Locals: Meet Mark Healy of the Midwest Lost Ski Areas Project

Marketing and communications professionals exist in a constant state of creation. Every day, we craft messaging, find innovative ways to showcase products and services, and develop engaging content. We pour our creativity into our clients—internal and external—without hesitation. But when was the last time you created something just for yourself? Nearly a year ago, my mom passed away, and in many ways, I broke. I found myself questioning everything. I’m in my mid-40s, a mother myself, staring at the second half of my life without my own mom. Those nagging questions crept in: What am I really doing? What truly matters? Maybe we all go through something like this, but I'm thankful that my grief led me to look for solid ground and remember the creative person I started as when I was a kid—a painter, a writer of wild stories about mysterious neighbors, a backyard photographer, a journalist wielding my First Sony recorder and a microphone, interviewing my stuffed animals like I was Barbara Walters. (Who am I kidding? I was more Phil Donahue or Sally Jessy.) This reflection became action, and I sat down and wrote—not for a client, not on a deadline, but just for me. Sitting down to write for myself was transformative. It reminded me why I chose this career in the first place. The fact that I was able to turn what I love into a career is incredible, but I realized that a part of me (a very big part) had lost the artful fun of writing. How Creativity Drives Professionalism Amid this reflection on creativity, I found myself searching for ways to nurture this muscle even more. Discoveries such as Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way, a 12-week journey (part guidebook, part spiritual exploration) to what she calls "creative recovery," have helped lead me to further exercise my creativity. Writing three pages every morning in a journal with no rules or expectations, for example, has helped me organize what I need from the day and fuels creative momentum. In fact, it led me to write this very article. It may sound surprising to some, but harnessing creativity outside of work can strengthen problem-solving, storytelling and strategic thinking—critical skills for marketing and business success. Even when drafting technical content, I find myself sharper and more fluid. It’s like a football player taking dance classes to move more nimbly on the field. By engaging in personal creative practices, professionals can generate fresher ideas, improve brand narratives and approach challenges with a more innovative mindset. So, creative professionals, this is your call to make personal creativity a part of your professional quest. Reigniting Your Creativity As A Busy Professional You don’t need to quit your job or retreat to a cabin to reconnect with your creative side. (But, let’s be honest, a week at the lake wouldn’t hurt.) If your work demands all your creative energy, here are some ways to nurture your artistic spark without turning it into another task on your to-do list. Morning Pages: A few minutes of freewriting can declutter your mind, generate new ideas and make you more intentional. No pressure, no editing—just let the words spill out. Creative Constraints: Give yourself a mini creative challenge. Write a haiku about your morning coffee or try sketching a five-minute portrait of your dog without judgment. Creativity can thrive within boundaries. Unplugged Creativity: Try something tactile like painting, playing an instrument or even rearranging your bookshelf by color. Engaging with your hands can help spark ideas in unexpected ways. Creativity Sprints: If your calendar is packed, schedule short bursts of creativity the way you would a work meeting. Ten minutes of uninterrupted time to jot down ideas, brainstorm a personal project or simply daydream can work wonders. Micro-Journaling: If you're not into long-form journaling, I recommend keeping a small notebook (or a notes app) and jotting down interesting thoughts, phrases or observations throughout the day. These fragments can become the seeds of something bigger. Time In Nature: Nature is the ultimate artist. No two sunrises are the same. Spend time outside without an agenda and let your senses take in the sights, sounds and textures. Sometimes, the best inspiration comes from simply being. Telling Your Own Stories: If you can tell a friend about something funny that happened last week, you can write it down. Start small; write a letter you’ll never send, a fictionalized version of your commute or a ridiculous "what if" scenario. Making time for creativity doesn’t have to be overwhelming. For those struggling to find the time, remember that just 15 minutes a day is all it takes. If you want to spend more time, great, but don’t ask more of yourself than that. Treat it like any essential habit by making it a mental and physical priority. I schedule my creative time, like morning pages, as I would a meeting, ensuring it’s nonnegotiable. It won’t be perfect at first, but aim for consistency, even if it’s just 50% of the time. A habit tracker app can also help reinforce the routine by making progress visible and rewarding. The more you integrate creativity into your day, the easier it becomes to sustain. Keeping The Spark Alive These creative exercises might feel like something completely removed from your professional responsibilities, but the truth is that nurturing creativity outside of work directly enhances the skills you rely on every day. Freewriting sharpens clarity in strategic messaging, storytelling exercises improve brand narratives and creative constraints train you to think more effectively within business limitations. Even something as simple as stepping away from a screen to engage in tactile creativity can help reframe problems and unlock fresh ideas for marketing campaigns, client pitches or content development. Remember, creativity isn’t an on-off switch; it’s a way of moving through the world, noticing things and making connections. So, give yourself the gift of creating for the sake of it without deadlines, clients or pressure. You will reignite your passion while strengthening your professional skills. View Live Article

In CNC machining, every component, cut, and edge finish depends on precision—not only in the equipment but in the fluids that keep it running smoothly. A finely tuned balance of lubrication and cooling is essential to minimize wear, control temperatures, and ensure consistent quality. Choosing the right fluid is more than a technical decision; it’s a strategic choice that impacts the longevity of both tools and machines. When it comes to cutting oils versus coolants , the differences may seem subtle but are crucial for matching the fluid to specific tasks and machining environments. Cutting oils bring high lubricity that protects intricate cuts and sensitive tooling, while coolants prioritize temperature control for high-speed operations. Understanding these distinctions can mean the difference between routine maintenance and unexpected downtime for production managers, product engineers, and CNC professionals. What are Straight Cutting Oils? Straight cutting oils , also called “neat oils,” are oil-based fluids designed to provide strong lubrication without mixing with water. Made from mineral or synthetic oils with added extreme-pressure additives (like sulfur or chlorine), they create a protective film that reduces friction and heat between the tool and the workpiece. Ideal Applications These oils are especially effective for precision tasks, such as threading, broaching, and Swiss-style screw machining, where fine detail and tight tolerances are needed. Benefits Straight cutting oils help extend tool life, improve surface finishes, and keep machines cleaner by resisting bacterial growth and breakdown over time. This leads to smoother operations with fewer interruptions and lower tool maintenance and machine cleaning costs. What are Coolants? Coolants are water-based fluids that keep cutting tools and workpieces cool during high-speed machining. Unlike cutting oils, coolants primarily focus on temperature control, using a mix of water, lubricants, and other additives to dissipate heat from the cutting area quickly. Ideal Applications Coolants are best for high-speed CNC operations where managing heat is essential to prevent bad part quality, oxidation, and excessive tool wear. They’re widely used in tasks that involve aggressive cutting speeds and harder materials that generate more heat. Benefits Coolants enable higher cutting speeds by efficiently lowering temperatures and reducing the risk of tool damage from heat. This results in fewer instances of oxidation, a more consistent surface finish, and extended tool life, making coolants an ideal choice for faster-paced production environments. Key Differences Between Cutting Oils and Coolants While cutting oils and coolants both play a role in CNC machining, they are designed with different primary functions. Here’s a closer look at how these fluids differ in purpose, material compatibility, safety, and performance impact. Lubrication vs. Cooling Focus The core difference lies in their purpose. Cutting oils prioritize lubrication, forming a barrier that reduces friction between the tool and the material. This barrier minimizes wear and allows for precise, intricate cuts, which are instrumental in lower-speed, high-precision applications. Coolants focus on heat dissipation, drawing heat away from the cutting area to allow for higher-speed operations and prevent heat-related damage. Material Compatibility Different materials respond better to specific fluids. Cutting oils are typically well-suited for metals requiring high lubricity, like stainless steel or aluminum, and for tasks requiring a clean, smooth finish. Coolants, being water-based, are more commonly used for harder materials and high-speed operations, where quick heat removal is crucial. Selecting the proper fluid based on material type helps optimize both tool life and finish quality. Environmental and Safety Considerations Each fluid type has unique considerations for operator safety and environmental impact. Cutting oils generally produce less mist than coolants, improving the workspace’s air quality. However, they can be more challenging to dispose of due to their oil-based nature. Coolants, while easier to dispose of, can produce more mist and may harbor bacteria if not properly maintained, which requires routine monitoring and replacement to ensure safety. Performance Impact Cutting oils offer enhanced lubricity, which reduces tool wear and improves surface finish quality but can lead to oil buildup if not managed. Coolants allow for faster cutting speeds and extended tool life under high-stress conditions by keeping temperatures low but may require frequent cleaning to avoid residue buildup and microbial growth. Choosing the Right Fluid for Your CNC Application Selecting the right fluid can be pivotal to your machining outcomes. Below are key questions to consider and practical advice to guide your decision. What’s the Speed of Your Machining Process? Coolants may be the better choice when working with high-speed CNC operations. Their primary role is cooling, which prevents overheating during fast-paced, high-stress cutting. Cutting oils are likely the best fit for slower, precision-focused tasks, as they provide the lubricity needed for delicate operations without requiring intense heat dissipation. What Material Are You Machining? Materials react differently to fluids. For hard metals, which generate substantial heat during machining, a coolant can help manage temperatures and prevent thermal damage. Softer metals or intricate parts often benefit from cutting oils, providing a smooth, consistent finish without overheating. Which Tool Type Are You Using? Tools that require precise lubrication to prevent chipping or wear, such as those used in threading or broaching, pair well with cutting oils. Tools designed for heavy-duty, high-speed cuts work better with coolants, as the fluid keeps the tool cool under prolonged use. How Large is Your Production Scale? Coolants often provide a better fit for large-scale, high-volume operations, as they support faster speeds and continuous operation without needing frequent reapplication. Cutting oils may benefit smaller-scale or specialized production where quality and finish are prioritized over speed, providing reliable lubrication that maintains tool integrity over time. Optimize Your CNC Operations with the Right Fluid Choice Choosing the right fluid for your CNC operations can significantly affect tool longevity, machining quality, and overall productivity. Cutting oils are ideal for precision tasks that require high lubricity, while coolants excel in high-speed operations where heat dissipation is critical. Understanding these distinctions helps match the fluid to your specific machining needs, ensuring optimal results and longer-lasting equipment. Impact Fluids is here to help you make the best choice for your operation. More than a supplier of high-quality fluids , Impact Fluids partners with clients to improve production efficiency through tailored fluid selection, custom mixing, and fluid reduction strategies . By working closely with you, we ensure the right fluid is used correctly, helping reduce waste, enhance workplace safety, and deliver consistent, high-quality outcomes. View Live Article

A Mother’s Legacy in Midwest Summers and Winters The wind blowing my hair back. The earthy smell of lake water. Lake Michigan’s impossible turquoise. Fresh snow crunching under skis. The warmth of mom-and-pop ski lodges, all wood smoke and hot cocoa. A-frames along snowy roads. These moments bring me back to the Midwest of my childhood and to my mom – the woman who made it possible. My mom wasn’t outdoorsy. She didn’t like to “rough it.” Creature comforts were more her style, and luxury was her preference. Yet when I think about my connection to this land, the lakes, and the winters, my thoughts go straight to her. Every weekend in the summer, we’d pack up and head out to our boat. My first memory is of our open-bow speedboat in Nunica, Michigan. We’d spend days cruising the Grand River, taking the boat to Lake Michigan, and beaching it by the dunes. Later, we upgraded to a cabin cruiser docked in Muskegon, and every Friday after my parents got off work, we’d haul ourselves to the marina. Coolers packed, overnight bags slung over our shoulders, we became part of the weekend warrior crowd. Towels and bathing suits hung to dry on the boat railing while we took boat rides from Muskegon Lake to Lake Michigan, swimming off the back of the boat. The waves always felt enormous to my skinny kid self. I’d sit in my mom’s lap and drive the boat, her hands guiding mine at the helm. She loved it—being behind the helm and on the water. I’m glad I saw my son sit in her lap and drive the boat, too, before she left us. My mom passed away in April 2024 after a rapid battle with lung disease. Losing her so suddenly was shocking and painful, but a slow loss of breath would have crushed her spirit faster than it did her body. She didn’t want to live a life half-lived, and I don’t begrudge her that. My mom was summer. She loved the lakes, the long days, the warmth. Fourth of July was her holiday, and summer was her season. Her birthday was in July. So is mine. This first summer without her was devastating, but through it all, I was reminded of how much my childhood experiences in the Midwest outdoors are tied to her. She loved this place, and without me realizing it, she passed that love down to me.

The Impact of Material Handling Automation on McDougall & Sons' Cherry Production