Design (with purpose)

While I was engaged I went to so many wedding blogs.  Almost every blog had new ideas and inspiration for my own wedding. There is a whole other world of really talented, creative people out there. Most of them are like 10 years younger than me and way more computer savvy.

Wedding blogs became a gateway drug to all blogs. I found photographer's blogs, stationary blogs, event planners, homemakers, fashion diva's, you name it and I probably found their blog.  Most of my internet "favorites" are other people's blogs.

I love to peak in on someone else's happy life. I love to see what a cute girl on the other side of the country baked today. I love seeing what some girl in the Big Apple stepped out of  her house wearing. I don't even know her and I am checking out her amazing fashion sense, nail polish or shoe closet.  I like reading about some amazing, exotic hotel in wine country that some lucky blogger was able to check out for the weekend. I gush over a newborn that belongs to a cute married couple living on the beach while running an interior design company. Seriously, it's an addiction but yet these people let me into their lives via a blog.   (Uh i realize i do the exact same thing by the way.)

During one of my days scouring blogs, I ran across a tour of a stationary designer's studio. I loved her style, the atheistic of her office space and her attitude.  My favorite thing was back in her office above her desk where she did most of her actual designing there was a piece of art that read, "design like you give a damn."  (Sorry for the language.) But it stuck with me.  Sadly, I have no idea what blog it was, where I can find it or if I dreamed it up. 

But something about that little phrase really stuck. Don't just haphazardly splash some lines on a page, design like you mean it, like you care, frankly, like you give a damn darn! So thus begins my career change. My hope to establish myself as a graphic designer who cares, who has a focus. 

My life currently is in a very odd phase.  It's a good phase just odd.  For the first time in my adult life, I am unemployed.  I have worked at least one job, typically two, since I started college.  And now here I am with no job at all. However, it isn't a bad thing for a lot of reasons. (On the exact same week I worked my final day at my job in Birmingham, Blake tore his ACL and will have surgery next Friday-totally different story but he's doing okay just keep us in your prayers!). 

I am still taking classes at least through the end of this semester and I found a pretty amazing internship at an ad agency.  I recently realized I am doing as much as I can to immerse myself in designing.  Instead of just being a Real Housewife of Tuscaloosa I decided I would make a mantra for myself: Design  (with purpose).

So that's just what I am doing right now. I am designing with purpose. I am trying to be as focused as possible on channelling this free time to create, dream, design and grow.  Of course I have anxiety about money and keeping afloat through the end of the year.  But as always, God's timing is perfect because this enables us to get through Blake's surgery, recovery, the holidays and all the travel that comes with his residency interviews.

Of course this Design (with purpose) not only is about my career but also about my walk with God. I want to be His Design (with purpose). I want to seek His will for my life. I will admit that isn't always easy. Sometimes I feel like I am just floating along. Praying here and there, reading my Bible when I need too, going to church when we can.  But that isn't what the Christian journey is about. It's about purpose and glorifying God through our jobs, daily life, service, and relationships. We can have purpose in the here, now and not yet.  Living in the moment and building up treasures for the not yet.

Philippians 2:13 (New International Version)
13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

Colossians 3:23-24 (New International Version)
23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.


Redesign: Besides my school work and the work I do at my internship, I also give myself a few side projects to get my creative juices flowing, to test my skills and to keep me designing. First I wanted to create something I could tack up on my fridge or at my desk to encourage me to keep going so I came up with the little layout below.



Then the next item is an inspiration board I am working on with a friend. (You know who you are!!) We are trying to come up with a logo for her new business venture. It's definitely in the early planning stages but the inspiration board has helped us both as we try to give the logo purpose and a focus!