Never To Late To Follow Your Dreams

This week I had the pleasure to interview Paul Bond, an artist with an inspirational story. Paul Bond was born in Guadalajara, Mexico. Bond comes from a strong Latino background of determination. His grandfathers all named Ignacio Pesqueira are iconic Mexican figures. His great grandfather was a signer of the Mexican Constitution and his grandfather was Consul General of Mexico. Bond currently resides in San Clemente, CA. In his early teens, Bond discovered his artistic talent. His dyslexia lead him to discover his creative passion behind seeing mirror images of objects. Bond moved to the U.S. when he was a young boy. He attended school in my hometown where he mastered his artistic talents at San Diego State University (yay Go Aztecs!), UCSD, and the La Jolla Academy of Art.

Bond owned a graphic design business for 15 years and he's done several book designs. Recently, he took a leap to become a full time artist and trust that his work is good enough. He admitted it's challenging. Security is now a gamble but one worth taking. Bond couldn't deny his true passion anymore so he's focusing all of his attention to his paintings. Paul and his wife Donna Bond strongly believe his talents will pay off in the long run. More, importantly Bond is living his dream and the sound of happiness was pure in his voice.

Many times in advertising we search and search for "the big idea." We read through tons of research, watch ads, stare at white boards, jump on a trampoline, play a game, run around the building and sometimes after all of this, the idea still doesn't come. I asked Bond what he does in this situation and he simply said "when the idea isn't coming, let it go." He's exactly right! We've seen time and time again that some of the best ideas come when we take a step back and let it go.

So, I asked Bond where does he find inspiration. He gave me three responses. First, he writes down phrases that are catchy. He recently attended a Paula Cole concert and this line, "dreaming of another shore" inspired him. Second, he looks for visual inspiration. He takes pictures and puts unrelated elements together in photoshop. Third, he feeds off emotions. His painting, Unexpected Departure was painted the winter following 9/11. The painting tells a story of what happens when someone dies suddenly. The man in the painting is standing on a rock which represents earth and the ruble. He's looking down and doesn't know he is dead. He's holding onto the rope which symbolizes life. The raven is pulling him and the rope to an unseen dimension which is his next life.



I like Bond's way of thinking. Emotional cues are strong in advertising and may trigger strong connections with brands. Below, is one of my favorite ads from Cadbury, the ad has nothing to do with chocolate and everything to do with emotion.



I wanted to know what Bond's favorite ad campaign is. He openly admitted to me that he doesn't watch TV but the one he could remember at that moment was from these guys.


I have to say the caveman are funny and share that humor with the brand while focusing on it's simplicity.

Bond inspired me too keep chasing my dreams. His work is currently on show at Lu Martin Galleries in Laguna Beach, CA. Original oil paintings and prints of Paul's images are available directly from the artist. To see more of his work go to www.paulbondart.com

Monica Camacho, Junior Strategic Planner