You’ve seen those pictures that show the idea and reality side by side, right? They even made a whole TV show about it. I’m not quite sure how you can get 30 minutes out of a meme that takes 8 seconds to understand and be amused by, so I guess I’ll have to watch and find out.
Those kinds of comparisons are always good for a laugh, but they speak volumes when it comes to how what’s in your head translates into reality. Which is to say, sometimes it doesn’t. And when you’re doing something new or different, it often really doesn’t.
I went through something exactly like that when I started on the landmarks that now define my work. What was in my head was a piece that had the power to convey a message and last a millennia. What I got was neither.
But it’s fascinating to look back on these early pieces to see how the reality continued to evolve to better meet what was in my head.
The words and stone that I wanted to use to create a sense of legacy and permanence are there. But I was relying a bit too much on quotes, and using bricks just made the pieces look like a weird wall. I moved on from the brick pretty quickly, but having these whole pieces covered in quotes is a bit much.
But I kept iterating. The words became less of a focus, while the icons took over, providing the sense of identity I had always wanted in these pieces. As an added bonus, the icons were way more interpretable than the quotes, providing audiences with some runway to form their own interpretations of the pieces.
But I kept iterating. The words became less of a focus, while the icons took over, providing the sense of identity I had always wanted in these pieces. As an added bonus, the icons were way more interpretable than the quotes, providing audiences with some runway to form their own interpretations of the pieces.
It’s an evolution that has gotten me to the point where what is in my head for a given piece is now what you can see in the finished work. What was in my head for “Lake Sentry” is reflected in reality.
But I didn’t start at either point, I got there after a lot of work. And even the models themselves have gone through this type of iteration. As you can see with my original model for “Lake Sentry” when compared to the model for “Washington Wonder,” those early models were a bit…let’s say limited.
That process is even more instructive when it comes to how you should expect an idea for your space to come together. Whatever you’re thinking or not thinking for it probably isn’t going to be what turns out. And not only is that okay, it’s good.
It’s a process that others have not only gone through, but there are also tons of materials to learn from. But is the unrealized opportunity in your space going to be fulfilled with a sculpture? Or a monument? Or as an element of a destination?
I’ll have more to say about that in a couple weeks. Until then, I’m available to anyone that’s looking for more support on their journey to turn nothing into something. Or feel free to send me a message about what other videos and newsletter updates you’d want to see from me in the coming months.