runningNOMORE

Why I have long feared the pursuit of my creative problem solving abilities as they relate to design…

I did not want to spend my time creating letterheads, logos, or business cards or create attention for things that do not matter. I looked at the design industry and saw a “profession [who’s] time and energy [was] used up manufacturing demand for things that are inessential at best.” I saw a trade that would demand I pour myself into useless endeavors. But I want to pour my creative problem solving abilities into those things that have meaning. I want to create demand for issues effecting the human experience and quality of life. The "pursuits of life, love, and happiness" I will not give a chance in hell, rather the pursuits of justice, relieving the oppressed, defending the orphans, and pleading the cases of the widows. “Social Marketing” is what I think it’s called. I was unaware such a thing existed until I saw an advertising campaign, commissioned by Amnesty International, creating demand for actions against human rights violations. Then I learned about Kalle Lasn and Tibor Kalman, who have shown me more is possible with “a special breed of people with a special breed of brain.”


So with this new understanding I am pursuing a job at an art college who shares an equal understanding of the importance of design. The school is Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. My hope is to secure a full-time job and begin attending classes in an evening program called “Art Center at Night.” The college was the first school of design appointed by the UN to be among official NGO (non-governmental organization) UN partners. In awarding this status, the UN recognized that designers are key contributors to the creation of our human environment, and that as drivers of innovation they can make a lasting difference in people’s lives.

Please join me in this adventure by regularly visiting my blog and sharing your commentary on my thoughts, or simply stop by regularly to say hello. I’ve learned the importance of friends and family over the past year. It does wonders just to know someone is listening –I think it reminds us that we are not a lone.

May we enjoy this adventure of learning about design and creating demand for social justice together.

Relevant Links:
Art Center College of Design
article about Tibor Kalman
Kalle Lasn's work
Amnesty Intl. Ad Campaign

framing

“Today I decided to become an activist, tomorrow I’ll begin to make the changes.”

Seems so witty. Truth: today I discovered I am an activist and that has made all the difference. The difference of course being an understanding of the actions I’ve made my entire life and of the feelings and thoughts flooding my being. Tomorrow will be filled with the same decisions I made yesterday and today, however tomorrow’s decisions hold in their sights an understanding or rather a title: activist. I love being from our culture (which is really more commerce than culture) because we value titles. Dammit, I guess that means I do too… so give me an A-C-T-I-V-I-S-T and I’ll put it on. It comforts me to have a title, lets build a box.

I like the word activist, it brings to mind people who look at the world around them and disagree with how certain things are being done and offer an alternative. Reminds me of the naviim of Adonai who saw their world and offered commentary and alternatives.

“To be a prophet, [writes Abraham J. Heschel], is to be in fellowship with the feelings of God, to experience communion with the divine consciousness. The prophet is a person, not a microphone. He is endowed with a mission, with power of a word not his own that accounts for his greatness-but also with temperament, concern, character, and individuality.”

Activism: the policy or action of using vigorous campaigning to bring about political or social change

Sounds sweet.

Sounds smooth.

Sounds liberating.

Sounds honest.

I'm building myself a grand box.

So me, twenty-three years old finally holding in my head and heart an understanding that I am “gifted” at being creative. I see consumerism harms humanity and the environment, the west has raped democratic trees of their fruit, and know first hand people starve for no reason.

It is time for me to learn how to slip moods, nuances, values and perspectives right into your brain without you ever knowing it…

But what I’ll be slipping in is honest.

There I go breaking out of the box I just created.

I framed my self around the following words: activist, prophet, graphic designer; and then gave myself the freedom to step out of the box ha