It's about the power of design and the power of the human spirit.

In an age when spectacle often drowns sincerity and entertainment is mistaken for meaning, Genevieve Gorder — designer, artist, and visionary — spoke words that cut through the glitter and noise: “It’s about the power of design and the power of the human spirit. It’s above paying anybody to do something stupid for money like reality television does — like ambushing people.” Her words are a call to remembrance — a cry to the soul of creation itself — reminding us that art and life must serve something higher than profit or vanity. They are a defense of integrity, of beauty, and of the eternal flame of human dignity in a world that too easily sells both for applause.

When Gorder speaks of the power of design, she does not mean mere decoration or the arrangement of furniture. She speaks of design as a sacred act — the shaping of space, the giving of form to meaning, the weaving of harmony into chaos. Design, in its truest sense, is a manifestation of the human spirit: it transforms emptiness into belonging, walls into homes, and materials into messages. It is through design that we proclaim, “This is who we are; this is how we choose to live.” In her vision, design is the visible face of the invisible soul — a testament that humanity, even when surrounded by noise and greed, still has the power to create beauty that uplifts.

But she contrasts this sacred act with its opposite — the triviality of spectacle. She condemns the culture that turns creativity into manipulation, that rewards foolishness and cruelty in the name of entertainment. Her words — “paying anybody to do something stupid for money” — strike at the heart of a society that has forgotten the purpose of art. She sees how reality television, with its ambushes and humiliations, thrives not on truth but on exploitation. It feeds on the weakness of others, dressing degradation as amusement. Against this, Gorder raises the banner of purpose. True creation, she says, must never stoop to mockery, for it is meant to heal, inspire, and elevate, not to diminish.

History, too, bears witness to this conflict — between art that uplifts and art that panders. In the time of the Roman Empire, when the Colosseum filled with cheers as men fought and beasts tore flesh, there were those who protested the blood-soaked spectacle. The philosophers and poets — Seneca, Marcus Aurelius, and others — warned that such entertainment corrupted the soul. They called instead for the pursuit of beauty, wisdom, and virtue, believing that art’s highest purpose was to refine humanity, not degrade it. And though centuries have passed, the struggle remains the same: will we choose the power of spirit, or the hunger for spectacle?

The power of the human spirit that Gorder celebrates is the same force that has built cathedrals, painted frescoes, and written symphonies. It is the light that rises after devastation, the creativity that survives even in despair. It is what drove Viktor Frankl, imprisoned in the horror of Auschwitz, to write that “those who have a ‘why’ to live can bear almost any ‘how.’” Even surrounded by death, he found that the spirit of humanity could not be crushed. That same power, Gorder reminds us, lives in every creator who designs not for wealth or fame, but for meaning — who builds not just structures, but sanctuaries for the human soul.

The heart of her message is this: creation must serve compassion. Whether one designs a home, paints a canvas, writes a story, or shapes a life, the act must be done with reverence. To design without spirit is to build emptiness. To create without empathy is to harm. But when design is guided by humanity — by the desire to bring light where there is darkness — then it becomes a sacred calling. It ceases to be an industry and becomes a ministry of the soul.

So, O seeker of truth and beauty, remember this lesson: never trade purpose for popularity, nor meaning for money. Let your work, whatever its form, reflect the power of your spirit, not the demands of spectacle. Design your world — your art, your choices, your very life — as if it were a temple, worthy of reverence. Refuse the call to mock or exploit, and instead, build with love. For as Genevieve Gorder teaches, the power of design is the power to honor what is sacred in humanity. And when that power joins with the human spirit, it creates not just beauty — it creates hope.

Thus, let your life be a design of kindness. Let every action you take be shaped by the higher pattern — one not drawn for profit, but for purpose. For the world will one day forget the shows that humiliate, but it will never forget the creations that heal.