Good, Thoughtful Hosts #312: Inspiration for Inspiration's Sake with Joel Anderson

Episode #312 Transcript | Listen on SoundCloud

Producer 00:00
Today’s special guest.

Joel Anderson 00:03
My name is Joel Anderson, and I was a design director and architect for Cushing Terrell. I put in 20 years and just recently retired to focus on raising my daughter.

Sarah Steimer 00:19
Awesome. The artist formerly known as.

Joel Anderson 00:23
Yes, yes. Formerly known as and currently just enjoying raising my daughter, taking care of myself, taking care of my family.

Sarah Steimer 00:32
Awesome. Well, Joel, thank you so much for joining us today, and we will get into your retirement a little bit later as well. But as we begin here. Tell us what inspires you?

Joel Anderson 00:43
Well, I think a core tenet of inspiration for me lie within nature and art, both of those, getting outside, being connected to the wildlife, to the plants, to the land, to the the earth, is always inspiring, but then also art and what people can create, and the visuals, the aesthetics, the feel, the emotions, and seeing other people do that is really a key inspiration to keep me motivated to keep going.

Sarah Steimer 01:24
Hi everyone. This is Sarah Steimer with Good, Thoughtful Hosts. We’ve often talked about inspiration this season in how it relates to our projects, how inspiration helps us to overcome a sticking point, or how staying open to inspiration striking can help lead us an entirely new direction. In a lot of ways those projects relate to our work. But how do we stay inspired when we don’t necessarily have to be, when we don’t have problems we need to creatively solve or audiences that we need to impress or win over? Talking about inspiration within retirement is a really interesting way to put this in perspective. In a way, you have nothing to prove by being inspired. You’re doing it just because. I would argue, after talking with Joel, that he’s been able to find the inherent freedom of inspiration for inspiration’s sake: he’s free to pursue whatever interests and do whatever he pleases with the inspiration he gathers or gains by connecting with nature or his community or by cooking new dishes. I read something recently about how we spend a lot of our time planning for the financial reality of retiring or maybe some other logistics of that post career transition. But it’s also worth asking yourself what other plans you may have. How will you introduce yourself? How do you picture your future, and how do you plan on staying inspired? Something that I really hope that we can dive into today is really that art piece, you know, you are doing something really super cool with your time, in addition to, you know, taking care of yourself, taking care of your family, which are fantastic things, but please do tell us a little bit more about what you’re actually doing with art right now?

Joel Anderson 03:21
Sure, I am very honored and excited to be on the Board of Trustees for the Yellowstone Art Museum here in Billings Montana. It’s a contemporary art museum in Montana, and it’s one of the few contemporary art museums they really focus on artists of the local region, really this sort of Greater Yellowstone Area, as well as Wyoming, a little bit of North Dakota, little bit of South Dakota. And they’re really looking for artists that are kind of coming from this place, or they’re also communicating this place, whether it’s, you know, landscapes, animals, culture, all across the whole gamut of the area. And I’ve just been sitting on there since January of this year and helping out where I can, and it’s been very fulfilling.

Sarah Steimer 04:17
So let’s talk about that piece where you’re getting to, you know, kind of step into your community, probably a little bit more than maybe you were previously by engaging with this board, by engaging with this museum. You know, what is it that is inspiring to you about being able to volunteer in this way, and, you know, trying to bring people together, and, you know, create these opportunities for folks to see this sort of art.

Joel Anderson 04:44
Yeah, so the Yellowstone Art Museum provides this really elegant space to showcase art. It’s, it’s a wonderful museum. It’s got great daylight, and it’s actually used to be the old Yellowstone county jail, and then they added on to it in the late 90s. And. And they do a great job bringing in all these various artists and giving them a little stage to share their work in a very constructive way. And it’s a lot of fun to see the artists come in, see their work hung on the wall with pride, and then talk about, you know, what they were thinking, what they were feeling, how they made the artwork. They do community artist lectures, usually every Thursday evening, and everybody just kind of sits together in one big room. There’s, you know, usually these are attended by 60 or 70 people, and just talking about the art and the region, the culture, and it’s a very constructive place, I think, for the community, and personally, for me, it’s the ability to go in there and kind of reconnect to the community in a different way than you may normally connect. And it’s available seven days a week, and it’s free, and it’s got great air conditioning in the summer, and it’s got functional heating in the winter, and it’s just a really good place to kind of escape.

Sarah Steimer 06:13
So I did want to, like I mentioned, I wanted to jump back into the fact that you are recently retired, and congratulations on that career well spent. And was there something about joining the board that you kind of wanted to maybe transfer your creative energy, or transfer your desire to be inspired to this other space since you left this other sort of community, this work community at Cushing Terrell, you know, what was there something about that transition that was important for you to work with others in that way?

Joel Anderson 06:51
Yeah, I really, really looking for a way to give back to the community as well. And I just wanted to pick, you know, one thing and really focus on it, and that’s what the museum and the board has enabled me to do with the very little free time I do have, but I appreciate every minute of it and just connecting again with the local artists and the local people from this measure is been, you know, very rewarding.

Sarah Steimer 07:20
You had mentioned, when we did our little pre podcast chat too, that, you know, you you wanted to be able to kind of help the community get inspired as well. Have Have you had an opportunity to kind of see, you know, things, projects that you’ve worked on, or ways that you’ve helped to kind of develop the museum, or maybe things that it presents, or, you know, exhibits, things like that. Have you seen other people get inspired by the work that you’ve done now with the with the museum?

Joel Anderson 07:45
I’ve been there for only four or five months, so I, you know, I don’t know if I’ve completely seen any significant transformations directly due to my involvement, but I, you know, I’ve been writing letters to the editor and advocating with the museum’s relationship with the county, with those resources that I do have connections to. For the most part, what I’m bringing to the table right now is showing up to we do development meetings at various art studios around town, and showing up to those. And I actually do bring my daughter and bring the joy and thankfulness and gratefulness that I have and share it with everybody else. That’s really kind of the foundation right now. It’s just getting getting to know everybody, and setting the tone of where we want to go. We were in currently. We’re in planning for a capital campaign, but we’ll know more about that later on in the year.

Sarah Steimer 08:43
So something that I was really excited about in terms of our conversation today is, you know, everyone that we’ve talked to to this point has really focused on a lot of personal inspiration things in terms of sort of solo ways that they get inspired. So you know, things like exercise or being in nature, which I want to know you are in nature right now. You were literally on a hike, as we speak.

Joel Anderson 09:11
Currently on the Rimrocks of Billings Mound, yeah, my daughter and my backpack incredible.

Sarah Steimer 09:15
I we’re live. We’re doing it live. But I really do appreciate the fact that, you know, folks have talked to me about these ways that they are able to tap into inspiration and in a very solo regard, which I love. But you know, personally, as an extrovert, I’ve been waiting for someone to talk about this community aspect, and this is, again, why I’m super psyched about our conversation. You know, what is it about being able to work with others, and, you know, have this group that you’re with, but also looking at this bigger picture of even strangers that you’re going to wind up maybe inspiring or getting inspired from the idea of, you know, introducing strangers to things. What is it about that more communal? And maybe I’m going to call it. Extroverted way of inspiration that is exciting to you.

Joel Anderson 10:03
Well, first off, it’s getting to meet and understand the local artists here in the region. And I learned so much every time we meet with them, we try to go meet in the studio once a week with somebody, and kind of see what they’re doing, how they’re doing it, what motivates them, but then also, you know, catching up, sharing stories of my experiences in the region for the past 20 years, living here and hearing them, and it’s just a lot of fun to kind of say, Oh, this is, you know, another way somebody has gone about living in this area, and it’s so fascinating to hear their stories. And

Sarah Steimer 10:41
I know we don’t have to, you know, talk too, too much about your daughter, because that’s, that’s, of course, you know, your personal life, but I love that you are bringing her along when you do some of these trips, some of these visits, or, you know, work with the board in whatever capacity. She’s obviously with you on this hike right now. She’s joining us today for the podcast. And you know, what is it then about being able to, you know, give her this experience as well. And you know, she is exposed to all of this, you know? What? What is it about, you know, being able to bring her into that envelope as well, that’s maybe inspiring to you?

Joel Anderson 11:20
Well, I’d say my daughter inspires me in ways in which her smile keeps me going, and I’m happy to share her smile with the people that we care about and we entertain and enjoy time together with and bringing her to the studios and meeting the other artists. It’s just another way of, kind of mixing up her day. She’s learning a little bit more every time, everywhere we go, every time she puts a crayon in her hand. That’s a lot of fun, but I think it’s, well, sorry, I just had to climb a rock

Sarah Steimer 12:04
That’s very common on this podcast. People have to catch your breath because, you know, they’re obviously, no, that’s not. I still this is so funny to me that you’re, you’re in the middle of this hike while you’re doing this, so please take all the time you need.

Joel Anderson 12:16
No, no, we’re completely safe. It’s just a lot of elevation. Yeah, it’s, it’s motivating to really, just like I said, hear these stories here, the artists who have been working through things to get their ideas communicated out into the world and helping them in any way that they may ask or may not ask. You know, the artist collection here, I think, has to be very resilient to practice art in this part of the country, there’s not there’s a lot of artists that spend their time up in the mountains, but there’s also a few artists here that spend their time in their studios are in Billings, and they engage with the culture of Billings, and they practice. And it’s really impressive to see their interpretations and their their talents and their skills, and how they share what they’ve seen or what they want people to see, is is just inspiring.

Sarah Steimer 13:22
Something that it kind of dawned on me, maybe a couple days ago, when I was thinking about this episode, was you have this kind of unique perspective Among our guests this season of you know, I’ve been talking to a lot of people about their inspiration as it relates to getting motivated, maybe on a project or problem solving at work. You know, very, very career related, work related, you know, getting that inspiration, but you are in this very unique position right now where it’s not that you need to find creative inspiration for your work, for your job, for your project, but you get to find inspiration just because you want to. You know, it’s, it’s this very different opportunity where it’s like you are choosing to be inspired just to be inspired.

Joel Anderson 14:11
Is there something a good way of putting it well?

Sarah Steimer 14:15
So have you, have you felt that shift in yourself and why? Why do you still want to seek inspiration, even if you don’t have a problem to solve at work or a project to work on?

Joel Anderson 14:25
Inspiration just keeps us going, keeps us motivated, keeps us I mean, inspiration is really what drives our souls in some sort of way I can’t completely explain it, but I wanted to make sure that was still a part of my life, and I wanted to make sure it was part of my daughter’s life. And so we just been focusing on that. We made it very intentional that this was where my sort of quote free time would go while taking care of or raising a daughter. And. And just being very intentional about that.

Sarah Steimer 15:05
When you have felt particularly inspired, where do you feel that creative energy going?

Joel Anderson 15:09
Now, my creative energy really just goes to probably cooking. Sometimes, you know, I’m getting inspired to cook dinner a different way. Every day, I’m learning how to cook a whole bunch of different dishes. I am sketching. I still sketch every now and then, if we have time during a nap, but otherwise it’s just how we play. My daughter and I, we like to play music together, although it’s maybe not, not quite music yet, but just playing together, the idea of playing in some sort of inspirational way, as we’re playing at the playground, being in the moment, just being really focused in the moment, that current time, is one of the greatest joys that I’ve found.

Sarah Steimer 15:58
Well. So I love to you know at the end of because we’re wrapping up our conversation here today, but I’ve loved to ask people toward the end of our conversations advice that they would give other people. I’m curious to know what your advice to others would be in terms of continuing to seek inspiration, even if you don’t have a problem to solve, because I think that’s that’s really what fuels people to find inspiration, to fill that cup, whatever it may be, is because they need to solve a problem, a creative problem. So they need to feel inspired. What is your suggestion for folks if they want to be inspired? For inspiration sake?

Joel Anderson 16:36
Well, I, you know, lean back on what you know you love, if you like me, I knew I loved art from a very long time, and I love architecture from a very long time. There is also, you know, other things that you might have outside of work, and if it’s a sport, that can be inspiring, I think you just have to find something and maybe commit to it and invest yourself a little bit into it, learn it, maybe do it yourself a little bit, just to give it a shot and see what happens, and explore your own sort of capacities of what you gifts, the gifts that you’ve been given, that gifts that you have, the talents you have, in other ways, because I see so many people, especially at pushing Terrell at extreme talent and unique gifts, and I’m I’m very positive that they extend beyond the office. So I think that would be my advice.

Sarah Steimer 17:32
And I have to this is a massive compliment to you, Joel, every time we’ve talked, because we have talked a few times, you know, outside of the podcast as well. Of course, you seem truly delighted by being curious. And it seems like that’s probably something that drives your inspiration. If I had to guess, am I correct on curiosity?

Joel Anderson 17:51
Yeah, yeah. The you can go back to my more analytical self and all the research, and yeah, curiosity drives so many things in in our world today, people want to find out what’s next. What could we do? What’s the right answer? You know, all of that stuff is always sort of fun. To just set up a problem that is worth solving and solving it. And that’s another way of exploring your creativity. Problem Solving.

Sarah Steimer 18:19
Yeah, and there’s probably never, there’s never, not a problem to solve.

Joel Anderson 18:24
The key is to just find the ones that you care about most.

Sarah Steimer 18:29
Yeah, and I mean, it definitely sounds like that’s what you’re doing with the museum as well, which is super cool. And if I’m ever out in Billings, I can guarantee you that I will definitely check it out, but I just have to get there first. Joel, thank you so much for taking some time on your hike with your daughter today to chat with us. It’s always a pleasure talking with you, and before we fully say goodbye, is there anything else that you wanted to say as it relates to inspiration, or any recommendations that you have for the listeners?

Joel Anderson 18:57
I think I would say you can be inspired by yourself, you can be inspired by others, you can be inspired by being alone. You can be inspired by being in a crowd. I think it’s the be curiosity of finding out what inspires you.

Sarah Steimer 19:15
That’s great advice. Well, Joel, thank you so much for chatting with us today. I really do appreciate it.

Joel Anderson 19:21
My pleasure.

Producer 19:28
Music for Good, Thoughtful Hosts was written, produced, and performed by Sam Clapp. Our moderator is Sarah Steimer. Editing by Travis Estvold And a special thanks to our content development team, Amanda Herzberg and Marni Moore. For more information about the podcast, visit thoughtfulhosts.com. Thanks for listening!

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