Thank you for being a part of the 50th year of the Columbus Society of Communicating Arts (CSCA)—and what a year it’s been. Established in 1970, CSCA is an independent nonprofit organization founded with the intent to foster, advocate for, and elevate the art and science of communications. At this point, you’ve undoubtedly noticed the brick on the cover. Bricks are an inherently simple, known object. In the context of a wall, a brick becomes part of something bigger than itself. Many walls become a village. In a hand, a brick becomes a tool of dissent. Both metaphors apply here. Our June guest speaker, Oscar Fernández, spoke of legacy: legacy is the story we leave behind, and within this book, we’ve encapsulated a small part of the story of 2020. These are challenging times for all of us, and yet in our reflection over this year we find overwhelming gratitude. We have immense gratitude to all who came before us—the countless leaders, educators, volunteers, and sponsors, who through their time, talent, and generosity have shaped this organization. We are grateful for you. Congratulations to all of you for being proud of your work, whether or not you received an award. Creative Best and CSCA as a whole is about building this extraordinary village, being inspired by our work, and pursuing our passions and purpose. It has been an honor to be your leaders for this year. We are grateful for the officers who supported the structure of our organization. We are grateful for the board members and past presidents who helped us and provided invaluable guidance throughout the year. We are grateful for the volunteers who mentored students, designed artwork, wrote copy, shared our posts, and took photos. And we are grateful for our sponsors who donated time, money, services, swag, raffle prizes, and more. We are grateful for our guest speakers—we welcomed creative directors; a type designer; an illustrator; a writer; two educators/practitioners; a diversity, equity, and inclusion specialist; and several mental and behavioral health professionals. One resounding theme emerged from this year’s roster of guest speakers: bravery. Bravery to break the rules. Bravery to fight for big ideas. Bravery to change your life course by pivoting careers or moving to a different city, state, or country. Bravery of tenacity. Bravery to face systemic racism in our own industry. Bravery to face ourselves and our insecurities. Bravery to seek help. Bravery to be angry, and to speak out. All of this is worth fighting for. This is a call to action—we are accountable for our own legacy. When we see the world is not as we want it to be, it’s our responsibility to dissent, loudly and visibly. We are here to push the world in the direction we want it to go. This book is dedicated to all those who dare. Stay brave, Columbus. Jeremy Rosario & Suzy Sprague 3 Creative Best 2020
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