Every time the Oscars roll around I'm reminded of the time when I worked with a movie star who had her own television and film production company. While there were many interesting moments, I often laugh about the time we walked into her agents office (responsible, to a certain degree, for getting us meetings with companies who would partner with us on projects) and the agent, after we spent an hour pitching projects we'd developed and hoped to sell, said with a straight face, "there's no such thing as new, unique ideas, there are only different ways of producing the same thing." I couldn't DISAGREE more and, in the moment, couldn't hate anyone more for stomping out our creative flames. The other night I thought of that idiot agent again while watching a certain cable channel where every single show used the same theme, same formula but different hosts. How is this creative, I wondered? How is it different, unique, original, thought-provoking or interesting in any way? If a client brought me into their home and asked for ideas on changing the design and I came back with a plan to make it look exactly the same, I'd be looking for work at walmart as a personal greeter! Innovation and creativity are key principles in my design philosophy...I mean, who wants to hire a designer with zero creativity? Anyway, I digress...clearly the Academy Awards got my mind wandering once again, so BACK TO DESIGN and being creative and original. To that jerk Hollywood agent who believed there was no such thing as originality, take a look at the top headboard designed using reclaimed wood from an old farmhouse fence AND the second photo...my uncles hunting cabin in northern Michigan. While you might not like either one, you've gotta give props for originality!
