KBB - November/December 2013 - (Page 35)

KBIS SPECIAL SECTION 30 Under 30 program but now feels it is a great honor to be a part of it and is looking forward to meeting like-minded people with a passion for the K&B industry. "I am hoping to get creative ideas and designs I can take back to my company," he added. Because he was on the manufacturing side of the business for ﬁve years, he can see both sides of a project and decide how the design side will translate to the shop, which is what he hopes to bring to the program next year. "I can speak to designers and let them know what is not possible, as well as what will work on our machinery," said Laurysen. "I am excited to see creative design and new products, and I am looking forward to meeting new people in Vegas - what a great meeting spot." To register for the 30 Under 30 Featured Speaker presentation at KBIS 2014 on Thursday, Feb. 6, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., please visit www.kbis.com. Voices from the Industry to Deliver Creativity and Marketing Advice The NKBA University will be represented at KBIS 2014 through three learning programs, including Voices from the Industry, which will include 85 conference sessions - 54 of which will offer continuing education credits (CEUs). The hour-long informational sessions are part of 11 conference blocks over three days that follow four of the NKBA's Learning Paths: Design & Inspiration, Focus on the Customer, Business Management and Sales & Marketing. K+BB talked to two of the Voices from the Industry presenters to get some additional scoop on what attendees can expect to take away from their sessions. Ignite Creativity by Paula Kennedy, CMKBD, Timeless Kitchen Design Feb. 4 from 3 to 4 p.m., Design & Inspiration Learning Path, .1 CEU Do you understand YOUR creative process? I'm not talking about research, bubble diagrams, reading design magazines or how you need to be up on the colors in the fashion industry and read every design blog. Honestly, I'm up to "here" with information overload. Through my research and my own personal journey, what I ﬁnd fascinating is that I couldn't just take another interior design or sketching class - or a class on how to be creative. In the past, the "how-to" classes did not go below the surface to the real issues. These no longer motivated me or inspired me; they usually just left me feeling like I wasn't doing something "well enough," and I was burnt out and needed to dig deeper. So much of what I cover in the seminar doesn't sound like a business topic we are all used to hearing. For most of us who have chosen careers in design of one form or another, our professional lives are deeply integrated into who we are and how we live. For those of us who LOVE what we do with a passion, it's not just professional, it's not just to make a living - we are driven to do it, and it's very personal. Creativity is the ability to imagine what has never existed, to see the big picture, to use our intuition in our work and lives and to ﬁnd the subtle connections between seemingly unrelated things. This is the most important mental talent we all have, and most of us take it for granted. If your career dictates that you be innovative to stay ahead, guess what? This creative and innovative ability is your product, and it is a precious commodity. We must nurture, cultivate, protect, revive, rejuvenate and, ﬁnally, share it. If we are stressed, overcommitted or worried about perfection...our creative ability is blocked and inaccessible to tap into when needed. I can still design a kitchen, but it's probably going to be what a friend in the business calls a "pedestrian kitchen." It'll get the job done, it'll pay the bills, but is it what the client really needed? Is it going to generate a referral? Am I proud of it? It's not always comfortable in a professional setting to talk about what blocks our creativity because everything that does so is personal and emotional. We're not supposed to feel that way, let alone admit it or talk about it, especially in a very left-brain-dominated world. So we're left out there alone thinking we're the only one feeling this way, and we remain stuck. I don't want to be stuck anymore, so I'll be the ﬁrst one to get out there and say: YOU ARE NOT ALONE, we can get unstuck together! I could write a book or two on the subject, but I will leave you with www.kbbonline.com / November/December 2013 + K BB 35 http://www.kbis.com http://www.kbbonline.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of KBB - November/December 2013

KBB - November/December 2013
Contents
Online Contents
Editor’s Note
Show Director’s Note
Celebrity Design with...Martha Stewart
Industry Viewpoint
Business Practice
Product Innovator Awards
KBIS Countdown to Design & Construction Week
Trends
Products
Timeless Update
Flexible Function
Solutions
Learning Corner

KBB - November/December 2013