When I was younger, growing up in the white picket fence neighborhood of Highland Park, all there was to ever worry about was school, friend and family drama. Life was simple. I went to class, sports practice, tutoring sessions and school dances. In some ways, it was so simplistic that it felt almost one dimensional. […]

There was a time in my life, where my smile was constant. Unwavering in its fully dimpled, uninhibited, human glory. Unapologetically beaming with happiness and not a care in the world about outside perception. There was also a time when I lost my true smile, during the majority of my twenties. I can remember one […]

DISCLAIMER: I am not a mental or medical health professional. This is an opinion based blog series and should be treated as such. Im not even sure how to jump into this topic because it feels simple, yet abstract. Obvious in logic, yet complicated in practical experience. For most of my life, i’ve felt like […]

This is an point of self-reflection. However, it feels very stream of consciousness so im going to just go with it. I think for most of my life, ive gone through different stages of self identity. Quiet and insecure, outspoken and loud, cancer patient, gay guy, surf photographer, irresponsible and (heavily) drug dependent college student, […]

(DISCLAIMER: I am not a certified medical or mental health professional, this blog is meant to be shared as a personal experience and reflection) Im back with my thoughts after the longest break from this blogging space. I took a much needed sabbatical from sharing my thoughts publicly. I was hard on myself for taking […]

(DISCLAIMER: I am not a certified medical or mental health professional, this blog is meant to be shared as a personal experience and reflection) Im back! after taking a two-week long break from this. I’ve found that this blog has been equally daunting as it is fulfilling. Its like an emotional vaccine, and I feel […]

(DISCLAIMER: I am not a medical professional, this blog is meant to be shared as a personal experience and reflection) For most of my life, I can remember living in a constant state of stress. From about the age of 7 years old, I was always in a state of fight or flight. The cause […]

Please read the previous post before reading this, if you haven’t already https://blakeeverettcrawford.com/2024/07/10/my-initial-coming-out-story-why-speaking-your-truth-can-save-your-life/ After my initial coming out to my father, I spent the rest of our two week European excursion in relative peace. I had done something brave. I discovered the power of speaking my truth and the freedom I could gain from being […]

It was the summer of 2011, after my freshman year of high-school. My dad, brother and I were en route to go to Europe for two weeks. My 15 year-old self was ecstatic about going out of the country for the first time. However, as I was entering the middle of my teenage years, the […]

It was early March 2023 on the North Shore of O’ahu. The day of the Eddie Aikau Big Wave Surf Invitational, the most beautiful and sacred event I have ever had the privilege of attending. We had spent the last 15 hours camping out for this event in a Vintage Westfalia Surf van. Witnessing pro […]