Tell us about yourself and your work: what you’re passionate about, what inspires you, and where you’re going. I recently finished directing and producing my first documentary film called “Linotype: The Film.” It is about the Linotype typecasting machine and its impact on communication and the modern news media. It is also about a bunch of awesome old guys that work with crazy machines.

As trite as this answer will be, I find my inspiration all around me. I love travel and find my clearest thinking at 30,000 feet with my computer off. Most of my favorite projects have started as a result of traveling.

I am currently teaching typography and letterpress classes at Missouri State University and working on freelance design and video projects. I just finished two years of traveling around the world with the film, so I am trying to slow down and decide what is next. I have a few ideas about upcoming films, but I don’t have a direction just yet.

Tell us about your space. What’s your aesthetic? What do you like or dislike about it? I share the office with filmmaker (and “Linotype: The Film” cinematographer) Brandon Goodwin. It is in an old brick building in downtown Springfield, Missouri and we share the building with a few other creatives.

My aesthetic is a mix of trying to be clean and modern but also accepting that I am a collector of vintage ephemera and objects. I decorate with many letterpress-printed posters along with objects found at flea markets.

Brandon and I built our own desks using solid-core doors and legs. This kept our costs down as well as gave us a hand-built feel to the space. As a collector, I can never have enough flat files to organize and sort my vintage finds.

One perk of the office is our single-malt scotch collection that everyone shares. This keeps things relaxed around the office. My current favorite is Lagavulin 16 or Glenmorangie Finealta.

Photos: Doug Wilson. See the short film of the office’s Mirra vs. Aeron competition here.

It’s the final day to get 15% off everything you need to furnish your home or office (or any space in between). Click here to shop our storewide Holiday Sale now and save!

1. Digital Design Magazines - The digital publishing revolution is in full swing. More and more magazines have taken to the tablet with compelling, richly detailed digital editions. It’s an affordable design experience at your fingertips. Check out the Edition29 series of architecture, art, and lifestyle magazines, including explorations of the modern dwelling in Edition29 Housed. Or click over to DesignBureau for a bi-monthly dialogue of design inspiration.

2. Join an Art & Design Museum - Are you near a design museum? An architecture or historic home museum? Annual museum memberships yield a year’s worth of education and inspiration while simultaneously supporting the creative community (and saving you money, too). Try the Museum of Arts and Design in New York, the Chicago Atheneum – Museum of Architecture and Design, or the Architecture and Design Museum in Los Angeles.

3. Renegade Craft Fair - Throughout the U.S. and even across the pond in London, the Renegrade Craft Fair brings together hundreds of artists, designers, and craftspeople showcasing their work. Explore an incredibly broad range of design products (and prices) in cities like Austin, Chicago, Brooklyn, and more. Keep an eye out in your town for other indie craft fairs, too — it’s a huge and exciting movement.

4. Design in Your Community - Do you live near a college with a design or architecture school? Does the AIA or AIGA have a chapter where you live? Is there a Design Within Reach… within reach? Identifying the design institutions and even retailers in your area is a fast-track to all kinds of affordable — even free — events, lectures, classes, and more. Learn, network, and see what’s out there.

5. Herman Miller Sale - Find your favorite of the most quintessential modern designs, for less, during the annual Herman Miller Sale. Enjoy a storewide 15% off everything from Aeron office chairs to the Magis Tavolo XZ3 Table. It’s all on sale now until December 10, so visit Herman Miller today.

6. Find & Fund Design - Online funding platforms like Kickstarter and IndieGoGo are overflowing with new and innovative design projects looking for partners and supporters. You get in on the ground level of new designs and instantly become a part of their development. Plus, each project you support offers a range of great design dividends depending on how much you’d like to contribute. That’s a great design deal.

Photos linked within text.

1. Aeron Chair, Bill Stumpf and Don Chadwick - Sweeping away virtually every tenet of traditional workplace seating, the Aeron has become one the most well-known ergonomic office chairs ever made. Its form-fitting Pellicle suspension supports and cools, moving as you move, no matter what size and shape you might be. Choose from three frame finishes and eight seat and back fabrics to create a distinctive seating solution, on sale now at Herman Miller.

2. Nelson Swag Leg Desk, George Nelson - With its gracefully curved legs, unencumbered work surface, and cheerful cubbies, the Swag Leg Desk answers to the call of our modern, increasingly compact world. Combine it with an Eames Wire Chair for a perfect mid-century pairing. Find them both on sale at Herman Miller.

3. Eames Sofa, Charles and Ray Eames - Combining simplified form and high-quality materials and craftsmanship, the Eames Sofa yields stunning design beauty and luxurious comfort. Its gently angled silhouette unites rich walnut or teak, sumptuous leather upholstery, and polished aluminum for a truly modern design in home or office. Explore all the options, now 15% off, at Herman Miller.

4. Noguchi Table, Isamu Noguchi - Sculptural, perfectly-balanced, and visionary, the three-piece Noguchi Table is a design classic — simple, but never plain. Created in the 1940s, the design acclimates effortlessly to 21st-century living. Get the classic Noguchi, on sale, from Herman Miller.

5. Nelson Basic Cabinet Series, George Nelson - The best storage solutions are functional, efficient, and most of all versatile, just like the Basic Cabinet Series. Create a custom solution from an array of configurations utilizing cabinets, shelving, and even the Platform Bench. Save 15% on yours now at Herman Miller.

6. Eames Hang-It-All, Charles and Ray Eames - Beguiling pops of style and ever-present functionality defined much of the Eameses work, capturing our imagination and attention. Marrying their signature wire lattice construction with vibrant, solid-wood knobs, Charles and Ray created a hat and coat rack with a real hook. Get your Hang-It-All, on sale now, at Herman Miller.

Images: Herman Miller

A new report has busted a bunch of myths about working from home. Homepreneurs:  A Vital Economic Force used data from the recent Network Solutions Small Business Success Index (SBSI) survey, commissioned by Network Solutions, LLC and the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. What did they learn? That home-based businesses hire more people than venture-capital backed businesses. And that home-based businesses are not part-timers, in fact 75% work fulltime on their business. For the whole story check out Grow Smart Business. Via Smallbiztrends. Photo: Vitsoe.

If you are thinking about working from home you certainly aren’t alone. In fact you’re in rather good company. LinkedIn and Hewlett-Packard both started from home. The Wall Street Journal just ran a great article by Colleen Debaise (author of The Wall Street Journal’s Complete Small Business Guidebook). The article includes the following five questions to consider before you take the plunge. Are you ready?

1. Am I passionate about my product or service? The start-up phase is stressful. You’ll need zeal to get through the rough patches, especially in the early days when hours are long and initial profits (if any) are lean.

2. What is my tolerance for risk? There’s no guarantee of success — or even a steady paycheck. If you’re risk-averse, entrepreneurship probably isn’t the right path for you.

3. Am I good at making decisions? No one else is going to make them for you. Consider how you might handle these early decisions: Do I incorporate? Do I advertise? Do I borrow money from friends or family?

4. Am I willing to take on numerous responsibilities? A start-up entrepreneur must juggle many roles — from chief salesperson and bookkeeper to head marketer and bill collector.

5. Will I be able to avoid burnout? Many entrepreneurs find it hard to step away. You’ll need to develop a work/life balance to avoid working seven days a week, losing touch with friends and upsetting loved ones.