Over the last several months we asked a variety of people to take part in our second annual poster design competition in an unconventional way. Instead of asking them to create a poster, we’ve asked individuals to respond to the design brief in an interview format. We gave them one question and the freedom to explore the topic in any way they like.
Below is the response from Seth Johnson, AIGA Minnesota president.
Look out for this and other interviews taken from the What Would You Say book available at our season 2 Poster Show, February 25th, 2012.
Question:
The theme of our season 2 poster design competition is This Way Forward: given the last 2 to 5 years “say something” to help prepare the next generation for the future. What would you say?
Creative people, especially those just starting out in their careers, must always embody the valuable human qualities that make this joke so relevant.
Always be curious. Never be satisfied.
Perpetually ask new, interesting, and informed questions. Why? How? What? Don’t allow yourself to be spoon-fed information — seek out your own sources, perform your own information validation, and be persistently inquisitive. The best creative ideas come when someone turns over a rock nobody else was paying attention to. Ask questions. Embrace and exercise curiosity.
And don’t allow yourself to remain satisfied with an answer you’ve discovered. Remain unconvinced longer than is comfortable or convenient. Never rest on your laurels; force yourself to come up with another idea. Generate new possibilities and expand the expectations you have for yourself. Always have a Plan B waiting in the wings — and probably Plan C, as well.
There are no easy solutions and there are no simple answers. Remain curious and never allow yourself to become satisfied — it’s the best way I know to defeat complacency.