Practice Winning

AUTHOR MALCOLM GLADWELL’S “10,000-hour rule,” first popularized in his book Outliers, suggested that it takes around 10,000 hours of dedicated practice to achieve mastery in a complex skill. The rule has since been debated and refined to include additional factors, but the concept is as old as the saying, “practice makes perfect.”

Dan Sawatzky, owner of Imagination Corp. (Chilliwack, BC, Canada) — ST’s 2025 Sign Contest “Best of Show” winner — has been practicing for a long time. Far beyond 10,000 hours. His shop is filled with more than 100 “samples” of the imaginative, often fantasy- or fairytale-based designs brought to life in dimensional carvings.

Years ago, Sawatzky told me he wanted to win “Best of Show” in ST’s Sign Contest and have his project on the cover. Having done so in 2022 and having come close again recently, he’s now doubled his tally.

In addition to winning (Sawatzky is rather competitive) he has encouraged and mentored dozens of other sign artists working in dimensional signs, both individually and through the Sign Invitational competition, the first of which was held in 2016 with the finals of the next slated for the ISA 2026 International Sign Expo. For more information on the Sign Invitational 2016, see signsofthetimes.com/sign-invitational.

But back to ST’s Sign Contest… we hope Sawatzky’s and the other winning projects provide ideas, inspiration and aspiration to be as imaginative, creative and functional as possible.

The window for completed projects for the 2026 Sign Contest is now open. Keep practicing, everyone!