I remember high school basketball. I grew up in Kansas, and if you do not know, Kansas is a basketball state. I live in Texas now, and Texas is a football state. There is a different energy around it. In Kansas, basketball was not just something you played. It was part of the culture. Small towns filled gyms on Friday nights. Kids dreamed of buzzer beaters. We did not just watch it. We lived it. When I was young, everyone wanted to play. We played at recess, after school, and most Sundays...

Some of my favorite projects do not begin with a grand plan. They begin with a simple idea, sometimes one that is not even my own. This artwork is a perfect example. What started as a suggestion from someone else quickly turned into a creative journey I genuinely enjoyed. That is one of the things I value most about creative work. Ideas are rarely owned by one person. They are shared, shaped, and strengthened through collaboration and curiosity. Creativity does not always arrive fully formed....

I can still hear my college professor, Michael J. O’Keefe, asking that question during our design classes at Oklahoma Christian. He would show us examples of work and ask whether it came from inspiration or impersonation. The distinction stuck with me. I can still picture some of the pieces he used to make his point. I think about those words often in my job today. Inspiration is good. Impersonation is not always a great idea. And why does it matter? Because if you are trying to build a...