While I set up this blog primarily as a class requirement, and thus the majority of the postings will go to fulfilling those requirements (such as defining terms and defining my personal design philosophy), I also plan to dig deeper and go beyond. This is a tool to refine my philosophies, share designs that interest me, and eventually promote my work.
"Flax and Flags" comes from flax, flags, fodder and frigg, "an ancient Saxon blessing... upon the house (flag stones of the hearth), possessions (flax representing clothing), [and] food (fodder) from the Norse Goddess Frigg or Freya." (Quote from Kerr Cuhulain's article "Pricer's Crusade [2]".) Interior design has a deeply spiritual element for me as well as the aesthetic and functional; as a pagan with a Germanic and Celtic interest as well as geneological background, the hearth and home and our Earth are very important to me. I believe we could not ethically live in health and beauty without being concerned with how we affect the environment; we can pack up our possessions and move to any location on Earth, but as yet we're not capable of moving to another planet, which makes it doubly imperative we treat this one well.
Community is also important to me. I believe that a good community supports its less advantaged members as well as creates a nurturing environment for its future adult members. In essence, ensuring that low-income households and the disabled have equal access to sustainable, healthy and beautiful homes (whether that's a house, apartment, shelter or other) is paramount to strengthening communities. Children and young adults need nurturing, healthy environments that foster education and give them a solid foundation on which to build their futures. Interior design and the building arts provides the best solutions to all of these issues.
As seriously as I take all of this, I also believe that design shouldn't always take itself too seriously. Life can be a daily struggle, but it needs its moments of play. I appreciate design from the traditional and classical to the modern and avant garde, but it's the eclectic, natural, and whimsical that I gravitate toward when decorating or creating. Humor and wonder are essential components and tools I draw upon for inspiration.
