I Have a Thing for Circles
I’ve always had a thing for circles.
Dot-to-dot puzzles on kid’s menus? Move over kid, it’s my time to shine! Candy buttons on strips of white paper? Nasty and pulpy and oh so good! Kandinsky’s Color Study. Squares with Concentric Circles? A joy to behold!
When I was in 9th grade, I wore green opaque stockings with lavender polka dots that I bought at Saks in NYC with my mother, and I was wearing a navy polka dot one-piece bathing suit when I first caught my husband’s eye. I still have a darling polka dot handbag I thrifted years ago.
There’s just something about a circle; simple, yet complex - closed, yet open. Even in terms of punctuation a period completes a sentence whereas dot-dot-dot indicates, “Wait! There’s more…”
Circles look as good when contrasting with their background; like black on white, as they do when complimentary; like corn yellow on maritime blue. They are as visually impactful small (think pointillism and the art of Roy Lichtenstein) as they are BIG (think Stonehenge and crop circles).
From a philosophical standpoint, circles are yearning to be filled; like a plate, an SAT answer bubble or the Hora Dance at a Jewish Wedding or they’re totally complete; like a ring, an old vinyl record or coins collected from world travels. These circles have multiple layers of stories, worlds and experiences within them – Who designed or created them? Who wore them or collected them? Who passed them on or shared them? Each story might be completely insular; collectively, they’re connective. Like a historical dot-to-dot.
Circles are also joyous and hopeful. From tangible bouncy balls, confetti and cakes to intangible circles of trust, influence and life (insert Circle of Life from Disney’s The Lion King here).
In business, circles represent data points. As STACY CONNECTS, what I do is connect the data points (or circles) to tell a compelling story. The lines drawn between circles are where connection and relationships are built.
A circle never stands alone, it is always in relationship or connected to something. I guess I’ve always had a thing for connection.