20Q: Ben Fry

Making people curious is what creative success is about. Find out 19 other interesting things about Ben Fry.

1. What items would you put into a time capsule?  

A barrel of Scotch. Or is that too big?

2. If you were told that you had to live inside a work of art, which would you choose?  

A series of enormous murals by Matthew Ritchie.

3. What would you like to have written in your obituary?

1975-2075

4. How do you define creative success?

Making people curious.

5. What makes you laugh out loud?  

As much as possible.

6. Are there certain characteristics that all creatives possess?  

I've always enjoyed people who cannot stop creating - they simply cannot help themselves. It's inspiring.

7. Do you have (m)any unrealised projects?  

Way too many.

8. What is the question you ask yourself the most?  

Am I ever going to finish all these projects?

Or maybe more important, which ones are worth it?

9. What is something that you have learnt in the past five years?

I'm trying to learn to run a business. Indications are that I still have a lot to learn.

10. In your subjective view, what makes a piece of design good?  

People enjoy it and find it useful.

11. What one thing that you have not done would you really like to do?  

Create ever larger, more complicated works.

12. What are you the most grateful for?

All the amazing people who have helped me throughout my life.

13. What's your happiest childhood memory?  

Spending time around rocks, trees and water at a family cottage in Canada.

14. What do you do on Sundays?

Try not to work.

15. Who in the world, dead or alive, would you most like to have a drink with?

My grandfather Burnham King who passed away when I was very young.

16. Do you have a creative/business muse?

My wife, friends, and co-workers.

17. What's the best design advice you've ever received?

"Draw anything. Draw this!" from professor Mark Mentzer, while applying for design school, from whom I would later take several semesters of drawing courses.

18. What has been your favourite project to date?

The next one, I hope.

19. Do you recycle?

Daily. Sometimes twice.

20. Can design save the world?

Let's hope so.

Watch the Talk with Ben Fry