What’s the Remedi?
Originally posted on May 5th, 2010
The other day, I felt disheartened, a bit betrayed, and somewhat empathetic towards someone I once (still) admire as a great inspiration. It all stemmed from 5 words: Its all about the money.
First of all, let me clarify that I like money -no I LOVE money. I love making it and I love spending it. It buys me luxuries and experiences that i wouldn’t be able to have. It allows me to travel, meet new and interesting people, and to learn. It plays a part of who I am, who I want to be in terms of projection. It allows me to fantasize. It allows me to live fantasies. The fact is, I wouldn’t be the person I am today without money and I am grateful to have it.
However, its NOT about the money. Its about how you receive it. Its about you pursuing what you love and being paid for your passion. Without that element, one doesn’t deserve it, and if I ever find myself believing otherwise, I will have died somewhere in between -perhaps not even aware of it.
I met my mentor nearly 10 years ago at a design conference. He was one of the speakers, someone known for pushing the boundaries of technology and creating art from it. His speech was impassioned. His voice articulated and pronounced by his passion for not only design, but art. There are certain people that resonate with you. People with whom you connect with immediately. Whose passion is conducive to your growth. Someone who pushes you forward to your ultimate destiny. He was one of them. His passion was true, and his thoughts emboldened with inspired intelligence. He stood in front of the crowd without fear. With a confidence that came from wanting to change the world, and I grasped onto it so much that I met up with him after wards and bought a t-shirt, not only to help promote his ’cause’ but as a source of inspiration.
I still have the t-shirt. It’s shrunk and faded. It has holes. But I still have it. The t-shirt that was handed to me almost 10 years ago, and one that I will never let go of.
Why? Why do I still have it, especially since the man who had created it is no more? Because I still believe in that person. The person who spoke to me so many years ago. The person who believed in his art and sharing his passion with the world. The person who responded to a young designer’s emails with long paragraphs of knowledge and direction. Emails which weren’t paid for, but will always be priceless. It is the voice of the few who have defined who I am as a designer today. One doesn’t put in the time to respond in paragraphs to a relative stranger unsolicited without believing in something greater than money.
Even though that person has changed. Even though that person now tries to elicit from me the fact that its ‘about the money’. I still believe, not only in design, but in that person. I will never succumb, I will never believe in what he believes of himself.
There are many ways of ‘making money’, as well as good reasons (raising a family, etc.). However, I don’t believe -I refuse to believe that money is THE motivational factor in my life. Its NOT all about the money. Money is the merely the reward of believing in something greater. The belief that one can live their lives and be appreciated for their passion.
I make my pledge here and now to never lose sight of that. I pledge that I will NEVER believe that its ‘all about the money’. Money is merely a reward which must be spent to continue to live for what you believe in.
Even though the person who made that t-shirt doesn’t believe it that anymore, that t-shirt will remain his legacy to me and it will serve as a reminder, as a testament of what I live for.
