Every year in October, the creative community gathers to participate in a national program called GUTS. The program was started by CRAFTED, a marketing agency in North Carolina as an internal team building event which has now grown to be a national event with the support of local AIGA chapters, agencies and community sponsors. The goal of GUTS is to support Make-A-WIsh® in their ongoing efforts to fulfill the wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses.
Throughout 2016 I've been serving as the Design for Good Co-Chair of AIGA Orange County. Being involved with causes I care about has been an instinct that I've always followed because seeing the impact first hand, not only sets a positive footprint in our communities but transforms the way we see the world. I feel truly blessed to have been part of the efforts in organizing the very first GUTS event in Orange County with support of AIGA OC and host/sponsoring agency 454 Creative. Since Orange County is saturated with amazing causes and charities, it is a challenge to put a spotlight on a specific cause, and I think it is worth it when people take notice and see the vision come to life because that is when transformation from vision to actual change happens. Seeing children who share their experience in person, the families, all those who are directly affected by the fundraising efforts transcends words and the outcome is only the beginning of greater awareness yet to come. What inspired me about this particular event was the uniqueness and creativity involved in carving spectacular pumpkins by teams from not only the creative industry, but also other organizations that connect to their artistic side for this cause and produce amazing sculptural works of art. Since I grew up in the middle east and never had pumpkin carving as a tradition, it gave me a much greater appreciation for the craft, creativity, and hard work that goes into carving pumpkins.
I hope with positivity and endless energy we can all contribute to the causes we believe in. I look forward to sharing my experiences and hearing about yours.
