️ Holding the sleek new Nintendo Switch 2, I’m feeling that familiar rush of nostalgia mixed with excitement—it’s like greeting an old friend who’s had an amazing glow-up. Unlike those cozy winter days of my childhood spent gaming indoors while snow blanketed everything outside, summer’s warmth now invites new adventures and portable fun.
The Nintendo Switch 2 feels like a natural evolution of everything I loved about my first Switch. Memories of cozy winter afternoons gaming inside contrast pleasantly with my current vision of breezy summer evenings, playing games on the patio or at the beach. Nintendo has perfected the art of creating worlds that effortlessly pull you in, making any setting—hot or cold—the perfect escape.
With enhanced graphics and features, the Switch 2 promises immersive experiences that are brighter, more vibrant, and refreshingly lifelike. As the summer sun warms up my gaming sessions, this new console reminds me just how far we’ve come—and how exciting it is to imagine the many adventures awaiting.
Here’s to sunny days, cool nights, and endless gaming possibilities!
With years of experience working with illustrators at all levels, I wasn’t approaching this with uncertainty—I was curious. Could Fiverr provide a partner who’s not only affordable, but also a great match for my zamartz brand aesthetic and workflow? I decided to run a simple test: commission the same brief across four artists at different price points and see which one hit the mark.
Deliverables: One full-color illustration per artist, including sketches and feedback.
Formats Required: Procreate sketches, original Adobe Illustrator (.AI) files, and final .PNG images (1500w x 1000h pixels).
Delivery Method: Google Drive
Concept: Visual metaphor—multiple water slides converging into a single pool labeled “mSEO,” representing multi-channel SEO efforts.
Selecting the Artists:
I must have browsed over a hundred Fiverr profiles before narrowing it down to just four illustrators. My goal wasn’t just to find “good” artists—it was to discover ones whose portfolio styles could potentially align with the clean, modern, and strategic visual tone of my company.
To narrow it down, I looked for:
Previous illustration work that felt adaptable to branding, tech, or editorial themes
Average Rating and Number of Ratings, to ensure consistent delivery
Member Since date and Last Delivery, to gauge experience and recent activity
Average Response Time, which is crucial for collaboration
Fiverr also uses a seller level system, and some creators carry a Fiverr Pro badge—indicating they’ve been vetted by Fiverr’s internal team. While I didn’t exclusively choose Pro creators, I used these indicators to balance budget and reliability.
The final four represented a range of pricing tiers and artistic styles, from entry-level freelancers to established professionals. This allowed me to evaluate not just the final product—but the creative process, responsiveness, and brand alignment at each level.
The Illustrative Journey:
Each artist provided uniquely styled illustrations that showcased varying degrees of interpretation, execution, and brand alignment:
Level 1 delivered a clear and simple illustration suitable for a basic visual.
Level 2 provided more thoughtful detail and visual engagement.
Level 3 offered an artistically creative interpretation that captured more nuance and imagination.
Level 4, Agus Barriola, produced a highly detailed and professional illustration perfectly aligned with my creative vision and brand aesthetic, clearly surpassing expectations.
Agus Barriola’s work not only captured my vision but elevated it, confirming that the right artistic partnership can significantly enhance brand communication and visual storytelling.
LEVEL 1LEEVEL 2LEVEL 4
Insights and Takeaways:
Testing multiple illustrators was invaluable in clearly identifying who best matched my brand’s visual language.
Higher-priced artists offered superior communication, deeper understanding of brand nuances, and elevated creative results.
Investing in a premium artist like Agus Barriola ultimately proved worthwhile, providing visuals that truly resonated with my creative and brand vision.
This experiment reinforced the importance of exploring artistic options, clarifying brand aesthetics, and recognizing that great illustration is about more than just visuals—it’s about finding an artist who truly speaks your brand’s language.
Featured Illustrator:
Check out Agus Barriola’s Fiverr Profile—an exceptional talent delivering an Illustration that matched existing design direction and added their own creative flare.
Want to test Fiverr or Higher an Illustrator
Whether you’re building a brand, publishing content, or just need standout visuals, finding the right illustrator can make all the difference. I tested multiple artists on Fiverr at different price points—and learned a lot along the way. If you’re considering doing the same, here are a few quick answers to help you get started.
Q: What’s the best way to test illustrators from Fiverr?
A: Provide a clear brief and commission the same project across several artists at different price points. Compare based on alignment with your brand, communication, and creativity.
Q: Does price on Fiverr correlate to quality?
n my experiment, higher-priced artists tended to deliver more refined, brand-aligned results—but testing proved essential to finding the right fit.
Q: Who was the best illustrator in this test?
A: Agus Barriola stood out at the $150 price point, delivering a polished, highly brand-consistent final product.
As the owner of a digital marketing agency, I recently had the pleasure of attending an exciting event alongside the Productsup team, representing my agency called zamartz consulting. After being in the virtual space for the past two years, it was a bit nerve-wracking to get back into public speaking, but once I started, it felt like I hadn’t missed a beat.
During my talk, I had the opportunity to share my 10+ years of experience working with Productsup and how we have helped numerous clients improve their business processes through this powerful tool. Combining our expertise in digital marketing and eCommerce with this partnership has proven to be a winning combination.
I also delved into one of the hottest tech topics of today – “generative A.I.” I discussed some of our favorite tools in this field that have been incredibly useful for us:
AIPRM = Prompt Library You can find more information about this tool at: AIPRM Website
Zapier = Connector Discover how Zapier can integrate with ChatGPT and enhance your workflow: Zapier Integrations
I would love to hear from you about your favorite A.I. tools or any exciting ways you’re incorporating them into your daily work life. While some of the technology may still be in its early stages, we remain optimistic about the new opportunities these tools will create for digital marketing.
I want to give special thanks and recognition to Brad and CEO Vincent Peters from Productsup for their support and collaboration. I’d also like to mention Sherry Shi from TikTok for providing us with a sneak preview of TikTok Shop, which has great potential for marketers.
Feel free to share your thoughts or ask any questions in the comments section. I look forward to engaging with you!
Some things never get old, even as you grow up. Getting excited about Christmas gifts is one of those things. I have always been an artist. When I received an iPad this year, it allowed me to find that part of myself again.
The first thing I did was download Procreate. Just like a kid who has been given a new toy, I did not really read any instructions, I went straight to trying things out for myself. I played with textures, movement, and colors which led to freeform creating. The final product was a doodled winter scene brought to life with nature in navy blue, and a peach colored background with pops of mint green. It was the perfect representation of all the creativity that was happening on that cold, winter day.
Learning to draw on iPad feels like borrowing a little quiet from the day. The tools are digital, but the habit is old: sit down, look closely, try a line, try again.
The image shows a person curled into a couch with an iPad, focused on an open canvas—small, intent, private. It has that soft, end-of-afternoon mood where nothing needs to happen except the next stroke. You can almost hear the room settling.
With the iPad, practice becomes gentler. Mistakes don’t leave a smudge on the page; they disappear with a tap. That can make you brave. You test shapes, adjust the brush, nudge the line until it begins to match what you meant. And slowly, the screen stops feeling like a device and starts feeling like a sketchbook you can carry anywhere.
If you’re learning, keep the sessions short and honest. Draw what’s near you. Repeat the same subject on different days. Notice how your hand changes when you’re tired, or when you’re calm. The point isn’t to make a perfect drawing—it’s to return, and let your eyes get better at seeing.
Over time, the iPad doesn’t replace the feeling of drawing. It simply gives you another doorway into it.
| A cute little trend on Facebook / Instagram / Snapchat stories are little templates to fill in your own answers to questions, comments, goals and more.
Design Background:
There were a few other designers that created their own versions of these story templates for the year and and the new year but ultimately many of them were too complicated or did not distill the information down to an understandable point. Additionally, many of the design templates I looked at were also very helter-skelter with positioning, fonts, colors, etc… I decided to start with making my branded version of these story templates, and While not everyone will like this blue template i created, there is also gold version as a secondary option that is maybe a bit more festive.
Use and share story templates:
Please feel free to use them and tag my account @zamartz.
| #2017bestnine #nye #boyfriendswhobestof | ??? | Wow, What a year it has been. There have certainly been many highs and lows, but I’m going to focus on the positive, ZAMartz best of 2017, information to recap. I will be covering some of the best content and pageviews on the ZAMartz website as well as the best social media post of 2017 on instagram.
| Read Insta-comments -> http://bt.zamartz.com/2C1f8Fi There is no way to recap this year in one post, so please take the time to go through a few of the above articles and excerpts to see some of the Best of ZAMartz 2017.
I will end this post with a memorial mention to my brother Jared, who sadly lost a battle with addition this year. This is an unforgivable epidemic here in the United States.
Resting at Home Plate
Come eventide, with loaded bases, he framed the box to bat; points into distant, setting sun, and slowly adjusts his cap.
Oh soaring mighty arc, over plate and chain-link fence, delivered to heaven’s gates, come angelic presence whence.
Arrive amidst an all-star game, loved ones, long on deck; hopes and praises reach you, to our MVP, we’ll never soon forget.</p
By Zachary A. Martz – In loving Memory of my little brother Jared Martz – 1990 to 2017
On the first night of the summit we had dinner at Lacroix in Rittenhouse Square. The coursed menu is to die for. By the time we got the the 10th course we were a bit exhausted. Kari jokingly asked for a pillow and they graciously complied! HAHA (sorry I missed the image of the first course)
