I am inspired to design every day by seeing the impact that the built environment has on everything we do. I am often critiquing the spaces I visit, and while some inspire a different approach, their influence shows the importance of architectural design, and inspires me to figure out how to improve our built environment. If a space is not created with thoughtful intention, it can have adverse effects on our emotions and well-being, but on the contrary, spaces that have been well designed have the power to excite our emotions, be productive workplaces and be healing places of respite.
I would not attest the challenges I have faced in my career to my gender, but perhaps the way I learned to overcome these challenges could be applied to those who have encountered biases. Early in my career, I was intimidated by all the things I did not know. I was quiet and often overwhelmed by the new things I would learn every single day. Architecture is not a profession for which there is a handbook, and while I continue to learn about people, ways to solve problems, the needs of all the clients we work for, my confidence in how I approach all these new aspects of architecture is the skill that helped me assert myself. Learning to speak up, ask questions and jump headfirst into every new experience has vastly helped me overcome any fears that may have held me back. As I've gained more experience, I have become more confident in how to approach the challenges I face daily, so to me, age and inexperience was the biggest challenge.