Earlier this month I attended a lecture given by the President of AIGA (LA chapter), Agustin Garza. He and the lecture he gave was not only inspirational but admirable.My first impression of Agustin Garza was a tall, lanky man with a rolling accent. He started off by talking about the power of communication. The first slides he showed, which didn't really have to do with graphic design, were Christian iconography. He was showing how these images communicated to the public, and how they also inspired him artistically.
Symbols like the wedding ring, are powerful ways of communicating. How could we apply this same effect into our design? This is what I thought as Garza took us along his adventure. He brought us his trek through the Sahara desert and showed photos of the beautiful and exotic people who live there. This is where he brang up the subject of PASSION.
He said something that perked my ear:
"Seek the things you love and DO something with it."
Doing something you love means you should explore, take risks, and go as far as possible with it. As a graphic designer, there were many times I didn't do the above. But after looking at Garza's life, it inspired me to apply those things to my artwork and design process.
COMMITMENT was also an important aspect to design. My commitment on design effects the craft and the integrity of all the work I produce. There are many times when I feel like giving up when I meet a challenge on a certain project. But looking at this, I saw how important it is to be committed to what I do.
Lastly, Garza gave us encourging words. We're all in school, so take advantage of it. Take advantage of everything we're learning in class.
"Go for it!" he said. "Incorporate what you love and your identity into your work."
