Timely Wanderings: Beyond the Apparent

This is Part 3 of 3 articles talking about what Timely Wanderings is all about. For Part 1 click here. For Part 2 click here.

Before we get into the symbolic meaning of the logo along with the fairly obvious literal meaning, let’s take a quick look at the back-story.

Although I’ve felt God leading me towards this for quite a while now and have been praying about it, I didn’t really take it forward until years later. For the entire story behind this and where this might go someday, God willing, read this post.

While I had been pondering this idea (I’ll admit I didn’t put as much work into it as I should have), I have been blessed to hear God speaking in so many ways- both through others but especially through things in my everyday life. One of these was a message on dreams and about God having a purpose in all of our lives and how we often choose to let it go and never really take hold of it for various reasons. That’s something that has been very true for me. How often do we feel led to do something and then only a moment later find ourselves questioning that leading? How often have we sidestepped a dream and found ourselves moving on for reasons only best known to God and us? On the flip side, how often have we tried to work on something that we were convinced about and yet never found it getting anywhere? Or how often have we driven head first into an idea and put everything we’ve got into it, only to realise that we’ve been barking up the wrong tree?

I think the common thread is a misplaced foundation or trust, or an anchor, if you will. So, when I started taking this seriously and started working on the branding, I didn’t feel like a logo that was inherently/overtly tied to the name would be best. Instead it felt like a symbol would work best. Given how visually inclined our mediums of communication are these days, and how increasingly visually literate we are all becoming, a symbol just felt like a necessity, rather than a want. But it couldn’t be something esoteric. It had to have some obvious meanings that a majority of us would understand at first glance, while also having some subtle and underlying connotations that would go far beyond the surface and the mere look and feel of it. Hence the initial idea behind the logo itself.

To better explain the logo and thoughts behind it, it would be better to break it down in its various parts and aspects. Let’s start with the most obvious element and then move on to the rest of it:

The Anchor – Around the time I began working on the branding, in my personal study, I was going through the book of Hebrews and verses 19, 20 in chapter 6 stood out – “We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.” I was immediately reminded of the hymn “We have an anchor”. It’s a hymn that has somehow left a lasting impression in my life. I didn’t quite connect with it initially because the meaning didn’t really become apparent until after I was saved. However, there are two lines “will your anchor hold in the storms of life?”, “will your anchor drift or firm remain?” that have stuck with me. This isn’t something that I’ve actively thought of on a daily basis but it’s often served as a much-needed reminder of where I choose to drop my anchor, so to speak. It was also one of the first things that I was reminded of when the idea for this platform started taking shape. That’s where this anchor comes from. I want this to have a firm foundation in faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work of salvation for the whole world. A ship not anchored properly will drift from its initial position and that is something that is easy for us all to do on our own – drift. The only way this can stay focused on what’s important and essential is by always ensuring an anchor planted firmly in the foundation of Christ.

The Pen – This might be fairly obvious. This isn’t just supposed to symbolise the blog or the act of writing that would perhaps be synonymous with a platform like this but I’d think it also incorporates creatives and their work. We might be seen as “creators” (I sometimes refer to myself as a content creator), but there is only one true Creator – God. It is from Him that all our ideas flow and it is He who is the true source of our inspiration. But we have been created to create! We should be tools (or vessels) in His hands. Tools that He can freely use for His work, just as an artist uses his/her tools (in this case a writer using a pen), to create works of art. It’s not the tool that matters, but rather the one who wields it. “Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonourable, he will be a vessel for honourable use, set apart as holy, useful to the Master of the house, ready for every good work.” (2 Timothy 2:22) “in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?” (Romans 9:23,24)

The Source of Light – The centre column that extends upwards has a square like shape towards the top. This shape has three divisions. The number three has particular significance in the Bible but for this logo, it is representative of one God in three persons. I had begun experimenting with circles but decided to go with vertical rectangles instead as they are more like pillars. That’s added symbolism – God being the pillar of our very existence. These three pillars are part of one object – one God in three persons. This is inspired by the light at the top of lighthouses. “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.” (Colossians 1:16) “yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.” (1 Corinthians 8:6)

The Beams of Light – There are two shapes that extend to the left and right of the light source. If there’s a source of light, there’s light. Hence, the beams of light emanating from the source. Light emanates from God. God is the source of light. God is light. “Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”” (John 8:12) The light that shines into darkness and redeems us. We are supposed to not just reflect that light but also to broadcast it. We have been called to be lights in a dark world by reflecting the Light of the World. “You are the light of the world.” (Matthew 5:14)

The Lighthouse – The centre column of the logo extends vertically and this, along with the light source, and beams forms the shape of a lighthouse. Lighthouses have long been symbolic of safety, refuge, protection, guidance, and even salvation. Our God is a tower of refuge for all those who call upon His name. “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.” (Proverbs 18:10) Lighthouses are also typically located on rocks and on higher ground. We have a firm foundation in Jesus Christ “Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy.” (Psalm 61:3)

The Hooks – Notice the pointed ends of the anchor and remember Christ’s words to Peter and Andrew “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19)

The Cross – The main “T” in the centre is in the rough shape of a cross to act as a reminder that it is the finished work of the Christ on the cross that has bought our freedom from sin. It is His blood that was shed for the cleansing of our impurities. “By cancelling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.” Colossians 2:14 It also serves as a reminder that we must all take up our cross and follow Christ – Jesus says in Mark 8:34 “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. This is not about us but about who God is and what He continues to do. As Paul says, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

Pilgrims – There is one more aspect to the logo that I find quite interesting. That is the aspect of us being on a journey. The earth is not our final destination. We are only temporarily here with a promised home in God’s very presence. An anchor when it is still on the boat/ship means that the destination hasn’t been reached and for that period, sailors might very well be pilgrims. We are pilgrims on this earth. We are on a journey. Not just to get to eternity with God but also on a journey towards becoming more and more like Christ Himself as God works in and through us. “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.” Philippians 3:20,21

T & W – Now for something a bit more obvious. When I first started out ideating and conceptualising the logo, I tried playing with the words and the alphabets T & W. A T stacked on top of a W is what sparked the creation of the logo into what it is today.

In graphic design, the general rule of thumb is to keep logos as simple as possible without elements that are complex or tiny. This particularly helps when a logo is used in a size that is small (say, for instance, the favicon of a website), and also helps with recognition and readability when a viewer should ideally need only a glance to recognise the symbol and/or its meaning. While this logo does have some tiny elements, they blend well together to keep the overall shape of the anchor intact even if viewed at a smaller size, or at a distance.

There are a few more thoughts behind the symbolism of these elements in the logo but these are the overarching concepts that were present as I worked on designing this.

Let’s talk colours for a moment. Remember that colours are highly subjective- their meaning, symbolism, interpretation, and even their significance varies over time, cultures, geographies, etc. So, these colours are symbolic to Timely Wanderings for various reasons, some of which I’ll go into here. We’ve got three prominent colours:

For Part 1: A Direction. Click here

For Part 2: What’s in a name? Click here