How to kiss
“Keep it Simple, Stupid!”
You know, the moment you are preparing for your first kiss, that rush of anticipation and anxiousness. You worry if your breath smells bad and if you have anything in your teeth, and heaven forbid you have a bat in the cave; It can be overwhelming. If you are anything like me, you probably tried to imagine how it would go in your head, something out of a Nicholas Sparks movie. But in reality, it was nothing more than a millisecond of your eyes being shut and praying to God that you don’t miss the other person's face, then taking a step back and being like, “Is that it?” You see, it is not uncommon for us to overcomplicate things; as a matter of fact, I excel at it. Just like this lesson, I am creating a parallel with kissing and providing advice on how not to overthink when creating work. I, for one, find the analogy cute and creative, but I don’t worry; I will get to my point eventually.
STUPID IS AS STUPID AS DOES
The wise words of Forrest Gump have never steered me wrong. There is a lot we can learn from that very statement. My personal translation to it would be, “People might not be stupid, but their actions and behaviors will make them stupid.” This could apply to many of life’s obstacles; however, in this case, it's just another example of over-complicating.
The definition of stupid is “having or showing a great lack of intelligence or common sense.” And boy, do we live in a world with people with little to no common sense -- Terrifying if you think about it, and if you ask me more on the topic, I will talk your ears off. But with a society going in so many directions, the number of opinions out the ass, and the government down your throat, it's hard for us not to think simply, which is the result of stupidity.
SIMPLICITY IS KEY
In First Corinthians chapter 14, verse 33, it reads, “For God is not a God of confusion, but of peace.” This is our written reminder that when we are faced with confusion that it is not a God-sent message. And for those reading who may not identify as a believer, I would still like to challenge you with this, when has confusion given you peace to accomplish anything in life?
K-I-S-S-I-N-G
I told you I would get to my point, and I thank you for bearing with me thus far. So now let's put this together. As artists and designers, when we are presented with a project, typically, there is a list of requirements our client/boss give us to include. Sometimes that list is minimal, which makes it a simple piece of work. But more times than not, it is a complex undertaking. With my focus and specialty on creating logos and visual identities, I have had to learn that the best logomarks are simply brilliant. After all, we are visual problem-solvers.
So the next time you have a project that supplies you with more confusion than peace, remember that it is our job to keep it simple, stupid. Here are some questions to ask yourself…
What are to top three goals of this project?
Do each of those goals interact and bring peace or confusion?
If there is peace, you have a solid foundation to create something kickass.
If there is confusion, it is your responsibility to talk it over with your client/boss and explain to them the success of simplicity.