Question: What does the Determination Symbol (
) mean? And what's up with Lucas's ⚫️ black and ⚪️ white color theme?
) mean? And what's up with Lucas's ⚫️ black and ⚪️ white color theme?
Response provided by the creator of the symbol, Lucas.
The Determination Symbol originated from the concept/question of:
“What happens when an unstoppable force hits an immovable object?"
I found this question fascinating years ago, and even more so when it applied to my own life.
I wear a lot of black and white clothing and accessories, and I refer to them as the “scars” of my past (elaborated upon down below). The significance of my black and white colors is basically my “nature vs. nurture."
The white represents the Light, naiveté, innocence, purity, kindness, loyalty, warmth, trust, and positivity that I was born with and possessed as a young child. The kind of person that I was naturally. I was someone who wanted nothing more than to spread positivity, love, and happiness to the world. My nature. Born a force of good will.
The black represents the Darkness, cruelty, rage, arrogance, heartlessness, hatred, and negativity that I developed as I grew up as a result of the world and the people I met in it taking advantage of me, stepping all over me, and tearing me to shreds. The kind of person I was turned into. The troubles and neglect I faced at "home," isolation in school, mistreatment from peers, betrayal and deceit from "friends," and loneliness: all of this contributed to my internal downfall. My nurture. Transformed into a force of anguish.
As justified as taking revenge on those who had hurt me would've been, I and I alone had made the decision to alter my course, for the path of revenge would've led to no happy ending. Through consistent and hard work, motivated by my ultimate desire to leave the world in better condition than I found it, driven to have the chance to actually live my life on my own terms for once, and determined to see to it that I found the happy ending I deserved, I pulled myself out of the pit of darkness that once consumed me. I wanted to find the light at the end of the tunnel.
However, my experiences and hardships transformed me. I was no longer the timid and innocent person I once was. My troubled past had strengthened me and imbued me with powerful qualities that I would not have owned in my natural, kind, and pure state, so I wear black to represent that. For instance, the pain of my past gave rise to my confidence, willpower, voice, and courage that I would've not otherwise found had life been easy. And since my behavior is still driven by positive traits such as altruism and wanting to help others, I wear white. Who I am today is a mesh of my nature and my nurture, which is why I wear both. Both these colors tell the story of my past, which is why I call them my "scars."
I eventually came to realize how my life’s journey fit very well with the aforementioned question: “What happens when an unstoppable force hits an immovable object?”
An open hand can represent surrender and a signal to stop someone from their onslaught. A peaceful, non-violent gesture of resistance. The path of a pacifist and one with positive intentions. An immovable object, the Light.
A closed fist can represent said onslaught and might. A vicious, powerful gesture of attack and strength. The path of a warmonger and one with powerful, if not negative, intentions. An unstoppable force, the Darkness.
As my own history dictated, I was able to evolve and grow from both ends of this spectrum of good and evil. My life wasn’t ultimately a story about the Light clashing with the Darkness within, but rather, it was about learning how to take the best bits from both and move forward. Working together, for Light cannot exist without Darkness.
In my light, I found altruism, empathy, and helping others, while I left behind timidity, shyness, and a reticent nature.
In my darkness, I found confidence, willpower, and courage, while I left behind, cruelty, arrogance, and hatred.
Therefore, instead of the fist colliding with the open palm, they now face the same direction as a titanic force of unstoppable and immovable determination, which can power you through both thick and thin, as it did for me.
Moral of the story? Never, ever, ever give up. :-)
Merch Note: With the Determination symbol being an important icon in my life, I decided to place it on several articles of clothing so that it can strengthen, motivate, and empower other people to push through life's difficult moments and never lose hope, as it did me. If you're interested in checking out the merch, head over to my Linktree (linktr.ee/LucasHawthorne if clicking doesn't work) and the merch links there will show you the way! Keep in mind that designs not explicitly stating that there might be a Determination symbol on them will not have them.