There are several makers and designers I follow on Instagram whose work I absolutely admire. As I was reading one of their blogs I came across a set of four questions that are being passed around their network of creatives. Normally you are invited to answer these four questions by one of your peers, but seeing how I will probably not be invited anytime soon, I thought I would ask myself. And it's not because I think I have amazing answers or anything, but rather, I want to discover for myself, what my answers are.
What am I working on?
Currently I am preparing a Master Plan for my friends in Shropshire. If you have been following me you know this was for my final project at school, but now I need to get the design client-ready which entails lots of writing and some rendering.
I am also working on a Q&A for my Lorien Hall website. As a landscape and garden designer I get asked the same questions over and over so this is my way of presenting my answers to the masses. By going through these questions it is also helping me refine and define my business plan and set goals for the future.
In my loose hours I have been doing some exploratory writing, charting, and planning for future projects that are all about collaboration and creativity, but not about landscape design. I am extremely excited about the prospects.
How does my work differ from others of its genre?
This is a great question. What is it that sets me and my work apart. I think I spend more time on site than many other landscape designers. I won't work on a project unless I can see the ground - so if I am working in Utah and it's freezing and covered by snow, I will wait until spring before starting any new projects. I spend a lot of time on-site prior to designing and I try to be on-site during the initial concept stage. And the more I can be on-site during installation the better. I am present as much as possible because I think in the end, it makes a massive difference.
Also - I do most of my work by hand rather than using a computer. I think the medium you design with will directly and strongly influence the outcome of the design and for that reason, I stick to my pencils and markers so that I don't become too mechanical and limited in my expression. I am thinking of moving into watercolour for my medium.
Why do I create what I do?
I love nature.
I love design.
I love imagination.
I love contributing to other people's happiness.
Being a landscape and garden design allows me to be absorbed by all four.
How does my creative process work?
As stated above, I spend a lot of time on-site. To me, this is a very important part of my creative process. Having just finished a year at the Inchbald I am exciting to see how my creative process has evolved and changed. Once I start back designing in my own studio I envision utilizing more sketches, mood boards, models, playfulness, and as always, lots of day-dreaming.