This week on Wednesday at noon Central Time, the IALD is hosting a webinar to address the impact of racism on our industry. This will (hopefully) be the start of a longer conversation filled with action items - what can we actually do to improve our industry by making it inclusive and welcoming to a diverse population?

When Edward Bartholomew and Nelson Jenkins asked me to join this panel, the first words out of my mouth were, "I might say the wrong thing. Don't get me wrong - I'm passionate about this topic. It's close to my heart, but I'm still learning how to be Anti-Racist." Edward graciously answered that we are all still learning and Nelson welcomed me to the panel. I have already learned during the short time we have been preparing for this webinar.

Why would I want to be on this panel? I believe that justice and equity are human rights. I also believe that designers can apply our creativity to solving issues of social injustice. As a kid, I often felt left out. We've all been there, right? I remember that feeling, and I hated it. Because of that, I have always tried to be inclusive.

As a human, I care about how others are treated.
I care about how they feel.
I care about people.
I care.

I care about my seven-year-old niece who is the princess of our family. She was born in Ethiopia and adopted at eight months old. She is spunky and smart. I want everyone to see that about her and love her as much as I do. I want her to have access to every opportunity that my nephew and my sons will have. And I absolutely don't want anyone to hurt her or judge her based on her gender or the color of her skin.

Let me ask the white people reading this...when was the last time you were in the minority? When have you gone to a meeting or a store or just driven down the street and noticed that you were the only white person around? Can you honestly say you were comfortable in that situation? Okay, now reverse that and you might begin to imagine how Black lighting designers feel. At a lighting conference about 15 years ago, I happened to notice that nearly everyone in the room was old, white, and male. A few years later, an Emerging Professional approached me and said, "This is awkward, but I feel like I can talk to you...are there any Black people in this industry?" My truthful answer had to be that there aren't many, but then I proceeded to introduce her to as many people as I could to make her feel welcome.

This conversation is long overdue.
Since the murder of George Floyd and the subsequent protests, many in the lighting industry have condemned social injustice and racism. Many in the lighting community have even issued diversity and inclusion statements. 
Action is also overdue.
I hope everyone who has been speaking out will join this Webinar.
Help us discuss ways to move into action and make positive change in our industry!

Update: A version of this story was published in St. Louis CNR! Read that story here, and our original blog post below.

Cities everywhere are closing roadways to traffic and allowing restaurants to add outdoor dining tables because of coronavirus. Other restaurants are taking over parts of their parking lots to add a few tables. This outdoor dining option will be a lifesaver for many restaurants, allowing them to serve more guests while social distancing. Small overlooked nooks and crannies can create a perfect socially distanced table and with the right lighting, it can be stunning.
 
Outdoor dining creates daytime and nighttime lighting challenges. Umbrellas or a trellis may be needed to mitigate hot sunshine, while those “ceilings” become perfect opportunities for lighting at night. Uplighting an umbrella turns the whole thing into a glowing light source. LED lights are small sources which don’t take much power. Some can even be solar powered.
 
The Envision Lighting Design team has studied the options, and we would like to offer a few guidelines for spicing up your ad hoc alfresco dining spaces with a little lighting magic.
 
Safety First
Be sure to highlight steps, ramps, and curbs. This can be done with post-top lights, wall sconces, or ropelight tucked underneath the steps. Light can also mark pathways and help with wayfinding.
To screen diners from roadways, parking lots, or even other tables, add plants and put lights in them for increased visibility. If you don’t plan to bring your lighting system inside during inclement weather, make sure you are using lights that are rated for outdoor use.

​Warm Color Creates Fireside Ambiance
LED light comes in all different colors. Be sure to pick a warm color light (not “daylight”) to help people – and their food – look the most appealing. Be careful with saturated color! Pops of red or blue color can be fun, but use it sparingly to avoid discoloring food or creating a chaotic atmosphere.
Another thing that creates a warm fireside ambiance is…fire. Firepits can be used to help socially distance patrons while also providing light. Firepits or heat lamps can provide warmth and ambient light to extend the outdoor dining season in cool climates. Candles on tables provide light, too. You can also use candles or other lighting to track which tables are ready for new guests.
Umbrellas can provide daytime shade from hot sun, while tiki torches provide light at night; either replace umbrellas with tiki torches nightly, or if you have enough room, create a checkerboard of umbrella tables for daytime and tiki tables for night.

​Create a Focal Point
Light the vertical surfaces between tables, whether they are curtains, walls, or plants. Whatever you use as a partition between people, illuminate it. Accent your accent walls! Try hiding the light source behind a bench or plant to create a softer glow. Glare is the enemy of a pleasant ambiance.
Firepits, fireplaces, and landscape planters are natural focal points. You can also uplight trees or hang lights from their branches to downlight the spaces below them. Why not draw attention to these bits of nature if you are lucky enough to have them in your urban landscape?
​
String Light Love
We all love string lights, and they are easy to install. But try using them differently. Here are some suggestions:

• When stringing lights across your space, what are you using for posts? Broomsticks in a bucket can work, but so can other objects. Try one of the following alternatives.
  • Use beefy 4x4 posts set in concrete bases; fill buckets with concrete and remove the bucket after concrete has set.
  • If you use sand-filled buckets, skirt them with fabric to hide the ugly bucket (and the dirty sand.)
  • Old wooden ladders or other interesting objects can be weighted with plants and used to anchor string lights.
  • String lights from a building to a perimeter wall – no posts necessary.
• Instead of hanging the string lights as a swag, connect them to the architecture and hang them in straight lines.
• Are there trees in your outdoor space? Wrap them with string lights. Locate the lights above eye level for best results.

It doesn’t take much. Even just one string of lights can make a table more inviting. 

​Let Your Personality Shine!
Lights – even string lights – come in different shapes and sizes. There are standard globes, but there are also some that look like jelly jars or paper lanterns. Pick a shape that matches the personality of your eatery.
Another fun idea is to bring floor lamps outdoors. Some are even rated for outdoor use.
Speaking of lamps, anything can be a lampshade! Hang buckets, baskets, or wire birdcages over a simple shop light for a dressed-up look. Cluster a group of cord-hung lamps together to create your own chandelier.
Lighting can be expensive and complicated, but it doesn’t have to be, and using your creativity can keep costs low. Whatever you decide to do, remember that the magic of light can enhance the outdoor dining experience just like it does indoors.
 

I had a little "meetup" with friends last night. You know the kind: not actually in person, but on Zoom like a work meeting, except after work and with non-work friends. My (sweet and insightful) friend told me it looked like I was carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders. I'm sure it did...

...in fact, with Zoom I could stare right back at my own image and see exactly what she was talking about in real time. It wasn't pretty, folks. For one thing, I need to work on my video-call lighting set-up. And maybe I also need to place an online order for some new makeup. But I digress.
It's probably true that I have been worrying about things more than I need to.
But you know what else is true? I have been waiting for SO MANY THINGS.

We have all been waiting...
...for our states or cities to reopen
...for test results
...to hear who won the proposal
...for furloughs to end
...for PPP loans or EIDL grants or stimulus checks
...for school to end
...for summer to start
...for our grocery deliveries
...for newly planted gardens to grow
...to be let in to that next web call

Whatever it is that you are waiting for, take a deep breath and let the weight slip off.
We're all in this together. You don't have to carry it all yourself!

While much of the world is suffering unprecedented stress due to the global pandemic, the EARTH seems to be feeling less stress than she has in a while. We have been reducing energy usage and air pollution, and it looks like the Earth is breathing easier because of it. That's a silver lining, for sure!
​
​It's also fitting, since this coming Wednesday, April 22 is the 50th Earth Day.

Several of our ELD team members celebrated our love for the planet by getting outside and planting gardens this weekend. Luckily, we were graced with gorgeous weather in the St. Louis area, so that felt like an Earth Day gift to us!

This is our eco-challenge to you: remember the connections, including your human ones. During this time of isolation, the connections are more important than ever. Start by connecting to the people you know and love - with a phone or video call - not just a text. After that, think about the electricity and the water you are using. How can you turn them off and use even a little less? This article has some good specific tips on how to save energy during the coronavirus pandemic. Next, go outside and take a deep breath. Take three deep breaths! Smell the fresh air. Now listen to the birds, the peepers, or the buzzing bees. What are the natural sounds you can hear today? It's springtime! How many colors can you see? The browns are being covered over with vibrant yellows and greens. In Missouri, the dogwoods and redbuds are blooming pink and white. Finally, go all-in...find a patch of ground, take off your shoes, and press your feet into this one-and-only planet of ours.
If the pandemic has you feeling tired and alone, take a break to connect with the beauty and mystery of our Earth.
Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life. ~Rachel Carson
Connect.
Let us know how you are celebrating Earth Day this week!

This weekend was my husband's birthday - our family's first birthday celebration during the pandemic and stay-at-home order. We celebrated with sidewalk chalk messages and streamers and zoom and FaceTime. It turned out to be a pretty, lovely day.

Then today was Easter. For me, this Easter Sunday felt bleak and dark.
But today's church sermon had been pre-recorded at dawn. The online message began with just an orange horizon in the background and finished with full daylight. The scriptures were focused on beautiful analogies of light and darkness, which spoke to me as a lighting designer. (The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. John 1:5,9)

I have actually been thinking all week about how light can bring hope. Light can brighten dark spirits - besides just illuminating actual darkness. In this way, I suppose churches and lighting designers are doing some of the same work. So today, I'm dedicating this space to a few of the churches we have worked with in the past. We know you all miss having the ability to gather together. We are hoping with you for a quick return to your spaces filled with your people. Until then, stay home, stay safe, find your hope and be a light.

 Peace, friends.

Last week I read an article about dads being "stuck at home" during the pandemic, which reminded me of one of my past research projects. It was favorite project of mine. (Are you allowed to have favorite research projects? Or is it like having a favorite child?)

These are the questions which spawned the research:
Are you a woman? Are you a lighting designer? Are you a mother? Have you ever noticed women leaving the design profession after becoming mothers? Are they actually leaving? If so, why? Are they quitting work altogether, or are they going to work somewhere else? If they are working somewhere else, what makes that other profession more desirable than lighting design? What can we do to make lighting design a good place for women who are also mothers?

It has been incredible to see people step up and lead during this time. I mean, to be honest, just getting out of pajamas and taking a shower feels like an accomplishment for those of us who aren't leaving the house much...
Here are some of the things I have seen leaders doing this week:

• Washington University is providing surveys, Covid-19 information, and free webinars to the St. Louis AEC community.
• AGCMO has an almost endless list of FREE resources on their website - everything from safety plans to HR guidelines and summaries of the Federal Relief Bill. Check it out!
• bKL Architecture is using their firm's 3D printers to create face masks for Chicago-area hospitals!

Today I read a great blog post on the Convergence of Leadership and Community written by Orv Kimbrough, CEO of Midwest BankCentre. This phrase really jumped out at me:
During a crisis, you see the difference in management and leadership, they are both important, but are not the same. Leadership is about measured growth and management is about maintaining.  Leadership is about challenging and inspiring others to deliver their best and management is generally about accepting things as they are.

Wow. Which one are you? We do always need both. But what does leadership look like?
For leaders, this is the time to shine, to encourage, to inspire!
​
What can we do to emerge from this better than we were last month or last year?
What can we do to grow and inspire growth in the people around us? And in the people we can influence, but who are currently NOT around (physically distanced from) us?
Use this time to show up and be your best. Just because no one is looking over your shoulder at your remote workplace doesn't mean they can't feel your commitment or enthusiasm. Be a leader! Put a smile on your face when you talk. Get on video chats so you can see your coworkers, and if nothing else, at least change out of those pajamas!

I've decided it's time to write, talk, and share. 
How are YOU doing? How is your team? What is your state of mind?
This is hard, but we are all in it together. We need each other.
Together, we will write this history. We will get through this. It will end. When it does, what do we want history to say about how we handled this pandemic?

Here's what Envision Lighting Design looks like today:
We have been working exclusively from home for three full work-weeks. We started on March 16, about a week earlier than our city/county mandates, because we have always been set up for remote work, and we wanted to do the right thing. Something new: our team has enjoyed daily video check-ins. We will keep some version of this in place in the future, because it allows us a more personal contact with our remote teammate(s). We will also do a better job with video product chats for our remote team! It has been great to meet with our reps and manufacturers in this way.
​We want to stay in touch with all of our partners, so contact us to book a virtual meeting, lunch-and-learn, or coffee. We miss you!

Envision Lighting Design recently received a St. Louis Section Award and an IES Award of Merit for the lighting design at the Stephen and Peter Sachs Museum at the Missouri Botanical Garden. The project inspired these thoughts from our Founding Principal, Lisa J. Reed:

​Oh, if these walls could speak…
These walls, built in 1859…
Would they tell you about the 60,000 plant specimens Henry Shaw housed here, and then would they go quiet, remembering when Shaw’s body lay in state here?
If these walls could speak, would they brag about when they were a film studio, or would they gossip about the conversations overheard when this was a restaurant?
If these walls could speak, would they tell you how lonely it was to stand empty for three decades, or would they just be excited about the architects and lighting designers who finally started coming around, doing mock-up after mock-up to get the color and distribution just right on the ceiling mural?
Would they tell you about the artist painstakingly tracing every line of the ceiling mural onto mylar – then taking a sample light fixture back to her studio to recreate the mural under the same light that would eventually illuminate it?