Welcome to "The SPACES Between Us"

The “Spaces” in the title of this blog can refer to a myriad of space types: physical, mental, spiritual, cultural, socio-economical, you name it and that space can fit into this title. This blog pays homage to my space, my first true love: DESIGN. I’ve spent practically my whole life admiring the aesthetic appeal of everything around me; trying to make a certain connection between a thing’s purpose and its visual capacity to move me. It doesn’t matter what area of design (graphic, interior, architectural, fashion and so on); so long as it visually stimulates me and serves a purpose (both obvious and not so obvious), I’m like a kid in a candy shop. I love it all.

However, there is one particular area of design that stands atop the podium of my heart and that’s interior/ architectural design. I love it so much, I managed to find a way to hone my skills and talents and make it into a viable career. For the past six years, I’ve immersed myself in interior design; first getting a formal education within the field (despite the advice of many around me) and ultimately landing my first design job where I learned so much under the guidance of my former employers and became a successful emerging designer. All was perfect in my world, or was it? As happy as I was in that professional setting, I knew there was something missing. I couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was missing, but there was something stirring up inside of me that couldn’t be ignored. As the saying goes, “all good things must come to an end.” That professional relationship had runs its course, and it was time for me to spread my wings and reinvent my professional self.

I currently find myself at a professional impasse; I’m an independent contractor for hire, but I’d like to be employed full-time and I also want to use my professional skill set to help others in some way, shape or form. I guess you can say: I want it all. The optimist in me believed that my desire to volunteer would automatically translate into some fellowship opportunity to go do design work in some third world country for a year or two; I’d come back, all would be right in the world and I could return to some professional interior design post. That was my dream, but what I’ve learned over the past 4 ½ months is that dreams are great, but they have to be aligned with a certain set of goals, planning and prayer.

After that epiphany, I began the proper planning (over the last 2 months) to setup up a scenario that would involve my professional reinvention. This reinvention would involve my relocating, preparing my professional documentation to begin interviewing and making room for my humanitarian heart within that scenario. I know that getting my next interior design job is going to be difficult in this current economic climate, but I do believe I will obtain that position that will allow me to exercise all sides of my multi-faceted self. I honestly have no clue, where this journey will lead me, all I know is that I want to perform design work that is visually dynamic, serves a purpose and allows me to collaborate with other professionals on designs that capture a sense of wonder and amazement.

My next entry to this blog will be in preparation for my trip to Haiti. I will be part of a team of design professionals traveling to Casale, Haiti from June 26, 2010 to July 7, 2010. I will be chronicling the experience through entries and photos posted to this blog. I can’t think of a better way to begin analyzing all the spaces in between us.

I am writing this blog as a perpetual reminder of my love for design; my hope is that it will keep my passion burning while I search for that next career opportunity. I hope you all will come along for the ride, and I welcome your comments along the way. Happy reading!!!

-Ronnie