In the woods

I have an unexpected day off, so I am playing and dreaming of where I'd rather be.

Wabi-Sabi Rug

One of my favorite things about our new apartment was its warm wood floors. It became clear that we needed a small rug in the living area to soften it up a bit. So I endeavored to crochet a little rag rug. It is made from old sheets, and I haven't crocheted since I was little, but here it is. Somehow, its imperfection makes me love it all the more.
A dyed-in-the-wool perfectionist, the rug's puckers and snags would usually drive me crazy, but somehow the level of imperfection is perfectly balanced. It recalls the Japanese aesthetic of "wabi-sabi", which is characterized by " asymmetry, asperity, simplicity, economy, austerity, modesty, intimacy and appreciation of the ingenuous integrity of natural objects and processes." (Via Wikepedia)
It is perfectly imperfect.

To-Do

Something happened when I turned 25. I got panicky. While I am nowhere near deserving of being called "old", I am acutely aware that I am an adult now.
Loads of people have accomplished way more than me by the age of 25, and good for them. Seriously. I realize ever more that I probably will never be famous, and that most of what I do doesn't impact many people. I am learning (slowly) to be okay with that.
My life is small and quiet. But it is a really, really good one.
Instead of making comparisons and feeling inadequate, I am focusing on the things that I have done. I have a healthy, wonderful relationship. I have friends and family who support me. I have meaningful hobbies. I can bake a mean cake. I know, or at least am coming closer to knowing, who I am.
These are the things that matter to me.
The above is a list of goals I made shortly after my 25th birthday, when I was feeling panicky and scared. I re-read them today for the first time since then, and I feel good about them. They may not be lofty goals, but I feel like they will help me continue to grow in the direction I want to go.

Lessons Learned (and learning)

image via Molly Jacques Illustration

One of my favorite quotes concerning creativity comes from the inimitable Chuck Close. He writes, "Inspiration is for amateurs, the rest of us just show up and get to work". He goes on to say, " All the best ideas come out of process; they come out of the work itself".

Certainly this is true of my own work. I can sit in front of an empty page or document for hours waiting for inspiration to hit me like a bolt of lightning, but it will never come. My best inspiration comes when I am deep in a project, working feverishly, when suddenly it all comes into focus. In order to get to that point, one must get started, which is probably the scariest part. 

Today I will focus on getting started, on digging in. I can't just wait for inspiration to hit, I have to first show up and start working.

More food for thought, A Busy Designer is Never Stuck

Hustlin'

Still Working!

Making an identity for my oldest friend, the talented Katie VanTubergen. The beginning of the project is always my favorite!

On failure, and the beginning of something new.

Photo credit: Michael Patrick O'Leary, http://www.michaelpatrickoleary.com/

ON FAILURE //

“I don’t know” is my new mantra. It is a very liberating sentence to speak aloud. By saying that you don’t know, you open yourself to learning and to be taught. So this is a blog of “I don’t know”.

 I want to write. I want to learn. I want to open myself up to new experiences. I want to explore new ideas and learn to be confident in my own voice. So this is a space for me to explore ideas about design, about life, about why we make, and why it is important. I fully expect to get it wrong, and fall on my face, and to miss the point more than once. However, a wise person once said

 “When in doubt, make a fool of yourself. There is a microscopically thin line between being brilliantly creative and acting like the most gigantic idiot on earth. So what the hell, leap”

(Cynthia Heimel) 

Here goes nothing!