[This post is part of a series on Mentors and Heroes]
Andrew Hinton is a Lead Information Architect at Vanguard, an investment management company. He co-founded the Information Architecture Institute in 2002 is now serves as the Director of Professional Practice on its Board of Directors. Follow him on Twitter @inkblurt.
Andrew Hinton’s mentor is…
Jeffrey Skinner, Poet
How long have you known each other and how did you first meet?
Jeff was my teacher & mentor from around 1992-1995 at the University of Louisville, before I went on to get an MFA at UNC-Greensboro. We haven’t stayed very much in touch since then (mainly my fault). First met when I took a creative writing class from him (on the advice of another fine writer, Leon Driskell).
How would you describe how you relate to your mentor?
Mentor/protégé, with a good deal of regular friendship and general hanging out mixed in.
How formal or structured is the mentorship? Does Jeffrey know you consider him a mentor?
It wasn’t formalized through the university — it was more of a ‘taking under a wing’ sort of thing. But yes, the crux of the relationship was explicitly that of mentor-student.
What is one piece of advice your mentor gave you that has stuck with you the most?
The main influence was an attitude, a stance, toward art and creativity. As an insecure 20-something, his independence and irascible edge were what I needed to prod & encourage me to jump in and make my ideas happen. Best verbal advice was, in essence, “stop talking about it — get off your ass and do it.” I still find that very hard to follow most days.
What else do you want the world to know about your mentor?
He’s a talented poet, writer & teacher. Seriously beautiful poems. The best ones give you splinters.
Thank you Andrew for sharing your mentor with us!
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