From the course: Marty Neumeier: How to Write Your Way into Your Dream Career

The early start

- [Instructor] This is an audio course. Thank you for listening. - [Interviewer] Today, I have my friend, Marty Neumeier, one of the most influential business and brand authors, who started out as an almost musician, became an influential designer and entrepreneur, that has been blazing his own path his entire career. Join me as you hear from one of today's leading business authors and brand experts, tell his story. (slow piano music) - [Marty] I grew up in LA, in the, you know, 50's and 60's, which was a terrific time to be a kid because it was after world war II and all the vets came home at the same time and they just bought houses because they could get them for like $6,000 or something. (people laughing) And so in my neighborhood, instant neighborhood, you know just had water, springs up in 10 houses per block. And in those 10 houses, there were 10 kids my age. So it was like kid paradise and you didn't need your parents and they didn't have to worry about you because you're with all the other kids and you could just run around ,right, and just be home by dinner time. And that, I think, fosters a kind of independence and I don't know, confidence that you can, you know, life is yours to do what you want with. And I think California gives you that too. So, that was good. But you know, I always wanted to be a graphic designer even when I was seven years old. I didn't know the term. - [Interviewer] I was about to ask you, how did you know what a graphic designer (indistinct) - [Marty] There weren't any, well, in Europe, they probably had them, but in, in the U.S. they were called commercial artists at the time. And my mother was trained to be one. So that's how I found out. - [Interviewer] Really. - [Marty] Yeah. She was a fashion designer in school, but never, she wanted to work in the movies. That's why she came to California. And then she, you know, got married and had a giant family, six kids. And that was the end of that. But, but boy, could she draw. I mean, it was magic, you know, just watching her. She'd be at like talking on the telephone and aimlessly, you know, people doodle, and usually it's like little blocks of little lines and just circles and stuff. Right now she'd be drawing these gorgeous heads of people. Different angles and stuff, you know like of Renaissance drawings. And I was just like, that's just, you know, I wish I could do that. And she, and she said, well, you know you just learn how to do it. - [Interviewer] And did she go to school at all for that? I mean, I know she went to fashion school but-- - [Marty] Yeah. I mean, she, you know, in those days, you know, in public school you had art classes. and all kinds of stuff, music and theater, and all that mixed in it was great. And so she had a passion for drawing. She had some skill and then she went to Chicago Art Institute. - [Interviewer] Oh, wow. - [Marty] Yeah. And so that's where she got her degree, came out to California, had one interview with Edith Head. And I think that was the last interview she had, got off course. - [Interviewer] Marty has had some amazing moments in and around his life. His mom interviewing with Edith Head is just another example. Edith was the costume designer for Hollywood, winning a record eight Oscars for her work and being nominated over 35 times. - [Marty] It was great to have her just show me, like here's how you do it. You draw this line, draw another one. What does that look like? Maybe a couple more. And pretty soon things take shape on sheet of paper. And I thought I could do that. And then knowing those few little techniques at that age, you know, seven or eight years old. I mean, you can really wow your friends. - [Interviewer] Yeah. (Marty laughing) You're the guy, you're the guy who can draw. - [Marty] They're drawing like a house and a sun and a car and I'm drawing like clipper ships in perspective. (interviewer laughing) You know? And so-- - [Interviewer] Isn't it funny that your friends probably looked at you like you had a superpower? - [Marty] Oh yeah. I totally felt like it. I mean, it was surprising to me that anybody could do it much less me. So, I just, I knew right then that that was my destiny, You know? I mean like you would is that, I didn't know that there were multiple destinies. I just thought, well, this is obvious. This is who I am and I'm treated special for that. So I never had a doubt that that's what I was going to do, until later. (cheerful piano music)

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