Welcome to the Sandbox! Some 25+ years ago, I was just a college student looking for a way to express myself. At the time, the small school I was at had an electronic bulletin board system, not unlike AOL was at one time. A few students were lucky enough to create their own little section on the system to write and build their own community. Looking back, it was the first opportunity to be an "influencer." I was one of those students and my space was called "The Sandbox," as I just wanted a place to "play" creatively.
Now, I'm not going to pretend that I was some influencer ahead of his time. There were just a handful of people who read what I posted and most of them were friends. That early sandbox though gave me a place to explore creatively, test out ideas and get feedback. It shaped some of who I became as a communicator.
So when it came time to create a blog on my personal website, I couldn't help but name it the Sandbox again. I've been wanting a place to start writing (outside of work projects) again and this seems like a good way to start.
Before you get too excited, as this is a website aimed at showcasing my work and career accomplishments, there won't likely be any controversial topics covered here. I'll just have to find a more appropriate place for those kinds of writings. (Think political commentary – nothing salacious.)
That said, I have plenty of ideas on things I expect to write about. Some of those things will be talking about the digital tools I use every day. Some will be on what I've learned as best practices (in my opinion) for the field of communication – especially within the nonprofit sector. And of course, I'll add in some personal writings as well, sharing about things going on in my life.
I've got more than 25 years of experience in the communications field. There are certainly people out there with more experience than me but I hope you'll still find some of the things I post here to be helpful.
Finally, for those that don't know me... I'm Clint, a communications professional currently residing in Montana. I have experience in print media, advocacy, government relations and nonprofit communications. I enjoy spending time in the outdoors and with my wife and son. I love hiking, biking and skiing in the mountains. (I'm really good at one of those.) In addition to my decades of experience in communications practices, I'm also continuing to learn new things. For example, for the past 6 months I've been working on my website design/coding skills.
It's never too late to learn new things and better yourself, no matter where you are in your career.
Welcome to the all new Sandbox. Let's have some fun.
