https://www.kim-merrikin.com/blogs-and-writing-samples daily 0.75 2025-07-30 https://www.kim-merrikin.com/blogs-and-writing-samples/vuem7pfvgzbigix0ab8zw9p6b9u727 monthly 0.5 2025-07-30 https://www.kim-merrikin.com/blogs-and-writing-samples/4oxi1z7klkoh4lgmett3o84wtnb8pi monthly 0.5 2025-07-30 https://www.kim-merrikin.com/blogs-and-writing-samples/what-happens-when-severe-weather-protocols-are-activated monthly 0.5 2024-08-12 https://www.kim-merrikin.com/blogs-and-writing-samples/70chkavg5dslt0zqwnzq46m2y2lf9d monthly 0.5 2024-08-12 https://www.kim-merrikin.com/blogs-and-writing-samples/fuck-those-guys-wear-the-swimsuit monthly 0.5 2023-06-01 https://www.kim-merrikin.com/blogs-and-writing-samples/i-accidentally-designed-a-swimsuit monthly 0.5 2023-04-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/44f4dcc4-c056-4caf-8259-d5d39b0d8d01/10399231_114226942422_1627173_n.jpg Blogs & Writing Samples - This is the story of how I wound up designing my dream swimsuit. - Make it stand out Here I am with a friend in 2009, as a 20-something, in a swim dress. Super stylish. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/844d83df-750a-4319-8ed5-91c0dda33df4/IMG_0795.jpg Blogs & Writing Samples - This is the story of how I wound up designing my dream swimsuit. - Make it stand out This is not the racerback unisuit, but a short-sleeve TomboyX unisuit—not what I wear indoors, but a suit I love for slightly less than hot days in outdoor situations or days I just do not want to bother with the labor of getting sunscreen on my back. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/209cd9d9-31e5-489d-839c-09c561d13e11/IMG_4896.jpeg Blogs & Writing Samples - This is the story of how I wound up designing my dream swimsuit. - Make it stand out I am at least a little embarrassed sharing this picture of me in the too-small shirt, but only because the world hates fat people and I still haven’t overcome all of that stigma. THIS IS ME. GET OVER IT. (That was for both of us.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/55927060-b614-4207-a2ac-fd6e814a89fc/IMG_4363.jpg Blogs & Writing Samples - This is the story of how I wound up designing my dream swimsuit. - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/31df2811-b453-4033-92b2-dd528bb017fb/IMG_4612.PNG Blogs & Writing Samples - This is the story of how I wound up designing my dream swimsuit. - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/a5b758b4-a0f3-4f3d-b526-f1773e9e886c/Screen+Shot+2022-08-30+at+10.46.31+PM.png Blogs & Writing Samples - This is the story of how I wound up designing my dream swimsuit. - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/1d4ac28d-98a5-4e45-9363-4d3796911922/Hakuna_Top_1-callouts.jpg Blogs & Writing Samples - This is the story of how I wound up designing my dream swimsuit. - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/3a311a09-80ce-44db-b567-8e64a2ac3e74/Hakuna_Bottoms_1-callouts.jpg Blogs & Writing Samples - This is the story of how I wound up designing my dream swimsuit. - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.kim-merrikin.com/blogs-and-writing-samples/community-is-friggin-rad monthly 0.5 2023-03-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/de035908-8557-4b17-be20-7e19482aad02/IMG_7977.jpg Blogs & Writing Samples - Community is friggin’ rad. - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/028ac813-235a-47cc-880f-ee714c292937/Women-on-the-water_Womens-Day+copy.jpg Blogs & Writing Samples - Community is friggin’ rad. - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/defdcfd3-975c-40c1-a22e-ace03db25ed1/WomenOnWater-12.jpg Blogs & Writing Samples - Community is friggin’ rad. - Make it stand out Photo taken by Cassie Sanchez. View her full website here. https://www.kim-merrikin.com/blogs-and-writing-samples/these-are-the-christmas-movies-you-should-probably-watch monthly 0.5 2022-12-01 https://www.kim-merrikin.com/blogs-and-writing-samples/who-belongs-outside monthly 0.5 2022-10-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/57554f98-185e-4344-a96b-c7d27e824342/IMG_6470.jpg Blogs & Writing Samples - Who belongs outside? - Make it stand out This photo of me with my surfboard was taken by Carly from Pink Fin Photography, and was taken at a SeaStr PNW Surf Camp in August. https://www.kim-merrikin.com/blogs-and-writing-samples/video-work monthly 0.5 2022-07-25 https://www.kim-merrikin.com/blogs-and-writing-samples/survivor-stories monthly 0.5 2022-06-27 https://www.kim-merrikin.com/blogs-and-writing-samples/would-a-survivor-be-comfortable-in-your-church monthly 0.5 2022-06-25 https://www.kim-merrikin.com/blogs-and-writing-samples/the-marriage-of-racism-and-misogyny-in-the-sex-trade monthly 0.5 2022-06-25 https://www.kim-merrikin.com/blogs-and-writing-samples/racism-and-pornography monthly 0.5 2022-06-25 https://www.kim-merrikin.com/blogs-and-writing-samples/there-is-no-such-thing-as-fair-trade-pornography monthly 0.5 2022-06-25 https://www.kim-merrikin.com/blogs-and-writing-samples/on-the-grooming-amp-trafficking-of-minors monthly 0.5 2022-06-25 https://www.kim-merrikin.com/blogs-and-writing-samples/homelessness-and-sex-trafficking monthly 0.5 2022-06-25 https://www.kim-merrikin.com/blogs-and-writing-samples/blog-post-title-two-cwac5 monthly 0.5 2022-06-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/70d93824-d493-47f7-ae46-f86910402ee8/REST_blog_oppression-inequity-sex-trafficking_graph-solo.png Blogs & Writing Samples - Systemic Oppression, Inequity, and Sex Trafficking - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.kim-merrikin.com/blogs-and-writing-samples/goodwill-diy-terrarium monthly 0.5 2022-06-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/def071ed-151c-4cc1-8731-faabc897b28d/Goodwill-DIY_Succulent-Terrarium_header.jpeg Blogs & Writing Samples - DIY Succulent Terrarium - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/07b38786-1da4-480a-9fdf-665376d44ac1/Goodwill-DIY_Terrarium_insta.jpeg Blogs & Writing Samples - DIY Succulent Terrarium - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/0dd46e2f-b12e-49d5-9366-7b0202a0ab0e/Goodwill-DIY_Succulent-Terrarium.jpeg Blogs & Writing Samples - DIY Succulent Terrarium - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.kim-merrikin.com/blogs-and-writing-samples/goodwill-diy-mini-herb-garden monthly 0.5 2022-06-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/c8716e7d-fc9f-4ef5-abf0-31ac07a8f5d0/Goodwill-DIY_Herb-Garden_head.jpeg Blogs & Writing Samples - Seattle Goodwill - DIY Mini Herb Garden - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/88844778-2adc-4e32-95ea-bb349e0f027e/Goodwill-DIY_Herb-Garden_2.jpeg Blogs & Writing Samples - Seattle Goodwill - DIY Mini Herb Garden - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/3d7cb9ce-551e-4f8f-a3f6-3b544646cd93/Goodwill-DIY_Herb-Garden_3.jpeg Blogs & Writing Samples - Seattle Goodwill - DIY Mini Herb Garden - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.kim-merrikin.com/blogs-and-writing-samples/category/REST+%7C+Real+Escape+from+the+Sex+Trade monthly 0.5 https://www.kim-merrikin.com/blogs-and-writing-samples/category/movefatgirl monthly 0.5 https://www.kim-merrikin.com/blogs-and-writing-samples/category/Blogs+for+Former+Employers monthly 0.5 https://www.kim-merrikin.com/blogs-and-writing-samples/category/Side+Projects monthly 0.5 https://www.kim-merrikin.com/blogs-and-writing-samples/tag/Justice monthly 0.5 https://www.kim-merrikin.com/blogs-and-writing-samples/tag/Sexual+Exploitation monthly 0.5 https://www.kim-merrikin.com/blogs-and-writing-samples/tag/kcrha monthly 0.5 https://www.kim-merrikin.com/blogs-and-writing-samples/tag/How+To monthly 0.5 https://www.kim-merrikin.com/blogs-and-writing-samples/tag/sports monthly 0.5 https://www.kim-merrikin.com/blogs-and-writing-samples/tag/Evergreen+Goodwill monthly 0.5 https://www.kim-merrikin.com/blogs-and-writing-samples/tag/Seattle+Goodwill monthly 0.5 https://www.kim-merrikin.com/blogs-and-writing-samples/tag/King+County+Regional+Homelessness+Authority monthly 0.5 https://www.kim-merrikin.com/blogs-and-writing-samples/tag/movefatgirl monthly 0.5 https://www.kim-merrikin.com/blogs-and-writing-samples/tag/Survivor+Stories monthly 0.5 https://www.kim-merrikin.com/blogs-and-writing-samples/tag/Blog+Writing monthly 0.5 https://www.kim-merrikin.com/blogs-and-writing-samples/tag/Sex+Trafficking monthly 0.5 https://www.kim-merrikin.com/blogs-and-writing-samples/tag/golden+gardens monthly 0.5 https://www.kim-merrikin.com/blogs-and-writing-samples/tag/REST monthly 0.5 https://www.kim-merrikin.com/blogs-and-writing-samples/tag/outdoors monthly 0.5 https://www.kim-merrikin.com/blogs-and-writing-samples/tag/DIY monthly 0.5 https://www.kim-merrikin.com/blogs-and-writing-samples/tag/Video monthly 0.5 https://www.kim-merrikin.com/blogs-and-writing-samples/tag/seattle monthly 0.5 https://www.kim-merrikin.com/blogs-and-writing-samples/tag/athletic monthly 0.5 https://www.kim-merrikin.com/home daily 1.0 2022-12-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/71bac53b-4ea1-42d5-90db-7a3217eeb6f5/Kim-Merrikin_Diving-in.jpg Home This is what happens when you dive in after your GoPro. https://www.kim-merrikin.com/resume daily 0.75 2026-01-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/59a10118-f52a-4b58-bf95-405ee132b228/IMG_3040.png Resume - Make it stand out Photo by Tommy Corey https://www.kim-merrikin.com/about-me daily 0.75 2025-08-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/780e4434-5ddd-4384-a9c3-7691c250fd81/Kim-Merrikin_childhood_kalaloch.JPG A Bit About Me - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.kim-merrikin.com/favorite-work daily 0.75 2025-07-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/1914b7a7-1dff-41f7-ba2e-4418cd56cf0e/IMG_0203.jpeg Favorite Work - Fellowship of the Rink Brand & Kits When I am doing more writing work, and a little less exciting design work on the “career job” side, I like to take on passion projects here and there. This is one I’m very proud of. A group of friends and I decided to put together a tournament hockey team named after a longstanding group chat: The Fellowship of the Rink As we worked through what we wanted for a kit, I got to incorporate various elements from Lord of the Rings, while also anchoring the colors in a way that made our lighter jerseys look good alongside our (new, at the time) local NHL team: The Seattle Kraken. (This photo is from when we won our first tournament at Portland Women’s Hockey League’s Dirty Birds Tournament in 2023.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/32424fc1-edb1-4248-b6f5-37680494af3a/IMG_0173.jpeg Favorite Work - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/8a7e5186-6ce7-403c-beb1-4b87446e697c/IMG_9803.jpeg Favorite Work - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/1a9eaecd-6e87-4fa7-95ea-a1123418bf1d/IMG_9804.jpeg Favorite Work - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/18e8d1f2-740d-459c-b458-5cae7fd1492b/IMG_0180.jpg Favorite Work - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/cdf3a2f2-05e2-4b65-bf6a-49edc452e21a/Kim-Merrikin_REST_Annual-Reports_stack.jpg Favorite Work - Some of my absolute all-time favorite work includes REST’s annual reports from 2017–2021. With two annual reports done under REST’s old brand, and three done under the new brand (shown here), there are few things in my career that I am more proud of. I lead these projects from start to finish, gathering data, interviewing survivors, writing, and designing these books. REST’s 2019 Annual Report won a Marcom Award and a Hermes Award for non-profit annual reports. You can see the PDFs of these reports, including the older ones, and read their content here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/a6255d80-6daf-48b6-975b-a4a22b8965dd/Kim-Merrikin_REST_Annual-Reports.jpg Favorite Work - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/5af62993-c08d-4920-800a-9c9e49089814/Kim-Merrikin_REST_Annual-Reports_layout-2.jpg Favorite Work - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/0fdabe0e-2f61-4385-abcf-2dbfbe3a31ba/Kim-Merrikin_REST_Annual-Reports_layout-3.jpg Favorite Work - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/daa30a98-8ca1-4aae-bbca-8f07bbe4c61b/Kim-Merrikin_REST_Annual-Reports_layout-4.jpg Favorite Work - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/98bc6d97-3835-4991-9a89-112102de23b4/Kim-Merrikin_REST_Suvivor-Artwork.jpg Favorite Work - Amplifying Survivor Voices One thing I love about the work I got to do at REST was the push for survivor involvement in campaigns. For each of these cards, I had the honor of working with artists who are survivors of sexual exploitation. They were commissioned for the artwork, and I combined their art (and artist’s statements on the back) with the messaging for the campaign. In other campaigns, we shared their recorded voices (no visuals), handwritten messages, or themed quotes to integrate and center survivor voices in our campaigns. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/2e7276c0-577f-4602-b771-3075b07c049e/REST_blog_lettersfromsurvivors_tell-you-about-my-pimp.jpeg Favorite Work - Make it stand out Click the image to see the rest of this blog! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/b0487429-9077-4fe1-94ea-72a71aa73eea/Kim-Merrikin_REST_ANOR-19_Pathways-1.jpg Favorite Work - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/1b767db5-c681-47a6-afd7-f51c03250310/Kim-Merrikin_REST_ANOR-19_Pathways-3.jpg Favorite Work - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/85eb1e3b-6729-4ad2-ac06-9998c5dcad7a/Kim-Merrikin_REST_ANOR-19_Pathways-4.jpg Favorite Work - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/24c16a9f-04d7-4791-9a64-f0adb0c15a9e/Kim-Merrikin_REST_ANOR-19_Pathways-2.jpg Favorite Work - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/de374130-6482-4512-a07e-98f8b732cc24/Kim-Merrikin_REST_ANOR-18_Reflections-3.jpg Favorite Work - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/b2de6c80-6e17-437a-a38e-e710cf9471aa/Kim-Merrikin_REST_ANOR-18_Reflections-2.jpg Favorite Work - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/b3915af3-b85d-4ecb-8165-e7e909da0deb/Kim-Merrikin_REST_ANOR-18_Reflections-4.jpg Favorite Work - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/5abeddec-2c38-4401-8bc4-4c53ed0f4026/Kim-Merrikin_REST_ANOR-18_Reflections-1.jpg Favorite Work - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/9fc7e198-00af-4f35-a23c-2eab635aeae6/Surf-Vamps_logo-white-sq.png Favorite Work - Surf Vamps Branding In early 2024, realizing the need for a more inclusive surfing community, my friend Patty and I founded Surf Vamps, the inclusive surf community that we wanted. Considering that we’re cold water surfers here in the PNW, we focused the branding around cool tones and our beloved sword ferns, with a subtle call out to a to the tail of a fish (surfboard shape) in the tongue. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/dc75a32e-959b-478c-a3ff-19d7d9cb2d6d/Kim-Merrikin_Seattle-Womens-Hockey-Club_Puck-Place-Market-Tournament_IG-square.jpg Favorite Work - Puck Place Market Women’s Hockey Tournament Shield A team effort for sure, I got to take the ideas of a fellow board member and bring them to life for our first-ever Puck Place Market Women’s Hockey Tournament. Rooted in a blend of our club colors and Seattle Kraken colors, the shield was a major hit and was highly complimented as players purchased their tourney swag. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/ef5cd518-d222-4bf7-8434-4cca36b688e4/Kim-Merrikin_REST_Hope-For-Christmas_Insta.jpg Favorite Work - Cut Paper Graphics Ok, this one is also work I did for REST under the old brand—BUT—it was decidedly outside of the brand. Whenever I get the opportunity, I love creating graphics out of cut and scanned paper shapes to create a sense of tactile dimension. In this case, most of the graphic is cut and scanned paper, but the smaller text is digital typography overlayed with paper textures. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/960a0b52-5756-4db1-a67f-5a2219a69b2f/Wear-Your-Helmet.png Favorite Work - This Sticker Occasionally, I design fun little stickers and get 100 or so printed just to hand out to people I meet. This is one of them—and one that has been a big hit among my longboarding and surfskating friends. Safety first, kids. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/2ace2acd-5422-4c83-bc49-0965d0637771/Kim-Merrikin_Disanka_Logo_Vert_1800px_RGB.jpg Favorite Work - Disanka Creative Branding When a friend was ready to launch his photography business, he came to me for branding. He wanted something that reflected his Congolese heritage, so I did some reading into colors and themes, and we eventually worked out this logo: A cheetah spot, rooted in the yellow color from the national flag of the Democratic Republic of Congo. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/752f795e-f3f7-49b1-9576-a1dd65bfceb8/Kim-Merrikin_toys.jpg Favorite Work - Bendable Action Figures When I was fresh out of college and had no idea how to do business, I designed a series of seven bendable action figures and their packaging (and wrote their stories on the back of the packaging). To this day, I love these toys. They’re out of production now, but they once sold on Amazon, at Fuego stores, and in many of the waterfront gift shops in Seattle. Sometimes when I’m down I go look at the #narwhalicorn hashtag on Instagram to see people enjoying my toy. https://www.kim-merrikin.com/contact-kim daily 0.75 2022-10-06 https://www.kim-merrikin.com/movefatgirl daily 0.75 2023-05-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/41c5f517-87a4-41e2-9563-63d0612eacd2/Screenshot+2023-02-25+at+2.17.07+PM.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/463ac398-f43c-4a6b-a5f0-5757cc0d290f/webopt-New-Hakuna-Logo-colors-expanded-01_600x.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/62b5ef8086a13f40bfbf887a/7623a8c9-f798-4aaa-8d75-ae652f979eab/Smartwool_logo.svg.png