I have given this a lot of thought, especially in the last few months. My family and I have suffered some hard times. We bought a home in 2007 and by the beginning of 2009, it was worth almost $80,000 less than what we had purchased it for. My husband has been laid off twice. My son was diagnosed with autism and we live far away from treatment so we commute every day to make sure he can go to school and get what he needs. We downsized to one car to save money and our life has seemed many days, like it's driving by us in one of the other cars that might have a life. When I do get a break I have found myself mostly blogging, designing, and searching pinterest for pretty homes and more design projects. I have wondered why I care so much? Why does design matter? Are their better things I could do with my time?
In those moments when I have been worn down by my trials, I have thought about doing something different. I have thought about saving lives instead and going back to school or finding a way to give back and start a charity. Perhaps, I have thought, I should be "the perfect mom" instead that does nothing but serve my children. All of these ideas have raced through my head as I wondered why does this have to be my talent? And why do I have to care about making things pretty. God gave me this talent. I have always been good with design and creative ideas, ever since I was little but why me and why anyone!?
While pondering I came across this quote,
" doctors save lives by constructing a healthy life, designers save lives by constructing a life worth living"- Mark W. Perrett
By reading this quote I was reminded of a few things that I had forgotten or had chosen to ignore.
A well designed holiday creates joy.
A well designed gift creates gratitude.
A well designed closet creates order.
A well designed home creates family.
A well designed life creates peace.
I may not always be saving lives but I am creating joy, gratitude, order, family time, and peace within my neighborhood, my family, and my friends. I am sharing my talents in the ways I can to give this great message that DESIGN DOES MATTER and that well, I matter.
While that quote did finally snap me out of my self pity and remind me the importance of design. I did rethink the way I create and design my life. I came away with an idea. What if we all only kept the things that really matter in our homes? Time is so rare these days that what if we only spent time taking care of the things in our homes that we really love and cherish? How many times have you hoarded your shelves with the things you were given just because, well they were a good deal or given to you- I doubt anyone would want to put pressure on you or making you keep something just because you feel guilty. I'll tell you that for me, pictures matter most. I love having those memories but their are a lot of thrift store finds, and trendy target clearance items that I don't care at all about. They are taking up space and not making me feel better. They are making me feel stressed, clutter, clausterphobic.
What you saw earlier about DESIGN DOES MATTER, perhaps it's really that GREAT DESIGN MATTERS.
I believe that great design includes: functionality, color, space, and effectiveness. I am trying incredibly hard now to be a better and great designer, to think about what part of the design really brings joy, and how to bring happiness with my talents.
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