CASSELL STEWART GRAPHIC DESIGN PORTFOLIO 2025
Cassell Stewart Design Portfolio
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MEET THE DESIGNER I am a thinker. I am an investigator. I am driven to take things apart and figure out how they work. I am a reader. I am a writer. I love analyzing novels and plotlines and characters; finding the “why” behind what they do. My English minor has guided this love for the world of literary analysis. My curiosity about life has served me well in my time at Harding University. I ask questions, and that makes me a good designer. Being a graphic designer has allowed me to take my curiosity, take my drive, take my analyses about life and literature and successfully utilize them to make creative designs.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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THE MURDER HOTEL 6-11 SHAPES & NAMES LITERARY JOURNAL 12-15 INFOGRAPHIC 16-17 CRYSTAL BRIDGES DIRECT MAILER 18-21 CINDERELLA BOOK COVERS 22-25 AROUND THE WORLD IN 30 DAYS 26-29 DON’T WANNA BE WITHOUT YA LYRIC VIDEO 30-31 THE RESILIENCE PROJECT BRANDING 32-35 TYPE PORTFOLIO 36-41
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THE MURDER HOTEL PROJECT TITLE The Murder Hotel Group Branding Project SEMESTER Fall 2023 DESIGNERS Kit Moore, Esther Chen SOFTWARE Adobe Creative Suite SKILLS Brand Voice Advertising Strategy
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The Murder Hotel... shocking name, isn’t it? The macabre name is in purposeful juxtaposition with the playful nature of the concept. My team of designers specifically wanted to toe the line between haunted house and Disneyland, and simultaneously go beyond and create a boutique hotel different than anybody has seen before. The Murder Hotel, located in Chicago, IL, offers a unique stay for book lovers who have a fascination with morbidity. It merges darkness with playful energy for a delightfully weird brand of hospitality. With this boutique hotel concept, my team and I combined the dark tone of short stories like “The Most Dangerous Game” with satire such as “A Modest Proposal”. The color scheme and used for The Murder Hotel is a spin on the classic haunted house coloring of black and red. We wanted something that could get dark and spooky, without leaning too far into “Halloween”. The richness of the maroon and the deepness of the dark green is lifted by the addition of a pale pink and a light sea green, with a surprise pop of electric hot pink! The pattern my team used in The Murder Hotel branding is more than just decorative. From far away, the pattern looks innocent enough, but as you take a closer look at the wallpaper, it seems to be looking back at you. My team had to come up with a concept for a hotel, develop a brand identity, and create elements such as toiletries, info books, letterhead, website, and advertising campaign strategies. My role in the project was to keep our brand consistently on track, come up with a design voice, and execute it. As the main copywriter for the hotel, I wrote the information inside the info booklet (next page) as well as the concierge letter to guests (next page). The Murder Hotel showed me how fun brand strategy can be!
MAGAZINE ADVERTISEMENT
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LETTERHEAD
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CHECK-IN BOOKLET
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LOGO AND BATH PRODUCTS
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EMPLOYEE NAME TAGS AND BOOKMARK DOORHANGER
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PROJECT TITLE Shapes & Names Literary Journal SEMESTER Spring 2025 EDITORS Helen Strickland, Delaney Harrington, Reilly Kendrick, & Lainie Genry SOFTWARE Adobe Creative Suite SKILLS Typography Cover Design
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SHAPES & NAMES
Spring 2025 I was introduced into the student-led literary journal called Shapes & Names. Shapes & Names collects the winning pieces from Harding University’s annual Jo Cleveland Creative Writing Contest. Emerging writers and artists exhibit original fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and screenplays, as well as selected student art. In my brief time as an English major, I have been featured in Shapes & Names as a writer. As a Graphic Design major, I have been featured in Shapes & Names as an artist. I have a high regard for this journal , and I am so glad I got the opportunity to work with the editorial team on this project. I was the graphic designer, typography editor, and cover designer for this project. The editors and I decided on a Harding travel journal theme, taking inspiration from what we see around us as students. I took all of my sketches from around campus from my past few years here, and gave them to the editorial team to put into the pages. For the cover, the editorial team had already created a mockup of a cover design that they liked with birds, sky, and clouds on the cover. I went more in the direction of a travel journal, creating a Molekine-esque cover in Photoshop. I took the birds from the cover the editorial team already had and turned them into stickers in Photoshop, sticking them onto the journal and merging the client’s vision with my own.
SHAPES & NAMES COVER AND TITLE PAGE
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EXAMPLES OF SKETCH GRAPHICS
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PAGE LAYOUT AND GRAPHICS
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INFOGRAPHIC PROJECT TITLE It’s the End of the World and We Want It: Dystopian Fiction Infographic SEMESTER Fall 2024 SOFTWARE Adobe Creative Suite SKILLS Data Visualization
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It’s the End of the World and We Want It is an infographic designed for public libraries, school libraries, and English or Writing classrooms, with a focus on middle to high school readers. It explores the rising popularity of dystopian fiction among young adults and draws connections to the current political and social climate. As themes like climate change, surveillance, and social justice increasingly shape our world, dystopian stories resonate more deeply with readers who are navigating these issues firsthand. The design takes heavy inspiration from classic propaganda posters and iconic cover art from George Orwell’s 1984, using bold typography, stark imagery, and limited color palettes to create an urgent, eye-catching aesthetic. This visual style not only grabs attention but reinforces the themes of control, resistance, and critical thought that are central to dystopian fiction. The infographic blends accessible language, compelling visuals, and recognizable YA book titles to guide readers through a visual argument about why these narratives matter. It concludes with a call to action: Join Goodreads to share your opinion on dystopian fiction. This encourages teens to extend the conversation beyond the classroom and engage with literature.
INFOGRAPHIC POSTER
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CRYSTAL BRIDGES DIRECT MAILER PROJECT TITLE Crystal Bridges Direct Mailer SEMESTER Spring 2024 SOFTWARE Adobe InDesign SKILLS Type Voice Mailing Guidelines
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Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art welcomes you to the opening of their new (hypothetical) exhibit! Come see Lilla Cabot Perry: American Impressionism in Tokyo, a retrospective of the life and work of American painter Lilla Cabot Perry. Crystal Bridges regularly sends direct mail to their members; exciting them about a new exhibit and reminding museum-goers to renew their memberships. My goal as a designer was to come up with a hypothetical exhibit and design a direct mailer. Lilla Cabot Perry was my choice of artist because of her drive to always be a student of art and her diverse list of influences and travel destinations. Lilla Cabot Perry was an American painter during the late 1800s and early 1900s. She grew up in Boston and learned painting there, then traveled to France as an adult where she studied under Claude Monet and the Impressionism movement. Perry’s husband then taught English to Japanese students in Tokyo, so Perry’s artistic influence was taken further. She learned Japanese styles of art; blending eastern and western traditions. My design for the mailer reflects Perry’s life and influences. I chose a traditional Japanese lotus origami fold for the fold of the mailer, and I leaned into Impressionistic typography choices to bring in her French influence. Through the mailer, I communicated that Lilla Cabot Perry is as exciting and relevant today for her blending of traditions.
FOLDED MAILER
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UNFOLDED MAILER FRONT AND BACK
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FOLDING MECHANISM
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CINDERELLA COVERS PROJECT TITLE Cinderella Through the Ages Book Covers SEMESTER Spring 2024 SOFTWARE Adobe Creative Suite SKILLS Cover Design Conceptual Thinking
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Once upon a time, there was a little girl who loved to read. The story of Cinderella was one of the first stories she was introduced to, and she loved twirling around in her Cinderella dress. When this little girl was given the opportunity to choose a series of books to redesign their covers, the little girl knew she had to honor the princess of her childhood. I wrote a series of essays in high school about the different renditions of Cinderella over the years. I incorporated both the ideas of these essays in the concept of the design and a reworking of the essays in the book descriptions. The covers reference the ideas of Cinderella as a reflection of the societal view of women and the juxtaposition of magic versus reality in each retelling. Cindrillon, the first in the series, was written by Charles Perrault during the late 17th century in France. Cindrillon’s body language reflects the view of women and their sole purpose to serve. The fantasy shown through the color pattern was in the character herself, as Perrault penned a very two-dimensional princess. Aschenputtel was written by the Brothers Grimm during the early 19th century and reflects a view of women that was changing to be more independently strong. The placement of color is on her dress because while the character is real, she still is draped in these societal fantasies of women. The last book in the series, Ella Enchanted, is a modern retelling of Cinderella by Gail Carson Levine. This version of Cinderella is free to be more than her predecessors and the fantasy in the book lies in the world around the character, as the character herself is a fully realized and three-dimensional girl. Throughout the design of this series, I focused on the constant goodness of Cinderella that tied the three books together. They all have their differences due to their time periods and authorship, but the reason that the character and story of Cinderella have stayed relevant for this many years is the goodness of the young girl.
COVERS FRONT
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CINDERELLA COLLAGE, DUST JACKET FLAP, AND SPINE DESIGN
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BOXED SET AND BACK COVER
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AROUND THE WORLD IN 30 DAYS PROJECT TITLE Around the World in 30 Days Photography Portfolio SEMESTER Summer 2023 SOFTWARE Adobe Lightroom SKILLS Photography Book Layout
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This project is a photography portfolio created as a culmination of a month-long journey through Greece, Egypt, India, and Japan. While traveling, I was simultaneously enrolled in a photography course, which encouraged me to approach each destination with a more mindful, inquisitive eye — capturing not just the sights, but the stories, emotions, and everyday moments that make each place unique. The final piece is a curated collection of 40 photographs that I believe best represent the spirit of this journey. The geometry of ancient architecture, the vibrant energy of a local market, and the subtleties of human connection. To visually tie the portfolio together, I designed a small watercolor graphic for each country visited. They provide a soft, artistic contrast to the photographic imagery. The overarching theme, “an inquisitive look at places near and far,” speaks to both the literal and emotional distances traveled. It’s about the act of seeing and appreciating the beauty in the unfamiliar, as well as finding common threads that connect us all.
BOOK COVER
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INTRO PAGE AND WATERCOLOR GRAPHIC
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PHOTOGRAPHY AND PAGE LAYOUT
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DON’T WANNA BE WITHOUT YA PROJECT TITLE Don’t Wanna Be Without Ya Lyric Video SEMESTER Spring 2023 SOFTWARE Adobe AfterEffects SKILLS Motion Design Videography
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The song “Don’t Wanna Be Without Ya” by the artist Penny and Sparrow is about love in a unique way. The singer asks, “If you start over, can I redo mine too?” in the chorus of the song. This question is the summary of what the song is about. “Don’t Wanna Be Without Ya” has themes of reincarnation, with the main storyline being the singer asking his lover if he can go wherever she goes; in this life and beyond. I took this into consideration and based my motion design on elements that compliment the theme of reincarnation. Green represents life, nature, and renewal. Daffodils are known to symbolize rebirth, with their seasonal appearance in spring and their bright and joyful color. I used green and daffodils throughout the video to support this idea of renewal, reincarnation, and rebirth. The circle motif is used in the video; coinciding with the question asked above.
VIDEO STILLS
Scan to view motion graphic.
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THE RESILIENCE PROJECT PROJECT TITLE “The Resilience Project” Branding Project SEMESTER Spring 2025 DESIGNERS Cassell Stewart & Olivia Williams SOFTWARE Adobe Suite SKILLS Team Coordination Production Strict Deadlines
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The branding project is an interdisciplinary group project completed by senior graphic designers, interior design juniors, and third-year architecture students. It is a ten-week project, built from the ground up. My team’s museum concept was based on the prompt of a cultural museum based in Detroit. Our museum is more than a science, art, or history museum. It is a cultural movement. Detroit and its people have been through so much, and we as a museum want to help them through the hard times by inspiring through art, empowering through education and mentor programs, and fostering a culture of resilience in Detroit and beyond. The brand voice for The Resilience Project is gritty, vibrant, and moving. We wanted to appeal to our target audience of young Detroit locals and parents of them (ages 15-18, 25-32, and 40 and up) with graffiti-like imagery, bold colors and graphics, and high visual contrast. I designed the logo to complement the architectural design and their juxtaposition of organic and geometric, merging the messy, organic handwriting with the geometric sans-serif Avant Garde. The advertising strategy is bold and unique, with our orange brand color filling in the cracks of pavement on the roads in the city, bus advertisements, and mailers sent out to local teachers and students informing them of our educational programs. I personally designed the logo, did the advertising and strategy, designed all of the presentation board layouts, and designed the portfolio book, as well as wrote the presentation script. This was an intense project, with a lot of late nights, tears, and hard work put into it. But I had six other talented designers on my team, and wonderful professors to guide us, and the project was made stronger through them. The QR code included will take you to a portfolio book of every design piece that went into this project.
MUSEUM LOGO
Scan to view full portfolio.
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PORTFOLIO BOOK LAYOUT
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BOARD DESIGN FOR GALLERY PRESENTATION
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PROJECT TITLE Sorry, You’re Just Not My Type: Typographic Speed Dating SEMESTER Fall 2024 SOFTWARE InDesign SKILLS Typography Page Layout
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TYPE PORTFOLIO
Tackling the passage of Romans 8 over a hundred different times with over a hundred different page layouts and typefaces was no easy task. The original assignment was to take Romans 8 and play with the passage and its design, learning typography rules and tricks along the way. Since there were so many pages required, and the objective was to explore, the pages were not graded on quality, only completion. For this book, the Typographic Speed Dating, I took twenty-some of the best explorations I completed and bound them together. This has been one of my favorite graphic design projects. I have said multiple times to my professors (completely seriously) that if I could play around with type and InDesign all day, and get paid to do it, I would be a very happy graphic designer. From this project, I fell in love with the typefaces Baskerville and Mr Eaves, both of which are used in this portfolio. Highlighted examples from my type explorations are on the next few pages.
TYPE PORTFOLIO COVER
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ROMANS 8 NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE Advanced Paragraph Indicators Exploration No. 12 7 ITC Avant Garde Gothic Pro Book 7 ITC Avant Garde Gothic Pro Bold Tracking: 0 Column: 4.47" Weight Indicator
DELIVERANCE FROM BONDAGE THEREFORE THERE IS NOW NO CONDEMNATION AT ALL FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN CHRIST Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who are in accord with the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are in accord with the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. HOWEVER, YOU ARE NOT IN the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. SO THEN, BROTHERS AND SISTERS, WE ARE UNDER obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh — for if you are living in accord with the flesh, you are going to die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons and daughters of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons and daughters by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. FOR I CONSIDER THAT THE SUFFERINGS OF THIS PRESENT TIME ARE NOT WORTHY TO BE compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the eagerly awaiting creation waits for the revealing of the sons and daughters of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not
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DELIVERANCE FROM BONDAGE Therefore there is now no condemnation at all for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who are in accord with the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are in accord with the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile ROMANS 8
toward God; for it does not subject itself to the
ALIGNMENT EXPLORATIONS
law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and New American Standard Bible
those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
Exploration No. 9
However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.
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But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. If Christ is in you,
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though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But
Tracking: 10
if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus
Column: 2.7"
from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
Justified
So then, brothers and sisters, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh — for if you are living in accord with the flesh, you are going to die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons and daughters of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons and daughters by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the eagerly awaiting creation waits for the revealing of the sons and daughters of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the
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Basic Paragraph Indicators
Exploration No. 2
8 Gotham Light Tracking: 75 Column: 5.3” Exdent: -1.25
ROMANS 8 - NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE DELIVERANCE FROM BONDAGE Therefore there is now no condemnation at all for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who are in accord with the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are in accord with the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. So then, brothers and sisters, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh — for if you are living in accord with the flesh, you are going to die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons and daughters of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons and daughters by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the eagerly awaiting creation waits for the revealing of the sons and daughters of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom
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Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who are in accord with the
Experimental Paragraph Indicators
Therefore there is now no condemnation at all for those who are in Christ
flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are in accord but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.So then, brothers and sisters, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh — for if you are living in accord with the flesh, you are going to die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons and daughters of God. For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons and daughters by which we cry For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to awaiting creation waits for the revealing of the sons and daughters of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him
Direction
be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the eagerly
Column: 3.3”
Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.
Tracking: 60
children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with
8 Priori Sans Light
out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are
Exploration No. 21
with the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death,
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THANK YOU! Thank you so much for looking through my portfolio and taking the time to appreciate the creativity, curiosity, and hard work I have put in over the last few years. It means a lot! If you would like to get in contact with me, I am reachable by email at cassellstewart@gmail.com, by LinkedIn @cassell-stewart, or reachable by Instagram @cassell_stew. I would love to get in touch!
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