Earlier this week I received an email notification that Chris Meeks and Daily Layout were following me on Twitter. Of course, I had to check them out to see if my two new followers were worthy of being followed themselves. To my delight they were both legitimate accounts filled with reliable content and chock full of links that I couldn’t resist bookmarking. As I researched Chris I learned that Daily Layout was his project. To be humbled by Chris’ work CLICK HERE .
Tell us a little about yourself and what steps you took to get here:
“Here” is a funny place to put myself, to be honest. I don’t think I’m anywhere yet. I’m certainly not where I want to be. I realize that isn’t much of an answer, so how about this:
I spent my formative years in Omaha, Nebraska. I loved art, but like so many people had been convinced it lived outside the practical world. I sort of tumbled around Xavier University until an injection of recognition from my father gave me the understanding that my parents really valued creativity. I spent that creative energy on painting, then ceramics, then design. I still try to juggle all three the best I can. I transition my energy from one to another depending on my moods.
What’s your go-to source of inspiration outside of art or music?
I’d love to say that I read all the time but I’d be flat-out lying. I spend so much time thinking about design that it is hard to remember the last time I wasn’t. I guess my best source of inspiration is the conscious effort to stop trying to be inspired. I find that my really best ideas happen when I turn off my ability to do and allow myself to just be. The solutions to all of our design problems are out there, sometimes we just need to take them less seriously in order to find them.
What are some of your influences as to your style?
I really just believe in simple design. I’ve heard this kind of quote a million times and I always agree with it. “Use the design elements that you need to tell the story and not a single one more.” Fluff shows a lack of understanding about what you are really trying to communicate. So I personally try to include as little fluff as possible. Simple design isn’t always minimal design. Simple can mean that you use a flourish here or there, but I intend to only use a flourish if it is meaningful.
Words to live by?
How about, “Find what you love, and pour your heart into it.” I think the hardest part for a lot of people is finding what they love. I’m very lucky that I know how much I love what I do. I have no doubts. The second part of that quote is way easier than the first.
What blogs or magazines do you turn to for creative inspiration?
Without a doubt, dribbble has become an amazing resource for me personally. The community, the quality and the positive reinforcement all help me when I need a little boost. I also love Wired Magazine, like so many designers. They are a great example of a magazine that designs simply to its core. They do some wonderfully creative and illustrative things, but every element has a purpose for being there.
What’s your favorite piece of work that you’ve created? Tell us the story behind it.
I go stale on my own designs as a basic routine these days. So looking back at my past work rarely gets me that excited anymore. I think that is a really good thing for me as a designer though. I’m becoming more picky about what I like. I’m over the fascination of making something new and am more concerned about making something good.
The illustration I made about The Smiths’ song “Panic” is the piece I’m most proud of at the moment. I just had that song stuck in my head for a week. The way Morrissey sings, “Hang the DJ, Hang the DJ, Hang the DJ” just give me that aesthetic hair-raising feeling every damn time I hear it. The design only took me about 45 minutes and I knew it was on the right track the whole time. I think I kind of got lucky with that one, to be honest.
What’s your all-time favorite piece of art or design? (*not created by you)
Almost anything by Anselm Kiefer leaves me amazed and humbled. He uses all kinds of industrial materials to create mind-blowing landscapes. Get close to a piece and you’ll find tar, shoes, barbed wire and burnt material. From the outside, his paintings are the opposite of simple. But he still follows the concept of using only the materials that help him tell the story.
What’s your current creative obsession?
I’m just obsessed with improving my skills as a designer. I don’t think I was born with some amazing aesthetic talent that I can rely on to be successful. So I’m hoping my constant dedication to improving myself will help me reach a level of quality that I’m consistently proud of. I’m not there yet. I’ve got a long way to go. The whole reason for starting Daily Layout was to become a better designer, the fact that it has garnered attention is just icing on the cake.
Great stuff, Chris! Keep up the awesome work.
-The AG-