Phoenix is brimming with creativity. And every other year, we put the spotlight on 100 of the city's creative forces. Leading up to the release of this year's Best of Phoenix issue, we're profiling 100 more. Welcome to the 2014 edition of 100 Creatives. Up today: 75. Cody Carpenter.
It's all in a hard day's work for Cody Carpenter.
The 38-year-old designer deals in concrete. "The work I do is very mentally and physically taxing, but the end results are so worth it," Carpenter says. "Creating something from your own mind and hands is something not everyone is able to do. It's a very rewarding business and constantly puts your patience and motivation to the test."
See also: Mesa Illustrator Carrie Leigh Hobson: 100 Creatives
Carpenter's espresso-fueled days combine collecting materials, fabricating, estimating, and catching up on e-mails. But it's not all fast-paced multi-tasking.
"I find inspiration and hope from the beauty and clarity of natural setting away from the hustle and stress of this fast paced everyday life," he says. "I sound like a hippie."
I came to Phoenix with, well, actually I was born and raised here in central Phoenix. I grew up on Third Ave. and Bethany. A lot has changed here since that time, but that area is very similar. I moved to Eugene, Oregon, when I was 18 for a seven-year stint and had some of the best times of my life but came back to my home with high hopes of making something of myself here in the Valley.
I make art because most everything I make I try to put my creative thought process into but in architecture sometimes we are a bit more limited to rigid lines and clients specific needs and taste, so its definitely an exercise of creative thought. I have always had an uncontrolable urge to just make things that please people. Weather its a drawing, a scupture, and sink, a peice of furniture, or whatever it maybe it has beauty and strikes emotion in people which in turn strikes emotion in myself. Sometimes this creative urge can be a self burden and very consuming but I guess we we all put on this earth with certain traits and there is no doubt that mine is to create things.
I'm most productive when I have a clear vision of my tasks at hand. At times when I have to many projects happening both them and my personal like can become a conflict especially now that I have a 1-and-a-half-year old daughter and my wife to spend time with. When I work on creative projects I am much more anxious and focused at work which leeds to better productivity.
My inspiration wall is non-existent. I like to find my inspiration from within my own self when producing my pieces. I usually find my inspiration through music and will play out certain albums again and again to help focuses on the projects until I have completed them. Each piece I have done usually has certain music associated with it.
I have learned most from my own mistakes and just getting my hands on different materials. Through trial and error I have learned many different tricks.
Good work should always bring personal satisfaction to you and excitement and inspiration to whomever it was intended for and more.
The Phoenix creative scene could use more organized collaboration meetings with artists. I have always wanted to be able to meet up with small groups of artists, or desingers, whatever there creative passion ..get together and just bounce ideas off one another to create sculpture, furniture, or just randomness...ART.
See the 2014 edition of 100 Creatives:
100. Bill Dambrova 99. Niki Blaker 98. Jeff Slim 97. Beth May 96. Doug Bell 95. Daniel Langhans 94. Nanibaa Beck 93. Nicole Royse 92. Ib Andersen 91. Casandra Hernandez 90. Chris Reed 89. Shelby Maticic 88. Olivia Timmons 87. Courtney Price 86. Travis Mills 85. Catrina Kahler 84. Angel Castro 83. Cole Reed 82. Lisa Albinger 81. Larry Madrigal 80. Julieta Felix 79. Lauren Strohacker 78. Levi Christiansen 77. Thomas Porter 76. Carrie Leigh Hobson
