I can’t wait to have my full attention towards partnering with you to design my play plans for 2025. I want to do many things over my break from the w2, and my recent trip to the grocery store has made me think deeply about how your partnerships with folks spread joy to so many, including the designer and the recipient of the item or experience.
Last weekend in the grocery, there was a brand representation showcasing and providing tastings of tequila for a company. The rep set up shop on our path through the store, so naturally, we had to stop. Fast forward through the tasting, both types of tequila were delicious and we ended up purchasing a bottle. But that is not what I am excited to talk with you about, Creativity.
Let’s talk packaging and experience.
First off they had me a woman tequila maker, certified B-corp doing good in the world and you could feel the care, love, and devotion to her creative craft from the packaging, to the experience of the bottle, to floral hints in the drink that touched my lips. It all had a delicate touch and Mijenta’s Maestra Tequilera Ana María Romero’s partnership with you reverberated through.
When I got home and took the bottle out of the box, I stopped and examined every part of the box as it was inviting me to revel in the fine craftsmanship. Things of note were the story and folklore of the name, the hand-drawn image of the agave farm at the foothills of the mountains, the color choices that felt very feminine and masculine all at the same time, the surprise patterns of rabbits and clouds on the inside, and the support of being in community with the note that this drink is best shared with friends.
The bottle had a glass stopper, which was an indication to me that I was going to continue my packaging journey right down to the taste of the tequila. Of course, I knew this having tasted it in the grocery store, but there was something about the genesis of the product that took me on this journey of creation that prepared me to be in the most joyful state when using the product. Experiencing and thinking about the hands that had a part in the creation made it all that much more enjoyable.
This has me thinking about the role of creativity, design, and story to help inspire the lives and experiences of others as well as those behind the craft. This begs the question…
How can we use creativity and play to design inspired lives that bring us joy?
I believe the answer lies in the very essence of what I experienced with that tequila – in embracing the intentional details, the stories behind creation, and the moments of connection.
Just as Ana María Romero crafted not just a drink, but an experience that invites community and celebration, we too can approach our lives as artisans of joy. It’s about seeing each day, each project, each interaction as an opportunity to infuse care, to draw our hand-sketched landscapes of possibility, and to choose colors that speak to both our strength and vulnerability.
Creativity, you whisper to us that play is not frivolous – it’s fundamental. It’s the glass stopper that allows our experiences to breathe, the unexpected rabbit and cloud patterns that surprise us mid-journey. You remind us that inspiration is not about perfection, but about connection – to our craft, to each other, to the subtle narratives that make life rich and meaningful.
So here’s to designing inspired lives: one intentional moment, one playful experiment, one shared experience at a time. Here’s to you, my dear friend Creativity, who helps us transform the ordinary into the extraordinary.
We need to do our part by being willing to take the time to stay the course, follow the trails, and discover our paths one curve at a time. There is no destination, only a journey to enjoy along the way.
Innovatively yours,
Dr. Abigail
