So every time we make a decision, we get to choose between these two paths: Should and Must.
Give us a little bit of insight into your background - you have such an interesting pathway to
where you are now. What did you learn at each of those stops along the way?
My first major crossroads was something like this: You should be a lawyer! And there
was a tiny voice saying... but you must pursue your creative dreams... I applied to
nine law schools and was rejected from every one! What a marvelous gift the universe
gave me. Because if I had gotten in—even to one—I would have gone. But because I
was rejected, I had no other option but to go to art school. After art school, I worked
as a designer at a wonderful place called IDEO. I was just there today, actually, and
the spirit of it still feels like home. Some of the smartest people are trying to figure out how to do good
for the world. They really get it. The point of the work is to move humanity forward. And that kind of
work is done in groups, in communities. So IDEO taught me the power of the team. Especially the
multidisciplinary team. After that I went to do some freelance work for the startup Uber. And then I did
design work at another startup called Mailbox which is sadly no longer around. After all of my
commercial design work, I was exhausted, and I got to a place in my life where I began craving a
retreat. A place of rest. Not just a literal rest, but a mental one, too. And that's what I'll be sharing more
about. What do we find when we quiet all of the voices telling us how we should and shouldn't live our
lives?
So often, educators push aside their own creativity to ensure that they get through the
curriculum (even arts teachers). What’s a really “do-able” way to get back in touch with our
creative selves?
Find ten minutes. Find ten minutes a day for you. Just you. Meditate, go for a walk,
put on a fabulous outfit, treat yourself, write, read, listen to that song you can't stop
humming, go into that book store that you've been eyeing, dance as you cross the
street, smile at strangers, hop, do something, anything, that feels expansive in your
body kinesthetically. It doesn't have to make sense. It doesn't have to have a point. If
it makes you expand, that is the point. Expand every day for ten minutes and your
whole life will grow. Just you wait.
What does your own creative process look like? How has it evolved over time?
I declared 2015 the year old the snail because I realized I was busy busy busy all of
the time. My life was rushing by, but I was too busy to notice. And I think we are at a
bizarre moment in time where culture prizes busy. So I slowed down. Way down. I got
into nature more. I tried for several weeks to be present to a full day. That was hard.
Slowness creates more internal time. And more internal time means we can see all
that's going on inside these magical minds of ours. And as we do that, we get closer
STEAMed Magazine
23
April 2016 Edition