Happy International Women's Day!

Take a moment to enjoy this stunning video by Lydia Nichols, Helen Leroux and Liat Ben-Rafael, shared by Google via their Doodle, of women and girls around the world sharing their inspirational hopes for the future.

Who run the world? Your future self. Tell us your dream with #OneDayIWill and we might make you a custom Doodle.https://t.co/HlAWMqKnaN

— Google (@google) March 8, 2016

#OneDayIWill 

Spring has Sprung: Eric Cahan.

Beautiful photos of sunrises and sunsets from around the world, by Eric Cahan, ushering in spring. 

Swap: Qozop.

Fantastic series of parents swapping clothing with their kids from photographer Qozop. 

Via Visual News. 

Nelson Mandela.

Your walk in this realm may have ended but your legacy will live forever, Madiba. 

"No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite." - Nelson Mandela. 

Thankful.

Before I Die: Candy Chang.

Candy Chang lost someone she loved very much, and through her grief, over time, found clarity. She wanted a daily reminder about what really mattered - and wanted to know what the people around her cared about too - so she painted the side of an abandoned building  in New Orleans with chalk paint, and stenciled "Before I die, I want to ______" on the side, so her neighbors could share their personal aspirations and reflect upon their lives. It was an experiment with tremendous results. The next day the wall was completely filled. 

The statements made me laugh ("swim without holding my nose"), and tear up ("tell my mother I love her" - "be heard")

Candy's project is now an international one, which anyone can access. According to Candy's website: "After receiving many requests, she created a toolkit and the project site beforeidie.cc to help people make a wall with their community. You can also download all files for free to create your own stencils. Thanks to passionate people around the world, over 400 Before I Die walls have now been created in over 25 languages and over 60 countries, including Kazakhstan, Portugal, Japan, Denmark, Iraq, Argentina, and South Africa. They have been a constant source of inspiration and therapy for Candy. Each wall is unique and reflects the people of that community. Each wall is a tribute to living an examined life. The Before I Die book was just released to celebrate these walls and the stories behind them."

Up in the Air.

This timelapse video of the 2013 Balloon Festival in Albuquerque, New Mexico by Joel Schat is completely captivating. Attending this festival has been on my bucket list for many years, ever since my grandparents brought home rolls of film from the magical morning they spent there and my grandfather replicated them in endearingly goofy watercolors. 

I hear there is a similar festival in upstate New York in the fall, perhaps next year I'll cross this off my list!

Via Colossal.