You’re an incredibly gifted writer. This piece has brilliantly articulated my own creative evolution and philosophy — I’m in graphic design — that I’ve sent it to my team as a reminder that a creative person is meant to evolve, no matter the discipline they practice.
this is wildly generous, thank you. i’m still mostly using these essays to figure out what i think five minutes before i say it, so the fact that it resonated enough to share with your team feels deeply humbling and slightly above my pay grade ♥️
“So there I was, sitting at the gate, waiting for someone to arrive with a box of dead butterflies, as one does when one has made several interesting life choices.”
That could be the opening line of a great thriller!😎🙏🏻
this is such a beautiful thing to say, thank you. “forever reference” feels wildly generous for something written by a person who was recently transporting dead butterflies through an airport, but i’ll gratefully take it ♥️
I truly believe the interior of our homes should forever be evolving, just like us. And I think just like we all have our quirks that somehow complement and work together within us and for us, a home is exactly the same. When it comes to collecting art and interior design, I never ask myself 'Will it match or go with something' because I do believe if you are truly drawn to something, it will work in your space, as it's really an extension of yourself and therefore it belongs no matter what it's placed next to.
yes, exactly this. i love the idea that a home can hold all our contradictions without requiring a committee meeting first. if you’re genuinely drawn to something, it usually finds its place eventually, even if the rest of the room needs a minute to catch up. thank you for saying this so beautifully ♥️
You are always spot on! Growing up in the area where there are so many varieties of orchids, I don’t know why we always see pretty much the same kind out there, and I get tired of seeing them 😔😂
exactly 😂 the orchids themselves were innocent. we just kept casting the same one in every role until we all got tired of the actor. thank you for defending the whole wonderfully strange family ♥️
What a fun read! As a designer who's lived through more than three decades of trends, I've definitely experienced the struggle of holding strong opinions about what feels "right."
One thing age has given me is the realization that taste keeps evolving if we're willing to stay curious. I loved your point that changing our minds isn't failure—it's often evidence that we're still growing. There's something incredibly liberating about that.
thank you so much. three decades in design is a lot of evidence that certainty has a very short shelf life 😂 i love what you said about curiosity. it’s reassuring to think changing our minds may be less a failure of taste and more proof that we’re still awake.
So happy to see you back, Colin! EXCELLENT read! Made me think! Made me question why I feel most comfortable in my restrained style while admiring more eclectic, layered spaces. Simplest answer, control freak! You must provide us with a compilation of these beautiful musings in book form! “Colin’s Notes”.
so lovely to hear from you ♥️ and yes, control has a way of dressing itself up as restraint and hoping no one notices 😂 i love that the piece made you question it a little. and “Colin’s Notes” is alarmingly good. i may have to pretend that was my idea.
How lucky are we that we get to change our minds!! Leaning into the change and evolution of your stylistic lens is the most profound way to begin again. It’s returning to the novice mindset. Thank you for sharing this with us. Brava!!
exactly. how lucky are we that we don’t have to keep defending every version of ourselves forever 😂 i love the idea of returning to a novice mind. less certainty, more curiosity, and perhaps one less aggressively held opinion about orchids. thank you so much ♥️
my partner's grandmother (at 104) grows cymbidium orchids, very similar to the ones in your photos - it always feels special to cut a stem or two for a vase. they really do look both prehistoric and elegant!
oh this is so beautiful. 104 and still tending cymbidiums feels like its own kind of wisdom ♥️ and yes, prehistoric and elegant is exactly it. what a gift to be able to cut a stem from something she’s grown.
Love love love your work. I intentionally looked for your writings 3 times last week. Good to see you’re back. And thanks for this piece and your authenticity🩷
this is so kind, thank you ♥️ the fact that you came looking for the writing three times is both deeply touching and just enough pressure to make sure i don’t disappear again. i’m very happy to be back.
Fantastic article that I totally relate to. What I said when I was 20 doesn’t apply to all the visual knowledge, conveniences and life experiences now that I am 50. My design style has changed and keeps changing, but the one constant is comfort.
yes, exactly. the older i get, the less loyal i feel to opinions formed by a person with far less information and much better knees 😂 i love that comfort has stayed constant while everything around it keeps evolving. that feels like a very good compass.
You’re an incredibly gifted writer. This piece has brilliantly articulated my own creative evolution and philosophy — I’m in graphic design — that I’ve sent it to my team as a reminder that a creative person is meant to evolve, no matter the discipline they practice.
this is wildly generous, thank you. i’m still mostly using these essays to figure out what i think five minutes before i say it, so the fact that it resonated enough to share with your team feels deeply humbling and slightly above my pay grade ♥️
“So there I was, sitting at the gate, waiting for someone to arrive with a box of dead butterflies, as one does when one has made several interesting life choices.”
That could be the opening line of a great thriller!😎🙏🏻
hahaha yes, although the thriller is mostly me sweating at an airport while someone texts “five minutes away” for forty-five minutes 😂♥️
That’s just pure suspense!
Favorite piece to date ♥️ and miss you!
well this just made my whole morning ♥️ miss you too.
Beautifully written and invaluable permissions …thank you ! File under forever reference.
this is such a beautiful thing to say, thank you. “forever reference” feels wildly generous for something written by a person who was recently transporting dead butterflies through an airport, but i’ll gratefully take it ♥️
I truly believe the interior of our homes should forever be evolving, just like us. And I think just like we all have our quirks that somehow complement and work together within us and for us, a home is exactly the same. When it comes to collecting art and interior design, I never ask myself 'Will it match or go with something' because I do believe if you are truly drawn to something, it will work in your space, as it's really an extension of yourself and therefore it belongs no matter what it's placed next to.
yes, exactly this. i love the idea that a home can hold all our contradictions without requiring a committee meeting first. if you’re genuinely drawn to something, it usually finds its place eventually, even if the rest of the room needs a minute to catch up. thank you for saying this so beautifully ♥️
You are always spot on! Growing up in the area where there are so many varieties of orchids, I don’t know why we always see pretty much the same kind out there, and I get tired of seeing them 😔😂
exactly 😂 the orchids themselves were innocent. we just kept casting the same one in every role until we all got tired of the actor. thank you for defending the whole wonderfully strange family ♥️
What a fun read! As a designer who's lived through more than three decades of trends, I've definitely experienced the struggle of holding strong opinions about what feels "right."
One thing age has given me is the realization that taste keeps evolving if we're willing to stay curious. I loved your point that changing our minds isn't failure—it's often evidence that we're still growing. There's something incredibly liberating about that.
thank you so much. three decades in design is a lot of evidence that certainty has a very short shelf life 😂 i love what you said about curiosity. it’s reassuring to think changing our minds may be less a failure of taste and more proof that we’re still awake.
Taste only gets better with wisdom gained by time and attention to detail. JENNIFER LEE PICCIRILLO
So happy to see you back, Colin! EXCELLENT read! Made me think! Made me question why I feel most comfortable in my restrained style while admiring more eclectic, layered spaces. Simplest answer, control freak! You must provide us with a compilation of these beautiful musings in book form! “Colin’s Notes”.
so lovely to hear from you ♥️ and yes, control has a way of dressing itself up as restraint and hoping no one notices 😂 i love that the piece made you question it a little. and “Colin’s Notes” is alarmingly good. i may have to pretend that was my idea.
Pretend away! ❤️
How lucky are we that we get to change our minds!! Leaning into the change and evolution of your stylistic lens is the most profound way to begin again. It’s returning to the novice mindset. Thank you for sharing this with us. Brava!!
exactly. how lucky are we that we don’t have to keep defending every version of ourselves forever 😂 i love the idea of returning to a novice mind. less certainty, more curiosity, and perhaps one less aggressively held opinion about orchids. thank you so much ♥️
my partner's grandmother (at 104) grows cymbidium orchids, very similar to the ones in your photos - it always feels special to cut a stem or two for a vase. they really do look both prehistoric and elegant!
oh this is so beautiful. 104 and still tending cymbidiums feels like its own kind of wisdom ♥️ and yes, prehistoric and elegant is exactly it. what a gift to be able to cut a stem from something she’s grown.
yes, trying to soak up all the wisdom we can <3
really enjoyed reading this piece and looking forward to your next one!
Love love love your work. I intentionally looked for your writings 3 times last week. Good to see you’re back. And thanks for this piece and your authenticity🩷
this is so kind, thank you ♥️ the fact that you came looking for the writing three times is both deeply touching and just enough pressure to make sure i don’t disappear again. i’m very happy to be back.
Fantastic article that I totally relate to. What I said when I was 20 doesn’t apply to all the visual knowledge, conveniences and life experiences now that I am 50. My design style has changed and keeps changing, but the one constant is comfort.
yes, exactly. the older i get, the less loyal i feel to opinions formed by a person with far less information and much better knees 😂 i love that comfort has stayed constant while everything around it keeps evolving. that feels like a very good compass.
So nicely written, thank you, is a pleasure to read and so true all your observations
thank you so much ♥️ apparently all those years of staring too closely at rooms are finally paying off.
Love this! Thanks!
thank you ♥️ i’m relieved it landed somewhere other than just my own head.
You are so brilliant
oh please, but thank you ♥️ i’m mostly just a person with too many opinions and a notes app.
What a lovely read. Your metaphors and analogies just sink me. I feel so understood. Thank you.
Constance, now I feel understood too, which seems suspiciously efficient for a comment section. thank you ♥️