Weekend Design & Wellness Project

Photo by Scott Webb @scottwebb

PLANTS

Plants are a perfect example of DESIGN & WELLNESS working together. They are both aesthetically beautiful and possess emotional and physical healing properties including purifying air.

This weekend, consider spending extra time nurturing any plants you may have or bring new plants into your life and home.

Aloe is an important plant to have around since it’s great for burns and cuts and can be added to blended drinks for gut and joint support. Most grocery stores sell starter herbs like basil, rosemary, mint and oregano that would be a great way to bring in fragrant and edible herbs home. If you want to start a plant from seeds, I suggest using the seeds from an organic fruit of your choosing. Eat the fruit, rinse the seeds and drop them into a small pot with food appropriate soil. I also add water at the roots in the pot saucer.

Many years ago, I started out with a cactus, then moved into succulents and herbs and now I have graduated to “Phil” my Philodendron, a ZZ plant which thrives when ignored and left in the dark and my first lemon tree from organic lemon seeds that will produce fruit in a few years. My newest additions are lemon verbena and chamomile.

If I could learn to keep plants and herbs alive, anyone can. Enjoy your healing and fragrant weekend filled with purified air!

Oh yeah, and it’s completely okay to talk to your plants and especially thank the herbs when you pluck from them. Haa

Weekend Design & Wellness Project

PROBLEM SOLVING

Photo by: Karla Hernandez @karlahrnndz

What bothers you so much that you have mentally invented a product or created a solution? If you have not created an actual work around, then how much would you pay for the solution if it existed?

This weekend, solve a common problem that would make your life easier. Write down the major issue followed by a big vision void of obstacles. Draw a quick sketch if it’s a product or write out the functional characteristic if it’s a process solution.

Name it and possibly take it further and price out manufacturing costs or hours needed to create and implement a process solution. (This is where you fall down the research rabbit hole.)

There you go! You are now a problem solver and possibly an inventor. Shark Tank, here you come!

Weekend Design & Wellness Project

Photo by: Kristaps Ungurs @kristapsungurs

This weekend sketch ideas for that book you’ve been writing in your head for as long as you can remember. Then, try to write a rough draft of your biography or about the author. Look back over the posts from this week to use the exercises as guides. This is a creative activity to get your mind and body warmed up for taking action on your dreams and goals one sketchy doodle at a time. Enjoy!