Wednesday, April 10, 2013

I is for Ideas


Ideas a new House

Quite often over the years I’ve been asked where do I get my ideas. I don’t know if there is any surefire set of rules for coming up with ideas so I’ll just tell you a little about myself and where my ideas come from.

I started off my adult life working in construction to eat and keep the electric on. When I finally felt comfortable enough to start looking for work using my art, creativity and ideas instead of my back I didn’t really stray too far from my roots. I never thought about it until this post but I guess I became a one man marketing company for everything homes. I’ve done work for interior designers and furniture stores to builders, painters and mortgage companies.

My career has been fun and varied. I create marketing and ad campaigns, newspaper, magazine and electronic ads, billboards, logo’s, brochures, radio ads, the list could go on and on. Despite all the different things I get involved in there is one constant.  All my ideas come from the same source. LIFE!

The fact I was a single dad of three gave me a certain perspective on life that I was able to draw from and use in my work. Over the years I’ve done ad campaigns like a three month long weekly cartoon strip based on four crows buying a new house and the idea came from watching cartoons with my kids.

While cooking one night and checking the recipe I got the idea of doing an ad for a builder called the Recipe for a Dream House. It was nothing more than a recipe card with a picture of the house and standard features listed instead of ingredients. The ad was supposed to be a one shot deal for Thanksgiving, it was so successful I wound up doing five more over the course of the next 4 months.

The picture above as I bring this to a close is one of my latest projects. I was getting board a few years ago and started to study architecture. I had compiled some ideas and thoughts on houses and raising kids in them and decided it was time to present these ideas to the world so I designed a series of eight houses I called Family Functional Houses drawing off my experiences raising three kids.

Two of those models have been the top sellers for a local builder, the same builder I did the Crow Cartoons for nine years ago. He’s still shaking his head wondering how does a guy drawing cartoons with no degree or background in architecture design a top selling house.

Simple! LIFE!

Rule #8 ideas, find out what inspires you and cultivate your ideas from it.

7 comments:

Kim Van Sickler said...

What I like is that your model's got a backyard full of trees!

Amanda Trought said...

Bil, so glad I stopped by your post on the A-Z Train. I like the 8th rule of finding what you are inspired by and cultivating it. I have listed your blog on my 'I' post for the day. Blessings to you. Amanda

Amanda - Realityarts-Creativity
Art Blog

Ink in the Book said...

I *love* your H and I words! I chose Honesty for my letter H.
Nice to meet you through the A to Z Challenge and I"m a new follower:)

Unknown said...

I am ready to move in! That house is amazing! Great I post.
Connie
Peanut Butter and Whine

AloneInTheWorld said...

Great post, Bil! I love the house :) Inspiration is the key...

liz young said...

I used Inspiration and Ideas too. Great minds think alike?

Unknown said...

Wow! How exciting that you designed houses with no architectural background! And two of them are top sellers! This is the perfect example of what can happen when you set your mind to something. Thanks for the post. :)

Have fun with a-z.