A designer who hasn’t acquired a sense of balance can end up creating a page layout that’s cluttered up with photos, copy blocks, headlines, logos and icons, different fonts, colors and textures all over the place. And sometimes they end up with awkward blank spaces as well. The eye doesn’t know what to focus on in a chaotic page. I look at my work from the past, and realize how much better I am now that I have the knack of refining my designs.
Similarly, I seem to have figured out so much in recent years when it comes to bringing focus and balance to my life. I remember being overwhelmed with all the projects, chores, obligations and hobbies that had me rushing around short of sleep while feeling lost. But gradually I pared my side-projects down to those I really cared about. Decided which chores were vital to get done and what I could just let slide. Started to set time aside for relaxation and exercise on a regular basis. Also, I’ve come to see the importance of turning my mind away from work and all my fascinating hobbies more often, and paying attention to the people around me.
It’s so tempting to take on additional freelance jobs, or start learning yet another CMS, or sign up for more social media sites, or get back into doing origami… but then I force myself to reflect on all that I’ve currently got in the mix of the 16 awake-hours I have in a day, and seriously consider what I really value and what would upset the balance.
Stellar work there everytime. I’ll keep on reading.