Creative Advent 2008: Pablo Solomon

The road to success has not always been easy and at times it was just plain hard. However, along the way I have always remembered some advice given to me by my father. He was a very smart man who could speak five languages because his family had been run out of several countries due to political and religious oppression before finding freedom and opportunity in the USA. Although he had little formal education my father was a very skilled craftsman with a quick and creative mind.

Always Do Your Best

When he finally realized that I was going to follow my dreams and pursue a career in art and design he gave me this simple, yet priceless advice – “Always do your best. Even if your client does not know the difference, you will.”

All people who work as designers or in any other service field often deal with clients who really do not know good work from bad. The temptation is too just slop something out and take the money. However to do so is not only dishonest, but self-destructive. Every project, no matter how big or small – no matter whether the client is an expert or a novice – should be approached in the same professional manner. You should think of each project as a chance to not only showcase your abilities, but to educate the client as well.

I will never forget this project. When I first met with the clients, they were “living” in a trailer home in the country. They wanted me to do a relief sculpture in stone of the wife when she was a ballet dancer as a younger woman. I could have just dismissed these people or done a half-hearted job. But I did my best. Well, come to find out, the trailer home was just a on site place for them to visit the property where their dream home was being built. When the sculpture was ready, they flew down to pick me and the sculpture up in one of their three private planes. The country property was now an estate complete with its own air strip, hanger, small golf course and a 10,000 plus square foot dream house. They were so pleased with the sculpture that they commissioned other design work. They also introduced me to many people who aslo have obtained my art.

So, always do your best. You just never know the whole story.

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