Kiera Wright-Ruiz, 22, Semi-Pro Instagrammer, Global Social Multimedia Channel Manager for Uber HQ
"For creatives, I guess the biggest thing I can say is you need to find stuff that inspires you on a daily basis. I like to surround myself by stuff by kind of inspires me. I always have random shit on my desk or at my house, like I have vinyl figures and a cactus plant, and people are always saying 'your desk is so pretty and cute.' Like even my tattoos, this one is for my mom, but it's also a reminder to be creative. It's important for people to find what drives them, whatever makes them feel like they're in their space. 'Cause I mean, having a job where you have to be creative can be difficult. But surrounding yourself by what inspires you, it lets you own something that is like your happy place, your place that no one else can touch. If I just stare at something that's boring, it doesn't really fill me. Being surrounded by stuff I actually like and going off to like, my virtual world, it's just something no one else can force me to do."
"The California Bar Exam has been the great equalizer. High school was a breeze. College was a joke. Law school was overhyped. But then I failed the July 2014 Bar Exam.
I felt pretty lost both academically and personally. Pouring months of tireless studying into a failed pursuit really shits on your confidence. Fortunately, time does heal all. More importantly, I had my friends and family there to keep me sane.
So, how do I feel about the upcoming February 2015 exam? I don’t know, to be honest. At least I've found some inner peace. There's no turning back now. Whatever happens, I can only keep moving forward. I will become an attorney . . . and a damn good one."
Ryan Marsh, 29, Sparky, and Joey Marsh, 27, Household CEO
artwork by Jackson Marsh, 3 and a half
"Our funny story that everyone thinks is crazy is that we got married ten days after we started dating. We knew of each other before that, but we didn't like, date. At the time we were in Lake Havasu and he was like, 'I know you're the one, let's go to Vegas and get married.' And I was like, 'you're full of it, and maybe you feel that way now, but in an hour you could change your mind.'
But we got back and yeah, literally a week later he asked again, 'So, when are you off work next?' And I said 'Wednesday and Sunday.' And he said, 'The courthouse is closed on Sunday, so we should go Wednesday.' And I said 'okay, why not?'
Which is totally crazy and probably the most irrational thing I've done. Normally I'm super organized and super type-A. My lists have lists. And for for me to just say yes. It was completely illogical. I mean, it totally worked out, but I always tell my little sister, 'don't go off doing the same thing I did, because there's only enough luck in one family for that kind of stuff, and I think I used ours up.'
Before Ryan and I started dating, I remember him saying that he didn't think marriage was for him and that it was just kind of like a business transaction. A brings something to the table, B brings something to the table, and that's what it is. And so when he was trying to tell me, 'I know you're the one, we're meant to be,' I was very skeptical. This was the same guy who was saying marriage was a business transaction. That's not romantic at all. But he was like, 'you changed my mind.'
And that's not saying I'm one of those super romantic, fall-in-love types. I don't know what it is, he swears he's charming, but we'll see. It was just one of those, let's go on blind faith things. If you think it'll work, I guess I have no reason to doubt you.
Believe me there were days when I didn't think we were gonna make it, but here we are two kids, two dogs, and a house later, and we're still here. I'm a true believer that everything works out for a reason, and that's just kind of our story. It's a little chaotic, but that's just the way it was supposed to be written, and it works for us."
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Photographer's note: "When you give a child some macaroni . . ."
So the idea behind this shot was to do a twist on those old-timey daguerrotype portraits by letting Ryan and Joey's three year old son Jackson cover the "serious" photo with macaroni art. Originally I'd hoped he'd do something cute like give his dad a macaroni mustache and his mom macaroni hair, but instead we got macaroni legs, weird macaroni blobs, and a couple things that are supposed to spell "mom" and "dad." I actually kind of like it better this way though, more "authentic." Hope you guys like it too. :)
— Jessica, 23, aspiring city planner, Habitat for Humanity Volunteer
"In this photo, [my dog] Molly and I are both being covered by a world map. It’s oddly a very 'me' picture. Since I’m an only child, Molly has really been like a sibling to me. The map represents my desire to travel and go to grad school to be a city planner. I like how we’re both wrapped in the scarf because it represents how my hopes and dreams are indeed intertwined with my family, and how I’m not only viewing these dreams of mine from afar, but have actually already taken steps to pursue them. I love how we’re almost looking at each other and we’re both holding the scarf in place because no matter where I go in live, my family will always be there next to me, supporting me and helping me hold up my dreams."
