Ben Crawford

Hi. I’m a Hallmark movie leading man.

I’ll pause for a moment so you can take me in while I...pretend to...remember my lines…(picture a soft chuckle emanating from my non-threatening, JCPenny model-like grin).
 
You may remember me from such features… Read more

Tonight, I opened for James Taylor.

Well, I played in the lounge located behind the stage, but all that separated our two concerts was a curtain. Close enough for me.

I played to a packed room and happy attendees, singing…

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One of my mom’s primary contributions to our Thanksgiving meal for the extended family was sweet potato casserole. You know the kind: yams that when coated with a fine layer of brown sugar, cinnamon and marshmallows, become ‘candied’ and basically… Read more

​I came into my faith under the wings of a Baptist church in east central Indiana. Entering the sanctuary each Sunday as a child, I was consumed with intimidation as we passed family after family who seemed to have the… Read more

Andy Goldsworthy is an artist from Great Britain. His work focuses on utilizing the elements of nature to create innovative works which challenge our perceptions of the volatile and ever-changing beauty of nature. He describes his initial process:

“I take…

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I remember his presence well; the almost giant-like presence, towering over my cousins and me with welcoming hands and a steadfast embrace.  Enveloped in his arms, my world was easy, and fears that often swirl around a young boy’s heart… Read more

My mom was made of art.
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She was artistic, yes, but she also lived and breathed creativity in all of its quirkiness and simple beauty. She—sometimes reluctantly—embraced the ebb and flow of life and channeled both the light and… Read more

My mom would always tape a 3x5 card to the fridge. On the card was a written list of our bills for the month.  While walking through the kitchen or opening the fridge to steal a hunk of bologna, I… Read more

Upon entering puberty, adolescent boys and girls undergo several, life-altering changes.  In the 4th grade, however, my body was similar to that of a toddler—but slightly taller—and I possessed slightly improved bathroom habits. I was always sporting sweatpants and a… Read more

Ah, the third grade—where a boy finds himself at the first important crossroads of his life: do I spend my adolescence and remaining elementary years as the obedient quiet child so favored by stressed out teachers, or, as the class… Read more

We all have people we admire and look up to, maybe even aspire to be. They may be a celebrity, author, or a friend.  For a child, professional athletes are a popular role model choice—I was no different—well sort of.… Read more

The buzzing bees enter the room with trendy wings,  
hormones are the honey.

Teenagers, victims of the stereotype:
erupting faces,
spinning compasses.
Boys: what do I do with this thing?
Girls: what does he do with that thing? 

They stand… Read more