We asked 30 people to share their stories and here's what they said

Jonathon M. Seidl

June 28, 2016 | 1 minute read

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Real stories.

That's what we're about. And over the last two years, we've found there's a place where real people, dealing with real life, open up and share those stories. That place is Van's Warped Tour, one of the largest music festivals there is. This is our third year on the 41-city tour, and it just so happened to kick off in our hometown of Dallas, Texas.

So we decided to do something a little different to capture the stories there. We gave people a sketchpad and some markers and asked them to write down their stories in one word, sentence, or picture. Below are their raw responses. These are our people, the ones who are honest with themselves and about themselves, and who are beautifully broken.

"Unique" (Source: I Am Second) "Unique" (Source: I Am Second)

  "Find art in everything" (Source: I Am Second) "Find art in everything" (Source: I Am Second)

"Strength" (Source: I Am Second) "Strength" (Source: I Am Second)

(Source: I Am Second) (Source: I Am Second)

"Art" (Source: I Am Second) "Art" (Source: I Am Second)

 

"Smiling is my favorite" (Source: I Am Second)
"Smiling is my favorite" (Source: I Am Second)

"I know it's tough but please don't give up" (Source: I Am Second) "I know it's tough but please don't give up" (Source: I Am Second)

"Grow" (Source: I Am Second) "Grow" (Source: I Am Second)

DSC_1673
"Very easy going" (Source: I Am Second)

"Music saved my life" (Source: I Am Second)
"Music saved my life" (Source: I Am Second) 

(Source: I Am Second)
"Kids & ink" (Source: I Am Second)

"Fucking crazy life" (Source: I Am Second)
"F***ing crazy life" (Source: I Am Second)

(Source: I Am Second)
"Pseudo beard" (Source: I Am Second)

"Diligence" (Source: I Am Second)
"Diligence" (Source: I Am Second) 

"Friendship" (Source: I Am Second)
"Friendship" (Source: I Am Second) 

(Source: I Am Second)
(Source: I Am Second) 

"Don't forget to smile" (Source: I Am Second)
"Don't forget to smile" (Source: I Am Second)

"Happy" (Source: I Am Second)
"Happy" (Source: I Am Second)

"Anxiety" (Source: I Am Second)
"Anxiety" (Source: I Am Second)

(Source: I Am Second)
A picture of a pair of earbuds. (Source: I Am Second)

"Fun" (Source: I Am Second)
"Fun" (Source: I Am Second)

(Source: I Am Second)
"Freakin lame" (Source: I Am Second)

"Third wheel" (Source: I Am Second)
"Third wheel" (Source: I Am Second)

(Source: I Am Second)
"The weirdo, creator, and gay boy" (Source: I Am Second)

(Source: I Am Second)
"I am a daughter of God" (Source: I Am Second)

(Source: I Am Second)
"Chaotic" (Source: I Am Second)

(Source: I Am Second)
A picture of a cat. (Source: I Am Second)

(Source: I Am Second)
"Strong" (Source: I Am Second)

"I am a child of YAHWEH" (Source: I Am Second)
"I am a child of YAHWEH" (Source: I Am Second)

"Nemo" (Source: I Am Second)
"Nemo" (Source: I Am Second)

"Blue" (Source: I Am Second)
"Blue" (Source: I Am Second) 

(Source: I Am Second)
"Music brought me out of the darkest place of my life" (Source: I Am Second)

 

Jonathon M. Seidl is the editor-in-chief of I Am Second. Follow him on Twitter (@jonseidl) Instagram (@jonseidl), and Facebook (Jonathon M. Seidl).
 
Jonathon M. Seidl

Jonathon M. Seidl

Jonathon M. (Jon) Seidl is a writer, speaker, and digital media strategist. He’s the author of the #1 bestseller, Finding Rest: A Survivor’s Guide to Navigating the Valleys of Anxiety, Faith, and Life.

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