Transformer, by Tatiana – In The Mix #48

September 18, 2010 Tatiana EL-Khouri 7 Comments

“Never fall in love with your idea because it will change tomorrow. Enjoy the process — enjoy the change.” excerpt from The Imagineering Way

Through my journey as an artist and entrepreneur, I’ve learned not to hold too close to the project hand. When painting or sculpting it is really easy to lose sight of the bigger picture and get caught up in the details. Some of my best work has come from walking away and trying to look at my art from a different perspective.

I grew up watching the Transformers on Saturday morning. Coupled with my Lucky Charms I started my mornings singing “Transformers, More than meets the eye, Transformers, Robots in Disguise.” I was extremely fascinated by the changes the Autobots and Decepticons made, from ordinary cars and trucks to animals.

I grew up playing with the Transformer toys, along-with with Legos, K’nex, Lincoln Logs, and building model cars. I loved transforming “something” from nothing. I would create elaborate plans for roller coasters, dream homes and moving contraptions. After creating intricate designs, I would admire my work and immediately knock it down.

After doing that multiple times, the design never was quite the same. The challenge of recreating the exact same design was a thrill I loved. I learned quicker techniques that pushed and challenged me to build taller, bigger and better creations. I enjoyed the process of creating more than having a showcase piece. Although the design rarely stayed the same, I allowed myself to transform with the process and go with the flow.

I’ve carried that “go with the flow” mentality to my artistic creation process today as well as my approach to projects and my career. For the most part it works for me. I’ve been presented with projects and taken turns in my career that some may not have taken if they were concentrating on fitting into a specific box or labels. I often have to pinch myself when I think about how far I’ve come.

In the last week, I’ve had several conversations with friends and colleagues explaining where I am in my career. It amazed me how the questions and outlooks of the people I spoke to changed the stories I told and unveiled things about me I didn’t realize. I was talking about the same outcome, same jobs, same businesses, yet it was a different experience each time. Just like the building I did as a child, I love how the human experience is fluid, allowing change, growth and transformation.