“Perspective is the way individuals see the world. It comes from their personal point of view and is shaped by life experiences, values, their current state of mind, the assumptions they bring into a situation, and a whole lot of other things.”
One of the greatest benefits I see of the client-designer relationship is the shifting of fixed ideas and with that release, the newfound clarity of creative ideas that comes about.
Emotions are perhaps one of the most influential forces to hinder your dreams and yet also the most powerful ingredient in achieving your dreams. The client-designer relationship allows us to guide your emotional decisions in a way that brings you greater joy. Since we are not attached to a plant that your now dearly deceased mother gave you, we can suggest moving it to another location rather than build a landscape around it, for fear of losing it.
I think we all get that phenomenon of writer’s block in the creative things we do. A good designer will have the combination of strength, to push you out of your comfort zone, along with empathy, to only push so far as you would desire (not the designers desires).
What you could achieve in designing your garden, as the novice in the subject, can be enhanced tenfold by having the right designer guide you through the emotional maze of decisions and options.
So, when looking at what to include in your design, factor in and allow, the designer to give you a point of view that extends your thoughts to a greater outcome. On occasion, I have had a client who was so fixed on what they wanted that they will not allow suggestions from the designer. This leads to the designer becoming a little indifferent to the design as they see no point suggesting anything. I talk to the designer and ask, “why have you designed it this way, would it not be better if….” And the answer returned is, “the client insisted”. With the fixed idea at play we sometimes simply give in to the clients wishes. However, if you are aware of this, may I offer that you have the resource of an experienced designer you have engaged, so utilize their perspective and allow the process to bring to light new ideas that can elevate your design to a new unknown position.
