I’m a girl from the Panhandle. Compared to Borger, Texas, Fort Worth is hustle and bustle. I hurry from one place to the next and I work in an industry known for its fast pace. When I need a break, I hop in the car and get outside the city. Along the way, I find a muse in roadside oddities.
Change of Scenery
I sit in front of a computer. ALL. DAY. If nothing else, small road trips provide perspective in the third dimension. When you work in graphic design, it’s helpful to view the work of artists across different mediums. A sculpture in the middle of a field, discarded materials taking on new life or even the observation of others viewing the work—it’s as amusing as it is stimulating.
Weird stuff attracts weird people
On my last trip to the Cadillac Ranch I met a hippie couple and their cat. I’m not sure if they lived out of their car or they just pack it full for the occasional weekend excursion, but I envied them. Two nonconformists walking their cat on a leash and eating guacamole out of the trunk of their Subaru helped me refocus my priorities. I may not be willing to give up my day job or take showers at rest stops but those nonconformist ideals will influence my work as a designer.
What’s the point?
It’s my job to create advertising with strategy behind it. All art is made with purpose behind it but, unlike commercial art, installation pieces don’t require that the artist’s intentions and the viewer’s interpretation align. I don’t know why there’s a giant shoe in front of an antique store in the middle of Quanah, Texas but I like it that way. Its presence provokes questions and creative thought.
There’s a lot of weird stuff out there and I want to see it all. It’s too easy to get caught up in misguided priorities, routines and narrow thoughts. When I step out of my everyday and expose myself to strange art and strange people, I think creatively. I become a better artist. I become a better art director.
Still ahead:
The Garden of Eden in Kansas
The Neon Museum in Vegas
The Prada store in Marfa, Texas
Do you have a favorite roadside attraction? What do you do when life becomes mundane and you need to reprogram?
