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About Me
Hi. My name is Jason Clay. I am the owner of Olive Grove Design. I grew up in the Atlanta area and graduated from Valdosta State University in Valdosta, GA with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art in 2000. My emphasis was in graphic design, though I loved learning about all kinds of media including oil painting, watercolor, ceramics, and printmaking.
I worked as a commercial graphic designer for several years, designing web sites and printed materials. I enjoyed the work, but I wanted my work to be meaningful. How could I help people with my talents?
I made a drastic change in the summer of 2005. I went to Cairo, Egypt for a year as a part of the Young Adult Volunteer Program of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). I was completely out of my context and learned a tremendous amount about another people and their culture.
To my surprise, my talents in graphic design were greatly desired at several organizations.
First, I worked at the Synod of the Nile, the head office of the Presbyterian Church in Egypt. I helped the Synod by designing a book for their 150-year anniversary celebration and later I devised a method to digitally archive old texts from the early days of the church.
Second, I worked with The Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo (ETSC), where I designed newsletters and revamped their web site. I also taught the office workers how to use web design software so they could make updates after I left. All through the year I taught English to some bright youngsters at the Coptic Orthodox Cathedral.
From my time in Egypt, I realized the need for graphic designers at churches and non-profits could be just as great at home in America. Web sites can be amazing tools for communication, but the fees that design agencies charge are too much for a typical church.
I sought out ways that I could design web sites at a minimum of expense to these organizations. I found I could make a meaningful living by designing simple, yet beautiful web sites at a fraction of what a commercial design agency would charge. By making the sites simple and easily updateable, I found I could design and maintain many sites at a time, hopefully making up for the reduction in income.
If you or someone else you know are in need of my services, don’t hesitate to e-mail me, or call me at (770) 982-0828. I look forward to working with you!
Yours in Christ,
Jason Clay |
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