Art & Design Geek Dad: Too Cool for Art School
RJ is Creative Director for Type In Type Out (TITO), a graphics and brand strategy firm based in Los Angeles. A champion for the City, he was lucky to be raised in the thick of a heavy art, design, museum and architecture scene in LA with a knack for the southern California vernacular. As a foster/adopt parent, he hopes to show that appreciation for art & design to his 3-year-old every single day.
I’m a self-proclaimed ambassador for the city of angels. There’s no place like LA to thrive. And there is no other place on earth that is better to raise a child especially in today’s social climate. With its plentiful supply of outdoor recreational activities, variety of food for any hankering, art and design every which way from Venice Beach to Boyle Heights, this city doesn’t shy away from satisfying all the senses. An important component to my 3-year-old’s sensory process is learning through tactile senses and movement. LA has everything he could get his hands on to exercise his mental and physical being. And as a designer, photographer and all-around art/design-enthusiast, it is my hope to teach Jordan to appreciate art and design all around us. I also hope to inspire moms and dads (experienced and new) to explore art all around them.
Part of my trade is portrait and lifestyle photography, it’s something that came natural to me at a young age. And while I don’t know what Jordan will be excited about when he’s older, I’d love for him to appreciate the art of photography and capturing a moment that can never be replicated. I didn’t even need to invest in an expensive camera for Jordan especially knowing that dings and bruises are to be expected, but I bought Jordan an easy-to-use 5M camera to get the basics down for capturing photos. The goal is for him to be able to frame a subject properly, but I will be happy if he puts the right amount of lighting and composition technique together for a photo.
What’s really great about living in LA is that it doesn’t fall short of accessing world-class art. And what’s even greater is that museums like LACMA have great programs for young children to flex their creative muscles. While it’s hard to go to LACMA nowadays during social-distancing measures, Jordan still remembers when we first took him to his first NextGenLA art activity at the Boone Children’s Gallery. He still remembers the feeling of holding his first paintbrush. And we take that initial experience at LACMA to heart every time he paints at home on our dining room table. There is freedom and fun in the art he creates at home and it’s all because of his early learning experience with art programs like this at LACMA.
Being stuck at home has required us to be a little flexible with time, as I am sure is the case for many families with kids who are home from school. At the start of quarantine, the thought was to seamlessly (haha) continue his social/cognitive learning from daycare into a steady routine at home. It is often not the case when you’ve got your own business to concentrate on. These days, I feel like I am running my own business, while simultaneously running a daycare, preparing meals (and washing dishes), being a referee between my partner and my son when things get a little loud, all while adjusting to a new balance. My partner and I take Jordan out on long walks and bike rides as much as we humanly can, and when we do, we try and seek a connection between nature and art as much as possible. In the process, he learns to appreciate mother nature and hold it in high regard as if it were a piece of art because it truly is. Long walks become an outdoor art gallery.
It’s important to keep whatever activity you choose to do with your little one as simple and organic as possible. Even I have a hard time letting loose and being flexible at times, and that’s totally okay – we are allowed to feel that way. But if you keep reminding yourself why you do it to begin with, that is 95% the effort. The rest is just giving your little one the freedom to stretch his/her imagination. And that’s where all the fun is!
- RJ aka Art & Design Geek Dad
insta: @rjnotarjay
