The Pecans! project I collaborated on while at PieLab was recently featured as a case study in Designing for Social Change by Andrew Shea. I got to give a short little Pecha Kucha rundown on the project at his book release which was definitely fun. As a follow up afterward and a “thank you” for his taking such initiative, I sent him a Banksy quote I read last year that stuck with me: “Most people never take their initiative because no one told them to.” I loved his poignant response: “I like that Banksy uses ‘initiative’ instead of ‘talent’ in that quote. Talent evolves with effort.” Fantastic insight. Maybe it’s now not a matter of asking “What do I already know I’m good at?” and instead asking, “What need do I see and what solution do I know I can get started on?” and then start honing those talents as part of the process.

*taken from http://eismann-sf.com/news/?p=133

The doors closed on my time in Spain (definitely not the last!) with a painful goodbye in June. I returned home looking for the next open doors. Obviously with the balancing of freelance and a job search, I had to make time to finally get caught up on blog posts…in JANUARY! Wow, too long.

My time since June has been spent freelancing on some fun projects, looking for the next opportunity, and taking this time (forced “extra time” as it may be) to read a lot and explore topics of design about which I now have a head swarming with questions. July was as hot as ever in Alabama humidity. And August. And September. Though good to refresh at home. I spent part of October and November working on a contract project with FEMA in Birmingham putting together tornado recovery plan books. It was an interesting experience and a great time to get to pick some brains of city planners. After seeing many cities this past year I have a fascination with how we plan cities, foster culture within them, and how people move around and connect in them. I have started Jane Jacobs’ Death and Life of Great American Cities to explain some more in a classic sense. Highly recommended.

A trip to Chicago in December to see much-missed friends from time at PieLab/Greensboro was so refreshing. We had many conversations about where design is going, what is the changing role of the designer, what do we therefore call ourselves now, is social design really viable?, etc. Expect many more fleshed out explorations of this as I gather notes from sketchbooks. Those are some smart people and I’m always inspired by how they’re “making it work” (thethirdofthree.com, amandabuck.com, wholman.com, Will’s recent article here).

A job search in a struggling economy is never fun. I keep questioning if I really need to keep “searching,” or whether or not to stop, and start my own gig. Tempting. The thing is, though, I’m young and have much to learn from those more imbedded in the profession. All good craftsmen have apprentices. There’s a passing on of the trade that young designers cannot forsake. Hopefully the newer ones will push the conversation, but to do that you must know where you stand in the conversation. Delving into some old books and periodicals (not the only-eye-candy-rewarding design magazines on shelves now) is helping. Stay tuned for findings there.

And Katie, the perfect roomie/rover companion for the year:

Panxón. Some of the loveliest beaches.

Nuria, the awesome English teacher I worked alongside.

Click here for a video from class.

Above: Across the border in Portugal. A couple of times she took me us to get coffee and pastries in Moncao, just a twenty minute trip from Ponteareas.

When my parents came, she fixed an amazing paella. Don’t you love those blue glasses on the table?!

Jamón, jamón!

Cris! Almost-twin modernita glasses requires a photo.

I was wandering my city one of the last days there to do some last minute documenting, of a city I now dearly miss. I snapped a few photos of the movement. A lady passing by saw me and asked what I was going to with it. I said I was just taking pictures to remember my year in Spain. I don’t think she got it. She pushed it further asking what I was really going to do with it and I gathered that she thought I was some kind of journalist. Flattered though I was, I assured her that I had no intentions to do anything with the photo other than document my surroundings. She told me I should send it to “someone in my country.” I asked her what I would even say with the photo to which she remarked, “Tell them we don’t have a real democracy in Spain.” Then she proceeded to share her passion for her Galician homeland with me. It turned out to be an enriching conversation. However, I still left laughing thinking about how anyone with a camera who looks foreign can be made to look a little more powerful, like they’re going to tell a story with it. I honestly never got a full grasp on the movement and have no political comments to make on it, and think it wise to not form strong political feelings about a country’s system when I’m not actually a citizen and could probably never understand their sentiments fully as I’m not subject to their laws, taxes, and systems. I was impressed by the participants’ willingness to step up for something they want to see changed.