ren ☭

along the coast of Erie

a memory or a daydream. it doesn't really matter

I tend to get misty-eyed when I think a lil too hard about how I am constantly surrounded by incredible artists. painters, poets, photographers. from carpenters to tattoo artists to musicians. I hope to never lose the appreciation I hold for you and your fortitude in sharing your craft. to all the artists, thank you for sharing your work. it is not unappreciated or unloved, regardless of the external validation you may or may not receive. . . photo of Kenzie, an incredible artist (mostly a painter, a craft I love but do not have the patience to partake in) that you can follow @abmsexton

as we turn into pride month, I will take time to mourn the queer martyrs that have been slaughtered by the imperialist machine that is U.S. America's genocidal tool - the apartheid state of Israel. we deserve to exist. we deserve to fight back under any means necessary. we deserve liberation. may the force of our collective bite snap the chains of colonialism photos from the Nakba Vigil held in Goebel Park, Covington, KY

new goal for the year: hike all the trails in Hocking Hills

silly little guy ! goofy lil dude !

if you're a photographer you should join the Thursday @northsidephotowalks a lovely walk through the neighborhood with incredibly skilled and fun photographers. what more could you want?

escapism

for Justin, who likes when I take photos of old TV screens

reflections on the first video I've ever filmed. you'll have to excuse me if they're intimate; I desperately wish to craft stories, to tell them in a compelling way. I believe this is the drive for many artists, of various mediums, so you (yes, you. we are all artists in some way) will likely understand what I mean by this I've got a pretty good track record of artistic hobbies that center story-telling; from writing, to running tabletop, to photography, to improv comedy.. the list goes on and will continue to meander if I age I've been studying filmmaking at a distance for some time now. while I am confident in treading my path of creative direction as a photographer, an attempt to create video felt like a leap of faith I did not have the courage to take which leads me to be endlessly grateful of @harpbyvictoria for placing her trust in me to bring her vision to life. her confidence in my abilities and playful excitement encouraged me to lock the fear in a box, just for a bit, and jump headfirst. thank you, victoria, for being such an incredibly creative partner throughout the creation of your video this project has bruised my ego in a really lovely way. I don't often become frustrated, however I have felt nothing but gut wrenching failure despite the positive feedback throughout my life, I have refrained from sharing my other forms of art until I've hit a certain skill level, until I've felt satisfied, until I've felt they were "good enough" I wanted to hide this video, lock it in my archive folders littered with the skeletal systems of art thrown aside, and wipe my hands clean before anyone was the wiser. it would be a shame for someone to see me at anything other than my best, huh? I am struggling to fight this urge. it is a good struggle, one I am proud of myself for giving. I've bared my teeth to this unrelenting insecurity and not only spoken of the project to everyone I can, but shown it off as well. because I love this art and I've loved the process of creating it. I may instinctually see this as a failure, but. failure is exciting. there is so much to improve upon. what a thrilling feeling.

I've had the incredible pleasure and honor to work with @matt.wither.spoon not only during commercial production shoots, but also on-site studio sessions. I would not trade these hours being blinded by lighting and panicking over accidentally deleting files for anything. Your enduring patience and limitless compassion is nothing short of inspirational. I think the majority of our time together is spent laughing and goddamn is that a lovely feeling! You're the best mentor I've had, but more than that, you're a friend I'm incredibly grateful to have in my life. Thank you for sharing this piece of your own life with me :)

photos I took of @monowhales last year that I forgot to post. perhaps the best stage presence I've ever seen from an artist