There are very few feelings as challenging, inspiring, intellectual, draining and most importantly really fun as designing new and amazing things! A think tank, a brainstorming session, hanging out and bouncing ideas of walls like little rubber balls which come in packages of infinity. Call it what you want, but that's the stuff that good days are made of!
In the past 24 hours I have had some amazing chats with some incredible people. My mind has gone from an understanding of my goal, to being completely overwhelmed, to having some sort of an understanding again, to again being completely overwhelmed. But each time the goal gets more clear, better defined, and conceptually better than what exists already. Each time the tank thinkers play the Devil's advocate, kick each others asses and say that something sucks, something can be better, and finally that something rocks, we get one step closer to showing the world what we are really capable of.
This is my life as a designer of great things.
It feels strange and daunting sitting in a room and massaging, caressing, squishing and squeezing, extruding and manipulating an untangible cloud of nothingness. It is something that does not exist in its finished form, and cannot exist until it is as clear as day in our heads. Until we see it and imagine it as if we have used it for years, until we have thoroughly tested it, it cannot be created. Oh so abstract... oh so magical... oh so compelling! Only our words, wild gesticulations and frantic scribbles with incapable hands can help to describe this thing. We all have our version. They are the same, but different. Compatible, but incompatible. All driving to the same destination in different cars, on different roads. These unique and meandering paths, each person's take on the common goal is what makes progress so great. Two heads are better than one, three or four are an order of magnitude better than one.
When you know that you have exceeded the status quo, the convention, what's been done before, what people expect; it makes you want nothing more than to take this big pile of imaginary plasticine and crank away and make it into a tangible thing that others can actually touch, use and appreciate.
The moment that imagination becomes practicality and appreciation is the moment that every headache, stubbed toe, sleepless night and rain-soaked shoe feel like well paid dues for the inherent bliss that is success.