Phoenix Designer Timothy Brennan: 100 Creatives

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: 12. Timothy Brennan.

Before work, there’s work to do.

That’s how Phoenix designer and Lavidge art director Timothy Brennan starts his days. The 32-year-old says he’s usually awake by 5:15 a.m. to tackle passion projects, freelance work, or hard deadlines.

See also: Phoenix Storyteller Liz Warren – 100 Creatives

“Banging out a couple of projects before business hours is something I learned from my creative director, Bob Case,” Brennan says. “It gets the creative juices flowing and gets me ready for the day.”

His days are spent at Lavidge, an advertising and marketing agency whose clients include Phoenix International Raceway, United Rentals, and McDonald’s, working what Brennan calls “the super-awesome nine-to-five.”

After clocking out, he says, “it’s time to relax and hang out with my beautiful lady.” But being off the clock doesn’t last too long. “As for the weekends, they’re usually spent at my studio in Tempe where the majority of painting is done — I’m still trying to figure out the work/life balance.”

I came to Phoenix with construction experience, an appreciation for unhealthy extracurricular activities, long hair, a 1984 Ford Ranger, and a job offer. The job was working as a superintendent/general contractor and after a single summer, and multiple accounts of heat stroke, I decided it was time for a new career path. Soon after, I enrolled at The Art Institute of Phoenix, simply because “art” was in the title — something that has always been a motivating factor and passion in my life. For the next few years I continued to swing a hammer by day and further my education by night. I graduated in 2009 with a new lease on life, but not sure what was next for me. I decided to start freelancing as a designer and have been very fortunate with the results. I can only attribute this to the wonderful people I’ve met along the way, both past and present. Their continued support and mentorship, and the subsequent opportunities that have come from these relationships, have led to my success as a designer.

I make art because I have an obsessive nature in which creating things is an absolute must — it’s not out of necessity, rather it’s for the love of the craft. Whether it be an illustration, a typographic piece or a reverse glass painting, I’m constantly looking for ways to improve my hand and overall process.

I’m most productive when I’m passionate about what I’m doing.

My inspiration wall is full of things I happen upon in daily life: type things, illustration things, trinket things, old things, new things, digital things, traditional things, things done by people I admire, aspirational things, process things, and, most likely, too many things. Just your random assortment of awesomeness.

I’ve learned most from friends, mentors, teachers and my p’rental units. Also a bit of ideation, making, creating, experimenting, executing, failing, fucking up, falling down, self doubt, getting back up, dusting knees off, figuring it out, finding a better solution, and get it right. Repeat.

Good work should always have a purpose, demonstrate your passion and, above all, allow for a sense of accomplishment. If you’re not happy with what you create, no one else will appreciate it.

The Phoenix creative scene could use more… honestly, nothing. We have all the pieces: amazing talent, wonderful people, an awesome community, and a penchant for doing great things. We only need to keep doing what we’re doing and be thankful for it.

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
75. Cody Carpenter
74. Jon Jenkins
73. Aurelie Flores
72. Michelle Ponce
71. Devin Fleenor
70. Noelle Martinez
69. Bucky Miller
68. Liliana Gomez
67. Jake Friedman
66. Clarita Lulić
65. Randy Murray
64. Mo Neuharth
63. Jeremy Hamman
62. La Muñeca
61. Kevin Goldman
60. Emily Costello
59. Kerstin Dale
58. Vara Ayanna
57. Nathaniel Lewis
56. Ruben Gonzales
55. Lisa Poje
54. Bobby Zokaites
53. Frances Smith Cohen
52. Julie Rada
51. David Miller
50. Xanthia Walker
49. Kyllan Maney
48. Cary Truelick
47. Constance McBride
46. James D. Porter
45. Allyson Boggess
44. Abigail Lynch
43. Ashley Cooper
42. Jaclyn Roessel
41. Brandon Boetto
40. Melissa Dunmore
39. Gavin Sisson
38. Rossitza Todorova
37. Monica Robles
36. Josh Kirby
35. Jesse Perry
34. Yai Cecream
33. Nathan Blackwell
32. Carley Conder
31. Ben Willis
30. Nicole Michieli
29. Brian Cresson
28. Tyson Krank
27. Mikey Estes
26. Anwar Newton
25. Sarah “Saza” Dimmick
24. Tato Caraveo
23. Jorge Torres
22. Laura Spalding Best
21. Shawnte Orion
20. Mike Olbinski
19. Christina You-Sun Park
18. Jon Arvizu
17. Anya Melkozernova
16. J.B. Snyder
15. Damon Dering
14. Rebekah Cancino
13. Liz Warren

Editor’s note: This post has been modified from its original version.

Follow Jackalope Ranch on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.