God is a Designer — 10 Years Later

Long Story Short: Created in 2008, the #GodIsADesigner project has had quite a ride. Here is how it all came about. 

In late 2007, I was sitting at Church, listening to the teaching. I don’t remember the exact topic but I do remember thinking how great it was for people that work in ministry; what a powerful calling.

I wondered if people, like myself, that are not necessarily working in ministry, how important is our calling? What about me as a creative / designer? Is there anything divine in our job description?

In the process, I remember thinking through what I do on a day-to-day; make things. Like one of those “a-ha” moments I remembered that right there in scripture, the very first verse in the Holy Bible talks about creating. Genesis 01:01. “In the beginning, God… created…” It was right there.

I don’t know, but my mind was blown. It’s not a huge revelation, I’ve heard and read that verse dozens of times and never really put two and two together. Creative humans are using a skillset that (in my opinion) is the closest thing to divinity; something inherently God-like. God is the Creator, He is THE designer.

The phrase has such a simple truth, I thought it would be fun to make some simple shirts. It was actually the first design I’ve ever put on apparel. Something very…🤔 graphic designery (not a word.) So something on Helvetica, tightly kerned and left justified.

So in January 2008, I found a website called RedBubble.com that prints your artwork direct-to-garment at no cost to the designer. As a matter of fact, my profile is still up here.  I needed a sort of temporary umbrella name to put all my apparel design so I placed everything under Beau Coup Apparel. Because, I don’t know, wanted to make lots of apparel I suppose? Who knows.

The shirts sold on Red Bubble ok, nothing too extravagant.The quality, at the time, was hit or miss and the only way to promote online was my DeviantArt and MySpace accounts.

September 2009, I invested on an actual batch of shirts. Through friends in bands, I found a screen print company in Boca Raton, Florida, Leave Your Mark Print Shop. The whole experience was really fun. It was my first time at a screen printing shop. Technically, wasn’t even a shop at all it was at a sort of skater-dudes house. The guys had set it up in the garage, colors, ink everywhere; a beautiful mess.

The feeling of having these shirts in my hands was unforgettable. I sold them to friends, family but rarely ever online. Had them stashed and would bring them with when I was invited to design talks or had to do events.

Towards the end of 2010, I teamed up with my good friend Liliana Juliao and Andy Gonzalez (of Andytoonz) shared a small table with her goodies to sell shirts and posters at Second Saturdays Art Walk in the Wynwood Market before Wynwood went all mainstream.

All the shirts sold really well. Matter of fact, we sold them all (of version 2005) except a few that are lingering around in our closet. Feedback online on the phrase was popular; the type-treatment was copied and plagiarized a few times. It still is. Every now and again we have to go through Google Images to keep tabs on it.

I made the phrase and type-treatment part of a iPhone 4 wallpaper pack in 2011  that has made it’s rounds around the internet. Maybe I should have added a watermark to this one  since it’s still making rounds around the interwebs and now Instagram. It was shared and reshared so often that even Alanis Morissette shared a, now brown version of the image, on her instagram in 2013 among other influencers.

Towards the beginning of 2015, my then fiancé (who is now my wife and partner) and wanted to get back to creating apparel after some years of silence. I had received emails and messages periodically about the availability of the God is a Designer shirts and since there wasn’t any, it was time to get back on some merch.

Karielys and I created Arkadia1981.co to funnel all the fun apparel projects we were to create, along with a new version of the God is a Designer shirt. This time, justified in the center and larger typography.

For the first time, we made a Mens crew neck and a Womens’ scoop neck on American Apparel. I personally really loved this new version of the type-treatment. Easily legible and identifiable. The mens shirts sold-out pretty quickly, surprisingly! It’s great because with each batch we make, we learn what works and what doesn’t work and adjust for future apparel prints.

As of writing, we’re now in February 2018. 10 years after the first “God is a designer” shirt existed in the wild. And what a ride it’s been. Personally, I’m humbled each time I get messages from people asking about the shirts, reprints and colorways.

After support from Chris Do, I decided to make”God is a designer” it’s own apparel brand with goods available at www.godisadesigner.com and new drops and items monthly.

Friends, thank you for being on this journey with me, my wife and the studio. I hope that this phrase continues to inspire people about who our Creator is and who we are. God is a designer yesterday, today and tomorrow. He continues to make things beautiful.

—
Angel A. Acevedo
     | @acevvvedo
  | @angelaacevedo