Reality Check ?...NOOOO, I refuse, I'm still a designer !!

Aren't you tired of hearing: "You don't know what you have until you lose it?", I know, it sounds so cliche and almost dumb, but you know what?, I'm starting to believe that, I have been feeling like that lately. Today is tuesday, just the second day of the working week and I feel like it should be friday...tired, exhausted, drained...and once again, just like the past 13 weeks, I had my reality check.

I have tried all you can think of to deal with this "task" I have to do everyday, but with not much luck, it was hard, it is hard and each day is getting harder...

I keep hearing my loved ones saying: "Everything happens for a reason" (yes, another one of those...), but I still can't see, or understand, what that reason is...

Then I got the next good one: "If you are going through this is because you need to learn something from this experience" (yeap, another one of those...), but at this point (and I sadly have to admit), I was over it, tired of listening to all this everyday, I felt so alone, like no one was able to really understand what I was going through...I fought with myself, What am I learning from this? Ohhh yes, I'm learning a lot, I'm learning that I hate this, that I'm not good at it (and I thought I was good at everything LOL), that I'm getting sick because of it, I'm learning that I can spent night after night awake....great, great learning experience...

But you know what? It finally hit me, I did learn something from this, I AM ME, no one would change that, or damage that, not even the harder of jobs.

I am a designer, I am an artist, I need to create and be surrounded by beautiful things (even if they are not mine !! LOL)...I have a big necesity in my life, I need to be creative, to help others achieve their dream homes, kitchens, bathrooms, closets, doggy houses, whatever !!

This desk job, this little prision can't contain that, my days go by answering the phone, call after call, hearing people scream and fight all day and I just need to learn how to never forget this is just a phase, a learning phase, and here goes another good one: "This too shall pass..."

"You don't know what you have until you lose it?= Now I know, I took for granted my past job experiences in the design field and always had a reason to complain, now, I miss each one of them.

"Everything happens for a reason"= Now I now the reason, I had to lose what I love the most, to realize this was really my calling and not just a job.

"If you are going through this is because you need to learn something from it"= Yes, I am learning, I'm learning that I am not perfect, that I can't do everything, that I have a lot more to learn and most of all, I learned and realized what I really like to do and the way to go to better at it.

"This too shall pass"=YES, YES and YES, This is the best one, this is my faith, this is my strenght, this is my future...

Everyday is a journey, not one that I like, but I try and will keep trying, I just need to keep in touch with myself and with you guys, I need to channel my energy towards my inner self and soon, very soon, I will be free again...

PS. I want to thank my family, for being there for me, for giving words of wisdom even when I don't want to hear them, for loving me even when I know it's not an easy task...Thanks, I love you all.

Colors, Colors and more colors...feeling blue? or red?

I want this blog to be a combination of a lot of things, just like my life right now...I thought maybe I'll start with some basic design concepts, like color...and can't help to compare them with personal feelings.

We are all affected and inspired by the colors around us.
It is important to consider the psychological effect of a color before considering using it.

Well, let's start with the basics. I need the practice before going into "deep stuff". LOL
If you are interested in changing the way a room looks or make you feel ( sometimes uncomfortable, tired or unhappy),and of course we are looking for the opposite...the first thing you should check out is the colors used in the space.

Here are some exaples of how colors "talk" to us:

Blue is a relaxing, clean color, the color of the sky, it is a color that both men and women like, great for bedrooms and bathrooms.
Yellow is warm and sunny, creates a cheerful atmosphere, in lighter tones can replace a neutral.
Red is powerful and exciting, red can even stimulate the appetite. More muted shades, like brick, create a cozy warm feeling, while pink tones are more soft and feminine.
Green, known as the color of nature, is soothing, healing and refreshing. Tones like olive and sage are considered more neutral and easier to work with.
Orange is often used in restaurants for its positive effect on the appetite, orange is also warm and friendly.
Black has a sharp, modern feel, very elegant (and make you look skinny, well, if you wear it).
Brown is a comforting, reassuring color, can make a room seem smaller, like black.
Grey is stylish and versatile, and because it enhances creativity makes a good color for an office.
White denotes cleanliness and sophistication...uhmm, maybe that's why brides use it ??

If you decide to change what size the room feels like.
The lightness or darkness of a color can visually affect how big or small the room seems.
If you have a large room that you want to seem smaller and more cozy, you'll want to use darker colors.
Lighter colors will open up a small room.

Think about the emotion you want the room to have. Color does impact people's mood.

A light sunny yellow for instance is a great shade if you don't want to go neutral but don't want too bright either.
Psychologically, we associate this color with happiness and warmth (like the smiley face icons !)
Red can be used as an attention-grabbing color.
You can have one focal wall painted red and the others painted a more neutral color.
Your eyes will automatically go to the red wall first. It's a great way to showcase artwork.
Cool colors such as blue and green are more soothing, they're great options for bathrooms and bedrooms.
Purple tones are believed to be more sophisticated.
And don't forget about textures, we will talk about this later !!

This week I have been a combination of grays and reds, maybe with some sparks of blue, haha ...I know, so different it doesn't make sense, but colors are as complex as our moods and feelings...

Di'Luna's Tip:
Try it out first, like a car ( and thinking about it we should try out other "stuff" too before commiting, LOL ).

When you're thinking of changing a color of a room, get a small sample square, like those little cards they have in the stores, bring a couple that you like and grab your attention and post them on the wall to check different lighting conditions.
You may love the color during the day but find you dislike it when it gets dark.
If still not sure, stores can sell you a small sample and try it in a wall spot.
After all this, if still not sure, then that is not the color for you !!

Well, hopefully this didn't suck too much...thanks for reading me !

My New Project, My New Phase

What can I say? I feel I have so much to share but have no idea how to begin, so bare with me, this might sound just like a bunch of words and ramdon thoughts...but I'm trying and learning.
I have been in the Design business for a loooong time but always been in a comfortable position where I don't have to work to hard. It was a "safe place", in jobs that were kind of a "comfort zone". I knew what I was doing, didn't have to try hard to get my job done and really felt like I had nothing much to learn, I thought I was all that !! That I knew everything I needed !!...OMG how wrong was I.
Now, my world is upside down, all the pieces moved and I'm not in my "safe comfort zone" anymore...and guess what? I knew nothing, there is so much I still need to learn, I was so comfortable in my small little kitchen design world that so much passed right in front of me and I didn't even notice.
I want to share this experience with you and also share what I do know and what I would be learning along the way...like  this blogging thing, that is so common and natural right now but I have never done it before. Please don't get me wrong, I'm not an old lady, I'm in my 30's but still.....I need to catch up in various areas.
What you can expect from me? First, that I love the Arts and everything related to it, never thought I would miss my career choice so much, until now that I had to venture in other fields...Second, I want to help others create their dream spaces even if they don't have a lot of money, beautiful spaces is not about money, it's about creativity and passion...and Third, I want to share with you this new phase of my life, all these steps I will be taking to get where I need and have to be...Hopefully you'll find it helpful and will inspire you to follow your dreams and your passion.
If I have learned something in these past couple of months, is that it is horrible and depressing to wake up everyday and do something you don't enjoy.
Join me in this beautiful journey to growing and learning, I will share all my knowledge with you and please, feel free to use it for your advantage.
Thanks for reading my first piece of random words, promise I will get better...LOL