My Story
My Story
The moment God pulled me from the ratcheting grip of a black hole my new life began. I was all-in. I'm not special. One look, salvation happens.
I’ll never be able to square the debt.
But there must be something I should be doing. Into my 10th year in recovery last spring I was getting antsy and feeling somewhat disoriented.
So I prayed.
I simply asked God to show me the way.
Then without thought I set down my camera and picked up traditional drawing tools: pencils, drawing paper, erasers, a compass and such.
In many of my childhood memories there’s a drawing pencil in my hand. But graphic art was a casualty in the fiery crash that was my life left laying alongside my career in a heap of ashes.
And now I was moved to draw again.
Without knowing why I was penciling sacred geometry, the shapes and patterns which represent the interconnectedness of all things and order in the universe.
I am by nature endlessly curious but this sudden pursuit is particularly intense and sustained.
I’d been standing at a crossroads feeling foolish when suddenly I knew which direction to walk in. This new road felt like home. I had no idea where we were going but oddly I knew I'd figure it out as we went.
Before long I was on my Mac illustrating sacred geometry and the other things spinning in my head, dangerous idealistic stuff like peace.
Doves have been nearly ever-present throughout my recovery. Now in my mind this line drawing of a dove would fly in and perch center stage.
So I stopped to render the dove from my head and pair it with the word “peace” in whimsy.
When and why this became about putting these graphics on apparel I can’t say.
My print advertising and publications experience was really light on t-shirt design. So I got up to speed going from here to there to learn this and that about designing graphics for apparel.
So now I’m pushing peace and love, designing shirts and tending an online shop. Right on.
Certainly wearing peace signs is a passive effort with a wildly idealistic scope, but why not throw a little wild idealism at haters?
If you’re in, welcome aboard.
What I most hope while you're here is that you consider what you may need in your life to maintain peace in a trying world. Anxiety and negative emotions shouldn't rob you of life.
Might you find peace?
“What’s so funny ’bout peace, love and understanding?”
NICK LOWE