See Hoke: First post

Thursday, July 25, 2013

First post

My first post. I've tried my hand at blogging before and always fizzled out. I will try my best to not let that happen this time.

I'll write a lot about design. A little about hiking. Some about skateboarding. And, about anything else that seems important enough to share. Hope you enjoy.

-CH

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Bio

First and foremost, I'm a graphic designer. I'm an art director. A skateboarder. A music lover. A reader and a writer. I'm a friend, a brother, a son and a human being. I'm looking for my dream job. In the meantime, I am a gun for hire.

Skateboarder

I started skateboarding at the age of 10. Skateboarding shaped who I am today. It taught me how to see things differently. As a skateboarder, I looked at a handrail — something others use to help them walk up and down stairs — and saw hundreds of opportunities. Skateboarding was also my first taste of graphic design. I honed the skills of a graphic designer without even knowing it by drawing H-street logos and Powell Peralta graphics on my book covers and folders. Skateboarding also introduced me to punk rock.

Music Lover

Shortly after my Michael Jackson phase I found the Dead Kennedys. I traded an old Vision deck for a couple tapes: The Dead Kennedys, The Dead Milkmen and The Cramps. I was in love. The artwork and the lyrics were things I connected with at my core. This was before the internet so in order to find new music I went to record stores, traded with friends and read newsprint 'zines.

Reader/Writer

As a kid, I read everything I could get my hands on: Great Expectations, Hardy Boys, National Geographic, Stephen King, Skateboarding mags, and on and on. I couldn't get enough. Like most avid readers, I became a pretty good writer. This too was something that would help me tremendously later on in life.

Art Director

I worked for a couple small agencies for the first two years out of college. After gaining priceless real world experience, I decided to give freelance a shot. I was a freelance designer for about two years and then opened my own shop, Choke Design Company. Choke was in business for almost five years. I closed about a year ago and did a short stint at Varsity, another small agency in the Harrisburg, PA area. I worked on a slew of clients and projects ranging from posters for indie bands to skateboard shop identity design to restaurant branding.

Where I am Now

I'm back out on my own and I'm looking for my dream job. In the meantime, I'm a gun for hire. Check out my portfolio on my Google+ page.

Other Tidbits:

Four posters selected to be part of Graphic Noise — an exhibit of gig posters at the Museum of Design Atlanta, GA, a Smithsonian Affiliate
Choke's stationery set was awarded Mohawk Paper's gold medal
Ran a skateboard/snowboard shop in York, PA for four years
Graduated from The Art Institute, York, PA at the top of my class