Sabbatical

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Unexpected Kindness + Opportunities

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Update: I have not yet gone back to a full-time job. I decided that 2 full months was not enough time for my mini-sabbatical and that I needed a bit more time. I have chosen to design my life in this way right now and we shall see what comes from it. I will write a full post when I take my next steps.

Pictured here are Jen and Jo from Starshaped Press. Two people who are very near and dear to me and who have been incredible encouragers and friends.

Pictured here are Jen and Jo from Starshaped Press. Two people who are very near and dear to me and who have been incredible encouragers and friends.

This decision, magically, has done wonders for me so far and I have met, been introduced to, and created many new personal and professional relationships that I probably would not have encountered had I taken on full-time work instead. 

What I have realized through the meeting of these new folks, especially those in my field, is that I am beginning to see glimmers of hope in the context of possibilities again. I have to confess that in the past few years, I was a bit nervous and unsure about where our industry was headed. My thoughts included:
 

"Where is this going? Is it working? How can we make this better? Will this even make a difference? Why do certain groups just not care? Do I still care?"  


What I failed to realize is that I didn't have a strong network of supporters/encouragers in my field, outside of first degree work connections, that I could lean on when times were tough. I can absolutely say that building this for myself right now is a lesson learned and what I hope is not regrettably too late. 

I have met a lot of people even in these past few weeks and something that I have thoroughly enjoyed experiencing and deeply appreciate from the bottom of my heart is just genuine kindness and encouragement. I know that not all folks are like this but when you do get to encounter these moments, your faith in the world sort of restores itself bit by bit and it gives you enough oxygen to keep trying. I really do believe that the universe has its own way of supporting you when you least expect it and what I love about it is that you never know what shape or form it will arrive in.

This is all to say that these relationships have led me to an unexpected opportunity that is really exciting. I'm really hoping the stars align on this one. 

I have to write this: There is something about this opportunity that feels different. I can't quite put my finger on it but it feels sort of like real magic. Stay tuned.

Anyway, I am thankful for my community and it spurs me to offer encouragement towards others who may need it more than me. Feeling down on UX? Hang out with your UX community and I guarantee you will feel better.

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Industry Specific

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While I was writing my thesis in graduate school, I investigated a school called the Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design (CIID). I wasn't able to visit during the few days I had in Copenhagen about 3 years ago but I made it a point to visit this time around. 

I had a friendly exchange with Alie Rose who basically runs the joint (Co-Founder and Head of Education) and met her at the CIID building. She was so pleasant to talk to, gave me a tour, and I ended up hanging out with her and her colleagues in their space for a little bit. Simona, the head of the program there, saw that I had a camera and asked if I could take some profile shots of her so I did. One thing led to another and I ended up there for almost 5 hours - would've been longer if I didn't have a dinner to go to. Basically, I fell in love with this place.

I have never been to a building that was so vertically charged with positive energy.

The only way that I can describe this is through food. You know when you have a croissant that has been folded over and over again with butter and dough, and you get the feeling that this little pastry in your hand is just charged with so much goodness? Yeah, that's what CIID feels like. 

Turns out that most of the students who come here are selected to be diverse in nationality. This move is absolutely intentional and really smart when it comes to creating an environment for innovation and collaboration. It is only through cultural differences and bringing brains together that have been wired differently will new ideas form and we will also progress to live more harmoniously in this world. 

One of the things that I love about the HCD industry is that it beckons in differences and not only welcomes them with open arms but is a crucial part of the formula when it comes to designing services, experiences, interactions, etc. Without this kind of dimension, it is quite possible that whatever solution or design is made may not be as encompassing or holistic. 

This is Simona Maschi who is the Co-Founder and CEO of CIID. Pretty much a rockstar but you can already tell by the photo.

This is Chris Downs with whom I had the privilege of spending some time with talking about lots of Interaction Design and notions about Service Design. He invited me to see some of his students pitch their ideas and I gladly accepted. So fun.

Pictured here is Simon Herzog who heads up the Nest component of CIID. Nest incubates new ideas and startups in the European sector and has a bunch of stellar experts and advisors who will help you along the way. 

The top floor of CIID is 'the Nest' and it really feels like a cozy, safe place to share and incubate a delicate idea.

I met great people and have since then met extensions of great people in Chicago who have been educated in this space. Their prototyping playground is imaginative, the architecture is fitting, and the energy is just really present and spot on. They have a great business model that includes education, consulting, and incubation for new ideas and I don't think it can get any better than that.

To read more on this program, go to CIID's site. 

UX Notes: Creating a physical space that reflects the kind of tone of work your organization provides is crucial to the survival of your employees and work culture. If you're wondering why something is not working in a project, take a look around you to see if there is something you can change. It might an environmental fix that you need.

More visual TREATS:

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A New Letterpress Friend: Katrine

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I wrote about a letterpress artist I had contacted in this blog post but I found another letterpress artist that I also wanted to meet. I sent a 'hello' email before my trip and we found time to connect. 

I rode my bike over to the other side of Copenhagen and stopped at an address located in Østerbro. I was told that I was going to be going to a wine shop which peaked my curiosity but I was just happy to meet someone in my tribe.

Meet Katrine

What a rock star, right? When I walked in, I immediately knew what she was doing. This lady has integrated her letterpress work and passion for printing within her wine shop, Trøffelsvin, where she sells printed cards and centers all of her signage with her letterpress work. Beautiful and really clever.

As a letterpress printer and artist, there are different business models that you can create for yourself. Some run a full time print shop with custom work, some run artist studios while teaching in academia, etc. but the point is that if you have a passion for it, you make an effort to integrate it into your life in any way you can. 

I had such a wonderful talk with Katrine I got to meet her husband as well. Both are stellar human beings and you can just feel the presence of good people when you run into them. I spent a good amount of time with them and then went on my way. They were kind enough to invite me over for dinner so I'm really looking forward to it as my trip comes to a close. More to come!

More Visual TREATS:

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Danish Food

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After the girls from Alhambra & Sons fed me lunch and taught me what Danish food consists of on a daily basis, I started going to the grocery store to try and put this together for myself. 

I've heard various opinions about the heavy bread that is oh so rich in flavor and color but I have to say that I am a huge fan. I enjoy how much flavor it has and how filling even one slice can be. 

I bought this loaf from Meyers Bageri which is a fantastic bakery that has lots of sweet delicious treats as well.

There are so many ways to eat this bread but the main toppings consisted of some sort of meat (usually some kind of ham and baconish sort of thing), cheese, and a side treat such as that of a boiled egg displayed below.

This was my favorite kind of meat option. Smoked ham but one that sided on the pork belly side.

While at the grocery store, I asked a local Dane to suggest a Pâté for me. I'm not a very adventurous person when it comes to different meats but I was determined to try something different and to stretch my food palette. "I really must get over my fear of strange, unknown delicacies from other countries," is what runs through my head time and time again. I've been better the last few years but I still have a long way to go.

This pâté is the most traditional kind in Denmark (or so said the lady who suggested it for me). I wish I liked it but the color was a bit gray and the texture was strange... 

UX notes: Although form follows function, form must be held in the same regard as function. Many times, form gets the shorter end of the stick and many proclaim, "As long as it works, it doesn't have to be pretty." I urge you to reconsider the word, 'pretty,' and to consider how visual attributes can aid in uplifting the function of whatever you are designing. For example, if this pâté had not been gray, I may have not been immediately turned off to it.

My favorite thing, by far, are the donut peaches that are everywhere right now. These little guys are so sweet and so easy to eat. When you eat a regular peach, sometimes the juice can get onto the sides of your mouth when you bite into it but these - not so. It's almost as if nature realized that our mouths and culture were evolving and decided to shrink down for us. Just a thought but hey, a plausible theory, no?

 
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An Extended Art Community

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Do you have a tribe?

Throughout my experiences in my adult life (so far), I belonged to many tribes when I started my career. As I get older, some tribes have faded and I'm glad for it because I think it spread my relationships way too thin. After pivoting my career early on (you can read a little bit about it in this blog post), I began to identify myself into two tribes: UX/Service Design and Letterpress/Art Makers. These are broad categories and there are sub-tribes beneath these trees but the point is that I found them and I am never letting go. 

If you don't have a tribe that you identify with, I encourage you to seek one out. Community is the only way to collectively survive as humans and I am ever so thankful for mine.

Before coming out to Denmark, I did some research into these communities that exist in Copenhagen and found a letterpress artist named Megan Adie whose work I found really interesting. I wanted to meet her so I reached out. Unfortunately, she was at a printmaking residency in Basel (such a good excuse to not be available!) but she was kind enough to invite me to her collaborative space where, in concept, it was just like Spudnik Press where I currently teach letterpress. I respect Spudnik's business model very much so I was even more excited and determined to pay a visit.

Having spent a few days to myself, I was eager to meet some people so I headed over to Alhambra & Sons and felt those jittery feelings you get when you're going to a dinner party where you don't know most of the guests.

The result from these kinds of events can be:
1) Meh. The food was good but I'll probably never see those people again; or
2) I can't believe it took so long to meet these people. Where have they been all my life?! 

So which one was it? 2!! It was 2!!!! 

From left to right: Julie, Hanne, and Fie

These lovely ladies welcomed me in, fed me lunch in the truest Danish fashion, and we chatted about all things art, culture, politics, you name it. I find it cognitively fascinating that those who choose to take part in certain mediums tend to show interest in similar topics of conversation and values. I could feel the passion of these women as they talked about the current state of Danish politics and I could see the love they had for their craft as they allowed me to watch them work. 

Fie + Julie @ Kit Couture

Fie and Julie work for Kit Couture which is a new company that offers wonderful knitting kits for those who love to knit. I, myself, could never actually figure out the patience for knitting but I know a dear friend who does so I purchased a set of needles for her. The concept of the company is brilliant and very well branded. They haven't shipped out to the US yet but I brought some cards along to hopefully spark some orders. 
 

Hanne Zachariassen @ Miss Asphalt

Hanne is a fashion designer who runs Miss Asphalt where she creates clothes from found fabrics and does a lot of experimenting with her patterns. She also runs workshops for those who want to learn how to sew and you can feel her passion oozing through her stitches. 

I had a great time here and I definitely will not forget these girls. I'm going to visit again before I leave to say my goodbyes but I'm so happy to say that they are an extended art community for me here in Copenhagen. Another piece of home.

More Visual TREATS:

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Loneliness

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When my friend left after a week, I moved into another AirBnB to start my two week stay as a lone traveler. It's amazing what happens when you are confronted with being alone. 

I am an extreme introvert who has somehow learned to survive in an extrovert world (some say to a point where I seem extroverted) so I was a bit excited for it but also terrified. Being alone in your apartment and an environment in which you know is easy but being abroad in someone else's space was intriguingly something else. 

I remembered this clip from Louis C.K. (who I adore for a multitude of reasons) and I feel as though he described so perfectly what happens when you let yourself feel that moment of being completely alone and allowing sadness to come and engulf you. Watch it and make sure you get to 3:30.

And then it happened.

I felt grounded, human, and more real when it hit. It was as though I got myself back after the years of being drowned in so many things, conversations, activities, deadlines, etc. - all of which I love and treasure but this was leaps and bounds better than Shavasana.

So, yes. It's lonely. But, oh so good.

Here is a photo of my take away food from Letz Sushi (their photography is a visual feast in and of its own). The take-out packaging was impressive - I think particularly because of the bag which was reminiscent of shopping bags. Imagine if all of our take-out or delivery was thoughtfully packaged. I think our dining experiences in these contexts would be more pleasant and enjoyable, no?

Service Experience Notes: Taking food to go or getting food delivered doesn't need to feel like such a 'eat to live' experience. If restaurants took the time to make the act of taking away food an extension of their business, my gut says that they would have more loyal customers. At the end of the day, the food needs to be great - remember, content is king, but this could be another example of where form could follow function.

It was delicious. But not better than LA :)

 

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Louisiana Museum of Modern Art

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Insight: Having no responsibility to answer to someone for at least 8 hours a day allows you to calibrate your compass to rediscover your truth north. 

I love art, design, and architecture. The letter I received from myself, sent by my high school english teacher 5 years after my senior year, told me that if I didn't have these things in my life, I needed to do something about it. It was this letter that led me to attend art school for my graduate studies and commit to a journey filled with perspective, discipline, conceptual thought, and craftsmanship. 

Throughout the years, I must admit that I became jaded with the endless politics and ladder climbing of the art world. The superficiality and unfiltered representation/celebration of presented work at various shows that was questionable at times created a spiraling negative lens of which I chose to respond with rejection and retraction. I lost my desire to see the treasures that exist in the pursuance of creating something with an idea/conversation in mind and for this realization, I have to thank The Louisiana Museum of Modern Art.

From its location and architecture build, this museum is a beautiful Mecca of carefully curated work that has a vast amount of people from all over the world traveling to experience its environment and all that it contains. I noticed the colorful array of people who I entered the museum with and I had the strangest feeling that I was at home. 'Home' is a word which its definition has constantly been morphing throughout my life - I still can't tell you what it fully means to me but I can tell you that it is the word I want to use to describe that moment.

During my graduate studies, one of the things that I had the chance to do was take a trip to New York with some professors in our painting department. It was winter and there were many galleries and museums planned for the trip but the most memorable space scheduled was the Dia:Beacon. The Louisiana Museum of Modern Art (LMMA) is not too different from how the Dia:Beacon is constructed. Here are the reasons why:

1. They both take a considerable amount of time and planning to visit

It is not an easy task to show up at both of these museums. What I mean by that is that it's not some place where you can pop in for an hour or two and then go shopping at H&M down the street when you feel you've had enough art for the day. There is a particular place and purpose for these kinds of museums as well but both Dia:Beacon and LMMA do not fall into that category. 

Why is this important?
By situating a place where the commute is specific and at least 40 minutes away from the hustle and bustle of a city does a few things. It prepares your mind and body for what you are about to encounter. There is something beautifully quiet about riding a train outside of a city and walking towards a space where you are about to be in close proximity to thoughtful work. By constructing a journey such as this, work that is going to be shown does not need to compete with other things that are vying for your attention. It forces you to be dedicated. To listen. To watch. To have a conversation with and about what is being shown. To be successful in what most art work is trying to nudge you to do: self-reflect on the subject matter at hand.

UX notes: By constructing an experience that is not as easily spoon-fed to someone, there is activity and intentionality to finding the goal you have to offer. Through this activity, there is already a sense of community in those who achieve this goal. In addition, during the research process, there is more information offered and time to be prepared with online content of what you are about to be rewarded with.

 

2. Distinct architecture defines your experience

My thesis dealt with a lot of architecture comments - mostly around the fact that you can design your workspace to achieve the goals you would like in your organization. I am not an architect but I am an interaction designer, and it is important to note that while interacting with things both digital and physical, your environment sets the tone and determines the potential of your experience.

Why is this important?
Your physical body is something that we aren't normally in tune with while we are experiencing something. Of course, when you are visiting a monument or sculptures that comment on your actual human size, you are aware of how you feel in that given moment but what I am eluding to are how our bodies subconsciously move about a space and what it prepares for while exploring content. 

While Dia:Beacon gives you its entire landscape so that you can prepare your entire visit, LMMA does something quite different. It suggests a hint of what you are about to experience, almost like a secret passageway, and takes you on a journey. I have to admit, I was a exhausted after the first few exhibitions because I was not prepared for how vastly large this space was but while putting into perspective the secrets that LMMA was trying to uncover based on its landscape, it was enjoyable in its intense exploration.

UX notes: There is a balance between how much you prepare a user for and how many secrets you can expose throughout someone's journey. It is important to use different methods to prepare someone for how much of a journey they will embark on and design it in a way that it does not exhaust the human from quitting altogether. 

 

3. The work is phenomenal and relevant

I commented earlier on the fact that I was tired of the art world showing things that were questionable at times. This is where curators shine. Just like any industry, an expert's responsibility is to know what currently exists, how the current culture defines what is relevant right now and projects the future to be, and what work has been crafted to communicate and comment seamlessly to both history and the current state of time. LMMA did not disappoint when it came to the work it chose to show and the exhibitions it created for visitors during the month of July 2015. 

Why is this important?
I believe that the art world's responsibility is not only to show relevant work that drives people to consider what it is happening in their current world but to also push into the future of where a certain medium can go. Without the knowledge of historical work done in a particular medium, there is the dangerous ability to create something that has already been done which could potentially be deemed as irrelevant. Celebrating work that has created an impact on industry mediums is a wonderful thing - and LMMA does just that.

UX notes: Just like painters, printers, sculptors, etc. do their homework in art history so that they can create something that comments on past artists while pushing the boundaries of their mediums, experience creators must do the same. Benchmarking off of other sites, apps, services, etc. is one of the best ways to push the UX industry into the future. Additionally, without a doubt, content is king in all contexts.

More Visual TREATS:


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Traveling to København

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Photo Credit: Ping Yi Wang

Photo Credit: Ping Yi Wang

I thought it was important to go somewhere I didn't know too well during a sabbatical but to also stay away from over extending myself during this important time I have. Traveling can be exhausting so I committed to stay put even though it was very tempting to plan trips to Paris, Berlin, Prague, and the list goes on. 

For me, I planned to go to Copenhagen, Denmark. I chose Copenhagen because I had been there with a friend of mine for a few days before a graduate school trip and I absolutely fell in love with it. Besides being a design Mecca, there was something about that city that initially attracted me. The vibe, bikes, design, fashion, and so much more. 

So I flew. And landed safely. (I've recently acquired a fear of flights so I was happy the flight was successful.) 

My friend Ping from New York came with me and she planned to adventure around with me for the first week. Here is an accidental photo while we were trying to take a selfie.

My immediate experience after landing:

Being in the User Experience + Service Design industry, I want to share my first experience I had when landing in Denmark. 

A Simple Feedback Kiosk

I had to purchase a train ticket to get into the city and after doing so, I was met with a feedback engine. Very simple and direct but it enticed me to give my opinion which is very good in the UX world.

The person who helped me purchase my train ticket was kind enough to tell me exactly how to get to the particular train I needed to go to and was pleasant to converse with during my transaction.

I pushed the green happy face to the far left. 

Good start to the trip. 

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I Cleaned. Everything.

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A friend of mine came over to my apartment around March and asked me how I keep my apartment from being bombarded with stuff. A really nice compliment because in the back of my mind I'm always thinking, "Why do I have so much stuff? Am I secretly a hoarder?"

Every season I do a clean out of things in my apartment. Most of the time, this activity deals with the cleansing and refreshing of: clothes, refrigerated goods, pantry items, and the most accessible storage closet I have. What this means is that I have a storage closet that is massively piled with "just in case" goods, bookcases I have not reorganized, technology items that have been shoved into boxes, and so much more. I figured that if I wanted to recharge my batteries and situate myself in a space that felt new and refreshed, I needed to cleanse my physical space of habitation.

So I cleaned. Everything.

It wasn't the seasonal type of cleaning. It was a wipe out of everything in my apartment. It took me 3 days to go through everything from room to room and throughout the activity I was met with many thoughts. 
 

"Why do I still have this?"
"Will I need this in the future?"
"I wonder if they make these anymore."
"How can I go about changing my activity around this?"
... and so much more.


When it was all said and done (which really means I decided that a first round was successful) I slept even better that night. However, there will be a round 2.

I heard about a book called "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing" by Marie Kondo and I plan on reading it while in Copenhagen. We'll see what happens.

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I Could Sleep. I Could Wake.

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I slept soundly.

I woke up at 7:30am, without an alarm, and I was happy to get out of bed. 

Good sign. 

One of the things I struggled a lot with during the last 6 months of my job was the inability to sleep at night and the dreaded morning alarm that rang right when I felt like I had just fallen asleep. 

I am a person who loves to work. I put a lot of time and energy into my craft of producing experiences in whatever medium I am met with. 

I know this about myself. I love my line of work. I enjoy designing and creating. I do it sometimes until I literally have to force myself to sleep if I am really enjoying the particular subject matter or project. For someone like me to have no motivation in the morning to get to work, something needed to be done and I know I made the right choice. It was a glaring red flag that I could not avoid staring at every day.

Part of me worried that my sleeping patterns would get worse due to new anxieties that were entering my life, but what I realized is that there are good anxieties and bad anxieties - and these new anxieties were extensions of taking a leap of faith. 

I'm happy to get my sleep back.

What Is A Sabbatical?

I first heard of the word sabbatical in practice when I was at the Hamilton Wood Type Museum in Two Rivers, WI from a guy named Robert Zolna. He stated that his time period was 1 full year. Since he was in the same field of work that I am in, it sparked my interest and as I began to talk to him about his current commitment, I was even more intrigued at the state of peace he was in and how much he was enjoying his decision.

It made me think.
 

What exactly was he doing on a daily basis?
What was his goal? 
Was he lonely?
What made him take the step to do so?


So I looked it up. Being a book nerd, I naturally went to the dictionary first and this is what I found:

sab·bat·i·cal

səˈbadək(ə)l/
noun
1.  a leave often with pay granted to a college teacher for study or travel, traditionally every seventh year.
2. a period of time during which someone does not work at his or her regular job and is able to rest, travel, do research, etc.
3. a break or change from a normal routine (as of employment)

adjective
1. of or relating to a sabbatical.
2. (archaic) of or appropriate to the sabbath.

 

Three things I gathered from this definition were: 

1) Every seven years of work
Reflecting back on my work life, I began to count and the years and it amounted to 7. Check. 

2) A break/change that can involve rest, travel, research, etc.
Good place to start thinking of structure and goals. I know I need to rest, I love to travel, and I'm always researching no matter what I'm doing. Perhaps more definitive structure will benefit non-structured time schedules. Ok, got it.

3) Related to the word 'sabbath'
I grew up in a very Jewish town and knowledge of religious meanings were prevalent. I know what keeping the sabbath is from a biblical perspective: A day of rest. A period of time to absorb solely for yourself to reflect on your surroundings. The folks in my town would lay back, attend a synagogue when the sun went down, and really take in the purpose of the day. So I concluded that what I needed to do was do nothing but rest and reflect with purpose. Check.

So then the question became, how long? To take a break for a year was probably not the best for me in my particular situation so I decided that 2-3 months would be a good time period and that I could gage from there whether or not I needed more time.  

But what goals would I be pursuing? 

I know that I love my industry and the mediums I have chosen for my art work so I decided that my goals would be the following:
1) What subject matter in UX/Service Design would I want to tackle next?
2) What project would inspire me to push my letterpress art further?

Through the next few months, I hope that I will be able to find the answers to these questions.

Why I Decided to Take a Sabbatical

Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina.

I told somebody a few weeks ago that I was going to take a mini-sabbatical. 
 

He replied, "Aren't you too young to do that?" 


The question made me uncomfortable. Within those few seconds before I had an answer, I went through every single emotion I felt during the last 6 months while coming to this decision for myself. 

My thoughts were: Was I overstepping my sense of importance in the working world? Did I deserve to go on a sabbatical? I think I'm a hard worker... I'm pretty sure I am a hard worker. What exactly does the word 'sabbatical' even mean? What are you supposed to do during that time? I suppose I am still young... but do I have to be in my forties for this to be socially acceptable? What if I am deemed lazy when I return? Will I be relevant when I return? Is this right? Is this good? 
 

I took a breath, looked at him and said, "No. I'm not too young. You see, the way I work is very different from others - I put a lot of myself into my work and have done so for the past 7 years. I need to do this for myself right now, otherwise, I will lose who I am and will no longer be able to contribute to the world in the way I would like to for the future." 


So I did it.

It's my first time but I'm going to try to articulate the thoughts I have throughout this period. Brace yourselves - I have no idea what will happen.