the earth ink

This isn’t how it was supposed to be – my life, that is. I was meant to follow the example of generations before me: Grow up in my homogenous “safe” community, earn good grades in school, make friends, play outside, and graduate from high school. Then I would dash off to a reputable university to obtain a degree—and that coveted Mrs. degree with the man of my dreams. Then, I would settle down in my small safe hometown and push the refresh and repeat button for my own child. I am literally on the other side of the world from those initial 22 years of aspirations. When I graduated with only a degree in communication I started facing the raw disappointment that my life would not follow the plan handed down from most of my family and female role models. I still desire pieces of that carefully preconceived notion about life’s path. But, I can see that every sentence of my story is woven like a thread into a fantastically intricate tapestry of experiences. None of my moments are worth retu...

The Earth Ink has recently moved from Honolulu, Hawaii to Denver, Colorado. In the course of the moving I uncovered one of the first postcards that I designed. In the midst of saying so many goodbyes and leaving those people who became an influential and special part of my life in Hawaii, I read the quote I referenced on the card: Though miles may be between us, we're never far apart, for friendship doesn't count the miles, it's measured by the heart.   -Rozina Hosham-  Letter writing is one of the most beautiful ways to communicate with someone (hence the postcard design), but it has become much more easy to keep in touch with friends with social media and text messages as well.  So, here is looking forward to all the new friends (and The Earth Ink clients) and remembering the heartwarming generosity and hospitality from those who I said "aloha" to in Hawaii!

My annual personal project is a Christmas card. Every year my address list seems to get a little longer and every year the card is something a little bit different from the last - and from any other greeting anyone gets in the mail. I avoid writing long paragraphs to sum up the year. Instead, I use photography and graphic design to illustrate some of the highlights. This year, I chose to develop a 'passport of 2012.' I carefully blended the photos and places I had been together for each page and integrated a verse (James 1:16-18) into the design. I personalized the front of the passport with some Hawaiian holiday greetings and colorful splashy cutout photos. Inside, I placed scans of the country stamps I obtained in 2012 over photo collages of special memories. True to a passport, I rounded the corners of each little booklet and twisted a ply of yellow and red thread before tying it around the crease giving it an stitched effect along the binding. I also made envelopes...

Anyone who has travelled any where must begin with a plan. It  might be running through a mental checklist on the way to the airport,  or while throwing clothes in a backpack for an unexpected weekend roadtrip, or packing a lunch for work, or an entire year of maticulous mapping of an extended stay overseas; but some forethought is involved. This post is a plan. The Earth Ink was born out of a love for four things: The Art of Handwritten Communication Travel  Photography Graphic Design With these in mind, each post will relate to at least one of the three themes. This blog follows no organized rules and no promises of consistent posting; it is a simple journey of inspiration. The Earth Ink welcomes you to join the journey. I wanna hang a map of the world in my house. Then I'm gonna put pins into all the locations that I've travelled to. But first, I'm gonna have to travel to the top two corners of the map so it won't fall down.   - mitch hedberg ...