Zen and the Art of Design

"This may sound reductive, but we are too often caught up in the patterns that shape our daily lives to question them. We must learn to observe them without filtering everyday moments through our preconceptions. We can submerge our hands in the river of lived experience, but as soon as we try to grab hold of the water, it flows out of our grasp. Some may feel sly and cup their hands to trap the water, but they will only see what the liquid reflects. Others stare into the river, but only see what rocks and creatures struggle beneath its surface. But those who choose to observe the river without preconception can shift their idea of self out of the way of what they observe. They become the river. Then, in that observation, they can capture more directly what they have experienced and share it with others. It can become the work."

  

 

 

On the importance of self-expansion (NY Times)

As I read this article, I couldn't help but think of Charles & Ray Eames, the midcentury power couple who redefined design. From reading about them and watching their famous movies, the relationship appeared to be one of "self-expansion"; where your partner enables you to achieve more than you could have on your own. Their creative contributions to the world are a result of enhancing each others lives.