The Making of a Creative Life
“I can’t imagine not being able to make things; That’s the life force for me.”
In her new book, Why Design Matters, Debbie Millman curates interviews from her award-winning podcast, Design Matters, where for 17 years she’s explored what it means to live a creative life with the world’s foremost creators.
Revered for her enduring impact as a designer, educator, and brand strategist, I was curious…What sustains the aliveness of her own creative spirit?
She answered without missing a beat.
“Life. I’m living. I can’t imagine not being able to make things; That’s the life force for me…Just even making a day is what excites me.”
This invigorating response is fitting for Debbie, who approaches each interaction with a sincerity that leaves an indelible mark on your heart. It’s evident in everything from her deeply thoughtful interview questions to her renowned design work and the intentionality in which she crafts her life.
In our conversation, she shares an exercise she learned in design legend Milton Glaser’s class that helps her do so…“We were all asked to write a five year plan, which detailed with great clarity, hope, and courage, what our lives could be like five years into the future — Imagining a day that included everything you would want to do if you knew that you could be successful at anything.”
The assignment came with just one warning: It’s magic.
Debbie took this to heart in 2005, writing hers with specificity — 10 journal pages, including a list, detailing her desire to write a book of visual essays, teach and start a program at the School of Visual Arts, join the board of the American Institute of Graphic Arts, and more.
“Every year, more and more things happened. By 2019, it was everything,” she reflects. “The exercise is very much about declaring what we want to ourselves. That’s part of what I think helps make it come true.”
Debbie’s since written a new list. Still, it’s the appreciation she carries for each day that stands out in the unfolding of her beautiful life. In sharing the lesson she’s most grateful she’s learned — “Anything worthwhile takes a long time.” — she illuminates that fulfillment happens over time.
“I was always very impatient with myself. I’m still impatient with myself. But, I can say that everything in my life that I have come to cherish has taken me a long time to understand, acquire, share, be. It’s all taken me a lot longer than I expected…I share that with other people so that they don’t feel that the race, both with themselves and others, has to be fast. It could be a marathon, not a sprint.”
What steps might you take to begin designing your ideal day? Equally important, how might you honor the progress you’re making in the process?
Wishing you joy,
Jenna