Spring... is close!

I am planning on a big Spring roll out... so lots of new activity in the TreeBed Design Shop... and on Etsy starting March 20th... the first day of Spring!

Details coming soon... Have a happy St. Patrick's Day (what ever that means)!  

Baggage.

Sometimes the thing that keeps us from an efficient (and healthy) process... is our own baggage. We accumulate all sorts of mental "stuff" (good and bad), and it can often get in the way of using our full energy to accomplish goals. There are ideas or ways of doing things that may have been useful to us in the past... and now, those things might be road blocks to progress. Have you looked at your baggage lately to see if you still need it? Everyone carries their baggage in unique ways, and we all sift through it differently as well. I have decided to donate some older bags to the birds.

Suitcase Birds Magnet by TreeBed
Browse other Suitcase Magnets

Process (the journey) = the Good Stuff

I was hoping to be a little more active with my blog posts this year... instead, I have been putting all my energy into trying to produce. I have felt this huge weight to be creating. The weight leads to a debilitating stress, and then a lack of understanding about what it means to be productive.

In the past few weeks I have discovered (or perhaps re-discovered) the joy the process. It started about a month ago when I was faced with my 15 mile bike ride home, in the dark... on a not so bike friendly route. I was tired from my full work day, and not feeling much like peddling home. However, I had no choice. I began to refocus and redefine the task at hand. I decided that I didn't have to view the ride home as, "how fast can I commute home". If I chose, I could view it as an opportunity for a moonlit bike ride through the Napa Valley (oh yeah!). Something that was healthy, and potentially enjoyable. About 10 minutes into my ride a giant full moon began to show it self above the hills of Napa. Beautiful. It was like my little gift for redefining and refocusing.

I have found a similar gift in approaching my creative tasks (all tasks really). Attempting to let go of what I will "produce" has allowed me to savor the act of "producing". The result is better production, and more knowledge gained along the way. I can hear the questions in my head that lead me to better answers... the answers (and questions) that keep me right in the middle of the good stuff.

New Decade... New Design

What to do with a new decade... well, I hope to do a lot. My past decade has been filled with lots of things (good and not-so good). I have learned so much through random jobs, travels (such as my permaculture course in Belize), and working through deep personal grief. It was not an easy 10 years. However, I survived... and I have come out the other side with so many experiences. I feel (and hope) the next 10 years (and beyond) will be used gaining focus to sort these things out, and use the potential that lies beneath the surface of experience. Why is this something I would share as a part of TreeBed Design? Because, ultimately my (and I would guess most) design comes out of experience and the reaction to that experience. You will begin to see many products arriving in the shop with direct relation to my experience, and design that grew out of it. So in this new decade... I hope to re-awaken energy, and let the composting of old experiences build up the nutrients for new growth. It would be a pleasure to see you along the way!

P.S. I have been on Etsy for a year... and to celebrate... I am actually going to put some stuff up (it has been a rather neglected shop for its first year). Lots of new things going up in the coming weeks.

define: Brand... Smart.

Read a short blog post by Seth Godin this morning that describes the situation I have been watching unfold the past 6 months... thought I would share this found insight (which I agree with) on how you define: Brand.

Ashley Brooke Toussant House Concert

TreeBed Design is testing the waters of hosting house concerts at the Hostel (my house)... join us for an evening of wonderful music from Ashley Brooke Toussant. I met Ashley in Chicago while playing a show with Chad Elliott. I am looking forward to hosting and hearing her wonderful music. All music lovers are welcome, but please RSVP soon as space is limited. Also look for new updates to the web shop coming soon (Fall edition).

Customize

As you may have notice... there has been no "Summer Release" on the TreeBed Design shop site. This is mostly due to a new gig I am working in the city (San Francisco). It has been about 2 months since I started (about the last time I posted), and things are rolling along. I am rounding out my "start up" experience (I think I have now worked for 5), and the latest is an impressive concept called Horatius. If you are in the city... stop by for a cup of Ritual coffee or a tasty meal (or both).

Even though I didn't do a release of new items for summer on my site... I have been busy with a few custom projects for friends. The first being a t-shirt design for friends living on the big island (everyone should have house t-shirts!)

Kona House T-Shirt by TreeBed
Shirts made at zazzle.com

The second project was for an online friend (she once got me to post a photo of me in my undies), that I recently had the lovely opportunity to meet in person. She was then kind enough to include me in a very special event... HER WEDDING!!! The wedding was decked out by turning to Etsy (a wonderful site for everything hand made), and she enlisted me to make some custom magnets for the occasion. Pretty cool!

So... if you have a special occasion, or just some fun idea that needs a little creative design to help make it a reality... let me know.