A Graphic Designer's Spring Collection
Most designers I know are gleeful curators. I think it’s because the act of curation is like making a gift basket for our own creative brains. Whether practicing graphic design, interior design, or fashion design, we collect images and textures and objects to inspire us and our clients. And much like a Curator at a gallery or museum, we organize and display interesting things for people to look at. I do this every day and it’s one of my favorite things about the design process. So, just for fun, here’s a curated list of some of my personal favorite things for spring.
Stay-at-Home Style
I have absolutely always opted for comfort over style and working from home is a luxury I fit right into. And since we are all living in quarantine these days, comfort is still queen in my castle.
Everyday outfit: Black pants from American Giant and layers of cotton shirts. These quality pants (made in California) are thick and stretchy but don’t bag-out in the knees.
Glasses: I’m trying to decide if I am cool enough to get this pink pair from Goodr (1) . Their colorful brand is whimsical, fun, and energetic. What’s not to love? Here’s their mission statement: “We are recklessly committed to fun... BLAH, BLAH, BLAH sunglasses.”
Go-to Shoe: Grey Saucony sneakers. Comfortable, affordable, and go with everything! I burn through a new pair every year (2).
Bag: Felt laptop sleeve from Amazon Basics. I can’t tell you how many compliments I have gotten on this. It’s casually elegant and classic.
American Giant Women’s Jogger
Wellness & Beauty
Exercise: I get rolling every morning on my foam roller with some Mat Pilates.
Elixir: Refreshing mint water from the garden (steep leaves in cold water in the fridge for 24 hours). You’ll feel like you’re at the spa if you drink it after a steamy shower; a small luxury I always enjoy.
Hands: Burts Bees Cocoa butter
Face: Origins Ginseng SPF 40 with sheer tint. This gives me a natural glow with minimal coverage (4).
How does your garden grow?
I learn something new every time I’m pruning or planting in our garden. The weeds are a constant battle this season (especially the Bermuda buttercup!) but it’s therapeutic clearing out weeds. I call it “editing” and add more white space so the flowers can breathe ;)
Flowers: I have a gorgeous half barrel filled with small Border Dahlia that just started to bloom this week (6).
Planting: We have raised beds in the front of our house where I just planted cherry tomato starts, carrot seeds, and zinnia seeds. Photos coming soon!
Edibles: Harvesting chocolate mint, pineapple mint, and Moroccan mint. Mint is super easy to grow in a pot. But don’t plant it in the ground unless you want it to spread.
Chocolate Mint
Designer Tools
Pen: Fine tip Sharpie pen (the economy version of the classic Micron). I have them in every drawer and every bag. Love them!
Last art supply I bought: 6 tubes of Golden Open Acrylics. These are slow drying paints similar to oils but without the mess of oils (5).
Gadget: Apple EarPods for all my client video chats and calls. Wire free!
Garden: Grass trimming shears and sharpener (for trimming our tiny lawn edging).
Entertainment
Watching: The Chef show with Jon Favreau and Roy Choi, Netflix. These creative guys are chill, respectful, and geek out on food as they travel around visiting other chef’s kitchens.
Listening: Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard and Monica Padman. Lively and deep conversations with experts and celebrities. My recent favorite episodes have included Andrew Marantz, Cheryl Crow, and Zoe Kravitz.
Reading: Creative Quest by Questlove (9). He really dives deep into the creative process and tells some funny stories. Here’s a passage that I’ve been trying to practice: “Carve out the negative space around your idea. If you know you are about to paint a portrait, make a list of all the things you don’t want it to be: overly realistic, say, or brightly colored. It’s sometimes hard to see the heart of an idea, so chip away at all the things that aren’t the heart. This also helps to focus your overall artistic goals.” I find this tactic helpful when I’m discussing brand identity and logo design with a client.
Grooving: This week it’s been a lot of Moby Radio on Spotify. I listen to so much music, I’ll have to do a separate post on that topic. Stay tuned!
Admiring: Sean Baker who made the colorful film The Florida Project, 2017 (3). The setting is an impoverished purple motel next to Disney World and the main character is a sassy 6 year old who runs free in this “paradise” landscape. The acting is fantastic and the scenes are raw, original, and memorable.
In the Kitchen
Baking: Wild yeast pizza dough from Flour Water Salt Yeast by Ken Forkish (8). This is the best book for anyone interested in baking artisan bread in a Dutch oven.
Prepping: A dozen ham and egg cups with Havarti and dill baked at 400 degrees for 12 minutes.
Mixing: The classic Tom Collins
