When I was young Christmas was a very magical time!
Even to gullible children, the idea of Santa Claus was kind of freaky, but hey, the guy brought gifts – a lot of gifts! What’s not to like?! And then overlay the birth of the baby Jesus, born to the Virgin Mary (what is a virgin anyway?!), the Three Kings, the shining North Star; all put together it was pretty confusing – but then there were the lights, the decorations, Christmas cookies, time off from school and presents! It was wonderful!
Christmas takes on a very different meaning, and becomes a very different experience as an adult. We have figured out who Santa is, and are likely still confounded by the Virgin Mary.
Then there are obligations, expenses, incredible expectations, and unfulfilled hopes, wishes and desires. Being around children with their unabashed exuberance is one joyful way to re-experience the magic of Christmas, but there is another way; witness the wonder and unbridled fantasy of the season’s Fifth Avenue windows at Bergdorf Goodman in New York City. The theme this year?, ‘Holidays On Ice’ – a curiously surreal mash-up of some of the years red-letter-days, as seen though the lens of a winter-wonderland. Fantastic!
In an effort to help my daughter appreciate the opportunities in her life, I am forever seeking ways to educate her about the challenges that so many people, especially children, experience outside of her own privileged existence.
Last week Andrea Elliott gave me and many other New Yorkers a reality check with a five-part series of articles in the New York Times entitled “The Invisible Child”. It drove home the importance of philanthropy and helping others.
So this past weekend my daughter and I decided together, in this season of giving, how we should allocate funds to a short list of charities focusing on children and their families.
Some media forecasters predict that in the ‘future’, while we will still have printed matter, it will increasingly be seen as luxury goods – especially books.
For me, large format picture books have always been a luxury, a luxury that endures time.
I purchased a lot of books in 2013, and since the gift giving season is upon us, I wanted to share the one book that I would recommend as the perfect gift for yourself, or others who enjoy visual culture and armchair travels – Before They Pass Away.
My internal gyroscope was working overtime from start to finish during the Design Leadership Summit in New York City, and for days after!
The DLN met for their 8th annual Summit this year. It was an ambitious and densely filled two day agenda that left the 150+ attendees enriched, inspired, and with their heads spinning!
The Directors of the DLN – Kate Kelly Smith (SVP and Publishing Director Hearst Design Group), John Edelman (CEO – Design Within Reach) and Peter Sallick (CEO Waterworks) looked to highlight some of the powerful forces in the world of design today – technology, art, fashion, branding and marketing, and real estate development. I will some of the highlights here.
I have spent a good portion of my life learning about art, design, history, cultures both near and far, and seeking sublime and transformative experiences, and some 30 years practicing interior design in New York City.
My approach to my design has been influenced by an extensive list of artists, architects and design colleagues, however, I have come to understand that I have a distinct point of view and way of designing.
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I am thankful for many things.
