My 4 P's: Process

One of the most awesome….yeah, I said it MOST AWESOME…things that a person can do is find a process that works for them. Having a plan is the first step towards an idea, authenticity, and a mission, I refer to it as the vision. Without a vision; defined as the ability to think about or plan the future with imagination or wisdom, one is unable to move into the process of achieving the vision. Process is formally defined as a systematic series of actions directed to some end, continuous action. Wisdom is defined as the soundness of an action or decision with regard to the application of experience, knowledge, and good judgment. If the vision is the plan, the abstract idea that will propel something great into the universe, than wisdom is the process that works that vision into reality. 

So here’s a little story to help describe what I’m talking about. I had a project that required a vision for a sculptural wall installation. I had 2 locations in the building and I could do whatever my heart desired based on the mission of the company. The vision was to translate the brand mission into a large scale art installation, "live, work, play". Well how the fuck do you process that? I took the brand philosophy and started making rounds of sketches. From the sketches I kept the process going by finding inspiration, material palette, color story, and texture details that I felt would be powerful and exciting in the space. I found wisdom; experience, knowledge, and good judgement. 

Once my final sketches were completed, I deconstructed the idea. I use this method everytime, because it's what works for me. These actions always lead me to a product. I outline everything I’m going to need, this includes how much the materials are going to cost, and how long it will take for me to construct each piece. Prototyping. More action. Taking a vision and making it a reality is one of the most difficult things anyone can do. No matter what your vision is…a business, a building, a painting, a sculpture, a piece of music, it takes a plan; an abstract idea, and a process; actions, in order to produce a product. The tangible thing for others to experience. Process takes wisdom to know what you need and how you are going to do it. The three fundamental ideas defined in wisdom; experience, knowledge, and good judgment are about learning. If you don’t have these, find them, and find them fast. The process is all about obtaining these three things, and it requires asking for help, finding a team, and a lot of research. 

The method to my personal madness is having a vision or a plan, finding wisdom or a process in order to make dreams reality. The process is all about putting pieces of a puzzle in an order that works for you. You may not know it, so I'll just tell you, this is a creative rescue mission.

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My 4 P's: Plan

Planning isn’t always linear. Putting together a business plan is scattered with information that you put in some form of order that works for you both visually and organizationally. Most people think that this is a singular way to think. For me I use these tools in order to produce art. Art is such a broad term used by many. It also comes with some negativity when dealing with business. I work the two together. Business and art are not mutually exclusive. There are abstract ideas involved in both. There is research. There are materials. There is a pathway.

When I start a project, business or art, I always start the same way, with the abstract ideas. The basics help define how to put the plan together. Being playful and having fun is the best way for me to start. If I take myself too seriously nothing good comes out. But when I find inspiration in unlikely places, the hidden corners, the quick, and the impulsive. I’m able to expand on this and integrate it into the plan. 

Getting messy is my favorite and most successful way to defining what goes together and what doesn’t.  It means I've got tons of shit in front of me. It also means that I get to design a way to get into the process or strategy that will help achieve the end goal. But remember ideas are worthless until you implement them into a process and execute. Check in next week for my post about designing a process that works!

Strike: Like a Match

Every once in a while there are striking moments of inspiration. Has this happened to you? Why does it happen when you least expect it? Has it happened during a moment in time that seemed to be inconvenient? That is exactly what I was feeling at 6:53 pm on Saturday evening. For whatever reason it hit me like a bolt of lightning. Spark, a fire was lit in my mind. It wasn’t lit by looking at all the pretty things on instagram. It happened as a direct result of the previous 18 hours. First was attending Raw Pop Up, the second was walking around the Miami Design District with my favorite person, and third was taking the day to recharge. 

    Before I dive into the concept of inspiration I have to express the experiences that have lead to the bolt. The first four months of 2018 I gladly gave away certain parts of myself, my time, and my love of who I am. I had a solo exhibition, discovered way points, grieved my friend I always believed would be present at my wedding, lost a part-time job, got involved in a “start-up” company. I had the honor of being a maid of honor, collaboratively threw a Miami Music Week party, shut down, cleaned up, moved things, organized furniture. I forgot what I was doing, constructed a financial business plan for a company I didn’t want, I remembered who I am, remembered what to do, I met people, I watched every episode of How to Get Away With Murder on Netflix. I reconstructed the Alchemist business plan. I offered a co-founder partnership and was denied. I brunched with a design idol I lurk on instagram. I pivoted. I learned. I celebrated. I got inspired.

Now let’s talk about how inspiration happens and what to do when it lights the fire in the mind. When it strikes like a match and there is only a moment before it burns out or burns your fingertips. First was the excitement to experience the multi sensory art exhibition by former Young Artists Initiative now Raw Pop Up. I had missed the first installment during Art Week in December. Jared got us tickets as part of my birthday weekend events. I am so glad we went to dinner before standing in the line to enter the Moore Building. After 20 or more minutes we made our way to the front door and passed through the white and tulle fabric suspended from the ceiling. The music was obnoxiously loud. The building was full of trendy 20 and 30 somethings all with their phones out. As I made my way to the first installation I wasn’t sure if I was looking at art as several girls held flash lights hanging from the ceiling and posed for photos. It was difficult to get around the crowd and make our way to the stairs to get to the next floor. Up against the handrail there were bar tables that obstructed the traffic flow on each floor. It was a great experience even if I felt pushed out the door. I was able to see something that truly inspired me. I saw several art installations showcasing a low standard of craft and concept. This just pushed my spirits higher, this reminded me that I’m doing exactly what I am supposed to, and to keep doing it. 

    We left Raw Pop Up and wondered the Design District streets browsing the real life instagram moments of luxury brands. The glowing facades. The trimmed trees. Being sandwiched between a furniture showroom and luxury fashion storefront. That is my everything. It excites me. Inspires me. The clean lines, and perfectly placed merchandise. The felt, the silk, the metal, the wood. I was like a little kid in an ice cream shop and I want a scoop of every flavor. I love this neighborhood at night. It has all the Miami vibes without the overwhelming tourists. The shops were closed which made the surroundings palatable, quiet, and special. I was able to lovingly peek into the storefront windows. To experience these moments uninterrupted. 

    Yesterday I had the pleasure of sleeping in. I stayed in my pajamas for most of the day. I fell asleep in my makeup the night before which I wiped from my face around 11am. I sat at my third desk, the couch. I updated spreadsheets, doodled, and cuddled with my poodle. I was in recharge mode. I was taking some time to breathe. Making assessments, timelines, goal setting, and watching Scandal. Nothing about this was pretty. The real moments aren’t. The typical day to day for the average person isn’t an instagram moment that you post to your story to look cool, and inspire the followers. Something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. It’s a topic that comes up in my mind from time to time. About curating, and executing, and showing off, and shameless self-promotion. I don’t have a problem with it. I don’t think that there is anything wrong with it, as long as you are willing to show both sides of the coin. The head and the tail. This is what inspires me. As a result of the spark I have moved furniture around, wrote, and purged things that I don’t need. Tonight it was about writing. Creative expression at the core. It has been releasing all the things whirling wildly in my brain. 

    I woke up this morning, a year older, with a need to complete commitments to myself. A year ago I made a deal with myself, that I would succeed, no matter the sacrifice. I would take the opportunities laid at my feet and pick them up. I would honor my voice. It’s time to make moves. It’s time to care less, and do more. It’s time to release.