Value

Just one little observation I've noticed over the time I've been doing design as a profession..

Would you ask your dentist friend to do free extraction/whitening/braces for you?
No.
Why?
Because it's his profession.

Would you ask your doctor friend to operate on you for free and tell him you don't have the budget to pay for the fees but you're giving him exposure and experience anyway, so that's totally okay.
No, you wouldn't.

You understand the value in his work, and so you know its only right if you pay for his time and skills.
After all, you only pay for things that you think have a value.

So.. why would you think that its normal and fine to ask a graphic design to design your 'simple' collaterals for free?

'Oh you can just whip up a design in 10 mins, if I pay you $150 for it then won't you be cheating me off my money?'

Sure I could whip up a design in 10 mins, and a lawyer can send you his bill for 10 mins of his time.
What makes you think my 10 mins doesn't deserve a proper payment and the lawyer's does?

The thing that just irks me is the level of respect they give to good design and to designers.

If designing is that easy and deserves such a low budget, then why don't you save the money and do it yourself on Microsoft Word?

Because you know it is harder than it looks.

Way harder.

Designing involves a whole lot of planning, practice, concepts, late nights, deadlines, colour and type customization, time, and software proficiency.

So why would you, in the first place, want to approach a graphic designer to do your collaterals and what not?
Because you know the importance of a well-designed campaign.
Because humans are visual creatures, and because before you can even sell your products, your designs will represent you first.

So why aren't you willing to set aside some money if you understand its importance?

Angst-y designer rant aside, as I have this certain skill set in my hands, I definitely wouldn't mind helping a friend out if I really believe in their products/ideas.. but to those people who are just looking to get a free bargain or value deal because they don't value the work of a designer, then please don't waste your time cos I ain't running no charity organisation.

Desire

The heart wants what the heart wants.

When a woman falls in love with a man, that's it. She's a goner. Nothing you say can ever taint the image of her perfect man.
A man may choose to forget about a girl who is not good for him, but he can't deny what he feels for her in his heart. 
I've seen so many friends go down a wrong path all because they can't deny their heart's desire.. only to realize that it was the wrong thing for them.
The main struggle today is always with our hearts. 
Once it wants something, all reason and logic can't seem to sway it.

But.. what if the heart doesn't know any better?

When your Mac laptop is spoilt, you bring it to the Apple workshop to get it fixed.
When your your samsung phone gets wonky, you bring it back to the samsung shop to repair it.
When you don't understand a certain chapter of the book, you'd want to ask the author to explain more.

Likewise.. why don't you bring your heart back to the one who created it;
so that you can know what your heart was originally designed and made for;

before all the hurts and heartbreaks that made you wary,
before all the disappointments that made you sick,

Your heart was whole. Your heart had purpose.
Your heart had a song to sing.

Your heart still has a beautiful song to sing.

*

When you spend a lot of time with a person, his desire gradually becomes your desire.
You will find yourself liking and having an interest in the things of his fancy too.
As the relationship strengthens, you will find that even your thoughts are in tune!

So its really no different when you spend time with the One who placed destiny into your heart.
His desires will slowly become your desires. The original and good plan He has for you will slowly be your plan as you spend even more time in His presence.

And that is finally how when your heart wants what the heart wants,

He will give you the desires of your heart.

Sufficient

"Grace what have you done?
Murdered for me on the cross
Accused in absence of wrong
My sin washed away by Your blood

Too much to make sense of it all
I know that Your love breaks my fall

The scandal of grace
You died in my place
So my soul will live.........."