I was having a conversation with a friend a few weeks ago about what about ourselves we’d like to change and what we’d like to stay the same. We think a lot about what we’d like to change about ourselves, but it’s helpful too to think about what values we have now that we wouldn’t want to change.
In five, ten, or twenty years, here is who I still want to be…
- I value doing things for myself. In a world where we’re pushed towards connivence and automation, I really like the independence and community of going out in the world and doing the small things like running errands or doing small crafts. I don’t want my life delivered to my doorstep, I want to engage with the world by walking through it. Even if it’s alone to the post office.
- Close to a few people, rather than acquainted with many. I’m grateful for the very close relationships I have with my friends and value that so much more than having many friends to do something with every day of the week. Thanks, folks, you’re the best.
- Reading. I want to enjoy stories, create them, and share them.
- Thinking in opposites and questions. In order to create puns or the little comics I make, I find myself thinking in opposites a lot. I try to find out what circumstance would turn something ‘it should be this way’ into ‘unless it’s not.’ Example: My friend was talking describing ideal desk locations at an office (or something similar) and he said “it’s always good to be in a corner” and I pointed out: “unless you’re being attacked.” Not only do I find thinking this way fun (much to the annoyance of my friends), but I think always questioning the circumstances people say makes me a better designer.
- Turn whatever I have to do into what I want to do. It’s something I said before, but I realized again some people just go through the motions. Even though I might procrastinate like nobody’s business, when I start working I will make it interesting to me and something that I can be proud to work on.
And that’s some of the me I hope you’ll meet down the road.
Tune in next time for (some of) the things I want to change!