What If...

What could have been with the Oikos logo back in 2009... I think we made the right choice (1st green one):

Design Lessons

I've realized a few things since starting my new job in Peoria at the beginning of March...

1. I really like designing logos.
I honestly didn't think I would ever say that but it's true. The more I do, the more I like doing them. There's something about giving a person or company an identity that represents everything they are, yet maintaining simplicity.

2. I miss web design.
This one is no surprise. Web is probably my favorite medium and I have done zero of it the last 6 weeks. I'm not complaining, it's just that I always want to keep web in my repertoire. Not sure why I used that word.

3. Agriculture is one of my favorite industries. 
I've been designing for 5 different agriculture companies over the past 5 years and I really enjoy the industry. There's something about the realness and how personable farmers are. They love being interviewed, photographed and telling their stories. No corporate agenda or meetings to get to (although a few have been annoyed that I threw off their planting/harvesting schedule--they have been the exception). The designs aren't always the most progressive, but hey, I can at least try to push the envelope, right?

4. I like leading and being led simultaneously. 
This one might sound weird but it's cool to be a leader in some areas and a follower in others. As I'm learning the ropes at work, there are multiple people leading me who are immensely talented and very easy to follow. And yet there's still the aspect of being a leader with clients and within the agency on some projects. I like that. It's win-win. I think everybody needs some of both. Maybe not an equal amount, but definitely a little of both. If you want to lead, you probably should have been led before.

5. Design doesn't define me.
Yes, design is one of my favorite things in the world. I think I'll always be passionate about art and seek to express it somehow but it doesn't define who I am as a person. I don't write this because other people have thought this, but rather, for myself. I think I have to constantly prove myself... to myself. Ridiculous. I'll continue creating meaningful, good art but the defining part is quite a bit deeper than that.

I'll post 3 of the logos we presented to the client and let you guess which one was chosen....

Overwhelmed.

That's been my word lately. So much to do. I have a new job, I'm moving in a few weeks after a 2 month search, leaving my home church in a month, going to 4 weddings in 5 weeks including making videos for 2 of those and playing guitar in a 6th, helping Audrey move to Decatur (and driving to see her), flying to Portland to see my sister graduate and climb Mt. Hood, and a lot more that I could bore you with, but that's already been accomplished.

Yes, that's a lot. I think of what people inside the church, and even outside for that matter, say when things come up or if there's a significant loss in your life.

"God won't give you more than you can handle."

I don't really believe that. Actually, it's not true. For one, you won't find it anywhere in the Bible. If anything, people will point to 1 Corinthians 10:13, which is clearly talking about temptation. One of my good friends asked me about that a few years ago and it caused me to do a little searching. I didn't really realize what the answer is until recently. God does give us more than we can handle. And it's so we can trust in Him fully. 

Trust. Fully.
Or with all of our hearts and all of our ways. 

Yes, I'm quoting the probably over-quoted verse from Proverbs  3.  God is my only way. It's no different from anything else in the world--I''m helpless to do it on my own. I need God. It IS more than I can handle. And I think it's a wonderful thing... so I'm deciding not to be anxious in anything but to trust God and believe He will give me the time, energy, resources, and whatever else I'll need to get through the next month. I've been given (or taken in some cases) more than I can handle, and I'm OK with that. 

So on top of all of this, I'm writing a post instead of doing my Perspectives homework. Go figure.