I immersed myself in work, and the years flew by. I was continually looking for the next job, the next challenge. The one constant in my schedule was an annual trip. Every December I visited some exotic destination. This was adventure travel, and it usually did not involve luxury hotels or pampering. The point was to get closer to another culture.

One year I was in the Himalayas, hiking through a rhododendron forest…The views were incredible, but the mountain path was more suited to goats than to people…I was looking at the steep incline coming up and thinking about how I hate going uphill. When was it going to be lunchtime?…

All of a sudden a light bulb went off in my head. The clouds just parted, the sun came out, and I can feel the warmth on my skin. Why don’t I enjoy it, instead of worrying about what’s up ahead?

The future will always be just out of reach. You’ll get there eventually…But in the meantime, don’t miss the here and now. Live in the moment. That’s what’s important. What I am doing today? How can I use my energies?

I don’t pretend to have absorbed this message completely, but I’m trying. There is always a before and an after; but the point is to be present and aware for all the moments in between.”

Vicente Wolf, “Lifting the Curtain on Design“

Pangong Tso Lake in the Himalayas via my pinterest

]]> http://design-elements-blog.com/2011/05/22/all-the-moments-in-between/feed/ 19 http://design-elements-blog.com/2011/03/14/a-color-scheme/ http://design-elements-blog.com/2011/03/14/a-color-scheme/#comments Sun, 13 Mar 2011 22:40:02 +0000 Maria http://design-elements-blog.com/?p=3585 “A color scheme can come from anywhere. Forget fanning trough hundreds of color chips on a paint wand, wondering „Do I like this or that?“ It is confusing and much too analytical. Instead, look at the ocean or a grove of trees. I have started with a chip of cerulean blue paint from the hallway of the Quisisana hotel in Capri, a fragment of silk from Thailand, a scrap of paper found on a street in NY. It will always be something that sets off a strong emotional reaction, something that pulls me in. Absorb everything in your environment. Put yourself in places that open up your senses. Creativity comes from a place deep inside you. Follow your instincts, and you will find what you need.”

Vicente Wolf , “Learning to see“

a grove of trees via splendid willow