This small fire lane in an apartment complex’s parking lot is where I have been finding myself spending a good bit of my time lately. It by no means looks like any place to be inspired, but it has done just that.

This gravel-covered, unevenly-paved, broken-glass haven, has become my makeshift soccer field. And whether you have played soccer before or not, you must know that this is by no means, a soccer field. An ideal soccer field would be covered in well-kept green grass and have regulation goals and maybe even clearly marked lines. I have played on those types of fields for a good portion of my life, and have never gained as much as I have from the past few weeks playing in my small little hazardous nook of a parking lot. I’ve been forced to gain new foot skills, I’ve been challenged to keep more control, and I’ve learned the hard way to be a bit more graceful in doing so.

You may be asking yourself, why am I reading about this girl’s weird pastime in a parking lot? But stick with me, I have a point.

As designers, or creatives in general, we may always be aspiring for a golden moment to let our particular talents shine. The project that will get our name out there, or make our portfolio just that much better, or maybe even make us a lot of money. But this reject soccer field has reminded me and inspired me to take on the weird, runty, less-glamorous projects. Learn from them, gain new skills, be challenged to keep more control, and to do so gracefully. It is easy to make a good project turn out good… but it’s a challenge to take on a fire lane and make it soccer field.

Oh, by the way i’m Casey

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A soon-to-be graduate from Kent State, Casey Sandala is a young designer who is excited to make her mark on the world.