Living grayter: How this doctoral student is extracting positivity from the pandemic

For many, including creative entrepreneur Joshua Gray, the pandemic has presented great challenges for personal and professional wellness. So after exploring digital pattern and digital printmaking as a new creative practice, Gray set out to create Patterns, Prints & Positive Words -- an affirmation coloring book he believes is undoubtedly necessary right now. 

"The first step in learning how to live more positive lives—even in a pandemic—is to make a decision to change the thoughts we think, the words we speak, and the decisions we make,” Gray said. 

With this belief etched in his mind, Gray designed and illustrated the book as an exercise to support his own mental wellness. In it, he includes the many affirmations and positive words that resonated with him on his academic journey to completing his Master of Science in Leadership in Learning Technology from Pepperdine University. He has since graduated and is presently a doctoral student in Learning Technologies at his alma mater. 

Authoring and illustrating a book is no easy feat, especially for an over-thinker and perfectionist like Gray 

“I pushed this release back monthly for over a year. I wanted the release to be my best work,” Gray admitted. “When the process produced less than stellar results, I’d procrastinate and then end up feeling defeated.” 

But Gray refused to allow defeat to control what he says is purposeful work. It’s a work that he knew would be worth the push in the end. 

“I hope that when [people] close this book, they’re reminded that they can still dream, still operate in purpose, and still use their inner gifts,” he said. “I hope they’ll still explore what God has for them with curiosity, and yield to the power that stems from being a student of life.”  

Patterns, Prints & Positive Words is available on Amazon.