High Mountain Creative

09/25/2026

Tomorrow is National Public Lands Day. Public lands are for you and me and everyone. They’re where we hike, fish, ski & ride, camp, and connect with nature. They’re the backdrop for adventure, reflection, and community, and they belong to all of us. This National Public Lands Day, I’m celebrating the wild places that inspire my creative work and give me a place to reset.

If you’re looking for a way to celebrate and protect our public lands, Save Public Lands is organizing a petition to send to DC asking them for no sell-offs, no giveaways, and no backroom deals of public lands. Head over to their profile to find a link to sign on.

See you on the trail, friends!

The Conservation Alliance
Save Public Lands
Duct Tape Then B**r
The Dirtbag Diaries Podcast
Fitz Cahall

09/11/2026

I’m co-hosting a Roadless Rule Postcard Party with Bedrock Sandals! Missoula: come on out and grab a drink and write a comment to the Forest Service so they know how we feel about rescinding the Roadless Rule. Thanks to these folks for the support and encouragement: The Conservation Alliance, Wild Montana, Greater Yellowstone Coalition, KettleHouse Brewing Company and of course our gracious host Bedrock Sandals ❤️

09/09/2026

2026 has been an awesome year so far for High Mountain Creative. Thank you to all of my amazing clients for keeping me busy 💚 I'd love to keep the momentum going and book a few more projects in November and December.

Let's collab on:
✔️ Infographics
✔️ Illustration
✔️ Map drawings
✔️ Live visual note taking/graphic recording (virtual and in-person)
✔️ Fundraising and event branding
✔️ Annual report design
✔️ Something cool you've never tried before and want to bring to life

[email protected]
highmountaincreative.com

08/31/2026

Check out my latest illustration project with Trout Unlimited about Beaver Dam Analogs. These structures imitate beaver dams, keeping landscapes wetter and helping with drought and wildfire conditions. Check it out!

08/27/2026

I designed this poster for Greater Yellowstone Coalition as part of their campaign to protect the Roadless Rule. I worked with Marissa Lee (Marissa Leitch) (pictured here) and Aubrey | Risograph Printing & Ranger Collective Shop through the process of producing this poster using risograph printing. The design was also printed on postcards for making comments to be mailed to the US Forest Service during postcard writing parties. I’m so proud of this project, thank you to GYC for giving me the opportunity to collab and amplify my voice to protect public lands.

08/25/2026

Businesses around the U.S. rely on recreation economy. If the Roadless Rule is rescinded, we're at risk of losing 60 million acres of public land to road-building and large-scale logging.

Roadless areas mitigate climate change impacts, maintain healthy, connective ecosystems for wildlife populations, and offer miles of backcountry recreation opportunities in some of the most beautiful places across Alaska and the lower 48.

I collaborated with Oboz Footwear, a fellow The Conservation Alliance Brands for Public Lands partner on this illustration about how the Roadless Rule rescission could impact Montana businesses.

TAKE ACTION BY TELLING THE FOREST SERVICE TO KEEP THE ROADLESS RULE IN PLACE:
Comment center from our friends at Wild Montana: https://wildmontana.quorum.us/campaign/roadless-rule-draft-environmental-impact-statement/
Comment center from our friends at The Conservation Alliance: https://secure.everyaction.com/o-Fagixz3katRZTqzd6fCg2

Last week, the USDA announced a draft environmental impact statement to fully remove the Roadless Rule and its protections that apply to 45 million acres of National Forest land across the US.

And that’s bu****it.
These public lands are roadless for a reason.

They support communities, businesses, and the outdoor recreation economy that depend on access to wild places.

Follow the link to take action to protect the Roadless Rule:
https://secure.everyaction.com/o-Fagixz3katRZTqzd6fCg2

Art: High Mountain Creative

08/12/2026

Should I use A.I. to design my _________?

It's the new age-old question. There are many pros and cons to using A.I. to make your workflow and business processes more efficient, but is the design and creative space the right place to cut corners? I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a bit of a design snob but I’ll take the solid effort of a fellow human using Microsoft Word to design a flyer over using A.I. any day.

In my latest article, I analyze the impacts of A.I. on the design industry, the environment, the cost of living, and settling for something that maybe isn't what you actually wanted. Take a look:
https://www.highmountaincreative.com/blogposts/should-i-use-ai-to-design-my-flyer

05/20/2026

Data centers are a hot topic in most communities right now. In an effort to get myself at least a little bit educated on the issue, I sat in on this panel discussion at University of Montana. I learned that a lot of the "no data center" conversations aren't simply about protecting the environment. The conversations are about high power bills, blackouts on the power grid, having enough water for growing food, and community impact (like the 24/7 humming). Data centers really are a nonpartisan issue and the only ones that benefit from them are the tech and energy companies.

No matter how you slice it, data centers generally aren't ever going to benefit the environment or communities, but if we *must* have them, the companies building them need to be held accountable and provide transparency to the public to make make an effort to minimize their impacts.

I encourage y'all to find answers in your community and talk to local leaders about impacts of these projects.

Thank you to the smart, incredible panelists: Amy Cilimburg, Anne Hedges, and Barbara Chillcott

University of Montana Sustainability, Climate Smart Missoula, Montana Environmental Information Center - MEIC, Western Environmental Law Center, Families for a Livable Climate

04/27/2026

Welcome to another episode of This Bag's For You, where I pick up litter and fill a bag to show gratitude to a nonprofit, person or brand that’s doing great work for the planet. In this episode, my friends and I are picking up litter during Earth Month in honor of Clark Fork Coalition at their annual River Cleanup.

Since 1985, Clark Fork Coalition has been protecting and restoring the Clark Fork watershed in Missoula and Western Montana. Their work includes stream restoration, advocacy, superfund site support, water management, water monitoring, research, and community programs (like the annual river cleanup!). I've volunteered with CFC a handful of times planting trees and picking up litter. I appreciate how they're always out in the community and keeping us updated on conservation projects.

Thanks Clark Fork Coalition, This Bag's For You!

Learn more about the organization and their work, visit: https://clarkfork.org

04/15/2026

💚 In the beginning of 2026, I started writing letters to the Earth in lieu of journaling. I write her letters about the things I see and experience that make me feel sorrow or shame, like buying a sandwich wrapped in plastic or forgetting my reusable mug when getting coffee at a local coffee shop.

📩 Some of my letters are apology letters.

📩 Other times, they’re written as thank you letters.

📩 Sometimes when writing, I go on a tangent and just write it all out on the page. I ask questions because I don’t have answers.

This month, I’m inviting you to join me in my Dear Earth project, a letter writing project to put pen to paper or fingers to keyboards for Earth.

If you could write a letter to the Earth, what would you say? Read more and share your letter to the Earth here 👇
https://www.highmountaincreative.com/blogposts/dear-earth-dont-give-up-on-us