“Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and help redeem the soul of America.”

After the 2025 elections I found myself particularly moved by this John Lewis quote and decided to honor it in the best way I know how — I drew it. Using a traditional, script lettering style with a classic elegance that politely requests respect, I wanted to create a piece that was worthy of the words. To draw something that had an unwavering presence, quiet authority, and spoke to a timeless and honorable fight for what America could be.

I experimented with applying the lettering in different ways to tell a more complete story. In some instances, I played with weaving the flourishes into old, black and white (open source) photos of the man himself, to add drama and context. In others, I tried to give the hand-lettering a brighter hopefulness by overlaying a color gradient comprised of an approachable, livelier version of the red, white, and blue combo we’re so familiar with.