I’ve always had an innate drive to do things my own way. When I was 5 years old, I decided I wanted to open a lemonade stand. My parents asked me to come up with a bill of materials, expecting lemons, sugar, etcetera. The first item on my list was wood, because in my mind, the first step was building a table - one that would be ideally suited for lemonade sales. I’ve changed a lot since then, but my unique approach to life has remained the same.
The people I look up to the most are those with an unwavering commitment to excellence. The people who imagine things that do not exist and take action to create them. The people who achieve "impossible" things by approaching them from a different perspective. To me, that is what makes a person great. I live for the pursuit of greatness. Not out of a desire for fame or power, but because I want to see what I can achieve.
The projects I am most passionate about are those that redefine the status quo in pursuit of simplifying what was previously complex. I’m never afraid to take the harder path if I believe there is something to be gained. I’ve experimented with novel 3d modeling systems, game engines, and programming languages all in pursuit of creating simpler workflows that will enable me to make the impossible possible. My assumptions are not always accurate and I’ve failed more times than I can count, but I’ve learned from everything I’ve attempted.
Taking the road less traveled is rife with challenges. To innovate is to experiment, and experiments often fail. Sometimes, the best table for the lemonade stand is the one that already exists. Over time, I have gotten better at deciding when to reinvent and when to build upon pre-existing work. I expect that I will never stop striving to find a balance, but ultimately, I wouldn’t have it any other way. The root of all innovation is the willingness to question what already exists.