Berk is an explorer, an artist, an inventor, and a creative genius. He recently founded a business called Sandboxr, which allows you to create, design, and print toys.  He  has spent time as an adjunct professor, teaching the first Motion Design class offered by the Salt Lake Community College and has won the Pixie Gold Award by  the American Pixel Academy. He is a well traveled, artistic man who deserves to be recognized. Get to know him!  Go play at www.sandboxr.com.  and look at his portfolios here and here. 

At what point in your life did you realize your ability to create? (art,toys,paintings,etc.)

I believe that everyone has the ability to create in some form or another. Interestingly, the visual “artists” of the world, for some reason, have a monopoly on the word’s associations. For me, perhaps, it started with play. I happened to have remarkably creative cousins as my best friends and when I was with them the world was different, it was special, full of possibility and magic. I’m sure, from the outside looking in, we looked like normal kids passing time as we tramped about in the desert, fooled with legos and made paper airplanes. However, what drew me to their world is that nothing was ever just as it seemed. In the desert we were dutifully surveying for our next underground fort. Making paper airplanes was a truly serious pursuit, one of perfection, grace and craft. When playing Legos not only were we exploring principles of design, form and function in our custom vehicles but we also crafted stories and created worlds for these creations. My cousins were a few years older than me, intelligent and in everything they did, they did it well; as such, I felt like I had to work extra hard on all fronts to hold my own with them.

One day my cousin’s interests shifted to drawing. Ryan had produced a near-perfect poster-sized likeness of a Calvin and Hobbes cover using a cool grid technique. I was in complete awe of the work and determined to try my hand. Drawing made a lot of sense to me and I soon found myself obsessed with the pursuit and quickly developed a knack for the process. In fact, I remember having a keen sense of pride when I realized that I had surpassed both of my cousin’s ability in replicating Calvin and Hobbes. Eventually, I could give Bill Watterson himself a run for his money.

A professor in college once famously quipped to my class, “Drawing is the process of correction through recognition” and I believe that is exactly the skill I developed at that tender age. I learned to see when something was off and then to make the appropriate adjustments to fix it. To put things concisely, I suppose my interest in creating began while playing with my cousins and during that era I developed a knack for getting a pencil to do what I need it to do. That’s where my journey began, I suppose, and with a dozen false starts and sabbaticals in-between here I am today trying to get back to my ways.

What advice would you give others who seek to inspire in the same way?

To be honest, I’m not sure I’ve ever set out to inspire anyone. In fact, these days I try to be completely selfish in my approach to living. In other words, I find that when chasing beautiful things or when handing the reigns over to curiosity it’s better for me to not be aware of who’s paying attention. I’ve been able to see many an exotic and beautiful horizon due to nothing more than the willingness to not silence that voice saying, “I wonder if…”

Though admittedly, throughout my life I’ve allowed a lot of other voices to enter my inner dialogue and when I have, amidst the cacophony of their imagined opinions, I was generally crippled by doubt, insecurity and fear. In those moments, I’ve discovered that there’s nothing like a well made mistake to get me on the right path again. For me, the more marks I can make, the more I have to respond to and work with. Correction through recognition.

Where did the name Sandboxr come from?

I like the name for it’s whimsical nature and nostalgic undertones. I also like it’s literal connections to playing, creating, imaging and building. I really like that Sandboxr could also be a noun to describe a type of person with particular interests in making and creating. For all of these reasons I chose Sandboxr to be the name of my most current and longest lasting endeavor.

When did you last feel brave?

Founding and running a start-up tech company has been the most difficult and reckless challenge of my life. When I first started (nearly 4 years ago!), I had no idea where to begin or what road to take, all I had was a powerful conviction of where I wanted to be. At first it felt like I was a scorned prophet with delusional visions of the future. I saw things with such clarity that I was often completely mystified that others were unable to do the same. Moving forward in those circumstances, misunderstood, ignorant, young and naive- was a brave and reckless choice. Interestingly, despite all of these years it seems that as I’ve finished walking blindly through one dark room to it’s other side- I find myself facing another dark expanse. Moving forward in the face of uncertainty, I’ve learned, is the entrepreneur’s path.

What is/are your favorite things?

I love mysteries and secrets. I also love to learn new things and then to find ways to apply that knowledge- it’s an empowering and thrilling process. Most recently I’ve developed quite a fondness for programming.

What is the first lesson you remember learning?

I can’t honestly say what that might be as I’ve been told I’m a terrible one for timelines, ordered lists, and continuity. That said, something of a family mantra has persisted with me as near long as I can remember and I try to live according to it’s creed.

“Have Fun, Work Hard, Get Smart”