On the topic of creativity and curiosity, of both I have in extremely high amounts, I still miss design fairs where I regularly worked as a moderator, keynote speaker, panel expert, tour guide, stand designer, trend researcher, and reporter. These fairs gave me intense waves of energy – I’d almost describe it as some sort of kinetic energy. I would “work” at these fairs but they transferred so much energy to me in return that I would leave with far more than when I started – I’d move at a faster speed emotionally, mentally, even physically. My creativity was off the charts after a fair. I even felt more courage, which was something I think I valued the most. The sheer magnitude of beautifully designed objects and furnishings, lighting, rooms, tile, rugs… It was also absolutely mind-blowing to be totally immersed in design on such a broad scale. Interacting with products, meeting designers, seeing familiar faces again – particularly my colleagues – other bloggers, journalists, and authors who live and breathe interiors, was satisfying in ways that online conversations, DMs, and Zoom calls can never replicate or replace.
