I have always tried to live my life by design. It drives me, inside and out. It’s been a source of passion and satisfaction through good times and bad. I don’t see ever putting it aside or retiring from it. On a personal level, my wife and partner, Maren, shares my love of design, architecture and fine art, and living by design has been the model ever since we met.
On a professional level, problem solving through visual communication remains my ultimate passion. I love that moment when the image becomes clear and tangible — or when the line turns to form. You might say, the linea forma moment.
After many years in a home with no garage, the recent move to a new home has given me a garage and workshop just below my office. A workshop! It’s been a while since I designed and built a piece of furniture, and an old passion may be returning. So many ideas…!
A long time ago, my son Travis took a break after two years of college and came to work with me. Nine years of a creative relationship with Travis was an experience I loved every day, but I always knew it wasn’t his true passion. He had yet to find his own path. When his wife, Kris, went back to school, he helped her study for her nursing degree and his own interest in science was awakened. Fast forward four years. This weekend he received his own Bachelor of Science degree in Micro/Molecular Biology at Portland State University. I am the proud father of a scientist! Congratulations Travis and Kris! Live your passion.
“Living by design” can mean something different for everyone. Travis and Kris’s shared love of science now gives them a new passion that flows through their lives together every day. It is their design. I’m happy. What more could anyone want for their children? Or themselves? Or anyone else? Best wishes and creative living to all!
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4 Responses
Travis
Done with Portland State University!!!!!
Now that that’s out of my system: I personally think biological organisms are the perfect intertwining of form and function, ie: design. If an enzyme wasn’t the right shape, you may wind up with diabetes or cystic fibrosis. Luckily our cellular mechanisms have an edit function that occurs in conjunction with enzyme production to make the form is correct.
Conversely, if that enzyme’s mutation has an advantage, you’re potentially on your pathway to a new species/subspecies… Personally I think the tools we use for our human existence would be most efficient if their design mirrored functions already existing within the living world.
My appreciation for the relationship between form and function was born in the early days of my dad’s industrial design career. Watching furniture, an easel or The Rhino truck be designed, I knew it was done when dad put his pen and x-acto blade (or mouse) down. If that project needed more tweaking he would not have put his tools down. And its form won’t need to be changed again until a function was to be added…
Long story less long, organic and inorganic design are in every aspect of life and we’d be nowhere without it.
bgob1
Thanks, Travis. Best response evah!!
GGC
Ahhh I love this!!!! Beautiful post! So true!!! Happy for all of you!!
bgob1
So happy you were there!