Instinctually we have often found safety in numbers. Straying from the herd makes you easy prey, right? But what does that mean for your tastes and preferences?

We’ve all done this. We’ve felt drawn to something only to resist it and see it show up as a trend a month or two down the road. Artists, creatives, designers, thinkers, tinkerers; we’re all guilty. But why?

“RESISTANCE IS FOCUSED ON SHORT-TERM GOALS, INSTANT GRATIFICATION AND IMMEDIATE PLEASURE. IT LOATHES LONG-TERM THINKING, COMMITMENT OF THE HEART AND DEEP CHANGE. IN OTHER WORDS, IT WILL ENCOURAGE DOING MORE OF THE SAME AND DISCOURAGE CHOOSING TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT FROM THE MAINSTREAM.”

Too often we try to assume what the opinions of others would be if we were to take a risk. We worry that our preferences may be interpreted as tacky or strange. So we hold them in. We politely pretend to agree. We conform to what feels ‘safe’. But ‘safe’ is not vulnerable, and sometimes not even honest. If you can open yourself up to expressing yourself fully, you might reap quite the reward. 

This is especially true when working with a designer. We are aesthetic problem solvers after all! If you tell us you want an all-white instagram-gem kitchen, we can do that. But we can’t make you love it. We say this because, unless we find ways to incorporate elements that are unique to you and your family, it will never feel like it's yours. If, for example, you tell us that a minimalist approach is important to you, but you really love the color blue, throw us a little curveball of vintage furniture, or a curated gallery wall; just watch us work our magic! This is what we live for!

For true collaboration to take place we must practice articulating our wants, needs, and boundaries. This process will make us more efficient and confident communicators allowing us to refine and better understand our preferences. The collaborative process of our jobs is what we find the most challenging, and the most fun! 

So as you leave this digital space today, we’d like to encourage you to look inward to see what really sets you on fire. Then put it on display! Just through doing so you’ll encourage others to grant themselves permission to do the same. Always speak kindly from the heart. Being agreeable is no longer a good look. Remember that the hardest conversations are often the most transformational.