“Like Honey”,”Rooftop Love”,”Self Love”

7SoulsDeep is a graffiti artist who has been leaving short meaningful messages written around the city for the past few years. Though through their social media you can see them travel worldwide, it takes little effort to find a new one of their messages left outside your train station or on the sidewalk on your way to work. I came across this specific message relatively close to my home on May 31, 2024. This picture easily takes me back to that special day, when I spent the day reunited with two friends I hadn’t seen since highschool, making the day sweet like honey.

This beautiful picture quickly became my phone’s lock screen after I took it, the beautiful centering with the distant Manhattan skyline giving me a sense of peace. This picture also comes packed with pleasant memories as it was taken on my best friend Melanie’s rooftop. Seeing it makes me think of all the deep conversations, rooftop picnics, album reviews, and dance practices we’ve shared there. Though her apartment may be small, her rooftop is where I and all her friends congregate to spend time with her, no matter the occasion.

On August 30th I skated to work for my last Friday shit of the semester, knowing soon I school would be in full swing and I would soon have a lot more on my plate than the spring. I was already having a difficult start to this chapter of the year. I had a lot going on and my only response was to go about my time on autopilot. This is when I look to the side to see a new piece painted on the wall with some simple but emphasized message. Though shortened I could read the words Love Yourself. Something so simple meant so much to me in that moment I stopped to take a picture, which made me want to slow down and think about why I was struck the way I was. Those 10 letters turned into 12, and those 12 turned into my mindset throughout that day.