I had a different intro in mind. Then this week both Dolly Parton and Tim Curry passed away.
I’m not one to shed tears when celebrities I didn’t know pass away. And I mourn these two amazing figures. They both lived unapologetically as themselves and made the world a better place through their respective arts, actions, and energy.
In addition to her music and acting career, Parton’s Imagination Library has given over 330 million books to kids. She supported public health and education in ways that positively impact so, so many lives.
If you’re of a certain age like me and have even a bit of counter culture in you, you’ve likely seen The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Midnight showings throwing toast were a staple of my young adulthood. Curry’s portrayals showed us how to embrace our unique selves.
Our world is a little less bright without these two amazing beings in it. I’m glad I got to live in a time when they were alive.Every day we make choices. Choices to get up and impact the world in ways that make a difference. I don’t know about you, but I choose to work in clean energy because I think it’s important. Working to leave the world in a better state than I found it allows me to look my kids in the eyes and tell them all is not lost.
On days when I get discouraged, and there have been a lot of those lately, examples like Dolly Parton and Tim Curry, who use their powers for good, help me remember all of the good in the world.
So, in case anyone hasn’t said it lately: thank you for all the work you’re doing to make this world a better place.
From the Creative Purpose Blog
Is your company considering a rebrand? You’re not alone. Whenever there are major market changes in clean energy, a swath of rebrands follow. After 25 years in the industry, I’ve seen this pattern time and again. 2026 with all of its shifting eddies and whorls is no different.
To that end, I’m resharing recent articles to help guide your rebrand and help the process go more smoothly.
Branding? Rebranding? What a Clean Energy Company Should Expect
Clean Energy Brand Logos: What Makes Them Work. And What Doesn’t
Create Clarity for Your Clean Energy Brand with a Style Guide
Don’t hesitate to reach out if you’re considering a rebrand.
If you’re not quite ready to talk, consider picking up a copy of my book, Powerful Branding, A Guidebook for Clean Energy Companies to Build Thriving Brands. It’s available as both an eBook and in hardback through lulu.com
Monthly makeover
Let’s talk color. Two common issues I encounter when editing graphics for others are color contrast and color tints.
Color contrast
When developing charts, graphs, or graphics, I often see people skip considering visibility in less than ideal circumstances. That lemon yellow on white might work on your high-res iPad screen in your comfortably-lit home office, but almost disappear when giving a presentation at RE+ using a projector under fluorescent lights.
To avoid this scenario all together, plan for plenty of color contrast.While designed for the web, using Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) when designing charts, graphs, and graphics helps with readability in most situations. WCAG provides two standards – AA and AAA. Sticking to at least AA will improve readability regardless of the surrounding lighting.
I recommend using a color contrast checker such as this one to check your color choices.
Color tints
You create a chart in Excel and instead of using the gaudy, circus of colors, you opt for a chart using a single color in different tints and shades. It works better with the brand colors and is more soothing to the eyes. I’ll admit, I’ve been guilty of this.
While initially more soothing, the cognitive load you’re placing on the viewer is much higher than it needs to be. If they’re spending a lot of time trying to figure out if that dot on the chart is medium green or medium-dark green, then they’re not spending that energy in actually understanding the data you’re presenting.
If your chart, graph, or graphic will use more than three tints, opt for a different color model.
If you have a slide, chart, or graph you’d like to see made over, send it my way. I’d love to feature it!
Of note
Section 232 - new tariffs
On August 6th, new tariffs on solar imports was announced. Taking effect December 4th of this year, the tariffs will enforce minimim pricing on several components that go into manufacturing PV modules as well as the modules themselves.
A lot has been written about the new tariffs and it’s worth reading more to understand how your organization will be impacted.
Not the kind of “super” we were looking for
Yes, I talked about this year’s super El Nino last month, but the charts in a recent New York Times article are too good to pass up.
I highly recommend checking out the article at least to check out the charts.
August joke
Why did the teacher jump in the pool?
They wanted to test the water.