greens

 Springtime in Tennessee... guys, it's unreal.

andy davis

"My art is a daydream. I get lost in the process of painting and drawing; it is the only part of my life that has never had rules. Every person that sees my work has a different interpretation of the meaning and I like it that way. "

-Andy Davis

- andy davis

see ya!

Off to reunite with the sea! Here's a little piece of what I'll be listening to while I'm basking in the sunshine :)

- Leah Gray photo

17/52

So... things have been crazy. Besides finals (which of course brings lots of procrastination and unnecessary stress) the crazy has been so good. Over the past month some people and opportunities have come into my life that I couldn't be more excited about. I've been brainstorming, creating, working, and having the best time doing it all. I can't wait to be able to share the projects I'm working on with you guys (keep an eye out around the end of May :). Hopefully it will make up for me slacking in this space, although I'm a firm believer in work and effort and so when I'm quiet around here it's only because good things are in the making! 

Say hello to our (temporary) tattoos. The tiniest anchor on the biggest (hah) muscle.

a portrait of our journey, every week for a year.

designed: 2

Along with being a graphic designer, Eric can also think up and draw some crazy stuff. He has a really awesome style. Even when he's just doodling in his notes, I'm always impressed. For this design he actually used one of his drawings, and it's definitely up there with my favorites of his. (obviously we all have the beach on our minds... one more week!)

fun fun fun

If it seems like all I've been talking about is the beach, it's probably because that's all I can think about. I'm heading to Florida (coast, not gulf) in less than two weeks with some of my closest friends, and I'm going to soak in all of the sun / surfing / fun I can get. So I have actually never been able to successfully surf. The last time I tried I ended up just riding on my knees, but hey, that's something. I know, I know, I always post videos and pictures, but that's because it's a gorgeous sport. It's inspiring, and I hope to one day be able to do it (fingers crossed for this trip!). In light of my upcoming adventure, here's a trailer for a film that I'm dying to watch. 

The Heart & The Sea: Official Trailer from Nathan Oldfield on Vimeo.
- pictures by leah gray

embrace

Comparison is a problem. Not just a tiny problem, it's a huge societal, relational, and personal issue. I see it every single day, in myself and in those that I love. We see a cute girl walking down the street with gorgeous hair and we think, "why doesn't my hair look that awesome?" Or we see a guy with a sweet style and we think, "I would have never thought of that, my style sucks." Even small things like admiring your co-worker's awesome job or your boyfriend's skinniness can turn into a bad feeling or even a depression about the lack of these things in ourselves. Why do we do this? Well, without getting too deep and theological, I'll simply say our natural beings, even our societal beings, are innately self-seeking. We see something we like, whether it be a job, a relationship, or something material, our first instinct is to find a way to attain it. So of course, if we see a physical feature we like, such as thin arms (or buff arms, whatever you're into) we're going to point it back to our own physical features, and if they don't match then we think something is wrong. The issue comes when we realize that we can't have what we want, and so we begin to envy or resent the person we are comparing ourself to. The one I often find myself slipping into is the comparison of my style to the styles of my friends. If one of my girlfriends is wearing a cute dress, normally my initial thought is not, "oh my gosh she looks absolutely gorgeous..." I wish it was, but no. It's something more like "I want that."I always want to slap myself because it shouldn't be that way. I should be genuinely happy that she looks beautiful. Now, let me say, everyone's style is based off of something, or style wouldn't exist. Pulling inspiration from people around us is not the issue, the issue is longing after material and physical things and sometimes even resenting the ones that have what we don't have.

I needed to rant because I've been seeing more and more of this happening around me. (You know like when you discover a new car and then you see it all over the place... same thing.) The conscious effort to not put ourselves down, connect with our own good qualities, and not envy those around us is extremely difficult. It's a daily struggle for me. I came across this project started by dove and it just pushed me over the edge. We women (and men!) are so much better than what we perceive of ourselves. It's about time we embrace it.