Fall is in full-swing. It's crazy how fast that happened – I just hope it lasts for a bit before cold man winter creeps in. I've often said that my favorite time of year isn't necessarily one of the four seasons per se, but rather the transition from season to season. Winter to spring and summer to fall, in particular.
A fellow by the name of
Frank Chimero is a New York-based graphic designer whose work I admire. He's also a talented writer as I've found from following his blog over the last several months. Recently Frank had this to say about the changing seasons, which I found quite poignant:
September rolled away, almost like it wasn't even there. We now have these spectacular October days in New York that make you wish every single one could be like them, from now into forever. Heaven must be a permanent October. The cusps of new seasons always makes me reflective for some reason. Transformations are visible so infrequently; most of the changes we live through are almost like the slowest crossfade ever heard between two songs, one well-known and the other new, trading one old piece for one new piece, bit-by-bit, second-by-second, until there is no more of the old stuff left.
Summer into autumn is the most magical transition, because it is usually abrupt; a storm comes and drags the cold air behind it. Once the front moves through, there are a million little testaments and artifacts of the change all around you: those bright yellow-red leaves hang above and draw your eye up. They're under your feet as you walk and every step produces that crinkly, shuffling sound that we all love because it is so temporal. Leaves are in piles beside your usual route, begging to be disturbed, saying, "Jump." You see those changes, and maybe, if you're like me, you start to think about your own changes. And oh my, so much, so many changes. I took to calling my old college roommates, phoned my parents to check in, spoke with everyone or left them messages to say "Sitting still. Thinking of you."
I've always felt this same way but have never been able to explain this phenomenon quite as eloquently as Mr. Chimero – it's less of a visible change and more of a feeling – a transition in the air and your anatomical clock knows it's time to move from summer into fall. There's also a sense of nostalgia and a yearning for those comfortable feelings remembered from childhood. Such an interesting phenomenon – and I'm glad to know it's not just me being super reflective about my life and the changing seasons this time of year.
I first came across Frank Chimero through a book project he's heading up called "The Shape of Design." Better said, he is the book's author. I had the unique opportunity to help fund his book-writing project through
Kickstarter and have been following him ever since. Here's a creatively-executed video he created about his book:
From what I know, Frank is still working on the book. I can't wait to get the finished product – very excited for it!
On a related note, I think it's worth mentioning the power of creation and the innate human desire to create. Whether it's exercising 'creativity' to 'create' a simple painting, building your own house, maintaining a garden, taking photographs, designing holiday cards, assembling an Ikea bookshelf, or even the power of creating human life, there is real human satisfaction in creation. At least I feel that way – which is why I think I feel some satisfaction from working within the 'creative' industry (although advertising is considered by many to be the bastard stepchild). I'll take what I can get and run with it.
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