I've learned a lot of things during this time of quarantine. Certainly, I've learned the important things like valuing family and friends and taking time to smell the roses, to coin an old phrase. And I've learned a few new recipes and that staying home is the recipe for snacking!
I have also learned a few things about sign making. Some of those things are about the physical steps and materials we have to take to make a sign. But most of the things I've learned don't have anything to do with actually making a sign. It's more about the passion embodied in the signs we make.
Over the years, we've made signs for lots of customers, and until now, I never understand the underlying passions that those signs reflect.
Every sign has an overt message like the name and phone number of a business or directions for customers, product information or an event announcement.
Yet every sign also says something else.
It says:
- We are celebrating.
- Here's our business and we are proud of it.
- Someone is special and we want to show it.
- We want to serve you.
- We are glad to be open or sad to be closed.
- We love you.
I have been humbled to be a small part of all of these messages in our designs and our finished products over the past few weeks.
I have learned that the message a sign conveys is not really about what is says at face value. It's about the meaning behind that message and there's passion in being a small part of helping that message come alive.