Make it Worthwhile

Using our creativity for good is one of the best ways we can make a difference. Through design, art and craft—and with our hands and hearts—we can affect change. However small it may seem at first, each incremental effort is still significant.

SERIOUSLY, HAVE A GOOD DAY

South African design company Skinny laMinx creates beautiful, vibrant patterns for textiles and homewares, but they’ve recently developed another way to bring cheerful vibes. “Skinny laMinx is in the business of designing patterns, and in these dark times, with trouble in our neighbourhoods, in our politics, on our planet, some might say that patterns are beside the point,” says Heather Moore. “But when you think of pattern as more than a decorative extra—pattern is expressed in architecture, as cultivated habits, in musical rhythms—it’s clear that pattern is a fundamental tool that humans use to make order from chaos.”

Heather sees living a good life as an act of design. “Just as a pattern is made up of shapes repeated over and over, so our lives are built up by the way we spend each passing day. Instead of cynicism and despair during challenging times, our #seriouslyhaveagoodday campaign is about taking our daily actions seriously, as we help cultivate a climate of generosity, friendliness and optimism.” The company donates 20% of each purchase of their Seriously Have a Good Day totes to the Breakfast Club, an organization providing breakfast to school children. They’ve raised enough for 6,400 breakfasts and counting!

“We’re making a business that’s a force for good,” continues Heather, “one that fills our working lives with purpose, and that creates positive energy that rubs off on our customers, suppliers, fellow workers, families and even strangers, so we can all work together to transform our neighbourhoods and our planet— for the better.”

REPLACE THE HATE

A grassroots effort led by design educators Replace the Hate aims to build communal ties, renounce hate and rejoice in diversity through creative expressions and community art-making. Vicki L. Meloney, a professor in the Communication Design Department at Kutztown University in Pennsylvania, organizes art-making workshops that uplift and support the community. “The first workshop happened organically as a reaction to white supremacist posters that were littered on our campus and around our small town,” says Vicki. “We didn’t get mad, we got creative.” At the workshops, attended by graphic design students, middle-school students and community members of all ages, participants create images and designs. “By creating a collective space where people can come together to create highly effective, low-cost, powerful messages and images that reinforce collective core values, communities can heal, bond, create productive dialogue and perpetuate positivity.” The resulting work communicates shared sentiments of peace, love, hope and tolerance. A gallery of images, plus some high-resolution free downloads, are available online.