Dear friends, family, clients and students:
Today, March 22nd 2013, marks my last day as a graphic designer for the legendary Omaha creative studio known as Eleven19. The skills, experiences, opportunities and memories that Donovan Beery has given me these last two years cannot be over-stated. Simply put – this next chapter of my journey could not be possible without Donovan, and I am forever indebted to him for it. Without this opportunity, I never would have designed for amazing clients like Kiewit, GiftCertificates.com, Neenah, TechnoFYI and Fotoseeds. Without Donovan I could not have co-hosted 41 Reflex Blue Shows – interviewing amazing designers like Paula Scher, Robert Brunner, James Victore, Kit Hinrichs and Von Glitschka. For all this – I am more than grateful.
So – what's next for Ben Lueders?
Towards the end of last year – 4 fantastic yet unexpected things happened:
- I started teaching piano lessons again. (And I re-discovered how much I love teaching, music, and kids.)
- My Fruitful clients began to be…well…fruitful. (And then they began to multiply ;)
- I began to develop a pretty serious love for downtown Benson Nebraska.
- I began to develop the branding for an awesome new Benson-based venue/organization called The 402.
At first, I thought nothing of it – but slowly I began to see all of these things converging into a seamless plan. And I couldn't have planned it better myself...
In late November 2012 – Ben Shafer of The 402 presented me with a unique opportunity to open up both a Fruitful Design office and my own piano lesson studio in the old "Foundry" building in downtown Benson. The building was in the planning stages of being transformed into a state-of-the-art music venue, recording studio, coffee shop (a second location for Aroma's and Bliss no less) and an assortment of multi-use office spaces and lesson studios. Between my continued development of the 402 collateral, my piano teaching income and my growing Fruitful client-base –making the move to Benson was starting to seem more and more feasible.
And so – that is exactly what's happening now.
Over the next couple weeks – I plan to move both my Fruitful office and my piano studio into the upstairs of The 402 building in downtown Benson (6041 Maple St.) – and begin to do client work and piano lessons during regular business hours. Needless to say, I'm very excited at this prospect! And I owe it to both my clients, my students, my family and my community to make this monumental change.
Please follow the Fruitful Facebook, Fruitful Twitter, and The 402's Facebook for more updates!
Thanks so much to everyone who has encouraged and helped me through this transition. I have been overwhelmed by the help and support of so many of you. Special thanks to Donovan & Trudy Beery, Marc Butterfield, Ben Shafer, Jim Shaffer, Deb Schnieder, Sam Hanson, Paul Wilson, Joe Sparano, John Henry Muller, Nicholas Peterson, Jeff Slobotski, Drew Davies, Adam Torpin, Jacob Willis, Michael & Ashley Childers, Erin Pille, Jeff Spiehs, Raj Lulla, Cory Wehrbein, Jon Wymer, JD Senkbile, James Eldridge, Steve Gordon, Dyana Valentine, Jamie Saunders, Michael & Kristin DeKay, Eric Downs, Miranda Bouck, Jon Kayser, Andy Denekas, Josh Knight, Larry & Alison Lueders, Kyle & Kim Moeller, Kyle & Cheryl Dyer, Lucy Anders, Emily Knight, Alan Gilbert, Abe Lueders, all of my siblings, all of my parents, and my hopelessly supportive (and rather beautiful) wife, Meg.
Love you all,
-Ben
P.S: I've already got my own Instructor page on The 402's temporary website. Please share this link to anyone that might like to take beginner piano lessons – I've still got some openings!
