After a long day of work, commuting, constantly checking your phone – what’s the best way to unwind? Some of us hit the gym, get lost in a book or catch up with a favorite TV show. But how many of us get creative to relieve the busyness of everyday life?
Ken Carbone has been a successful designer for years, but even he takes a step back to enjoy the small things. Ken will share his story of using creativity to break up his fast-paced life at TEDxNavesink Makers on Saturday, April 9 at Monmouth University. The conference will explore the ins and outs of what it means to create.
Ken’s talk, “Making Day by Day,” is about his journey of creating one distinctive piece of art every day for one year. Each day, he shared an apple from his series, “Apple a Day,” through his Instagram account.
Ken’s principles of “no limits, no repetition, no excuses” gives each apple its own unique flair. All of the apples in the series vary by color, texture, and material. The sky is the limit.
Apple No. 210 is a creative shot of an arch off the coast of Iceland with the shape of an apple cut into it in front of a blue ocean backdrop. Apple No. 195 is a blend of reds, browns, yellows with a splash of green that make a vividly colorful apple. At first glance, it looks like a watercolor creation – but it’s made with “digital paint.” Scroll through Ken’s Instagram to see the incredible ways he has reimagined apples.
Although this project is a recent one, art has been a lifelong passion for Ken. “I can’t think of a time in my life that I have not been making because of my dedication to art.” As a child, Ken’s interest in art began with drawing and he majored in art during high school.
He attended the Philadelphia College of Art where he became interested in graphic design. “At college, I discovered the field of graphic design which appealed to my sense of simplicity and seemed like a good way to apply my art commercially.”
A few years after college, Ken started his own design firm, the Carbone Smolan Agency. Through the years, Ken has created unique design programs for institutions and brands like Canon, Morgan Stanley, the Museum of Modern Art, the Musée du Louvre and the Natural History Museum in Los Angeles. One of the nation’s top graphic designers, Ken received the AIGA Medal for design distinction in 2014.
The agency has gained worldwide recognition for its excellence in design, and will celebrate its 40th anniversary this September.
Ken was able to have more creative freedom through his “Apple a Day” project. “I got into a rhythm of dedicated, personal creativity that had been dormant for some time. I had creative challenges in my business but the commercial aspect demanded that these were less personal.”
Ken challenged himself to create a different apple every day. The decision to start this project was spontaneous. “After I posted my first ‘Apple a Day’ on Instagram and labeled it ‘No. 1,’ I felt that I had a committed to continuing. After a few weeks, I felt a sustained ‘creative high’ and decided to pledge to a year-long project.”
“I consider myself curiously curious and have an endless love for learning which leads to more making.” The maker in Ken doesn’t stop short at art and design. He is a blogger for Fast Company, a professor at the School of Visual Arts in New York City, author of The Virtuoso: Face to Face with 40 Extraordinary Talents and a guitar player. And he uses these different mediums in his “Apple a Day,” series.
“I like being creatively productive and each of these fulfills that need in different ways. I like to write about art and teaching design to my students is based on the fundamentals of art. As for music, it is a wonderfully spontaneous diversion for me when I need to step away from the visual arts to clear my head and gain some perspective,” said Ken.
Ken’s challenge to himself has been a rewarding one, a healthy solution to the fast pace of the 21st century. But it’s been a learning process as well. Through his talk Ken hopes to share the positives of making. “In this increasingly digital world, the act of physical making, with real materials and measurable results, can be enormously rewarding emotionally and spiritually.”
For those of you inspired to start making every day, Ken suggests, “Whatever it is you want to do, just start. Don’t over think it. Do it as often as possible. Do a lot of it and don’t let excuses get in the way.”
As Ken puts it, “In the end, it’s all about compelling storytelling and focusing on valuable information that people care about.”
To hear Ken’s compelling story and creative journey get your TedxNavesink ticket today. TedxNavesink Makers will be held at Pollak Theatre at Monmouth University on Saturday, April 9, at Monmouth University.