on design.

summary.

I feel like this year, more than most, I have learned a lot about who I am and the world I live in. I believe this class, and this assignment has really made a difference. 

I feel as if design relates to all aspects of my life. 

This is what design has taught me.

1. Don’t wish your life away. It’s so easy. When you’re in school, you want out. When you’re dating, you want to get married. When you’re working, you want to retire. But this is no way to live at all. One day, we will miss these times. 

2. Treat everyone you talk to as if they are having a bad day. Why not make every encounter a meaningful one? There’s so much about someone we can’t see, so let’s do our best make everyone’s day a little better than it was before. 

3. Complaining only hurts everyone. I cannot stress this enough. COMPLAINING DOES NOTHING. (except maybe make you a whole lot less fun to be around.)

4. There’s nothing better than cuddling. That’s right. Nothing.

5. Money isn’t everything. So I had listed 2 different money lessons. And they very much contradicted each other. I, by nature, am one of the most frugal people you will ever meet. So, naturally, I wanted to add something about not spending money where it need not be spent. So I was going to instruct everyone, “don’t buy something if you can make it yourself.” But i also wanted to say something about learning when it is ok to have a little fun. But together, those would not make sense. So let’s just leave it as it is. Be resourceful. But it’s okay to splurge once in a while!

6. Take every opportunity you get. When great things come, do not deny them. Just go for it. I always question my decisions to go for something. And I have never regretted doing so. Opportunities teach us. And we can always stand to learn.

7. Always make sure there is nothing on the roof of your car before you drive away. enough said.

8. It’s okay to take a break. (just not always, because then it’s not a break anymore.)

9. I CANNOT DO MIDNIGHT SHOWINGS. On any given night, I’m in bed by 9. What makes me think that adding comfortable seats, and a giant screen in front of me would change any of that!?

10. Reality tv is a waste of life. (but it doesn’t mean i enjoy it any less.)

11. People. Now there is a lot i have learned about people. I have learned that they are all that matter. I have learned that they come and go, so we should pick the ones that matter, and most importantly, I have learned that relationships take work. lots and lots of work. but most of the time, it’s worth it. 

12. We are our own people. Let no one make decisions for you. Live your life to please no one. Understand that you are allowed and encouraged to be your own person. 

13. Love always. 

Intern.

For as long as I can remember, the desire to create something- anything, has been such a large part of who I am. Over the years, it has taken on many forms. It began with music, and evolved into something much greater, and seemingly out of my control. I realized a very long time ago, that I viewed the world in a vastly different way than those around me, noticing the things no one else did. 

Years later, I am taking those differences, and making something out of them. The past few years have come with numerous discoveries about who I am and what my life is to be. And I couldn’t be more excited. I am discovering that this is more than just desire. Desires don’t wake you up in the middle of the night with an idea- needs do. There is a need inside of me to create. 

enter photography.

I can remember the first picture I took, as terrible as it was, that made me consider photography as my next creative outlet. It was my aunt’s funeral. I was thirteen years old, in the middle of a cemetery, knowing no other way to handle my adolescent grief than to document it. That’s where it began. Since then, I had toyed with the idea of taking pictures for a living, yet always finding some excuse to run away, most of the time money related. So I would find temporary career ideas, but I somehow always found my way back. 

It wasn’t until about a year ago, when I finally decided that photography, and photography alone is what fulfills this “art shaped hole” in my life. But the decisions aren’t over.

What am i going to take pictures of?

Photographing people has always been my weakness. Still life is easy. It doesn’t move, and it does exactly what you tell it to. People don’t. but once again, I let go of my passion to consider finances. Bad idea. I don’t ever ever ever want to be someone who regrets their choice of career. and I know with everything inside of me that if my choice wasn’t photography, I would be one of those people.

So here comes the exciting part…

In January I had the privilege of meeting Michael Smith of Ash Imagery. I went, hoping to possibly get a chance to spend my summer carrying the equipment of a stranger who would most likely never know anything more than my name, and the fact that i enjoy photography, and if i was lucky, show me a couple things. 

I could’t have been more wrong.

It was such a surprise to me to meet someone that cared. I am so blessed and excited about the thought of spending this summer with someone who shares so many of the feelings about art that I do. I am overwhelmed with the fact that I get to learn from someone that wants to help me be as great as I can be. And I couldn’t be more excited if I tried. 

I am so ready for what the future holds. 

And somehow, I feel like he’s just as excited as I am. See for yourself.

On Art.

A while back in my design & visual language class, we discussed an article entitled “Can Offensive Art Be Christian?” via Relevant Magazine. This article led to one of the greatest discussions I’ve had in a while. We discussed the role of art in and around the church. 

…I’m about to get on my soap box, and give you a glimpse into this heart of mine. 

Now anyone who knows anything at all about me can tell you that creativity is what makes my heart beat. It is my passion, and without it, I would be absolutely lost. I believe that we, who are closest to the Creator, should have the heart of an artist more than anyone else. Why is it that we, as lovers of what is right and true, have given up our title as the frontrunners of the artistic world? Far too often, “plagiarism” has become the platform for all Jesus serving media. 

A while back, I went to a convention and heard Jon Acuff speak. he writes a blog called “Stuff Christians Like” about the sometimes unfortunate things that we as Christians do, and what those things reveal about our faith. He spoke a lot about how Christians are often guiltier than most of stealing artistic ideas from other people and places and claiming them as our own. Have you ever seen a shirt like the one below?

If you answered “yes,” i apologize. This is not what we’re about. This is not how God intended our minds to work. This is not what we were made for, and this is not what we should be doing. Ever. 

There is no excuse for slacking when it comes to doing works for our Maker. He has given us our own minds, to come up with new ideas, and slowly reveals His beauty to us. In the doses that we can handle. He has made each of us unique, and put inside of us something unparalleled. Just for us. And beautiful.

We, as Christians, have this unquenchable desire to create this beautiful, fictitious picture of the life in which we live. This is not Biblical.

When will we, as a church, learn that life isn’t pretty sometimes? When will it be acceptable for us to create original art about the truth of what we are feeling; not the way we wish we felt?

For goodness sake, when will we sing the correct words to John Mark McMillan’s “How He Loves?” Heaven never ever meets earth like a “loving embrace.” It’s raw, and it’s messy. Accept it.

Let’s be like Jesus. Let’s not be scared to sing about prostitutes, and addicts. Let’s use our creativity and paint something dark and real. Let’s write about the unhappiest of things, and understand that it’s real. It’s truth. It’s life. 

And maybe through our honesty, someone will see what this is really all about.

“The thing I hate most about advertising is that it attracts all the bright, creative, and ambitious young people, leaving us mainly with the slow and self obsessed to become our artist. Modern art is a disaster area. Never in the field of human history has so much been used by so many to say so little.”

-Banksy

A Fine Press. Pt II

As a follow up to my last post, I decided to interview my brother, Matthew Wengerd. He is the founder and owner of A Fine Press {custom event stationers}

Let’s see what he has to say…

1. Tell me about yourself.

I’m Matthew.  I’m your brother and the owner of a fine press {custom event stationers}.  I make luxury invitations and other event-related stationery.   

2. What did you go to school for. 

My undergraduate degree is a BS in Music Education.  I absolutely hated teaching, so went back for an MM in Jazz Studies - a Master’s Degree in Jazz Bass. I do still play, though not as often as I like or had hoped.  The scene’s tough enough in major metropolitan areas and almost non-existent in Central Florida.

3. When can you remember first being interested in design, typography, packaging or stationery?
I don’t recall a time when I wasn’t enamored with architecture and objects.  Sometimes I think Industrial Design might actually be my calling, but I’m having too much fun doing the work I’m doing now.   Packaging design really came when I discovered the dieline and that got me on this kick of user experience.  That’s really what I’m ultimately interested in when it comes to correspondence.  I think a lot of stationers focus on good design and forget that the pieces they create will actually end up in someone’s mailbox.  I like to imagine the difference between how a left- and right-handed person open the same piece and try to create little surprises for the careful observer.

4. Who and or what are your biggest design inspirations?
The internet, as the great democratizer, means I don’t really have the influence of the “great designers” that I would have had I gone to design school.  Pinterest allows friends and other acquaintances curate great collections that offer a ton of inspiration.  I’m also a big fan of following what’s going on in the ad industry and fine art.  From Anthropologie’s in-house design teams to Makoto Fujimura, there’s so much to draw from.  That doesn’t mean there are no *big* names on the list.  As a huge fan of mid-century modern, Ray and Charles Eames are huge inspirations.  I also love architects like FL Wright, Frank Gehry, and  Santiago Calatrava.  Then there’s Philipe Starck; if you don’t know him, you’re missing out.
Did I mention the Dyson team?  Seriously.

5. Where do you see your business heading in the future?
We’ll be going big or going home.  I’ve got a list of pie-in-the-sky ideas like the inclusion of taxidermy, personalknock on the door invitations, private-label coffee, and so much more.  There are a ton of people doing great work in paper and acrylic, but not much beyond that.  What about wood and fabric and canvas and fine art and data storage and, and, and….?  Those are the places I’d like to head.  The goal is to be the guy who does what no one else is willing to do.

6. Tell me about how much you love your sister. I’ve heard good things.
Yeah, I’ve heard good things, too. 

Seriously, where did all this come from?  I can’t imagine mom and dad ever thought they’d have a couple of kids like us.  You’re pretty phenomenal. 

A Fine Press.

So anyone who knows me, knows that i love all things wedding. I don’t know why, but there is something absolutely magical about a wedding day. I feel like that, in one sense, is why I love photography so much.

I remember a few weeks ago, attending a wedding with Ash Imagery. Michael asked me to go upstairs and help the bride get ready for her entrance into the reception. so I did. And I remember thinking to myself “this is her day. her special day. the one she has been planning for months, maybe even years. the one that she will look at pictures of forever. the one she will tell her grandchildren about. And for this brief moment, I get to spend it with her.” that is beautiful. 

All that to say this. I am so proud of my brother. 

He owns a business called A Fine Press, and he does custom event stationery. He is great at what he does. And he has taught me so much about what it means to follow my dreams, and do what I love. I am so grateful for that.

Today, on Every Last Detail, a shoot my brother was involved in was featured. Here are a few of my favorite shots of his work. 

Beyond my brother’s work, the rest of the setup was gorgeous. From the chicken wire everywhere…

To the “in case of tears” suitcase…

It was perfect. 

Kudos, brother. kudos.

Check out the rest of the shots here.