the collective

all photos by the talented Caroline Ro 

Caroline is a photographer. 
I'm a blogger, designer, whatever I am. 
Lacy is a hair stylist. 
April is an artist. 
Together we're the wild and free collective. 

It was honestly all Lacy's idea. She texted me one day and said she'd love to get us all in the same place to see if we could collaborate on some ideas. It might seem like all our of things are unrelated, but she had a hope that we could bless one another and spur each other on. 

Lacy doing her thing // my hair half cut off

Our first meeting was for breakfast and coffee and we were in the restaurant till it was almost lunch time. I bounced Cannon up and down in the sweet little vegan cafe in our neighborhood and we drank coffee and shared our hearts and our desires for our respective businesses. We made lists of ways we could pray for one another and we decided on our first big collaborative effort. A haircut. A photoshoot. A declaration. I've talked a little about my decision to chop of my hair, but these were the women behind that sweet free day. The wild and free collective, all endeavoring to walk with one another as we let the Lord push us forward in our things. 

These photos are just a sneak peak (by the lovely Caroline Ro), but the full story (with MANY more photos) will be available in the next Influence magazine. I do have a point in this teaser though. 

Do you have women to walk with that speak to the wild and free soul within you? Do you have women that remind you you are a part of a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a people of his own possession that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness and into the marvelous light? Ideally, we'd all have a few. A sister here, a church friend there, a neighbor that you stand with at the bus stop and feel a connection with. I'm so blessed to tell you - I have those women. I have my sister, and Hayley, and the Influence team. I have the gals I do life with in our church and the women I've done life with in other cities. The speak into me and call me out of dark places. They hold my hand when I cut my hair and they hug me after I ugly cry. 

April the amazing

But here is the most important question, and the one the Lord is burning into my brain lately: Are YOU speaking wild and free into the women around you? Am I? Are you holding back a mirror to them of God's great grace in their heart and lives? Are you speaking truth to them? Are you pushing them to leave behind scared, small, timid living? Sometimes we just gotta be Lacy. We have to stop looking for people to speak into us and speak into others first. Sometimes we need other people to tell us - you have the power and ability and influence to shift the lives and hearts of the women around you by pointing them to Jesus and breaking the chains of how women typically do relationships. a

And I'm telling you that now. You can be wild and free. You can be a wild encourager and you have the freedom to love other women without concern for yourself first. 
You can start your own collective. 
You can speak life.