The evening was a sublime anchor to a eventful and lengthy process of design for the 2009 Bicentennial Celebration of Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday at the Abraham Lincoln Association Banquet.
Over 800 people packed the room to hear President Barack Obama, Governor Jim Edgar, Senator Dick Durbin and Author Michael Burlingame.
The President spoke of Lincoln determination and hard work; he drew comparisons to inheriting a troubled nation; and he left us with the theme, “we are the last best hope on Earth.”
Humbled, I realized my part was insignificant to the task before us. The need to enrich the world we live, the need to keep mindful of the larger fight and not our daily peeves. What can I do to push the world around me to become a better place? I’m not sure the program I designed for the event was it, nor was the commemorative book Creativille designed for the event attendees.
Inspired, I believe I certainly shouldn’t diss the work that I do. The products of a designers labor have the power to evoke change, summon empathy, and inspire action. If I can pass along any wisdom that I absorbed from the speech by President Obama in the light of Lincoln’s legacy, is that its our duty as designers to step up to the challenge of transforming our times to a positive era as influencers of commerce, culture and community.
If you can, please share what you can do to improve the community in which you live and work.
Filed under: 02 Be Passionate. (Inspirations), Recent Projects, 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial, Abraham Lincoln, Barack Obama, Edwardsville Design Firm, Influencer
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