Designing a Career With Meaning and Purpose
First, I just wanted to thank everyone who reached out to me after my last newsletter about my health. Every message was deeply touching and appreciated. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. The biophilic community really is the best!
Today I have something fun to share!
A while back, I mentioned that I was included in the revised edition of The Brand of You, a career guide for interior designers by Aga Artka and Jenny Rebholz. Recently, my chapter was highlighted on their blog in two parts:
1 – “Career Mapping: Designing with Meaning and Purpose,” which shares how my values, education, lived experience, and love of nature converged into the work I do now.
2 – “A Conversation with Nicole Craanen,” a companion interview where I talk more about the people, tools, and resources that helped shape my direction.
I wanted to share these with you because they tell a bit more of my story.
Many of you know me through The Biophilic Design Institute, but these articles offer a new perspective on the path that led me here: the interior design background, the search for meaning, the pull toward nature, and how biophilic design eventually wove it all together.
The book helps designers understand their voice, communicate their value, and build a career that feels meaningful, sustainable, and aligned. It is also an excellent resource for interior design educators.
While it is written specifically for interior designers, I think the larger questions are relevant to many of us:
- How did I get here?
- What do I actually care about?
- What kind of work do I want to be known for?
- And how do I explain the value of what I do?
“When you are in the moment, the signs don’t always clearly reveal themselves.”
That line feels so true to me.
One of the fun parts of this project was getting to step back and look at the bigger picture of my own career and see it mapped out so beautifully (for the full graphic, check out the links below). So much of a path makes more sense in hindsight.
It also connects to the work I do now.
I often meet people who are drawn to biophilic design but aren’t always sure how their interests, values, or professional background fit together. In many ways, my work is about helping people find their way in biophilic design, just as The Brand of You helps designers find their voice and direction.
P.S. Thank you also to everyone who submitted ideas for my tour of NeoCon, which was great, but also a whirlwind! I’ll share what I found soon when I launch my new blog, where I’ll have space for more detail, photos, and past newsletters.
Put it Into Practice
Step outside and sit or move around slowly. Choose a place where you feel safe. Keep your phone away or on airplane mode. Let this be a time to listen, notice, and simply be.
