The End of Design as I Know It

This is Part 2 of a series of posts exploring the connection between design and life from a Christian perspective. The bold headline references in this post refer to the symbolic journey of Israel described in the Scriptures and summarized in Part 1. Rather than explain each segment of the journey in design, I thought it might be more helpful to hear what a designer would be saying to him or her self depending on where they were in the journey. You can substitute design for your profession.

SLAVES IN EGYPT
I just don’t know what to do with my life. I’m really a creative, but am stuck in this IT job and am miserable. I feel like a slave to my company. I'm doing their bidding and building their empire.

CROSSING THE RED SEA
I’ve found my calling. I want to be a graphic designer. I want to connect my passion with my work with me. Design is what really excites and interests me. I’ve quit my job and am going back to school.

IN THE WILDERNESS UNDER THE LAW
School was a bit of a drag, but now that I’m out in the real world, design is certainly going to better. I've landed a nice spot at an advertising agency as a junior designer. They've got an A list of clients. Can't wait to show them my stuff.

Forty years of wandering in the design desert later... I’m just not that great at design. I can’t seem to measure up to my client’s expectations or to my own standards of excellence. I’m not satisfied with my work. My passion for design is about gone and my creativity shot. Too much administration, office politics, management bs. I'm tired of trying to sell stuff for corporate America. Does the world need another soda, or sock or car? More and more I feel forced into deception and manipulation with my design for the almighty dollar. I just want to design great work that really matters.

CROSSING THE JORDAN RIVER
I’ve quit my agency job. I’m freelancing. I’m focusing just on design. I’m letting go and letting God. I realize that He’s put me in design to make a difference in this world to bring fame to His name, not my own. I'm trusting Him to help and lead me every step of the way.

TAKING THE LAND AND MAKING A KING
I’m doing awesome work now and am really excited about it. Just finished a brochure for a missions organization and a website for a friend starting his new business. They were both featured in the HOW design annual. God is really blessing me. I'm so glad I made this move.

Yeah, still have to do a bunch of non-design stuff, but I’m in control now—not someone else. At the rate God is blessing me, I think I might even start my own little design studio. Making a difference now. Sustainable design…right on. My design touches people’s heart for the good. God’s really empowering me we some super creative ideas too—ones that must come from Him. I’d have never thought that up. I’m even doing design work for ministry. Oh, yeah, I still have to take on a few corporate clients to pay the bills. And some bread and butter type design work that requires some compromises (maybe even a little manipulation or deception) to sell the brand. But in comparison to where I used to be, it’s not a big deal.

THE EXILE
Time passes... Something’s wrong. I just can’t do another church/missions/ministry related piece of design. Or even one that saves the environment or helps raise money for cancer. There’s just no life in it for me. It’s not that these things are bad for me to do—they’re just empty. Frustrating. I know God has given me some talent at design and has really blessed my business. Then why doesn’t it seem to please either Him or me when I do it? Even doing it in His name or for His glory is lifeless inside me. What's going on? God? Did I miss my calling? I like teaching. Maybe He wants me to be a teacher, then I can make a difference in this world. Wait a minute, I’ve been down this road before. That’s how I got here with design. What does He want to do with me? Why is there such radio silence? Design is dead in me.

OUT OF EXILE AND CROSSING THE EUPHRATES RIVER
I’ve taken the blue pill. I can see the Matrix—all the systems of this world that man has created out of His fallen nature. Design is one of them. I was a part of them. I can see them all in me too. A nature that’s been in me from the beginning of the journey that wants to act independently of Him. It's never been completely dealt with in me. My design exile has exposed the kings I’ve crowned in myself—design is one of many. Now God wants me to join with Him to bring about an end to this fallen realm, to judge it for what it really is—a work of iniquity. And now to place my full trust in what Christ’s death on the cross has done in my behalf—beyond forgiveness, righteous living, relationship with Him, death then heaven—complete union with the Father and the Son without making a pact with death first.

What does this look like though practically? Well, I’m still designing logos, websites and brochures, but the Matrix no longer owns my spirit, soul and body. Those are His. Purchased through the death of His Son. I’m now waging an inner war against everything in this realm. Seeing design and all other things as something He wants destroyed, so we can come up into a higher union with Him. Now we’re talking real design. The same type of design that created a leaf, a thumb or a dog--even in their messed up, fallen cloak.

REBUILDING THE WALLS AND AWAITING THE MESSIAH
If you meet me, I may seem ambivalent about design. Sure I can still appreciate a good website or logo, but only to a certain point. And I’m okay with the fact that other designers are working on a missions website or have just designed a hand powered pump to irrigate crops more efficiently in third world countries. That’s nice. I'm participating in something that will end design forever. End the need for food. End the need for evangelism. End the need for ministry. End death itself. I’m waiting for Jesus to be revealed to the world in me. And it’s right around the corner.

Does this make any sense to you? Where do you think you might be on this journey?