Guess what I found most shocking during inauguration week?
Not the crowds or the speeches or who wore what. The shock was that I heard TWO interviews with Shepard Fairey, the designer of the iconic Obama “Hope” poster. I randomly caught him on “The Colbert Report” and an extended interview on NPR’s “Fresh Air.” A designer being interviewed? Design and iconography affecting national political outcomes? My ears perked up. I had never heard his name before or even given much thought to the meaning of the poster until happening to hear the designer twice in as many days. It was intriguing to hear his outsider-turned-hipster perspective.
And then people started sending me versions of their OWN photos that had been stylized to look like the Obama poster. These were created with a very clever site called Obamicon.me. A few examples:
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(Update: By January 29, over 500,000 Obamicons had been created.)
What was going on?
Typical, and some would say, predictable tribal behavior. It was the ritual marking of a modern tribe, in this case representing hope and a desire for change. Tattoos are common examples of tribal markings to show a person’s membership in a group or their subscription to an ideal. These Obamicons show that their creators want to align themselves with the campaign goals of President Obama.
Interestingly, it was especially jarring for me when I noticed Obamicons that were clearly NOT meant to represent members of the Obama tribe:
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Feels weird to see those, doesn’t it? Bush and Palin are not in the Obama tribe and it provokes uncomfortable feelings to see them marked as members. We know from their actions that they are not members of the tribe. Can we conclude that our actions distinguish our membership more than our markings?
I believe we all have a mission. We all have a purpose. Many missions and purposes, in fact. And whether we know if or not, we mark ourselves accordingly. For example, we carry reusable bags or drive a Prius or put a kids’ soccer league sticker on the back of our car. We wear a cross or a “Life is Good” t-shirt or a college sweatshirt. We proudly display our Apple stickers that come with every Apple product.
And sometimes we telegraph something other than our actual commitment. Maybe it’s aspirational or maybe it’s just outdated. Hopefully, our actions match our identity.
What tribes do you belong to?
How are you marking yourself?
How do your actions reflect your membership?
These questions can be challenging and sometimes uncomfortable to consider. But living with intention requires us to confront our discomfort so that we can shed what’s unnecessary and live as vibrantly as possible.
Show me your tribal marking. Grab my attention with your action. I’m curious.
By Laurie Foley
Laurie Foley helps solo professionals discover their natural brand so that they can get clear, get noticed and get clients. Sign up to receive your free copy of The Inner Brandifesto, her popular guidebook full of brand-building exercises.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I love how you talk about the depiction of President Obama. There is something about a new design — since you raise the subject of design — that signals a new day, that calls us to look at our own inherent paradoxes. We are all mixtures of so many things, so much ancestry, so many secrets and longings. Looking at the graphics on your posting, I see nothing is in black-and-white. (Actually more like 1970s album covers!) Maybe that means finally we can move beyond Black-and-White thinking. Maybe design leads the way into these subtler, more profound, and yes, more mysterious and metaphoric hues. There’s something mysterious about our tribal markings. For one, Awe and Respect are inherent in these. For now, I honor the potential return of Awe and Respect. For now, that’s a damn good start!!!
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