Everyone loves embarrassing pop music. Not matter how chill, twang or trance you think you are - I’m convinced that everyone’s get-away-go-to is terrible, predictable pop music. The kind that you know the chorus before it even starts…the first time you hear the song.
And so it is for me. Moving out of my apartment in Columbia and getting rid of loads of things between myself and my brother (who recently moved to LA) has given me hours and hours of time blasting the radio in my parents house. In order to avoid thinking too much about all the changes occurring and the impending move 800 miles away, I arrive here with Carly Rae Jepsen apparently.
Anyway, my cleaning and massive moving lunch break allowed me to get a little creative with this song. I’ve been looking to do some simple icon illustrations - so here we are. How about that girly, summery pink? Who am I, anymore?
Post graduation and as the summer has come into full swing loads of changes are about. One of the biggest is having a new addition to the apartment. Debatably more exciting than a puppy, meet Alex.
I’m actually not entirely sure how to describe Alex in just a few adjectives but what I do know is that he is a mastermind. Of what - can’t be sure. He’s sort of like the Master Hand, for those of you who can relate to that. On top of being a general business meets marketing meets technological genius, he interns with my company EnduringFX. Where we utilize him for those skills…and skills he doesn’t have too.
We really haven’t changed much about the apartment except for being exceedingly busy. This means over 40 hour work weeks for both of us…so we can’t remember the last time we picked up (sorry Mom.) And so to be even more efficient when we work from home we’ve moved both of our desks into the living room. Because of this I have decided that I’ve probably spent more time in the shower than I have my room over the last month.
So far living with Alex has continued to support what I’ve been learning lately - and what I think is highly imperative to adapt to in the newly adult part of life - is to be more flexible, positive and comfortable with spontaneity. Some things just aren’t that big of a deal. In fact there are plenty of things that are so you might as well focus your efforts on the ones that are actually going to count. The best use of the rest of your time is cycling through summers storms and celebratory beers on rooftops. Because the beauty of summer, and life, still exists despite the work week.
I’ve been frequenting Charleston quite a bit lately. I wanted to share some of what that looks like and it’s hard to say how I feel in static 2x2 photos. But perhaps this is now the medium of this generation.
From a trip to “Groningen’s beach.”
Lots of organized sand volleyball tournaments are held here and just around the corner you can rent boats to sail for the afternoon.
Formspring: What’s your summer playlist?
Oh boy.
I’ve been all over the place this summer.
I welcomed my summer with a playlist called “Baldfaced” that my friend Josh Rainwater made me before I went to Germany (Josh is a super music genius, follow his music blog here.)
But as far as stuff I’ve spent a lot of time with this summer that I hadn’t previously:
Yeasayer - mostly their album Odd Blood.
Black Keys - their most recent album Brothers.
Dubstep remixes of everything, this one specifically.
Bishop Allen - this song specifically.
The National - Their album art for High Violet is just too good.
Austin Crane - Valley Maker
But summer has always been a windows down + system up sort of season for me and I always go back to old bands that I can belt out the words to while driving down highways or coasting through the city.
You can’t get rid of Girl Talk, Four Year Strong, Yellow Card, The Starting Line, Ted & Leo, Chiddy Bang, New Found Glory, Cartel, P.O.S.
I’m not ashamed.
*Above is a photo of Josh from Dylan and I’s Spec Study project.
Watch Josh get down in the middle of Main Street here.
216/365.
My parents’ house is creative laboratory. If it’s not me setting up lights around the house to shoot, it’s my mother painting anything that has a paintable surface, or it’s my father sewing the next best rain gear for hiking.
I love my summer life.
This is a bag my mother illustrated.
Formspring: What are your plans for the summer?
All I have to say is this:
Come what may.This is the last actual summer I will probably ever have in which I’ll be able to kind of maneuver my schedule however I want to. In a few days I’ll be in Germany for a couple of weeks and after that spending a lot of time going through photos and footage to compile into promotional media. I have a good bit of web design, photo shoots, and some murals on the queue for the summer as well. Hopefully with a little extra time I’ll be able to get on to some of the projects that I’ve been wanted to start.
And needless to say I’ll be doing some serious road trips.
Virginia and Ohio are already on the list along with a couple beaches.
I’m always up for suggestions.
*Above is a photo of myself and Ellie the elephant. I was in Nigeria a couple summers ago. One of the more moving experiences in my life.
Ask me anything you want via Formspring or Tumblr’s Ask feature.
Dylan Knight, from our drive to Florence.
Summer anyone?
