Creative Generalist Q&A: Selections (2007)
I started the Eclectic Curiosity Interviews in September 2006 to both broaden the perspective of this blog and to learn a thing or two from some incredibly bright people with exciting stories to tell and wisdom to share. The response from participants and readers alike continues to be outstanding! The series will continue in the new year but in the meantime, if you haven’t already, check out the full series here or any of the five insightful installments from 2007…
Steve Callaghan
Writer and Producer for Family Guy
I find that comedy is at its most successful when it’s at its most authentic. Even in the animated world of “Family Guy” the very real moments are often the ones that make me laugh the most. Comedic situations taken from real experiences, or when one character mishears one another, or just the truncated manner of speaking that we all actually use in real life — to me, those are the building blocks of good comedy.
Daniel Fraser
Co-founder of Smiling Albino
Thailand is indeed a land of seemingly enormous contradictions. Spiritualism and materialism, extravagance and poverty, friendliness and self-assertion, etc. These themes hang in a precarious balance and trying to grasp their complexities can be daunting. The magic in living here and running a business comes from not knowing what is going to happen next, and that despite all that might happen, this country is resilient and innovative. Living here is a constant lesson in self-adjustment.
Adrian Chernoff
Chief Creative Officer of Ideation Genesis
I really enjoy learning new things and that is why I can easily play in many fields. Some may see it as a long term lack of focus, but in reality it is intense focus in a specific area for a short period of time. I become an expert in a niche area for a while as I create results, and then as things proceed and make their way I transition into new opportunities and areas as they arise. I easily transition from one world to another. It stems from being mentally agile and adaptable. And this can be seen in my work history from working on inventing robotics for space applications at NASA to designing theme park rides at Walt Disney to working on futuristic and revolutionary vehicles at General Motors.
Steven Rechtschaffner
Former VP and Creative Director of Electronic Arts
By not knowing how things are “supposed to be done” it gives you the ability to approach opportunities with a fresh perspective. If you can put a fresh perspective at the front of the train, supported by people that can figure out what is and isn’t possible, you can create some great, new-to-the-world experiences. I find that when I start to lose that naivete, I need to add new thinkers to the mix that bring something new to the party, without knowing all the assumptions that I’ve already taken on. To me, assumptions are a burden and creative limiter. If you know too much, it’s like driving on a super-highway in a car with the windows all rolled up. A little bit of naive can get you off the highway, out of the car, onto a motorcycle and onto some pretty cool and exciting roads.
Homaro Cantu
Chef and Founder of Cantu Designs
Everything has to start out with artistic improv. If you want to imagine holding your oven in your hand, you just have to imagine it first. Einstein once said that knowledge without imagination is useless, and I do believe that. I think that you have to think in radical, non-scientific terms and you just have to imagine something that’s impossible and then begin to investigate the link that could possibly exist between what you’re familiar with and what could be possible. And so, when we think of printed food or shelf-stable food over generations the technology is out there. It’s off-the-shelf. We just have to put the tools together to make it. If you want to put your oven in the palm of your hand and be able to carry it around all day, those materials are out there. They’ve been out there for 80 years.
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