Freedom with the help of Karim Rashid

I have been working my behind off, although I walked by a full length mirror and noticed that it my behind was still there, darn! In the midst of it all I took the time yesterday morning to continue this rather odd and yet refreshing book that I picked up recently. It is Design Your Self, rethinking the way you live, love work and play” by Karim Rashid. I say it is odd because the premise is to encourage you to “design and define our own lives” and yet there are chapters that he just flats tells you what he thinks you ought to do. I forgive him though, if I had a chance to write a book I am sure I would ultimately do the same. When you are an artist, a visual person, you are stunned to realize how many people trudge through life negative and colorless. He says that there are 3 types of beings-those who create culture, those who consume culture and those who don’t give a damn. Try to move between the first and second.

There are so many good sound bites from the book, little pieces of inspiration that I began a list of all the things that spoke to me so I thought I thought I would share Karim’s words with you. There are so many that i figure it will take quite a few blogs. I tend to skim through other bloggers longs blogs (sorry!) so I will try to keep these brief but with meaning.

1-“It take a sense of freedom to realize your dreams.”

2-“People define and create their own limitations.”

This struck me because I believe I have limited my own freedom artistically for quite some time. I used to say that I was not an art for arts sake type of girl. I am a commercial artist therefore my art must appeal commercially. For the first time in years I believe that I am changing the way I am approaching my work. What do I like? What really appeals to me? Why am I designing this piece in this manner, would it appeal to me more designed in a different medium? I have quit telling myself that my work should maintain a certain look or that I should work in one particular medium for continuity. I believe what I like will appeal to my clients. After all, I consider myself quite an objective consumer. I realize I have along way to go until I reach true freedom but I have decided to stop creating my own limitations. A good thing to declare on a Monday morning!