Design = Passionate People : Paula Katrina Cañete

 I have to say the world of blogging has opened me to experience very gifted individuals in the design realm.  It also has brought on some budding friendships with people of similar interests.  I came across Paula form The Sea Green Journal.  She has such an eye for design and her writing is relatable.  I am honored that she would allow me to feature her on my blog.  Enjoy.

  DESIGN=PASSIONATE PEOPLE : Paula Katrina Cañete
  (The Sea Green Journal)

 Some people would (always) say that their childhood interests are premonitions of the professions that they will choose later on, of careers that will take shape when they become adults. I try to continuously go back to my own childhood and my interests then to find a similar link. Yes, I have always loved art when I was a kid. I cannot entirely say that I was a Picasso (though I loved doing abstract art) and I most definitely was not a Monet (though I wish I was). I believe I loved color even back then, I enjoyed art and was always excited when I got to open a fresh box of crayons or when looking at art supplies (I still am the same way with regards to the latter even up to now by the way). Perhaps those things are my own premonitions, of how I would eventually dabble in design and the arts.

I cannot entirely be sure though because before the “Interior Designer” part of myself came to be, I had a couple of options of what I wanted to pursue career-wise.  To start off, I wanted to be a Chef (I love food and I love the thought of cooking), an Archaeologist (Most especially! I watched Indiana Jones and Lara Croft while growing up, I love history and would love to discover and dig new artifacts), or a Pediatrician (Simply put, I love kids). See what I mean? Fields that are quite different from each other but do correlate in a certain way, now that I think about it.

It wasn’t a single moment but a series of instances per say that made me figure out my passion for Interior Design.  I chose to be in this field because it is a profession that I see myself enjoying (Fabric and paint swatches make me giddy! I assure you I’m not a weirdo. Really. Haha.). It is a practice that I am constantly fascinated by. The commonality between all my other options is the concept of being able to help, of being able to find a solution. Interior Design doesn’t take that away from me, it helps me find solutions for design dilemmas and lets me dabble both in science and creativity. I don’t mean to bore anyone by being so serious or sounding like I am making an academic essay but Interior Design, I find is a passionate endeavor that I plan to continue on pursuing.

I am entirely young (and by my standards, still new) to the design industry. I feel that I have much to learn. But I am quite excited by this thought, of improving and being the best interior designer that I can possibly be. I love looking at an empty space and thinking about it’s potential, of conceptualizing a vision of what it will become. I do admit that conceptualizing (and the whole design process itself from conceptualization to installation) is no easy task, you have to manipulate your brain from all sorts of directions and turn it inside out at times – the design concept, client preferences and needs, function, aesthetics, the budget, the limitations. Did I say I love doing what I do? Haha.

We do not entirely know what we will become in the totality of things, I might end up becoming a nomad or running away with the circus (Hey, crazy things can happen!) but I like to believe that I will be successful in my pursuit as an Interior Designer. My advice to everyone would be, to dream and create big dreams, work crazy hard (I have a long way to go myself) and try not to control everything. A valued mentor once told me, “In life, we should try to continuously challenge ourselves”. - And we shall, my friend.