“If you look up ADHD in Webster’s dictionary you’ll find a life size pic of my dad!” So declared our daughter to a friend who was trying to understand why I couldn’t seem to focus fully on one thing at a time. After the chuckles and smiles, I found myself thinking about her remark. Bianca is my truest fan and critic and wise beyond her years so although she said it with love, I knew there was a nugget of truth I needed to uncover in her comment.

I’m a visual designer. And a guitarist. And a photographer. And a cook. And a Culturalist. And a Pastor. And a movie lover .. I mean a REAL movie lover. I’m also an artist. And also a technologist. As you can imagine, my wife has had an interesting time trying to live with me – all thirty years of it. What can I say – I married up!

Yes, I’m one of those kids (middle child) growing up at a time in history when wanting to be a Graphic Designer was considered a “fly by night” career. “You do what for a living?!” “You should be an accountant – that’s a safe job.” Yeah, right. From an early age I struggled with people always asking me why I couldn’t “just be normal, like your brother or your nice friends”. Frankly, it didn’t bother me much me as I was OK with the fact that I was a touch different. In fact, I used to wonder why everybody else didn’t see the world like I did!

I have very strong memories of always being inquisitive, constantly exploring and having no fear of anything in the world. Looking back, it’s so clear to me how from very early on I was always juggling several balls in the air. My dear dad would constantly yell at me to finish what I started and focus on one subject at a time in my conversations. I really tried .. but to no avail. What I thought was interesting, fascinating, and intriguing others found distracting, irritating and even a waste of time. It was only when I began to find other “jigsaw puzzle people” during my college years that it began to dawn on me there were enough of us in the world for me to feel normal.

Today, I run my own Imaging Studio, I’m about to be a boutique tour guide in Boston (my other wife and Goldilocks City), preach regularly at some amazing churches, speak publicly and still play some mean guitar. This is my jigsaw: design, art, ministry, music, travel and business. Each piece on its own may not make much sense, but when pieced together, they create a unique image that will never be repeated.

Maybe your picture is also next to the definition of ADHD. Congratulations, that’s wonderful – I hope it’s in full color! To be clear, I’m not talking about having several interests in life. I’m talking about being several different things which together make up your unique life. These are not merely passions, they are your personhood. I am passionate about them because they are each a part of my Image – my personhood and personality. This makes me a unique, never-to-be-repeated individual. And that means I bear a tremendous responsibility to express my unique essence. Herein lies my true value to mankind!

This is why I refer to myself as an Imager, and why our goal at ZOmedia is to unlock an individual’s or a company’s unique image. Whether a startup, small business or large company, each of these are their own special puzzle with their own true value. As an experienced designer, I can tell you it really isn’t that difficult to create a nice looking logo or website. But, it is hard work discovering, understanding and expressing somebody’s unique image and translating that into a logo, website and brand. Experience has taught me that every image is made up of a wonderfully unique jigsaw.

So my friend, what does your unique puzzle look like? How many pieces does it have? What does each piece contain? Are you or your company expressing your true value, your uniqueness?

If you think I can help you discover your puzzle and unlock your uniqueness, drop me a line and let’s have a conversation!