Our local design organization, CUDO, has an ongoing lecture series called ‘Meet the Pros’ that features creatives from the Champaign-Urbana community. This month Ralph Roether shared his work and story. Ralph is currently the Senior Lead Designer at Horizon Hobby and has been working in the graphic design field for over 18 years as well as doing personal studio work on the side. Not only is Ralph a talented artist and designer, he is also a captivating presenter. He had the audience engaged and laughing right along with him. I’d heard the man described as ‘the best boss I’ve ever had’ and I could definitely see where that ringing praise stemmed from.

During the presentation Ralph shared his life story, cuing in to what brought him to where he is now and showcasing the artwork he created along the way. It was a very honest and introspective conversation. My favorite part was hearing him talk about his artwork saying, “I do what turns me on.” Now if you’ve seen his work, some of it may actually come across as erotic, but there is way more than that to his comment. The way Ralph talked about his work with excitement, sharing his desire to keep experimenting and learning, was inspiring.

From the lunch-hour-long presentation I learned about Ralph, the artist and the man, but also left the room feeling a revival of freshness for my own work and potential. So let’s take this as a reminder, whatever turn us on, light us up, get us amped—however we want to say it, let’s find time to do those things that get us motivated to dream and create!