Roller derby. Two simple words that evoke imagery of tattooed women in fishnet stockings and roller skates, getting rough on the track and sporting badass skate names. Perhaps the 2010 documentary stated it best with the title Brutal Beauty: Tales of the Rose City Rollers. It’s indisputable that roller derby is a brutal contact sport. [...]

Have you ever been curious about someone confined to a wheelchair? Or an amputee you’ve seen in passing? Questions may run through your mind that relate to how they get around, where they work, how long they’ve been disabled, how they use the bathroom, and perhaps most notably, a desire to know what happened to [...]

I blearily opened my eyes this morning and padded to the backdoor. I let the cat out with little more than a glance outside, but it was enough to hold my attention. The surrounding trees were in a dense fog. I immediately returned to my room, now fully awake, and grabbed my digital SLR camera. [...]

Beauty comes in all forms. That’s the message behind the subculture known as SuicideGirls (or simply SG), featuring pin-up photographs of tattooed punk and goth women with brightly-colored hair and a feminist attitude. No piercing too strange, no body modification too extreme, these give-em-hell Suicide Girls endorse female empowerment and accepting yourself for who you [...]

It’s easy for women to feel disconnected from their femininity at times. The elegance of summer dresses, rose petals, and a glass of wine on a terrace in Paris may feel like a thing of the past. An echo from the days of teenage daydreams. But thanks to That Inspirational Girl on Tumblr, an archive of [...]

“Life is so damn short. Just do what makes you happy.” If you enjoy this post, I recommend visiting Carnival Daydreams, and other posts within the Inspiration category. ———- ———-

It’s not creative. It’s mind-numbing, dangerous work. But seafood processing in Alaska might pay enough to support you for six months while you fully embrace your creative passion. I worked as a seafood processor during the winter season a couple years ago. It was an experience far more challenging than I predicted it would be. [...]

Nostalgia finds us all. Maybe it’s the overwhelming responsibility of adulthood, or maybe we’re just tired of always looking to the future. Everyone has a past, after all. Is it crazy to want to revive it once in a while? Of course not! Below are 101 ways to do just that. Carry out each idea, [...]

I was watching the television show Supernatural when an idea began to flourish in my brain. For those of you who don’t know, Supernatural is a fictional show that features two brothers on a cross-country road trip, battling ghosts, demons, werewolves, witches, and a host of other paranormal beings. Call me easily influenced or just [...]

“All things human hang by a slender thread; and that which seemed to stand strong suddenly falls and sinks in ruins.” If you enjoyed this post, I recommend visiting the collage Be Yourself and other posts within the Inspiration category. ———- ———-

When I was twelve years old, I explored an abandoned house concealed by a thick patch of blackberry bushes. The front door was locked, but I went around back to discover that the back door had fallen from its frame. I found an old plank nearby and let it fall on top of the blackberry [...]

Let’s explore the lifestyle and common interests of a lesser-known community. Which subculture shall we choose? How about… the literary-based world of Steampunk. It’s difficult to define steampunk without starting a heated debate, but there are three core elements most enthusiasts can agree on: Industrialization. The Industrial Revolution, airships, pocket watches, steam trains, gadgets, machinist [...]

Wish Upon a Star by Jacqueline Marie “Jackie” Evancho. This piece is beautifully sung, complimented by a video of the Northern Lights… but there’s another impressive factor involved: Jackie Evancho was only eleven years old when she recorded Wish Upon a Star. Born in 2000, Jackie first gained recognition as a little girl with an [...]

Have you ever enjoyed the feeling of having your hair styled or your back scratched? Have you ever enjoyed listening to someone reading or whispering to you? The phenomenon is called Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) or “head tingles”. It’s a tingling feeling that typically begins at the scalp and provides feelings of intense comfort, [...]

Sometimes it can be difficult for us to remember why we do what we love. When trying to become published, for example, a writer may receive rejection after rejection. A photographer may feel invisible in an age of digital cameras. An aspiring actress may go to casting call after casting call without a role to show [...]

I only remember bits and pieces. I’d been having a strange nightmare involving martial arts practice and the sign language alphabet. Then I died and decayed within a period of five seconds. I was terrified as I bolted upright in bed and had the sensation that I was already dead. Everything was foggy and the [...]

Are you tired of the same old routine of going out for dinner and a movie? Are you looking for something different? There’s sure to be something here for you to shake things up a bit. As seasons and landscapes vary, not every outdoor option will be immediately available to you, but they might give [...]

Perform a skit. Skits can be a marvelous way to let someone know how much you care about them. They can be humorous, as in the film 28 Days (2000), or they can be quite serious. One scene or many. Simple or elaborate. The details are entirely up to you. A few tips to keep [...]

When no one else wants to go out. When you’re alone and feeling it. When you have a bad day at work. When you start thinking of all the things that suddenly seem wrong in your life. The blues can creep up on you at any point during the week. Get it out of your [...]

It gets easier. Life is full of ups and downs. Sometimes we get stuck. We hit a point where everything is overwhelming and we decide, “You know what? I can’t do this anymore. It’s just too hard.” And before we’ve even reached the end of the road, we want to give up just so we [...]

There are songs we hear and don’t forget. For whatever reason, they stick with us. The below songs have made an impression on me over the years and I seek to share them with you. They aren’t the most popular or well-known. Some don’t even have lyrics. But I highly recommend listening to each and [...]

Teach your creative passion to others. Even if your creative passion isn’t saving the earth, you can preserve the culture your passion brings to earth. Blacksmithing, candle making, sculpting, woodworking… every creative art preserves self-expression in society. By taking an apprentice under your wing, you’ll help that person develop character and self-confidence while nourishing humanity [...]

Movies are considered creative for many reasons. Cinematography, technique, plotline… I consider a film to be creative when it pulls viewers into an alternate reality. Originality is the name of the game. Creating a new world to the point where people can imagine themselves there with the characters is the very essence of a creative [...]

Summer is kicking off. For some creative, adventurous folks, this means lathering up with sunscreen in preparation for lifeguarding. For others, it means strapping on National Park boots. But for a select few brave souls, it means taking on the role of summer camp counselor. For those of you who have never been a camp [...]