This was originally posted June 12, 2010
COLOR is a Trend.
Did you know that?
It used to be that household appliances could only come in black, white or metal color. Now color is used to market everything from espresso machines to vacuum cleaners.
It's cool to be Colorful.
Color specialists at big corporations make multi-million (or multi-billion) dollar decisions about what colors will sell their products. If you had to decide which 3 colors to choose for a million backpacks, which 3 would you choose?
This last week I attended the HOW Design Conference which is put on by the graphic design magazine of the same name. What it was really about for me, was inspiration, trends, and how to live the life of a Creative.
Did you know that "Creative" is a noun now? Creatives are people who make their living being creative. There are 40,000 students in the US now, who are studying graphic design. I find that very exciting. They will need mentoring though, because being a Creative and being a Professional can sometimes be at odds.
I mean, isn't the Starving Artist a cliche, because creative people have a hard time being business people too? It doesn't have to be that way – artists can come up with insanely creative ways to market themselves – with a little confidence.
What I found most inspiring at the conference was the message from the director of AIGA – that it is up to the Creatives of the world to design a better world, and implement these ideas for the public. If we can envision solutions, we can help create and actualize those goals.
I know that a lot of young people throughout the ages have been discouraged from pursuing creative careers because they don't make enough money; but now there is a greater goal for Creatives – to be an agent of change in a world that needs a new Vision.
After spending 4 days with a group of mostly 20-somethings and 30-somethings, and seeing how they responded to this message, I am even more fired up about the idea of Mentoring. I can't personally mentor thousands of young people, but I know that many of you feel the same way, and together we can be agents of change in a changing world.
So… it starts with all of us finding a young person to mentor and teach how to sew. In my case, Sophie and I are making quilts for orphans in Haiti and Africa. We are also starting on the idea of designing and making one's own garments, and she's picked out a hand-painted dragon batik panel to incorporate into the back of a quilted jacket. I am teaching her that whatever she can dream, she can create.
I'd like to start a dialogue about Mentoring and Creativity, and if you'd like to add your ideas, please post your thoughts.
If you subscribe to the eQuilter newsletter,
https://www.equilter.com/cgi-bin/webc.cgi/ur_registerform.html
you probably saw my Creative Nudge which was sent out Weds, and judging by the huge positive response, I'll be preparing some more creative ideas to share with you on Wednesday evenings.
I'm thinking about visiting our quilty friends in Australia or New Zealand in December, or next year. Got any suggestions?
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