“M-T Lives In A Grid” [Reflections On Book - 100 Ideas That Changed Graphic Design Stephen Heller and Veronique Vienne - #70]

One time, at termination here,
I felt a wave of primal fear
As I looked down at empty page
Of calendar – could not engage –

With anything – without my job,
Felt useless, like some grade-school blob
My teachers made me feel those days –
Red pencils sharp – devoid of praise.

But why the fear – what triggered this?
I swept my eyes last I should miss
The trigger to these primal fears –
Then bingo! “Workbook – grade-school years”.

Then suddenly – I’m back in school –
Dyslexic, feel like such a fool,
I pee my pants – red hair she had;
I laughed at memories so bad.

For years, red hair had triggered fear,
Whenever redheads ventured near;
Same thing, this time with empty grid
On calendar – now I could rid –

Myself of trigger of this type,
And be myself (school was not right
For me those days – “Try harder, kid,
And you can read, do math, be rid –

“Of any handicap in life”);
But we know now that is not right –
That pressure does not help always;
There’s ample proof in grade-school days.

So empty grids can trigger fear,
Or set us free – as now they’re dear
To me – help me align design
On empty page – I make out fine.

In forties, fifties, Swiss used grids
To aid design – sub-structure rids
One of one’s inability
To lay things out straight as can be.

But if it triggers fear, shuts down
Creative side, then look around
For some way better to succeed,
And Spirit soon your soul will feed.

Thanks Lord for this.

navigation