01 BEAUTY AS POWER
What we see is powerful. This to me is huge.
I’ve spent my whole life struggling, or feeling guilty, because I’ve, apparently been, the “better looking twin” who naturally had more friends growing up and has been favored. However, the results of that may not be as favorable as one may think - aside from my tendency toward the perfecitonistic visual gene.
Sorry, that was a bit of an offsplash. But my. Can you imagine what this world would be without beauty? I mean downright ugly, sure. But some you’d think wouldn’t seem to give a care.
However, this person thrives, lives, and breathes off of beauty, and that can be a dangerous thing. It’s not always the soulful thing, though there is always the sky to look up to. Sometimes loving beauty can mean less friends, less enjoyment of everyday objects, or less patience when things at home aren’t “tidied up”.
Beauty, for the world. It shapes emotions, It shapes beliefs, it shapes motives, and it shapes lives. It also shapes shapes (to put in a “kicker”) .
For my route in design, I’m often brought the question of what I think beauty is, or, “what does this letterform teach you about beauty?” or “how did this design translate beauty into that system of thinking?”
The fact is, there is beauty in everything - I mean, their are particles, atoms, in everything, right? How is the form, and function (though often not seen) of that, not beautiful?
Why do people mow their yards, blow off their driveways? Why are there chairs hand crafted thousands of different ways?
Beauty is everywhere - especially to the one who takes the time to notice.
But more than that, beauty just may well be the most powerful force on earth.
Yes, we see it in bodies of oceans. And in my thinking, those were designed as well.
But think over the course of human history, and the most powerful culture shifts have been shaped by systematic beauty, or beauty that told stories.
The symbol of the cross - just think of all that that has meant over time. Or the Swastica - Don’t worry, there will be a journal entry on symbols coming soon.
Whether for the better or worse, these visual designs were beautiful, and that beauty held power.
Your business, organization, or campaign holds within it the inherent potential for that kind of power as well - but it won’t get there without the vehicle of design. And not just any type of design - beautiful design.