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The Secret to Actual Real Magic is a Toy Camera

“DADDY!” My four year old boomed at me.

“HOW DO THE PICTURES GO FROM THE SCREEN TO THE PAPER?!”

As we watched the instant camera make its tiny print, I was struck by the wonder of it. Not the sorcerous technology, but the sensation of holding a photo in my hand.

Why is it so magical? Why does this feel so important?

As the photo slowly materialized, so did my understanding. This is a real, tangible thing. It can’t be swiped away or backed up in the cloud. It's permanent and unique and precious.

My daughter applying lipstick to my wife’s nose would’ve been forgotten. Instead, it’s a 2” x 3” memory that lives on my desk and reminds me that magic exists.

As the photo slowly materialized, so did my understanding. This is a real, tangible thing. It can’t be swiped away or backed up in the cloud. It's permanent and unique and precious.

My daughter applying lipstick to my wife’s nose would’ve been forgotten. Instead, it’s a 2” x 3” memory that lives on my desk and reminds me that magic exists.

“DADDY!” My four year old boomed at me.

“HOW DO THE PICTURES GO FROM THE SCREEN TO THE PAPER?!”

As we watched the instant camera make its tiny print, I was struck by the wonder of it. Not the sorcerous technology, but the sensation of holding a photo in my hand.

Why is it so magical? Why does this feel so important?

Just because I'm not an illustrator by trade (or training or anything else), doesn't mean I can't think about the smooth feel of markers on toothy paper.

art supplies

Namely, my all-time favorite character, Drajin Drachedajin, a Red Dragonborn paladin with the alter-ego D'Von Smite (naming characters is arguably the best part of D&D).

D&D

One of my "comfort hobbies" is listening to audiobooks. A good narrator transports my imagination in a way that reading with my eyes never did. Take a guess what my genre of choice is. There's a prize if you get it right.

books

I believe that we as human beings have inalienable rights, such as housing, safety, healthcare, and food. I've tried to help by donating my time and resources to the following organization.

community

It's just SO big. For scale, light could travel around the earth about 7 times in a second. At that speed, it would still take 105,000 YEARS to get from one side of our galaxy to the other. And there are A TRILLION GALAXIES in the known universe.

space

daydreaming about

Things I find myself

let's talk about any of this

One night when my daughter was about two, she was melting down before bedtime. I tried making her laugh, playing with stuffies, singing, and dancing. Nothing worked. Instead, she yelled at me and told me to leave. Straight up "get out daddy." I went downstairs, and I cried and cried. I'd never felt so inadequate.

Later, Laura (my wife), in all her wisdom, told me "I'm sure that hurt, but it wasn't help that she needed; she just needed to be mad and sad."

Everyone is going through some shit. I can't always help, but I CAN show grace, be curious, and validate people's experiences.

This translates exceedingly well to working with engaged couples. There are endless moving pieces, each with its own fresh stress. So if what you need is steadfast support, great! I've got you. Solutions, advice? I'm here for that too.

This goes for editing photos too. I'm of the opinion that our bodies are beautiful just the way they are. So I only make "modifications" by request. A nip here or a tuck there. Digitally only of course.