I’m a social worker by education so I am always drawn to written works about the humanness in us all.  As I’m reflecting on my transition from a long career in social work and education to full time design, I got to thinking about the role that connection plays in design. That shouldn’t be a surprise.  Our brains are literally wired for connection in all we do.

Connection is the heart of my passion for design.  It’s the absolute center of any design work I do and manifests in many ways.

First and foremost is the connection with anyone who invites me to work on a space or room in their home. There is very little as personal to each of us as our homes.  Above all, my goal is always to make a space feel like home.  What feels like home to me may not be the same for my client.  The only way to ensure that I’m helping them to create home is through interpersonal connection.

I never feel more like my true self than when I am in a creative space, especially in the design realm.  We won’t get into the messy details but growing up with a narcissistic parent makes feeling many emotions dangerous and vulnerable.  I have learned over the years that design and other creative endevours allow me the safety and space to feel.  While there are techniques one can practice, creativity is an art form that requires us to feel our way through it.  When I’m creating, I’m connecting with myself.  I know when a design choice feels right or wrong and I can trust myself to feel my way through other options until I get it right.  That connection with myself in creative moments fuels all else I do in my life. It’s a persistent teacher and mentor. It’s necessary for my well being which is why I share it with others.

If you’re still following my ponderings, stick with this one…I connect with spaces and the energy within them.  I can immediately feel what a space needs when I enter it.  Sometimes that’s simply about the space, other times it’s just as much about the people who occupy it.  Either way, it’s generally pretty clear to me quickly.  The fun is in the challenge of getting what’s in my mind out into the world!

My favorite work is that of which I do for my own family, in my own home. Every time we’ve purchased a new home and begun to renovate it, my husband reminds me that it’s not home until I’ve worked my magic. All of our homes have reflected the soul of the family we’ve created in those homes. Knowing that I have created spaces within our homes that allow my family to grow and thrive in love and belonging is the greatest privilege. Running a very close second to that is helping to create the same for my clients.