This week I have been enjoying the outdoors, walking around collecting beautiful tokens from nature, I've recently found inspiration through Alexander Calder's work. He's an American artist most known for his sculptures and mobiles, a type of kinetic art that relies on careful weights to achieve balance and suspension. These opposing forces in his mobiles give an energy that balances everything perfectly. The balance in his art reminded me of a sentence that I underlined and starred in a book that never leaves my nightstand, A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle. "The only actions that do not cause opposing reactions are those aimed at the good of all." Feeling inspired by this simple concept, I decided to explore balance in my designs this week. Balance has always been important to me as a designer, but I often feel like I don't know the rules since I'm self-taught. Instead, I relied on my intuition, following what feels right to me. There is a simple truth in life that we must honor ourselves and others because it feels right. We need to find balance on both sides and protect the trees, plants, animals, as well as each other. After all, the survival of one is dependent upon the survival of all. Or could it be as simple as what we put out into the world always comes back? Give and take? Reciprocity?

photo credit: Alexander Calder/ Big Red/ Whitney Museum of Art