An Ai Confession, a Belizean Epiphany, & the "Organic Jewel Box"
- Lee Waters Design
- 7 hours ago
- 5 min read
Can you relate to feeling like the internet has gone from the Wild West to
a bit of a ghost town?!
Of course, there are still plenty of content creators showing up in a real way, but as a business owner, I've noticed that so many of the brands and design accounts I follow on social media now feel like they're not really there. I login to be inspired, scroll for a few minutes and think, "gahhh, this feels like a bunch of virtual tumbleweeds". Between the Ai videos, the Ai captions, the Ai bots commenting and/or stirring people up in the comments, and the Ai blogposts, it's all just too curated and highly impersonal...too robotic. I end up logging off in only a few minutes. The addiction to checking the apps is totally still there. I don't even want to know how many times I day I check Instagram...but the hold it had on me, is gone. The reason I originally went online was to personally connect with other people; and it is no longer being satisfied.
This realization has me realizing my own complicity in this scenario. I'll confess here that I've heavily incorporated Ai into my own online presence.
Why? Well why does anyone do it? To save time, energy. For fear of how my real thoughts and words will be perceived. As a now solo-preneurer working with multiple independent contractors, I want my business to be taken seriously without misreprenting anything that's written. Ai has helped me write copy that conveys the messages of education, competence, and standards that I want potential clients to feel as they consider hiring me. Well, I've decided to stand in the power of being myself, becasue ultimately that is exactly who you're working with if you hire LWD. If you've noticed that over time my own social media posts and blog posts and website copy have felt staid and impersonal, it's about to change.
Effective immediately, I'm committing to taking back the keyboard in all blog posts, newsletters and Instagram stories. My website is working well, so I'm going to leave that as it is for now, but the next time I make a change, it will come directly from me. Instagram posts are currently being written by my graphic designer and social media manager, so I'm unsure of how we'll tackle that in the future as his involvement is new for me.
Who is LWD, and why The Shift?
In the past I've formally hired people for consistent work in LWD, but right now, and for the new two plus years, it's just going to be me Lee Waters.
I'm a formally educated interior designer who has been practicing design since 2012, when I obtained my MFA in interior design from Virginia Commonwealth University. I'm about to begin studying to take the first portion of the NCIDQ exam this fall, and hope to one day become a licensed contractor. I believe in always staying at the top of my business and education game.
I am also proud to be the mother to three incredible kids, aged 13, 11, and 8. Right now, their schedules and needs require me full time and with flexibility. Between my professional and family goals, there is not enough time right now to add more full service/All In clients to my workload. Thus, I'm wrapping up the remaining full service projects and focusing on consultation services for the next 2.5 years. I'll continue to work out of my home office in Midlothian, VA, servicing the Greater Richmond Virginia (RVA) area.
While LWD is formally just me, I do have amazing independent contractors that help me with everything from procurement, storage, and installation on ongoing full service projects to on-site design assistance for consultation services, content creation, bookkeeping, accounting, and more! I am so fortunate to be supported by such incredible people who are able to work with me as I need them.
While it might seem like I'm giving up on the gold standard of interior design service (AKA full service, where we handle everything from the concept to the renovation to the final installation and styling), I actually see this pivot as a way to help way more people. People who want a different service. Naturally some people want the full enchilada, but whomever wants full service has to pay for all of the extra time and effort it requires. With my new consultation services focus, I can now provide the same excellent service clients have come to know and love, but on a reduced scope. This benefits clients in one or two ways.
Reduced scope of service means reduced cost for client.
You want to work with a designer, but don't mind managing your project once you have a plan from the designer. I don't have the additional time to spend on your project once I've given you the plan. Therefore, you don't have to pay for the extra time. Win-win!
Reduced scope of service allows the client more creativity within a confidently prepared plan.
Some of y'all really love the opportunity to stretch yourselves and I'm here to make you feel great about trusting yourself with any pivots you might have to make or styling needs. I give you tons of resources with your plan, plus I am here for any quick questions or future service needs.
You quickly receive a high-impact, actionable design plan, without paying for project management.
Acting natural + the Organic Jewel Box
Last week, I had a moment of clarity while on a much needed vacation at the incredible Jade Jungle Resort in Teakettle Belize. This is not sponsored, but I am obsessed with my time there and want to share it with you. During this trip, I was almost completely disconnected from my phone and internet. I could actually THINK, which was glorious. My moment of clarity led gave me two realizations.
I want to showing up online in a much more natural, real way.
I want to incorporate more natural materials and vibes into my future design work--including my own future home that I plan to move to in about four years. More details to come on that soon. It's going to take some development of my new style. When I think of organic or earthy palettes I think muted, neutral, and letting nature do all the talking. But what do you do when you don't live in an open air, eco-luxury resort in the middle of the jungle of remote Belize?! You know I love color and bold pattern mixing. Is there such thing as an Organic Jewel Box? I aim to find out! Stay tuned for a post about just that...
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