The Anticipation Letters No.2 – The Importance of Values
Sent Sunday Jan 19th
A sundrenched cliff, barefoot, warm textures under your soles, jumping over small puddles from big waves and rain, with the vast sea and a full day in front of you. Now that feels like anticipation to me. Photo: Grisslehamn, Väddö, Charlotte Ryberg
A Sunday reflection of the importance of values
First of all, thank you for the uplifting response I received for this new Sunday ritual. A more personal and intuitive reflection on design, life, work. I want it to be a calm and inspiring moment to write and read this, to create space, a dedication to focus on where I want to go, to let anticipation arise.
I’ve collected different ideas, starting this letter has been like opening a tap that hasn’t been used for a while and discovering that the water unexpectedly flows freely, clearly, and excessively. For this letter, the second one, let’s focus on values.
I’m happy that you’re here. Let’s walk together on a path where creativity is abundant, where we can be both human and professional at the same time, where we have a vision and ideas to pursue and at the same time space for curiosity and openness.
Just before the new year, World hope forum – produced by Li Edelkoort – facilitated a digital, global session called New Consciousness / New Humanity. Even if you missed this, there are many interesting editions and themes explored.
Li Edelkoort had invited the spiritual healer Gal Charu Weiler to hold an initiation of hope. This session was beautiful and nurturing to me in three ways:
It reminded me of the potential when likeminded people that are on the same frequency connect, we can join forces, work together, and amplify our values and the potential impact from actions coming from them. Collaboration is at the core of what I do.
As a designer and creative director, and a very process-interested one at that, well versed when it comes to using the power of visualisation, moodboards, visions, dreams, concepts, and use the same strategies for my own and my studio visions as I do for creating strategic work for my clients. Gael introduced us to the power of creating a sanctuary inside ourselves, where everything is exactly as we need it to be. Where we can feel safe, nurtured, inspired again. We can design it and give it exactly the spatial qualities, material, sound, texture, scent that makes us feel good, whole. It’s not really a matter of creating a vision or a goal for where you want to go (even if it can have that impact), but rather offer a secluded place where you can always check in whenever you need…. mmmm. Do you have a place like this in your minds eye?
To me aesthetics and a care for our surrounding environment, the objects we use, ourselves are fundamental human aspects, it’s part of being human. Actually not superficial at all. Aesthetic is a deep practice. With the potential to create experiences with great depth. Li Edelkoort invited us to take part in “Aesthetic Activism”. When we visit a space, where all is aligned, it can give us rest, inner peace, and healing. We should pursue beauty and thorough design work as a form of activism.
The second of the learnings above reminds me of the book I’m reading at the moment. Isn’t it intriguing how, when you open a door to something creative to pursue, several other doors opens around the same theme, inviting you to further exploration and ensures you that you’re on the right path?
Haruki Murakami’s latest novel The City and Its Uncertain Walls revolves around this theme of an inner sanctuary. A young couple, very much in love, explores together a city far away, an inner space, where the young girls reveals her real self actually live. There person he sees in front of him is just her shadow. This city come to live by their shared experiences. Surreal, intriguing and simplistic and inviting at the same time, as always with Haruki Murakami.
Friday morning I went to a lecture by Creative Mornings at United Spaces.
Francesca Cortesi generously shared her thoughts on the importance – via her own experiences – of doing some deep work getting to know and work from your values, with the talk “Unlock Your Inner Values: A Journey to Joy, Self-expression and Collaboration”. A very inspiring morning about how to reconnect with one’s values, reignite one’s passion, and move forward with purpose.
Finding one’s tone of voice. As I previously shared with you, I am pouring more energy and work into finding my own voice when declaring and sharing my design philosophy and invite others into my (brand) world.
This has everything to do with values. Of aligning with them, of letting them sit front row when engaging with the world.
Tonality is of course also about the how and the execution. I’m exploring this constantly by the work I do for clients, for my own brand world, objects and projects, from the book I’m working on that is a continuation of the explorative holistic project For the Love of Pine (left), from what I write in my journal and from writing these letters to you.
I’m exploring and I’m learning. Feb 5 I’m participating in the Podcast Day hosted by my dear friend and DREAM LAB collaborator Anna Vogel (the blond head in the picture above). I know there are some places left, why don’t you join?
Lastly I wanted to highlight a gem I just found, The Red Hand Files where Nick Cave in a very personal way answers questions. In this letter, he explores hope and how we can envision the world we want to see.
A Sunday Note to self (to create anticipation)
Let’s create inner worlds, where ideas, values and qualities comes to life. We can rest there, but also get a clearer point of view of what we want to create in this world, which people we allow in and how to invite them into the more public parts of our (brand) world.
Next Sunday, I think we’re going to explore the potential with these worlds. How to build concepts, striving towards ONENESS in brand worlds and spatial experiences. But as I said, I want to keep these letters light and intuitive, so we’ll see where next week leads me.
xxx Charlotte Ryberg
In Pursuit of Beautiful Concepts