The Significance of Empty Spaces in Design
Manchester-based creative coach Jen Carrington shared insights about her small business and personal journey toward slow living in an online interview conducted by journalist Fiona Barrows. Carrington, who lives with her husband, two cats, and dog, works with her clients in supporting their creative endeavors and personal growth. Her commitment to a joyful, meaningful, and sustainable life inspired her to run her business on her own terms.
Chiari Malformation Type 1, a neurological disorder, affects Carrington's daily life by causing migraines, dizziness, fatigue, and nerve and muscle pain. As a result, she must carefully manage her energy and priorities and be flexible with her expectations of herself to maintain her health while running her business.
Carrington expressed her belief that ambition might not always be the driving force for someone seeking a simpler, slower life. She emphasizes building a life that feels joyful, meaningful, and sustainable while opting out of external definitions of success.
To achieve a dream while embracing a slow-paced lifestyle, Carrington mentioned that her big dreams often involve a sense of slowness and simplicity. She builds white space, or time with no predetermined agenda, into her days to prioritize her health and recharge herself mentally.
Last year, Carrington launched "Build a Better Day," a website that shares her journey to creating her ideal day and rejuvenating her connection to her creative work. The website is designed to offer inspiration and encouragement to others who seek a more intentional and fulfilling daily routine.
When it comes to slow living, Carrington focuses on living intentionally, disregarding societal definitions of success, and making space and time for self-care. She maintains that being realistic with her capacity and creating a balance between work and white space significantly impacts her overall well-being.
In her slow living routines, Carrington cherishes Mulberry's clothes, feels at peace in nature, and finds cooking a homemade meal to be a relaxing ritual.
Compiling a reading list with categories focusing on slow living, home, and nature, Carrington offers thoughtful advice for incorporating more white space into one's daily life: adding more white space than one thinks they need. By doing so, people can create a more manageable and engaging daily routine for themselves.
- Jen Carrington, despite battling Chiari Malformation Type 1, continues to manage her small-business that promotes slow living and personal growth.
- Carrington believes that ambition isn't essential for everyone pursuing a simpler, slower life, and instead emphasizes living joyfully, meaningfully, and sustainably.
- Last year, Carrington launched "Build a Better Day," a platform offering insights on creating an intentional and fulfilling daily routine, drawing from her own slow living journey.
- In her personal life, Carrington cherishes her Mulberry clothes, finds peace in nature, and regards cooking a homemade meal as a calming ritual, as part of her slow living lifestyle.
