Power of Design, or Why I Still Have a Job

The world of graphic design has exploded now that everyone's mom and dad have photoshop and "vector" is becoming a household word. Everyone is a designer and lots of people seem to be pretty good at. How hard is it to create things that you think look good? Especially when we can be "inspired" by all the eye candy that has infiltrated every aspect of our lives. Even my butter package is beautiful! But I came across this today and was reminded, yet again, that design is no wrapping paper solution. Combined with critical thinking, design can help affect the change in the world that is needed. And critical thinking is what we get paid for. Photoshop, Illustrator, color theory, all those pantone chips are just tools that we use. A hammer and screwdriver. The power of design does not lie in the eyes, it lies in the mind.

(Paper towel dispenser that directly connects the environmental impact with the individual's consumption.)

The Remarkable Forgiveness

I've just read TUP 2 cover to cover. I laughed out loud at Eli Hopkins' The Remarkable Intruder. It was a dizzying and full of tiny recognitions of my own incongruities. What made me laugh out loud and for a long time was that the story starts out, "Did I mention I have just been beaten?" Four paragraphs later, "I might as well admit that I was never beaten, not strictly. I was thrown a birthday party..." Next paragraph: "Actually, there was a beating, but it wasn't my beating. That's where I got confused. There was something called a pinata, I have no idea what it means. I have a condition characterized by the intense and involuntary suffering that comes from sympathy for inanimate objects. It was horrible what they did."

I laughed so hard and what's more, I can relate to this. I also do not know what pinata means though I used to know a guy who made them. It was his passion. He was an "internet friend". I don't remember his name, but I think I might have met him once.

I really want to say how much I enjoyed Tup 2 and to tout it's brilliance (and all the wonderful entries), but since I know and love most of the contributers, I feel more than a little biased. So, I refrain. Tomorrow, I'm going to hear a lecture with Art Chantry at PNCA.




PNCA, incidentally, is the school that the cyclist who got killed last week went to. ........................................................
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I guess I should write about it. Maybe it will help. A block from my work, a cyclist got run over by a cement truck. I happened to be walking to work a bit after it happened and I walked right onto the scene. I was so struck with the reality of it and the tragedy (god, you'd think I could come up with better words than that). I couldn't get much done for the rest of the day. A made up scene kept playing in my head of the whole accident. The girl's terror, thankfully brief. And the driver's realization. I've heard that they aren't pressing charges and I've heard some people be irrate about that. This guy was not on drugs, not speeding, not doing anything illegal. She was in his blind spot. But, I'm thinking of the guy's innocence or lack there of. What keeps coming back to me is that this guy is going to have to live with the knowledge that he killed a young girl. The "punishment" of that knowledge is far worse than any external punishment could ever be.

Okay, I digress for a moment. I used to be part of NA (there, I outted myself). I have like 12 years clean and I really don't think about it much anymore. But I used to got to NA meetings and there were people there who's lives had gotten worse than I could imagine. There was one woman in particular who had a lot of recovery both in years and emotionally. She and her husband were both like ideals for us to look up to. Then a young guy in a truck hit and killed her husband when he was riding his motorcycle. It was a horrible thing and she suffered greatly. A year later, she asked the guy to come over and he did, with his mother. He was terrified and unsure what to expect and he couldn't forgive himself. Who could? She told him in no uncertain terms that she forgave him and she expected him to forgive himself. He needed to live a full life and more forward. I was floored when I heard about the healing capacity we have. I still am.

Picking Punk Mans

Oh lordy, how I love Pumpkin Picking. I had made some vow that I would only get one - but I think I meant that I would only carve one. And did I ever. My subconscious is working on the ultimate carving. Actually, my subconscious is working on a number of designs. It is the time of year to start thinking about my wood blocked cards. I have decided that I would delve further into self-expression. This year's cards will still be botanical in nature, but with a heavy dose of ilonaism. Yes, I am going to Ilonafy them. Maybe one day I will be able to sell sets of them. For now, they will be gifts. Unless you want to buy them (shameless plug, I know - especially for a prodcut that hasn't been produced yet). I am signing off now before further embarassing myself. Check out this punkman (that's a Savanna-ism. She's 4. I give her a lot of kudos for that one.)