"For each of us there is some mission in life if we but find it. All have some definite thing to do, something for which they have been created; and only the doing of this thing will justify their existence here on earth. If we come into the world and occupy space and time without giving back for this privilege, we have not justified ourselves, and our lives in the end are barren." ~ Hay

Friday, November 5, 2010

A Bit of Whimsy


It’s a lot of fun when you get to design a logo for your own company.   There’s no limit to the imagination when you are starting with a clean slate.   After coming up with the name of my company, Inner Beauty Workshops, I sat down to draw a logo.  I quickly realized that it would be daunting simply because I cannot draw.  I never understood the reason why especially since my brother is a Disney animator.  I swear we came from the same parents.    I convinced myself that it was a small hurdle and plunged ahead.
I decided to use the company initials “IBW.”  After all, there is IRS, NATO  and, of course, the good ole USA.  Now I needed to decide what to do with the letters.  I have really beautiful wallpaper in one of my bathrooms.  Luckily, I had a spare roll.  I cut out a piece of a floral spray and wrote in black ink the letters IBW.  It looked great but was missing something…..a bit of whimsy.
When I design a room, I love to put something unexpected in it.  If everything has a place and looks picture perfect, there’s nothing conversational to discuss.  You may say, “it looks great or it’s beautiful,” but again where is that item that sparks the imagination?   I have an example to share.   My bedroom is decorated very traditionally with dark cherry furniture and antique styled patterns and accessories.  It looks beautiful but needed that bit of something.  Therefore,  I purchased two antique figurine lamps that sit on our nightstands.  The figurine lamps are almost three feet tall (including the shade).  The figurines are dressed in traditional garb so I nicknamed them “George & Martha.”   I must say, they have sure sparked some interesting conversations over the years.
The background letter of my logo is a capital letter “H”.  Several people have asked me what the “H” stands for and they try to guess…."health, happiness, hope, help.”   Here comes the whimsy and unexpected, it’s going to stand for whatever you want it to stand for.  That should spark some conversation.  I have my own guess………….


*A special thanks to my brother John for helping with the computer graphics.

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