Interview with Tom Igoe

This interview was very enlightening, and though it's just his opinion, I agreed with a lot and took it for fact. The idea of the separation of disciplines into categories such as art, theatre, engineering, etc. has always been a bit bothersome for me. I want to do it all. "Very few people are "pure" artists, and in general, I find the work of those who are less interesting than those who work at both art and design and commercial work. I think you learn so much from working for and with others that strengthens your artwork that you'd be a fool not to collaborate or work for others from time to time, at least." I found this comforting as well as true to my own life. Through my internships in commercial work, I've found new ways to use software as well as worked through the creative process within very tight limits, which opens me up in class to appreciate the ability to do as we like. I really struggle in group project endeavors and have been on quite a few rants about it since 2006 in my first forced group project, but Igoe's words brought it, for me, into a more positive perspective. "I don't think that art adds anything so important that artists deserve privilege over other disciplines. I do think that art training at its best gives people a heightened sensitivity to sensual cues (audio, visual, tactile, etc), and in some cases a strong ability to analyze work from an aesthetic perspective. That is valuable in this field. But it's only part of the equation. You also need the creativity and attention to detail of a good engineer, the insight of a good social scientist, the pragmatism of a good business manager, and more. I think the people who do best in this field figure out very quickly that they can't work alone, and that they need others to make a difference. They learn to leverage the skills of a group, to make the work stronger." I'm really excited about our project and really want to try to use all of our strengths to the best of our abilities.