Who's Afraid of the Big Bad ______?

Designer's are afraid. And I can't really blame us. The wolf lures us in with nice salaries, the latest technology, the promise of big name clients and cool digs. In fact, the wolf has all the money and security we would want as long as we give him our Creative lives. And the wolf has disguised himself so well, that he sometimes forgets he's a wolf. But deep down, we know something's not kosher. We were supposed to experience joy and passion serving at grandma's house—serving her in her sickness, and bringing her beauty and nourishing food. But something dreadful happened.

Somewhere along our creative journey the wolf met us—maybe in design school or at our first job or even in our youth when dad said "How are you going to earn a living with that degree?" And we started listening. Not too much at first because the wolf disappeared, and we were skipping happily along the path picking flowers to give to grandma. But when we knocked at grandma's door, a stranger's voice answered. Although not what we expected, we wrote off our uneasiness. Maybe grandma has a bad cold. Surely she'll get better. "Come in" the voice enticed. We went in and stayed.

We've been in grandma's house for quite some time now, but are beginning to notice some very peculiar things about her. She talks too us sweetly, but there's a veiled tone in her voice that she might eat us if given a chance. She's wearing grandma's clothing, but it doesn't fit her right. Everything is out of proportion. She looks at us admiringly, but her eyes appear hungry for something more. What could be wrong? Why are we afraid?

Slowly designers are realizing that this is grandma's house, but we're not serving grandma. Our Creative lives are in grave danger, and we must get out before getting eaten. Advertising, marketing, agencies, corporations, profit and the like have eaten grandma, and are sizing designers up. We've been living in bondage in their world for so long, few of us recognize the wolf or remember what both creativity and freedom are like. Who are we really serving with our design? Here is what Charles Perrault, the writer of the English version of Little Red Riding Hood says is the moral of the story:

"Children, especially attractive, well bred young ladies, should never talk to strangers, for if they should do so, they may well provide dinner for a wolf. I say 'wolf,' but there are various kinds of wolves. There are also those who are charming, quiet, polite, unassuming, complacent, and sweet, who pursue young women at home and in the streets. And unfortunately, it is these gentle wolves who are the most dangerous ones of all."

In the next few posts I'll be discussing the wolves, grandma, her house, and how you can follow others who have made the break for freedom to follow their passion.