Traveling the world from a young age planted roots of curiosity,
inspiration and awareness. I was 8 years old when I left America to live
abroad. Learning to adapt to a completely new culture, language and environment
at a young age is a feeling encompassed by doubt, fear and loneliness. However,
looking back, I can honestly say that my time living outside of the United
States played a great role in how I perceive the world and its surroundings.
Curiosity: Figuring out who you are is tough. As for me, I’ve
changed my major 3 times since I began college. But if I go back to my
childhood roots, my passion for curiosity, inspiration and awareness were right
in front of me all along. My dad was a real estate developer for luxury beach
condominiums in Costa Rica. I grew up being involved in everything—from first
drafts to finished developments. Isn’t odd how finding yourself takes you back
to passions you held as an 8-year-old who knew nothing about the complexities
of life?
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| Age 9, Jaco, Costa Rica |
Inspiration: Design philosophy allows the creator to incorporate
a piece of themselves into every project. Even though you can deliver the wants
and needs for a specific client, your work will be recognized by specific traits
that reflect your own design philosophy. Unique to every designer, it
distinguishes us by showcasing individualism and specialized talents. As for
me, my upbringing in South America directly influences the way I think about
all things design related.
Awareness: Looking forward, I am hopeful that I can put my
touch on projects that I am a part of. I want to be aware of the conditions
that make a space feel inviting and like “home.” I want to be aware of the
conditions that make a space transpire happiness, love and where memories will
be made. I want to be aware of the
conditions that make a space feel like your own.
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| My Design Philosophy |
Design surrounds us all. It will be interesting to see the
approach I take as I embark on my journey as a designer. “Bloom where you are
planted.” 1 Corinthians 7:20-24
First off, I think it is so cool that you are from South America and are incorporating influences from a different culture into your designs. Also, I totally agree with your paragraph about curiosity. My dad's curiosity led to him becoming an architect, and my passion of interior design came to be when I watched my dad work. Without my dad's curiosity, I probably would have chosen a major I didn't actually like. Lastly, I completely agree with your paragraph about awareness. I also want to create happy, memorable spaces.
ReplyDeleteCool stuff. I've traveled a lot, but that sounds more like living. You are correct about inspiration and awareness, they will play a huge part in design.
ReplyDeleteSouth America is somewhere I’ve always wanted to visit! It’s cool you grew up there. I’m sure you’ve seen so many styles of architecture and witnessed firsthand how culture affects it. My mom’s job kind of led me to this major too. She helped design the pharmacy college at ETSU! I like that you value feelings in a space. I think one of the most important aspects about a space is how it makes you feel.
ReplyDeleteThis is pretty great that you grew up in Costa Rica and that it is part of your way of looking at the world. I think that experiencing different cultures definitely helps to be more open to see different perspectives in design. I think that will help you in the future with clients in understanding them, helping them open up to different ideas and it will help you to be more aware on what your clients want.
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