My Mind

One thing I’ve been doing a lot lately is revisiting conversations, ideas and reminders that continue to spark something for me.

If you need something for a walk, a drive, or your “finally folding the laundry” moment. Here’s a collection of podcast conversations I’ve loved being part of:

These conversations are where I get to talk about the why behind the work — simplifying complex ideas, avoiding “death by PowerPoint,” building presentations around the audience (not just the content), and using story + design together to help people pitch ideas, lead teams, inspire action and feel more confident when they present.

Slide Magic Tip

Alignment matters more than people think. It’s one of the easiest ways to instantly make your slides feel cleaner, calmer, and more professional.

• Your slide feels easier to follow
• Data becomes easier to scan
• The story feels more polished

Just select your objects while holding Shift → go to the Shape Format tab → select Align → and let the magic happen.

And if you really want to level things up?
Keep your margins and spacing consistent throughout your deck. It’s wild how much that tiny shift changes the overall feel of a presentation.

Getting Started Tip

Before the slides.
Before the layouts.
Before the formatting…

Grab a notebook, sticky notes, or a messy piece of paper and just get the ideas out of your head.

No pressure.
No perfect structure.
Just thinking.

It’s amazing how much clarity comes from giving your ideas space to breathe before turning them into slides.

Honestly? It’s one of the things I remember most about working for D. Nigh. He always told me to sketch it out first … encouraging me to think without boundaries or limited by screen pixels.

Bonus that it’s super simple — yet it really can change everything. I promise.

—
I’ll be back soon with more.

Until then, let me know if you’re feeling the chaos of Maycember … and still finding little ways to learn, grow and keep moving forward through it all.

And at the very least, I hope this month’s note sparks one small shift — a new idea, a clearer story or a simple trick that helps your slides (and your thinking) shine a little brighter. ✨

With gratitude,
emily