Embracing Simplicity in Design (And Life)

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As a chronic over-thinker, embracing simplicity in life hasn’t always come easy for me (and it still doesn’t). But it’s something that I constantly steer myself towards because, let’s face it, life is pretty overwhelming as it is — from the constant barrage of email, calendar & social media notifications to the rising cost of living and keeping our homes, relationships and businesses thriving (surviving), it can feel relentless.

When I worked with the wonderful Laer Studio on my brand messaging in 2022, it became clear through the process that simplicity (or minimalism) was more than just a design approach for me, but more so a way of living — a guiding value. I’ve always been drawn to simple and clean design, but it was an important moment for me when I understood why — simplicity doesn’t just look nice, it gives me space to breathe, space to appreciate what is there and not be overwhelmed by a barrage of stimulus. It gives me peace and gratitude and I find myself (and my designs) the most authentic and vulnerable in that state - where the true essence is present and not hidden by excess or extravagance.

As an entrepreneur and a mother, I deeply understand the need for space in life. Space to breathe, focus on work, on life, and the balance between the two.

01 / Simplicity In Design

There’s a lot of talk and opinions lately about simplicity (or minimalism) in design. What I will say, is that our ethos is and always will be to err on the side of simplicity — it’s just what feels right for us. There are many misconceptions that minimal design is “easy” — and to be entirely honest with you, I actually think it is harder to keep things simple because there’s nowhere to hide. You’re not covering your design with multiple elements and layers and sparkliness to dazzle the eyes. Whether we spend hours working on intricate type customization & illustration or whether we just use a font as is, each choice comes from a place of intuition and expertise.

It’s also true that like attracts like - clients often come to Willow & White Studio because of previous work that they’ve seen. This means that generally speaking, people that resonate with whatever work you put out there will find you. Those are generally the type of clients that we work with - ones that, like us, value the importance of simplicity and white space.

02 / Simplicity In Life

For me, embracing simplicity in both business and life really boils down to just one thing — priorities.

When you have clarity on what your priorities are (both on a daily basis as well as with the bigger picture) then you can put structures and systems in place to support those priorities. I’m going to be honest — I was never really good at this until I became a mother. Before, I was constantly spinning my wheels, glorifying the ‘hustle’ culture and bending to accommodate other’s needs regardless of whether those things brought me joy or not (Marie Kondo reference for ya, right there). But when I became a mother, I was forced into this realm of CHAOS that I had no control over and I knew something needed to change, or else this A-type girl over here wouldn’t survive.

I started by brain-dumping all the things. To truly get my head out of the weeds, I needed to put pen to paper and get clear on a few things:

1. My Goals 

   What my big picture goals were for myself and my business (think about what your ideal day and work week looks like for you - permission to dream big here). I then broke these down into quarterly, monthly and weekly goals. From drinking more water and exercising weekly to monthly income goals, breaking these goals down into smaller chunks helped me to get clarity on my priorities and how this would translate to a daily, weekly and longer term basis.

2. The Day-To-Day Things That Bring Dread

   This may seem counter-intuitive to focus on the negative, but when your head is in the weeds, it’s important to dissect the things that are actually weighing you down. I needed to make a list of all the things I did not enjoy doing in my business and day-to-day life — the things that didn’t inspire me, the things that would make me feel lighter if I let them go. And letting them go could look like stopping them completely (maybe removing a certain service offering) or outsourcing them (whether it’s hiring a VA for your business or buying pre-made toddler meals instead of putting pressure on yourself to cook meals from scratch).

By focusing on my personal goals and the things that make me feel lighter, I’m inviting simplicity into my life. When life gets overwhelming — and it inevitably will — I go through this exercise of looking and making sure I’m aligning my day-to-day activities to my goals and questioning whether these are things that make me feel lighter or things that bring dread. And if it’s the latter — I assess whether it’s possible to either change or let go of those things that are bringing heaviness.

Of course, this may come across as an idealistic and privileged view because we cannot simply let go of all the things that we don’t enjoy — over and above the responsibilities of life, a lot of us are carrying trauma and a lot of things that we don’t have a choice in. But it is important to recognize that we have the right to protect our mental, emotional & physical capacity and we should give ourselves the permission (and grace) to do so. In order to embrace simplicity, we need to create boundaries and structures that help us both work towards our goals (small or big) and feel lighter in the process.

Decide what kind of life you actually want. Then say no to everything that isn’t that.

- (Source Unknown)