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RedBubble claims to be an open and inclusive website where you can share your creative genius with the world, but with the new RedBubble book publication ‘Compassion, Courage, and Friendship’, it might leave people wondering where this creative genius got to in this instance.

Mind you, the only people left wondering will be the people that haven’t got their grubby little hands on ‘Compassion, Courage, and Friendship’, everyone else will be enthralled as they flip the pages and allow themselves to be reduced to tears, anger, laughter, smiles, and deep thought time and time again.

At first sight, ‘Compassion, Courage, and Friendship’ seems like the perfect collectors item. A perfect square measuring 21.5 cm in all directions, and the spine labelled with the source and title, it would seem that the exterior design was thought through for the avid book collector. It’s not only bright and airy, but the aesthetics of the cover make you feel at ease and loved.

Now sitting on the train and heading to college, I manage to be publicly seduced and buckle to the passionate gestures of ‘Compassion, Courage, and Friendship’. The exquisite craftsmanship continues, with each captivating image and inspiring literature, matching perfectly to tell a story that might otherwise be lost. Someone made an effort and it certainly shows.

The typeface has also been perfectly selected to match the theme and only add to the experience, it isn’t distracting and I don’t have to squint or learn another language to read it. Sure there are plenty of thought provoking images to immerse yourself in, but I say it once again, the literature that accompanies is a match made in heaven.

Don’t take my word for it though, because as I sit here on a peak hour train critiquing ‘Compassion, Courage, and Friendship’, it seems I have some new-found friends reading along with me. The IT guy to my left, the somewhat hungover looking blondie to my right, and the people I can’t see but can feel breathing on my neck behind me (I know you’re there).

I do have one hang up though, and it could be one of personal preference, but I was disappointed that the links to each artist where at the back of ‘Compassion, Courage, and Friendship’, as opposed to being directly beneath the featured art or literature piece. It might sound picky, but as a matter of convenience, it would allow the reader to more freely access their favorite artist or writer and go view their other works online.

The works from the RedBubble community collected in this book illuminate the power of Compassion, Courage, and Friendship. They show us that when we go beyond our fears and truly see someone different to us, we look at something that can set us free.

In concluding this review, I asked Sandra Iov, a fellow photography student to critique two images in ‘Compassion, Courage, and Friendship’, and here are her two favorites and an explanation of why:

I Dreamt Of An Angel II by chrisdade

“I like the contrast between the straight lines and the sharpness of the surroundings in comparison to the softness of the skin and shadows of the boys. I like the idea that although they may be perceived as homosexuals, it plays against the idea of their sin with the angel wings. It says what they do is not a sin.” – Sandra

Brothers by Jinx

“The older boy is keeping the younger brother safe from the darkness in the background. The bridge leads to the unknown and they look like they’re about to take that journey together. The contrast between the light on the boys and that of the forest is powerful.” – Sandra