Specializing in Awesome
By focusing on what I love doing AND am best at, I put more time towards making my products the best they can be.
There was a restaurant near Porter Square that had an unfathomable amount of variety. I knew this because they had signage clinging to all the windows announcing it: noodle bowls, carrot juice, lasagne, ice cream, pad thai, bubble tea...The list was huge, and I guessed that, based on the number of offerings, none of them would be amazing.
Admitting that we are not all great at all things can feel embarrassing. I'm in a business where I use my ego and aesthetic to propel me forward creatively. But being honest (thank you, Alyce Blum, CPC, ICF/iPEC) and niching myself, has made me more proud of what I DO offer, and more confident selling my services. I refuse to offer a subpar product, and that's exactly why when things fall outside of those offerings, I have been referring clients to vendors who can better serve their needs.
By focusing on what I love doing AND am best at, I put more time towards making my products the best they can be. Not only am I making meaningful relationships with people who work in my field, but also serving my clients better at the same time.
We can raise our glasses of bubble teas to celebrate.
Baking a Logo
Even though there are strict guidelines when you're baking, the creativity to me lies in the ingredients and the mess.
Even though there are strict guidelines when you're baking, the creativity to me lies in the ingredients and the mess. Seeing my counter covered with little containers of vanilla and baking powder, egg cartons half empty, flour everywhere, it feels like something exciting is happening. The oven preheating, the mixer's hum, they all indicate that a science experiment is happening in my oven. The end result makes the whole house happy, filling every corner with the smell of something warm and homemade, with a showpiece cooling on the rack.
In design, the best part of my process is seeing that final product come to life. The creation of logos can be so messy sometimes. I spend two weeks thinking, drawing and getting inspiration from coffee shops and neighborhood walks. When I actually start building the logo, it gets even messier. Each mark has to be balanced and custom and simple. Each mark needs a font that fits it best visually, and all the elements have to, above all, make sense for the brand. And I haven't mentioned color yet! So many messy ingredients!
But at the end of the process, when the logo has passed through my brain over and over again, and then my clients, we stand there by the oven waiting for the business cards and website and signage to arrive. And then, CAKE!