Beginning With Reality

My work space is incorporeal.

F

I like to think of my process as the imaginable. This is a place that only I can go and that I can understand. Maybe it is a mental vacation from reality, but it is also a creative tunnel. It’s just a Fantasy.

“ A Fairy Tale Story”Old Wallsby Robert Stagemyer

Old walls, secrets and moss, in moonlight bathe.Leaves blanket the ground and whis-per softly in the night breeze.Columns of branchless trees, cut on an ancient lathe.A Sanctuary in my mind, to return to whenever I please.

Positive/NegetiveIn This World

But lets start from the begin-ning. Reality. I can’t work in reality. It a world that had creativity beat out of it . In kindergarten we are told that chickens aren’t purple, so we can not color them purple in our books. This actually hap-pened to my boyfriend. So what is happening here? Our teachers, the people who we are suppose to admire, are in-structing us not to be creative. This is devastating to man-kind. What will the world be-come with out creativity? So here I am stuck in reality. It’s this constant struggle between the world and me. The world being colorless and me being colorful. So when i’m here in this world or reality I feel as if I can’t be creative. There you go, Reality.

Reality Versus FantasyPositive/

NegetiveIn This World

So how do I as a designer, segregate myself from reality?

I go to a room, one where i can be alone. I spread out all of my tools: pencils, ink, paper, scissors, my computer, etc. I then put some mu-sic on, something that can help me relax and focus. So now I’m alone with everything i need, and every-thing i don’t need.

I then start working or in my case, fantasizing. I like to compare this to a child playing. When a child plays that is there job and they do take it seriously. For instance, when children play house, they become the characters and the senario be-comes reality. The little girl believes she is a mom taking care of her baby. They become engulfed in this world. Children also need play, it helps stimulate brain activity and builds communication skills. I be-lieve that it is also a mental break and a stress reliever.

As a designer i take play seriously

As a designer i take play seriously

Now all of this applies to me as a designer. Play is the key. If you take design too seriously your work will start to look mechanical and forced. I want my designs to have a natural flow and rhythm to them. I want it to be something that looks enjoyable because I enjoyed doing it.

When I start processing and making decisions I become part of this “fantasy design” world that I create in my head. I feel as if i’m swimming in my ideas and a wave of thoughts splash over me. I hear my music and it latently stimulates information, that I would not have thought of otherwise. The color palletes play a song, the reds beat strong, with the ting of yellow here and there. My heart beats with excitement and my mind explodes with creativity. Euphoria comes in place.

I stop. Look down.

The design has come alive.

I have created something beautiful.

Now this is why I love design. It is refreshing, exhilarating, and it’s accomplished. Every time I work I get to experience this rush of emo-tions.

But i’m scared.

What if this goes away? What if i’m not allowed to experience this in the real world?

“If it’s to be its up to me.”

so I will never let go of this personal process. It is me and it defines design in my mind. Without it, design would never be the same.

Some people may find this hard to un-derstand. But I guess everyone works differently, and this just happens to work for me. Maybe my hobby be-comes my escape from reality. I don’t know. I do know that I like going to these fantasy worlds. They are always different and inspiring.

Ending With

Fantasy