Story Telling

We all tell stories… all day long, by the way we sit, walk, react to a comment, smile, and sigh we are telling stories about ourselves.  Story telling is in the fibre of our being, we tell stories to be known, in our longing for deep connection with others.

Part of my job is to tell my story but also to listen to other’s stories about themselves.  It is a vulnerable thing to reach out to another to be known and to know.  I think my clients are brave.  Brave to open their hearts, brave to put their trust in someone else, brave to wander in foreign territory. 

The process and journey of design does require great vulnerability from all parties, the client and the designer.  On the part of the client it is opening their life to someone else, showing who they are.  On the part of the designer it is listening to another, hearing keywords which give clues to what is important, it is interpreting and presenting your creative ideas.

Recently I have been listening to Dr. Curt Thompson, a physiatrist who wrote the book “The soul of shame”.  Frequently he cites Brene Brown in his talks since she is a brave soul who researches, writes books, and gives talks on shame and vulnerability.  He talks of the vulnerability in exposing ourselves to others, how shame can get in the way of allowing ourselves to be known

Thompson mentions that we are our most creative when we are our most vulnerable.

I find the most successful projects are the ones like these where the family has put themselves in my hands, they are trusting me with their lives so to speak, opening their home, exposing their daily living.  

Occasionally a potential client will call me and ask if I will help them with colors for their walls or they want me to design the tile for their bathroom but not participate in the execution.  I have to let them know that I am an interior designer who walks with you and helps you with the project from start to finish.

How can I do my best, be my most vulnerable if there is no buy in, no trust, no longevity, no relationship.  Sometimes these clients that want only a little here or a little there and don’t want to invest much are the wealthiest of people.  So it’s not affordability….hmmm.

For me designing for someone who hasn’t become know to me is like trying to pull a rabbit out of a hat.

Many a time I have heard and I have said design imitates life.  Vulnerability is letting out guard down, taking off our mask of protection, that is when the magic happens when I can see you and you can see me.  I can know you and you can know me.