Dec 1, 2013

Sink or Swim

Madeline Beard Music, Other Adventures alt-j, frank ocean cover, lord huron, music, real world, two door cinema club, yuna 0 Comments

A big hi hello everyone! It has been three long months since my last update on SLB, and during that time I didn’t go more than a day without thinking about the blog in some fashion. There would be moments where a burst of inspiration would hit me, or I would see or hear something that I was just itching to share with you all. So you might be wondering what’s the deal with my absence?

This semester I floated to the deep end of the pool, leaving behind my water wings and life vest. Comparing my life at school to swimming may sound a little odd at first, but it’s a metaphor that has stuck in my mind for some time now. I feel like growing up it was common for swimming to be a simplistic analogy for life; “just keep swimming”, “you’re gonna sink or swim”, “you can either choose to tread water or to float”, “jumping into the deep end”, etc. In my second to last semester in school, these sayings are becoming more and more relevant. The wall between my current life and the “real world” is slowly starting to crumble; I am getting small glimpses of what lies ahead, but I am unable to start moving forward. Right now it’s all about choices, state of mind and circumstances.

So what’s the difference between the deep end and everywhere else? The deep end is when shit starts getting real. For a graphic designer, the deep end is when it’s you, your work, and the awaiting judgment of prospective employers. For every senior in college, the deep end is a holding pattern, a time when we can either frantically tread water or float. As for me, I’ve been treading, hoping that eventually I will catch my breath again.

I know this post is laced with nerves and anxiety (not to mention quite the lengthy metaphor); I can assure you, the fun stuff is coming down the pike and I couldn’t be more excited.

While giving a full play-by-play of my last three months would be time-consuming (both to write and to read), I can fast forward to the good bits and provide a musical “synopsis”, if you will:

Think of this audible goodness as a bit of a consolation prize for tolerating my wild musings about the current state of my life and its controlled chaos. Pretty soon, I’ll be back in the kiddie pool, splashing around, umbrella drink in hand, getting my tan on. Right now, I’ve just gotta keep breathing, head faced skyward and arms outstretched.

More adventures to come.

♥

Aug 8, 2013

Growing Through & Through

Madeline Beard Music, Other Adventures, Photography Brooklyn, portlandia, two door cinema club, williamsburg 0 Comments

Yesterday at work I set up a media calendar template up to the month of December 2014. As I logged the national holidays through the changing seasons, I started to feel a nervous, excited anticipation.

This summer I have developed a much better idea of what I want my future to look like; I have come face to face with my dreams and they feel so close and possible now that I am constantly tempted to drop everything else to chase after them.

Thinking about time, I would have had no way of knowing just how this summer would unfold a year (or even 6 months) ago. Now, I am left wondering what the next year will contain.

I am a big believer in affirmations, good energy and positive thinking to incite change. While my final year at school will be filled with uncertainties (trying to figure out the what, where, when and why of my future) there are some things I can control: the memories I get to make with my best friends, the design assignments that will hopefully turn into passion projects and the joy I am able to find in the day-to-day. These are all ideas I am starting to think about, but not yet in a literal sense; the majority of my brain is still out wandering the streets of New York, soaking in as much as possible before the inevitable ~~goodbye~~ see you later.

With all these thoughts of dreams come true, changes afoot and what it means to really be a “grown up”, I took this weekend to indulge in all of my tried-and-true favorites: sleeping in on a Saturday, an afternoon of antiquing, thrifting and photography with my most wonderful Brooklynite friend Phoebe, followed by breakfast for dinner and drinks in the heart of Williamsburg.

Before I proceed with the pictures, I have to say that Williamsburg was a bit of a revelation for me. Having never ventured to this part of Brooklyn before, I was completely captivated by my surroundings. Beautifully painted graffiti and murals thrown up on cement buildings. A repurposed industrial vibe all over. Phoebe and I walked by the following during our visit: a bar made from what looked to be an old boat, a gourmet artisinal grilled cheese food truck and a martial arts academy with giant depictions of Bruce Lee on the outside of the building (see photos below). Something about this place made me reference one of my favorite shows instantly: