With a company that has a name like Sojourn Design, there’s got to be something behind it, right? First, let’s talk about what “sojourn” means.
so·journ - /ˈsōjərn/ - noun : a temporary stay
I named this company based on travel, as travel is innately part of my being, and I believe it’s helped fuel my creativity and unique perspectives offered to my clients.
If you don’t speak the language, all you have left is visual communication.
I have a deep love for culture, and can’t deny the thrilling experience of being thrown into a foreign country alone, where I don’t speak the language and have to navigate a societal system based on visual communication alone. Have you ever noticed the way arrows are placed in environmental design and how they serve or confuse you in a train station? How about color coded signage in an airport? Or perhaps script styling verses block lettering? What do you infer without knowing what the word says? It’s a challenge I enjoy and perpetually learn from.
Diverse Experience Feeds the Subconscious.
Why are creative people so creative? If you were to ask one of us, we would say it just comes naturally. Well, what does that really mean? For me, it means I have fed my subconscious mind for so long with creative fuel that when push comes to shove it comes rather naturally for me to be able to create. By traveling and seeing diverse colors, patterns, textures, and details in nature, I feed my subconscious and my soul.
One of my favorite placed I’ve ever been is Chefchaouen, Morocco (aka the blue city). It’s known for striking blue washed buildings in an old village nestled among waterfalls in the Rif mountains. Even if I’m not consciously aware of it, all of the tiles, metal plates, bright colors, and textures I enjoyed there are now tools in my subconscious creativity box.
Traveling Fosters Problem Solving Skills
Last but not least, if it’s a real adventure, then nothing goes as planned. When nothing goes as planned, we are forced to think on our feet and learn how to have a solution oriented mind rather than panic and give up. It also helps us think ahead to avoid similar problems in the future. This skill directly translates into our work, as sometimes things don’t go as planned, and we are fully prepared to excel regardless.
I hope you feel inspired to do some more traveling and consider it as an opportunity to grow creatively.
XO Miranda