Through a better part of the 1990’s I was an elementary school teacher. I set up my classroom into collaborative groups, or tables, that students could work in. While this did cause its share of disciplinary problems, the benefit of allowing students to work with each other was rather astounding. When given a task, a group leader naturally rose to lead the group. I found it interesting often the “project leader” (chosen by the group not the teacher) was usually the student who not only who had a strong idea, but was the one who expressed it best to the group. Once a group all bought into an idea – they were “off to the races” – and usually did a pretty good job with the task at hand. LEARNING HAPPENED.
Today, as designer/developer I value the opportunity, not only to work with many great businesses, but with other artists as well. It is a wonderful experience – collaboration. Each time I work with another artist, I feel like my “game” is elevated. I certainly walk away from each experience with new ideas, new approaches, and always humbled by the creative genius of others. I have worked with musicians, and chefs, and stylists, therapists, and theologians – all incredible artists. I want to take an opportunity to share with you a short list of artists that I have had the pleasure to collaborate with:
Matthew Schaefer (http://www.airbubbleindustries.com/) – Matt, a childhood friend, introduced me to the wonderful world of COLDFUSION programming in 2005. YES – coding is an art form. Matt guided me through the first few steps of learning this programming language – and has always been there to look over misbehaving code or offer a more ‘elegant’ solution.
German Barron – German is a fantastic NYC based photographer. He has photographed artists and live performance in NYC for more than 30 years. In 2006 German and I decided to exchange some of our talents – and headed to Miami for what we called a “creative retreat”. I had my sights set on being a photographer, and German needed some updated computer skills. We spent four days learning from each other – along with a few friends. We explored everything from a New Nikon DSLR and lighting, to HTML, and basic web development - an even had a few cervesas.
Kate Bazazian (http://www.katybazemakeup.com/ )– a longtime friend, Kate and I began collaborating on photo shoots four years ago. Kate is a wonderful make-up artist and stylist, and often works in TV and films in the NYC area. Our photos sessions sometimes go for hours and hours, and I am often amazed at her energy and creative stamina. She has an incredible eye for detail, contagious laugh, and a complete mastery of her art form.
Lindy Bostrom (http://bostromgraphics.com/) – Lindy and I started collaborating on websites as beginners in the late 1990’s. We learned as much what NOT to do – as we learned what makes an excellent site. Lindy is an illustrator and graphic designer who immerses herself in each project. A student of the late David Passalacqua, Lindy was able to produce a variety of stunning designs in a short period of time. It’s from my experience with Lindy that learned the value or iterative design – and elements of its process.
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