Name: Ken Reynolds
Creative Field: Graphic Design & Illustration
Location: Ipswich, Suffolk, UK
Website: www.kenreynoldsdesign.co.uk
Describe yourself in three words…
Committed, Funny & Sensible.
Tell us about your background…
I live and work in Ipswich, Suffolk with my lovely fiance in a small one bedroom flat where we manage to co-habitate without causing each other too much physical harm. This is despite the fact that I manage to mix work and home life in that dangerously confined space. I graduated from Uni with a Design degree and like most students in the industry struggled to get a foothold on the career ladder. I eventually found a job in a small print firm. It's not the glamorous end of the design field but I've learned a lot about print processes and production, that in my experience, most designers don't bother themselves with. I now work between my day job and freelancing, which I love as well as it's keeping me sane!
What inspired you to launch your own business?
In a word boredom! The day job is great and I love what I do but I needed a more creative outlet. Print prep doesn't let you get all that imaginative. So I started a few private projects on my own time, picked up the odd job... then it all started snowballing.
Who or what inspires you?
A big influence on me is a photographer and illustrator called Dave McKean. His work is amazing. It's totally removed from what I do, but anything can inspire you, it's up to the individual how it's channeled. I love being inspired by seemingly insignificant or random things. Unexpected inspiration breeds the most creativity for me.
What has been your proudest moment so far?
Probably getting a job out of Uni, it felt like such an achievement, even more so now looking back at how competitive it was. Don't get me wrong I'm proud of all my work, but that would have to be the biggest thing for me.
And your greatest project?
Probably my own website and blog. It's so much fun to create a brand from scratch. It's a huge challenge too. Then again anything worth doing is never easy. The greatest part about my site is definitely the blog, I've had a great time getting that up and running and sustaining it. It gives my creativity a bit of a boost because I'm always thinking of content. If I didn't have my blog I wouldn't have started my little comic strip for it, or be writing as much as I do.
What do you hope to be doing in five years time?
I hope to be working for myself full time and be happy. Simple enough goals, but happiness is the only firm aim I have in life.
When you aren’t being creative, you are…?
At the moment not a lot, I'm a bit 'All work and no play...' No sign of a rampage yet though, I can assure you. I try to read as much as I can, sometimes it's related to work, most of the time it isn't. Otherwise I'm just like anyone else, films, music and sport. These things are a smaller part of my life than they used to be. I have to commit to work for now, just to see where it will take me.
Anything exciting ongoing or in the pipeline?
Obviously my blog is ongoing, I'm trying to contribute to other sites to gain a bit more exposure and a few more readers. I'm dabbling with a few tutorial articles and creating a few custom brush sets to give away. I'll keep churning out the comic strips as they seem to be quite popular. I do have a few exciting projects on the horizon for 2010, but nothing is confirmed yet.
Finally, any words of wisdom to other creative people?
Never stop learning, never let yourself think you have all of the answers and never be afraid to ask stupid questions. Creativity is sparked by new experiences, so if you are constantly learning you'll never be short of ideas.
