Talking about a local story at the paper today one of my co-copy editors wondered what jobs without deadlines are like. I can’t say I know; even seven years at coffee shops imposed an arbitrary deadline on beverage production. I simply don’t know any other operating environment. There is always a goal, a stop time and a reset. So the onus is on increasing speed with a direct relationship to quality. It’s like when I finally mastered the latte-flower-pour but still turned out that steamed milk and espresso faster and tastier than anyone else. (Hold on, there’s more than madness to the metaphor.) Copy editing and especially design are the same way: Get better while getting faster. Tonight’s A-section came in an hour early and it’s the damn best cover I’ve put out yet. While I’m still struggling with color coordination, I’ve got typeface, sizing, white space and dominance down easy.

Here are my three best covers of August, in order from the earliest. I really do feel a daily improvement and a desire to experiment more and more. Is it working?

Expect links to my Fresh Facts stories on Missoula fashion and activism soon, followed by some outdoors writing. Hey, maybe some videos when I finally upgrade my camera, eh? Thanks for stopping by, tell your friends.