About Paul & This Site

Personal Information

I am a Graphic Designer currently studying Arabic in Yemen, and have been doing paid creative work since 2000. Just prior to that time, if asked about “Adobe Photoshop” I would have been clueless…though I have always had an affinity for creativity.

I enjoy many things that evoke a sense of wonder. I consider myself a seeker of truth and a believer in God. As such, I find God at work in nature, the arts, and human relationships. I believe a true belief in God transforms lifestyle and permeates every part of life.

Integrity first.

My beliefs guide my work. That means I don't participate in projects that support the degradation of human nobility, including (but not limited to) mind-altering drugs, pornography, or other addictive habits, as well as projects that involve blasphemous content. I don't steal software or stock media such as photography or music.

Christian? Muslim? Buddhist? What are you?

Labels are too easily hijacked and misunderstood. I prefer to discuss my beliefs and discoveries about life and let others make their assumptions. Conviction, not selfish pride, should determine belief.

So, why Yemen?

I get this question a lot. I suspect that most folks (in the USA, at least) think about Yemen the same way I did until I started some investigating. People say that entering Yemen is not just visiting a new culture…it is a step back in time. Sana'a, the capitol, is one of the oldest continually habited cities in the world. Many of the mud-brick structures in Sana'a are over 1000 years old. As recent as the 1960's, Sana'a still used to lock the gates to the Old City like they were doing in Bible times. Archeologists will tell you that the artifacts found during a dig just might be observed in common use on the streets of Yemen. This is not a tourist replica, this is a living old city.

So to answer the question, I am living in Yemen to learn Arabic with the hopes that one day I will be able to use calligraphy in my work. I have no reason to think I will be particularly great at language learning or Arabic calligraphy, but I have the desire. And desire is enough for me. Insha-allah (Lord willing) I will learn well.

About this website

For one, it's taken a lot of work. I finally got tired of telling folks that I am a designer but I don't have a website. So, here you go.

The keen web designer will notice the site uses a resolution-dependent layout technique called Switchy McLayout, found on A List Apart. While there are many critics of the added complexity in this approach, I thought it would be a fun challenge. There is a lot of discussion among web designers as to the best screen size to target. In my observations this is a losing battle. Most MAC users (and PC users with large screens) never browse the web full screen. Most PC users I have found do. This is understandable considering the interface. But forcing the visitor to view a site full screen (or even in large window) is counter-productive, IMHO.

I build sites according to “Web Standards.” Though this site should pass validation, my guess is that I won't be able to optimize the CSS and markup for awhile, so don't look too close.

The site content is delivered using Drupal, a highly extensible open source content management system. I probably would still be bumbling around without a CMS if it weren't for the invaluable advice of Brent Hardinge, a highly skilled web designer/developer from Washington. This site would not have happened without him.