Well hi Reader!!
I'm not one for 'motivational sayings'. Maybe it's too many years spent in marketing agencies watching people come up with taglines that really didn't have much soul to them, or maybe it's just because I find that simplifying the human experience to a pithy quote really doesn't do justice to what we feel, think and go through every day.
Having said that, there is a quote from the Tao Te Ching that I read many years ago that has always stuck with me:
I know that I am someone who feels deeply, and thinks relentlessly. And that can be both blessing and curse. When it comes to my business, I often find myself overwhelmed with all I am trying to achieve, and everything I am trying to learn! And that's where this quote has helped me so much. It helps remind me that everything - no matter how complex or daunting - can be broken down into small, individual steps that make it achievable.
It's one of the reasons I encourage people to create a process - a step-by-step workflow - that allows you to break up a looming task into micro-steps that are easy to achieve, and don't make you feel overwhelmed. Whether it's business, design or life - breaking complex things into individual steps makes them feel so much easier to breathe.
And often I think people misunderstand when I say micro-steps...I really do mean MICRO. If making that phone call feels too stressful, maybe just finding the number and writing it down is enough of a micro-step for today. Learning that new software feeling too daunting? Schedule just 5 mins in the next week to read/watch an intro to it. No step is too micro.
I try remember that even the TINIEST move in the right direction is progress, and any progress is better than trying to tackle too much and then getting overwhelmed, or fressing and not moving forward.
So when things feel too much (especially for those of us that play ALL the roles in our business!), just remember that you only need to take one step today. Celebrate your progress, and take another tomorrow. π€
Simple movements
Amusingly, this same concept is what inspired this week's YouTube tutorial. I realized that I actually received very similar advice from a professional animator I worked with years ago, and it has made SUCH a difference to how I approach video creation, design and animation.
So this week I wanted to create a social video with a 'Selector Carousel' device that allows you to showcase pretty much anything for your business or brand. It looks super-slick, and it's all just created by combining small movements into something more complex.
I'd love it if you would check it out, and please drop a comment and let me know what you think:
Meaningful Creations
This week I wanted to share a collection that is designed to mess with your mind.π
Inspired by the disposable nature of cardboard, French ceramicist Jacques Monneraud's 'Carton' collection successfully fools the eye into believing his works are made of paper cardboard.
The perfectly imperfect shapes, attention to detail and incredible glazing that perfectly mimics the materials (complete with tape on the seems!) are so effective that the idea of putting water into the jug makes me feel totally convinced that it's just gonna get soggy!
I love the playful nature of the creations, combined with meticulous and skilled craftsmanship. And that it makes you immediately aware of the disposable nature of the material...which is the point.
"I have always been very sensitive to things that time deteriorates, things that don't last," Monneraud told Dezeen magazine of the collection, which he called "a mockery to our world of overproduction and overconsumption."
Check out his instagram to see more of these incredible creations, and tell him I sent you π!
Before I leave you I wanted to just take a moment to acknowledge how heavy the world is feeling right now. Many of us are fearful, feeling alone even genuinely concerned for our safety. I wish I could just fix it all, but I can't. But what I can do is to keep proudly being myself, creating resources that help people, and celebrating diversity, creativity, kindness and love.
And I can keep speaking out when I see harm or when vulnerable people need someone to stand with them. And I encourage you to do the same. Because it DOES make a difference.
K lovely people - have a fabulous week and take care of each other. π€
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