Maybe it’s the moment. Maybe it’s that my son Ian thinks he needs to wake up every single night at some point, crying because he thinks his bed is in my wife’s hair. He then has a hard time falling back into deep sleep and tends to roam the front of the house while everyone else tries to get a couple more zzz’s before waking up.



I think I feel inspiration because I believe I could have taken these pictures or at least I have experienced them.

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It hit me inside.

I come to find out that Gregory is from upstate NY, my old stomping grounds. I went to college at Buffalo State and Rochester is where I went to high school. My family still lives there and we visit often. So it makes sense on some level that these images resonate with me because of the locale.

But it was more than just familiarity. This morning while in the shower I asked God for a passion for Him that I haven’t had before. For a passion for His Word that I haven’t had in years.

I have been going through a “early mid-life crisis” of sorts. It was seriously draining me of late and I finally turned a corner where it seemed to dissipate some. My wife and I have been trying to plan and organize more than ever. I’m 36 and that’s not old. Many would say it’s a prime age. Yet I’m coming out of a fog in some ways when it comes to work. The business I run has mostly paid the bills even with down periods and I do have some creative work that I’ve enjoyed thoroughly. There’s a creative push that is ingrained while in college regarding what it means to be a Designer and a Creative. A standing or ideal that needs to occur with innovation and art to ultimately gain respect and then theoretically the client work that will match that. This idea of an “elite artist or designer” does tend to be lived out in many larger corporations and especially in bigger cities where most of these jobs are located. For someone not located in those places, which we chose not to be in one. This idea does not seem to hold up as well, it falls apart.

Yet with the internet, does it really fall apart? Can I make great work and work as a freelancer for a large company from where I live. I can. Can I gain clout in the design realm from my computer here in my small town in Indiana? I can if I work hard and keep to the grindstone with the clients and projects I do have. Then I just need to aim higher as I move forward but never losing track of who I am, here and now. 


Woman holding a dog by Gregory Halpern from A collecdtion

Woman holding a dog by Gregory Halpern from A collecdtion


Old White House from Gregory Halpern's A collection

Old White House from Gregory Halpern’s A collection

In some ways, I’m rambling but if you have a couple minutes, please check out the series by Gregory. His images might resonate with you too. Even if they seem simple or mundane, let them sink in…I came across his work via the twitter handle @Booooooom which curates a full spectrum of design and photography on their website here. His site is down below.


View of Transition by Matt Gavenda

View of Transition by Matt Gavenda

Thanks for reading and I hope your Friday is inspirational and productive.

P.S. I took this image while writing this post. Nothing fancy but it comes from a view of transition. 

Matt Gavenda
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