Presented by
Nikki Arnell
Arkansas State University
A strange bunch we are. Copywriters and art directors must be able to speak in the hard communication of strategy while also being skilled in the soft communication of suggesting the sell. LET your creatives do what they do well or you will strangle them and end up strangling your advertising efforts. Creativity in all forms informs copywriters and art directors. It is not about wasting time and money, but about investing in the mental well-being of the magic that makes the sell.
An obsession with the communicative aspect of art led Nikki Arnell first to advertising. Moving from Midwestern Indiana to Denver, Colorado, she began a decade in the fast-paced and exciting world of advertising. From design for local shops to art direction for mega-brands like Procter & Gamble and Coors Brewing Company, this time provided experiential education and awards. However, an unexpected teaching job while freelancing changed her desired career path and so she returned to school to earn a Master of Fine Arts. At Colorado State University as both a student and a teacher, traditional fine arts and art theory formed another dimension to the communication of her art. Her graphic design shuffled out of the expected computer formula and instead, mixed disciplines and technologies and experimented in the levels of communication per context. Ms. Arnell then took a position with Arkansas State University's Graphic Design Department in the College of Fine Arts where she continues to push the expected in graphic design by balancing the commercial sell and gallery aesthetic. Since this time, she has presented research at many international academic conferences from Los Angeles to Tokyo. Grants received have allowed her to study briefly both in Istanbul, Turkey and Barcelona, Spain. However, Ms. Arnell loves the speaking invitation to any national AAF chapter as she meets new people and sees new places!