Industry pro helps designers find, protect creativity
It’s been over 20 years since Paula Kennedy left her job at Microsoft to become a kitchen designer. Like most newcomers to the industry, initially she focused on using her creativity to win jobs and satisfy clients. But over time and through her active involvement in her local NKBA chapter, Kennedy grew as a leader and speaker in the industry.
Today, beyond being a successful designer with a successful business, Timeless Kitchens, she’s found her voice as one of the leading educators within the NKBA. Her speaking involvement grew from a CEU she developed six years ago to help other designers through a common problem: design burnout. Every year since then, she’s been hired four or five times to travel to different cities with her message of how to ignite creativity and to nurture it.
“Our job is not like most businesses. I tell other designers to get out of their offices to take walks. Start sketching and doodling. Let your brain wander,” says Kennedy. “When you are stressed, your brain gets disconnected. You need to relax to find inspiration.”
Other topics are now part of her speaking routine. She’s written three more CEU-approved classes and has stepped in to work with GE Monogram on a series of classes.
“Designers take their creativity for granted,” she often says. “They don’t know how to charge for their time. We say ‘yes’ too often. We get stretched too thin. We need to know how to protect that talent.”
