I spent four hours on a plane today flying to San Francisco. I hate the journey but love it when I finally get here. There is an energy here that I cannot describe, but it is linked somehow to potential. When I am in San Francisco I feel like anything goes, anything can happen, anything is possible.
I’m here because I am speaking at the San Francisco Mart tomorrow—twice. My first talk is in the morning, and we are expecting about 100 design professionals to attend. My second event is in the afternoon. I’m speaking to students from local colleges who are studying art, color, interior design or product design. I don’t know which event I am more excited about.
I believe in the importance of nurturing the next generation of creatives. Those of us who are already in the business need to fill in some of the blanks left by academia. We represent a window into the real world of home décor design, color, trend and so on, and the young adults who are studying these topics need to be able to not only attend seminars, but also to simply ask questions and have conversations with those who have practical experience. That’s what I hope will happen tomorrow.
For about 90 minutes I will repeat my morning seminar, talk about our color forecasts or other products, discuss the life of a trend or just reflect on my work as a trend forecaster. The content of this event will be totally up to the students. For the first time ever, I am going into a session without any preparation. I will talk about whatever I am asked about.
This is entirely new for me and I am really looking forward to it. I hope the students who are attending will walk away with everything they hoped they would get from the session.