Personal Archetypes

Although we use archetypes in branding, marketing and storytelling, Carl Jung originally studied them as tools of psychology. Their real power lies in how they influence and reflect the full human experience, not just our shopping profiles. If you consider your own habits, identity traits and ambitions against the universal human archetypes you can see the bigger picture of how you navigate the world.

This is more about personal development than it is personal branding, which has been a pretty trendy topic. We run into characters throughout our lives and we react or respond to them from the lens of the characters we have chosen to identify ourselves with. We all do it, and some of them are obvious: devoted wife/husband, singleton, nurturing mother/father, obedient or rebellious child, competitive athlete, gardener, artist, cook/chef, gambler, mentor, and ambitious entrepreneur to name a few. Then there are the less flattering ones like bully, dictator, victim, servant, people pleaser, and vampire. We all have some of these, and they show up in our relationships at home, at work, with friends and especially on social media. These characters can define and run our lives if they remain in our unconscious. And for a lot of people they do.

My life shifted when I started to really look at the story I had written for myself, and the roles I had embraced, both positive and negative. When I was totally honest with myself, I realized that some of my story had run its course, and I didn’t really want to continue some of those roles. The story was ok, but it wasn’t going anywhere satisfying. And life really is short, so what’s the point of settling for a storyline that doesn’t interest you? Playing roles you don’t enjoy? Why NOT be authentic? Once I waded through that mental muck, I learned the best part: we always have choices and the ability to write a twist into your story.

If you pay attention to your archetypes you realize that they evolve over time. You can choose to retire some of them, either because outgrow your need for them (obedient son, apprentice) or they no longer serve you and you want something more (victim, bully). You can thank these identities, be honest about how they served you and then bid them goodbye. They may pop up for a visit from time to time, but they no longer have the power to define you.

Who are you showing the world? showing yourself? or your family and friends?

And who do you want to be?

Weeding

Today I took advantage of the unseasonably warm temperatures and spent the day in the garden.

I’m so happy to be outside in the sunshine after being cooped up for four months. I plot out which plants need to be moved or divided. I asses the things that didn’t fare well over the winter and pull them out, making room for the new plants I can’t wait to try.

Interestingly, as I cleared away the dry leaves I discovered I’m not the only one who is getting started earlier than usual — the weeds are up in full force. But its so nice out, I don’t even mind weeding. Big tasks may make me feel accomplished, but its the seemingly minor task of pulling weeds that really seems to clear my head.

Somewhere along the line, I start to notice how much weeds are like thoughts — some are helpful and some are not. Pulling out invasive weeds is like stopping invasive or ruminating thoughts. Its satisfying to yank them out and discard them.

Its much likely for new plants to take root and thrive if the old weeds are removed first. In much the same way, its easier to get healthy habits to take root if you first remove the negative beliefs and thoughts of resistance first.

Bad habits, like weeds may pop up again. But they’re weaker the second time around, and much easier to manage.

Balance

Have you ever noticed how often people talk about needing more balance in their lives? It’s like we are on a never-ending quest for work/life balance.

I used to think balance was about proper allotments of time and energy to key aspects of life would increase my happiness. Being a rule follower, I gave my physical health focus by exercising and eating well, meditating for mental and spiritual wellbeing, and keeping my family and social connections strong. Of course, work was always the biggest challenge — I tried to keep reasonable hours but sometimes that’s easier said than done. Daily balance may not always be doable, but if I looked at my overall efforts over a week I could call it balanced.

But did that ever really raise my happiness level? Satisfy me more? Not really.

When I’m really honest with myself, I admit that some of my happiest times are when I’m wildly out of balance. When I’m in a creative flow, I am all in 100%. I let food and exercise slide, may not see family and friends much, and my sleep gets out of whack. But when I’m in the flow I feel more optimistic, connected and alive — I love it!

I’m also seeing balance as longer game than I used to. Maybe its not about daily, weekly or monthly measurement. Maybe balance comes over a lifetime. Lifestages have a tendency to pull our focus in different directions. An overwhelmed parent may seem out of balance on a daily basis, but the much longer empty nest years balance that out. Maybe blanace is something best judged from a rearview mirror.

I’m not saying I want to be irresponsible or let my health go or become a hermit. But balance just may be about allowing room for imbalance too.

In Praise of Hobbies

My parents were avid gardeners. Especially once they were retired. They spent hours in the yard, cleaning it up in the Spring and Fall and nurturing it through the summer. When I was a kid, I loved using the yard but it seemed like a lot of work. I didn’t understand that it was their hobby so it wasn’t a chore to them. Fast forward to me as a homeowner, and I am now a gardener too. It doesn’t feel like work to me now, either.

As a designer, I tend to pick up a hobby pretty fast and learn to do it well because I understand production and work well with details. Once in awhile, there’s a real temptation lurking in the background to turn it into something more… a side hustle. Well meaning friends and family are always making suggestions to explore a hobby as a business. That sounds like a nightmare to me.

The thing about a hobby is that it’s enjoyable because it’s an escape from the pressure of work and daily problems. As soon as it takes on a hint of professionalism, it gets serious. Perfectionism sneaks in. Something I used to love to do becomes something I have to do and all the fun goes out of it.

That’s why I love gardening as a hobby. It’s not something I’m going to do professionally or be hired to do for anyone else. I can screw stuff up, try something else, or just let weeds grow when I’m too tired to deal with it. It will never be perfect.

The Value of White Space

One cornerstone of layout design that can be hard for many clients to understand is white space.

In graphic design terms, white space refers to space in a layout without content — words or images.

One of my favorite longtime clients was a technical expert who knew she needed help with writing and design. She respected our expertise, loved our work and was a genuine pleasure to work with. Early on, we gave her initial concepts for a wellness guide and she was enthusiastic — approving it quickly. It was all good.

Then we went to layout with actual copy.

My clean, crisp layouts designed to direct the eye deftly with color and images came back covered in comments to add paragraph upon technical paragraph to fill up “all that extra space”. You see, my favorite client was not only very invested in her subject matter and its importance, but she was also cost-conscious. Any white space felt like a waste of money and a missed opportunity to tell the audience ever more details. She saw it as a mistake. Her additions resulted in an packed page that would overwhelm even the most patient reader.

I’ve dealt with this a lot.

To be fair, its hard to value something you don’t actually see, or more accurately, don’t perceive. And I get it: their content is important to them and they want the audience to get all the value they can get. To the average person, open space is wasted space. But we know the secret of space. As a designer, it is really satisfying when I can open someone’s eyes to an aspect of design they aren’t aware of.

So I explained to her why white space is important — not only to balance the page, but to give the eye a minute to rest while brain processed the words it had just read. It’s an opportunity to take a breath, instead of being suffocated by words. I even explained that white space can imply modernity and higher quality, whereas packed pages imply archaic, boring text books that no one wants to read. She was suspicious, and it took a good deal of convincing, but eventually she trusted us and let the writers edited down things. Layout was always a compromise with her, but we worked it out.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about white space from a bigger picture perspective.

The world seems to be demanding more productivity and speed from everyone. Our media streams are overflowing with messages encouraging us do, be and achieve ever more. Global conflicts and news make us anxious. Its overwhelming. No wonder we’re exhausted as a society.

A bit of mental and even physical white space to rest and recharge our systems might give us all a bit of breathing room. Taking a real day off, empty time with no screens or agenda really does help me to clear my mind, and somehow things don’t feel as heavy afterward. We work it out.

Spring Green is an Antidote to Winter Blues

About this time of year, I find myself doubting that winter will actually end. After four months of dreary, cold days, it gets old. And depressing. The Winter Blues.

Then a subtle shift happens. A warm day here, a rainy day there and bits of green start appearing. Last week, I noticed the pale halos of chartreuse sprouting on my street’s tree canopy and yesterday the grass came alive. Even if the sky is gray, there’s hope on the ground.

As a gardener, that hope is making me antsy. Oddly, even yard cleanup tasks that exhausted me in November feel energizing. Now, I can’t wait for slight warm ups so I can rake random leaves, wrangle out big swaths of ivy, and cut back dead plants. The tiny tips of hyacinths and tulips breaking through the hard soil seem to be encouraging us to follow suit. My grandiose visions for total revamping of my garden seem utterly possible. Who cares how much it would cost! I have plenty of time and energy to do anything! Pollen? What pollen?!

So what if we see a rain/snow mix tomorrow! In April, Spring always conquers Winter.

Win/win

Career lesson #27: Determine if your business relationships are win/win or win/lose situations.

I learned this one on a sales call with a new colleague. Prior to joining us, he led a competing team in our market and a was sales pro. He was also a really likable guy who could make me laugh. Always a good sign.

Still new to professional consulting, I was eager to learn from his sales experience. My prior jobs at design firms were focused on creativity and quality. In this firm I was also measured on billable hours and sales, so I had a bit of a learning curve. Most of my clients were in other cities and I wanted to be successful at home, too.

Our call was with a new manufacturing prospect and it was tough. One of those discussions where you go in optimistically open-minded, have a good conversation and know you can help solve their problem. It felt like we were connecting, but the client’s mood shifted from friendly to dismissive, even a bit condescending at the end.

After we hung up, my colleague shared an observation that has stuck with me ever since. Years ago, he had noticed a dynamic in our local business climate. A heavy manufacturing city with deep roots in organized labor, clients here often preferred win/lose relationships. Meaning, a good deal meant one party gets more from the arrangement then the other party does.

He then went on to say that it wasn’t a good or bad thing — just an insight. It didn’t mean we had to take a loss, in fact the market is lucrative with a profitable client base. We could still “win” by meeting our goals, but the client needed to perceive a “deal.” It calls for strategic tactics. We had to invest in the relationship, and make our value clear.

It took a bit of grit and grace to learn how to play the game confidently, and I gained useful skills and a tougher skin. It also made me really appreciate win/win relationships and markets.

When things feel off professionally or personally, I try to take a step back and assess my own mindset and expectations. What kind of deal are each of us expecting?

This as actually a solid life lesson. I now seek win/win situations as much as possible.

Seeing vs. Looking

As a child, I loved to draw. My best friend and I spent hours copying our favorite cartoon characters and illustrations from magazines and books. Fascinated by celebrity caricatures and portraits, I strove to capture likenesses. I practiced drawing details and mastering pencil and ink. Teachers and classmates praised my artistic talent and I dreamt of going to art school.

So I felt quite confident in my first college life drawing class — after all, I was good at drawing. As the instructor walked through the class, she stopped to give us individual feedback. When she got to me, she gave me a magic key that influences more than just my drawings, to this day.

She told me to stop thinking about what I was looking at and really see it. She pointed out my drawing of the model’s mouth. Something was off, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. It was like a light came on when I realized I had drawn 10 teeth when all I could really see was 6. My mind had been driving me instead of my eyes. When I got back to my dorm room, I looked at some old drawings and was mortified to see I had a habit of drawing not only too many teeth, but fully outlined ones. How could I have missed that?! And why did other people praise my work?!

It’s easy to look at things, yet not truly see them. A scanning mind may recognize the overall visual effect but not necessarily the details. It’s easy to make assumptions based on past impressions.

Now I focus on and study things I need to draw. Even if the end goal is a stylized illustration or logo element, I like to have a solid understanding of the details that make something uniquely what it is.

I try to do the same thing with people — aiming to really see them and hear what they’re saying, not just listen to them talk. I think that’s where authentic connection starts.

Walking is an antidote to creative blocks

We all hit creative blocks. You know the brick wall you can’t seem to get past, usually as a deadline looms.

When I hit that wall its a signal that my well of inspiration is drying up and I need a big refill. Unfortunately, I may need rest or a trip somewhere to replenish my well, but I don’t have time for it. If I’m on the hamster wheel of production I need a quick fix.

That’s when I get up and talk a walk without headphones.

Something about being outside quickly stops my rumination. I become present and the repetitive thoughts start to fade. Maybe it’s the fresh air or all the details of the world around me. Maybe its the randomness and lack of control I have over what I encounter. It could even be that physical movement shifts my energy and focus outside of my head.

After 20 minutes or so, new thoughts come in. I feel clearer and often sparks of new ideas may pop up. If nothing else, I’m less anxious and frustrated.

I used to dread creative blocks. Now I just get up and get moving.

Rails are an antidote to scope creep.

When designers use the term “rails” they’re referring to the creative boundaries set for a project. Rails are intended to keep the team from wandering off on tangents. Clear rails set up a win/win situation where the client doesn’t waste money and the creatives don’t waste time. They’re fleshed out in the creative brief, but are born in the scope document.

Project scope may not seem like an inspiring topic, but it’s an important foundation for any successful project. It outlines the client’s situation or request, the high-level objective, suggested approach or solution, project management overview, timing by phases, roles of team members and fee arrangement. It’s usually dry stuff, often drafted by committee, based on a template. I think its important for designers to be involved in scoping, if not draft their own scopes.

More than just legal documents, scopes are an opportunity to set expectations. Knowing how much time and money you have to work with are the first set of rails in any project. So is a clear definition of the project’s basic objective.

Creative solutions can live in a vast world of imagination, where we can do anything. And its tempting to promise the moon, because we all aspire to delivering amazing work. A good scope brings blue-sky thinking down to earth so the real work can start.

I’ve learned to enjoy the creative challenge of solving client challenges on a tight budget and savor those with large budgets. There’s never an endless pile of money for any project — the best designers embrace rails and rise to the occasion.

Beauty is an antidote to discord.

I believe beauty can transform the ugliness around us and inspire our souls. It has the power to capture us emotionally, overtaking logic in a nanosecond. It can lift our spirits, surprise us, calm and heal us. It’s intrinsic value is immense.

Over the past decade, I’ve noticed a change in the design zeitgeist. After decades of adhering to narrow aesthetic standards defined by minimalism, especially in graphic design, an explosion of beauty is expanding our definition of “good” design. The idea that one single, International Design style could be appropriate to all applications with global appeal was preposterous and arrogant.

Following WWII, midcentury design injected an optimism that lightened things up in furniture and interior design while humor inched into advertising. But as companies grew and diversified, corporate standards increasingly dismissed ornamentation as unnecessary or indulgent and led a streamlined conformity that dominated much of the graphic design world. Beauty was a disregarded, archaic ideal.

Thankfully, there’s been an explosion of diverse styles that balance the neutrality of the past. Personality is not only allowed, its embraced as differentiator. Openness is an antidote to conformity, and expansion is an antidote to boredom.

Don’t get me wrong — the cool intellectualism of the Bauhaus, succinctly summed up by Mies Vander Rohe as “less is more” will always be relevant. There’s a timelessness to mid-20th century design. I embrace the grace of a Barcelona chair, the balance of Helvetica and the simplicity of Philip Johnson’s Glass house. AND I also appreciate the lyricism of William Morris’ Pimpernel wallpaper, the streamlined glamour of the Chrysler Building and the extravagance of Justina Blakeney’s Jungalow interiors.

In a world that seems to be brimming with stress, anxiety, and tension, creating beauty used to feel like an act of rebellion. Now it just feels like freedom.

Copenhagen

Copenhagen was the first stop on a Scandinavian trip I took last year. As a design mecca, I expected it to be a visual feast. But it was so much more.

I filled my museum well with visits to the 3 Days of Design conference exhibits, Designmuseum Denmark and The Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. I got drunk on classic modern furniture juxtaposed against classic architecture, a visual history of Danish design and an afternoon in a glorious sculpture park. Of course the food was great and the historical sections were charming. Don’t get me started on the amazing public transportation.

But the thing I loved most about Copenhagen was wandering. Wandering is my favorite way to discover the things that give a location its unique sense of place. I happily filled hours documenting the design details around me: typography on signs, architectural carvings, building numbers, pavement textures, even manhole covers filled up my photo feed. On this trip I captured unique color stories for future pattern design palettes. These images become my favorite souvenirs.

It was my first trip to Copenhagen, but definitely not my last.

What is the problem we’re trying to solve?

I believe success lies in knowing the right questions to ask from the start.

As a corporate consultant, I developed strong listening skills that are critical to working collaboratively with clients and internal project teams. Ironically, effective listening starts with asking effective questions — the kind that lead to clearly uncovering the real problem itself.

For example when it comes to design projects, plenty of clients think the creative problem they need help with is just a lack of appealing visuals. Jumping into tactics and sketches may meet their expectations, but there’s usually something underlying that need — maybe a sales or engagement issue. Or my favorite: a client is sure they just need to refresh their brand identity to reach their audience, when they really need to first identify their “why” and build from there.

Discussion brings the biggest problems to light pretty quickly. And successful creative requires a solid foundation — clear rails, objectives and a defined purpose are essential. Without them, you risk spinning your creative wheels and throwing ideas at the wall hoping they stick.

I’ve annoyed plenty of my overworked, deadline-driven colleagues by asking my favorite question: What is the problem we’re trying to solve? The conversation that follows usually leads to thoughtful insights, better scopes and clearer creative briefs. When brainstorming starts going off the rails, or concepts just aren’t hitting the mark I step back and ask the same question again. That really annoys people, but it tends to make it easier to identify which ideas are nearing the mark and which to give up on. It also tends to curb scope creep which makes pretty much everyone happy.

Antidotes Manifesto

an·​ti·​dote ˈant-i-ˌdōt : a remedy to counteract the effects of poison

A blog focused on design’s power to solve modern problems

This blog is a place for me to explore and share design-related ideas that float around my head. It’s a place to test my theory that writing just may be an antidote to rumination, and that embracing imperfection is an antidote to the paralysis of perfectionism. It’s a way for me to share more than work samples with potential clients and colleagues. My intention here is to a share of how I work, think and see the world.

It’s started out as a personal challenge to write a daily blog entry for 30 days. I’m a designer who is learning to write. In all honesty, writing in a public forum intimidates me. I get tangled up in balancing the rules with being authentic and relevant. I agonize over phrasing and choosing the right words. But when I’m intimidated by something I really want to accomplish, my nagging curiosity eventually drowns out any mental resistance. That’s when I turn it into a personal challenge. In this case, I’m choosing to invest time and energy into building confidence in my authentic voice. Wobbles and mistakes are ahead, but I know how to roll with it.

Let’s see where this goes!