Who am I?

 

Hello

My name is Paul Elkins. I have a passion in design. I like coming up with new ideas or variations of existing ones. I think the KISS acronym (Keep It Simple Stupid) is a good philosophy to live by, especially in design. So many of the daily items we use to simplify our lives I believe are over engineered. I think some items were perfected years if not decades ago, but industry forces us to change, to adapt to more unneccecary bells and whistles. Some improvements are admittedly good, but often I yern for several buttons or options instead of thirty.

My uncle was a big influence in my life. He was a modern poineer who iived on 40 acres and built machines using the now popular upcycle method to serve his needs.

When he was younger he built a sawmill for the wood that went into his home and out buildings.

He made whatever he needed, showing me that a person with a little ambition, skill and imagination could create damn near anything.

I'm still filling out sketch pads with various idea favoring paper and pencil. To me designing is a past time like reading a good book. Designing something is similar to solving a puzzle; you come up with pros and cons and weigh them out, pick the best course and go from there. If I have a technical question I consult with my engineer friend.

Like my uncle, my hope is to pass on a few ideas and some inspiration. To encourage you to pick up a pencil, sketch out an idea and make it. You will fail but when you fail is when you learn.