
One struggle that is common to so many young creatives is finding that gig, the one that fulfills a myriad of passions and consistently pays the bills. Equally as common, though, is the nagging sensation that the perfect job is still out there, waiting for you to find it. I’ve seen it in so many friends, myself even. How do you determine the right thing to do, the right time to do it? Is it just an obsession, or could it be an occupation? It’s easy to know what you love by what you do outside of work, but it’s too easy to relegate your hobbies to free time obsolescence. If your diversion keeps you up at night, demands a sacrifice, and leaves you feeling invigorated and proud, you’ve probably found where you’re meant to be. If you’ve found it in your day job, consider yourself lucky. But for many, no 9-5 can exhaust that stealthy Passion. It springs up uninvited, using your devotion against you. Inevitably, pursuing your calling involves a risk. For Brad and Krystal Woodard, it meant Braving the Woods.
I have to begin by confessing that it would be a piece of cake to play favorites with these two. First off, I simply cannot think of a business name I envy more. What could more simply or frankly communicate the adventure of choosing an unmarked path that you can only hope will lead you into a magical woodland of everything you want to do, be, and accomplish. But before you read this fairytale, you should perhaps be introduced to these characters. The first is Brad, chief woodsman, designer and illustrator extraordinaire. He chops the wood, if you will. Krystal builds fires and writes the map. In other words, she handles their marketing and business strategy. Then there’s Kai, the young one. He’s mostly for looks as far as we can tell, but he’s without a doubt a wood chopper in training. He’s even taken to calling drawing “work”, which we can’t help but adore. We’re not even trying to stop. In the chorus, there’s Kiva, a silent (not actually silent) partner in charge of morale. Together they shared with us how they patiently and steadily tracked their career towards doing what they do best and love most, and how that has paralleled their hope to see and change the world.