This smoothly set the stage for Kim Knoll and Kyle Eertmoed (above), who together compose Knoed Creative. They shared their experience in starting a creative studio, getting it real and sticking with it:
Knoed Creative’s first piece of advice was to decouple spaces in order to keep the couple sane and sweet.
They emphasized the importance of finding a comfortable ratio between number of projects and number of clients. A bloated client list can spread efforts too thin; a lean list means being picky—on purpose—and keeping the designer-and-client relationship consistently healthy.
This echoes Author Seth Godin’s belief: “The enemy of creativity is fear...In the long run, the enemy of fear is creativity. I’m sure of it.” Knoed Creative’s closing advice was fitting to a presentation rooted in demonstration. The subtext of “No fear” is just as pithy and provocative: Do it!
• • •
Furthermore, to complement their studio work, Knoed Creative strongly encouraged keeping side projects. Their own include Chicago-L Shirts, inspired by Chicago’s transit train system “The L.” Kim Knoll makes handmade vintage-inspired jewelry at RFRM™ (pronounced Reform).
• • •
Big thanks to: Chicago Portfolio School, for hosting, and 24 Seven for sponsoring Chicago CreativeMornings #7; to organizer Mig Reyes, videographer Craig Shimala, photographer Chris Gallevo for their great work on making CreativeMornings happen in Chicago.
Especially big thanks: to Tina Roth Eisenberg—Swissmiss—for inventing CreativeMornings in 2008. The fifth chapter was launched in Chicago, June 2011—my write-up and
• • •
Typeface of quotes is called Massive designed by Shawn Hazen, who also makes awesome typographic illustrations for series Creative Roles.
• • •
• • •
2011 was Chicago CreativeMornings’ debut year. Download the entire collection of selected insights.
Thanks for your curiosity! Appreciate Design Feast on Patreon.
Help Design Feast to keep producing this kind of content! Lots of hours are put into making Design Feast—because it’s a labor of love to champion creative culture through hundreds of interviews, dozens of write-ups and more. Consider becoming a supporting Patron with a monthly donation of $1 or more.
What will stay free to completely explore at Design Feast are the 347 insightful interviews with an awesome range of Designers, Bloggers, Makers and realizers of Side Projects.
