Subconscious influence

I have recently moved house. Not only that, but I have moved cities. I am now currently part of a community based just outside Bath in a manor house! Yup, be jealous. This hobbit has found his burrow of solitude and rest! (see pic) However it is not as mellow as one may think, this community  has such a high value and vision for giving space to those who are pursuing creative endeavours. To work in an environment that aims to encourage interaction, will and does stimulate a very interesting creative atmosphere.

This recent move had me thinking about a lecture that was given during my university days. We had the tremendous pleasure of visiting New York City. Not only to eat as much food as humanly possible, but to go to a design conference. At this conference, a famous typographer, Paula Scher, explained how her work developed as she has moved around. She made a comment that stuck, and in this recent move, has come back to be intellectually itched.

She explained how when she moved to NYC that she started noticing that her typographic designs started to get taller and thinner. Then she realised as she was walking around that all the buildings around her were considerably taller than in her previous place of residence. That her geographical location was subconsciously affecting and stimulating a particular bend in her creative outcomes.

I found this so interesting. That what we create, the manifestation of our imagination, is affected by the stimulation of what we subject ourselves to, and further so, affected by the environments around us.

So In my recent move, I’m looking forward to see how my creativity develops and evolves – typographic of otherwise – as I immerse myself in a very different context. Maybe a more organic, leather bound, cold and spacious bend will start to emerge!?

Here are a few thoughts… Are you aware of the effect that your environment has upon you? As a visual communicator is it possible to purposefully put yourself in specific environments to render the best possible outcome in communicating to specific people?