life + design + faith

I write because I want to. I don’t have to tell you anything. But the term “transparent” is becoming more and more popular these days. Gary Vaynerchuk, Jason Fried and Aaron Irizarry come to mind when I think of being transparent. But what we call the internet is really nothing more than a glorified mask that we wear to hide our true personalities. Meaning I can’t convey to you a certain emotion or feeling without using a stupid emoticon. Sure a picture is worth a thousand words, and I respect the art form of photography. But what I’m saying is that we can’t really get to know each other just over this digital medium. But Kyle, how can you say that? You met your wife on myspace and only met her 5 days (in person) before you tied the knot. Then call me crazy.

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The project continues to be a challenge for me. Some have said congrats on making it this far, and thank you, but I still can’t imagine what it will feel like on something like day 229.

I was thinking about this the other night. With my dedication to this project, as well as my 52 Profiles project, plus working full-time and taking 7 hours of school, not to mention having a life outside of all this to spend time with my wife and friends, am I crazy? How can I possibly feel like I’m not accomplishing anything? Where is this leading me? What do I hope to gain from this?

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I was bored with color this past week. When I first started taking photographs all I shot was black and white film. I think it’s a good way to learn about light and composition, but I think it can also become a crutch. There is always a challenge with color.

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I wonder if we really understand the true meaning of social networking or if we are getting lost in the numbers.

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I’m afraid that the creativity will run out. Just dry up. Like one days it’s here and the next it’s gone. Of course this is a silly thought. But don’t most of us who make a living designing things depend on our creativity? Well, some would disagree. But you see my point? If our creativity were to just dry up where would that leave us?

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I was going to write a really in depth post about why I’m unhappy with the way my blog is laid out. But then I thought, who cares? I don’t need to talk about it, I just need to do it. It’s the same with a lot of other areas in my life. If I could just shut up and put pen to paper (so to speak) I could be more productive.

Keep focused. Stay the course. If you have a feeling that what you’re doing is right then don’t look back. If you fail at it then great, you can always start again. There’s never been one right way to do something. But now, more than ever, we are bombarded with choices. And I’m not even talking about the complicated ones, like will you marry me or buying a car, no I’m talking about the day-to-day choices we face. And herein lies the key to staying centered, are you ready for it, it’s patience. Don’t be moved by emotion or by trends, be moved by the Spirit of God. I heard it said today that God is always moving, but He’s never in a hurry. That really speaks to me. I hope it does to you too.

We all have those days when we’re not 100% – that was today for me. But what really counts in this life are the relationships we have and those who can lend an ear and an encouraging word. After an uplifting conversation I had with my friend Daniel (really more like a brother) I opened up the Bible to Ecclesiastes. I ran across an old verse I had underlined that really inspired me:

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Yesterday I read this article, “Dirty Little Secret of Success“, by Jeffrey Zeldman. It struck a nerve in me right away because it deals with the human condition and how that relates to being successful. But in my opinion Mr. Zeldman, with all do respect, you got it backwards.

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