ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27TH, WE’RE RETURNING WITH “PIONEER” FT. MARK FAIRBANKS!

Mark Fairbanks is the Executive Director of Islands of Brilliance, a non-profit organization that teaches creative skills to students on the autism spectrum. Mark and his wife, Margaret, a special education teacher, founded Islands of Brilliance (using all the knowledge gained from raising their son, Harry, who is on the spectrum) to increase the likelihood that the students will be independent as adults. Started in 2012, the organization is now entering its 5th year and has grown to include chapters in Minneapolis and Duluth, as well as workshops held in Portland and Chicago. Below, we caught up with Mark to get to know him better.

What do you typically eat for breakfast?

I kind of have a rotation of stuff. One is fresh fruit with yogurt and granola. That’s what I had this morning—with a side of leftover popcorn from last night. I can binge for a week on toast if we pick up good crusty bread. The household favorite is what we call an egg scramble, which we generally make on the weekends. It’s a better version of Benji’s Hoppel Poppel. Ours is made with fried potatoes, onions, garlic, sweet peppers, hot peppers, and then scramble the eggs in at the end. Cover liberally with Cholula hot sauce. Oh, and black coffee is a constant of course.

What do people know you for?

Lol. That’s a good question. I guess it depends on which decade you’re referring to. I was widely known as a really good designer/art director/creative director up until 2008, when I pretty much left the advertising business behind. Then there was the Translator period, when people couldn’t figure out what we were doing. Translator was essentially a creative sandbox that was applying design process and principals to any number of challenges. I think now I’m widely known for Islands of Brilliance, which from a creative process perspective is an evolving social impact design example. The willingness to leave behind what I had been successful at and try something completely different is probably a common thread.

How is Milwaukee special to you?

Without the initial and ongoing generosity of the creativity community in Milwaukee, Islands of Brilliance would never have become what it is. Plain and simple, I am indebted to the people here. And that’s as special as it gets.

What may people not know about you?

I love gardening. Specifically native species, prairie flowers, and plants that need less water. A lot of my art and design takes place in my yard now. I call it painting with a shovel. We have a pretty hectic schedule, but my wife Margaret and I often work eight hours a day on the yard during the summer on the weekends. I’ve found that’s my therapy. Interestingly, I read there’s a microbe in the dirt that has the same effect as serotonin. I always wondered why I felt so good after digging in the earth, and there’s an actual scientific reason for it. Yes, dirt makes me happy. 

What drives your creativity?

You know, I honestly don’t have an answer to that. I’ve been creative for as far back as I have memory—I’ve been making stuff forever. It’s been as natural as breathing. I’ve certainly had influences from time to time, but the driving force is of a different nature. I think I have good antennae, if you will. I’m able to pick up on signals and ideas that are in the ether. I’m not sure people can really own creativity, some just are better at channeling it than others. I meditate every day, and I think a quiet mind is as good as anything to drive creativity.

What are you going to talk to us about in your talk on “Pioneer”?

The theme is “Pioneer,” so I’ve been giving some thought as to what makes someone a pioneer. My feeling is that it is an individual—or group of individuals—who are the first to explore new areas but are willing to leave behind what “is known” in order to do it. That includes conventional wisdom and even past personal success. It seems to me that how a pioneer manages fear would be some interesting ground to cover. I’ll be weaving together personal stories, anecdotes, and insights from people smarter than me. It will be a different talk for me and involve taking some risks, but that’s in keeping with the theme, right?

Ticket registration opens Monday, Oct 23rd at 11 AM CST. Grab a ticket as fast as you can — they are free but limited!