Debbie Millman: The Art of Designing a Life You Love
When I need a break from listening to music, I love listening to podcasts! From psychology, history, culture, business, and murder, I always look for the best of the best. Mel Robbins is one of the best! She is so cool and I just love her recent episode with Debbie Millman. They talked about how to create a life you love. Debbie seems so full of life, vulnerable, kind. I had to research more about her. So this is what I found out...
Debbie Millman is a designer, educator, writer, and one of the most inspiring voices in the world of creativity today. She’s best known as the host of Design Matters, one of the first and longest-running podcasts about design and creative culture. She interviews some of the most intelligent and creative people, from artists, musicians, designers, thinkers. But more than all the accolades and influence, she is an awesome person who had the courage and creativity to reinvent herself over and over again. Her belief that you can design the life you want at any age is inspiring!
Debbie started her career in branding, then became president of the design division at Sterling Brands. She got to work with some of the biggest brands in the world. Such a badass! That would be a dream job for any designer but she wanted more meaning. So, 20 years ago, she started Design Matters. This was when podcasts were not a thing yet. She was one of the pioneers in this area. Today she continues to design, write, and teach at the Visual Arts in New York City where she helps young people find their creative voice. By the way, she co-founded the first graduate program in branding at the Visual Arts school.
Her creativity goes beyond work and projects. She designs her own life. Do you want a whole new life? Where do you start? Well, Debbie goes over how to get started on the podcast. This is what I took from it:
1. Imagine your life in 10 years. What would that look like. Get specific. What does your day to day look like? Who are you with? Where do you live? What have you mastered?
2. Most people start to think about the process, like "well how would I get there? That doesn’t seem possible. I need to be more realistic. etc." No! Don't think about the limitations. Think about what does your heart crave? What do you secretly wish when nobody’s watching? What would you dare to dream if you weren’t afraid of failure?
3. She gives this "homework" to her college students and then they have to present it to the class. It's a great opportunity to say your desires out loud. I think we need to do that in life as well. Once you know in your soul what you want and how you want to live share it with the world! Nobody gets fed with a closed mouth. Let the universe or God guide you. Community can also help you get to where you want to go!
Debbie's life is proof that even if your path isn’t straight, even if you stumble, even if you start over at 40 or 50 or 60—you can still create something extraordinary. Your future is waiting, wide open. Dream big. Design boldly. And remember: the life you want is possible.
**Also check out her website: https://debbiemillman.com/
In this section I’m going to create my 10 year plan. Let’s try it together!
I guess it's my turn?
As I sit here and think of myself as a 39 year old woman, I think about a completely different life. I am living in San Diego in a $1.5 to $2 million dollar home by Mission Bay. A lot of bright light comes in through the windows. The house is decorated kind of eclectic, bright, with a coastal flair. My dream home. I get to walk to the beach everyday with my dog, Scruffy. I also live with my husband and we are in the process of adopting a child. This isn’t our only home though. We also have a house in Spain. That one is decorated in the classic, Mediterranean style with pops of color everywhere. We go over there during the summer months.
My husband and I met at a book club. It was like a scene from a rom-com. Then we got married 3 years later. Our relationship is wonderful! I feel safe to be me. Even though I have my husband, I also have great friends! I can walk down the street to my friend's house. We have wine nights all the time. I also met some lovely people at the book club and at my other activities. I have a good core group of 5 friends. I feel loved and grateful.
Since living in San Diego, I have been better about my health. I get to walk everyday to the beach. Food seems fresher here. My anxiety has died down tremendously since moving. I just needed to breath that ocean air. My hair also enjoys this weather because it’s thriving! I make sure to take some me time once a week. Take myself out and explore.
How did I get that $2 million home? Well, I'm a best selling author of multiple books. I write poems, motivate people, and create some fun short stories. My podcast is also doing really well! I created a community of wonderful ladies and gentlemen that want to better themselves and their communities. I focus on local businesses around the world, sharing what they do and showing that on my videos. I get to travel all over the world, sharing the beauty of those businesses. I also create art and sell it. On the side, I invest in businesses I believe in. Of course my husband does really well for himself as well. We share the financial burden.
In these last 10 years I have accomplished so much! I am making money from what I love to do. I became a home owner and don't need to worry financially. I got the courage to leave my home state. I reached my goal of writing 3 books. I got a few people I look up to on my podcast, like Mel Robbins, Richard Branson, Mark Cuban, Rihanna, and many more. Ready to continue the journey.
We can go deeper with asking ourselves what brings you joy, what is your spiritual practice like, etc. but this post has gotten too long so I'll let you try it yourself. Let me know what does your life in 10 years look like?