Mind your Ps & Qs: № 001

A short pause to recognize small slices of beauty.

The phrase “Mind your Ps and Qs” comes from the history and craft of traditional letterpress printing. In letterpress, all the movable letters must be carved or cast backwards, sometimes making it difficult to differentiate between similar characters when constructing a layout. This phrase is a simple reminder to pay attention to the smallest of details and to take pride in our craftsmanship.

I know the importance of getting the details right, because the smallest mistake can distract the reader from the larger purpose of the message.

I am often concerned about how we perceive of the world. And, particularly, how we can craft a narrative that everyone else is living a life full of highlight reels which can make us feel like our own lives are slow and mundane.

As a practice for myself and perhaps an encouragement for you, I am starting a series of posts that focuses on finding the beauty in those slow, mundane, and overlooked moments and spaces. I hope this will be a way of giving myself an opportunity to appreciate time and place better, instead of focusing on my false perceptions.

Maybe this will be a way of focusing on the details so I don’t miss the larger messages of life.

So, here are nine recent slices of time as a designer and dad in rural Indiana.

Have a good weekend, everyone. Take the time to look for beauty in your own moments!

-Daniel