Kelli Anderson has a penchant for seeing things differently. Her website is built off of a Google Maps interface, she’s turned handkerchiefs into party invites, and she’s even recently finished a fully functional paper record player wedding invitation. The self-described artist/designer/tinkerer begins and ends all of her projects at her studio, which houses its own 1919 letterpress and other contraptions fit for a boundless creative mind. Get inspired by Kelli’s wonderfully creative responses in today’s 10 ANSWERS.
1. How would you describe your work in three words?
Paper. Computer. Scissors.
2. Who is your creative role model?
That is really tough…There are so many (many former professors and friends of mine.) For the public figures, here is quick list off of the top of my head: Jane Jacobs, Carl Sagan, the Eameses, Sarah Tze, the Yes Men, Marx+Engels, Roger Fry, Stanley Kubrick, Alvar Aalto, the Cohen Bros., Marcuse, Robert Irwin… a hundred more… They’ve deepened my understanding of the world. They observe and tinker with purpose.
3. If you had an extra hour each day what would you do with it?
In a perfect world: catch up on the backlog of Cabinet Magazines and rewrite proposals for art projects.
The truth: I’d work one hour longer.
4. What place in the world most inspires you and why?
Since I spent my adolescence the suburbs, I’m psychologically hard-wired to always be inspired by the place-yet-unseen. However, that type of romantic inspiration only goes so far (for me at least.)
Practically speaking, Brooklyn is an environment that is incredibly supportive of creative work…in terms of people, food/need-fulfillment, proximity to cultural resources, ideas in the water. I am able to be far more productive here than other places that I’ve lived or visited. So…: “Brooklyn.”
5. If you could do a different job for a day what would it be and why?
I’d like to be an explorer in the late 19th century just for one day to experience the feeling of true discovery. But…not on a day when the expedition was failing and everyone was freezing to death.
6. What is your favorite homemade gift to give?
Delicious peanut butter fudge in a box decorated with pretty die-cuts (forming a swear-word-euphemism.) Recipe here.
7. What is your favorite object in your home?
I have a Mark Lombardi print (reproduction) showing the network of connections between Harken energy, George W. Bush, Saudi money, etc (…it is very complicated.) I brought it to a They Might be Giants book-signing and they diagrammed themselves into the fray. That altered print is a source of much amusement (for me.)
8. What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
“It’s not there yet.” —Always makes me cranky/ always glad to know.
9. What websites do you use for inspiration?
I’m more of a targeted researcher. I’ll research specific things through Google depending on what I’m trying to accomplish.
I do get images from ffffound and but does it float and vvork pumped into my iPhone through Byline. So I soak in images while I am waiting in lines and it makes waiting fun (I’m terribly impatient.)
10. When do you consider a piece of your work complete?
Whenever it meets or exceeds the standards/objectives for the project. Every project has some set of parameters/standards, even if they are impossible to articulate with words.
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