Quick background on me, Lauren: by day (and some nights),  former newspaper reporter, less-than-consistent writer and human-centered designer. Fledgling triathlete, runner, cyclist, hiker, explorer, learning about the world around us and trying to tell its tales as accurately and thoughtfully as possible.

I made a commitment to myself in 2012 after running my first half marathon to “do more epic shit.” For someone whose idea of a fun night is watching the Golden Girls while using my pasta maker, it can be a tall order. For someone whose idea of fun is trying to stay awake after the kids are down to watch another episode of The Office, that can be a tall order.

In my search of “epic shit”, I stumbled across beautiful images, multimedia stories, books and essays and creations from people doing far more amazing things – for themselves, for the people around them and the earth we call home. And they inspired me to go out and try some stuff. Nothing particularly epic and not nearly as frequently as one would like.

Then I had kids with my most epic, wonderful and adventurous wife and thus receiving the gift to see things for the first time through their eyes and really experience wonder. True wonder. At seeing snow for the first time, understanding the feeling of cold, touching grass or seeing the season change, butterflies and frogs, or the full out magic of Christmas and winter.

This blog, my fourth baby after other loves (two human babies and one fur baby), is a compendium of that epic multimedia, creator-stuff, produced by artists, directors, photographers, top-notch humans and occasionally me. Part curated, part created, all inspiring. So many people are writing and creating beautiful things out there — here’s some of it highlight in one place.

If you’ve stumbled across this page (hey dad!), hopefully something on here inspires you to create something and remember that whatever part of the world you’re in, no matter what things look like, there is something worth exploring.

To quote my friend, Emily Davis:

“You are a perishable item. Live accordingly”