My influences are few– simply because they’re peerless in terms of the influence they have had on me.
If I boil down all of my interests relevant to design and writing, I can come up with three huge, important influences. Primarily is the influence of nature. I can only really feel comfortable writing creatively when it’s about nature- there will never be a day in my life where I can’t stop and marvel at natural beauty. If you stop to look at nature a little more closely, you start to notice the deliberate minimalism of nature. Stemming from this introduction, I began to explore that second pillar of my personality- the concept of minimalism, of doing more with less. To me, minimalism isn’t blank canvases and hipster sensibilities. It’s about the beauty in the wholly fulfillment of purpose that minimal things -whether it be writing, art, nature, whatever- exude. The third influence is what I think is a pretty capable ability to criticize myself. Introspection has always been a useful tool in finding who you are, and I think I can use that tool fairly effectively. Because I’m always afraid of thinking I’m better than I am, I tend to be critical of myself. Even when I’m not writing or designing with myself in mind, being able to pare something down to its parts helps me understand difficult concepts, ameliorate my designs, and most importantly, be honest with myself and my audience. Put the three together- ceaseless love of nature, intense appreciation for minimalistic design, and a critical internal monologue, and you “get” me. I’m more likely to enjoy being by myself and / or in nature, than in a crowd, and I’m okay with that, because it defines how I design, and I like the way I design.
I can say I’m influence by Emerson, and in more than just a creative way. Emerson was a figurehead of Transcendentalism– and while I wouldn’t call myself a transcendentalist, I would say I identify strongly with many of the messages of that movement. Emerson’s philosophy is so influential to me that I’ve been touting a quote of his- “Trust thyself, every heart vibrates to that iron string” as a motto of sorts.
