Page Layout for a Passion Project

I crossed paths with Amy Hunt in 2015. She had this vision for a spiritual publication dedicated to worshiping in real life. How we, as humans, tend to make ourselves feel like we’re not worthy of God’s love. She is supported by many talented writers who are willing to spill their guts about heartache, life and their spirituality. She requested that I become involved in order to provide page layout for the magazine as well as branding.

Our first issue, released in July of 2015, was a success. I was happy with my layout and the issue was passed around the internet via Issuu and Facebook. We were all very happy with this first run. Then it was time to release issue two. Amy decided to release it right around the holidays and then it turned into a New Year’s issue.

In September of 2015 Amy invited me to actually write a piece for our second issue. The issue was focusing on Faith and fear. I wanted to write honestly and about something really, real. So I did. Here is the preface:

When I was approached to write a piece for C’est La Vie: The Magazine I panicked just a bit wondering which of my fears I should write about. I wrote about my anxiety and fear in a post on my blog shortly after receiving Amy’s email asking me to contribute more than layout.

“This didn’t come to me all at once. As a matter of fact, the night I received the email we watched “The Man of Steel” and the next morning in the shower the quote by Father Leone kept playing over and over. When Superman asks him how he can trust the people of Earth not to turn on him he responds by telling him, “Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith first. The trust part comes later.”

That was it! You have to jump, despite your fear. You have to trust the people you feel are right, you have to trust your God. It’s scary, for lots of reasons. But isn’t it the whole basis for religion and faith? Following and loving without proof?”

I’m not quite there yet, but this is my leap. Speaking to the believers, the ones I feel slighted by. The ones I wish could just love for the sake of loving.

As self conscious as I was, I’m very happy with the way it turned out. You can read it here. After reviewing the first proof of the issue, Amy asked one more author to write a piece to follow mine. That also turned out wonderfully. It was a very good compliment to my piece.

Although Amy put this project away after two issues, it’s still one I look back on fondly. It gave me an opportunity to work on page layout, which I really enjoy, but don’t get to do very often. This project also exposed me to a whole community of women from all walks of life and all in different places in their unique journey. It was empowering to work on and I was honored to be able to contribute to this beautiful piece of storytelling.