What's in My Bag: Travel Hand Carry Edition

Who would've thought that I'd be getting on another plane less than a year after my big New York adventure? It may seem not at all big deal to many people, but for someone who hadn't traveled much for a period of five years prior, it's something worthy of excitement in my world. And although this time around, I won't be going to someplace new, I know coming back to the place of my childhood at my age now will be an experience in and of itself. 

In preparation for the trip, my tendency to create lists has run rampant. Since I can't pack my carry-on just yet, considering that I'm still using a lot (if not all) of the things I'm planning to bring, I've decided to doodle em for ya and talk you through each item. 

Lesser Than Stars, But Greater

From the Camera Roll

It has been quite the busy past couple months for this ole introvert. It has been a little over a year since I've convocated from university and to tell you the truth, a whole lot has changed. Having shaken off the weight of readings, projects, term papers, and exams, I have been introduced to the concept of free-time. I have been flirting with guilt-free naps and indulging in packed social schedules now that I'm no longer bound to the soul-sucking lifestyle of academia.

 

Throughout my years in school, I was making a beeline for graduation, with crossing the finish line and getting on a plane to New York as my saving grace. For a long while, that was what my eyes were set on. And so when August of last year came and went, I got on that very plane, and eventually had to return back to reality. It was an adjustment having to sort myself out and figure out what was next. After several months of feeling unhinged and completely lost, things eventually gave way and some semblance of a path cleared. Getting through all of that was a struggle and weighed heavily on my chest, but now that I have come out of it on the other side, I have been given new life.

 

Because of that, I have been given so much breathing room and so much time to just enjoy being a twenty-something year old. I've managed to thwart off my introverted tendencies of being exhausted by people and plans, and instead have found myself constantly going out, seeing the world, and doing things. I was worried that summers and life in general after my trip to New York wouldn't compare, but life has a funny way of surprising me. The month of April alone was filled to the brim with exciting things and moments worth remembering, and so I thought it was about time I do another series of 'From the Camera Roll' to give you a glimpse of what I've been up to lately.

Digital Drawings

Here are just a few drawings that I have made in my spare time. These doodles eventually turned into something I'm really proud of. With school and extra-curricular activities, I've been trying to find the time to do art leisurely. So it's been really nice being able to draw on my iPad since I can bring it to different places. It is available on hand and I don't have to gather supplies or clean up a lot after. I'm free to open it up and just be creative.

Playlist #16 | Dreams in Fiction

Testament of Humanity

Our differences make us special and unique, but the similarities we share with each human being on the planet is what makes us a community. If we were to attempt to come up with a collection of memories and a background for an imaginary person, it would be an almost impossible feat to reach the real number of unique individuals that there are. All 7.4 billion people in the world are different. With their own stories, lineages, and potential futures. We wouldn’t even be able to come close to coming up with that number, the process would take years on end. It is so amazing how we as humans have come to exist, but I've been thinking a lot on the topic of how I have become the person I am today.

In Praise of Feelings and Moments

There's something to be said about taking the time to notice the intricacies of feelings. Often, the chaos and the busyness of life stands in the way, and we end up just going through the motions. Lately, I've been taking the time to let things sink in more. In an attempt to fight off the notion of just letting life pass me by, I have been insistent on taking small pauses out of my every day life to savor things as they happen.

The older I get, the more I become painfully aware that life is fleeting. Things come and go sometimes as fast as the blink of an eye. And so, to combat that weight in my chest that I feel about all of this being gone someday, I have been pausing reality and mentally freeze-framing moments so I can will them into my memory and remember the way they have made me feel.

In my pursuit of this, I have found that the Notes app on my phone has been a great sidekick. Like any millennial in this generation, my phone is consistently in my hands or by my side and so it is a great place for me to keep track of my thoughts and feelings, and my thoughts about feelings. At any given time, I have a barrage of notes -- of unfinished poems, lists of moments that have made me laugh, and of feelings I don't want to forget.

In Pursuit of Learning

Whether it's in the near or far future, these are few things that have interested me and are definitely subjects I would like to learn more about. I know a lot of us probably have that list in the back of our heads from many mental notes. Writing it all down I think might help keep me more accountable so instead of putting it off, I can try to take steps on my own at present.

My Life in Pictures

With the sun shining, my friends and I have already popped out on numerous occasions for a few adventures. Whether it's around the neighborhood, in the forest, or exploring the school. We captured our laughs and smiles in those moments, not to mention behind the scenes was also very interesting. So this post is just a peek into my camera roll --some evidence of our spontaneous pictorials, screenshots, and pictures of what has caught my eye the past few weeks.

Portrait Giveaway

It's hard to believe that this little place on the Internet that we created has been going strong since 2015. Lately, we've been feeling more and more grateful for our little corner on the web. It's been so incredibly gratifying and cathartic to have an outlet to create -- for the sake of indulging our creativity, and for the sake of making things for you and your loved ones. So in an effort to celebrate the faces of those who have supported us, whether it's been from Day 1 or from now going forward, we wanted to do a giveaway.

Myths on Introversion

The landscape of personality types have always fascinated me. Increasingly so, the older I get, because I am finding that I am discovering parts of myself that need further clarification. For the past couple years, I've been giving a lot of thought to the spectrum of introversion and extroversion. And in my attempts to sort out the pieces of me that I am being introduced to, I have been aligning myself onto the array of personality types to better understand the way that I think, work, and feel.

It is no secret that I am an introvert. I am an INFJ (Myers-Briggs) through and through, and I am proud of it. Amidst all this though, certain myths have come to light in terms of introversion that I want to clarify -- in my own point of view, and my own experience anyway.

Contrary to my degree in Psychology, I have no expertise in this field of study. I've read about it in textbooks and have written essays on the topic, but I surely have no qualifications that deem me to be scientifically and empirically sound. Essentially, these are just my thoughts on introversion as an introvert. Maybe they don't ring true for all introverts, but they are truths that I live out everyday for myself, and so I thought I'd share em' anyway.

Thoughts Residing in Me

Cover Your Tracks

   Reinvented, re-imagined, retold -- covers have a way of breathing new life into the songs that we're normally already acquainted with. New arrangements and varied tempos allow a shift in meaning despite the same lyrics. And yet, we are still drawn in because of the sense of recognition. 

Covers are a magical blend of old and new; a way to mix up the routine sameness by delving into a kind of foreign that is still familiar. This collection of covers features a tune from the eighties surprisingly modernized by a mandolin and heart-wrenching harmonies. As well, down the list is a hip hop, reggae meets funk classic from the early 2000s slowed down to an acoustic rendition wholly distinct from the original. Lastly, there's also a classic Sam Smith tune of heartbreak revived into an upbeat guitar and bass driven, almost Motown sounding, groovy tune.

If those run-on sentence descriptions weren’t enough to convince you, then just let the songs speak for themselves. Links to each original and their respective covers can be found below the jump.

New Experiences

Each year when I turn a year older, I never feel any different on the exact day. When midnight hits, I still feel like me from the time before. However, there are so many moments where the time seems to have gone by so quickly. It's hard to witness yourself actually growing up, but then you come to those realizations where you've actually changed immensely in the short, long period. Every second, I treasure more and every obstacle, I am more determined to overcome. The world is such a beautiful place with so much to offer and a lesson I've learned is too always to try to be open to it. Keep your arms wide open because there is definitely more joy out there that will come.

Tiny Poems From Once Before (Again)

1:01 AM

All that I thought

to be true

was false

and all that I fought

to be right

left 

Another round of too much thinking and too much feeling has led me to crack open my poetry journals oncemore. As of late, my brain has been going a million miles a minute. It's become a rarity for me to be able to form my thoughts coherently enough to become poetry. My mind is constantly being pushed and pulled in a wide array of different directions. And although I haven't been writing as much, I am fully aware of the sense of welcoming and comfort that reading your own writing can give.

The Choices We Make

If young people had to draw a map of their life with the current knowledge they have, where to begin and where it will stop would all be a blur. The perfect decision, a path without obstacles and trials is impossible to discern. Sometimes we have to take our best guess and take comfort in the fact that we are in the best position to ask ourselves what we want. We know what the paper looks like and we have the path in mind, so even if we're doing it blindfolded we are not completely unprepared.

Playlist #15 | Talking in The Dark

City Skylines

There has been quite a few commissioned skyline pieces for awhile and I thought I would share them with all of you. Personally, they have sparked so many feelings and a desire to travel especially while I was making them. It is truly amazing the history and beautiful architecture that exists in all these places, in these pieces I am attempting do them all justice. With so many of our customers being based in Vancouver, it is really nice seeing how well connected everyone is to different parts of the world. We are so lucky to live in an era where we can see and experience all these different cultures as well as meet people from all over the place.

Free Downloadables: Wallpapers #8

Volunteering to serve for youth retreats is one of my most favorite past-times. I have done it since I was 15 and to this day, in my early twenties, I have only come across few feelings that compare to the atmosphere that comes with service. At whatever point in my life, serving and attending retreats have always renewed my sense of purpose and direction. At whatever state I am in, God finds a way to chisel at the hardness and stubborness that I always seem to harbor.

Being a part of the Youth Ministry at my local church has been pivotal to my identity formation and my character development, if you will. After all, the people you surround yourself with have such a crucial impact on the fibres of your being — I belive that to be true with my whole heart. And so, it is the greatest blessing to be part of a community that lifts and emboldens, that carries and holds, that worships and inspires. These people have molded me and inspired me, and their courage and conviction in pursuit of growing in their faith despite all odds is the kind of strength I feel unbelivably blessed to be able to turn to in times of darkness. They are the light that guides me home and the love that reassures me to trust in The One that will make me wholehearted.

This round of wallpapers comes directly from the notes I scribbled in my journal from the retreat that I got back from last weekend. I’ve fallen in the habit of making wallpapers synonymous to reminders, and these are the exact reminders that I have been needing lately — and maybe this is the kind of words you need to be reminded of too.

Advice To My Younger Self

There are many points in one's life where they ask themselves where the time has gone. In relation to the previous blog post that I did, is this common theme of growing up. I have recently been inspired to contemplate on that topic myself. We are compilation of moments and people. I am so grateful for everything that has shaped me today. Looking back, only a few years ago I was always in rush to grow up. I was so excited for everything the world had to offer. This week while my mind is still stuck on that topic, I though I would put together a list of advice. These are words for my younger self and to anyone else that needs to hear them.

The Speed of Life

On countless occasions more than I can remember really, my friends and I have had conversations reminiscing about the past as well as talking about what's to come in the future. I have always been the type of person that is eager and excited to take the next step. We have all these plans and aspirations deeply rooted in those we had as younger souls. Time is a difficult concept to grasp especially in its relation to life. Everything goes by in a blink of an eye with hardly anytime to pause for breath. During those conversations we always ask each other if we can believe that we're where we are now because it seems as if yesterday we were completely different people. I was so sure of who I was as a kid, what I didn't know however was everything the world had in store for me. Let the world keep spinning and I will try my best not to get dizzy.

Hippo Campus and Sure Sure | Vancouver

As the smoke settled and the lights dimmed to a warm ember, the Sure Sure x Hippo Campus show at the Imperial poised itself to be a night to remember. The crowds poured in, despite the dampness and the chill of the January evening. Past will-call and security, the line for coat-check was filled with people shedding their layers so they can move freely all through the night.

Things That Have Moved Me

Most days, I am emotional to a fault. I feel a lot of feelings, and although that means that I spend a disproportionate amount of time trying not to cry in public, I wouldn't have it any other way. It's inconvenient; I won't argue with that. However, it breeds empathy and sure does make for good art. With that being said, here are some sublime works of art that have moved me and have made me feel feelings that are difficult to articulate into words. Regardless of my lack of eloquence, I can only implore you to feel for yourself. These works are well worth checking out, I promise!

Playlist #14 | We'll Meet Again

On Growing and Changing

Happy New Year everyone. At long last, another 365 days have come and gone and we are once again starting anew — metaphorically speaking only of course. A new year never truly means a blank slate. We carry the good and the bad with us as we bravely face the start of another revolution around the sun.