Snapshot: quick questions with Brian Everett

Greg Turner — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:07:16 +0000

I first met Brian during a little dust-up on the Tumblogs about who can claim themselves a photographer. I admired his conviction and that he operated from a distinct aesthetic and training standpoint and wasn’t wishy-washy about it. Since then Brian has become a solid online contact and continues to create awesome, admirable work.

"50 Year Tree Section Illustration" by Brian Everett

Greg Turner: Can you explain the path you took to get where you are now?
Brian Everett: That is a good question. Looking back now, I would have to say there is a clear path; though I would not have thought so before you asked me that. As far back as I can remember I always drew things. My mother would spend time teaching me how to draw, and I’m not talking about stick figures or coloring with crayons. I can even vividly remember her teaching me how to draw three dimensional objects with proper shading. That definitely had a big impact on me. The outdoors certainly captured my attention as well, and I spent all day everyday outside. I would also spend a lot of time investigating how things around me worked. Taking apart electronics, and borrowing parts to build other things. I kept a large box of various parts and motors under my bed. I even fixed a boat trolling motor once that had been damaged, which my father gave to a friend who used it for another 8 years afterward. Probably the biggest role in where I am today, was high school art class. I loved every single different medium, and was decent in them all. But drawing was always my strong suit. It wasn’t until my senior year of art class that I found out about Industrial Design. My art teacher told me to look into it when I scouted for colleges. Off to college I went, but initially started in a major of Forestry (I told you I loved the outdoors). After one semester I switched to Industrial Design and stuck with it. I’ve now been in the Industrial Design field for almost 7 years, so it looks like my Art teacher was spot on.

GT: What drew you to design?
BE: The things that always peaked my interests about Design, were the endless possibilities. First off, I don’t think most people understand the fact of every object around you had thought put into it, of how it should be made and orientated for your interaction. There was even an Industrial Designer long ago, whom determined the best and most efficient way for shoveling dirt. And his method is what everyone uses today, only no one thinks about it. The Renaissance period and Leonardo da Vinci also fascinated me when I was young. I was constantly reading about him and his crazy inventions, and dreamed of doing those sort of things when I was older. So, design, for me was the possibility to sculpt my own little world from my point of view with endless possibilities. I can’t imagine doing anything else.

GT: You’re based in KC, right? How do you think that influences the work you do? If you lived elsewhere, say Chicago or NYC or Miami or LA, how do you think your work might differ?
BE: I’ve really only been in KC for 2 years. My first 5 years out of college were spent in an even smaller city in the middle of Illinois. So that was a far greater challenge. But what helped there, was the company I worked for. I was surrounded by a creative team who were all very talented, and also my close friends. It was amazing to be a part of something like that, now that I look back. I will say however, after moving to KC I have had a fire lit under me. I think being here in a larger city has motivated me to push my self, since there are far more outlets. Also, the Art & Design scene in KC is just incredible. If you have never been to this city you will not understand. I honestly believe KC to be extremely underrated as far as great cities to live in.

I am really doubtful I might be farther along in my career or be better at what I do, if I lived in Chicago or NYC for example. Brooklyn, NY is pretty much the center of the country right now in terms of design and the things being cranked out. It seems to be a hot bed. But honestly, if I were there and being surrounded by people everyday that had a similar path as me, I would be annoyed. I am sure they see it as inspiration, and maybe it motivates them. For me, I look at things in completely the opposite. I want a good challenge, knowing it might be a little more difficult for me to make a name for myself being in the center of the country. But it really isn’t even that. It is more so the belief I have always had, which is you can be anything you want to be, from anywhere you want. Especially with the technologies today, there is no reason this should not be true.

GT: Where do you go for inspiration?
BE: Everyone always wants to know where people get their inspiration. I’ve never read an answer to that question, which really resonated with me. Because everyone always has their own vice. For me, inspiration literally comes from everywhere or anywhere, and any time. I don’t really know when it is going to strike. I might be in the middle of the woods hiking, or in the middle of a conversation with someone, talking about whatever. Most of the time for me, it is the slightest hint of something that might trigger an idea. Lately though, I will say I have been very influenced by retro things and objects from mid century. But that idea of being influenced by anything at any moment, usually spreads across all of the different fields of design I dabble in.

However, with Industrial Design sometimes it is different. There I draw a lot of ideas from brainstorming sessions with other people. Which is basically a time you set aside, to think of ideas and expound on them. That is one of my favorite parts of ID without a doubt. Just tossing ideas back and forth, and even some crazy ones. Thinking completely freely. I try not to look at too much of other peoples work, but that is pretty difficult to do when you are surrounded by it. And that is ironic considering I run a blog that shows other people’s work all the time. There is a quote I posted on the blog quite a while ago that has stuck with me. It was from the artist Robert Rauchenberg: “Anything you do will be an abuse of somebody else’s aesthetics. I think you’re born an artist or not. I couldn’t have learned it, and I hope I never do because knowing more only encourages your limitations.”

GT: What keeps you going?
BE: Honestly, the biggest thing keeping me going lately is to one day work for myself and own a design business. But it is a slow process getting to that. I’m a non traditional, risky and adventurous person, but I’m not risky enough to just drop a good paying job and get a $300,000 small business loan either. Probably because I’m at a different stage in my life, where I cannot take on that sort of personal risk. I won’t bore people with the details of why. So I am slowly building and working towards my own business.

Beyond that, most of the time I find it extremely challenging to want to continue in my current career. I’ve never been a follower, and don’t take directions from others very well. And I do not work well with close minded people, which is often what you find when you work in-house for a company. My mind is always racing at 100 miles an hour with ideas. And right now, I’m trying to channel as much of those thoughts through EVRT Studio when I can, but without taking over my entire personal life. It is very challenging.

Patterned City by Brian Everett

It’s weird having a mid-west doppleganger. Still, I can’t imagine better luck than finding mine is Brian Everett. He’s a good designer, a good photographer, and good people to boot. I long ago vowed not to visit Kansas again, but now I find I just might have to go back on my word.

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Snapshot: quick questions with Brian Everett