When I decided to begin work on an author platform, I knew I’d need certain things, a website chief among them. Early on, as I crafted the identity and branding that I would want to have represent me and my brand, I knew that a werewolf would be the perfect thing for a few reasons: 1) I love werewolves, 2) it’s part of my tagline, and 3) it will be the closest thing to being one without actually being one.

As far as art goes, I can craft stories with words, but I can’t draw to save my life (unless you count stick figures, and in this case, I don’t). I knew that I was going to need to hire an artist and there was never any doubt in my mind that it would be Cassie.

I first met Cassie at a job we worked at together. She was sitting in the breakroom one day drawing, and long story short, what she was doing was amazing! (And I hope she one day follows through on that project!) Over the years, I have watched her make her art and she’s made some incredible pieces. I would go so far as to say that if I were asked who my favorite artists are, I would answer MC Escher, HR Geiger, Ralph McQuarrie, and Cassie. This post isn’t to kiss ass, but rather to draw attention to an amazing artist. There are a lot of amazing artists out there that don’t get the due they deserve, and while I can’t do that for all of them, I can definitely do this for her.

So how amazing is she? Aside from the results that you can see on this website, let me give you a peek behind the scenes. When I contacted her about commissioning this piece, I gave her scant details to go off of. For some artists, I’m sure this might not be a good idea, as you probably want to be as specific as possible so that you get exactly what you want. With Cassie, given the art she has created in the past, I wanted to give her as much freedom as possible because my gut instinct was that whatever she came up with would be far better than anything I could possibly describe. When she showed me the first iteration of what would become the final image, I was blown away! Turns out, I was correct in my thinking. The results were miles beyond what I had imagined. As far as satisfied customers go, you couldn’t find one more satisfied than me.

If you wish to see her artwork, you can visit her Instagram art page (some of which is NSFW). You can also reach out to her there if you wish to commission some artwork, either for yourself or for someone else. I also hired her as an artist for another project I’m involved in, and the results were nothing less than amazing for that as well. As of this writing, she has no idea that I am posting this, so please know that my recommendation comes from a satisfied customer and not just because she’s someone I know.

If you do choose to contact her for work, please do not tell her that I said you would get a discount, because a) that would be a lie, and b) she would know that you are lying. I don’t believe in asking for the “friends and family discount”, because I believe in supporting my friends and family in their business endeavors (provided it’s not something janky like an MLM, pyramid schemes, or something illegal). I also don’t believe in asking for that discount for other friends and family, much less strangers. Plus, artists make their living doing art, and deserve to be paid for their talents. If you don’t feel a specific artist is worth the price they quote you, then find a different artist or do it yourself. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

Stay classy, and write those stories! – Ian

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