How I improved during my time away:

1. The marriage of flow and craft brings deep knowledge and understanding.

I gardened, cooked, did yoga, got healthy, hiked, played, took photos, and learned a lot about life during my hiatus, and from it all I've become a better designer, person, and artist. I've learned to cultivate flow, a mental state of unconscious decision making that happens when deliberation gives way to intuition, and I'm more at peace with my self-criticism. Design also improved during my time away, with better processes and methods. I'm eager to implement them in collaboration with team members on meaningful projects.