reading response: the charity begins at work problem

I was not sure what to expect when reading this article. I was very surprised to find that there are so many people who are willing to give there work for free. In this economy it seems as if (or at least maybe to me) that we go to school to get a job to support ourselves. However, I was struck by a few things in this article.

I can really relate to the fact that doing work about something you are passionate about or believe in there is greater satisfaction and appreciation for the piece. I can totally relate to this because it feels like all I am doing right now is charity work, I have been able to design a few things for Newman Catholic Campus Ministry, posters for different events, brochures etc. and those are the work that I am most proud of. And I am most proud of them because I feel that my design is being used for something better and bigger than myself. So I can see where the author is coming from when he says that charity work is often the most fulfilling, but I believe that you can do both. You can give of your time and resources for good but you can also make money to support yourself/your family at the same time. I see it as volunteering in any other sense, you take the time that you have available and you give it for the good of others whether it be building a house or designing a poster, this proves that they can both have a big impact on peoples lives, for the good (hopefully)

This is another thing that caught my attention was the New York artist James Victore. Most of the posters that I saw of his were very negative and focusing on what is wrong. These are the kinds of posters that worry me. Because design can have such an affect on the people who are viewing them, I wonder about the negative affect that these "charity" posters can often have. His all seem to be geared toward anger, I believe not causing people to thoughtfully consider, but to simple jump to conclusions. In our society in America where so many good things have been distorted to the point where we can't see the good unless we try REALLY hard, his style of posters, I think are not making a positive impact.

This was kind of jumbled. ha!