I Got A Little Sad and Made Something

I’m a fan of the iconic WWII-era British propaganda campaign, KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON, which has been commercialized in the form of prints, posters, t-shirts, bags, and practically anything else you can think of. It’s a reassuring sentiment and a clean design.

Matt Jones — of Dopplr, among other things, and one of my favorite people to read online — took it one step further. He created a design that resonates even more powerfully with me. Don’t keep calm and carry on, GET EXCITED AND MAKE THINGS. The Get Excited design replaces the classic Keep Calm crown with one made of wrenches, nuts and a chain. It’s the ultimate reminder to get up off your ass and do something with your best ideas. Matt’s design was picked up by Mike Monteiro and Co. over at Mule Design, and became a fantastic t-shirt. Even better, they decided to donate $5 of your $20 shirt purchase to smallcanbebig.org, a site that distributes money to strategically help families in poverty or emergency situations.

As much as I love getting excited and making things, sometimes the best things we make don’t come from an excited place. Sometimes the impetus to create something meaningful comes from being a little sad. I decided there was room for excited makers and sad ones to coexist, and that maybe the more somber segment of the creative population deserved a design, too.

Hence, GET A LITTLE SAD AND MAKE THINGS. Instead of looking staid or sturdy, this crown is weeping a little bit.

I’m making the design available as a tee through Spreadshirt, and I bought the first one myself to confirm it printed properly. Anyone who’s interested can buy one for a pretty reasonable price. If you want a discount, get in touch with me via Twitter (@strutting), and I might know a Spreadshirt code for you. Also, to acknowledge the inspirational debt I owe Matt and Mike for this one, and put a little sadness to good use, I’ll donate the commission on each shirt to Small Can Be Big.

So, grab a shirt if you’re interested, and then get right back to making things.