Sarah ArnoldAlex first caught my attention on Instagram. He had tagged Clutch MOV in a photo of a snap chat geo filter he had created for downtown Marietta. I’m not on snap chat, so I had no idea what a geo filter was or did, but I immediately recognized in him a kindred spirit. I knew he was someone I wanted to get to know.
I started to follow Alex on Instagram, intrigued by his hand-lettered designs and his eye for photography. I soon realized that he was posting a new design every single day, as part of a personal project. “My 365 Days of Lettering Project is just that,” Alex explained. “Every day for an entire year I design a custom lettering project. I have always loved the look of custom lettering, whether it’s done entirely by hand or created wholly digitally.” Looking at his work, you wouldn’t think of these projects as being quick, off-the-top-of-the-head designs – they are each bold, stylized and unique.
“I wanted to expand my skill sets, and I knew that I’d have ample free time after graduation, so it seemed like the perfect coalescence of everything for me to embark on this project,” Alex said. “Through this project, I have learned to be a lot more confident in my work and to go with it. There’s only so many hours in a day and when every day means a new design, there’s little time to waste on one design.”
Alex says that the 365 project has been super cathartic for him. “Graduation and job hunting come with their own kinds of challenges,” he admits. “So I’m able to pour some of that stress and emotion into my work and am able to process through them.”
After attending Wood County Christian in Williamstown, Alex received his Bachelors degree in Graphic Design from Cedarville University in Southwest Ohio this past spring. Upon graduating, he interned with lifestyle and gift brand Scarlet & Gold. “I had the opportunity to work with some really cool people, and to pitch a design that Rebecca Robertson ended up using for her line. Rebecca Robertson as in the daughter of Willie Robertson as in Duck Dynasty.”
Now, it is not uncommon to find Alex sitting at his favorite table at Stoked Coffee, earbuds in while he edits on his laptop. It is here where I met Alex to discuss a new kind of project – a product line for Clutch MOV.
I knew that Alex was exactly the kind of designer we were looking for. His passion for design and for helping others shines through in everything that he does. “I really love people,” Alex said. “I’ve always said that my two passions in life are people and design. So I’m always game for any kind of charity that helps people. Some of my favorites are To Write Love on Her Arms, which does a lot to combat depression and self-harm.” Alex also follows and supports Preemptive Love Coalition, which performs life saving surgeries in Iraq.
Whether it’s designing shirts to raise money for a cause or creating a piece that helps people think from a different perspective, Alex’s primary goal is to make a positive impact on others.
What began as a handful of sketches has evolved into dozens of ideas for unique, locally-focused products that we hope to sell next spring. A sample of Alex’s designs are available as rewards through our KickStarter campaign, such as the “First Settlement” & “PBURG” t’s and the “Born & Raised” Ohio sweatshirt. If we meet or exceed our KickStarter goal, we have plans to release a full line of apparel and accessories featuring Alex’s designs by the end of January 2016.
Ultimately our goal is to show off our deep-rooted pride in our community. The people, landmarks and stories of the Mid-Ohio Valley are important to us, and we’d love to share them with the rest of the world. We also have plans to release one design each season related to a local non-profit and donate a portion of that design’s profits to their cause. We will constantly be adding new designs to our line and continue to collaborate with talented, local designers – like Alex.
So what else is on the horizon for Alex Jones? “I would absolutely love to visit Alaska at some point in my life. I’m mildly obsessed with panoramic views and mountains. I would also love to have a six-pack washboard torso, but I’m actually kind of lazy, so probably not.” We’re not entirely sure – but one thing is certain, his talent (and sense of humor) will take him far.