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MAKING SOMETHING OF IT SIGNS OF INTELLIGENT LIFE BY AMY ADAMS. PHOTOGRAPHY ROBERT ROBERTSON. Some ideas are born of necessity. Others arrive via sudden inspiration. Many are fueled by a primal desire to bring something into being that didn���t exist before. Meet four men who subscribe to the latter sentiment. Question them about the creative aspects of their work, and they���ll mention artistry, integrity, authenticity ��� and the importance of being commercially viable. This is self-expression without self-indulgence. Fortunately, that doesn���t keep these guys from acting on an impulse, even if it means getting their hands dirty. Here, they come clean about everything from irrational fears to what���s in their fridge. Just don���t expect any skincare tips. STEVE BROOKS [OWNER, THE WOODEN HOUSE] F ollowing Steve Brooks in conversation is a bit like circumventing the globe on a rocket. By the time you���ve gained equilibrium, he has already referenced surf culture, Popular Science magazine, Jaipur and Hemingway. He���ll pause to order another beer, then segue into a story about the time he got jumped by a gang of street toughs in Spain ��� then, explain what makes a centuries-old Japanese pagoda withstand a natural disaster. Brooks may be impossible to pin down, but he leaves an impression. His Henderson Avenue store stocks pieces imported from all over the world, but it���s his affordably priced custom designs that resonate with fans of reclaimed American hardwoods. His overall aesthetic favors functionality over frills, but there���s no shortage of interesting details. ���I like things with character and history,��� he says. ���That���s why my custom pieces work so well with my vintage imports. Everything has heart.��� Worst piece of advice I���ve ever taken: ���Try the soup ��� the tomato soup in the front of the train is great!��� I heeded this advice while on a buying trip in Northern India and subsequently found myself confined to my hotel room for days. Heaven on earth: Traveling with friends, experiencing new cultures and trying new foods. Constant crave: I am addicted to swimming. Not in my abode: Adrenaline rush: Free diving for lobster and Hawaiian spearfishing. Nothing is better. Buzz kill: Arrogance, entitlement and stupidity ��� which, coincidentally, go hand in hand. First car: A blue Ford Explorer shared, somewhat begrudgingly, with my twin brother. Last traffic ticket: Last summer driving along Pacific Coast Highway to Malibu, my old stomping grounds. It was worth it. Always in my fridge: First thing I bought with my own money: Avocados, salsa and chicken salad. While I wish I could, I really can���t cook. A Land Rover. First job: Most underrated skill: Listening. I could do a little more of that. Hobie Sports, a surf shop in Newport Beach, my hometown. Most overrated virtue: Hell on earth: Cats. I���m a dog person all the way. Always doing what you���re told. Going too long without seeing my vizsla, Cayden. TOM DE NOLF [OWNER, DENOLF FILMS] BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I COULD GIVE: BE ABLE TO TAKE REJECTION, LEARN FROM IT AND MOVE FORWARD. F or five years post-college, Tom De Nolf explored the rural Southeast, slept in his car and canvassed small towns for local eccentrics. The work may have been demanding, but the result was nine documentaries on folk art for PBS, friendships with some of the country���s best outsider artists and an enviable art collection of his own. After a stint as an assistant on Talking Heads frontman David Byrnes��� True Stories, De Nolf made the transition into commercial directing ��� the obvious choice for a man who describes himself as having a 30-second attention span. One of his best-known projects is a series of advertisements for the European shoe brand Humanic. Each blended style, humor, sexuality and, in one memorable instance, the kind of bondage most recently associated with Fifty Shades of Grey. In short, De Nolf gravitates toward projects that win awards in Europe but raise eyebrows at the Federal Communications Commission. Most recently, his knowledge of art, movie making and the business of both landed him work on an independent film in Los Angeles starring Ed Harris, Annette Bening and Robin Williams, produced by his friend Bonnie Curtis of Jurassic Park and Saving Private Ryan fame. All in all, the project boasts more than 20 Academy Award nominations amongst cast and crew, and is considered a top contender at next year���s Cannes Film Festival. Best piece of advice I could give: Illegitimi non carborundum. Last vacation: Cape Cod. Worst piece of advice I���ve ever taken: Constant crave: Trust me. Not in my abode: First car: 1953 Chevy Bel Air. Last traffic ticket: Five years ago. I was speeding. First thing I bought with my own money: A multicolored rhinestone sunburst-shaped brooch for my mom from Kresge���s. Last thing I misplaced: Amex card. First job: Thai food. Clutter. Always in my fridge: Lots of empty space. Most underrated skill: My simple lifestyle. Adrenaline rush: Getting unexpectedly great performances. Buzz kill: Someone being late and not calling. Detroit Free Press morning newspaper route. SEPTEMBER | PAGE 44 | 2012 IRRATIONAL FEAR: THERE���S NOT ANOTHER SURPRISE AROUND THE NEXT CORNER.