PEPPER Magazine / VOL. 2 / no. 3 by PEPPER.magazine

PEPPER VOL. 2 / NO. 3

SA / TX / US

you are enough.

PEPPER 6 Editor’s Note : YOU ARE ENOUGH

arts.

9 Mr. Enigmatic : Isaac Renteria

19 Details 2.0 : Ekaterina Lukovnikova 28 What the Fire Didn’t Take : Anastasia Gerasimova

business. 34 AE2 Productions

fashion.

44 Summertime : David Rodriguez 53 HOPE : Will Brown 68 Immersed in Summer : Sasha Starynets 72 Enough of Arjun : Current.ly Global 81 Barbie x HONEY FATALE : designer Janette Lucio 94 Style Diaries with Charity

habitat.

102 Creative Spaces • with Becky Witte-Marsh

savor.

112 Little Em’s Oyster Bar

culture.

126 My Oh My, Miss Anita! 138 Renaissance Proper : Eric Konohia 144 Reclaiming the Story : Kevin Katoto Kitenge 153 Roller Girl Market : John Hendrick 158 Summer Rains : Sinenkosi Msomi

passport.

164 Tales of Mexico by Seigar 173 Kathmandu : Corey Davenport

185 Siberia

Rx.

192 Her Story : Deziree Ibarra 200 Fit to a T.

psych. 204 A Modern Mystic 208 Positively Crystal

no.03 I S S U E

VOL.

211 Attitude is Everything 219 We Are All Broken

prodigy.

225 Summer in Belgrade 229 Wanderer 232 The Tauntingly Tantalizing Tales of Tennyson Corley

lit.

233 The Sunflower Widow

236 My Sunday Prayer

237 Someone There 239 Bunny

get involved. 240 Human Nature

disquiet.

251 It’s Still a Taboo : Deva Barone 260 I Think I’m Too Gay for Cosmo : K. Day Gomez

directory.

266 ICON : Fred Rogers 246 Cover Artist : BE3K Acknowledgments & Staff Bios

PEPPER Magazine Est. 2022 SA / TX / US arts • culture • business web directory msha.ke/peppermagazine website hellopepper.weebly.com email hello.pepper@outlook.com available on MagCloud Issuu copyright K. Day Gomez San Antonio, Texas 78209 PEPPER Magazine

Who is Seigar? Find him on IG: @jseigar

PEPPER Magazine

EDITOR’S NOTE

YOU ARE ENOUGH.

Editor in Chief K. Day Gomez San Antonio, Texas

“At the end of the day darling, you are enough. You always have been. It may have taken you awhile to see that and to finally reach this place, but you have always been enough.” - Lacey Ramburger When I think of the word ‘enough’ in relation to people or really any sentient life, I take it to mean ‘not lacking’ and ‘not too much of’—just the right amount of what and who you are. The self help rhetoric out there does a good job of reassuring you that you’re enough. So, why doesn’t it feel like we are? The first culprit to come to mind is social media, but moreover, the lifestyle and fashion ads on social media. For some, it’s the fast-paced cutthroat workplace. Or the gym… Everywhere you look there is always something or someone else to compare yourself and your life with. I’m here to tell you it’s a trap. Comparison is the thief of joy. It’s natural to feel intimidated sometimes by beauty, youth and financial abundance. Even more so when you’re constantly navigating from a survival mindset or life circumstances. When you don’t fit the ideal, depression is all to happy to greet you. When you do, hello imposter syndrome!

simplest most natural sense) determines everything else about how we navigate and interact with the world around us. The better we see ourselves, the better we treat ourselves. This in turn affects how we treat others, animals, material possessions, even opportunities. If you’re anything like me and find yourself consistently correcting your own thoughts, criticizing your appearance, shaming yourself for not being where you’d like to be, it’s time to pull a HARD STOP and change your perception. This is way easier said than done and takes a lot of practice and patience. Everyone is different so the time table will vary—rather, toss out the clock on this one! It’s not a race. It’s a SHIFT. The hardest part about accepting that we are enough is that deep down, we just don’t believe it.

Most coaches, therapists and the trusty internet will advise you to limit your exposure to the things that trigger these comparative feelings. That’s not so different from advising someone who has a fear of water to stop drinking it or bathing. Exposure to life and the world around you is not the problem. You yourself are not a problem. The root of the issue lies in your perception.

Sure, we believe others are enough. My child is enough—he’s perfect in my eyes. My dog is enough —he’s my best friend. My art supplies are enough and with my talent and desire to create, I can make anything out of just about anything. But when I look in the mirror, my heart sinks. When I see the pretty girls in high fashion online, my chest tightens with anxiety.

Perception is key in all things, and most importantly, in relation to how we see ourselves. The value we place upon ourself (in the

The revelation is this : I love lots of things about me and am grateful for everything I have, for where I am and those who love me. But I struggle with being ok with how I look (thanks, body dysmorphia) and at

times feel a little embarrassed about my autistic social awkwardness. Focusing on this perceived inequity and picking myself apart is unhealthy. Let’s spin it this way : just this week I attended a dear friend’s very important event. When I met her in the back area, away from public view, she confessed to feeling overwhelmed that “so many things are going wrong.” I could see the tears of frustration welling up in her eyes and knew how important this was to her, and how real these mistakes and mishaps felt. My instinctual response was to get her out of the moment immediately with an industry mind trick I learned through modeling and acting. I told her, “pretend like this is a movie and you are an actor portraying you in this moment. Now, all of the obstacles and mistakes and not good things—they’re all great parts of the movie that makes the story more interesting and keeps the audience engaged, rooting for you. The obstacles are the juiciest parts. Lean into it! Step outside of yourself just until the event is over and play the part of you, mastering the whole thing, taking each moment in stride and meeting the adversity with grace. Like you would imagine an actor would. After it’s over, you can feel all your big feelings. And once you do, they won’t feel as bad because you made it through and the hard part is already over. But for now, the most important thing to remember is, no one knows anything is going wrong except for you and the few people helping behind the scenes.” After it was over, she thanked me and expressed that my advice actually did alleviate alot of the impact. When applying this scenario to the way I feel in the moments I’m standing in front of the

mirror and all I can see is everything I don’t want to be, I can choose to put a pause on my self loathing long enough to look at myself and my life like a movie, from someone else’s eyes. Not physically fit? What awesome before and after pictures can I take since I’m determined to work out and eat healthier. How great will it be to live a little longer for my son because I made these choices right now? Don’t like how my hair looks? Isn’t it wonderful so many content creators make tutorials on YouTube and Instagram for me to learn how to get good at styling my hair? Hate my old wardrobe? Why not reach out to friends and see if we can put together a garment swap, support local thrift shops and donate my notso-favorite threads to a battered women’s shelter? Not loving how I can see age creeping up in my face? Hey, I’ve noticed the folks around me take me a little more seriously now, I can get through a checkout line faster with that bottle of wine in tow, and I can decide to be that cool older lady who’s always so stylish! Whatever the root of your discontent toward yourself, there are mental workarounds to shifting your perspective. This isn’t an ego thing—it’s a self value thing. Somewhere between not taking ourselves too seriously, being comfortable in our own skin and giving ourselves and others grace, it’s there. Right there just waiting for us to recognize it —that we are, in fact, enough. And I look at it this way : so long as I am showing up, being honest, doing my best, being kind, helping when and where I can, I’m doing the whole ‘human’ thing right. And despite the ups and downs of life, that, for me, is enough. 7

MR. ENIGMATIC CONCEPTUAL ARTIST ISAAC RENTERIA CHIAPAS, MEXICO

the arts.

Conceptual Artist Isaac Renteria • Chiapas, Mexico • journalist K. Day Gomez Isaac Renteria is one of the most engaging contemporary artists of our times. We’ve come full circle one year after our first time covering his body of work to delve into where the artist’s journey has taken him since. The 39 year old technical photographer sculpts, builds, paints and constructs the mixed media art pieces he captures. He also experiments with motion and liquids to create astonishing imagery. Welcoming Renteria back, we jumped right in asking what’s happened for him in the past year—and of his new work, what his favorite mediums are. “Hi, I’m happy to be here again! I see my art journey as a boat in the sea, sometimes traveling slow and safe and sometimes being bold and crashing the waves. Always in motion. Lately I've been painting more. l've discovered the advantages of working with different types of paints on the same piece, such as laquers, base color, oil paint, polyurethane—I think they're my favorite by now.” In regard to his current themes, he says, “I have started some interesting projects; a new oil painting series called "Two Hymns for a Memorial" which are 3D black abstract paintings, and another painting series called "Friends of Mine". In them, I portray ‘imaginary’ friends who usually appear at my atelier or studio to help me in my creative processes. I am in the process of one more called "Geometric and Futurist Deadpan Minimalism" where the main theme is shape and color. Also, I'm making some contemporary sculptures with fiberglass but I will need more time to get familiarized with the material. In the future, I'm planning to make these series larger and do as many pieces as I can.” Isaac’s work has been exhibited in Taiwan, Shenzhen, and Tokyo, and are catching on in Europe. What has set him apart is his organic process and the fact that the objects and elaborate miniature sets he creates are intended primarily to be photographed, rather than to be exhibited in their physical form—though many of them can in fact be displayed in a gallery setting. We asked if he’s added any new skills, tools or

methods to his creative process? “Yeah! I've been talking a jewelry-making design course. I have a project where I will work with photography and jewelry— but rather than photographing pieces, I mean wearing a photo! I'm quite excited about it. Maybe I could share with you and your readers some finished pieces in the future.” We will be absolutely thrilled to cover that work and cannot wait to see what he comes up with. A lot can happen in a year, so we asked Isaac to share any good stories. “Well, maybe not the funniest story, but it may help other artists or people in general… Since long ago, I have dreamed about some onimous scenes with ethereal characters. Everything is quite surreal there, so I always wanted to recreate them in photography, but for some reason or other I had never started. Last week, I had and accident and my back got severely injured. Doctors told me to reduce my activity to a minimum and rest. So it will take pretty long for me. A few nights before the accident, I had those weird dreams—but this time I took that as a sign as though someone was telling me it's time to start. I wanted to keep it simple and be as creative as I can. All my photography equipment is in my studio far from my home, so I decided I should work with what I have on hand. I've been practicing for a few days and the results are better than I thought. I'm sure everything has its perfect time and like a puzzle, everything took its place to reach these results—the time of being completely alone, the lack of material or props, and even working with pain. I'm sure these new photos will be one of my favorite series of works.” An accidental triumph of artistic expression, creating 11

something truly impactful from an otherwise dark time in his life. This is the quintessential artist’s journey. Art has the power to change hearts and minds. We got philosophical on what kinds of change Isaac would like to see in the world. “I definitely think art has the power to change minds even if the work wasn't created for that purpose. When the artist shows his works, they lose the meaning he gave to them and start a new meaning for each viewer. It becomes a particular meaning for a concrete situation. So, I mean, if we all could be able to interpret ourselves, we could reach that level of empathy that the world deeply needs.” That’s a great way of looking at it—speaking to the fact of transference. Art, like a child, is birthed by the artist. But the moment it is released out into the world and observed by others, it becomes its own thing, develops its own identity which may vary greatly from the artist’s intended vision. And subsequently, that identity is subject to change over time. Once thing for certain is Isaac Renteria’s unwavering curiosity as a multidisciplinary mixed media artist. He never stops challenging himself to try new materials, new methods, new

concepts… And the work that results is something that may carry the same “feel”—you can definitely distinguish his work from others—but with altogether new and surprising elements. He’s creating dreamscapes, storytelling from the subconscious, and that makes his work inarguably his own. As for what comes next, “One of my biggest accomplishments lately is to finally make my art more in touch with myself. I can say they are quite more personal. I've reached a different level of consciousness. I'm also quite happy for being published in some more art magazines, and also this year Europe has become the main market for my art.” This is not surprising at all; it’s a perfect fit. He’s also on the roster as a cover artist for one of PEPPER Magazine’s 2024 issues [stay tuned]! Our readers can connect with artist Isaac Renteria online. “They can find me on Instagram @isaac.renteria, on Facebook and if interested in buying an art piece you could find me at Singulart, The Artling and Tricera. In parting, Isaac says, “I really want to thank PEPPER Magazine for having me again, It's always a pleasure to show you and your readers my latest works and having a conversation about art and future projects.” And we can’t get enough of Isaac Renteria.

SPAIN

Details 2.0 ARTIST EKATERINA LUKOVNIKOVA JOURNALIST K. DAY GOMEZ

ARTIST’S STATEMENT “My name is Rina Lukovnikova. I live in Spain and work under the pseudonym Rina Lu. l am a collage artist and I like to work with analog collage. From paper, newspaper and magazine clippings, I make my abstract works. I also sometimes supplement them with graphic elements of my own execution. I love digital collage no less. I like to think up plots, invent stories for the images. As a rule, something surrealistic comes out. In general, collage for me is like meditation and a way to get over the pain of sadness. Collage is my own world that looks the way I want it to look. Everything is possible

in it. Any colors, shapes, characters…”

THE INTERVIEW We sat down with 34 year old contemporary collage artist, Rina Lu, to get an in depth look at her personal history and sub-sequential journey in art. We started from the beginning, asking how old she was when she first felt drawn to art? “I think I've felt my attraction to art almost always. In kindergarten I loved to draw and make crafts. At school, I liked drawing lessons. But I was afraid to go to art school because I thought I had no talent. At a more mature age, I realized that talent is not necessary—it is enough to make efforts and have goals. I started to read, watch and study a lot about art and everything related to it. Initially I realized myself creatively by organizing photo shoots

together with my husband, who is a photographer. And in 2022, being in a terribly depressed state because of various circumstances, I decided to do collage. It came out somehow by itself and now for me collage is not just an occupation, not just an opportunity to realize my creative potential, but also a kind of meditation.” We shifted to the topic of family, asking if they were initially supportive of Rina’s interest in art? “I can say that my family did not forbid, but did not encourage my passion for art either. At the moment I have not yet made a career as a collage artist, but I aspire to do so and have very big plans in this direction of art. It seems to me that my family still does not take my choice seriously, because the path I have chosen is not yet a bright success.” Unfortunately, it is still a social norm to equate ‘success’ with how much money a person makes from their trade or passion. And an artist’s true value is dependent upon how much revenue they generate. Be that as it may, this lack of moral support has not held Rina back from pursuing her passions full force. “Since at the moment I am at the beginning of my journey, so far my works do not contain deep emotions. Their shape and color are only a reflection of my inner state at the moment of their creation. But in the future I would like to create a series of works related to

ecology, nature and overconsumption.” All important topics that could serve to get people thinking about our impact on the world around us. Next, we discuss creative processes. “If we talk about digital collage, as a rule, the process looks like this : I go through my photo archives, collected from the stocks and in the process I have a certain plot in my head, which I already realize in Photoshop. Sometimes this plot can arise when I'm walking or doing some everyday things, for example. If we are talking about analog collage, I just sit down at the table, lay out all the materials I have and start going through them, if some part of it responds to me in color or texture, I take it to a sheet of paper. Sometimes I'll add a splash of spray paint if I'm in the mood.” This added element of paint makes some of her works ‘mixed media’ collage. And what about inspiration? “I am constantly inspired by all sorts of people, not only from the art world, but also inventors, athletes, writers, musicians and so on. But perhaps there are a few people who have inspired me the most. Mine is my mother, with her incredible perseverance and ability to achieve her goals. My husband, who showed me that it is not only talent that counts in a person, but also creative hunger, action and resilience. And my friend, who year after year honed her skills as an artist and constantly reinvented herself.” We asked where she hopes to live or travel in her professional life? “I am currently in Spain, but I want to be able to live and work in two countries—Spain

and Italy. I also want to travel a lot, to visit America, Scandinavian countries, to visit all the Balkan countries (I've only been to a few so far). Traveling inspires me, gives me new emotions and feelings that I can convey in my works.” This is a sentiment commonly shared by artists and other creatives. Art lends a voice to important things people often overlook, and can be useful in shedding light on such issues. We asked what kinds of changes Rina is hoping to see in the global sense. “I would like to see more creative work on various global issues such as climate change, pollution, famine, drought and others.” Do you have any advice for others about pursuing a career in art? “I want to tell everyone who is scared, who gives up, who has moments of despair—Do not give up! Please, I beg you, don't give up. Just go to the mirror, say that you are the most precious thing you have, that you are the most wonderful, coolest person and you will definitely succeed. Remember that your greatest fear is your greatest strength.” These are absolutely words to live by, really in regard to any facet of life. What matters most at the end of the day is how we see ourselves. And so long as we are trying our best, no one can downplay our contributions. Ekaterina is as gifted an artist as she is a model. Having been featured in several issues of

PEPPER Magazine from the beginning, she has exercised her artistry through creative direction, production, styling and backdrop design which she uses as part of the storytelling element within the shoots she and her husband, Andrey produce. Their collaborative works are sensational. But Rina’s collage art and mixed media pieces are entirely her own. Something that emanates from a constant desire to express herself artistically. One of the key takeaways we can gather from her story is what she said about talent. It’s true— talent isn’t the only thing that makes an artist. It can also be said that many artists don’t believe they are talented, when in fact they are, even if not in the conventional sense. When viewing her works, for example, one can see that Rina does in fact have a talent for design specifically. It’s in her color combinations, the balance she creates in each piece, and her nack for storytelling through composition. It’s something she may not have considered about herself, but can be immediately spotted by the skilled onlooker. Our readers can connect with artist Rina Lu online or become patrons / access her art. “My portfolio can be viewed at behance.net/lucollage and on Instagram @rilu_pictures. You can also contact me via behance, Instagram or email via rinalu.art@gmail.com.” You’ll want to follow her creative journey and keep an eye out for her work as her art debuts a second time in an upcoming issue. Stay tuned!

What the Fire Didn’t Take Fine Artist Anastasia Gerasimova

Antalya, Turkey journalist K. Day Gomez

Anastasia Gerasimova is a 30 year old, selftrained artist and citizen of the world who currently lives and works in Turkey between the Mediterranean Sea and the mountains. “My artistic path has been delayed for many years and finally started with a wall in the early pandemic times. I was born into a famous family of artists. My late grandfather's paintings are in various galleries and private collections around the world. But surprisingly, my parents tried everything to destroy my passion for art, and burned all the paintings from my childhood in front of my eyes when I was 10. As a result, I stopped painting for 17 years.” Hers is not an easy story to tell. These early traumas stunted her creativity and scarred Anastasia deeply. “I decided to learn film directing and started working in the film industry, and later became a business developer in Munich. From there, I started travelling around the world. I lived in many beautiful countries : Germany, New Zealand, the Dominican Republic... Then my life turned upside down. A pandemic. All flights cancelled. Island. Me, all alone in an flat. One day I just bought paints for the wall and in a few days I realized I was painting. Again. After all these years. What a great feeling! I moved to Turkey after that and bought my first canvas there. Since then, I know I finally found what I was supposed to do in my life. I was invited to an exhibition by Agora Art Gallery—that was a great experience. Another important thing for me was to see the emotional feedback from different people. I love to see the pure reaction of the kids. I hope my grandfather would be happy to see me unexpectedly going his way.”

Artist’s Statement

“My statement is as simple as my method : paint not your thoughts, but your feelings. My brush follows my heart. Most of the time I've no idea what I want it to be—a portrait, a landscape, or something else. I just pick up the brush and the colours and feel a certain energy on the canvas. As in real life, there are no drafts in my paintings. I believe that pure feelings can't be wrong and don't need to be edited.”

The Interview As we like to do, we asked Anastasia to share her passion for the arts from the very beginning. “I drew and was drawn to painting since childhood, but was forced to take a break of 17 years. My parents never supported me. Moreover, they were the reason I was afraid to draw. My mother is an art historian. When I was 10, she burned my drawings in front of me. I don't keep in touch with my parents, but my husband and my new family are very supportive. So I can say that I have been really painting for three years. I love acrylics the most, but I’ve also used watercolors and even wall paint. It seems to me that painting is genetically incorporated in me, since there are a lot of artists in my family, including well-known ones.” Her art is soft in theme, bold in presentation. We asked what new themes she might like to touch on in the future? “It's hard to say, because I don't know what my subconscious will give out next time. As far as I can tell, my unconscious loves floral themes.” In regard to her creative process, Anastasia tells us, “It all starts with a very strong need to draw. I don’t even know at the beginning what exactly

will be depicted. I dissolve in the process and disconnect from thoughts. I can say that my style of work is emotional and irrational.” Her journey has been a very solitary one, but we asked if she had any moments along the way that stuck with her. “When I was 27 years old, I lived alone on the island during the pandemic. Something made me go to the hardware store and buy wall paint. I started painting on the walls. When I saw my finished work, I realized what painting means to me and that this is what I really want to do. After I moved to Turkey, where I continued to paint, (with acrylic), my first painting on canvas was a portrait of a cat, who himself is a bit of an artist at heart. At least he loves to watch me when I work and lie next to the easel. I am inspired by the art of my grandfather. He was a fairly wellknown muralist—Vyacheslav Gerasimov. I am very inspired by the artist Mikhail Vrubel. I love his colors and style. Especially the painting, "Demon". And I love Van Gogh. His sense of color is captivating. I am a

self-taught artist, so I did not have mentors.” About her body of work, Anastasia explains, “My current work does not carry any social or political overtones. I just want to share my positive outlook on the world and bring some light to the difficult days we live in.” She has lived in many countries, and sees herself eventually residing in Argentina.

Carry On In parting, the artist advises others imagining a life as a professional artist, “Be brave and share your artwork with the world. You are sure to resonate with your audience.” You can find Anastasia’s work online—“I have an Instagram @art_by_me_to_you and a page on DeviantArt (AnaGerasimova). Or you can contact me by email at AnastasiaGerasimova23@proton.me.” We humbly hold space for artists and trauma survivors to share their stories and their healing process through art. And we thank artist Anastasia Gerasimova for sharing her vulnerable journey with us.

Melanie Allison MELANIEALLISONGALLERY.COM

THE HOTTEST NEW PRODUCTION COMPANY IN SA IS A GROUP OF EXPERIENCED MODELS & FRIENDS WITH A FIRST-HAND INSIGHT INTO WHAT THE LOCAL FASHION COMMUNITY NEEDS.

Interview with founders Courtney Johnson, Olivia Espinosa & Terry Gooch journalist K. Day Gomez photographer Many Kadura • supplemental photography listed in directory.

MEET THE TEAM Courtney Johnson - 29 years old; mother, model, dancer, actress, and President & Cofounder. Olivia Espinosa - AE2 Chief Marketing Officer, model and content creator. Terry Gooch- 30 years old; model, actor, VP, CFO & Cofounder.

AWỌN ẸMI ẸLẸWA PRODUCTIONS The phrase of the company’s abbreviated namesake is a Nigerian expression which equates to “beautiful souls”. Their goal is simple— “Our mission is to create a space where the love of authenticity can flourish through art in San Antonio and beyond.” We got the first hand scoop on the newest production team in San Antonio, Texas and their plans to change the fashion game throughout South Texas.

THE INTERVIEW All three partners of AE2 weighed in on this in depth Q&A to give our readers a thorough look into their ‘why’ and thought process. Starting from the beginning, we asked about their background when it comes to the modeling & events industry. Courtney - “Modeling is a newer venture for me. I fell in love with it once I realized I could use it as a creative outlet in the same way as my other passions—dancing and acting. Deciding to pursue modeling this "late in the game" (26 years old) was very intimidating. How could I make the time, right? Between taking care of my babies, working at a restaurant, teaching dance and going to school, time management was a skill that I needed to improve in order to keep it all balanced.” Olivia - “I loved modeling since the age of 3! I always wanted to be in pictures and loved when my grandmother dressed me up for dances and took pictures of me. I was raised in Hawaii and was always interested in swimsuit modeling, but was only 11 at the time. Then I moved to Texas and rediscovered modeling in my 20s. It wasn’t until my 30s that I got professionally involved and I incurred the obstacle of not being a familiar face to the SA fashion industry. So I was overlooked and never casted. I learned to build connections and attend events and mixers to get my name out there. I used my time to practice my walk and posing skills and finally was selected to walk in my first fashion show in October of 2021 for the Purple Hearts Gala. It was that experience that ignited my passion

for modeling and from there I kept going forward with shows, attending castings, and doing photoshoots.” Terry- “I was first introduced to the modeling industry when I was about 16 and a photographer came up to me from VOGUE and said he wanted to do an impromptu shot with me in my neighborhood. After that I went to modeling and acting school. I graduated from there and was signed by that agency. I did not do much with modeling after that because I was in college doing biochem and running track. When I was about 27, I got back into modeling here in San Antonio. I would say there have been a good amount of obstacles but the main one has been myself.” When establishing AE2, did you have a strong support system in your family and industry peers regarding your business venture? How was your brand concept received? Courtney - “I was pleasantly surprised with how many people were interested in what we are creating. My family was fully supportive, from offering time to watch the kids when necessary to monetary donations. We sought advice from industry peers and experts and learned so much through them. There may have been some hesitation because we aren't just a new business; I'm new to the fashion industry, altogether. However, the more we put ourselves out there, the more support we find.”

TACKLING REFORMATION Seeing the same faces constantly casted and a lot of bias was one of the things, as a collective, you wanted to change through your company. Can you illuminate that and anything else you notice that needs to change for the better and tell us what you’re planning to implement through AE2 in order to foster these changes? Courtney - “We noticed that there was a specific "look" that was being consistently casted or sought out for opportunities. It became hard to witness and triggered my Imposter Syndrome. "Is my skin too dark? My natural hair not big enough? Are my coils too tight? Am I too short? Am I not thin enough? Am I not thick enough?" I could have gone on until I gave up altogether. Luckily, I was blessed enough to have the right people in my corner to encourage me and make me feel like I belong. And that's what we intend to do for other artists. We are Beautiful Souls connecting to other Beautiful Souls through the arts. We are creating a space for artists who may not always be in the spotlight, or the creative who wants to be chosen. We are producing inclusive events to encourage the artistic community to not be so exclusive.” Your first show was during Dream Week in 2023—can you tell us all about it? Courtney - “The first show we helped to co-

business. produce was Lafrique Fashion Show by Tudis African Boutique during Dream Week in January of 2023. Ms. Dupe allowed us to help her put on her show, in turn, preparing us to produce our own show—Feels Like Summer Fashion Show, in May. Producing our own show was an experience unlike any other. It was terrifying and exhilarating. One of my favorite moments was peeking into the pavilion to see the audience’s reactions to the designs. Watching everything come together was unforgettable.” Inclusivity is not just a buzzword—it is increasingly more important, now more than ever, which is part of the reason you all established AE2. What kinds of change are you hoping to see in the fashion scene? Courtney - “I would love to see the arts community become more intertwined. I feel like the more we collaborate, the wider audience we can reach. From there, a local then global appreciation for the arts can continue to grow. Awọn Ẹmi Ẹlẹwa Productions is a creative arts production company for the purpose of bringing everyone together so that we all can grow.” Terry- “I feel inclusivity is just thrown around so often that a lot of people do not really mean it. My hope is that in the future we will not just be known for having great shows, but we will have a space where everyone can come together to create. We will create shows where everyone is represented. We will be the catalyst to artists creating brands or coming out of themselves and acting in one of our great play productions.”

ONWARD & UPWARD Where do you hope your career will take you in the future? Courtney - “This may be a broad response, but I pray that I am led to create whatever is on my heart and that I am able to help other people do the same.” Terry- “I want my career to take me around the world. I want to be in a place where I am not hindered from doing what I love with fashion and being able to inspire others. I do it because I love it but also to show others they can too.” Do you have any advice to impart to others who are seeking a career in the fashion & events industry? Courtney - “Don't be discouraged and don't give up.

Pursue your dreams persistently and remember that you don't need to do everything on your own. Build a support system of trusted, authentic individuals through your network. Most importantly, remember that you are enough.” Terry- “My advice is if you love it, fight for it. You will be told no several times. It can get discouraging. I know because I almost quit because of it. But the no should just continue to push you to do better. No can be a beautiful thing. Thank goodness for closed doors. The best of the best have been told no and if they gave up they would have never become the best.” Any big plans or exciting things coming up? Courtney - “We are currently working on putting together creative shoots to give models and photographers another opportunity to grow their portfolios and network with one another. More details about the date and location to come!” Olivia: “Yes! We have lots of creative concepts and experiences we are looking into and experimenting with and can’t wait to bring these new events to SA!”

GET INVOLVED For our readers in San Antonio and surrounding areas (and even globally who are considering coming here), where is the best place for people

find AE2 to inquire for casting or booking online? Courtney - “Feel free to follow us on Instagram @Ae2_productions and Facebook (AE2 Productions) to stay up to date on future casting calls or to book us to produce your next event! You can also email us at ae2productions457@gmail.com.” And without giving too much away, the collective is setting up to produce more than just creative styled shoots and fashion shows. The goal is expansion into other areas of the arts. Did you catch where Terry mentioned plays? All in all, AE2 even at its brand new grass roots phase is working hard behind the scenes to ignite real change in an industry that is still in serious need of an overhaul. Is the local scene more inclusive than it was pre-pandemic? Sure. Is there still a lot of noticeable bias, popularity-based casting and cancel-culture without giving individuals a chance to prove their worth? Absolutely. On a local level, it’s most often a sociological issue, rather than a culture-based issue. But with so many individuals from a new generation stepping up and establishing alternative platforms and avenues for everyone to have a seat at the table, the future looks brighter and more colorful every day. I for one have faith in San Antonio. And with companies like AE2 taking the stage, and the rest of the world watching, growth is not only inevitable—it’s imperative.

K. DAY GOMEZ

CREATIVE BRAND CONSULTANT

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SUMMERTIME p h o t o g r a p h e r

D a v i d

R o d r í g u e z

Santa Cruz de la Palma, Spain

“ S u m m e r t i m e ” ( 2 0 2 3 ) In these photographs we can see a bather in a coastal environment. This session is meticulously planned, with very special care in lighting, influenced by Greek sculpture and traditional painting, with some touches of the influence of the Art Deco movement and Dadaism. The psychology of the character, theatricality and the use of light prevail, creating a parallel aspirational universe in which the subject becomes mysterious and attractive. The elegance that emerges from the poses makes the photographs transport you to another place and to another time. model Martina Valdivielso

PHOTOGRAPHER WILL BROWN KINGDOM OF ESWATINI

HOPE

WHAT IT MEANS TO HOPE. “I am defined by the country that raised me, I am shaped by the people that loved me, and I am inspired by the journey that awaits me.” Statement from project conceptualist, Siphephile Peppy Sibanyoni : A story telling range where an award-winning image entitled HOPE was interpreted on different textures, mediums and dimensions.

Our works have also been submitted at the London Fashion Film Festival for the category of Best Storytelling Fashion Film. Creative Directors Will Brown & Siphephile Peppy Sibanyoni

Narrating the effects of global warming, climate change, modernization, industrialization and digitalization on African tribes.

Photographer Will Brown

This particular piece "A Himba Youth, Kunene District, Namibia 2018" expresses how he has been racing against time. He needed to cut this hairstyle off, become a real man and get married to the love of his Life.

Designers Siphephile Peppy Sibanyoni & Mncedisi Kunene

Assistant photographer Gcina Mufasa Mtshali

Cinematographer Tawanda Joseph Mutsena Stylist & Prop Designer Siphephile Peppy Sibanyoni

Escaping the village was the only option as the environment has not been fair to them—livestock is dying, there hasn't been rain in months. A friend of his had promised him a job in a lodge / guesthouse. He had been waiting for four hours, he had HOPE.

MUA Notsile Sibandze Models Initia Seabra, Benanile Maphanga, Soso Dehomey & Notsile Sibandze

IMMERSED IN

SUMMER

photographer Anastasia Gomenyuk with Ukranian model

SASHA STARYNETS Nice, France

e n o u g h OF ARJUN

Each day that we continue to become more of who we are, we find ourselves understanding that we have always been more than enough. Life is about becoming.

Creative Direction, Photography & Styling Edwin Pierrot Consulting Director & Journalist Elliot Carlyle Model Arjun Agency CURRENT•LY™ Global, Inc. New York, New York

JUNGWE ANIMAL SHELTER •Uganda•

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y r all re e fo y c n at n n pe ere mily y f if er fa Ev a d s & imal l s pa An ke ma , my gwe er. t me Jun hel S

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fashion. SA / TX

Couture Fashion Designer, Latina Seamstress

JANETTE LUCIO does Barbie by hand, honoring the most famous doll in the world through her newest line.

THE COLLECTION “This is a collection of Barbie-inspired outfits and sets I have been working on,” designer Janette Lucio tells us. “The goal has been to complete one design a month. The team consists of the models for each particular shoot, myself as designer & seamstress, and David on the photography side. We both work together on set design, styling, and anything else that comes up.”

Lucio pulls her inspiration from real vintage Barbie dolls, focusing on color, textures and architecture that resembles the original designs. Then she boldly adds her own HONEY + FATALE twist, modernizing the looks to make them edgy and fashionable in the now. With the help of local SA models, these looks come to life as though straight out of the pink box!

JANUARY Inspired by High Fashion Barbie model Naomi @toninaomii Inspo.

THE DESIGNER Seamstress & designer Janette Lucio (she / her) 29 + Latina San Antonio, TX Instagram @honeyfatale clothing

THE PHOTOGRAPHER Photographer & cinematographer David “Dave” Alejandro Silva (he / him) Freelance San Antonio, TX Instagram @ d.a.s_fotograph

FEBRUARY

Inspired by Red Romance Barbie circa 1992 model Noelle @noelle_.13

Inspo.

MARCH Inspired by Official Barbie Calandar by artist Robert Best spring 2017 model Yunna

Inspo.

APRIL

Inspired by AVON’s Spring Blossom Barbie circa 1995 model Mercedes @webb_nouvelle

Inspo.

MAY Inspired by Rose Princess Barbie circa 2000 model Cojo @cojo.the.model

Inspo.

JUNE

Inspired by Parisian Barbie circa 1979 model Viktoria @viktoria_suchilova mua Felicity Buie @felicity.buie

Inspo.

Charity STYLE DIARIES WITH

fashion.

Style Consultant Charity Stewart San Antonio, Texas

HOLY REBELLION

The definition of Holy is “morally and spiritually excellent”. And the definition of rebellion is “the action or process of resisting authority, control or convention”. Now, when you look at these words one would say one word is good and the other is bad. But when I look at it, I see controversy. And since we love all things fashion over here, let's talk about Controversial Fashion.

SOUL

REBEL

CONTROVERSIAL LOOK #1 If this look had a real name, I would call it Black Cowgirl. Society has a way of presenting an image for something and making people feel like it's only for that one individual. For a while, I used to tell myself that I couldn't wear a cowboy hat because I don't have a farm and that l'm a black city girl. I know—that's ridiculous even saying it out loud. Now y'all know I love 90s, y2k, early 2000s fashion, but one thing I hear people say that they wish would stay behind is anything low rise. Media has us believing that low rise anything is made for people with a 4 pack or a coke bottle figure. But we are

SIDE NOTE

breaking that wall down and making room for all the women and men who have “a little more loving” like my father would say.

CONTROVERSIAL LOOK #2 Black Barbie is her name. In honor of the movie / movement that is Barbie. Have you ever gotten an outfit together and then put it on and what you imagined in your head was not your reality? And since the outfit wasn't picture perfect, you almost forfeit going out. Well it's okay because l've done that. I think the real question is "Who set this perfection standard?" We all have different answers but that's okay because after you finish reading this column, you will go to your journal and rewrite all your standards that will reflect self love. And then you will put on that outfit that makes you feel pretty—like a Barbie—no matter what body type you have. At the top of your

‘Barbie’ doesn’t automatically mean ‘pink’— Barbie is a whole mood!

journal, you should put “________ Barbie”. Fill in the blank and put whatever type of Barbie YOU want to be.

CONTROVERSIAL LOOK #3 Holy is my long jean skirt. Rebellion is my black knee high boots I chose for a beautiful summer night in San Antonio, TX. Holy is my cowl neck shirt. Rebellion is my dark shades. We've all heard the phrase day-to-night look. Well this is what I call an all day, everywhere look. My top is for a cute brunch date with my friends. My shirt is “I'm going to a business meeting but I'm a cool entrepreneur.” And my shoes are “I'm going out on the town to get drinks.” When you think about all the places I mentioned, you think of 3 different outfits. But with the right pieces, we made it acceptable for all-day activities. That's a ree y-f t l Holy Rebellion. e cru ry t t no hy ade W s-m & a x Te rebellious vegan brands?

WRAP UP You can wear things that society shames people for. You can wear an item that seems far from your reality. You can set your own standards on what looks good and what doesn't. You can put things together that look nice individually. You can be Holy AND sexy. You can be the Barbie for your culture. You can do and wear whatever you want to. Because you set the standard and you make the rules. You are a Holy Rebellion.

AUG UST INE. TEX AS VINTAGE

SUSTAINABLE

SAN ANTONIO EST. 1999 VINTAGE Fashion 1950's to Retro modern Vintage / Reimagined & Reworked. Located at the Blue Star Arts Complex SA / TX @ILoveAugustine

FASHION

NEMERSboutique.com • 210-310-6357 • Instagram NEMERSboutique

sustainable fashion & decor

Sustainable fashion & lifestyle expert Becky Witte-Marsh

It is a trifecta when a little bit of money, a little bit of time and a talented contractor all become available at the same time. I'd been wanting to remodel my son's old room upstairs into my studio, so it seemed like the time had finally come. I had waited a long time to have my own personal creative space—my attic atelier, my happy place. As I was thinking about my attic atelier, defined : a workshop or studio, especially one used by an artist or designer, I remembered a home show that included a makerspace. In the home featured, the makerspace was just that, a place to make things. This intrigued me. What was the difference between a studio and a makerspace? I had heard the term used a few times over a few years and it seemed to be a new breed of creative space emerging in craft and artistic circles. Was I wanting a studio or a makerspace? I decided to visit some of both here in San Antonio to find out.

Before.

First stop : CULTURAL DETOUR Dyan Reeves This is an envious, light filled studio in the World Trade Center building downtown. Here Dyan has curated a significant collection of antique kimonos and textiles which she turns into wearable art. With a location in the top floor corner unit, the light and downtown vistas of this studio transport the artist and those lucky enough to visit, to a state of zen. But it wasn't always this way. When Dyan first saw the space, it was divided into three rooms with dropped ceilings, deep red walls and grey floors. But she saw the potential. Peeking up into the ceiling to see vintage moldings from 1910 when the

102

building was built. She could visualize sewing in front of the window looking straight down Travis Street and having her textiles sorted in her collection of antique wooden shelves. She imagined a way to host clients in a store of sorts, while keeping the intimacy of her studio intact. Flash forward. Here we are standing in the visions that Dyan had in her head that first day—well, almost. With a tattoo that says "Embrace Imperfection," Dyan was right on target with the end result. When the drop ceilings came down, the workmen accidentally tore out the vintage moldings. A close friend managed to save a small piece and had it framed as a gift. The grey floors were reclaimed for another project in the building so that Dyan could have the warm oak she imagined. Soft white walls reflect light across the entire space now that the interior walls have been removed to create one large room. Dyan came from a military family and lived in Japan for 10 years where she fell in love with vintage and antique kimonos and other textiles, such as Japanese boat flags. The source of her business name, Cultural Detour, comes from this time connected to the military, moving from place to place and learning about the cultures as she went. She earned her certification in dating and identifying antique kimonos. She became a sustainable designer utilizing these resources and combining them with other vintage finds, such as 70's Levi jackets and WWII army shirts to create one of a kind wearable art pieces.

Her studio has built in hanging racks to showcase her creations as well as artfully arranged vignettes and jewelry display screens in keeping with her Asian influences. A true artist in every sense, Dyan curates every detail including how this space smells. Upon entering, your nose is filled with the fragrance of "Sweet Tabaco" by Wax Poet. As we played with the dyed fabrics, the scent of the persimmons used to create the dye waft through your senses. We close our eyes and imagine the smell of antique kimonos being ironed as the steam permeates the space. I can only hope to curate a space as lovely, thought provoking and tactically engaging as this highly personal studio space.

Second stop : SOUTH SIDE LIVING & MARKER SPACES - Jeff Wheeler Industrial vibes abound at this old factory redesigned by Alamo Architects to create live / work spaces for creatives, thinkers and dreamers. Studios and apartments with attached makerspaces and a shared gallery space create the perfect environment to connect with a like minded community while having the space to explore one's own personal creative narratives. Clean lines and open airy spaces create an environment conducive to creating. Prominent developer, James Lifshutz, enlisted the help of Creative Director, Jeff Wheeler, to help

imagine what this project could be and mean to the creative community and surrounding neighborhood. The property includes many sustainable features including solar panels and retention of the existing factory structure including cement floors, exposed metal systems and light filled spaces. Having taught for ten years at Texas Tech, Jeff was ready to lead by example, moving into the complex, utilizing one of the makerspaces as his own and reaching out to the community to bring people together through art. Rotating gallery shows invite locals and visitors into this creative enclave to further the discussion of living and working

in art. The show featured during my visit was a collaboration between Jeff and Sage Studios in Austin which is a nonprofit art gallery that works with and features artists working with disabilities. Jeff is also a resourceful artist utilizing found objects in his works that further send the message of sustainable practices intertwined with art—really the message that this development represents and respects. Jeff as well as South Side Maker Spaces see value in repurposing rather than discarding. Jeff collects vintage frames, ceramics and ephemera that make their way into his works, creating a 3D effect and textural feel. His library references the classics of art—Van Gogh, Pollock, Cezanne, Gauguin and Picasso. While his artwork is contemporary, those classical references shine through. Again, a theme that plays out at South Side Living and Maker Spaces as well...

Third stop : OLD SCHOOL MAKERSPACE - Rev. Robert Balfour, M. Div. Born out of a repurposed old school building on the Grace Northridge Church grounds in Alamo Heights, Old School Makerspace has a calm serenity that embraces you from the moment you enter. Finished out by members of the community during covid and lead by Reverend Robert Balfour, a wood worker in his own right, the space feels modern yet warm, beautiful yet practical. A gathering / gallery, ceramics and

mixed media studios and a woodworking shop are flexible enough to have other applications—such as the mixed media studio flexing as a play rehearsal space. The honesty of the handmade tables and workspaces read sincere, supportive and comforting, allowing for creativity to step forward. Many windows were added for natural light to flow through the spaces. Top of the line wood working equipment and a gorgeous pottery kiln make these disciplines possible for those who cannot afford them on their own. Sustainability definitely plays a roll here as well. Not only was the building recycled, but the kitchen cabinets, reclaimed wood and other pre-loved items were used to finish out the space. Responsible disposal of paints and mixed media discards are respected. Trimmed pieces of clay and wood are reclaimed to be used again. From a larger viewpoint, sharing resources and spaces as a community aides long term sustainability. The Old School Makerspace's logo combines a thumbprint with a rising sun, representing a handson approach to faith through creativity. Here, students and artists learn and practice skills that require hands-on creation, including woodworking, ceramics and mixed media arts (such as jewelry making, painting, block printing and stained glass). These "old school" techniques that can be lost in modernism were chosen by Robert after touring other makerspaces across the country. He found their focuses to be more on shared high-tech equipment, vs. the community connection and ignition of faith

which were the primary focus for this space. Robert had hosted kids' woodworking events in his own workshop and had noticed that when the kids were working together with their hands, they seemed to have deeper conversations and connections. Robert acknowledges "God brought all of the pieces of the puzzle together." He started talking to fine artists in the community and found their need to not be so isolated. He was surprised that what he believed would be the most

habitat.

utilized option—membership to use the tools in the space—actually fell behind the desire for classes, confirming that need for creative connection in the community. Exploring the connection between faith and making is a layer of this particular makerspace's offerings that I did not find anywhere else in my research. Old School Makerspace enables exploration of faith through events and classes, such as Faith and the Maker nights and Alpha classes, enabling conversation around each person's faith journeys. When I asked Robert what his future hopes for the Old School Makerspace were, he envisioned a legacy that was bigger than any one person and that would be an ongoing sustainable gift to the community creativity and faith.

Full circle… BACK TO MY ATELIER The floor sealer is drying in my attic atelier. As I reflect on the wonderful experiences I had in researching these spaces, I believe I have needs for all three in my life. My home studio will be my attic atelier for designing, styling and hosting clients. I am truly inspired by Dyan at Cultural Detour and will use that inspiration in making my studio a very special place. I can see needing a makerspace at South Side for the fashion production company I co-own, where we can work on focused projects, host business clients and possibly run fashion shows in the gallery. Could be perfect! Last but not least, I definitely see my husband and I taking a class or two at Old School and joining an Alpha class to further explore our faith. The wealth of options is truly inspiring and continues to evolve to meet the needs of all creatives. 108

After.

The

SUSTAINABLE STYLIST BECKY WITTE-MARSH @beckywittemarsh

marshbecky17@gmail.com

FASHION • HOME • SET

JAMAL DEMORE

@The_Realtor_DeMore

REALTOR

Beazer Homes

DeMoreRealty@gmail.com

210.509.6737

infinitephotographyofficial.com @infinitephotographysa

SEAFOOD RESTAURANT S A N

C O N C E P T journalist K. Day Gomez photographer May Carlson

A N T O N I O ,

T E X A S

WELCOME TO LITTLE EM’S “The proud resident of the original Friendly Spot location, Little Em's Oyster Bar was the first Carpenter Carpenter restaurant which opened in December of 2020. This quaint historic building has quickly become the Southtown staple for oysters on a half shell, lobster rolls, and our signature burger, which some say is the best in the city. Our distinct pink and white restaurant is the perfect destination for lunch with your friends or a romantic dinner with your significant other. Enjoy a glass of rosé and a spicy shrimp linguine on our covered patio or cozy indoor dining room. Our mission is simple : Striving to be so undeniably great that we can't be overlooked, offering uncompromising hospitality to our guests by providing it to our team, committing to do hard things when others won't, changing the culinary conversation, never joining, and earning the results because things don't just happen.”

MEET THE CREW We had the privilege of getting to know the magic-makers behind the concept of one of the hippest seafood restaurants in San Antonio, Texas —Little Em’s, a Carpenter Carpenter concept. Owners Houston and Emily Carpenter (also the restaurant’s namesake) established Little Em’s in historic King William District of the Southtown area at a time when the pandemic was wiping out most businesses. And yet, between creating a truly beautiful space and excellence in cleanliness and service, the place quickly became a smash hit amongst locals and visitors alike. Their phenomenal staff carries on this level of top 114

notch administration, service, quality and flavor three years later. Our point of contact, Director of Communications Delia Flores has walked us through the ins and outs of what makes Little Em’s so special. Their General Manager, Erin Hibbeler, oversees daily operations, while Head Chef Felix Garcia and his team (Sous Chef Jason Salas and Executive Chef Monica De La O) bring the flavor and culinary artistry with every serving.

LET’S GET COOKING… Kicking is off for the interview is Chef Felix Garcia, who we asked to share his background when it comes to cooking. “Although I was set on becoming a Chef at the age of 11, I got my first kitchen job when I was 16. It was something I planned for from a very young age. The chaos in kitchens and loud noises called to me. I made it my goal to work at every type of kitchen possible without putting myself through Culinary School. Mexican Cuisine I hold very close to my heart, and I have specialized in moles, salsas and nixtamalization.” How did you get your start at Little Em’s, and do you have a favorite dish and dessert that you recommend? “I started at Little Em's because I was seeking a great new opportunity for myself and I knew it would be a good place for me. Try my favorite combo—start off with some oysters, then beet salad, fish tacos on hand-pressed tortillas and end with our dark caramel flan.” That sounds absolutely amazing!

THE MAGIC-MAKERS It’s always best hearing the story ‘straight from the horse’s mouth’ as the saying goes. So of course, we wanted to know from the owners

savor. how they turned their dream into reality, obstacles included. Oftentimes, that also means convincing our own friends and family. We asked what they thought about the couple’s great big plans, especially as Covid was still prevalent at the time. Houston tells us, “Friends and family both said we were absolutely crazy to open a restaurant. Restaurants are notoriously the hardest business to get into. Once we got the idea in our heads though, we had to complete it. Despite the set backs of the pandemic and all that came with it, we still persevered! Now, simply working with my wife is the greatest reward. Seeing her run food on one side of the restaurant while I'm on the other serving drinks is the best.” Now that’s what the American dream is made of! Let’s talk about the food—we wanted to know about some of the regional and sentimental aspects of the menu items, recipes and offerings at Little Em’s for our readers. What does it mean, to you, to share that part of yourself and your history? “The whole thing is sentimental,” Houston mused. “Em and I got inspired on a trip to Paris to open a restaurant that focused on oysters and champagne. Then we built from there and filled in with what we thought our neighborhood and town needed and didn't already have.” From the outside looking in, they’ve definitely hit their mark. “It means a lot that it's our neighborhood 116

restaurant. It's one thing to be a developer who comes from out of town to throw something together just try to make a buck; but we are from here. Em and I wanted to do something that revitalized the neighborhood and would be loved by our community in Southtown.” And what’s not to love? With even one visit to this culinary gem, it’s easy to see what all the rave is about. Little Em’s is a departure from the every-day, an aesthetically pleasing, comfortable and refined break from the ordinary. The space refreshes and elevates the area, just as the Carpenters intended. We asked for a little history of the earlier points in time breaking ground and opening Little Em’s, and if they had any great stories that have stuck with them along the way? Houston shared, “People had no idea the building was there! It was covered with weeds and dust and we built it out to a restaurant. It had nothing to operate the way it does today. With a builder's background, I had to come at it creatively. I wasn't supposed to be a restauranteur. Then, that first night Em asked me to pass out oysters and I've never missed a day since.”

ON BEING THE CHANGE Sustainability and innovative food industry practices are increasingly more important, now more than ever, as well as regional heritage preservation. We wanted to know how the Carpenters weigh in on

this topic? “I would hope to see that restuarant owners uplift their own staff and employees to higher levels within the community,” says Houston. “To keep this sustainable, we need to price our food accordingly in our resturants so we can pay our staff well. People are the resource that need to be appreciated and that will reflect in the food and in the community.” Fair wages are at the forefront of the owners’ minds, creating a clean and inclusive environment for their hardworking staff and ensuring that everyone involved can have a job they’re truly proud of. We asked about any big plans or exciting things coming up? “The first three years, the Carpenters have been busy trying to build their foundation. The next couple years are for fine tuning these concepts, and uplifting our team. Big plans and new experiences are around the corner—all I can say is wait and see...”

THE ONLY THING MISSING IS YOU! For our readers, if you are in the San Antonio area or expecting to travel through, you can find Little Em’s and the parent company, Carpenter Carpenter to inquire online. “Our website is thecarpentercarpenter.com and each of our websites is reachable from that link!” Super easy. You can also follow Little Em’s on Instagram @littleemsoysterbar and stop in to dine at 1001 S. Alamo St. in SA / TX. “We’re open daily from 11am - 10pm with $2 oysters every Tuesday, and of course, HAPPY HOUR every day from 2pm - 5pm.” What’s more, for all the foodies out there, the Carpenters have a very special new concept opening this Fall. “If you're a fan of Em's, please visit us at Nineteen Hyaku this September. We can't wait to welcome you in!”

Open Daily 11am—10pm

Happy Hour 2pm—5pm

SEAFOOD

RESTAURANT

1 0 0 1

A L A M O

S T ,

S A N

A N T O N I O ,

T E X A S

littleemsoysterbar.com Instagram @littleemsoysterbar

M E V

N C

•

Premium Coffee NOVEMCUISINE.weebly.com @novem.cuisine (512)965•3383

NOVEM Cuisine

NOVEMCUISINE.weebly.com

@novem.cuisine

(512)965-3383

San Antonio’s premier new steakhouse that offers a luxurious dining experience.

Whether you're celebrating a special occasion or simply looking for a delicious meal in a luxurious setting, The Ace of Steaks is the perfect choice.

20626 Stone Oak Pkwy San Antonio, Texas theaceofsteaks.com Instagram @theaceofsteaks

After AfterFloursCakes

Cake Designer Lauren García

@afterflourscakes

Serving SA/TX & surrounding areas.

CAKE DESIGN

LET’S BAKE A CAKE!

Lover of puns, maker of unique buttercream cakes… I’d love to make a cake for you in my style.

Please feel free to contact cake designer Lauren García directly at AfterFloursCakes@gmail.com

M Y

O H

M Y ,

M I S S

ANITA!

journalist K. Day Gomez

photographer Mandy Kadura

San Antonio, Texas

Our interview with The Queen of South Town Anita Verga

The beautiful and ethereal Queen of Southtown herself, Miss Anita Verga, gave us the opportunity to tell her story in an intimate and authentic way. This 30 year old bombshell has rocked her hometown of San Antonio, Texas with plans to steal the hearts of drag fans around the world. Jumping right into the Q&A…

THE INTERVIEW How old you were when you became interested in drag as an art form, and did you incur any obstacles along the way? “Frankly, I’m embarrassed to say I was afraid of Drag Queens up until I started working around Drag Queens back in my early 20’s; maybe 2013 or 14. Originally I started performing pop music as my cisgender self, government name and all—“Basilio Romo”—in the gay night club scene. I competed in Gay Male Pageants, and I won a couple—Mr. Gay San Antonio USofA 2016 alongside Aaron Andrews (Ms. Gay San Antonio USofA 2016), and Mr. Gay San Antonio America 2018 alongside Toni Andrews (Ms. Gay San Antonio America 2018). Over the years being backstage, I learned so much history and knowledge on drag before I ever even thought about doing drag, from legends themselves—like “Sweet Savage”, “Jenny McCall”, “China Blue” and so many amazing queens I’ve worked with over the years. From 2014-2020 I lived in the drag culture without 128

ever daring to do it. All my friends and peers did drag and I was performing as my male pop artist self (Basilio Romo). Touring the gay bars, performing my pop music, then being a title holder, and back-staging for drag pageants, I absorbed a lot of knowledge about drag and really started to love the art and gain an appreciation for it. Still, it wasn’t until the pandemic in 2020 when my late partner, Jonathan Trevino, and I were bingewatching Drag Race when he asked me, “why don’t you do drag? You give everyone amazing ideas, everyone is always asking your opinion on this or that; why don’t you just do it?” I came up with every excuse as to why I couldn’t do drag and none of those reasons made sense to him. After talking back and forth with him, all my reasons didn’t make sense to me either. That’s when I realized I suffered with a lot of self hate in my queerness that I never knew I had. And that was probably the biggest obstacle I had to get over. I’m grateful my late partner had the knowledge and tools to help me reprogram my thinking, and I began to love everything about my queerness. From that moment forward, I decided I wouldn’t hold myself back from exploring different mediums of art. So I guess I’ve had a relationship with drag since I was 22. But I didn’t have an interest in putting myself in drag until I was about 28 / 29 years old.” What, or rather who inspired your love of drag?

culture. How did you get your start, and what niche do you feel you gravitate toward now? “I think my love for drag goes all the way back to my childhood before I even knew I would ever be in drag or even that I was queer. A lot of my inspiration mostly comes from TV and film—all the way from the beginning of cinema to today’s blockbuster hits. I’m inspired by pop culture, art, cartoons, and fashion. My taste for drag has been manifesting for a very long time. It’s something I’ve realized has always been a part of me. Performing in drag now feels very fullcircle. I’ve been able to exude the essence of so many of my favorite childhood heroes. Performing in drag feels more honest than any other performance art I’ve ever pursued. As I mentioned, I got my start working in the gay club scene for a while as a male pop entertainer. Then fall of 2020, I decided I was going to transition my performance art as a male pop singer to Drag Queen. I wanted to keep it a secret. I didn’t even have a name, but I started saving my extra coins and started working on building my debut look. Summer of 2021 was my first time in drag. I wore a platinum blonde human hair lace front, a friend of mine at the time did my make up, and my late partner, Jonathan, hand-sewed a silver Versace chain metal dress onto my body. It was a dream come true, my inspiration for that was Paris Hilton’s infamous 21st birthday dress. [Dress shown here]. I always imagined my first look in drag would be to 130

replicate Paris Hilton’s look, and I actually pulled it off—with human platinum hair and a real custom Versace chain metal dress! It was so surreal, I almost can’t believe it! To be, honest it could’ve been WAY more expensive and definitely impossible if I didn’t know where to source the fabric for the dress. It’s chain metal from the actual Versace house. (I sourced it while I was in NYC and I’m keeping where I sourced it my little secret.) The most expensive piece was the human lace hair—I paid way to much for that! At that time I didn’t know where to source reasonably priced hair. But the Versace chain metal fabric to make my own dress came out to $200. (The chain metal dress sold through Versace online valued at $3,000-$7,000) Then shoes and accessories… For this look I spent around $750? Just to be at the venue for 30 minutes. I don’t always spend that much on looks but it was Anita’s debut! Whats funny about putting that look together is I wasn’t even performing that night. My strategy with that look was to make an appearance on the San Antonio Gay Strip during one of the prestigious annual drag pageants. My thought process was, 1– Everyone would be there and 2–Everyone would be wondering who the hell I (Anita) was. Drag Queens can always spot the new girl and I was 100% right. The next day I posted the pics to my Basilio Romo account (I didn’t have a social media for Anita at the time) and everyone was amazed and shocked! And thats when I realized this is something I should

be doing. Mission accomplished! Or so I thought. Although that moment was magical, I still didn’t have a venue to perform my drag on my terms. So I took a page from my great friend, an internationally recognized Drag Legend / LGBTQ+ activist and San Antonio native, Miss Taint. “Get your own venue. Don’t wait for anyone. Make it happen.”...or something like that. With that, I believed if they could do it, so can I! Months and later, I finally figured out my stage name and my look. Then in February 2022, I hosted not just my first drag show, but also the very first drag show ever at Hot Joy—a tiki bar and Asian fusion restaurant in the historic South Town district of San Antonio. My very first time hosting and performing in drag, I had people congratulating me left and right! It was a huge success. My team and I worked so hard and it paid off. That was when I knew, this is my gig! But to be honest, I didn’t plan to be in drag this much. It was something I was going do once in a while for fun, or for fundraiser events. But in August 2022, my Creative Director, best friend and partner, Jonathan passed away.”

THE AFTERMATH “I was a mess. I wasn’t sure what to do next. A few months after that, I met my now best friend and partner Ace, who has been 100% supportive that I do drag from the moment I met him. I’m not too sure if I would even be doing drag had I not met Ace. His support really got me on the track to be able to focus on my drag. By spring 2023, Anita was back in full effect! Then around the end of May, my friend Brian, “Miss Taint” (former 2nd Best Drag Performer of San Antonio), called me and said I was nominated for Best Drag Performer of the Year by SA Current for 2023. I was beyond excited! It was a very surreal moment. There were a lot of known queens campaigning for that nomination, and I was not. So it was very very shocking to find out I was even nominated. However, I didn’t take the nomination or opportunity for granted. Immediately I went to work on campaigning to be voted The Best in San Antonio. I’m new to drag in this city so I knew I had a lot of ground work to do if I wanted to get the votes! I made flyers with QR codes with different photos of Anita and passed them out to people I met at the bars or at work. I talked to different venues and got booked to promote myself and get my name out there. And I’m very proud to say Anita was announced 2nd place on July 26, 2023.” Congratulations on behalf of PEPPER Magazine, by the way. What a great accomplishment! “Truly from the bottom of my heart, thank you so much to everyone who voted every day. Special thanks to Bar Ludivine, Bruno’s Dive Bar, El Luchador, Southtown 101 for allowing me to host my shows during the campaign—and for crowning me your Queen of Southtown. And thank you to The House of Eternas / The Starlighter for your endorsement as well! I know this wouldn’t have been possible without all of y’all’s support. It’s been a very full circle moment for me. Summer July 2022, one month before Jonathan passed, he told me that I was the best performer in and out of drag. And now, an exact year later in the summer of July 2023–one month before his

passing—I was voted 2nd best Drag Performer in SA. It’s been so eye opening and validating to physically see how much support I have in my drag. So my start in this world of Drag has been pretty random and a little traumatic, but even still, as I’m doing this interview, I’m starting to realize things are how they are supposed to be. As far as a niche to my drag? I’m not really sure to be honest. Above all, my drag is uplifting, or heartbreaking, but always a glamorous story being told. I’ve always been an actor and this role as Anita just kind of fell into my lap. The dream I have is to transition my drag from lip syncing and hosting in bars to creating an online scripted series, or even sketches, possibly even do TV series.” Did you have a strong support system in your family and peers regarding your creative endeavors, or was their resistance? How do they feel about where you are now in your career? “My family is a little weird; some are totally supportive of me doing drag. My sisters have been very supportive, some cousins and aunts. They cheer me on. My mother recently became aware that I do drag—she doesn’t seem to mind. My father and most of my brothers are unaware that I do drag. I don’t believe they would be supportive if they found out. My friends are happy for me and that means the world to me!”

MEET THE GODDESS How did you come to develop and embody Anita?

Or better yet, who is Anita? “There were so many hours involved with my late parter Jonathan on so many different things. For example, what hair color Anita would have? In the beginning, she was blonde—Jonathan always argued Anita should be a red head. Though he never got to witness Anita’s red hair, he was right (of course). After I saw myself, (Anita) in red hair, I made it her signature color. But we researched what style of make up, what era, the name, different fashions, fabrics etc… We spent about 2 weeks searching through headshots of actresses from the 1930s-1970s just to find a name. Finally Jonathan came across this actress, Anita Eckberg. She was a 1960s Swedish actress. When he showed me her photos, I just thought, “Yes, her! I want to be her!” And when he read her name out loud to me—“Anita”—I just heard Cruela Devil’s voice screech, “ANITA!” And I was in love with the name from that moment on.” I don’t know about the rest of the readers right now, but I pictured that moment in crystal clarity and it literally made me smile! “The “Verga” wasn’t added until after Jonathan’s passing. Their drag name was “Sophia La Verga”. So after their passing, I just added their drag last name to mine. It somehow worked perfectly. When it came to Anita’s look, we studied so many fashion pages—I still do—and just tried to recreate classic Old Hollywood glamour, or 90s high fashion, maybe some 70s disco or 60s mod, y2k realness, pin up…I’m still figuring Anita out. I really started her development after my late partner passed away (8/22/22) .

Sometimes I say Anita is an Old Hollywood starlet who lost her fortune after her Hollywood producer husband died and now she stays in and out of hotels with her luxury garments, performing in dive bars. But I’m excited to say I feel Anita is finally starting to move past that narrative and into something much less somber.

always have fun doing it. He’s definitely my biggest support. Ace helps me solidify my concepts, my music selection, hair, outfits, etc. I can be bossy, so I’m very grateful that he understands me and how I work. We make a great team. It takes a village to do this and I couldn’t do it without him or any of my team; nor would I want to.”

Anita is just a queen trying to make it in the real world and she’s using her charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent to do so.”

Can you walk us through your typical creative process for your drag shows?

Can you name some of your favorite companies and individuals to have worked with in the scene and maybe share some memories or moments that stood out to you? “Joey Stone and I collaborate on all my hair. He’s amazing. He brings all my ideas to life! Joey has done hair for different Rupaul girls and many, many recognized queens. He is who you call when you want good hair! Kimberly Dean is my seamstress and we collaborate on all my gowns, costumes and fashions. Kimberly sometimes brings my garments to the venue and sews them right onto me before I perform. She’s very dedicated to making sure Anita is always best dressed! I starred in a commercial for Southtown 101 during Pride season 2023. Creating new memories with my partner, Ace has been the best part of this process. That’s what has stood out to me the most—just how easy and happy things are with him. Ace goes out of his way to assist me with everything that I do, and we

“The creative process is a little difficult when it comes to makeup. I just started doing my own make up earlier this year, so I still have a lot to learn. Ideally, when I am getting ready my entire home needs to be perfectly clean and everything needs to be in place. If the zen is off in the room, my makeup will be too! Once everything is nice and tidy, I like to turn on music pour myself some wine or bubbles and calmly start my process. When coming up with a performance number, it’s just about being honest with myself or with reality and turning it into something beautiful or uplifting. I’ll listen to music until a certain song strikes a chord with me, then figure out what story I’ll tell, and finally come up with my look for the performance to go with the story. Not always in that exact order, but generally. I like to create an atmosphere for feelgood positive energy, with encouraging, uplifting messages. I want people to feel empowered when they leave my show. Now, turning something into a fully realized event is work! First I have to convince a venue to 135

give me and my queens a space to perform. Then I have to convince them to pay myself and 2-4 other queens. After that, we then have to convince an audience to come watch us perform, plus tip us and spend money at the venue. (So far in 2023 I was able to secure shows all over Southtown—“Hot Joy”, “Bruno’s Dive Bar”, “El Luchador”, “Bar Ludivine”, “Southtown 101”.) All the shows this summer have been a great success and I want to thank everyone who was involved, the venues that opened their doors to us and all the lovely people who came out to support their local drag and bar venues! I’m very honored to be your Queen of Southtown!” What main themes do you currently touch on in your performance and what do you hope to cover as you progress? “The themes for my shows are love, acceptance, tolerance, empathy and an overall theme of positive affirmations. As I progress, I hope to find new, exciting, clever and elevating ways to showcase that theme.” What kinds of change are you hoping to see in the world around you? Do you plan to do anything creatively with your performance art as a drag personality in order to help ignite that change? “The change I would like to see is that people understand LGBTQ+ people should have the same rights as everyone else does—not take rights away from anyone. That people understand their religious beliefs shouldn’t have the authority to infringe on any communities’ rights or prevent any community from having the same rights as them. I plan to use my drag to ignite that change.” Where do you hope your career will take you in the future? “I hope it takes me to a place where I can afford dental. But on a more serious note, I really hope it takes me to my dream of working in TV / film. I hope it takes me to VMA events, Met Galas, and around the world. I’ve seen it happen for a handful of queens now—surely it’s possible!” It absolutely is, and it’s our opinion that Anita is deserving of all of those wonderful things. Do you have any advice to impart to others who are seeking a career in drag? “WAAAAAY before I started doing drag, a friend of mine (y’all may know her— she goes by the name “Jorgeous”…she was a local San Antonio Queen and is now a Rupaul Drag Race and Rupaul Live in Las Vegas Star)…but the advice I gave her when she first started was, “Stay out of the drama, and don’t do meth”. She took that advice and now she travels the world representing Rupaul! So other than that advice, just have fun!”

ON WITH THE SHOW! Any big plans or exciting things coming up? “The same thing we do every night; try to take over the world!” —Brain [Pinky and the Brain] Our readers can find Anita online and show their support via @Anita_Verga on Instagram. As for us, you know the PEPPER team will occasionally pop in to experience her dreamy performances in person. We’re absolutely rooting for all her dreams to come true.

photojournalist Eric Konohia • National Harbor, Maryland

A CHANCE ENCOUNTER WITH TAILOR PAUL MICHAEL ADLER

RENAISSANCE PROPER

Our lives are in constant intersection with the beauty and perfection of nature at work. From the wonders of nature, we are led to contemplate the Great Original and give thanks for the mighty works. The complexity of our eyes is more often than not obscured with our thoughts that effect our acuity and ability to see things for what they really are, and extract the beauty in everything. Even as a photographer, we have to gauge and limit our thoughts to allow our "seeing" to perform with ocular superiority. Such was the day on Wednesday, July 5, 2023 while riding through one of my photography hot spots when I noticed out of the corner of my eye a gentleman walking with the gate of confidence amid the other pedestrians. As I focused in on my interest, I noticed that he was smartly dressed and donned a magnificent salt and pepper mane [aka facial Kevlar - beard]. As I looked closer it was obvious that this gentleman was robed in a suit undoubtedly in the Super 100's material category. I watched him as he disappeared in a corner store and immediately decided, "I have to photograph him". That is the moment when you know that there was something special about this opportunity. I immediately circled the block like I was on a stake-out looking for my target. After three rotations of the area, I saw him from a distance retracing his path back from whence he originally came. I drove parallel to him in the event he was about to go into another building or get into a car. In that case I had to act fast. When he committed to the last street crossing, I knew he was headed to the Gaylord Hotel. I sped past him and doubleparked my car in the cross-walk, grabbed my Leica and made the approach. “Sir, I am a photographer and I would love to make a picture of you.” His smile was worth a thousand confirmations before he responded, "Sure." I directed him back to the cross walk so that the background of the photo would have the Potomac River behind him and nothing else to distract nor detract from this portrait. Due to the excruciating heat and him wearing a suit, I took one shot and trusted my process. Then the confirmation of the moment presented itself. It was like magic when he said in a strong British accent, "My father was a professional photographer but he shot film." I told him I started in film and that I shot him in black & white. "I love black & white", he responded. Much to my surprise, he began unbuttoning his shirt and showed me a tattoo of a twin lens Rolleiflex camera tattooed on 140

his chest and said, "This is my father's camera." I realized that there was more significant depth to this gentleman than meets the eye. He told me that he was in town for a convention of tailors hosted by the company, Tom James. He told me that the hotel was full of well-dressed tailors, as if to offer me access to an array of photographic opportunities. We exchanged Instagram handles so that I could tag him when I posted his photo. When I returned to my computer, I processed the photo and posted it, and instantly started getting responses. But it wasn't until he reposted it that the single photo took a turn. When I looked at his profile, I found out his name was Paul Michael Adler — @suitsbikesbeards dogs —and was I floored to see that we had more in common than tailored suits, beards and black & white photography. This guy rode motorcycles. Not just any motorcycle—he owned a ‘Bobber’, which is an old school model that traces its roots back to the 1920's. Paul checked all the boxes of what I would classify as 142

"Renaissance Proper". A Proper Bespoke Englishman proficient in a wide range of culture. I was convinced that I was not going to let him fly back over the pond without a few more photos. I contacted him and we agreed on a time for me to return. Two days later, I arrived at the Gaylord Hotel and entered by way of the convention sign where I felt I accessed the set of the movie "Kingsman". Once I saw the sign ‘Tom James’, I knew I was in the right place. As fate would have it, Paul walked out of the meeting space right in front of me. I took him into the the lobby area where the lighting was perfectly diffused from the floor to ceiling glass and photographed him. Life is a constant intersection of the Creator at work. If we are open to its offering, we can surely benefit from it. Being in tune that day afforded me an opportunity that would otherwise be transient. And because of it, I benefitted as a result.

Kingsman, 20th Century Studios, Director Matthew Vaughn, 2017

E C L A I M I N G

T H E

S T O R Y

contemporary photographic artist Kevin Katoto Kitenge Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo

R T I S T ’ S S T A T E M E N T

Kevin Katoto Kitenge, known as Kevin 3K, is a contemporary photographic artist (born in 1997 in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo). He lives and works in Lubumbashi, and loves drawing and painting, but his history with photography began at an early age, influenced by his father, Mwembo Kitenge, who was also a photographer in his company's communications department at the time. Kevin took numerous courses in photography and the visual arts. He studied design and multimedia. He is inspired by ancient paintings and his photographic approach is naturally influenced by his desire to tell stories through his pictures. For Kevin, art is a means of communication. It's a way of speaking without the need for words. His work reflects his thoughts and emotions. His creative journey began with fine art drawing, but his path led him away from it. Finding a space for his creative practice, Kevin chose photography to express himself and tell stories.

“It became a way of painting and drawing.” By manipulating images, colors and light, Kevin began to create works that fall somewhere between painting and photography. Ultimately, he wants his work to be an invitation to reflection and discovery. He wants people to see it as an open door to another world, where boundaries don't exist. 146

R E N A I S S A N C E M A N In 2022, Kevin was one of six winners of one of the largest curation programs for African digital artists on the continent, "AFRICA HERE", organized by Nigerian artist Osinashi in collaboration with Marketplace MakersPlace, which enabled him and the other winners to be exhibited at the Scope Art Show Miami. Also in 2022, his work was exhibited in the United States at the Amaldlozi gallery in Miami, Florida for the "First Frequency" exhibition. And in 2023 his work was exhibited at one of the major Web3 events, "NFT TALLINN" in Estonia.

ROLLERGIRL MARKET

BRICK AT BLUESTAR

PRESENTED BY

CANDY CLOUDS & SATX VINTAGE

Candy Clouds and SATX Vintage Presented : Roller Girl Market with Local Music and Skating Fun! As captured and documented by photojournalist John Hendrick, in the red hot summer of 2023.

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ABOUT THE EVENT In a unique and vibrant event that combined the nostalgia of vintage markets, the sweet allure of delights, and the thrill of roller skating, Candy Clouds and SATX Vintage came together to present an unforgettable experience : The Roller Girl Market with Music by Local Artists, Tarasco Tropical, BrukOut, Psilo.sy and more. Held at BRICK at Blue Star Arts Complex in the city's heart, this event promised excellent vibes, fun, and entertainment, creating memories that participants and visitors would cherish for years.

The Roller Girl Market was unlike any other conventional market, as visitors were welcomed into a world of retro charm and creativity. Local artisans and vendors set up stalls adorned with colorful decorations, showcasing an array of vintage goods, handmade crafts, unique fashion, and collectibles from yesteryears. From clothing and accessories and quirky home decor, the market offered something for everyone, ensuring a treasure trove of discoveries at every turn. What set this event apart was the lively presence of roller men and women gracefully gliding through the market on their skates. Attendees were invited to explore the stalls and witness the fascinating

sight of people effortlessly rolling around with skates on their feet. The playful atmosphere of the skating participants added a touch of nostalgia, reminding many of their fond memories of roller rinks and carefree days from the past. The event wasn't just about watching skilled skaters; it was also a celebration of learning and inclusivity. A dedicated Skate Learning Room was set up for those new to roller skating or who wanted to improve their skills. Novices and beginners were encouraged to join in and receive guidance from experienced skaters. The supportive and friendly environment fostered a sense of community, where participants bonded over their shared passion for skating and cheered each other on as they practiced and fine-tuned their moves. What's a celebration without music? Throughout the night, the venue was filled with the soulful sounds of local musicians. Live performances showcased the talents of homegrown artists, providing a platform for them to shine and share their music with a receptive audience. The diverse musical styles kept the energy high and the

atmosphere electric, adding an extra layer of excitement to the event. The Roller Girl Market, live music, and the joy of skating created an atmosphere of unbridled enthusiasm and positivity. Smiles and laughter were abundant as attendees immersed themselves in the festivities, creating cherished memories with friends and family. As the night rolled on (quite literally), the event's energy remained infectious. The roller men and women continued mesmerizing the crowd with their skills, inspiring others to join them on the floor. The market buzzed with activity, and the joyous ambiance resonated through the venue. The overwhelming success of the Roller Girl Market ensured that this was only the beginning. With the immense support and enthusiasm from the community, Candy Clouds and SATX Vintage should bring back more such events in the future. The combination of vintage treasures, local talent, and roller skating had proven a winning formula, and attendees eagerly looked forward to the next edition. It celebrated community, talent, and nostalgia, bringing people together in camaraderie and joy. As the event wrapped up, attendees left with smiles and hearts full of fond memories, eagerly awaiting the promise of more such moments. Thanks to Candy Clouds and SATX Vintage, the roller girl market had rolled its way into the hearts of many, leaving an indelible mark on the city’s cultural landscape.

Qhawe SINENKOSI MSOMI Mbabane, Mpolonjeni

Corey Layne Photography Austin, TX coreylaynephotography.com • @coreylaynephoto

@staceyraeofficial • cloverbudphotography.com

DARK P H O T O G R A P H E R

M I C H A E L

A V I L A

C H R I S T M A N

@DARKHORSEPHOTOGRAPHYSA

PEPPER Vol. 2 | no. 3

TALES OF MEXICO

AROUND THE YUCATAN PENINSULA BY SEIGAR

TRAVEL Last year, I was lucky to spend the summer traveling and shooting my travel and street photo narratives. I visited Serbia, Cuba, Mexico, and Morocco. This series belongs to the Tales of Mexico. During this trip, I moved around the Yucatan Peninsula.

Its landscape is the idea many people have in mind of paradise : beaches, islands, cenotes (natural pools), archaeological sites, and traditional villages. And delicious food! Local parties are everywhere, with orchestras playing Latin music in the main squares! What attracted my attention was the sweetness in people. In this peninsula, they have a natural kindness. This personality makes it easy to talk and share experiences with them. I had a blast on this trip! I have selected some photos I took of this peninsula so people can see the magic I found in this wonderful country. Enjoy this paradise, and remember: carpe diem! Let me share with you my itinerary around Mexico : • Cancun (1 night). • Holbox (3 nights) Bioluminescence Tour / ThreeIsland Tour. • Valladolid (3 nights) Chichen Itza & Cenote Ik II / Vayma Church and village. • Río Lagartos (3 nights) Río Lagartos Tour, Las Coloradas / Chiquila Ojo - Peten Mac Path - Peten

passport. conceptual artist & photojournalist Seigar

TRAVEL • Tucha Path - Canutito Beach - San Felipe Coastal Village / El Cuyo Beach. • Merida (3 nights) Izamal / Ría Celestun Tour Celestun. • Tulum (4 nights) Coba Arqueological Sites, & cenotes / Tulum Arqueological Sites - Caleta & Cenote Tankah / Laguna Kaan Luum / Akumal (turtles). • Bacalar (3 nights) Balneario Mágico Bacalar / Laguna Tour / Cocalitos. • Playa del Carmen (3 nights) Cenote Azul / Playa del Carmen / Cenote Kantun Chi / Cenote Cristalino.

SEIGAR —is a passionate travel, street, social-documentary, conceptual, and pop visual artist based in Tenerife, Spain. He feels obsessed with the pop culture that he shows in his works. He has explored photography, video art, writing, and collage. He writes for some media. His main inspirations are traveling and people. Seigar’s aim as an artist is to tell tales with his camera, creating a continuous storyline from his trips and encounters. He is

a philologist and works as a secondary school teacher. He is a selftaught visual artist, though he has done a two years course in advanced photography and one in cinema and television. 170

He has participated in several international exhibitions, festivals, and cultural events. His works have been featured in numerous publications worldwide. His latest interests are documenting identity and spreading the message of the Latin phrase: Carpe Diem. Recently, he received the Rafael Ramos García International Photography Award. He shares art and culture in his blog: Pop Sonality. popsonality.blogspot.com

PHOTOJOURNALIST COREY LAYNE DAVENPORT

PASSPORT. An immersive journey through the capital of Nepal through this exotic, rich and textural visual essay from PEPPER photojournalist Corey Layne Davenport.

WORLD IN MOTION THE TRIP I manage a tattoo shop, and we have a standing invitaion to the Nepal Tattoo Convention. Once we knew that the convention was happening this year and the invitation came through, one of the shop owners brought up the idea of me going with them to help out and also get the opportunity to travel. Luckily he wouldn't take no for an answer… Aside from years of touring with bands across the United States / Canada, this was my very first time doing any sort of international travel. As far as uniqueness is concerned, I would have to say just about everything was special in its own way. Seeing and experiencing an entirely new city / lifestyle / culture is something that I

have always passionately loved and been excited to do. Thankfully I have been getting more chances to do so.

PLACES Every place that we visited had its own special "thing". The employees and hospitality at The Grand Thamel Hotel, the shopkeepers posted up in front of their businesses, the beautiful architecture of the temples, watching wild monkeys playing in the city streets—it was all my favorite [*haha]. As for something that stood out, I would absolutely have to say that witnessing the arrival of a deceased individual for the beginning process of a cremation ceremony at the Shree Pashupatinath, a temple in Kathmandu where they perform public cremations. While it is a public ceremony, I didn't feel like it was my place to stay, but what little I did see, will stay with me forever. Overall, the world seemed MUCH MUCH bigger. 175

Waking up every morning knowing that we were 12-13 hours ahead of everything back home in Texas and almost exactly on the complete other side of the planet. It's just one little dot on the globe. There is so much out there that deserves and needs to be seen.

younger generation is more involved in the technological aspect, while the older generation still held true to their older ways but both are respectful of the other.

CREATURES GREAT & SMALL I loved seeing so many wandering animals, just out living their lives. Some were a little rougher than others, but you could tell that the locals still nurtured them as if they were their own. Seeing the wild monkeys run around in the temples was by far the coolest thing! One memory that stands out was watching a shop owner chase down a baby monkey that stole a trinket from his table of things to sell. The monkey was running around the rooftops, while the shop owner was following it through the grounds.

MODERN + ANCIENT WORLD It was phenomenal. The mixture of old and new, dirty and clean made everything beautiful in its own way. I loved just walking around and checking out the architecture. You could also notice it in the people. The

WHAT I LEARNED Life is about humanity and our connection with each other. It's something that was instilled in me at a young age, and I've tried to always practice, but something about Kathmandu just solidified that mindset. I can't fully explain what or when it clicked, but it just happened. 177

जब जब सत्य र मिल्न चाहन्छन्, सपनाहरू कल्पना हुन्छन्।

Whenever truth and want meet, dreams are conceived.

SIBERIAN SUMMER PHOTOGRAPHER TATYANA BOEVA

PASSPORT. A most unexpected glimpse of summertime in this vast region of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. With journalist K. Day Gomez.

CHASING SUN Did you know that Siberia experiences nearcontinuous sunlight during summer nights? Pretty wild for many of us to imagine. This is why Siberia is actually pretty warm during the summer—with the sun always out, there is less chance for the air to cool down. For travel enthusiasts, it’s recommended that trips to the region be made between June through August for the most favorable climate. Sure, some cities still hit the freezing mark during this time, but on average you’re looking at 50-70 degrees Fahrenheit (10-20 degrees Celsius). There are even areas of permafrost where you can sunbathe on glaciers!

“In Yakutia, there are glaciers that do not melt even in hot weather—Buluus is the most famous of these—where you can relax and sunbathe. During the summer, these places turn into recreation areas for tourists. They may be far removed from your typical idea of a sandy beach with people lounging in the sun, but on the other hand you do get to play with snowballs in the heat.”— Anastasia Gruzdeva with RBTH.com Overall, summer in Siberia is unpredictable at best. Locals jump at the chance to delight in the warmer weather while it lasts; as long as three months in some areas, and as little as a couple of days in the farther Northern territories. They recommend having a jacket handy along with your swim gear. On a trip to Yamal, a visitor told RBTH, “I arrived from Moscow on June 1, in a jacket and shoes. As I was standing on the airstairs, taking in the view and breathing in the Siberian air, suddenly a lump of snow blew into my face. My fingers froze immediately and my face got numb with the cold. Three hours later, the snow on the streets had already melted, birds were singing and while I was driving my hands and arms even caught some sun.” You get the picture.

Deziree Ibarra Professional Model & Cancer Warrior San Antonio, Texas

journalist K. Day Gomez with photojournalist Marvelous Shots Productions

Deziree Ibarra is a talented and passionate model hailing from San Antonio, Texas. Born March 17, 1990, she embraces life with an unwavering spirit and an insatiable desire for new experiences. With an open availability for travel, Deziree is ready to embark on exciting opportunities wherever they may lead. While she may not have prior professional modeling experience, Deziree's journey in the industry began with a transformative shoot that opened a new door in her life. It ignited a sense of escape from her reality and sparked a deep passion for the art of modeling. Now, she eagerly looks forward to exploring new avenues of creativity, collaborating on unique projects, and forming meaningful connections within the industry.

Getting to know Dez… In her personal life, Deziree is affectionately known as Tia Dez by her family, highlighting her close-knit relationships and the importance of her loved ones. She carries her familia's support with her as she navigates her personal struggles, demonstrating her resilience and determination. It's no surprise that she is nicknamed ‘Chingona Dezz’, a testament to her fierce and fearless spirit. With her captivating presence, unwavering dedication and an eagerness to break boundaries, Deziree Ibarra is poised to make her mark in the world of modeling. As she embraces each opportunity that comes her way, she aims to inspire others and leave a lasting impression through her unique vision and undeniable talent.

The Interview From the beginning, modeling always called to her. “My interest in modeling came along during my teenage years. I used to take selfies with disposable 35mm cameras, but I didn't pursue anything serious at that time. I was not really sure of the resources or path I would have needed to take.” Her inspiration came from the world of pop culture. “Aaliyah and Selena's pictures inspired me.

They were both gorgeous, inspiring, and talented. Right now, I'm more into cultural modeling and bold body art, but I'm open to exploring other genres. I really enjoy being a muse, so new experiences can be a lot of fun for me.”

crafts and resin projects as hobbies.”

We asked how her family feels about where she is now in her career? “I'm fortunate to have a strong support system within my family and friends. Even when they didn't fully understand my vision, they always root for me. They know I'm determined once I set my mind to something. I am very grateful to have them. It helps my experience tremendously.”

As we like to do, we asked what kinds of change she’s hoping to see in the world and if she plans to do anything creatively to help ignite that change? “My focus is on creating positive change locally, by being kind and making a difference in my community. I am a firm believer in taking action, so this is where my process stems from. I feel that my story and the experiences of my artistic expression can be shared to help people feel empowered.”

Deziree Ibarra is also a cancer warrior, which is an integral part of her story. We asked her to share some of her health journey with us and her hopes for the future. “I've been dealing with stage 4 lung cancer for almost 3 years now. This journey has changed my perspective on life and my decisions. I want to make the most of each day and embrace life's beauty. My goals include overcoming this challenge, raising my nieces, starting a business, and partnering with foster homes in San Antonio.” A noble pursuit to be sure, especially with the demographic of broken homes and misplaced youth in our area. Outside of modeling, Dez tells us, “In my professional life, I've been working in the hair industry since 2009. I also enjoy working on 194

What themes do you hope to cover as you progress in your career? “I hope to convey boldness and courage through the beauty of photos, as I continue in my modeling career.”

Much of what you see in Dez’s work presses the body positivity movement by embracing being comfortable in her own skin. The added feminism of bold sensuality in just being, oftentimes fiercely so, is something that the status quo is still wrapping their heads around. The fact that she is courageously pushing these boundaries, embodying the powerful female vibes despite her illness is a testament to her strength of character and of her commitment to female empowerment. Do you have any advice to impart to others who are seeking a career in modeling? “While I'm just starting my own modeling career, I'd say from personal wisdom, never give up no matter how heavy the world feels. If you can stick to your plan through the frustrating parts, things can unfold in

a better way than you can imagine.” The mantra I live by and reverberate any chance I get is ‘learn when to rest, rather than to quit’. It’s something we can all benefit from in the long run. So, what’s next? “I'm planning something special for this December—I want to take my family out of town for Christmas for the first time. I am definitely looking forward to a great time with my loved ones.” Her focus is on what’s actually important; these connections, the moments, the little things and the great big love that surrounds her. Her priorities are exactly where they need to be as she continues to battle cancer against all odds. If Deziree’s story has touched you and you’d like to show support or share your own journey with her, she can be reached online. She’s also available for photoshoots and other modeling opportunities. “You can connect with me and send work inquiries to

@chulitadezz on Instagram. Thank you!” PEPPER Magazine is honored to hold space for model & hair professional Deziree Ibarra and our hearts are with her as she continues to fight for her health. We look forward to witnessing the art she creates along the way.

Our Collaborating Journalist Photojournalist Tony Mendez is an accomplished photographer with a passion for mastering the lens. Having love for the art form, Tony has dedicated 15 years to perfecting his craft and expanding his artistic vision. His journey began as a favor to a friend, but quickly evolved into a lifelong pursuit of photographic excellence. Tony's foundation in photography stems from his formal education in the field. Having studied photography extensively, he possesses a

solid understanding of both the technical and creative aspects of the art. Throughout his career, Tony has embarked on numerous adventures, traveling around the U.S. to immerse himself in different cultures and landscapes. These experiences have not only enriched his perspective but also served as a wellspring of inspiration for his work. Drawing influence from his mother, a gifted photographer in her own right, Tony developed a natural affinity for the craft. He inherited her keen eye for composition. As the founder of Marvelous Shots Productions, Tony has established himself as a leading figure in the industry. His exceptional portfolio can be found at msplens.com, where his work shines with brilliance and creativity. Tony's photographic style is ever-evolving, much like the iconic MTV liquid logo, as he constantly seeks to push boundaries and redefine visual storytelling. Tony's distinctive approach is characterized by his skillful use of color, infusing his photographs with vibrancy and life. He prefers to work on set, ensuring that the magic of each shot is captured in-camera and requiring minimal post-production editing. Versatility is his forte with expertise spanning stills, video, and brand identity photography. Tony effortlessly adapts to any project. He is well-versed in various genres of photography, always eager to explore new concepts and challenge conventional norms. Tony captures compelling visual stories. His dedication to his craft and unwavering commitment to excellence make him a sought-after photographer in the industry. Tony's passion and creativity continue to inspire and leave a lasting impression on the personal and professional lives of the people involved with his work. 198

Fit to a T. WITH NUTRITIONIST & FITNESS EXPERT TINA SENA

Expert Health Advice Nutrition at any age, the best foods for all bodies.

Lifestyle Tips & Resources Links, great products and places to try.

Fitness Techniques Things you can try at home or at the gym.

Fit to a T.

You Truly Are

Enough

Nutritionist & fitness expert Tina Sena

Don’t wait any longer to be the best version of yourself that you can be! I’m here to help get you started and cheer you on.

Health and happiness,

Tin a

Tina works hands-on with clients in San Antonio, New Braunfels and surrounding areas.

Coming at you this month to let you know that you are enough! We hear it all the time and want to believe it—but do we? If you don’t feel happiness and love yourself everyday, then the answer is no. The change also lies within YOU! If there is something that you don’t love about yourself, then it is up to you to change it. It is in your control! We can blame our situations on so many people and circumstances that we think are not in our control—but the truth is, they actually are. We choose every day what we’re going to do with our time. Are we going to work out, eat right, find a job that makes us happy, communicate better in our relationships, change bad habits…? We have to take control of our own lives y’all! We have to create our own happiness and not look for it anywhere else but inside our own hearts. YOU know what you want and you know what you need to do!

Find Tina online at tinasenaofficial.org or Instagram at @tinasenaofficial 201

Tina Sena

Whole Heart Foods

Have you heard? Nutritionist & Fitness Expert Tina Sena has her own line of health snacks…

e r ’ y e h t d n a ! s u o i c i l e d

tinasena.org

POUT MedSpa PA-C & Certified Injector • Bilingual Clinician “I help enhance your natural beauty.” -Itxia Lee

@pout_itxialee

poutmedspa.com

Servicing San Antonio, TX

HEALING PRACTITIONER

ROMY NAVA

To Be

Enough

photographer Soura Nath Models Pooja Choudhary & Dolly Kolkata, India

A MODERN MYSTIC

Defining ‘Enough’ Healing Practitioner Romy Nava

In the vast cosmic expanse, amidst the boundless galaxies, stars, and celestial wonders, there is you. A unique amalgamation of experiences, dreams, thoughts and emotions. And here's a gentle reminder amidst the hustle and bustle of life : You are enough. The world we live in is a relentless parade of expectations. From the time we're young, it whispers in our ears the measures of success, beauty, wealth and achievement. It hands us a mold and urges us to fit into it, often disregarding the essence of who we truly are. But pause for a moment. Breathe deeply and listen to that soft voice within, the voice of your spirit. It tells you that you don't need to be more or do more to be valuable. You, in your current state, with all your imperfections and dreams, are complete.

Understanding Enoughness

The concept of 'enoughness' isn't about complacency or not striving for growth. Rather, it's recognizing that your worth isn't determined by external accomplishments or validations. Your value doesn't increase with more accolades, nor does it diminish with failures. Remember, every individual's journey is unique. We each have our rhythms, our paths, and our lessons. When we understand and embrace this, we allow ourselves the grace of growth, the freedom from constant comparison, and the gift of appreciating our own journey.

The Gift of Presence In the sacredness of the present moment lies the truth of our enoughness. When we anchor ourselves in the now, we can see beyond the illusions of the past and the anxieties of the future. We realize that we are alive, capable, and are a part of this intricate web of existence. This very moment, with all its

simplicity and complexity, testifies to our significance.

The Dance with the Universe

Consider this : Everything in the universe, from the tiniest atom to the vast galaxies, has a purpose. Each element dances in harmony with the other, creating a cosmic symphony. You, too, are an integral note in this grand composition. You don't need to be louder or more vibrant. You just need to be true to your nature.

Embracing the Journey As you journey through life, embrace the belief that you are enough. It will not only enrich your experiences but will also allow you to touch the lives 205

of others in profound ways. When you see yourself with kindness and love, you naturally extend the same to the world around you. In conclusion, in a universe that never repeats itself, where every sunset, every snowflake, and every moment is unique, so are you. Your existence is a testament to your significance. You are not just a fleeting moment but a profound statement of the universe saying,

“You matter. You are loved. You are enough.”

POSITIVELY CRYSTAL

T H E When you look closely in your life, there is more abundance around you than you may realize. I know the default is to live in scarcity, but what if you started to recognize the signs all around you that unlock your awareness to how supported you are? These things might be right in front of your eyes and you could be taking things for granted because you aren’t recognizing them as abundance in your life. With the world changing the way people are working, there are more opportunities for you to create multiple streams of income, which is what most people think about when they hear the word abundance—they think of it purely as monetary. The exponential growth of technology in the last decade has brought worldwide connections through online business, social media, and entrepreneurship. You can learn how to do pretty much anything you want without having to go into debt at a university, which doesn’t always garner a career, and the rise of the influencer brings the monetization aspect of the internet. Yes, back in the day college would have been necessary to build your career. I did go to college, got my degree, and left with a ridiculous amount of debt. Many of the classes I “had” to take to graduate had nothing to do with my major. I (maybe overly) enjoyed the college experience, I was in a sorority, and had ton of fun. I don’t regret any of it, but did it support me after I graduated? Not as much as the dream I was sold. Nowadays there are random majors that people can get degrees in that will not set you on a path to success. There are some specific and valid majors that you absolutely need to be educated on, and at the same time you need to have the practical experience. If someone is teaching a

Motivational Mindset Coach Crystal Lopez-Crebs

F L O W subject that they have not succeeded and excelled in, it’s not as wise to learn from them as it would from someone who has. No matter what you want to do, if you need to learn how to do it, or just more about it, find someone who has done it and gain wisdom from them. You can read all day how to fly a plane, or hear someone talk about how to fly it, but if they have never done it be careful their advice. Now why am I taking you down this path of the possible college trap? I want you to understand that you are capable of succeeding if you really want to. You just have to have the right perspective about the opportunities around you. You also have to allow successes and abundance to flow to you and not stop that flow with the worries and stresses that make you fill you with a scarcity mindset. There are signs all around you of prosperity. It’s within you to create those opportunities or be presented them. When you are closed off to the possibilities, of course you will never see them. You are on the wrong vibration and your perspective is skewed. I went through a course one time that had me add up the value of things I had in my life that weren’t monetary. Trips, dinners, experiences, so many things that had been given to me, whether as a gift or something I earned or even won. I am so supported by God and the universe. I have so many blessings and opportunities that come to me because I am open to them, and I also take the chance. Has an opportunity ever come your way and you hesitated and didn’t take it? The more they present themselves, those are signs that you are on the right path, and it’s only a matter of time until you are fulfilled. We just came back from two separate trips. One was 209

an all-expense paid trip for an event we were participating in. That value alone was around $6,000. And, on the second trip, we had incredible experiences with our business and a grand gala that we were seated in the best seats in the house. That was no accident that we were sat at a table with some high flyers. We also have a new business venture and investments that we are positioning ourselves with that came out of us reaching out to a friend. You never know what might fall into your lap when you are in the flow. Remember to laugh and be happy. Happiness is a choice. You can choose to be happy at any moment, no matter what the situation. There is so much negativity and hate in people these days that only allows them to see the negative. You cannot hate someone into loving you or making them do something. That is about control and it immediately stops the flow. Those emotions will only hold you back from all the positives life has in store for you. If you find yourself angry at something external, dig deep to find the root cause, because most of the time it’s something deep within that you need to forgive and let go. Stop closing off the flow. What can you take inventory of that you can quantify a value that you have in your life? Do you have a group of friends that treat you to lunch sometimes? What about gift cards that you have not spent. Go through your home to see what monies you find, maybe in a pair of pants, or an old wallet. Ladies check in your purses to see if there might be dollars or change at the bottom. What value do some of your experiences have? Now, I want to you get in the flow. The things you start to notice will become more and more clear as you open yourself up to them. One of the easiest ways can to change your perspective and see the signs is when you get into gratitude. I like to bring that up because when you are in gratitude, you immediately will shift your vibration into the flow of abundance. So, pay attention, choose to be happy, and be grateful when you start to see the signs because you will be riding the waves. 210

Attitude is Everything

actor & publicist Arianna Coromoto Coltellacci Castillo Las Vegas, Nevada journalist K. Day Gomez photographer Mandy Kadura

psych. also works as a brand & media representative for Travel & Leisure Magazine, Arianna and Sergio are in constant contact. Together, the father-daughter team jet set all over promoting the books and sharing Sergio’s wisdom. She tells us, “his home is the world. He never stops traveling, talking to people around the world for personal or group motivational speeches and conferences.” His books, “Positive Mental Attitude = Success” and “The Fantabulous World of Sales” are available on Amazon with more outlets coming soon as the pair work hard at making them even more accessible to the global market. Originally printed in his native Italian, Sergio’s books have been translated by Ma. Antonietta Mejia.

Italian actress & business maven Arianna Coromoto Coltellacci Castillo is back, and this time she’s sharing a very important project and motivational book series with us.

Tell us all about it! Since we last spoke, Arianna has been hard at work behind the scenes helping a very special author to bring his wisdom into the world—her father. Italian author Sergio Coltellacci is also a life coach and speaker whose advice has served countless people. According to Arianna, it was about time to bring his ideas to the forefront, and she was all too happy to step up as his project manager and publicist.

Interview Getting right down to it, Arianna now resides in Las Vegas, Nevada here in the states while her father, Sergio lives in the Caribbean. Since she 212

First thing’s first—we asked about his background when it comes to being an author. “My father and I became one person in this book. This happened exactly 3 years ago when the pandemic happened. Prior to the pandemic, I told him several times he should write a book with all the knowledge he applied in his training with all his sales agents (in Venezuela mostly, but also many other countries in Latin America and few times in the US—California and Florida specifically). I admired the way his sales agents would follow him and the way he would not only professionally, but also personally impact their lives in a positive way. I always thought the world needs more of this, like air to breath. He is a very active man and I am his female version, so while I was new in San Antonio, Texas he was living in Venezuela. We never ever went so long without seeing each other. The pandemic was hard for us as a family, separated from my mom and dad, my brothers, nieces, nephews—all my Italian side. Only having communication by video call was hard, so I told Dad, “Let’s write your book! We have lots of empty free time.” He was spending a lot of time in his library office, writing his biography. It’s something he was working on. He said, “I want to leave this to you are your brothers and sister so they can share it with their kids.” I told him, “this is fantastic but you should also write all you say on your Yourtube channel about your sales training, Dad.” He was creating these videos for his sales reps as a way to keep training, communication and motivation during the pandemic. He’s since had to stop traveling to do those meetings in person. I really enjoy those videos—they are in

Spanish. [Find Sergio’s channel link in our directory.] Back to the original question, I was 46 at the time and my Dad was 76. It was a great beginning amidst the pandemic because we really had laser focus. So we started putting together a plan. It was like producing a movie—we put all our love into it. All of that isolation and forced downtime was a motivation for sure. It helped me to keep positive and kept us very united.” He included his family in his business venture endeavors by having you take the lead in the creation of his books. Can you elaborate on this process? “My Dad is my best friend. I am very close with both of my parents. I admire the way they educated us four kids. Also, the way my Mom was —and is—the perfect right hand to my Dad. We always say that behind an amazing man is an amazing woman, and that is my Mom, Gladys Castillo Coltellacci. We came to this world as part of their life. I believe a great leader has a balanced life, and my Dad always made a perfect balance between work and family. As a good Italian, he likes to develop projects with his kids. He’s always offering his input. I always talk with him and ask his advice and share ideas with him. So in relation to the book, he said “Yes daughter, if you produce and publish it, I will write it.” So I started asking what he wanted to do and began looking for a team to put together to help

develop the book. We needed artists, dreamers, visionaries—positive people who would love the project as much and we did. I formed a great team; friends of mine in Los Angeles. When I sent the text, they fell in love with the project and it was a great start. There was a lot of work to do. The colors of the covers, the size of the letters (we wanted something easier to read)… People in today’s world read less and are more visual. With the creative team and production house of my friends, we began to tackle this, accommodating for the modern attention span. They are real artists—my friend Pablo Azar is a well

known painter. I wanted to work with the best people in this project. And his wife, Anita Grajales was

tasked with putting all of our ideas together. Between the three of us, we were able to develop what my Dad envisioned. He wanted fresh images to express what he wrote. Those images are now available in merchandise (tees, hats, notebooks…) to remind people of particular words or phrases from the books, ideas that were important for them and that changed something in them when they read the books. So we created our online store with Shop ToonyMania.” [Link in directory.] Can you tell us what excites you most about the topics covered in your books and your passion for helping others? “I was the lucky one to grow up with all this information, all this daily positive input my Dad gave me and my sister, Tiby, in the car driving to school. I thought it was so powerful, we need to change our minds and we will change our day, every day, as a daily homework. My Dad told me when I asked, “Ary, tell PEPPER Magazine that I came to Venezuela without speaking any other language. I was in a situation in life with a wife and 4 kids. I didn’t have room to have the excuse to say to myself, “I can’t”. I have only a “Yes” in my head—a “Yes” that opened doors of opportunities.” My Dad started his career in sales 56 years ago with a big international company with headquarters in the US. He spoke neither English nor Spanish. He had to sell, he had no excuses to stop—even the language barrier. My mom found this article in the newspaper and he went to the interview. He loved it, but his work was to sell. So my mom wrote a speech in Spanish and my Dad memorized it word for word. The speech was made for only positive selling—“No” was not an option. Even people who first said, “oh, no thank you…” he would congratulate them and still close

the deal. He would go door to door with a positive mental attitude and this is how he became the leading Head of Sales in Venezuela and other countries throughout South America. My Dad always won the yearly award. That was an amazing trip every year—Venezuela was the number one country. How? His motivation was unstoppable and he trained the whole region with his training methods. And that is how I grew up. I thought this is powerful, the world needs more of this.” After covid, the way we view ourselves, our jobs and the ways we interact with one another has changed so much. What changes are you hoping to see over time? Do you and Sergio plan to do anything creatively with his books to help ignite that change? “We want the message to go around the world. And with the sales from the book, we’re looking forward to partnering with a nonprofit organization. 215

“Get a pencil and paper. Sit down and write. The next day, read it again. Get your iPad or laptop and edit the idea. Rewrite it—but START WRITING. A book starts once we put pencil to paper, and the first word you write is the beginning. As the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu said: "The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” —Take that first step.” —Sergio Coltellacci

Where do you hope your career will take you in the future? “I became my Dad’s manager in this project. He is a very humble person and he always says, “you do it, daughter. You have the books.” It’s been so nice developing this project because he is always open to ideas and we work together very well. He is my personal coach and mentor in life. The goal I have is to develop his YouTube channel. I am also in conversation with a few book stores. My goal is to introduce the books to Barnes & Noble here in the US. I want them to be on the shelves in national stores like that. Amazon has been a great success for the two books—it’s a promising start.” Do you have any advice to impart to others who are seeking a career in the publishing industry? “I will say to them, build a team that believes in your dream with you and has the same vision, and write that book!”

For example, we would love to support efforts to end human trafficking of adults and children. I recently saw the movie ‘Sound of Freedom’ and I told my Father we want to support a project like that because the world needs more people who are aware of these issues and realities, and people courageous enough to do something to stop it. There is so much that is happening right now—so yes, we want to help.”

Any big plans or exciting things coming up? “A new book…My Dad is already writing his third book and I am in love with the topic already. We always brainstorm about it. And expanding our online store of items related with the books is coming along.” Where can people find your books or inquire online? “On Amazon, both are available in 3 languages (English, Italian and Spanish).” Just search for the titles “Positive Mental Attitude = Success” and “The Fantabulous World of Sales” by author Sergio Coltellacci. 217

photographer Andrea Barrionuevo Quito, Ecuador

My name is Andrea Barrionuevo, photographer and visual artist from the city of Quito. I am manager of the Quito Calle street photography and urban art project. My experience portraying a great model and artist, Gabriel, was very pleasant. We connected out of mutual admiration, respect and the desire to create from the essentials, with this proposal of my phrase "we are all broken". Inside my workshop at the Quiteño School of Art, we use the body, paint, light and shapes to capture our feelings towards Urban art and how in this way, creating with light we can begin to put together our broken pieces. —AB

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photographer Andrea Barrionuevo model Gabriel Toapanta mua Angy Chamorro

S urvivors need space to heal together as a community.

For more information go to thisisjaneproject.com

prodigy.

summer in

Vol. 2, No. 3

Belgrade PHOTOGRAPHER IRA WIND • SERBIA

living in the

Aftermath My name is Ira Wind. I'm a photographer from Belgrade, Serbia. Last year l've moved from Moscow to Belgrade to live and work here. Many Russian people left Russia in 2022. I would like to tell a story about three sisters— the children of my friend Anastasia. Three girls—so different and so similar. A year ago they moved from Moscow to Belgrade with their parents. Now their home is in Belgrade, Serbia. New friends, new school, new language and culture. It is easier for children to adapt to a new place. They are cheerful and full of energy. But the eldest misses her home and the friends who stayed there. 226 Issue 27 | 234

Wanderer PHOTOGRAPHER NASTASYA RASKOVALOVA MODEL RASKOVALOV SERGEY MOSCOW, RUSSIA

of Tennyson Corley

Flamenco Flamingo Welcoming the life of the the party, Flamenco Flamingo. If you invite him to your party, you better have a healthy supply of shrimp cocktail and escargot. But Flamenco's favorite party pass-time would be an elaborate dance off where he is sure to be the last bird standing—and to rub it in your face, on 1 leg just to prove his devotion to dance.

Columbia, South Carolina

211

lit.

THE SUNFLOWER WIDOW FLASH FICTION AUTHOR JONATHAN DARREN GARCIA SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS X PHOTOGRAPHERS PERCHEK INDUSTRIE & MARI HELIN

Amidst the dim, hushed corners of the shop, the old shopkeeper's gnarled fingers hold the glass jar of porridge over a red scanner. His bushy eyebrows cover most of his eyes like an aged curtain. He licks his lips repeatedly and smacks his tongue, rolling the tobacco chew in his mouth. "Looks like you got 3 credits left kid," his voice rasps. "Is one jar of porridge all you need?" "I'm pretty tight on credits right now. This is all for the week sir,” the thin young boy admits weakly. The shopkeeper's response drifts hesitantly, a silent bridge between their words. "You come here a lot don't ya?" The shopkeeper asks. "Your mom, she provides those sunflower stuff— the oils and all that." "Yeah." The thin boy confirms. "I haven't seen her around much anymore, how is she?" The shopkeeper probes. "She's good,” the thin boy says. "And your father?" The old shopkeeper asks after a slight tentative pause. The young boy stays silent for a moment. "Maybe I will get another bottle of porridge." He looks up slightly, leaving the question unanswered. He makes his way back to the refrigerated section, fingers brushing against the chilled glass. Above the jars of porridge he sees the infused option for 3.3 credits which contains a host of added benefits, including sunflower oil ‘for bone 234

and heart health’. His eyes make contact with the regular porridge. It reads 1 credit. He reaches for the cold jar and a scarlet fog pours from the fridge… "Hey kid."—a deep voice emerges from above the porridge. The fridge is empty save for a single jar of glowing red porridge. The young boy's nostrils flare and his eyes widen. "It's been rough since your father’s death, hasn't it?" the voice flows, encircling the boy like a phantom wind. "You never had to rely on porridge to survive. Your mom is so sick you wonder if the porridge even gives her strength. It's not fair—she makes the sunflower oils used to infuse the other porridges. It's insulting, you deserve the minimum and the maximum." The voice rings in front of the thin young boy and then behind, then the left, then the right and then in front of him again like a floating whisper, lifting his brown curly hair. The young boy stays still completely ensconced by the voice and he feels a trance-like temptation rise. "Take me. Let your mother drink from this bottle and she won't be sick anymore. She won't struggle anymore. She can make double, no, triple the sunflower products so you and your mom can get back on track to living the way you did when your father was around." The voice softens in front of him. "Take a sip as well, and all the knowledge your father had will be yours too. He wanted to teach you so badly how to weld. How to contribute.

He never got that chance. You're young and strong; all the knowledge is here."

It was the shopkeeper's personal crate. He added wheels many years ago to make it easier to drag home when needed.

The voice squalls. "Take a drink, and you can help your sister too. You won't have to starve yourself to watch them eat. You'll have the knowledge to build houses— everyone will need you."

"I haven't any words! Thank you kindly!" The young boy's brown eyes energize with light.

The young boy's lips break. The red glow of the jar intensifies. He begins to surrender to the magnetic voice. "Hey kid!" The shopkeeper turns the young thin boy by the shoulder. Their eyes lock and the enchantment is shattered. "Are you alright? You zoned out there." The shopkeeper queries. The young boy glances back at the ordinary rows of assorted cold porridges infused and otherwise. The shopkeeper peers into the fridge. "Go on back, I'll be right there kid." The shopkeeper says.

"This system is bullshit, you know? Not too long ago we were able to trade freely without the interference of credit. Everything is about what you contribute! Hmph!" The shopkeeper shrugs as he finishes organizing his crate for travel. "Go on, get." The shopkeeper nods. The young boy rushes out with a lively smile and waves as he leaves, dragging the wagon-like crate behind him. The shopkeeper watches him, a warm smile in response. The old man grunts as he retrieves a lantern from beneath his desk. He spits out his tobacco into an empty jar and removes the used candle before replacing it with a fresh white one.

The boy ambles back to the cashier’s desk. The old man begins to stock a travel crate with assorted porridges infused and otherwise. He adds butter, fresh bread, and 3 cartons of eggs before making his way back.

He glares towards the refrigerated section squinting his eyes and senses the ominous air. He lights the candle and walks outside to hang the lantern by the entrance.

"Here kid, I got enough credits to last me the year." The shop keeper hands him the travel crate. 235

MY SUNDAY PRAYER

MUSINGS BY WRITER & POET KIRSTEN THOMPSON / SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS X PHOTOGRAPHER SAMANTHA SOPHIA / CALIFORNIA My Sunday Prayer is for the seeds of your dreams to begin to grow strong take room in fertile soil find legs and arms and wings and heart to carry them through the realm of the deferred to the land of the present.

My Sunday prayer is for a baby to bless you with a wide-eyed smile and bubbling laughter today, or that an elder stops time with the telling of a tale from their youth and you have willing ears to receive the message.

I pray that today is the day a parent looks at a child with aching love and understanding in their heart and decides, firm in their resolve to change the course of their personal history. May they be gentle and kind in their discipline and correction.

I pray that we all find love in both expected and unexpected places. May it catch you off-guard, shock and delight you and warm all our hearts.

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And may we fall in and find space for gratitude even in the tough moments— Especially in the tough moments.

SOMEONE THERE?

AUTHOR NJABULO NKAMBULE / SWAZILAND, SOUTH AFRICA X PHOTOGRAPHERS QUASI MISHA & HAZEL AKSOY / ISTANBUL

Today I sit in a room clouded by darkness With pain dominating my body system, Writing for a better tomorrow? As the butterflies flood my tummy, With the air breeze so sweet and calm. I can see beauty deep inside my eyes. Show me the sun that shines bright, Bright more than a bulb in a closet, To brighten my beautiful day. I asked myself if there was really someone there— I'm alone and I'm not lonely. Found myself searching among the stars, For beauty that lies in me, Not knowing that the moon, Lightens the universe even when it is not full. As the natural light brightens my beautiful day, Triggering the beauty in me, I no longer hide my true colours,

I no longer act strong and unaffected. Someone there? Do my words create a voice in your ears? Do they trigger sense in your head? My heart always speaks in volumes, Yet the universe turns a deaf ear on it. Memories are just tattoos in my heart, The beauty of the tattoos is the pain endured, Scars that are a confession of beauty, Survival and strength. Great things happen when there are less wars, Great walls rise a soul to walk tall, Even when it is cold. With my eyes and mouth closed, Silence becomes loud when I'm a listener. Words are everything I need like basic needs, Even when I bleed, it is the words that heal me. 237

BUNNY WRITER & PHOTOGRAPHER JAKOB RAU / SAN ANTONIO TX

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HUMAN NATURE

PHOTOGRAPHER DENIS WALTER An introspective re-connection with our nature. • Bochum, Germany

A MESSAGE FROM THE CREATOR… CONCEPTUAL PHOTOGRAPHER DENIS WALTER The photographs convey a message of connection between humans and nature, prompting contemplation about our interaction with the environment. They are meticulously composed, showcasing the personality and individuality of each person. In doing so, the beauty of the plants is harmoniously blended with that of the human faces. The plants carried by the individuals range from delicate flowers to prickly plant parts, thus symbolizing the diversity of nature. As Charles Darwin once said,

“ANYTHING THAT IS AGAINST NATURE WILL NOT LAST IN THE LONG RUN." This quote underscores the necessity of living in harmony with nature and respecting it, as ultimately, it is nature that lays the foundation for our existence. The series ‘Human Nature' is a heartfelt endeavor. Through this ongoing series, my goal is to raise awareness for environmental protection, as nature holds great value and is essential for our survival on this planet. Humanity is intertwined with nature—we are both a part of it and a separate entity. While we interact with nature using our technical capabilities as agents of change, we are, at the same time, living beings intricately connected to it. Excerpts from dialogues with the models underscore the message of the portraits.

ABOUT ME… I am Denis Walter (he/him), 35 years old, from Bochum, Germany. My artistic journey has been a parallel path that empowers me. I studied Biology, German Studies, and Mathematics.

I created the fashion self-portrait using the self-timer to challenge myself and showcase a different facet of me that was once a part of who I am. I discovered my passion for the work behind the lens during my studies in cultural sciences. It was those courses like "Experimental Film" and "Genre Studies" that captivated me, sharpened my eye, and allowed my creative potential to flourish. However, the origins of my love for craftsmanship trace back further to my childhood. I fondly recall spending time at my grandfather's large work table; he worked as a master tailor. I was enthralled when I was allowed to draw on fabrics with chalk and admired the individual commissioned works. During my years of study, I occasionally found my way onto the stage as a photo and runway model. Fashion shows brought me a lot of joy, yet in front of the camera, I didn't quite feel in harmony. Undoubtedly, it was a lucrative side job and a wonderful opportunity to get to know the medium of photography better. However, deep inside, I saw myself more as an artist. I was able to quench my thirst for inspiration and begin shaping my own photographic path, which now leads me on an unforeseen journey. 241

EMEL AYDOĞDU "My first experience with nature was my grandmother's garden. There were pomegranates, figs, apples, and grapes, and the most beautiful flower in the meadow was the radiant poppy flower."

PAULA DOBRINSKI "I don't want to lose touch with nature. I want to continue treating it with care and appreciating its value to us. When I walk through the forest at my own pace, it's the light and colors that bring me a sense of serenity."

FREIGEFYHL

“In nature, I can recharge my batteries and escape from the sometimes overly vibrant everyday life. Moreover, I draw a lot of inspiration for my compositions from nature.

In the forest, the air is fresher, and the soundscape is more pleasant than in the city. A walk in the woods is always beneficial."

ANUSCH KHANSAI-KOZIOROWSKI "Being in harmony with nature empowers me. Time spent in nature grounds me. It makes me feel strengthened for the challenges of urban modern life."

MARTINA MACKOWSKI "It's important for me to spend time in nature to recharge and find tranquility. I enjoy spending time in the forest and love the sounds, the bird songs, and the rustling of leaves."

OLIVER SCHÄFER "At the age of 15, I started creating a garden and grew alongside it. It grounds me when I spend time in my yard; I can recharge with new energy and gather fresh inspiration for my creative work. I believe that once you truly connect with nature, you can and will comprehend it better."

DUYGU OGUR "I enjoy being in nature. When I go into the forest, I feel like I am being perceived, and the ground, every living being, and even the air I share with them become one with me."

PETRA EMMA "The farther the gaze, the more profound my connection with nature becomes. There is an entry in my poetry album from my father : 'A tree with deep roots fears no wind!'

This quote had accompanied me throughout my life and gives me strength and stability."

I T ’ S S T I L L T A B O O

DEVA BARONE MILAN, ITALY

A B O U T

T H E

There are still so many taboos. Women's period is one of them. Some years ago I wanted to make a fashion editorial about women's periods, with a fashion model and fashion clothes. I imagined the photos of a model wearing a sanitary napkin published in a magazine, where the sanitary napkin has been shown in a “normal way”, like all the other items (from the clothes to the accessories). But it has been so hard for several years to find a model that wanted to be photographed with a sanitary napkin. Some weeks ago I talked about this project to a stylist, I could find the model and I took the photos. But the model is afraid that her fashion career could be ruined by these kind of pictures. So we decided to cover her face. So women's period is still a taboo.

P R O J E C T

Concept & Photographer Deva Barone Stylist Martina Tradati Stylist assistant Nicola Verde Wardrobe Clarissa Balossi In collaboration with This Unique

Commentary from PEPPER Magazine Editor in Chief, K. Day Gomez— “The factor of implementing an anonymous facial blur for the model throughout this series by Deva Barone lends even more seriousness to her point. What I find particularly engaging is that it was an afterthought, out of respect to the model’s own fears as impressed upon her by societal pressure. The series does a perfect job of exemplifying the stigmatization—and thus demonization —of women’s natural menstruation, and femeninity / femme issues as a whole.” 253

It’s still a taboo.

I THINK I’M TOO GAY FOR

COSMO

AN ANGSTY HUMANIST ESSAY BY PHOTOJOURNALIST K. DAY GOMEZ SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

AN OBSERVATION… I’ve been so busy building my company, keeping in touch with global contributors, designing something truly inclusive while altogether beautiful to look at…that I think I lost touch with much of what is going on in the publishing world, by and large. Here’s the thing—I was under the impression that post-pandemic, post the massive BLM wave and post gay marriage legalization the world of US print media had evolved. To some degree, it has. Albeit there was an awkward middle school-level phase of tokenism that took place for about a year (you know who you are, cis-female and male magazines who pulled this move; hopefully you’ve fired your PR personnel who advised that slight). But I was under the impression tokenism is dead. It’s not. It just looks a little different now.

THE WIND-UP. As I sat down to do some much needed self care (i.e. lay out a stack of magazines, scissors in hand, ready to add to my vision board book that hasn’t been touched since 2012), I enthusiastically opened up the “new” Cosmopolitan Magazine, hoping to find some cool visual fodder for my crafty intentions. I was so happy to see plus size tattooed women in underwear ads, fellow queer folk in high end clothing and gorgeous models with vitiligo showcasing the latest in makeup trends. But then I messed up; I started reading. The written content at best, gave off a vibe of cisgender white women straight-splaining why “it’s ok to be gay” and “trans is beautiful TOO”… not realizing the qualifiers they’re using are

disquiet. coming off like an attempt to walk Karens out of the darkness of their racism and prejudice and into the light of “humans are humans and get over yourself”. It was cringy and uncomfortable. One of the highlights of this awkward experience was a back section covering “The Sex Tips that Made Cosmo Famous”. The piece de resistance of which was “To turn a man on, ask him to help you…Ask him for advice, to explain things to you.” [April 1963]—ah, *chef’s kiss* what a gem. Pause for a moment to swallow back the vomit swelling in my—apparently feminist—throat. What I came to learn about this magazine and the pile of other mainstream magazines sitting on my bed is we’re not friends anymore. They don’t ‘get’ me, they definitely don’t speak for me, and inclusion is to them a buzzword that they think they’re doing right. And in some cases they are. But when they miss the mark it’s by miles. And that’s uncomfortable for everybody. (Also… where are the disabled / differently abled models or amputee models and how come V, VOGUE and Harper’s BAZZAR are the only ones occasionally highlighting beautiful silver-aged models? Ok, GQ and Esquire do honor their aging men too— sometimes—and typically only celebrities, not so much models.)

STRAIGHT TO THE POINT : I’m not writing this essay as an attack. Sure, they give you plenty of material to roast, but that’s low and not functional. Rather, I’m touching on this because it brought me to realize several things about myself and about the publication I have built [PEPPER Magazine]. 261

1. I’m way too queer to not be triggered by advice-geared straight magazines. PEPPER Magazine translation : our advice in the Psych section of our magazine is focused on mental health, holding space and giving one’s self grace. 2. I’m on the autism spectrum with ADHD and need specific supports in some areas of my life while being hyper focused and proficient in others, which also makes me observant, highly analytical and meticulous. So it’s all too easy for me to catch where / when articles written by neurotypicals are missing the mark and could be taken in a way that excludes certain cultures or communities without meaning to. PEPPER translation : being that (at the moment) I write about 70% of the word content, the majority of this magazine carries a neurodivergent voice. It’s in the vocabulary, the use of dashes and the vocabulary, the use of dashes and colons, the delivery. colons, the delivery. 3. My family is diverse and we originate from immigration, from different continents. I grew up learning to honor others and notice the beauty in all of our differences and to treat those differences like treasures. PEPPER translation : you don’t have to ‘try’ to be inclusive if you’ve always been inclusive. It’s not a buzzword for us. We’re not having to create from an apologist standpoint or make up for decades of whitewashing, abelism, segregation, exclusion, ageism, sexism, systemic racism…and not because we were established in 2022, but rather because PEPPER is an extension of me, of who I am and the mind that’s birthing it has resided in this authenticity from the beginning. 4. I’m not straight. Like, at all. I’m ‘straight passing’ due to my monogamous marriage to my straight cismale husband. But I’m pan sexual and always have been. PEPPER translation : I’m now realizing we have a queer voice. This isn’t just a label thing. It’s in the way we describe things, the values we hold important, the way we properly honor marginalized communities… In the strangest way, we’re sort of a big gay magazine for everyone. 5. I can’t hang with antiquated trains of thought and apparently I’m accidentally more of a feminist than I realized. I say this because I have always been a humanist. I believe consent, autonomy and unconditional love should be EQUALLY afforded to all sentient beings. But boy, do I get pissed off when I sense I’m being gender patronized or mansplained / straight-splained to! PEPPER translation : okay, yeah…I suppose we’re a patriarchysmashing, old paradigm-crushing, flag-waving feminist publication too. Without meaning to be. Because we are ever-mindful of the antiquated systems that are still very much alive and well, and we are determined to prove there is a better way. I wasn’t kidding when I said we’re attempting to change the face of journalism altogether—how it looks, how it feels, how it hits.

THE TAKEAWAY… The moral of this self aware dissertation is that we have a long way to go, as a country, as a species, when it comes to how we choose to

record the times and the events taking place around us. Those of us within the publishing sector take on a public responsibility to serve the communities we are writing to. In the case of PEPPER, that means the consciously aware and inclusive global community. Nothing we touch on can be done lightly without a deeper consideration of the wellbeing of others. ‘Compassionate journalism’ is not just a thing I made up to sound like we give a shit. We do. We give an awful lot of shits. In really taking the time to read—actually read—these powerhouse mainstream magazines again, I was able to see who we don’t want to be. I more deeply value who we ARE and what we are attempting to do

with every new issue. And as for Cosmo (and all the others), everybody has that one mildly prejudice aunt or uncle who they still hold space for and let them learn and try to catch up with the world around them in hopes there is still room for real growth. I have faith that as millennials and Gen Z-ers come into leading roles in these companies, they stand a real chance of being sociologically relevant again. One day. For now, I’ll be referring back to the art magazines I love as a solace of intellectual stimulation and stay focused on building my magazine, one meaningful story at a time. 263

x Broken Villages

belonging ART CALL

Navigating identity in African diaspora. An art exhibition.

deadline : Oct 1. 2023 apply : starvingartist.cargo.site/belonging

21% of TGQN (transgender, genderqueer, nonconforming) college students have been sexually assaulted, compared to 18% of non-TGQN females, and 4% of non-TGQN males.

PEPPER Magazine is founded & produced by survivors. We strongly encourage those effected by or witnesses of sexual assault and / or human trafficking to speak up, reach out & get help.

RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) Hotline 1-800-656-4673

The National Human Trafficking Hotline 1-888-373-7888 Photographer Michael S. Drapala with the help of several creatives & survivors in San Antonio, Texas, asks us to consider what we think we know about sexual violence.

ICON

M R .

R O G E R S

This whole “adulting” thing is hard. Life in the current operating system is full of pitfalls. Often, no matter how hard we try to navigate reality, we seem to fall short of what and who we want to be. We just want to pull the mental escape hatch and hide inside of our childhood nostalgia for a while. And no matter what kind of childhood you had, chances are if you grew up in America, you grew up with the same neighbor—Mr. Rogers. The one TV role model who was always there to remind us that we are enough, that he liked us just the way we are, was Mr. Rogers.

“In a way, you’ve already won in this world because you’re the only one who —Fred Rogers can be you.”

Fred McFeely Rogers, aside from being an American television host for his iconic children’s show, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, was also an author, producer and minister. One of the longest running projects in televised history, the series he conceptualized and created ran from 1968 to 2001, bridging several generations. Hailing from Pennsylvania, Rogers began his TV career at NBC in New York, freshly after earning his bachelor’s degree. He returned to Pittsburgh in 1953 to work for PBS. Rogers took child development and youth related issues seriously enough to attend the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Child Development. There he began what would be a thirty-year collaboration with child psychologist Margaret McFarland. What most of us know is that the show ran for 33 years “and was critically acclaimed for focusing on children's emotional and physical concerns, such as death, sibling rivalry, school enrollment, and divorce.” In typical PEPPER fashion, we’re here to

journalist & illustrator K. Day Gomez accompanied by artist Kelly O’Connor

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talk about the things you may not have known. Starting with how he changed modern history forever in his address to the Senate Subcommittee on Communications in 1969 in what would have otherwise been the death of public access television. “On May 1, 1969, Fred Rogers, host of the (then) recently nationally syndicated children's television series, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, testified before the Senate Committee on Commerce Subcommittee on Communications to defend $20 million in federal funding proposed for the newly formed non-profit Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which was at risk of being reduced to $10 million. Subcommittee chairman Sen. John Pastore (D-RI), unfamiliar with Fred Rogers, was initially abrasive toward him. Over the course of Rogers' six minutes of testimony, Pastore's demeanor gradually transitioned to one of awe and admiration as Rogers spoke.” These are the transcripts…

As a result of that speech, it’s needless to say, he got his big fat puppets, his stollen crates and the stollen hearts to go with it.

means somebody getting killed in a—a sort of surprise way.” “That’s what happened, you know!” says Daniel excitedly. “That man killed that other man!” Slowly he adds, “Too many people are talking about it.” When the show cuts to Mister Rogers—so young!— on an empty set, he’s clearly troubled. Twisting his fingers, he says, “I plead for your protection and support of your young children. There is just so much that a very young child can take.”

Another groundbreaking thing Fred Rogers did, radical that he was—he pioneered speaking to kids publicly about gun violence. Journalist Ann Hodgman wrote in an article for Smithsonian Magazine, “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” had been on the air nationwide for only four months when Robert Kennedy was shot in Los Angeles on June 5, 1968…Rogers, knew that children would need help processing the assassination—the second in the United States in just two months—so he worked through the night of June 6 on a special episode for parents. The half-hour show was taped the following day and aired on public television that evening, the day before Kennedy’s funeral. Fifty years later, it’s still mesmerizing TV. The black-and-white scene opens on the perennially fearful Daniel Striped Tiger, a hand puppet worried about how breathing works. Daniel watches as his (human) friend Lady Aberlin shows that after she has let the air out of a balloon, she can blow it up again. As Lady Aberlin begins to reinflate the balloon, Daniel abruptly asks, “What does assassination mean?” Lady Aberlin puts the balloon down. “Have you heard that word a lot today?” “Yes, and I didn’t know what it meant.” Lady Aberlin falters. “Well,” she says, “it

In that moment Mr. Rogers became MISTER ROGERS. “This new children’s TV figure was suddenly talking to the whole family,” says Maxwell King, author of the biography, The Good Neighbor, and former executive director of the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media. The center, at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania (Rogers’ hometown), houses Rogers’ archive and hosts the Fred Forward Conference on childhood development research. “Rogers wasn’t just a soft-spoken newbie giving puppet shows for kids,” says King. “He was a very serious thinker about the impact of media on children.” And one of the still most powerful moves Rogers made during his career was made as a team effort, when he shared a leisurely moment in a wading pool with Officer Clemmons. The scene aired amid growing racial tensions in the US over segregated swimming pools, and was Rogers’ characteristically polite middle

R E B E L L I O N

C A N

B E

K I N D

finger against racism. In these two politically filled scenes—the one that originally aired in 1969 and the other as a follow up in 1993, open to Mr. Rogers and Officer Clemmons, played by actor François Clemmons, placing their feet in a wading pool together. The conversation that follows still makes my whole heart smile. And partnering with Reading Rainbow’s host LeVar Burton became the springboard to a lifelong friendship. "Fred and I met on the field of service," Burton said of the legendary host. “He encouraged me to be myself.” That advice, he said, propelled him through his entire career. "Using our lives as fodder for something greater than ourselves is a key part of our DNA," he stated on The View in 2022. "Fred really encouraged me to be myself, share my authentic self with the audience, and establish a relationship with them that has paid off. I feel like I'm invested in all of y'all because I helped raise you, a little bit." These people, like Fred Rogers, like LeVar Burton—they were a constant reminder that WE ARE ENOUGH, exactly as we are, so long as we walk in our truth and hold space for others to do the same, without judgement, without the need to criticize or correct. The beauty and joy of simply BEING. And the encouragement to open up our eyes and our hearts to this great big beautiful world around us. Rogers received more than forty honorary degrees and several awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2002 and a Lifetime Achievement Emmy in 1997. He was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 1999. He influenced many other writers and producers of children's television shows, and his broadcasts continue to bring comfort and compassionate understanding long after his death.

“As human beings, our job in life is to help people realize how rare and valuable each one of us really is, that each of us has something that no one else has or ever will have—something inside that is unique to all time. It's our job to encourage each other to discover that uniqueness and to provide ways of developing its expression." —Fred Rogers

SINENKOSI MSOMI CONCEPTUAL ARTIST & PHOTOGRAPHER

@sinenkosi_msomii • @latitudes.online • @afrikanizm_art

Mbabane, Mpolonjeni

PEPPER Magazine

8/9

cover artist.

B E 3 K

'23

in college BE3K discovered his love for painting. Coming back for his second time as a cover artist for PEPPER Magazine (his first being November 2022 of the legendary Billie Holiday), BE3K hand-painted

p. 273

E3K, born Anthony Badon in McComb, Mississippi, is a 28 year old oil painter and musician who lives and works in New Orleans, Louisiana. Though he's been indulging in different artistic mediums his entire life, it was

Aug. / Sept. 2023

the gorgeous drag sensation, Anita Verga. The portrait is a tribute from an original photograph taken by photographer Mandy Kadura of Infinite Photography this summer. We were happy to catch up with BE3K and see what’s been happening for him since our last interview. “My art journey has been amazing. I've been making strides to get more involved in local art events and making connections in my city. As far as mediums, I am still very much in love with oil paints.” Talking themes, BE3K says, “Recently the theme of my work has been black joy and what that means exactly. Once I figure out how to translate that in the way BE3K would, I’ll take on that task.” We asked if he’s added any new skills, tools or methods to his creative process? “Yes, actually. I recently purchased an airbrush and have been experimenting with creating cool effects that I can introduce to my oil paintings.” From a sociological standpoint, we wanted to know if there’s any kind of change BE3K is hoping to see, and if he’s imagining translating that through his upcoming projects. “Honestly, hoping for change kinda gets exhausting when no one seems to listen. The recent influx of people DEMANDING to be heard is more my speed.” Any big accomplishments lately, or big things coming up for you? “This year has been pretty awesome as far as accomplishments. This February, I got to have my very first solo art exhibition at the junior college I attended. The coolest part about it was that I was the very first black person to ever host a solo art exhibit at this gallery AND it was during Black History Month.

I also got to display my art during Essence Fest this year. Which, for those who don’t know, is one of the biggest black music and art festivals in the south.” That is pretty incredible and not at all surprising considering how amazing his art is. You can connect with BE3K online to become patrons / access his art. “The main place I post my art is Instagram, @be3k_.” We are absolutely honored to have him back and will continue to follow this cultural pioneer’s journey.

JOHN HENDRICK PHOTO

I NYC I SATX I hello@johnhendrick.com • @johnhendrick_photo

directory.

directory. Cofounder • @cojo.the.model • photos of Courtney [credits] 1. photographer Daniel Grove @danielgrovephoto

Credits, Locations & Contact 6

Introduction by editor in

chief K. Day Gomez / San Antonio, Texas / Instagram @creative.consultant.kday / email hello.pepper@outlook.com / web directory msha.ke/kathleendaygomez / self portrait 2023 - hair colorist Terry Loredo • @belleza.by.terry 9

Mr. Enigmatic : artist Isaac

Renteria / Chiapas, Mexico / Instagram @isaac.renteria / linktr.ee/isaac.c.renteria / journalist K. Day Gomez 19

Details 2.0 : Ekaterina

Lukovnikova / Torrevieja, Spain / Instagram @rina__lu / journalist K. Day Gomez 28

What the Fire Didn’t

Take : Anastasia Gerasimova / Belgrade, Serbia / Instagram @art_by_me_to_you / journalist K. Day Gomez 34

AE2 Productions

/ San Antonio, Texas / Instagram @ae2_productions / web directory linqapp.com/AE2_Productions / Courtney Johnson - 29 years old; mother, model, dancer, actress, and President &

ON THE COVER Artist Anthony “BE3K” Badon / New Orleans, Louisiana / Instagram @be3k_ / be3ksartden.bigcartel.com

2. photographer David Silva @d.a._photograph designer Honey Fatale @honeyfataleclothing 3. photographer Michael Drapala @drapalastudios assisted by @zunigaztudio mua @kat_mua_02 nails @erikakristinebeauty wardrobe stylist @kaiadublin_official floral selection creative direction @theresa.marsh.9400 / Olivia Espinosa - AE2 Chief Marketing Officer, model and content creator • @spicy0live • photos of Olivia [credits] 1. photographer Mandy Kadura @infinitephotographysa 2. photographer & studio Summit Photography @photosbysummit boutique & stylist @kaiadublin_official mua @angeliques_technique_ mua production team @angelarose & @latezwilliams321 management @meshaunmodelslIc 3. photographer & studio Quantum Lotus Labs @the_quantum_lotus dress @chic_n_motion lips @Ixvemxffin management @meshaunmodelslic / Terry Gooch-30 years old; model, actor, VP, CFO & Cofounder • @the_t.gooch •

directory. 72 Enough of Arjun / New York, New York / consulting director & journalist Elliot

photos of Terry [credits] 1. photographer Mandy Kadura @infinitephotographysa

Carlyle @elliotcarlyle / photographer, creative & styling Edwin Borquez Pierrot @edwinpierrotcreative / model Arjun @themodelarjun / agency Currently Global @currentlyglobal • currentlyglobal.com / @tribetalent

2. photographer Misha Patel @mishmediaplus mua @nehalco agency @luxeloftmodels 3. photographer Alfonso Martinez @area51media production team @linkwitholivia @spicyOlive @geekdomsa / journalist K. Day Gomez 44

Summertime /

photographer David Rodriguez / Santa Cruz de La Palma, Spain / Instagram @davidofficialclub / model Martina Valdivielso

photographer Dave

@martiiiva 53

HOPE / photographer Will

Brown / Kingdom of Eswatini / @will.brown / creative directors Will Brown & Siphephile Peppy Sibanyoni photographer Will Brown Mufasa Mtshali designers Siphephile Peppy Sibanyoni & Mncedisi Kunene Joseph Mutsena stylist & prop designer Siphephile Peppy Sibanyoni mua Notsile Sibandze models Initia Seabra, Benanile Maphanga, Soso Dehomey & Notsile Sibandze 68

Immersed in Summer /

photographer Anastasia Gomenyuk / Nice, France / @gomeniuk_kids / model Sasha Starynets • @sashastarynets

Alexander Silva • @d.a.s_fotograph / models @toninaomil @noelle_.13 Yunna, @webb_nouvelle @cojo.the.model & @viktoria_suchilova / mua @felicity.buie) / journalist K. Day Gomez

assistant photographer Gina

cinematographer Tawanda

Barbie x HONEY

FATALE / designer Janette Lucio / San Antonio, Texas / @honeyfataleclothing / bio.site/honeyfataleclothing /

94 Style Diaries with Charity / style consultant Charity Stewart / San Antonio, Texas / @_nunnab / reference images sourced from public domain via Google 102

Creative Spaces :

Sustainable fashion & lifestyle expert Becky Witte-Marsh / San Antonio , Texas / @beckywittemarsh / Featuring : 1. Cultural Detour • artist & designer Dyan Reeves • @culturaldetour • 118 Broadway Suite 626 (by appt. only), San Antonio, Texas 2. South Side Living & Maker Spaces • creative director Jeff

directory. National Harbor, Maryland / @33rd_eye_photography /

Wheeler • @thesouthsidesa • 2450 Roosevelt Ave., San

erickonohiaphotography.com / tailor Paul Michael Adler • @suitsbikesbeards

Antonio, Texas 3. Old School Makerspace • Rev. Robert Balfour, M. Div. • @oldschoolmakerspace • 2659 Eisenhauer Rd, San Antonio, TX 78209 4. Becky’s own home design

atelier (work in progress) / photojournalist K. Day Gomez • @creative.consultant.kday 112

144 Reclaiming the Story / photographer Kevin Katoto Kitenge / Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo / @kevin3k_photography / linktr.ee/kevin3k 153 Rollergirl Market / photojournalist John

Little Em’s Oyster Bar &

Seafood Restaurant / San

Hendrick / San Antonio, Texas / @johnhendrick_photo / liinks.co/johnhendrick_photo / Candy Clouds •

Antonio, Texas / @littleemsoysterbar / littleemsoysterbar.com / parent company Carpenter Carpenter

@candyclouds.official / SATX Vintage • @satxvintagecrawl / Brick at Blue Star • @brickatbluestar • 108 Blue Star, San Antonio, Texas

• Houston Carpenter Owner / Director of Operations, Emily Carpenter Owner / Director of Administration • @thecarpentercarpenter / Delia Flores Director of

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Communications / Head chef

photographer Sinenkosi Msomi / Mbabane, Mpolonjeni - Swaziland, Africa / Instagram @sinenkosi_msomii / latitudes.online/artists/sinenk osi_msomi

Felix Garcia / Erin Hibbeler General Manager / Jason Salas Sous Chef / Monica De La O Executive Chef / 1001 S. Alamo St. San Antonio, Texas / photographer May Carlson • @maycarlson / journalist K. Day Gomez 126

112

My Oh My, Miss Anita! /

Queen of Southtown, Anita @anita_verga_ / photographer Mandy Kadura •

164 PASSPORT : Tales of Mexico / conceptual art photographer Seigar / Instagram @jseigar / Seigar.wordpress.com

@infinitephotographysa / hair Joey Stone • @ joeystonee / assistant Ace • @acelevn / journalist K. Day Gomez Rennaisance Proper /

photojournalist Eric Konohia /

195 The Best Things Are Imaginary : artist Leonardo Rodriguez Pastrana Caldarola / Madrid, Spain / Instagram @leo_nar_do_paints / journalist K. Day Gomez

Verga / San Antonio, Texas /

138

Qhawe / conceptual art

126

173 Kathmandu / photojournalist Corey Layne

directory. actor & publicistArianna Coromoto Coltellacci Castillo

Davenport / Kathmandu, Nepal / Instagram @coreylaynephoto 185

Siberian Summer /

photographer Tatyana Boeva / Siberia / @boeva_tattyana_photo / journalist K. Day Gomez 192

138

Her Story : Professional

Model& Cancer Warrior Deziree Ibarra / San Antonio, Texas / Instagram @chulitadezz / ski mask designer Sara Rose • @sararoseshop • Los Angeles, Marvelous Shots Productions • @msplens / journalist K. Day Gomez accompanied by

200

Fit to a T. : Nutritionist &

144

fitness expert Tina Sena / New @tinasenaofficial / tinasena.org

Raskovalova / Moscow, Russia / @nastasya.ras / model Raskovalov Sergey • @raskovalovs

/ additional photography by Diaga Ellaby • @diaga_ellaby • Riga, Latvia

232 The Tauntingly Tantalizing Tales of Tennyson

A Modern Mystic :

Healing Practitioner Romy Nava

Corley / Columbia, South Carolina / Instagram @tennyson_corley_art / linktr.ee/tennysoncorleyart

/ San Antonio, Texas / Instagram @romynava247 / website romynava.com / photographer Soura Nath • @soura_nath • Kolkata, India / models Pooja

233 The Sunflower Widow / flash fiction authorJonathan Darren Garcia / San Antonio, Texas / @jupiterjazz27 /

Choudhary • @poojachoudhari_08 & Dolly 208

Positively Crystal :

photographers Clément Percheron of Perchek

Motivational mindset coach Crystal Lopez-Crebs / San Antonio, Texas / Instagram @crystalmagic777 / linktr.ee/crystalmagic777 211

Attitude is Everything /

225 Summer in Belgrade / photojournalist Ira Wind / Belgrade, Serbia 229 Wanderer / photographer Nastasya

Braunfels, Texas /

204

219 We Are All Broken / photographer Andrea Barrionuevo / Quito, Ecuador / @@andrea_barrionuevo_ / model Gabriel Toapanta • @gabriel.toapanta.58 / mua Angy Chamorro • @angychamorro / location Quiteño School of Art

California / photographer

journalist Tony Mendez

/ Las Vegas, Nevada / @ariannacoltellacci / with her father, Italian author, motivational business coach & speaker Sergio Coltellacci / journalist K. Day Gomez photographer Mandy Kadura

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Industrie • @perchek.industrie • Bordeaux, France & Mari Helin • Finland 236

My Sunday Prayer /

directory. journalist & illustrator K. Day Gomez accompanied by artist Kelly O’Connor / direct quotes from Fred Rogers / with additional reference images sourced from public domain via Google.

writer & poet Kirsten Thompson / San Antonio, Texas / @kiri_elle_tee / photographer Samantha Sophia • @raisingself • California 237

Someone There / Njabulo

Nkambule / Swaziland, South Africa / @dablue_kiddie /

TITLE HOLDER FIR •MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR• 2022

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linktr.ee/dabluekiddie /

NOMINATED FOR THE TFII •MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR• AWARD, 2023

photographers Quasi Misha & Hazel Aksoy • @hazelcim • Istanbul, Turkey 239

Bunny / writer &

photographer Jakob Rau / San Antonio, Texas / @paparauch 240

Human Nature /

photojournalist Denis Walter / Bochum, Germany / @deniswalter 251

185

ADVERTISERS — 5

Seigar / Spain / Instagram

@jseigar / seigar.wordpress.com

It’s still a Taboo /

photographer Deva Barone / Milan, Italy / @deva_barone /

8 Current•ly Global / New York, New York / @currentlyglobal / currentlyglobal.com

model Anonymous / stylist Martina Tradati • @martina_tradati + @martinatradati_styling with stylist assistant Nicola Verde • @nico_verde / wardrobe Clothing Clarissa Balossi • @clarissabalossi in collaboration

192

with This Unique • @this__unique 260

I Think I’m Too Gay for

Gomez / San Antonio, Texas / @creative.consultant.kday / with supplemental reference vintage covers of Cosmopolitan Magazine sourced from public

266

ICON : Mr. Rogers /

Creative Consultant K.

Day Gomez / San Antonio, Texas / @creative.consultant.kday / msha.ke/kdaygomez

Cosmo / photojournalist K. Day

domain via Google.

33 Melanie Allison Art Gallery / artist Melanie Allison / Austin, Texas / @melanieallisongallery / msha.ke/melanieallisongaller y

211

42 JordyLoLo Events / San Antonio , Texas / @JordyloloEvents jordyloloevents.com / (830)308-7274

directory. 100

for events & home dining / chef Joe A. Gomez III / San Antonio, Texas / @novem.cuisine / novemcuisine.weebly.com / (512)965-3383

Augustine / San Antonio,

Texas / @iloveaugustine 101

NEMERS Boutique / San

Antonio, Texas / @nemersboutique /

124 Ace of Steaks / San Antonio, Texas / @theaceofsteaks / theaceofsteaks.com

nemersboutiqu.com / 210-3106357 109

Sustainable fashion &

lifestyle expert Becky Witte@beckywittemarsh

125 After Flours Cakes / Cake Designer Lauren Garcia / San Antonio, Texas /

110

@afterflourscakes / afterflourscakes@gmail.com

Marsh / San Antonio , Texas /

Jamal DeMore, Realtor /

San Antonio, Texas / @thejdemore.newhomes /

160

demorerealty@gmail.com /

Photography / Austin, Texas / @coreylaynephoto directory linktr.ee/coreylaynephoto / vimeo.com/heliosmediatx

(210)509-6737 111

Infinite Photography / San

Antonio, Texas / photographer Mandy Kadura / @infinitephotographysa / directory poplme.co/hash / infinitephotographysaofficial@ gmail.com / phone (210) 9560588 121

Little Em’s Oyster Bar /

San Antonio, Texas / @littleemsoysterbar /

225

Corey Layne

161 Eric Konohia Photojournalist / Washington, DC / @33rd_eye_photography / ekonohiaphotography.com / ekonohia196@gmail.com 162 Stacey Rae OlivaresGarcia / San Antonio, Texas / @staceyraeofficial / cloverbudphotography.com

littleemsoysterbar.com / 1001 S. Alamo St., San Antonio, TX / (210)257-0100 122

NOVEM Bean Coffee :

local roasted premium coffee / chef Joe A. Gomez III / San Antonio, Texas / @novem.cuisine / novemcuisine.weebly.com / (512)965-3383 / also sold at PB&Jay with Tay 123

NOVEM Cuisine :

gourmet private chef services

163 Darkhorse Photography / Michael Avila Christman / @darkhorsephotographysa & @heliosmediatx / vimeo.com/heliosmediatx 202

Whole Heart Foods by

Tina Sena / Tina Sena Fitness / New Braunfels, Texas / @tinasenaofficial / tinasena.org 203 Clinician, Dr. Itxia Lee Acevedo of POUT MedSpa /

173

directory. San Antonio, Texas /

278 Photographer John Hendrick / San Antonio, Texas + New York / @johnhendrick_photo /

poutmedspa.com / / @pout_itxialee 224

hello@johnhendrick.com

This is Jane Project 501c3 /

Nonprofit Organization • A trauma-informed community of women & nonbinary people healing together. / @thisisjaneproject /

237

linktree.e/thisisjaneproject_ 250

Designer Felix Tambora

presents Breast Cancer Awareness Fashion & Art Show / San Antonio, Texas / at 1902 —

PEPPER Magazine proudly supports the following nonprofit organizations & community efforts. We strongly encourage our readers to do get involved. Please take a moment to

1174, E.Commerce St. 264

NONPROFITS —

look them up, follow, learn, volunteer or donate.

Belonging Art Call / The

Starving Artist x Broken Villages / apply by Oct. 1, 2023 via starvingartist.cargo.site/belongi

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ng 265

#Me Too : Sexual Assault

Campaign / photographer Michael S. Drapala / San Antonio, Texas / Instagram @drapalastudios / Disclaimer : PEPPER Magazine strongly encourages those effected by or witnesses of sexual assault and / or human trafficking to speak up, reach out & get help via RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest

251

National Network) Hotline

Since our public launch in May of 2022, we’ve also

1-800-656-4673 or The National Human Trafficking Hotline 1888-373-7888 272

Sinenkosi Msomi /

Mbabane, Mpolonjeni Swaziland, Africa / Instagram @sinenkosi_msomii / web portfolio latitudes.online/artists/sinenkosi _msomi

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proudly supported through GoFundMe (and other means): The MAC • Literacy • Ukrainian San Antonio • Autism Advocacy • Uvalde Families post tragedy… And more; and this is only the beginning. OUR MISSION — support the arts • Fair Wages for Creatives • shop small business • curate sustainable ethically sourced fashion • recycle • be kind • repeat.

PEPPER STAFF K. DAY GOMEZ CEO & EDITOR IN CHIEF My name is Kathleen, editor in chief of PEPPER Magazine. For PEPPER, I am also CEO, creative director, artist, photojournalist, copy writer, social media manager and staff manager. As founder and chief editor, I run the creative department (from layout to full design and aesthetics). I am also an active photojournalist, writer and technical / fine artist for our global publication. This entails writing articles, shooting photos for content as well as for some of our advertisers, and even often times hand-designing (painting and mixed media) cover art and illustrating certain columns. I’m a 41 year old neurodivergent (autism / ADHD) business woman, first generation American on my father’s side (immigration from Australia and third generation American on my mother’s side (immigration from Ireland). I am a pansexual cisgender female and part of the LGBTQ community. I am the proud mother of an autistic child with a cognitive disability, for whom I founded this company in part. My goal is to provide my son who is an artist and animator (currently age 13) with gainful and meaningful career employment when he comes of age. I am married to my best friend Joe, the pillar of our family who has lovingly accepted Aiden as his own child. Everything I do is humanitarian based and

we are honored to work with nonprofits, community efforts and even refugees from all over the world. And I sit on the Advisory Board of the Alora Farm nonprofit for adult autists. “Alora Farm is a farmstead wellness haven for autist teens and adults to live and work as part of a thriving community.” [see AloraFarm.org] Other tidbits about me—I have children’s books in the works for which I am the illustrator and author. I also moonlight as a songwriter and vocalist occasionally, with my most recent projects being collaborations with local recording artists in the rap genre (believe it or not). On my background… My career life has been a bit of a juggling act. I’m an internationally published artist, author, creative consultant and intuitive life coach. I formerly ran a magical online boutique called The Imaginarium Wonder Emporium (it’s not dead, just sleeping until I can cultivate the time to wake it back up). I’ve been a photojournalist, art illustrator and content writer for various publications and blogs for over two decades. I formerly held a modeling career for over 17 years that led to acting and directing, which I still may pursue in the future. Who knows? My brilliant son is diagnosed autistic with a cognitive disability and is an internationally published artist himself. My husband is an amazing chef for his business, NOVEM Cuisine and I’m happy to run the creative department and be his occasional culinary assistant. My boys are the center of my world.

PEPPER STAFF I’m an internationally published artist, author, creative consultant and intuitive life coach. I also sit on the Advisory Board of the Alora Farm nonprofit for adult autists. I’ve been a photojournalist, art illustrator and content writer for various publications and blogs for over two decades. I formerly held a modeling career for over 17 years that led to acting and directing, which I still may pursue in the future. I always seek to be of the most help to our community and global humanitarian issues any way I can. It was with this intention that I founded PEPPER Magazine. As a creative, and member of the LGBTQ community, it is also my intent that the publication be inclusive, diverse and support marginalized communities and those with varied abilities / disabilities by creating a safe space for all to be heard. Thank you for taking the time to learn about our mission. I anticipate great things for the future. As a family, we are philanthropists. We always seek to be of the most help to our community and global humanitarian issues any way we can. You’ll find us enjoying beautiful San Antonio and the Alamo Heights area where we reside. Thanks for taking the time to get to know me. I look forward to connecting.

JOE A. GOMEZ III COO, CFO & MARKETING DIRECTOR An all-American Texas boy born and raised in

San Antonio, Joe A. Gomez III has been a strong community leader, a humanitarian and a true lover of life. A former city councilman having served on the board of the San Marcos Chamber of Commerce for several years, he's also the founder of JAG Enterprises with over 23 years of management experience. He is now PEPPER Magazine's CFO & Key Lifestyle Contributor. A chef to rival most, despite not having been classically trained, Joe's culinary expertise is impeccable. Enough so that over time he began to develop the ground work for what is now called NOVEM Cuisine. Since the founding of NOVEM, chef Joe's recipes have become more diverse and in turn, the public attention has grown. This has led to multiple international publications, to include London and Manchester, UK. And if you have the luck of tasting his food you'll understand why. There is no detail that escapes him, and the care he puts into the preparation and plating of every meal is nothing shy of five-star dining. The pièce de résistance is having him prepare it right from the comfort of the best restaurant in town; your own home.

BECKY WITTEMARSH SUSTAINABLE FASHION & LIFESTYLE EXPERT Becky found her passion for sustainable fashion and home furnishings at an early age when being sustainable was a necessity.

staff. A lifetime of creating her own personal style through sustainable sources, got the attention of those around her. Today, her innovative creations using vintage, thrift and self-made items will inspire a new way to look at dressing and styling your home. Becky will help you turn style sustainability from an inconvenience into an ADVENTURE!

ANDREA ‘ VOCAB’ SANDERSON POET LAUREATE Poet Laureate 20202023, performs as “Vocab” in her hometown of San Antonio, Texas. ”Watching her perform, the word “hero” comes to mind. And not “hero” for the sake of just skill, but for her work in her community: Sanderson teaches poetry workshops, mentors, builds up and encourages artists to pursue their art, and gives them platforms to showcase their talent. Sanderson’s interest in other people’s art and artistic development became a passion of hers, and she started curating her own shows and creating platforms for other artists to hone their craft by hosting open mics.” -The San Antonio Current, Jan. 16, 2018 She received awards, Performer of the Year, Influencer of the Year, from Project Forward, and Dream Voice, from the Dream Week Commission. Sanderson is the winner of the 2019 People’s Choice Award, awarded by Luminaria Artist Foundation (formerly

known as: Artist Foundation of San Antonio). In May of 2020 she was awarded Best Live Entertainment/Band Musician of the Year by the SEA Awards.

TINA SENA NUTRITIONIST & FITNESS EXPERT Hi, my name is Tina Sena and it has been my passion to motivate, inspire and encourage others to achieve health and wellness physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. For 24 years now I have been doing personal training, nutrition consulting, kids programs, developing a protein line of sweet treats and running my own businesses. I am a spouse and also a real estate business partner with my husband Michael, and we have a beautiful 13 year old daughter named Mia. It is my desire to build a community where we can share with others all the knowledge we have accumulated over the years to help create total health and wellness in their lives. I was an only child who grew up in a home with a mentally ill father and a mother who, although very strong, was also riddled with fear and anxiety while working all the time to provide for our family. We had very little so I was terribly ridiculed in school. I saw my first therapist at the age of 10. My father passed away at 44 and as a very independent 20 year old I was on a mission to help others to not suffer in all the ways myself and my family did physically, mentally and emotionally.

staff. Ibecame a personal trainer about 24 years ago while I was working as a model and living a completely unhealthy lifestyle. I wanted so much to have lean, sexy muscles which was a no no back then in that world. So I hired my first personal trainer who taught me how to lift weights and eat properly. I never felt better! My body, mind and health completely changed and off I went. I began training for triathlons and fitness competitions with some of the best trainers and decided that was it - I wanted to do for others what they had all done for me. So off to work I went. I am now an upscale fitness facility owner, protein treats line developer and I organize a nonprofit program changing the course for kids! I believe that we all have the power within us to get past the pain we endure in life. We just need the proper guidance and resources to get us there! It means everything to me to help my community to be encouraged and feel love and support through what might be their most challenging journey.....working on ourselves!!!”

ROBERT DEAN JOURNALIST & AUTHOR [In his own words...] Robert Dean is a journalist, raconteur, and ‘enlightened dumbass’. His work has been featured in places like MIC, Eater, Fatherly, Yahoo, Austin AmericanStatesman, Consequence of Sound, Ozy, USA Today, to name a few. He’s appeared on CNN and NPR. He also serves as features writer for Hussy Magazine and is editor in chief for Big Laugh Comedy, Texas’ biggest comedy production company. He lives in Austin and loves ice cream and koalas.

CRYSTAL LOPEZ-CREBS MOTIVATIONAL MINDSET COACH Crystal Lopez-Crebs received her degree in Fashion Design & Marketing from The International Academy of Design & Technology in Tampa, FL. She also interned with designer Tracy Reese in New York learning the ropes of New York Fashion Week (NYFW).

She owned an entertainment company in Tampa where she created costumes, did makeup, and stylized looks for her team. After moving to Texas, she mastered her crafts in the makeup industry working for MAC Cosmetics. She has also done makeup for LA & San Antonio Fashion Week, worked on film sets as both talent and wardrobe & production design, and developed her fashion production skills at Neiman Marcus. Crystal is now the talent coordinator for X Level Inc, a creative agency in San Antonio, TX, where she helps scout and develop talent. She is also the founder of the nonprofit, Fashionable Adoptions, that promotes animal adoption through fun fashion events, most notably her fashion shows that showcase adoptable animals walking the runway. She’s helped many people (and animals) improve their lives with her health & wellness business alongside her husband, especially through her story overcoming a health challenge. She loves to talk about vision and mindset to her audience to empower them to live a bigger life. Her unique style and excitement for living a healthy life can be felt as she shares her passions on social media

staff. and in person. Crystal brings her bright light & energy to inspire everyone to live an abundantly beautiful & healthy life from the inside out.

CHAZ NIELL PHOTOJOURNALIST Based in Washington DC, Chaz is an award-winning photographer with over 15 years of experience telling stories through his art to capture the emotion of every subject whether in sports, fashion, entertainment or social consciousness. He has long been a fan of the visual arts and his passion led him to attend the Art Institute of Pittsburgh where he was able to explore all facets of the industry and discover his deep passion for photography. Chaz Niell shares the philosophy of the great Nina Simone “as an artist it’s his duty to reflect the times in which he finds himself.” “How can I be an artist and not reflect the times”? His work has been featured in highly acclaimed periodicals and publications, such as Sports Illustrated, Rolling Stones, The Wall Street Journal, Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, Forbes, and Paris Match just to name a few. In addition, footwear manufacturer Nike in 2019 displayed his awe-inspiring photo of tennis champion Rafael Nadal on their New York City digital broad at 34th & 7th Ave. one block from Madison Square Garden. Chaz has also been commissioned to shoot the David Ortiz Celebrity Golf Classic, Hampton International Film Festival, New Balance, Art and Commerce, and British fashion retailer, AllSaints. His photographs

also appear in Leica Fotografie International (LFI) galleries. He is an official Getty Images contributor. His love for fashion and the creative philosophy “Dress every day like you’re going to Jimi Hendrix’s funeral” gives him the freedom to express the many sides of the Gemini that resides in him. We are honored to have him as a contributing member of the PEPPER Magazine team.

NJABULO NKAMBULE AUTHOR & POET Njabulo Nkambule also known as Njabulo N. is a writer, a poet hailing from the Kingdom Swaziland. “I'm also an author of the soon to be published anthology, DEEP-ROOTEDWORDS which will include mainly my written poems. I’m a devoted,multipassionate, hardworking poet with a keen eye for detail and an insatiable interest in the use of the written word. I'm one person who is so passionate about poetry having so many written poems under my name (not yet published). My writings (poems) include quite a number of poetic forms including rhymed poetry, narrative poetry, pastoral poetry, elegies poetry, limerick poetry, lyric and soliloquy poetry.” PEPPER is enriched by the presence and liter contributions of this gifted writer and we are excited to see how he helps to shape the overall landscape of our publication over time.

staff. scene from the late 1960’s forward. Over time, we will be sharing these archives which range from obscure to iconic. We are grateful to have Norman as part of our team. Currently, he is engaged in the development process as a key interview subject for our first documentary about the history of SAMOMA. In conjunction with our cinematographer Michael Avila Christman and editor in chief who is key interviewer for the independent filming project, Norman is providing priceless facts and contacts for the film’s creation.

MICHAEL AVILA CHRISTMAN DIRECTOR & CINEMATOGRAPHER Founder of Darkhorse Photography, as well as his media company Helios, San Antonio native creative professional Michael

Avila Christman is a fixture here. His projects range from short film to documentary to commercials to editorial fashion photography. He’s worked with well known models, designers, makeup artists, musicians, local celebrities and other professionals throughout his expansive career. Now, Michael is taking his passion for journalism and theatrical storytelling to new heights by collaborating with PEPPER Magazine and taking on a staff contributor role. He will be responsible for the majority of commercial video content for the

publication through his tenure to come.

STACEY RAE OLIVARESGARCIA PHOTOJOURNALIST Stacey is a San Antonio native, growing up down

the road from Karam's Mexican Restaurant and The Malt House. While residing in Austin, Stacey began to grow her passion for photojournalism by capturing the heart of the person behind the lens. She wanted to bring this fresh outlook with her to San Antonio. Returning to her hometown allowed her to focus on the art in a person's story. Stacey's work has been featured in several magazines such as; Entertainment Tonight Online, Voyage Houston, and S.A. Scene Magazine. She has captured photos for multiple businesses across various industries including Luzianne Tea and August Ink. er creative eye and ability to capture her H subjects’ stories with grace and dignity makes Olivares-Garcia the perfect addition to the PEPPER team.

MELANIE ALLISON NETWORKING LIAISON One day, I decided to take life by the (long)horns and got back to my roots by modeling

staff. and painting again. I wanted to break the fashion industry standards and stigmas by creating a need for a petite and classic model. I started working with local photographers in the Austin area, building a new portfolio. Soon I discovered independent magazines and learned how to submit my work. I was finally published and on the cover of a magazine for the first time in October 2016. Soon after that, I was signed with TL Modeling Agency in Houston, Texas. But things don’t always go as planned. After enduring occasional rejection from magazine editors, I founded my own art & fashion magazine called Bevie in November 2016. My mission with Bevie was to showcase emerging, local and international talent such as artists, models, photographers, designers, and other creatives. By making a sophisticated publication more approachable, I was able to help my fellow colleagues get established or further along in their career. After two years of publishing my bimonthly mag, I decided to go back to work full-time and the last issue was released in December 2018. Bevie still has quite the following today! Today, I am now focused on creating mixed media art, establishing my networking event, turned group called Girl Flock Party, and becoming a part of the local artist community. It has been an amazing journey and I am grateful for every experience along the way!” Melanie is a great asset to the PEPPER team and provides valuable guidance, lead finding and creative / marketing advice from her home base in the Georgetown / Austin area.

ROMY NAVA HEALING PRACTITIONER Romy Nava has been actively developing his gift as a healer since the beginning of 2013. As a Sound Healing and Reiki practitioner, he has formulated a signature holistic protocol.

His clients are comforted and claim to experience a relaxed calming sensation for days following each session he provides. Also a media tech and podcast host, Romy aims to educate and hold space for enlightened thought by way of his platform. He establishes a dialogue that is relatable with the intention of getting to the core of the human psyche, spirit and mind-body connection. He examines the choices we make vs. practical and functional resolution. All of this expertise and experience makes him an incredible asset to PEPPER Magazine. Say hello to Romy and open yourself up to learning something new… maybe even about yourself.

ANDREW BARRAZA MEN’S GROOMING STYLE CONSULTANT Andrew is a graphic novel artist & comic book enthusiast who also happens to be a mustache connoisseur. “Men are always just kinda left out when it comes to

staff. grooming topics. I had to learn all my tricks on the street. I’m and ambassador for a couple of stache grooming brands. It’s been a blast growing it, helping others with tips and making new friends. I still draw when I have the chance. Love comics and art.” He is here to lend PEPPER Magazine his expertise in mens grooming, the subcultural aspect that goes along with this niche and other great products, tips and resources for men. “It’s really funny, without knowing when I got into it, there’s a giant mustache community out there of dudes that are happy to encourage, give tips, even help out with charities and events. One of the companies that I ambassador for donates part of every sale to first responders. Turns out there’s a lot of firemen that make and sell mustache wax also. And seeing people randomly, I ALWAYS get compliments from people. And I’m happy they think it’s cool and get a kick outta it. Even gotten some free beers in the bars. That’s worth it right there alone.”

SINENKOSI MSOMI PHOTOJOURNALIST & CONCEPTUAL ARTIST Sinenkosi Msomi is an exceptional photographer born in Eswatini and currently residing in Mbabane, Mpolonjeni. His work consists of staged and conceptual photography. The themes contained in his

work include addressing mental health issues, the importance of self-expressions and exploring the significance of one's childhood memories. His upbringing plays a major role in how his work eventually plays out. He recollects the different sides of growing up in an African extended family and how that helped shape him. His pictures help him talk about things that he sometimes finds no words to fully express. Msomi is an incredible asset to PEPPER Magazine and will continue to work remotely, bringing impactful documentary through the personal and unique storytelling of his imagery.

COREY LAYNE DAVENPORT PHOTOJOURNALIST A Texas native, with a curiosity of the human experience. “Having always been fascinated by the psychology / sociology of people, while also lacking the ability to focus my interests, and thoughts into words, I knew at a young age that photography was my outlet to show the world what I see. With inspiration from some of the classic greats like Elliot Erwitt, Gary Winogrand, Henri Cartier-Bresson, and Weegee, my passion for street photography / photojournalism will continue to be the driving force behind what I do with a camera. Living in Austin, TX for the majority of my life, has also given me the best environment to mix my love of music, and

staff. photography into something that I have excitedly worked on for the last 13+ years. Whether it be going to local venues, traveling for festivals, or touring with bands on and off over the years. My opportunity to capture the raw emotion of the artists is an experience that will never cease to fill me with joy. With more doors opening, I plan to continue learning about, and expanding my craft, while striving for more new experiences throughout my ever growing life as a photographer.” Corey will be covering various leads and events for PEPPER in Austin and surrounding areas. He’s also working on showcasing some intense and striking documentary imagery from his archives over time.

JOHN HENDRICK PHOTOJOURNALIST & CONCEPTUAL ARTIST Born in the Bronx, New York, and raised in Queens, John’s artistic upbringing and his path to photography began shortly after his parent's separation when he was seven years old. He initially lived with his father, who would provide the foundation for his artistic eye, having John learn to play the piano, draw, and paint to stay off the streets. He would then go on to live with his mother, where he would spend much of his youth raised by his mother, a single mom of two. His mother worked nights, and his brother, who was four years older, was never home, leading John to become accustomed to independence.

John grew up skateboarding in the mid-’80s and into the late ’90s when NYC was the melting pot of pop culture. Without knowing it, this would start his photographic journey, always carrying a camera and taking pictures of his friends. He worked as a messenger, becoming familiar with every inch of the city. Soon after, he would work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, expanding his artistic vocabulary surrounded by the works of all the greats. For the past 23 years, John has traveled worldwide and lived abroad in countries such as Italy, Spain, and Japan; each location is inspiring and influences his point of view. Currently, he lives in San Antonio, where he teaches photography at the Southwest School of Art. After all these years of traveling and photographing the world, he has found his artistic voice and this creative

CHARITY STEWART STYLE CONSULTANT “My name is Charity Stewart. I was born and raised in Houston, Texas. I am a very family oriented person. I grew up with two sisters and a brother. In high school is where I met my now husband, we have been together since 2015 and have been married since 2021. I went to Sam Houston State University to run track and I majored in business. I moved to San Antonio in 2021. I am a licensed disability job coach. One of my passions is helping people and being certified allowed me the opportunity to help people with disabilities from the ages of 17-23

staff. find a job and be equipped for the workforce. My husband and I are in the process of launching our brand called Team Faithful. We started this because we want to encourage young couples to stay committed and honor each other despite what the culture is saying today. We believe that life is about community and helping others which makes me so happy to be a part of PEPPER Magazine where helping people is in our DNA. Growing up, I have always had a passion for fashion. I remember getting up on Saturdays to put outfits together and giving my family a fashion show in the living room. Now as an adult I am able to make a fashion show for myself every day and also for PEPPER Magazine.” Charity will be sharing her favorite fashion and beauty tips, hacks and trends (old and new) as well as the brands and entrepreneurs she recommends in her own column.

old (when I was published in an international magazine) and picked up photography over a decade ago, always pushing myself and my equipment as far as I could, developing my style to show people how vibrant, beautiful, and varied the world is. I have sold prints of my photography, as well as being published in periodicals. Pepper will be the first publication where I will be contributing regularly as I've spent several years focusing on horse training and more recently, being a single mom to a very bright and busy toddler. I am so excited to be part of Pepper, and I hope we'll be seeing each other for a long time to come!"

JONATHAN DARREN GARCIA FLASH FICTION WRITER

SEFRA SCHWAB PHOTOJOURNALIST “I'm Sefra, and while I have a lot of interests that I feel deeply about, the most important things to me are my faith, my daughter, and my deep-seated love for animals and the people who love them (especially horses). As a recently diagnosed autistic following several years of misdiagnoses, I have an intense interest in philosophy and all the different ways that humans are. I have been writing - mostly poetry, and short stories - since I was about 10 years

Jonathan Darren Garcia is a San Antonio based writer. He was a featured poet in That Gray Zine: San Antonio's Collective Carefest. He has been published in multiple literary magazines including Crepe & Penn (Now known as C&P Quarterly), Scum Gentry Alternative Arts, Beyond The Veil, From Whisper To Roars, Royal Rose, etc. Notable works include "You Both Need To Leave Right now!", "The Energy Of A Stone" and "Samson". He dreams of a story worth telling. On his off time he enjoys a good cup of coffee from one of the many local spots in San Antonio. With his compelling handle on the flash fiction genre, Jonathan will maintain a gripping monthly column in PEPPER Magazine.

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MANDY KADURA

PHOTOJOURNALIST & CONCEPTUAL ARTIST

PHOTOGRAPHER

Seigar is an awardwinning photographer. A passionate travel, street, social-documentary, conceptual, and pop visual artist based in Tenerife, Spain. He feels obsessed with the pop culture that he shows in his works. He has explored photography, video art, writing, and collage. He writes for some media. His main inspirations are traveling and people. Seigar’s aim as an artist is to tell tales with his camera, creating a continuous storyline from his trips and encounters. He is a philologist and works as a secondary school teacher. He is a self-taught visual artist, though he has done a two years course in advanced photography and one in cinema and television. He has participated in several international exhibitions, festivals, and cultural events. His works have been featured in numerous publications worldwide. His latest interests are documenting identity and spreading the message of the Latin phrase: Carpe Diem. Recently, he received the Rafael Ramos García International Photography Award. He shares art and culture in his blog: Pop Sonality. Currently, Seigar is our travel columnist, heading out the section with his “Tales of” series. We look forward to learning about the world around us through his skillful and artful lens.

Hi, my name is Mandy Rose. Im a wife, mother, and entrepreneur—I own Infinite Photography SA. I believe in the power of art and media. “Art is chaos taking shape” —Pablo Picasso My photography is an expression of who I am and what I stand for : love, life, and creativity. I’ve been a photographer for 10 years. Five years into the art, I created my business Infinite photography SA. After that, I never stopped my momentum. I now own 2 businesses and have become the entrepreneur I always wanted to be [with Dropyourlashes being my second business]. I have worked with many families along my career and recently broke my way into the fashion industry. It’s exciting to have an outlet to create more art. To me, being able to be a part of Pepper Magazine—a world wide publication—is an honor and I am so excited to provide quality images for a magazine that I myself have supported and continue to read and follow.

WINNER MAGAZINE OF THE YEAR

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CURRENT•LY GLOBAL ELLIOT CARLYLE CHIEF CONSULTING DIRECTOR X EDWIN PIERROT CHIEF CREATIVE DIRECTOR Elliot Carlyle, Chief Consulting Director, and Edwin Pierrot, Chief Creative Director, of CURRENT•LY Global are a dynamic, AfroLatino-duo inspired to help people and brands reimagine, redefine, and represent through creativity. "We work with entrepreneurs, corporations, and brands across industries, including: fashion, entertainment, jewelry, and lifestyle to create unforgettable experiences. Together, we elevate brand awareness using creativity, innovation, and strategy. We make brands more purpose-driven, intriguing, consistent, and enigmatic." Elliot and Edwin have a combined skillset which covers art direction, creative direction, photography, styling, movement coaching, brand development, social media strategy, program development, and more. Together, the dynamic duo have paired up to serve as a collective creative force for PEPPER Magazine. Combining their efforts as photographers, journalists, content creators and advisors, they work in unison as a team out of New York. With their keen

industry insights across genres and their commitment to editorial excellence and empowering others, they prove an invaluable asset to our humanitariandriven publication.

TENNYSON CORLEY FINE ARTIST & STORYTELLER Meet the author and fine art illustrator who is reinventing the old comic strip via a completely innovative approach to short form periodical storytelling in PEPPER Magazine! Tennyson Corley is a sculptor, or as she calls it, ceramic illustrator residing in Columbia, South Carolina. Her practice explores the use of earthen clay as an illustrative tool to create creatures with carefully crafted backstories. Each a mixture of Beatrice Potter illustrations and an Orwellian Animal Farm character. Tennyson was raised by her mother, an illustrator, in the heart of South Carolina on a large horse stable. With her formative years spent in her own mother's studio, Tennyson was encouraged creatively and gained a lasting love for art. Today, as a proud mother, she encourages her own child’s art journey. “My childhood has led me to my current body of work. I am the product of an illustrator who chose books based on the beauty of the illustrations. I have continued this collection. Referencing characters and ideas for my own work. I grew up surrounded by animals on our

staff. farm. Studying them, the ways animals interact and coexsist among each other, how species intermingled, the hierarchies that arose. I gave them personalities in my mind. Constructing back stories and human characteristics for each one. Fast forward to 2018, when I took my first pottery class which landed me with a membership at a pottery studio. I began to find what my artistic practice was craving. It took me back to my childhood, constructing animals out of playdoh and drying them on my shelf. In a full circle moment, I combined my love for childrens book illustrations, building back stories for the creatures around me, and moving from playdoh to clay to create, what I call, my ceramic illustrations. Each sculpture is a mix of Beatrice Potter and an Orwellian Animal Farm character. Conceptualized in my mind, where I work out their features, back stories, faults, and qualities. Then, through my hands, they are birthed into life through earthen clay, underglazes, and the fire of the kiln.” —And you privileged readers will get to know them one by one via her monthly column in our kids and youth section. “In talking with PEPPER Magazine, I felt rooted in my practice again. It brought about a connection that led to a new opportunity. Something I wanted but didn't feel like it was for this path that I was on. The one of a small scale sculpture artist from Columbia, South Carolina. I will be an Arts Contributor going forward with my own work. One ceramic illustration will be featured in each issue along with its story. Something like that of an evolved comic strip. And I like that. It feels fantastic. I love this weird little life full of ups and downs, bumps and highs. Chance connections and opportunities. Weird little pathways carved out like water from a

spilled cup.” We are honored to have Tennyson’s whimsical characters come to life and play on our stage here. It is our truest hope that they come to be a thing everyone looks forward to, and that they stay with you like strange little old friends.

ERIC KONOHIA PHOTOJOURNALIST & WRITER Eric Konohia is a native Hawaiian photographer based in Washington, D.C. His interest in photography started at an early age watching his father capturing family moments and placing all of the photos in albums. He remembers knowing what album had which photos in them if he needed to recall a certain moment in time. More specifically he still remembers how looking at each photo gave him a specific feeling and took him back to the exact time and place it was taken. When Eric entered high school in the 70’s he registered for the photography class as an elective and received his very first camera from his father. It was a Leica M2 35mm film camera, which he still has today. He instantly fell in love with the analog process of shooting, developing and printing his work. His analog beginnings are the foundation of how he approaches photography today. He is considered “Old School” by many but the word “purist”

staff. probably better fits his philosophy, style and approach. His primary love is black & white and primarily shoots with natural light. Eric is unashamed of his choice of cameras and the purist in him will readily tell you, “Don’t waste your money on any camera if you’re going to shoot – AUTO”.

PEPPER PARTNERS PEPPER MAGAZINE IS GROWING PEPPER Magazine is an independent INCLUSIVE global publication with an international staff. [The United States • United Kingdom • Spain • Africa]

Eric’s work has been published in several print and digital media and several of his photographs have been selected as “Master Shots” by Leica Fotographie International. He is also published writer and the coauthor of an Amazon Best Seller, “Securing the Sacred, Making your House of Worship a Safer Place” Eric’s philosophy of photography is simple: “Life is a constant geometric intersection of Souls on this broad platform of life and creation. The Art of Photography allows us to capture a specific moment of the Creator at work that would be otherwise fleeting.”

JAKOB RAU WRITER & PHOTOJOURNALIST Jakob Rau is a literary columnist & photojournalist for PEPPER Magazine. As an academic, Jakob plans to pursue writing full time as a career post graduation. In the meantime, he remains open to hire as a writer, biography author, ghostwriter among other things, here in San Antonio and remotely, internationally. Jakob prefers the nostalgia of his retro typewriter and analog journaling by hand.

WHAT WE ARE BUILDING IS A PLATFORM FOR EVERYONE ON THE PLANET—A PLACE WHERE THE HUMAN STORY IS TOLD, & A VEHICLE TO HELP INDIVIDUALS CELEBRATE THEIR JOURNEY. A platform for ALL people, all ages, all cultures, religious affiliations (or not), orientations and all disabilities and abilities. A very special thank you for being part of our journey...

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BECOME A PEPPER PARTNER OUR FIRST YEAR HAS BEEN PHENOMENAL! We continue to be a platform for ALL people, all ages, all cultures, religious affiliations (or not), orientations and all disabilities and abilities to tell their stories. PLEASE CONSIDER HELPING US CONTINUE TO TELL THOSE STORIES. Become a PEPPER Partner & be recognized on this page in every issue. DONATE at gofund.me/1338dddf

TO OUR READERS… A MOST HUMBLE THANK YOU It is not a cliché when we say we would be nothing without you. Our purpose is intrinsically tied to the importance our fellow humans place on what we deliver. Thank you for believing in what we do and daring to dream with us.

back to you in a timely manner. We are also on Kavyar for professional photographers and models looking to submit through a publisher approved platform.

DO YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW GAVE A GREAT STORY TO TELL? PEPPER Magazine holds open rolling submissions, year round, globally. Simply reach out to us at hello.pepper@outlook.com and pitch us your story, send in your bio, some example images anddon’t forget your social media handles and website. Our staff will get

Our journalism is completely free of charge when conducting interviews, publishing articles and editorials. Those seeking paid advertising can contact our CFO & Marketing Director, Joe A. Gomez III at (512)965-3383 or jagomezthree@icloud.com.