We recently connected with Bradley L Bowers and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Bradley L, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?
It might seem cliche or obvious, but I learned a lot about how to exist in this profession, as a designer, in college. This includes the technical sides as well as the more intuitive and emotive components that go with being a designer. Literally every day I sit down and front of a computer, and do some form of CAD work, or graphic work, or type up an invoice. And these are all things that I took classes on while at SCAD. But also, the interactions that I had in school, with fellow students and with professors, were subtly setting me up for how to deal with different types of people, and more importantly how to deal with myself. I learned how to communicate better; I learned how to listen better, and how to show that I was listening. I’m sure, as I’m sure everyone would say the same, but I could have learned some lessons faster. But I didn’t. I made mistakes. However, the lessons that I learned from those mistakes taught me how to navigate the future. I learned how to spot things early that might be troublesome later. So I don’t believe there is a way to speed up, or get better at learning and growing. It happens how it’s going to happen. If I’m honest, the biggest obstacle that prevent you from becoming your best faster, is simply the not knowing. How can you perfectly navigate a completely new and foreign landscape? You can’t. You move through it as best you can, and if you are lucky enough to find yourself in a similar place later in life, then hopefully that knowledge you gained will be of some use.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
My creative career started in high school. I was labeled a problem student. And the only teachers who would take me into their classrooms, where the art teachers. And so I learned that I was pretty good at painting and drawing, and slowly began building a portfolio. At the time I did not know, how could I have known, that I was building a portfolio that would garner me a scholarship to one of the best art schools in the world. So painting and drawing are my foundation. But when I arrived at SCAD, I quickly realized that there is a lot more out there than painting and drawing alone. So I took classes and every department that I possibly could And I didn’t know. Then, how could I have known, that this experience was setting me up for my professional career. Get bored easily, and need projects that stimulate and challenge me, so try multiple departments allowed me to constantly stay motivated.
Eventually I would settle on industrial design as my undergraduate degree, and furniture design as my master’s degree. But over the years I have worked on a variety of projects. I’ve designed nightclubs; I’ve designed chairs; I’ve designed brand identities; I’ve created installations that use algorithms, and I’ve worked with some of the largest 3D printers in the world. Through my studio, my goal is the same as when I was in college: stay motivated, stay curious, and push the envelope.
My best projects have been projects where the client was not just willing, but was anxious to take a leap with me. I believe we live in a world where so much as possible, yet for some reason we restrain ourselves and aim so low. My favorite part of running my own studio, is sitting down with a client and hearing their wishes and their hopes, and finding exciting ways to make wishes and hopes realities.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
It’s simple: pay them.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on NFTs. (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)
I’m very excited by NFTs. What I am not excited by is using traditional points of view, or traditional models within the NFT landscape. It would be like constructing a house on Mars the same way you would construct a house on Earth. They are too drastically different landscapes and conditions, that require thorough and thoughtful detailing. The new ways of thinking that NFTs, and the technologies that support and fuel them, feel like the first steps into blending, virtual and actual reality. And that is an incredibly exciting place to be!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bradleylbowers.com
- Instagram: @bradleylbowers