Fl R E E D ISSUE III
iving life as ar t
C h r i s t ia n B e n jamin
Credits
E D I TO R I N C H I E F Briana Ariel COMMUNITY & BUSINESS R E L AT I O N S Carolina Aragon
A D M I N I S T R AT I V E A S S I S TA N T Sydney Thom C OV E R S TO R Y Christian Benjamin COVER DESIGN Patrice Booth COVER PHOTOGRAPHY Uplifted Photography
When you pick up an issue of FREED Magazine or scroll through our Online Journal, we want you to feel as if you’re sitting down with a close friend. We hope the authenticity of our stories stirs your heart. Our desire is that our vulnerability allows you to be open with those whom you trust to expose what is broken, seek healing, and have the courage to one day tell your story. Our scars are reminders of the battles we faced and our stories testify to the healing that comes in surrendering to Christ. -T h e F R E E D T E A M
FREED MAGAZINE E D I TO R ' S N OT E reating comes as easily as breathing for me. There’s not much cerebral activity involved in the midst of one of my creative escapades. The variety of outcomes is endless and I’m blown away by what myself and others create. Most of my Instagram time is spent oohing and aahing through art hashtags; I’m often mesmerized that God in all of His creativity would allow us all to have even a small portion of His creative genius inside of us. I’ve struggled for years with actually wanting to share pieces of my art with others for fear of judgment and my personal belief that my art was less than perfect. I questioned, who is really the judge? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and I fully realized rather recently that God gets glory when we express those gifts and talents He so generously deposited into us.
C
We are FREED to create! This FREED issue showcases creatives from all over the world who have bravely shared their creativity with our community. The depth and uniqueness of each of their styles is what makes our world glow in the most vibrant of ways! The FREED Team hopes you enjoy this collection and that you are inspired through
-Briana Ariel briana@freedmagazine.com
www.BrianaAriel.com | IG: @Briana___Ariel
The FREED Team
SYDNEY THOM
Administrative Assistant
With a background in mechanical engineering, Sydney Thom is known to have an eye for detail, which probably explains her love and talent for investigating. Sydney uses her skills intentionally in her everyday l i f e a s a f u l l t i m e m o t h e r, m a t h t u t o r, ke y v o l u n t e e r i n h e r c h u r c h a n d while putting in work on the soccer field! Sydney has also learned over the years to be intentional with her time and the projects she now works on reflect her desire to do purpose f i l l e d l i v i n g e v e r y d a y. O n e o f S y d n e y ’ s f a v o r i t e e n c o u r a g i n g q u o t e s i s b y L e o B u s c a g l i a , “ Yo u r t a l e n t i s G o d ’ s g i f t t o y o u . W h a t y o u d o w i t h it is your gift back to God!” Being authentically intentional and detail oriented with the individuals and groups Sydney works with through FREED is an equally inspiring a n d c h a l l e n g i n g ( t h a n k s t o h e r i n t r ove r t n e s s ) a d ve n t u r e s h e’ s l o o k i n g forward to continuing and growing moving into the years ahead! IG: @sydtastic1 || Email: sydney@freedmagazine.com
FREED MAGAZINE 4
CREATIVE ISSUE 2019
CAROLINA ARAGON
Community & Business Relations
Carolina Aragon is the Community & Business Relations Director at FREED Magazine. With a background in business administration with a concentration in marketing, her passion and attitude have p u s h e d h e r t o c o n n e c t w i t h p e o p l e f r o m a l l o v e r. C a r o l i n a i s a conversation starter and finds herself connecting wherever she is. Carolina strives to work in excellence in everything she does, a foundation that was instilled in her from serving in her church and constantly leaning on God for guidance. A friend once said “let it be the real me” and those words were imprinted in her in Christ. Jesus died on the cross for us to live in freedom and whatever t h a t l o o k s l i k e f o r y o u s h e e n c o u r a g e s y o u t o s h a r e i t ! Yo u w i l l never know the impact you make in someone’s life by just being transparent. Connect with Carolina, she loves hearing from new people and how God has shown them what freedom in Christ looks like! IG: @carrrolllinaa || Email: carolina@freedmagazine.com
BRIANA MALIK
Founder & Editor in Chief
B r i a n a A r i e l i s k n o w n a s a v i s i o n a r y, b u t s h e r e f e r s t o h e r s e l f a s a n a b s t r a c t piece of art. She has a background in Finance and Business, however she h a s b e e n a “c r e a t i v e” s i n c e s h e w a s a l i t t l e g i r l . H e r c r e a t i v i t y i n f i l t r a t e s every aspect of her life. She sees how God takes the unique experiences of life along with the hidden gems He placed inside of her to create an abstract piece of art with her life. Being “publicly” authentic is challenging for Briana because it causes her t o c o m e o u t o f h e r s h e l l . A s a p h o t o g r a p h e r, s h e i s a c c u s t o m e d t o b e i n g behind the scenes, but the call to authentic living requires her to come out from the shadows. She realized that striving for authentic living even when it is challenging is an act of freedom! Briana has begun writing p o e t r y, p u b l i c l y s h a r i n g h e r a r t w o r k , a n d h e r m a n y t e s t i m o n i e s o n h e r website. www.brianaariel.com
IG: @briana___ariel || Email: Briana@freedmagazine.com
FREED MAGAZINE 5
46
COV ER S T O R Y
the founder of
S to r y M K TG ,
a c r e at i v e
agency focused on helping brands and o r g a n i z at i o n s r e a c h d i v e r s e c u lt u r e s .
Christian Benjamin
// p o e t
44
LIVING LIFE \
Ellie Fernandez
Sam Frei // s p o k e n word artist
designer
32 // i n t e r i e r
12 Kariss Farris FREED MAGAZINE 6
CFL
group
Media
CREATIVE ISSUE 2019
78
AS
// p h oto g r a p h e r
// a u t h o r
Kayla Williams
JD M a s o n
84 All contributors confirmed that the content submitted and published in FREED Magazine is owned by each contributor respectively.
FREED MAGAZINE 7
So if the
SON (JESUS)
sets you
free,
you are truly FREE.
J o h n 8 : 36 ( N L T )
FREED MAGAZINE 8
CREATIVE ISSUE 2019
/ Ä R T/
+ /ˈTESTƏˌMŌNĒ/ ART
=
TESTIMONIES
FREED FREED MAGAZINE 9
P h oto g r a p h e r // T wa i n B u r r i s
CREATIVE ISSUE 2019
P E N & P R O S E | IG : @ p e n _ p r o s e |
p e n a n d p r o s e . w e e b ly . c o m
FREED MAGAZINE 11
FREED MAGAZINE 12
CREATIVE ISSUE 2019
Sam Frei //Spoken
word artist
& Poet
IG : @ I a m s a m f r e i Where
d o y o u f i n d i n s p i r at i o n ?
I find my inspiration from other poetry artist but mainly from looking at the miracle after miracle of stuff God has done in my life. So I just simply write out of the experiences in my life and how God has showed up in them.
W h at
p r o j e c t a r e y o u c u r r e n t ly w o r k i n g o n ?
Im working on a series of projects that will be a mix of popular worship songs that I remix with spoken word poems in them.
W h at you?
does being
FREED
or freedom look like to
Living from the overflow of a heart filled with the identity that God the father speaks of me.
FREED MAGAZINE 13
ALL IN I’m drowning, 10,000 leagues under the sea so deep all hope of rescue looks something like a mystery I’m lost, L o s t i n t h e d e p t h s o f t h e g r e a t u n k n o w n b u t t h a t ’s just fine with me. There, down there, where few venture God turns tiny seeds of faith into monumental mountains of great. W h e t h e r i t ’s a l a k e , p o n d o r o c e a n , w h e n d r o w n i n g you make a lot of commotion. T h a t ’s e x a c t l y w h a t G o d c a l l s u s t o d o . The commotion resembles an ocean controlled chaos pointing us all to the one hanging on the cross, who walks high upon the water we fell into trying to walk across.
FREED MAGAZINE 14
And is now asking one question.... ARE YOU ALL IN? The answer is always yes. We a l l a r e a l l i n . I t ’s j u s t a m a t t e r o f w h a t w e ’ r e a l l i n f o r. Is it the consuming chaos around us - or the omnipotent king before us. The swells of raging waters within us - or the ever present spirit who never leaves us. The fear of the depth of the great unknown - or the firmness of the immovable foundation below us. I'm ALL IN! Stuck in your love washed so clean the old me is looking s o m e t h i n g l i k e h i s t o r y, A simple blip on a timeline quickly forgotten, I may walk with a limp but my heart is yours and now aches for the rotten, Each time I fall you call, Each time I stall you gently push me like the infant I am r e m i n d i n g m e t o f o c u s o n t h e o n e w h o ’s a l l i n meant hanging on the cross disgracefully murdered yet to this day rules above all. The least we can do is go all in, And if we all go all in there is no kin that can stop an ocean of men and women living All in, So Lord: My words are all in My eyes are all in My feet are all in There is no way I could call myself anything but yours. Can you?
H ENGELH'S H O N E Y www.hengelhshoney.com
IG : @ h e n g e l h s h o n e y
Hengelh's Honey n u rt u r e h e a lt h y ,
is using honey to
selfless communities.
FREED MAGAZINE 16
CREATIVE ISSUE 2019
REAL PEOPLE. REAL H O N E Y. FREED MAGAZINE 17
AD
H enry K eith III
IG: @ h e n r yj k e i t h |
www.henrykeith.com
//PHOTOGRAPHER
Los Angeles
based photographer
specializing in analog portraiture and street photography. FREED MAGAZINE 18
CREATIVE ISSUE 2019
FREED MAGAZINE 19
FREED MAGAZINE 20
Photography by
J o e C u d j o e // M o d e l : J e s s i c a R e n n e
CREATIVE ISSUE 2019
CFL
group Media Lyon, France www.cflgroupmedia.com
Photography by Pedro Sandrini
FREED MAGAZINE 21
D estiny T homas www.herbeautyspeaks.com T W ITTER : @ h e r b e a u t y s p e a k s IG : @ _ h e r b e a u t y s p e a k s
FREED MAGAZINE 22
CREATIVE ISSUE 2019
Inked Letters & Broken Hearts This is a story of how a girl such as myself fell in love with the art of storytelling. I vividly remember being blown away by all of the stories I could create around the age of nine. It was a love story that would later pave the way to a journey of self-discovery and recognition of strength. I was never really a talkative person growing up. I found comfort in being alone, yet yearned for the company of a friend at the same time. The irony, I know but that's what makes it so much more beautiful. Short stories and essays, were my absolute favorite. I can recall back to the time, where I wrote my first poem. I found it to be so horrible. But, who would've thought that it would be the start to something so amazing and full of life years later, definitely not I. I continued writing because that was the only way I felt I could express myself. Going through the motions of life as a young kid into an adolescent was at the time a miserable place to be in. Let's just say that the ever so strange and blooming relationship with my father had quite a lot to do with the way I felt as I got older. Much of my work (poems) back then were very depressing something I make known because in those moments I was able to find my voice. Despite the fact that every time I wrote I was at my lowest point in life, I kept going anyway. That was about seven years ago. Today, I have been given the awesome opportunity of sharing my story to uplift others especially women. I want them to recognize that their voice matters. That they too can overcome any and every obstacle that comes their way. This road hasn't been a glorious one, so to speak but that's okay. There is beauty in the depths of our pain, once we realize that our lives will have the ability to change for the better. All in all, I was able to realize my worth and know that I was made particularly for a purpose that is beyond myself. I know in my soul, that I am here to be a vessel of hope and light. Whether or not, people agree is none of my concern. I love creating projects that reassures our beautiful black community of the power that we hold. Doing so, makes me smile and my heart sing a few beats. There is nothing greater than knowing that you have touched the hearts of those who needed love the most. Words are way more powerful than we think, which has allowed me to continue my journey even in the midst of the hard times. Often times, when I am struggling I put the need of others before my own, in a good way of course. I make sure to give a helping hand, words of comfort and strength. I hope to inspire you, as much as you have inspired me. By you, I mean everyone. I love witnessing the growth of others and knowing that although we have hit a few rocks we didn't let the bruises of our wounds get the best of who we are. Our resilience as a people, speaks volumes and in which I hope that more people recognize that. signed,
a woman who found her voice. FREED MAGAZINE 23
P H OTO G R A P H Y B Y C OV I J E T T
Gabriel King // M O D E L
IG : @ G a b r i e l m k i n g
FREED MAGAZINE 24
P H OTO G R A P H Y B Y C OV I J E T T
CREATIVE ISSUE 2019
FREED MAGAZINE 25
FREED LIMITED EDITION TEES AVAILABLE ONLINE
W W W. F R E E D M AG A Z I N E .C O M
Alyestal Hamilton Thomas // s p o k e n
word poetess
w w w . a ly e s ta l . c o m
IG : @ A l y e s t a l
FREED MAGAZINE 28
CREATIVE ISSUE 2019
Where My
do
you
inspiration?
find
inspiration is two-fold:
1 ) H o ly S p i r i t :
He gives me 15 min to cram on paper And sometimes He gives me weeks wading I find the right trigger the poem is to be
sometimes
the overflow of my heart. through inspiration until birthed from.
2)
to be the voice for others
I
have yearned to hear for myself.
I
am inspired to make people feel empowered about who they are, who they were created to be, and to live in the power of their purpose.
What are
project
you
currently working
on?
1 ) T h i n k D i f f e r e n t ly Initiative: a project e v o lv i n g f r o m a l i n e o f affirmation cards based on
12
g o d ly t r u t h s
intended to empower other women to live in the truth of their power.
2 ) M o m o ' s M a m a M o n day : as a new mom my desire w a s to s p e a k c a n d i d ly about the challenges of motherhood in hopes to spark honest conversation. growing in popularity,
I
As
it has been
will have guests join upcoming episodes to
continue the dialogue.
What like
does to
Living
being
F REED
or
freedom
look
you?
i n t h e f u ll n e s s o f m y p u r p o s e b y
b e i n g w h o a n d w h at
God
h a s c a ll e d m e t o
be in this season. FREED MAGAZINE 29
Jamie Sweeney
Jacket +
blouse are from boohoo.com
// M O D E L
FREED MAGAZINE 30
CREATIVE ISSUE 2019
W W W .T R U LYJ A M I E . C O M
IG : @ t r u l y j a m i e FREED MAGAZINE 31
Kariss Farris I N T E R I O R D E S I G N E R A N D P H OTO G R A P H E R
WWW.KARISSFARRIS.COM IG : @ k a r i s s f a r r i s
W h ere
did you find
i nsp i r a t i on f or y o u r h o m e re m o d e l ?
Who doesn't love Joanna Gaines?? I sequestered all of that energy for our remodel.
W h ere
d oes y o u r c re a t i v i t y c o m e f ro m ?
Most of my family says they aren't sure how I'm so creative. So, it's not familial. I have to give 100% credit to God!
W h at
i s y o u r f a v or i t e roo m f ro m y o u r re m o d e l ?
Definitely the kitchen/living room. It had the biggest change in the house and made such a huge impact on the house as a whole.
FREED MAGAZINE 32
CREATIVE ISSUE 2019
W h a t DIY
pro j e c t s d i d y o u c o m p l e t e ?
I h a d g r a n d p l a n s o f D I Y, h o w e v e r, I w a s 2 months away from giving birth by the time we moved in. That being said, I had the vision and let contractors do the work!
Which
t r a ns f or m a t i on w a s t h e h a r d es t a n d w h y ?
The hardest transformation was our master b a t h /c l o s e t . We d i d a c o m p l e t e a n d t o t a l l ay o u t change. Tip-toeing into that area and being able to see the ground underneath my house was a bit jarring to say the least. We had to rip everything out to build new walls. The reno process was a bit terrifying!
W h at
a d v i c e wo u l d y o u g i v e t o so m eone w h o w a s
d e b a t i n g a h o m e re m o d e l / re d es i g n ?
Do it! It can be exhausting, no doubt. But, nothing beats having a home that is unique to you and y o u r f a m i l y. Photography
by
Pharris Photos |
www.pharrisphotos.com
FREED MAGAZINE 33
Designed
Photography
by
by
Kariss Fariss
Pharris Photos |
www.pharrisphotos.com
CREATIVE ISSUE 2019
FREED MAGAZINE 35
Anderson Miranda | Brazil | IG: @andersonmiranda.ph FREED MAGAZINE 36
CREATIVE ISSUE 2019
S A LVAT I O N Faith is a trust fall. F a l l i n g i n t o d e s t i n y, r e g a r d l e s s of the mistakes you make. Mercy is the safety net life comes with. G ra c e i s u n m m e r i t e d f a v o r. Favor is a byproduct of love. Jesus was the scapegoat. B y t h i s G o d s a y s , " I l o v e y o u ."
N i a N . J o h nson | P I N K V E L V E T | IG : @ o n l y n i a n a o m i FREED MAGAZINE 37
Photographed
by
Skylar Coonan
www.SkylarCoonanPhotography.com
IG : @ S k y l a r C o o n a n P h o t o g r a p h y FREED MAGAZINE 38
CREATIVE ISSUE 2019
P E N & P R O S E | IG : @ p e n _ p r o s e | FREED MAGAZINE 39
p e n a n d p r o s e . w e e b ly . c o m
Photographed
by
T y w a i n Burris
I G : @ M R _ B U R R I S P H OTO G R A P H Y
CREATIVE ISSUE 2019
P h oto g r a p h e r // T y wa i n B u r r i s FREED MAGAZINE 41
FREED MAGAZINE 42
by
Skylar Coonan
www.SkylarCoonanPhotography.com
Photographed
CREATIVE ISSUE 2019
T his
photo is a photo that
often comes to my mind when
I
think of freedom , because
it shows someone truly being
// P h oto g r a p h e r
Photography by
Jess Smith
Jess Smith
free to be themselves .
FREED MAGAZINE 43
Ellie Fernandez // P O E T
IG: @ s at u r n a n d h e r s ta r s Do you ever feel like something is missing. It's just not quite right. A void. A crevice. A fragment of darkness. Do you feel like everything you do has the underlying desire to fill this unknown space. Motives driven by pain. Yo u s o o n f i n d y o u r s e l f t r a p p e d i n t h e c y c l e o f hate, who, when, where, what can I blame this on? All these thoughts crowding, strangling, slowly without realizing suffocating the very essense of what it means to be, you. Could it be that I don’t have this? Or I need that? Or maybe if he just loved me? Or could it be, just maybe, the fact that we are living w i t h o u t t h e v e r y t h i n g w e w e r e d e s i g n e d f o r. To b e i n r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h o u r c r e a t o r . P h oto g r a p h y : J e ss i c Fa REEl E m o r e | w w w .E m i l i a M a r i e P h oto g r a p h y . c o m D MAGAZINE 44
CREATIVE ISSUE 2019
"Freedom
i s t h at b e a u t i f u l
m o m e n t wh e n y o u a r e a vulnerable and real,
human.
When
you can feel
a n d l o v e d e e p ly , w i t h n o one to stop you."
-Ellie Fernandez
FREED MAGAZINE 45
P hoto g r a p h e r : B r i a na A r i e l ||
w w w .U p l i f t ed P hoto g ra p hy . c o m
FREED MAGAZINE 46
CREATIVE ISSUE 2019
C OV E R S TO R Y
Christian Benjamin www . t h e l o v e a r t b r a n d . c o m
www . s t or y m k t g . c o m
IG : @ c h r i s t i a n b e n j a m i n IG : @ S t o r y MKTG
My
Christian Benjamin, and I o f S to r y M K TG , a c r e at i v e
name is
founder
am the agency
f o c u s e d o n h e l p i n g b r a n d s a n d o rg a n i z at i o n s r e a c h d i v e r s e c u lt u r e s .
I
also
c r e at e d
c e l e b r at e s
the
a
clothing
c r e at i v e s
brand
within
us,
t h at called
The LoveArt Brand (@theloveartbrand IG), and a portion of the proceeds go o rg a n i z at i o n s
t h at
help
on to
underprivileged
y o u t h l e a r n d e s i g n a n d t e c h at e a r ly a g e s .
My
design
and
c r e at i v e
b a c kg r o u n d
has
h e l p e d m e pa r t n e r a n d c o n s u lt i n t h e c r e at i o n of
a
va r i e t y
of
brands,
which
fuels
the
e n t r e p r e n e u r i a l s p i r i t t h at ’ s s t u c k w i t h m e .
FREED MAGAZINE 47
Where
d o yo u f i n d c r e at i v e i ns p i r at i o n
and who inspires you the most?
I find creative inspiration in people, first and foremost. Really - conversations with people from all ages, backgrounds, walks of life - about their hopes, dreams and ideas - those conversations really fuel me for some reason. Meeting and learning about different lives and cultures really help open my mind in a way that allows for maximum levels of creativity to start to work itself within. On a visual level, I really get inspired by great film as well. As in, amazingly created stories and movies - no matter the genre, the total creative process that it takes to put together a unique film always intrigues me and gets my creative blood warm.
FREED MAGAZINE 48
CREATIVE ISSUE 2019
W h at
prompted you to get into the c r e at i v e i n d u s t r y?
Ever since I could remember, I always was able to draw and paint at a high level, to the point where the teachers at my elementary school would sometimes not believe that I was the actual artist behind murals I drew, since I was so young. A moment that will forever stick out (ha!) is a true story where a teacher told me that I should stop drawing people, and draw stick figures like the rest of the kids. My mom made it a point to go all the way up to my school and chastise this teacher, where at the time, I was crazy embarrassed.
“SHE TOLD ME, NEVER PLAY SMALL, AND NEVER LET ANYONE TRY TO MAKE YOU AVERAGE.” Those words are with me today - use your creative super power to your maximum ability, no matter what. Fast forward to my sophomore year of college, where I still wasn’t anywhere close to the creative industry, or even knew one existed, I had to take a design course as an elective, and thought it may be a fun class. Little did I know, this class would change my entire being. I did so well creating visuals in Photoshop, animations in Flash, and drawings in I ll ustrator, that the professors were telling me that I had a major opportunity to be amazing in the creative field - up to that point, I had never heard anything like that before - that you could get a real job in the world of “art.” My obsession with learning how to be better at design started on that day, and when my mother passed away while in college, I took all of those lessons and decided to create my own brand, with the mindset of honoring her legacy through my authentic self. FREED MAGAZINE 49
W h at why?
E T E T A e E t e R E t a T C E e a T A r A E e c
R C
E
i s yo u r favo r i t e p ro j e c t to dat e a n d
My favorite projects are probably between projects with organizations t ha t I b e li eve i n , an d pr o jec t s w it h st art u p/real in flu en cers.
I b e lieve t h a t d es i g n i n i t s mo st gen eral fo rm, is n o t j u st visua l , but func t iona l . S u r e, w e can cr e at e co o l t h in gs t h at peo ple can lo o k a t a nd b e e nt e r t ai n ed , b u t d es i g n is bigger t h an t h at . T h e mixed medi ums of d e sig n can b e u s ed t o creat e aw aren ess an d act u alit y beh i nd rea l init ia t e s, pr o d u cts a n d i d eas, an d in t h e case o f o rgan izat io ns tha t s ave r e a l l i ves , yo u ar e d i rect ly co n t ribu t in g t o ch an gin g t h e worl d a r ound yo u , t h r o u g h l i f e ch an gin g in it iat ives. T h o se pro j ects sti ck wit h m e , b eca u s e t h e r es i d u als o f w h at yo u h ave acco mplished wi l l s up p or t gen erat i o n s i n f r o nt o f me.
E T A E te R E a C e AT r
A ls o, ove r th e p as t 1 0 years, I h ave h ad t h e ch an ce t o sit w it h some r e a l p e op l e t h a t h ave to l d me t h eir dreams an d ideas, t h at u sua l l y no one e ls e b el i eved i n , an d b een able t o play so m e small, creat i ve rol e in he lp ing th em n o t ju s t l a un ch t h eir ideas, bu t believe it can b e done - a nd ye a r s l at er, I g et to s ee t h ese peo ple beco m e celebrat ed a cross t he wor ld . I t ’ s a n a m a z i n g f eelin g - n o t a feelin g o f credit o r anythi ng s illy like t h a t, b u t ju s t w a tch in g a perso n go fro m dream in g ab out a n ide a t ha t t h ey w er e n er vo u s abo u t t ryin g, an d n o w bein g a leader a nd influe nc er i n t h a t ver y w o rld - t h at w ill NEV ER get o ld. FREED MAGAZINE 50
AT e at TE re A e E t CR ea
a e
i s y o u r b i gg e s t c r e a t i v e f a i l u r e ? did you learn from it?
My biggest creative failure was basically a learning lesson. When I first started my agency years back, I had no idea of how to run or grow a business, and I never met or personally knew anyone that did. I felt a strong conviction that had to come from God, of what I was here to do, but I didn’t know how to do it. Short, I spent a lot of money on things t h a t d i d n’ t m a t t e r. I s p e n t m o n e y o n t h e renovation of my office spaces, print materials, everything that doesn’t help you get clients - but it’s everything I thought I needed in order to get clients and appear like I knew what I was doing.
Everything looked great, but I overspent, a n d l o s t a l o t o f m o n e y. I t ’ s t h e r e a s o n w h y I tell young entrepreneurs to keep as much money in your pocket as you can - in 2019 and beyond, so much of what we do can be, and is remote, that you don’t need to immediately spend what you have allotted for business on frivolous things that make you look and feel good.
R C
r c
a e
e t
C
r c
a e
W h at
E T A E te R E a T C
W h at
FREED MAGAZINE 51
CHRISTIAN BENJAMIN
cr
E E T r T c A A E E te R E C ea AT r c RE te a C e r E c T A E te R E C ea AT r c RE te a C e r c
CREATIVE ISSUE 2019
W h at
advice do you
h a v e f or so m eone w h o i s struggling to find their c re a t i v e i d en t i t y ?
B E I N G C R E AT I V E I S A B O U T B E I N G AU T H E N T I C . I f y o u a r e s t r u g g l i n g t o f i n d y o u r c r e a t i v e i d e n t i t y, I t h i n k y o u a r e looking too hard. Yo u r c r e a t i v e i d e n t i t y i s y o u r n a t u ra l s e l f - your creative identity is the thing that interests you after class or work, the d r e a m s y o u h a v e , t h e a c t i v i t i e s y o u t a ke up in your free time, the movies and books you read – it’s the medium that you could spend hours learning about, when that time f e e l s l i ke s e c o n d s . L o o k i n t o l e a r n i n g m o r e about that thing! Also, ask questions to creative professionals l i ke m y s e l f - t h e o n l y w a y t o l e a r n i s t o a s k the people who have been there and done that, and can give you insight into the day t o d a y o f a n i n d u s t r y, t h i n g s t o l e a r n , w h a t to avoid, etc. If you truly want to dive into anything, you have to learn more about it - D A I LY. We live in the age where you can learn a creative medium by simply pouring into Yo u Tu b e a n d G o o g l e , a n d s t a r t i n g t h e r e . R e m e m b e r, y o u r c r e a t i v i t y c a n s h o w i t s e l f i n s o m a n y d i f f e r e n t w a y s - f r o m p h o t o g ra p h y and design, to food & entertainment there are a million different fields within t h e c r e a t i v e i n d u s t r y, a n d s t i l l t h e o p t i o n to create your own lane. FREED MAGAZINE 52
P hoto g r a p h e r : B r i a na A r i e l ||
w w w .U p l i f t e d P hoto g ra p hy . c o m
CREATIVE ISSUE 2019
W h at
projects are you working on in
2019?
My a g e nc y, S to r y M K TG, h as revamped an d r e la un ch ed f o r 2 0 1 9 , an d I am ve r y exc it ed . O u r f o cu s o n h elpin g bra nd s c r e a te an d l au n ch co n t en t t h at r e sp e c t s a n d r ef l ect s th e d i versit y in our wor ld t o d ay, i s n eces s a ry. Wh ile the c r e a t ive a n d tech i n d ust ry h as ma d e s om e s t r i d es , i t s n o t n early e noug h. M o s t ag en ci es l ead ersh ip o n ly r e fle c t whi t e m en , w h i l e a l o t o f t h e mes s a g ing a r e g ear ed t o w ar d s peo ple of c olor, a n d o r /w o m en . S o meo n e h as to c ha ng e th a t. A ls o, I wi l l b e r el ea s i n g my first book , t e n t at i vel y ti tl ed “Mo n day Mot iva t ions ” l a ter th i s year. It ’s really a p a ssion p ro ject - I n ever s et o u t t o be an a ut hor, b u t af t er s pen d i n g t h e past few ye a r s s en d i n g o u t m o t ivat io n al e m a ils ever y M o n d ay m o rn in g, t o thousa nd s o f p eo p l e, i t w as t im e t o writ e t he b o o k, w i th t h e s o l e pu rpo se of c ha ng ing th e n a r rat i ve o f “I h at e Mond ays” i n to “ M o n d ay i s a fresh sta r t , a nd a ch a n ce to b e GREAT.” Right now, yo u can s u b s cr i be t o my Mond ay e m ai l s o n my p er s o n al sit e (w ww.c hr is t i a n b en jam i n . co m) , so I am exc it e d a nd pr o u d o f w h at i s t o co m e.
y a d n s o n M o i t a v i t Mo
FREED MAGAZINE 53
W h at
does being
FREED
To m e , b e i n g F R E E D m e a n s t o be released from some sort of b o n d a g e . P e r s o n a l l y, I w a s b r o ke n and tied up under a few different ropes - the bondage of the lack of knowledge, lack of hope, lack of b e l i e f, a n d m o s t i m p o r t a n t l y, t h e lack of self confidence. When God gave me the small, m e n i s c a l m u s t a r d s e e d o f “ H e y, I a m p r e t t y g o o d a t t h i s ,” e v e r y t h i n g else fell into place - the more knowledge I learned, the better I became, and the better I became at my field, the more I realized
How
mean to you?
that I could do ANYTHING. The world became different to me - I realized that every single action I took or place I went, was created by someone, somewhere on the planet. I feel truly FREE now, because I know that there is no limit to what I can do, and I don’t mean in t h e c l i c h é s e n s e - t r u l y, a n y i d e a or job I want to create or have, I can do it. When you stat thinking like that, you start doing some truly amazing things, and the world opens up.
d o yo u s h a r e yo u r fa i t h i n a rt a n d i n
b u s i n e ss ? Perso n a lly, I s hare my f ai t h t ho u g h eve r y i n t e ra ct i o n I h ave , o n a d a i l y basi s. Of c ou rs e, mo st int erac t ions are n o t s u b je ct e d t o d i s cu s s i o n s o f wh a t w e bel i eve in o n a spirit ual s t and p oint , b u t exp r e s s i n g l ove a n d t h e s p i r i t o f G o d th o u gh how yo u tre at , c reat e and b el ieve , h a s a l w ay s d rawn i n d i v i d u a l s t o co me back to me d o wn t he road , and have r e a l d i s cu s s i o n s a b o u t wh a t G o d m ean s to me, bas ed o n o u r int erac t ions p ri or. I g u e s s I a m b a s i ca l l y s ay i n g , yo u h ave to treat peo ple a cert ain w ay, and l ive yo u r l i fe i n a way t h a t m a ke s p e o p l e w an t to get c loser to yo u on a s p irit ual leve l , b e ca u s e t h ey s e e s o m e t h i n g i n yo u . T h at’ s n o t wo rds - its ac t ion, in my op ini o n . Als o , b ein g an ent rep reneur, I h ave h a d s o m e r e a l l y, r e a l l y t o u g h d ay s. I th i n k every freela nc er or ent rep ren e u r ca n r e l a t e - d ay s t h a t yo u d o n’ t kn o w h o w yo u will ma ke it anot her hour. I a m s t i l l h e r e , a n d i t i s n’ t b e ca u s e o f my creati ve min d o r s ma rt d ec is ions - i t ’ s b e ca u s e wh e n I h a d n o wh e r e e l s e t o t u r n , I h ad to look with in , and t hen g et on my k n e e s a n d l o o k a b ove , a n d t h e n b e l i eve ( f ai th . ) FAITH IN GOD T H RO UGH T H OS E DA R K M OM E N T S I S TH E ON LY R E AS ON I AM STILL HERE, A ND NO O NE C A N T E L L M E A N YTH I N G D I F F E R E N T, B EC AUS E I SPEAK THRO UGH E XPE R IE NC E , N OT C ON J E C TU R E .
FREED MAGAZINE 54
CREATIVE ISSUE 2019
F A I TH I N G OD THRO U G H THO S E DAR K M O M ENT S I S THE ONLY REA S ON I A M S T I LL HERE , AND NO ONE C AN TELL M E AN Y TH I N G D I F F ERENT , BE C A U S E I S P EA K THRO U G H E X P ER I EN C E , NOT C ON J E C T U RE .
FREED MAGAZINE 55
When I stepped out on two principles, my life changed FOREVER. These principles were authenticity & faith. P h oto g r a p h e r : B r i a na A r i e l ||
w w w .U p l i f t ed P hoto g ra p hy . c o m
FREED MAGAZINE 56
CREATIVE ISSUE 2019
When I stepped out on two principles, my life changed FOREVER. These principles were authenticity and faith. When my mother passed, I didn’t know up from d o w n . E v e n t u a l l y, w h e n I s t a r t e d m y c o m p a n y, I named it after my mother’s birthday (12.26), and couldn’t think of a logo, so I designed a heart. The heart had a break in it - not to signify a broken heart, but to signify the clock at 12.26. I t i s a s y m b o l o f l o v e , p a s s i o n a n d m y m o t h e r, a lifelong story wrapped into one simple design. But that simple design was so intriguing to potential clients and people who could help me, that they h e l p e d m e w i t h i n m y c a r e e r. B a s i c a l l y, m y p e r s o n a l t r u t h w a s r e f l e c t e d i n everything that I did, and when other people saw that, they helped me get where i needed to be, because people can relate to personal stories a n d a u t h e n t i c i t y, b e f o r e t h e y r e l a t e t o b u s i n e s s i d e a s - t h e b u s i n e s s i d e a s a l m o s t c o m e s e c o n d a r y, i f s o m e o n e b e l i eve s i n YO U. Now, the heart is represented in every company that I start, in a very small way (look for it). It’s b a s i c a l l y t e l l i n g t h e s t o r y o f, e v e n t h o u g h t h i s brand lives on its own, the passion behind this project still remains the same.
L e t yo u r t e s t i m o n y r e f l e c t i n yo u r c r e at i o n s , a n d y o u w i l l a lw ay s b e a b l e t o c o n n e c t w i t h people.
-Christian Benjamin FREED MAGAZINE 57
LET YOUR TESTIMONY REFLECT IN YOUR CREATIONS,
FREED MAGAZINE 58
CREATIVE ISSUE 2019
and you will
ALWAYS be able to connect with people. -Christian Benjamin
FREED MAGAZINE 59
a ltruist shop
OUR ETHOS. Our
m i ss i on
is
to
pro v i d e
an
on l i ne
m a r k e t p l a c e t o pro m o t e t h e b e t t er m en t o f o t h ers t h ro u g h fa s h i on a n d l i f es t y l e .
Each
piece
owner , bring
is
c a re f u l ly
L y d i a O s b orne ,
a wa reness
to
who
the
who
style
s u s ta i n a b i l i t y .
e x p l or at i on vibrant
of
u n i q u e ly
c o l or f u l
c on v ers at i ons ,
ALT RUI S T T e a m
see k s
d es i g ners
c re at i v es and
h av e
c u r at e d
by to and
m er g e d
T h ro u g h
the
markets
and
Lydia
and
the
i n v i t e a l l t o en g a g e i n
a se l f l ess l i f es t y l e e x c h a n g i n g s t or i es t h ro u g h pro d u c t s d es i g ne d b y a r t i s a ns and
i n d epen d en t
lo c a l
and
d es i g ners
g lo b a l
c a u ses ,
to
s u ppor t
c h a r i ta b l e
i n i t i at i v es , a n d e m power wo m en .
www . altruistshop . com e altruistshop
Photographed
by
Brandon Shane Warren
FREED MAGAZINE 62
CREATIVE ISSUE 2019
Travis Dupri // C H R I S T I A N H I P/ H O P A RT I S T
W h ere
d o y o u f i n d i nsp i r a t i on ?
I find inspiration through areas in which I can see God working in either my life or in the lives of others. Sometimes I can find inspiration through pictures, art, movies, and music.
W h at
pro j e c t a re y o u c u rren t l y wor k i n g on ?
I just released my debut album, "Thank God" that includes 10 songs.
W h at
d oes b e i n g
FREED
or f ree d o m l oo k l i k e t o y o u ?
What freedom looks like to me is not being bound by anything... whether it's emotions or circumstances. Knowing who I am though G o d a n d a l l o w i n g H i m t o c a r r y t h e b u r d e n o f s t r e s s , a n x i e t y, a n d fear is freedom.
W W W .T R A V I S D U P R I . C O M instagram.com/travisdupri TWITTER : w w w . t w i t t e r . c o m / t r a v i s d u p r i IG :
FREED MAGAZINE 63
FREED MAGAZINE 64
Freed
CREATIVE ISSUE 2019
M A L I S A C R U Z | IG: @MALMCRUZ FREED MAGAZINE 65
Jessica G askins .B Y . www
e
o u
o n lin e
IG : B e Y o u _ l l c Hello, my name is Jessica Gaskins and I am the Founder and CEO of the conscious b r a n d B e Yo u . I f o u n d e d B e Yo u o u t o f m y G o d - g i v e n p a s s i o n t o e m p o w e r o t h e r s with what I've learned through my personal walk with Christ. We are each f e a r f u l l y a n d W O N D E R F U L LY m a d e a n d a r e p e r f e c t a s w h o w e a r e . O u r q u i r k s , our uniqueness, our passions are all beautiful and are gifts to this world. Despite what society may tell us, the absolute best thing we can do is to be who God created us to be. Our unique, awesome selves. I b e l i e v e t h a t c o m p l e t e l y b e i n g y o u r s e l f, m e a n s to own what makes you, YOU! Growing up, I struggled with not being the most outgoing or the most outspoken among my friends. Most of the time, I simply struggled with my qualities that made me different from others. And I failed to realize that they were just that... qualities! But as time went on and as I grew (spiritually and mentally), I learned that those differences were what made me who I was and am now continuing to learn to embrace those d i f f e r e n c e s e v e r y s i n g l e d a y. A n d w h i l e l e a r n i n g to embrace those differences, I’ve found myself falling in love with ME more and more. When God first gave me the idea to create this brand, I was ecstatic because I felt that God had given me something to encourage the world with. I felt that the s i m p l e t w o w o r d s , B e Yo u , w o u l d c a r r y s u c h a p o w e r f u l message and would not only give people the courage to be themselves, but most importantly be themselves through Christ! Although I knew the message was an encourager for me, I had no clue that God would use t h i s i d e a t o c h a n g e m y l i f e . Ye s , G o d w a n t e d m e t o encourage others, but He also wanted to heal ME in the process. S o , a f t e r H e g a v e m e t h e i d e a t o s t a r t B e Yo u , i t s e e m e d l i k e e v e r y d a y t h e n a f t e r, H e w o u l d p u t m e i n s o m e t y p e o f s i t u a t i o n t h a t w o u l d m a ke m e h a v e t o s t a n d m y g r o u n d a n d j u s t b e m y s e l f. H e w a s l i t e r a l l y m a k i n g m e t h e f i r s t partaker! It was in those moments that God would show me that there were still some beautiful things about myself that He’d put inside of me and I had not yet embraced them. I was terrified to do so. I was beginning to understand t h a t B e Yo u w a s n o t s o m e t h i n g t h a t I c o u l d j u s t c r e a t e a n d l i k e , b u t i t w a s s o m e t h i n g t h a t I h a d t o f i n a l l y l e a r n , l o v e , e m b r a c e a n d l i v e i t . U L T I M A T E LY , I H A D T O S TA R T L E A R N I N G T O L O V E E V E R Y PA R T O F W H O G O D C R E AT E D M E TO B E A N D U S E W H AT H E P U T I N S I D E O F M E . FREED MAGAZINE 66
CREATIVE ISSUE 2019
N a t u ra l l y, I l o v e t h e a r t s a n d f i n d i n g c r e a t i v e t h i n g s t o do, which are qualities about myself that I’ve embraced throughout my life and have often used, but those things didn’t require me to use my voice. There would be times where I knew God wanted me to speak up, encourage someone, or let others know about who He is, but fear would grip me so. Laughing at myself now looking back, I was the person t h a t w o u l d a l w a y s s a y, “ P e o p l e c a n w i t n e s s G o d b y t h e w a y I l i v e m y l i f e a n d c a r r y m y s e l f, n o t a l w a y s b y w h a t c o m e s o u t o f m y m o u t h .” W h i c h i s t r u e i n s o m e c a s e s ! B U T , t h a t was usually my escape to stay in my comfort zone and keep my mouth closed. Even in times that I would need to speak u p a b o u t s o m e t h i n g c o n c e r n i n g m e p e r s o n a l l y, I w o u l d n o t do it for the fear of offending someone with my feelings or thoughts. How crazy is it that we sometimes feel that we can’t be ourselves for the fear of offending someone else? But you know what helped me? In Genesis 1:31, (paraphrasing) it says that God saw everything that He had made, and it w a s v e r y g o o d , a n d H e v a l i d a t e d i t c o m p l e t e l y. T h a t m e a n s that when He knit us together and put all these great things inside of us, that He knew exactly what He was doing, and He was very pleased with what He had created. Who am I to hide that? That passage alone has helped me to understand how valuable I am and to know that I also have something to o f f e r. Now with the help of Christ, I can be brave and confident about who He created me to be. I can be brave about how He created me. So, during those times that require me to be a little more outgoing, I can do that…and those times that require me to speak up a little more, I can do that as well. But once I’m done, I’m done! Lol. I can do what I need to do a n d s t i l l b e w h o I a m a t t h e e n d o f t h e d a y. T h i s i s w h a t B E YOU means to me!
FREED MAGAZINE 67
TRA TRAVEL
Photography FREED MAGAZINE 68
by
Danny Ospina
CREATIVE ISSUE 2019
nook in
P h oto g r a p h y
by
Jasmine Zanetti
Bookstore
Montserrat Mountain Catalonia, Spain
and
Monastery FREED MAGAZINE 69
Madrid, Spain
// P H OTO G R A P H E R
Anna McCord
IG : @ l e o n a . a r t c o I'm 22
years old and
I
am a graphics/media
d e s i g n e r at m y c h u r c h i n
FREED MAGAZINE 70
O k i n awa , J a pa n .
CREATIVE ISSUE 2019
Photography by Anna McCord FREED MAGAZINE 71
FREED MAGAZINE 72
P H O T O G R A P H E D B Y T U L LY G A R R E T T W W W .T U L LY G A R R E T T. C O M | | I G : @ _ R A T E D T G
FREED MAGAZINE 73
J e s s i c a IG : @ n e g r a q b a n a
CREATIVE ISSUE 2019
A l y s s a IG : @ s w e e t _ S i n c e r i t y P H O T O G R A P H E D B Y T U L LY G A R R E T T W W W .T U L LY G A R R E T T. C O M | | I G : @ _ R A T E D T G FREED MAGAZINE 74
CREATIVE ISSUE 2019
FREED MAGAZINE 75
Jordan Bercasio // C R E AT I V E S TO R Y T E L L E R
www.7CupsOfFemininity.com
IG : @ 7 f e m i n i n e c u p s
I ' m aw ar e t h at I c ar r y t h e p o w e r o f l i f e o r d e at h i n m y to n g u e . My m i n i st r y i s f o c u s e d o n u s i n g c r e at i v e o u tle t s to c o m m u n i c at e h o w m u c h be t t e r l i f e i s w i t h C h r i st, e sp e c i a l ly a s a w o m a n . I g e t i n sp i r at i o n f r o m c o n v e r s at i o n s I h a v e w i t h p e o p le .
FREED MAGAZINE 76
CREATIVE ISSUE 2019
I met this man when I was 12 years old. What I loved most was that he filled my soul. We were off and on More often off than on. I would sing him songs. He would sing along. He had approval from Mom. He would right my wrongs.
What kind of relationship is this? All the fighting and tears Is it really worth it? They say an adulteress is a deep pit, A s m o o t h t a l ke r, a h u n t e r, a t ra p i f you will. And that’s what I did. That’s the situation I found myself in. I cheated on my first love.
Growing up he kept me out of trouble To l d m e I w a s b e a u t i f u l He was someone I could trust. Even when my friends started experimenting with drugs Skipping school Making sex Not knowing a thing about love He showed me how to serve my community with compassion. We volunteered after school without anybody asking. My classmates would rather smoke blunts in rotation As if community service was only for probation.
I thought I was old enough. I started hitting them clubs. Even gave my virginity to someone else. Ye a h , I w a s g e t t i n g g o o d g r a d e s i n college E v e n s o m e m o n e y. But I was lonely Looking for someone Or something else to hold me Until I exploded. After being exploited Assaulted while not sober Almost losing my life Several times over He was still there. He always cared.
That’s how it was. We stayed in our lane. I seen people date. This was not the same. I was not the same. I didn’t like numb - no novacane. I liked to create. He did the same. He was my source of so much inspiration. He worked so hard Never took a vacation. But he wasn’t popular And back then I was easily shaken. And then storms came. I saw my parents not really know e a c h o t h e r. Lacking patience and kindness, It started to make me wonder
He never gave up on me Even the troubled me. He called me a few times I just hung up on him. But not even on the phone He called me by name. He said, “Come back to me And it could all be the same As when you were younger Yo u ’ l l n e v e r t h i r s t N o b a b y, y o u ’ l l n e v e r h u n g e r I ’ l l b e y o u r f o r e v e r l o v e r .” And then he proposed I s a i d , “ Y e s , i f i t p l e a s e s .” And if y’all didn’t know I been talking bout Jesus.
FREED MAGAZINE 77
JD Mason
// P H OTO G R A P H E R
www.themasoncollective.com FREED MAGAZINE 78
CREATIVE ISSUE 2019
In this photo, I wanted to represent my friend exactly how she was. I told her to sit comfortably and gaze out on the city that you know so well. This photo is titled "Peaceful Chaos"
-JD Mason
Peacef ul Chao s
FREED MAGAZINE 79
FREED MAGAZINE 80
CREATIVE ISSUE 2019
This is a long exposure shot, out in the middle of the smoky mountains. This was a shot I called "Hope in the Darkness" It was taken in the middle of the night and it was dark around me but the shot turned out bright and vibrant. I believe there is hope in everything no matter how dark it can appear to the naked eye.
-JD Mason
Ho pe i n t he Dar kness FREED MAGAZINE 81
Photographer: Odile Quidal | www.OdileQD.myportfolio.com | IG: @by_odile Model: Whitney Senga | IG: @withneey | Location: Paris, France
CREATIVE ISSUE 2019
Check out our bookstore to read previous issues W W W. F R E E D M A G A Z I N E . C O M FREED MAGAZINE 83
CREATIVE ISSUE 2019
DEVOTIONAL by
Kayla Williams
IG : @ _ k a y k a y y m i c h e l l e
I R R E P L A C EA B L E R O L E “Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and before you were born, I consecrated you; I appointed you a p r o p h e t t o t h e n a t i o n s ." T h e n I s a i d , " A h , L o r d GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am o n l y a y o u t h ." B u t t h e L O R D s a i d t o m e , " D o n o t s a y, ‘ I a m o n l y a y o u t h' ; f o r t o a l l t o w h o m I s e n d you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with y o u t o d e l i v e r y o u , d e c l a r e s t h e L O R D ." J e r e m i a h 1:4-8 ESV There is not one hair on your head or thought in your mind that is unknown to God. From ashes He c r e a t e d b e a u t y, f r o m p a i n H e b i r t h e d p u r p o s e . Before the womb, you were set apart by God to do g r e a t w o r k . Yo u r h e a v e n l y F a t h e r k n o w s w h a t y o u are to be and the gifts given to you. At times, we fail to understand the depths of purpose meant to flow from our beings. The natural gifts and talents placed within you cannot be executed by a n y o n e e l s e t h e s a m e w a y. O u r H e a v e n l y F a t h e r is not afraid to counsel his children on their call to glorify his kingdom, but we hesitate to receive w h a t H e h a s t o s a y. T h e r e i s p o w e r i n u n d e r s t a n d i n g God created you with an irreplaceable role in the earth. Everything you do has a purpose, and God knows His will for you. God has equipped you and is patiently waiting for you to see yourself the way He sees you. FREED MAGAZINE 85
I n i t i a l l y, J e r e m i a h d o u b t e d t h e c a l l t o p r o p h e s y t o n a t i o n s t h a t God revealed to him. He thought about his age and said: "I cannot s p e a k : f o r I a m a c h i l d ." L i k e J e r e m i a h , w e e x p e r i e n c e d o u b t w h e n it seems the responsibility is too high for us. How many times do we place limitations on our abilities that God did not? How often do we tell ourselves “no” before anyone else can? We count ourselves out, and a lack of belief makes us feel we are not ready for what God has called us to do. Jeremiah struggled with this r e a l i t y, b u t h e h a d t o a c c e p t t h e g ra n d t r u t h G o d s p o ke t o h i m . The comfort the Lord provided began with removing the doubtful words which proceeded from Jeremiah’s mouth. Not only did the Lord declare he has always known what Jeremiah was created to do, but everything Jeremiah needed was within him. God knew what his desires were for Jeremiah, just as he knows the plans he has for you. The Lord will use you with every step you take and m o v e y o u m a ke . I n m o m e n t s o f u n c e r t a i n t y, r e m e m b e r t h e w o r d s God shared with Jeremiah, be not afraid for I am with you. God reserved you before you came forth on your day of birth. Every day following God has planned to shape you as clay in the Potters hands. Destined for victory a n d c r e a t e d f o r h i s g l o r y, G o d g a v e y o u r gifts to you for a purpose greater than y o u r s e l f. J u s t a s C h r i s t g r e w i n s t a t u r e and wisdom from childhood, so are we c a l l e d t o d o t h e s a m e . Yo u a r e n o t a l o n e , a n d t h e r e i s n o r e a s o n t o f e a r. Fo r J e s u s p r o m i s e s , " I a m w i t h y o u a l w a y s e v e n u n t i l t h e e n d s o f t h e e a r t h ." The Lord knows your name, thoughts, visions, and the words to l e a v e y o u r m o u t h . Yo u a r e m e a n t t o w a l k i n l i b e r a t i o n , a n d t h e lives of those who behold your work will be changed.
You are the only you in this world, and no one can create like you.
Become who you've never been and continue to evolve. In your mind and your heart, you have to know what I do and how I do it is unique to me. There is value in the way you view the world. The lens which you see through is designed to bring light and life to every space you inhabit. There is a unique perspective you share with the world that can only come from your mind. We miss what we have to share with the world when our worries and fears lead us. Have you felt unqualified to be who God says you are? Even t h o u g h J e r e m i a h t h o u g h t h e w a s u n f i t t o p r o p h e s y, h e c o n t i n u e d to communicate with God. Jeremiah shared his concerns with God about his young age and listened to the Lord for a response.
FREED MAGAZINE 86
My entire life, I told God I was not good enough to be who he was calling me to be. I hid behind the curtains of fear and never allowed myself to imagine the impact I was designed to make. The difference between Jeremiah and myself is Jeremiah continued to listen to what God had t o s a y. Fo r a t l e a s t e i g h t y e a r s , I w a l ke d a w a y f r o m t h e c o n v e r s a t i o n anxious that I could never measure up. Sometimes, we shut our ears o f f t o t h e v o i c e o f t h e L o r d a n d t u r n u p t h e v o l u m e o f o u r “ n o ’ s ." H i s excuse of age did not stop Jeremiah, nor did he allow it to determine the rest of his life. He chose to believe in the power the Lord gave him. God designed my life as a witness for others, yet I was looking for my purpose in a degree and job description. God makes simple what the world has made confusing. He knows what you need to hear and the way to reach you. The time has come for you and me to place God's words above our own. Yo u a r e t h e o n l y y o u i n t h i s w o r l d , a n d n o o n e c a n c r e a t e l i k e y o u . W e live in a time where people always compare themselves and become the e n e m y o f t h e i r c r e a t i v e p o w e r. M e a n w h i l e , o u r a s s i g n e d r o l e s a r e l e f t vacant because we fail to see the value of what is within us. Instead o f s e e k i n g G o d f o r t h e a n s w e r, w e s p e n d h o u r s o f o u r t i m e d i s t ra c t e d , envying those we are not and shaming ourselves for never becoming it. As a result, we waste time searching for fulfillment in a job title God never meant for us. As I searched for an earthly title to box myself in, God revealed to me that the purpose of my life is me. I am the willing vessel others can experience a moment with Christ through. I am the s m i l e t h e w e a r i e d n e e d t o s e e o n a s t r e s s f u l d a y. T h e L o r d m a d e c l e a r your job is to go to all that He sends you because through you He will p l a n t s e e d s o f h o p e , l o v e , j o y, a n d p e a c e . T h e h a r v e s t i s p l e n t y, b u t the laborers are few. The cycle of fear is vicious when you allow it to determine your course of action. Lives miss out on the blessing you have to give because you run away from where you belong. Did you know the battle of belief is in your mind? This battle revolves around choice. We win half the war when we realize the option of what we believe is ours. We can choose to think our age dictates the power of the spiritual gifts given or we can accept being qualified by God. Yo u r o p t i o n s m i g h t d i f f e r f r o m J e r e m i a h ’ s , b u t t h e d e c i s i o n r e m a i n s the same. Will you believe the lies produced from the source of no or trust the Lord has a meaningful work for you to do now? The beauty in this realization is that it is never too late to see the power in who you naturally are. Many people are held captive by the constraints of a society that say you have to be a certain age, look or sound a certain w a y t o b e s u c c e s s f u l . Yo u h a v e m o r e p o w e r w h e n y o u p u t y o u r t r u s t in the Lord compared to placing your confidence in the hands of man. Yo u r o w n h a n d s m u s t s u r r e n d e r a s w e l l w h e n y o u r c h o i c e i s t o t r u s t i n the Lord. Allow God to give you the tools you need and the directions to where you are called to work.
DEV OTIONAL
M o r e o v e r, y o u w i n t h e r e s t of the war when you walk boldly into the spaces God tells you to go. There is an enlarged territory awaiting you. There is a platform with your name on it and listening ears needing to hear what y o u h a v e t o s a y. Yo u h a v e t h e power to change perspectives through your art and release minds from bondage with your music. No matter what your gift is, another human is waiting to receive from you. The life you have is not your own, so let every inch of your existence be accountable to God alone. Learn to walk in victory as one specially chosen by God. Reject the lies and limits as you walk down the path of faith, holding the hand of God. F a m i l y, t a ke t h e t i m e t o t h i n k about these things. Why do we allow fear to cripple us? Do I believe what God says? Have I overlooked the value of my presence? God formed you with gifts that define w h o y o u a r e . H o w e v e r, y o u r commitment to that gift is who you will become. Jeremiah questioned his abilities, but let God pour into him the confidence he needed. Is it time for you to do the same? Lives are waiting to benefit from your yes to going higher and deeper with God.
P RA Y E R : H e av e n ly F at h e r ,
thank you for
your unconditional love.
You
are
longsuffering and gentle with me,
God. Thank
O
you for making me your own
and creating me with an irreplaceable role in the earth.
Lord, I
believe you
created me with a future and a hope.
You
d i s p l ay e d yo u r lov e to wa r d m e w h e n
you gave your
Son
for my life.
Let
me
demonstrate my love for you by devoting my life and work back to you.
Guide
I have to choose faith. Send your Spirit
in the moments fear and
me
between to help
me be the conqueror you declared me to be.
You
promised never to leave nor
forsake me, so in each hour you are with me. comfort; you are
I
will trust
Father, you the Creator
are my and the
Master Planner. There is none like you, Lord. Grow me up in you that men might see my good works and glorify your name.
My
gifts are your gifts.
are your talents.
Just as me. Lead
My
talents
you spoke to
Jeremiah, talk to m e i n t h e way I should go as I decide to trust you with t h e r e s t o f m y day s . H e l p m e o u t o f unbelief that I might see all you created me to be. Free my mind and discipline my h e a rt . I n J e s u s ’ n a m e , I p r ay , A m e n .
-Kayla Williams
The Marketplace
UNITED PRINTS SCREEN PRINTING IG. @unitedprintjax Email: unitedprintjax@gmail.com Contact: 904-994-9518
ANTHONY COOPER JENKINS | ARTIST IG: @anthony0307 FB: M Anthony Cooper-Jenkins Website: www.manthonyart.net Email: acooperjenkins@gmail.com Contact: 301-928-8048
WJCKREATIONS IG: @WJCKreations Fb: WJCKreations Website: www.wjckreations.com Contact: 703-999-3339
WORD ALIVE FAMILY WORSHIP CENTER IG: WAFWC www.shegogministries.org www.facebook.com/WAFWC Contact: (703) 221-7541
FREED MAGAZINE 90
CREATIVE ISSUE 2019
LION & LAMB IG: @lionandlambrand FB: lionandlambrand Contact: 617-712-6509
CHESTNUT HILL GRAPHICS IG: @chstnthll Website: www.chestnuthillgraphics.com
ANDREA RIVERA Digital Marketing Strategist Website: www.shop.bossmediastudios.com Email: bossmediastudios@gmail.com
UPLIFTED PHOTOGRAPHY IG: @UpliftedPhoto Website: www.Upliftedphotography.com Email: Upliftedphoto@yahoo.com
FREED MAGAZINE 91
FREED W W W. F R E E D M AG A Z I N E .C O M