At ABLA, our people are integral to our success. Each month we’re spotlighting essential members of our team to learn more about what they do, what they love, and what’s the secret to their success.
Name: Paula Wheeler
Position: Planner III
How long have you been at ABLA?
I don’t quite remember now, its a little over three years I believe?
How do you like to start your day to ensure it sets the right tone?
Most mornings, I begin my day by nurturing my houseplants and playing fetch with my dogs. This simple ritual clears my mind and connects me with growth and love, setting a positive and grounded tone for the day ahead.
How does the culture at ABLA support your creativity and professional growth?
The variety of expertise among my colleagues offers valuable learning and resources. I also appreciate that lunchtimes are a time for us to recharge which offers me a moment in the day to take a walk by Tempe Town Lake or to take a few minutes to draw/ paint.
Are you a coffee, tea, or soda drinker?
I find fruit teas that are sweet and rich as very cozy on cold days.
What strategy do you find most effective in overcoming a creative block?
In moments that I find I hit a wall, I shift gears and tackle other parts of a project to allow things to percolate in the back of my mind for a while.
What activity gives you a midday boost and helps maintain your focus?
Stepping out for a walk or dedicating time to draw or paint during my lunch break acts as a pause button, engaging my mind and body in activities that clear my head, get me moving, and stimulate different aspects of myself.
Who inspires you? How have they influenced your approach to landscape architecture?
Artistically I am very drawn by the paintings done by Kazuo Oga and films by Makoto Shinkai which capture so much beauty in simple mundane things. They express a beautiful sense of “ma” which is an artistic interpretation of empty space such as a pause, a gap, space, or stillness. Like the purposeful pauses in a sentence or a brief moment looking up and out the window to take a deep breath, these artists capture moments of simplicity in such a beautiful way that I often think of how I can incorporate “ma” in my designs.
What landscape architecture/planning activities are you most excited about?
Exploring the ‘thinking behind thinking’ captivates me, especially when considering how various forms of communication—be it presentations, texts, three-dimensional models, or animations—resonate differently with diverse audiences. It’s the psychology of engagement, understanding how distinct mediums activate the brain and transmit the essence of a design, that I find fascinating.
What do you enjoy doing the most at ABLA/within landscape architecture/planning?
I touched on it in previous answers to these questions more eloquently but in short, I enjoy the variety, how I can tangibly see and feel my own improvement in the things I create, and how each project presents new opportunities and new things to learn.
Do you have a reflective practice to end your day on a positive note?
It might not be a reflective practice, but I often end the day looking at and thinking about projects I want to tackle, a skill I’m working on, or a skill I’d like to learn about in the future. It’s a nice way to have things to look forward to and be excited about.
Is there a quote or personal philosophy that inspires you?
I’m often very inspired by the Japanese concept of “ma” and how it is the emptiness that holds everything. Its the silence that allows us to hear and appreciate music. Its the pause in conversation that makes understanding possible. It is created somewhere between the compositional elements and what takes place in the mind of the human experiencing the elements. Like a cool formula where the sum does not exist without both parts. Makes me think of how a design is not quite complete until it has users experiencing and using the space.
