I like to find my limits through endurance. Cycling is a good example, when I went on a holiday a few years ago, although my friends were much fitter than me, I clocked the highest tally of kilometers because I just kept going. Also a few years back, I trekked up to 5000 meters while in Sikkim, India. It was very difficult because I react badly to altitude. There's something I value in being able to keep going even when things are hard.

I believe I'm quite patient, or at least it's somewhat of a strength to me. At the moment I'm trying to find a way to use it to make work that's unique to me. I've recently been doing a bit of work that involves a high quantity of lettering, as well as larger typeface projects. I don't think I have a recognizable style yet though, but hopefully it will arrive in it's own time, I doubt I would work trying to force it. I just enjoy experimenting and covering a broad spectrum of styles at the moment.

For the past 7 or so months, I've been working all day, every day. I think it has been more work than I've ever done before. It's a good problem to have but it takes a toll eventually. Why do I work that hard? Well, I don't know... I think it runs in the family, my dad, my brother, my grandfather, we all work very hard. When I'm not working on something I tend to feel a bit odd, it's just what I do and I have to do it.

I feel like it's the right time in my life to be working that hard. I want to learn what I'm capable of, how to do multiple things at a time, and find where I belong. I don't have anyone that relies on me and I have the time, so now I can. But I know that a rate of work like this is unsustainable, that's what travelling is for though.

Dave Foster

Australian letterer and typographer.