The Bold Source Issue 1 Advocacy by brimbankyouth

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ISSUE 1

Advocacy

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Greenhouse Aretha Brown

acrylic on canvas paper

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We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land, The Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nations, Kurung-Jang-Balluk and Marin-Balluk clans. We pay our respect to elders, past, present and emerging. We acknowledge the devastation of colonisation and post colonialism and the continued disparity between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and nonindigenous Australians that continues today. We recognise and celebrate the rich culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and their strength and continued connection to the land. Sovereignty was never ceded. Always was, always will be, Aboriginal land.

@_enterthedragon_

Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s letter Hey Reader, Welcome to the first ever issue of The Bold Source! We, the editors, are thrilled to present this magazine to you. What makes this magazine so special is that it is led, curated and designed by creative young people in the city of Brimbank. Our magazine will give you the creative platform to be heard, to be reflective and to respond to the themes you choose to explore - placing you at the heart of everything we do. This issue explores the theme of advocacy and making change. What is advocacy you ask? To us advocacy means having a voice and having the platform to share your story. Come take this journey with us as we captivate you page by page, with stories and visuals to ignite a sense of passion so you can be inspired to make a difference. We hope to encourage the imaginative spirits of local young people, by reducing the barriers for artistic expressions, allowing them the breadth to explore, to play, to live, to learn and to grow. Our magazine hopes to intertwine art and stories as a part of everyday life. Whether you are twelve or twenty-five or somewhere in between, we hope you find inspiration within these pages. We want you to know that no matter who you are, you too can be an advocate. Best, The Bold Source Team

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Contents Flowers by Haylee

Interview With Aretha Brown

Scribbles by Lily

Opinion Page

How to Get Better at Dealing With Change by Sarah Eve

Angel Babies by Charliese

Back to Bread by Julianne Nguyen

A World of Rainbows by Samantha Smith

In My Head by Haylee L. Bissett

La’au o le ola by Sacreana

My Experience with Filmmaking by Trang Lu

Pine Cone by Haylee

My Mum is a Hoarder by Lily

Start a conversation with me but don’t ask me how I’m doing by Saana

The Universe Within You by Jasmine Woodman and Jade Hansper

Dreaming by Issy Hay

Editorial Committee

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FL OW ERS

Haylee

Aretha Brown

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Interview with

Aretha Brown is a young Indigenous activist and artist from Gumbaynggirr Country. Based in Footscray, her activism is centred on getting Indigenous history taught in high school. When she was finishing Year 12, she began to realise how little she was taught about Indigenous history. She believes it’s important that Blak history is taught because otherwise systems of ignorance will continue to perpetuate. People are forced to make assumptions about Indigenous people because they weren’t taught anything about their culture. Learning history provides understanding and empathy, which Aretha thinks is an important step in addressing racism in this country.

Aretha has advocated for this issue through different mediums, from social media to protests and panels. The Bold Source team, inspired by her activism, had invited her for an interview about her experience being an activist, her inspirations, and her advice for other young emerging advocates. This interview was held in December 2019. What does advocacy mean for you as a young person? It’s having equal opportunities as everyone else. For me, equal opportunity is getting my history taught. If you don’t get taught Indigenous history, what you’re doing is, without thinking, is saying that Indigenous people aren’t as important or aren’t as worthy of stories or to be heard unless it’s somehow interacting with white people. Which I don’t think is ok. I don’t

think anyone would argue that that’s ok. So for me, it comes from a strong sense of justice, full stop. Just wanting everyone to have a fair go. Where do you think this sense of justice comes from? What inspires you? I think that for me, as an Indigenous activist, I have to understand that this has been going on for years. All my ancestors were activists. Every Indigenous person or person of colour, I would argue, is an activist. Even if it’s just walking into a space, being the only person of colour, and going ‘Hey!” or bringing up a political issue or just existing is a political act. You don’t actually get the option to not be political. So when people ask me why I’m an activist, I’m like, “Sis, I don’t get the option!” You’re born an activist,

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unfortunately. You’re born an activist, but that applies to any kind of field of activism. I think for me, there’s not a choice in it. What challenges did you face when you were first starting out and how did you overcome them? I suppose I’m still very early on in my career, I am 19. But I get a lot of hate on social media. But I’m kind of at the point where I’m pretty used to it. Because with all the horrible stuff you also get a lot of love, which is nice. But, social media is like the best thing and the worst thing. Everyone gets a voice, but also everyone gets a voice! And you’re like, Oh God! So that was really tricky. I didn’t come from a very, I suppose, a normal family unit, so I kind of had to form my relationships with my really close friends and they became my family. But as long as you have a kind of solid foundation, your gang, you can take all the hate. But yeah I suppose, bullying and racism at school was pretty severe. The story I kind of talked about, which was like the final straw that got me to speak up. So, Year 12 muck up day! It’s when everyone, on the last day of school, dresses up in crazy outfits. There was this girl at my school who is pretty notorious for being horrible and pretty racist. She had this group of friends and I just kind of kept my distance. I wasn’t learning Indigenous history at school, so I was going home and learning it myself, on my own. So in doing independent research, I was coming back to school with this new found knowledge and as I became more empowered, I became more of a target. Anyway, flash forward to muck up day. Everyone rocked up in crazy outfits, I wore one of those pink morphsuits, it was

something really stupid. And this girl rocked up dressed like Hitler! Like, an actual Nazi. This was last year, as well, and this is in the city, West-side school, a very multicultural school. This is Williamstown. And I was like, this is really not ok. I went up to my teachers to complain and I remember a teacher said she was allowed to stay on the day as long as she took off the Nazi iconography, which is like the swastika. But she could keep on the moustache, she could keep on the boots and it was still very obvious as to who she was. This all happened in the morning. When I went back to art class in the afternoon I found my art teacher was crying. I asked her what was wrong and she told me the student that was dressed as Hitler had broken into the school the previous night and had kicked in my paintings. I had spent a year painting them. And she had kicked them in! I was one week out of Year 12 exams. So, at the time I was like, “It’s fine, it’s fine!” What’s a bit of Nazism? And I kind of just brushed it under the rug. A few days later, I was walking down the street and I broke down crying. Because I held it in. I was just trying to be strong. And the only punishment this girl got was she wasn’t allowed to sit her Year 12 exams in the same room as me. There was no police action, the school didn’t even apologise. There was like, nothing done apart from separating her from me. I remember leaving Year 12 being like I can’t believe this is an actual thing that is happening in 2018. That young Indigenous folks still have to deal with this. That was a hate crime. And I remember just thinking I, never ever, if I could help it, want another young Indigenous person to go through that. And my works ended up going

to the NGV! You can still see the little tiny cracks, because I had to fix it, where she kicked it in. So I did end up getting successful with these paintings, but at what cost? And I never wanted to play the victim and be poor me! You have to be strong. But I think we need to redefine what strength is. It comes in lots of different ways. Strength meant I had to speak up. So, I’ve been going crazy. Any chance I get to speak, I have. So I’ve done like the Sydney Opera House, I did the big feminist festival. The War Memorial, lots of radio stuff. I did my own panel a few weeks ago, where I got young Indigenous folk, all my age, onto the panel just to talk to an audience of teachers about what school was like. Because at the end of the day, it’s about giving people voices a platform. I think the thing to remember is that wanting to give someone a platform is one thing but it’s another thing to make them feel comfortable to use it. Because you can give anyone a microphone. But you have to instill that confidence in someone to actually go up and speak. Please tell us what it was like being Prime Minister of the National Indigenous Youth Parliament. Yeah, it was quite cool. I was also the first female and youngest person – yes I’m ringing my own bell okay! I’m here for all the girls! It was incredible. For a very long time, [politics] has been a male-orientated space. I don’t need to tell you guys that, but women have been made to feel like we can’t possibly understand politics, s o therefore we shouldn’t even think about it. continued next page

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You just have to remember these systems, they make you feel like you can’t possibly understand [it]. They’re so complex and hard to get, so you don’t pursue them. But you have to understand that structures are just made of people. Like parliament doesn’t actually exist. It’s just a collective group of people that are making decisions. You can’t touch parliament. It’s make believe, it’s an idea. And so, you have to understand that every single political decision that has ever been made is derived from human emotion. Whether it be jealousy, anger, sadness, fear, greed, it’s all derived from human emotions. So politics is being human. It’s innately human in its feeling. And I think women are so good at understanding feelings. I think that’s our strongest thing we can bring to those settings, if that makes sense. What I’m saying is being emotional is so valid. And the people always go, “Ugh, women are so emotional” or “They’re so sensitive” but, being sensitive is one of our strengths. [Some] women have this ability to create bonds with people almost instantly and we have to use that to our advantage. Your speech at the Invasion Day Rally brought you to public prominence. How do you cope with being a public figure? I get a lot of people on the streets which is funny. I get a lot of “Good on you!” on the street, which is lovely. The flipside is you get a lot of hate online. I will be real with you, at the Invasion Day rally it’s a little bit heated in Melbourne I suppose among other Indigenous activists. You have so many different opinions on the day. The biggest misconception about Indigenous people or any minority is that we all think the same. It’s the biggest

misconception. People are complex and that’s what makes us beautiful. But it’s tricky because for the day itself, some people want to abolish the date, which is a pretty radical approach. Kudos to them. There are people who want to move the day, which I think is the best approach. I think it’s stupid to completely get rid of it and it’s also not all encompassing. On a new day we can all celebrate like – what about if it was a day that mob got the right to vote? When all Australians could vote? That’s an incredible day to do it. I think it’s important to understand all the different political beliefs behind [this issue]. But yeah, as long as it’s all encompassing, I don’t mind! So you’re an artist, student, a model and an activist. How do you juggle it? I think the thing that we can all take into account is just setting up boundaries for ourselves. I’m the type of person that [at] any opportunity will be like, “Right I’ll do it. I’ll do this, this, this, and that.” and I’m kind of running around everywhere. But [setting boundaries] is actually setting myself aside this weekend or this night to have me time. I was joking with friends [about this], but I literally watch the worst TV ever made. It’s like Love Island, the Kardashians, Big Brother. People are like “Aretha, why do you like this crap?” [But] if you’re dealing with such heavy topics all day, as I have to, like it’s race relations. It’s probably the darkest moment in Australian history that I’m always having to talk about. When I get home I just want to watch Big Brother okay! I want nonsense, like Sex in the City, things I don’t even have to think about. So it’s going that’s okay, go home and have your bad TV show. I mean not bad. They’re just different, okay!

Have that moment to calm down, like have a bath, and have your support network of friends. But you gotta start setting boundaries and I really only started doing it this year. And it’s been the best thing. Also just letting go of people in your life that won’t support you or give you that kind of love back. And even if it means you are on your own for a little bit, which I’ve had to do, because sometimes people can’t stand someone who’s political. That’s okay and you’ll make other friends and meet your little tribe of people, pun intended! But setting up boundaries and giving yourself that space to breathe is the best. Do you have any advice for young people who want to do advocacy work, but don’t know where to start? [My advocacy] started in the classroom. My kind of opening to learning about Indigenous history was actually learning about feminism. It kind of gave me the groundwork for understanding that this is something I’m allowed to be trained in. Because when I was in Year 10 and I was going you know, why are the girls’ skirts being measured every day? Those that were getting their skirts measured and young women that had underarm hair, which is natural, were being teased by some of the boys. This is Year 10, like basic stuff. It was just me questioning again, like hey, why is this happening? And so feminism was actually my kind of stepping stone into learning about race. But start little, start with feminism, and then start with a political ideology you can wrap your head around, and then you can go into environmentalism, but at the end of the day, they’re all connected. To segregate [social movements] into different

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groups is to deny complexity. But just kind of see which one speaks to you a little bit easier, then speak to friends about it. You could have some good arguments with people before you can get out there and talk to people on whatever platform you want. If that’s Instagram - which is what I started onYouTube, speak on panels, radio, whatever! But you kind of got to get your head around all this before you can go out there and speak but also just understand the community you’re speaking about.

How do you envision the future to be like? My dream world is [one where] Indigenous history is being taught in every subject. At least an Indigenous perspective, you know, you can bring perspective into any subject. And overall, I just want to see myself reflected in the country full stop. Because I don’t really see myself reflected anywhere. None of us really do. Look around this room, you turn on Sunrise, the Today Show, you turn on any major media outlet. It’s mostly just white, really good looking blonde people. That’s not the world that we know. I

live in Footscray, you have to reflect the society that you’re in, and that’s how everyone feels included. I think we’re getting there, there’s so many good movements coming up. Baby steps, it’s all going to take time. I probably won’t even see the results [of my activism] in my lifetime and that’s okay. As long as you are doing it you know. I have to give you guys all my knowledge to do it. 

Footscay 2019, taken by Jamie Wdziekonski @sub_lation

Scribbles

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Lily

@comicsbylily

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Opinion Page

Earlier this year, the bushfires across Australia had been a significant crisis and we had seen their devastating effects in communities with loss of life, homes, and livelihoods. We wanted to hear what young people thought about this issue. Here’s what they had to say.

What do you think about the community response to the bushfire crisis?

What do you think allowed this crisis to occur? How can we recover from this?

“The firefighters are doing a great job assisting people. People are generous enough to donate goods to the victims and it is a relief to see that there are some people with hearts big enough to help. It is understandable the Prime Minister cannot really do much however, his statements such as “thoughts and prayers” are not enough to solve the issue.”

“This all occurred due to the careless acts that we committed on Mother Nature. We can help recover by reducing human activity that is harming nature.”

– Mary, 17 years old “There’s a lot of volunteering work being done to help with the fires, victims, and other affected areas.”

– Ngoc, 18 years old

– Dylann, 17 years old “I’m not sure but I think we could recover even if it takes a long time to grow back the lost trees and all the lost habitats for animals”

– Ngoc, 18 years old

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In one word, how would you describe the bushfire crisis? “Devastating.”

– Kymorah, 17 years old “Heartbreaking.”

– Mary, 17 years old “Horrifying.”

– Latifah, 17 years old

What examples have you seen of advocacy and action on climate change? “A lot [of people] are showing love and support in bringing awareness but not enough is being done by the government.”

– Kymorah, 16 years old

What do you think will be the long-term effects of this crisis? “Some animal species will become extinct and there will be fewer trees.”

– Riyaar, 12 years old “Loss of natural habitats and animals. [Many] animals are now endangered because of this.”

– Ngoc, 18 years old

“A sad reality for us all is that the future generations will never get to see the hidden gems ravaged by the bushfires. The atmosphere is forever scarred and will take several generations for it to go back to its original state.”

– Mary, 17 years old

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How to Get Better at Dealing With Change Sarah Eve Why does change always feel so intimidating? When reflecting upon it, I always falter at how I was so excited for it when I was little. Time felt like an infinity, and I always wished I could grow up faster, have more responsibility, experience new things. So my question is, ironically, what changed? How did my confident attitude change into an insecure one? Being a Gen-Zer (is that the lingo?), I could easily blame it on the growth of social media, and the challenges it has brought in the past few decades, yet we all know that there is more to it than that. And the hard truth is that everyone struggles with change, no matter what generation they’re from. Even with good changes, we tend to let the bad changes take higher precedence in our mind. This is unfortunate, because this instills fear that can disable us from moving forward. As a teen myself, I understand what it feels like to try and figure out your identity, who you are and who you want to be. If this isn’t complicated enough, who you are and who you want to be can sometimes conflict. This in turn conflicts with our ability to generate

change and also accept it. Sometimes accepting and embracing change can be harder than generating change, especially if what we’re trying to accept are the changes that we don’t want. I have a strong set of values that I use to guide my moral compass. I strongly believe in treating everyone with kindness and not assuming or judging people’s character. I think being able to show empathy is one of the most important skills to connect with and help others. I try hard to do what I believe is the right thing for not just myself and people close to me like friends and family, but for everyone else too. While I do think I do a decent job of this by calling people out for not taking a stance and being passive, it’s inevitable that I will sway from my goal of being true to myself whilst being the best person I can be. I feel guilty to admit that I haven’t stood up for someone at the sake of what my friends think, that I’ve accepted behavior from others that is less than I deserve, or that I’ve felt obligated to act a certain way even if I disagree with it.

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This is about more than being a bystander. Or being unmotivated. Or indecent. It’s about doing yourself an injustice by not honouring who you are, even if you’re not sure of who you are just yet. By not taking a chance on yourself at all, you’re not taking a chance at who you could be and the positivity you could bring. I might sound idealistic right now. Naive, even. I get it, it’s not easy. Different social circles emphasise different pressures which can sometimes add unnecessary difficulties. Both school and family can have heavy expectations, especially for teens, surrounding school and the future.

Social media, unfortunately, can also cause feelings of judgment and pressure to fit in. I know I said I wouldn’t blame social media for why we struggle with change, but how can we not talk about it when we live in a world where people are more likely to take inspiration from the screens on the phones that what happens around them. We often look to the ‘perfect life’ and ‘perfect people’ that have been presented to us. Sure, it’s great to aspire to do whatever you want to do, but if I make a mistake or don’t feel my best and compare it to the ‘perfect world’ on social media I feel judged for not being a part of that. It only adds to the idea that we need certain things in life to be successful. It’s also difficult when we feel

limited by our own personal circumstances. I feel that as a teen I’m not defined by much since most of my life consists of school and home. This opens up a world of opportunity, because it means that I can decide to be whoever I want, but it also gives a window to let yourself be defined by circumstance, which is exactly what I did when my cousin passed away from cancer. This was my bad change, the worst change. This broke my reality, because suddenly I had lost one of the people I loved the most and I didn’t know what to do. It didn’t even compute in my head until after things had settled down that everything around me felt incomplete. I decided I needed to reset. I chose to change schools, and in doing so, change my friendship group, which in a short time has become more meaningful. It allowed me to have a new focus, and a new perspective that enabled me to concentrate my energies on the positives. Everyone has a story, their own limitations, but it’s these challenges that make change, and life itself, so much more momentous and inspiring. I hope that everyone advocates for themselves because by being vulnerable we show other people that they can be vulnerable too, that change is possible for them. If you’re not being rewarded for advocating your beliefs remember it will be okay. Even if it feels like you’re being punished for speaking your truth or going against the status quo know that you are the one who will end up being victorious because you will gain strength, integrity, and most importantly, the courage to make a change.

Angel Babies

Charliese

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Back to Bread Julianne Nguyen

This is my prayer on a plate Remember, Our ancestors foraged for food Who walked on this land, With the land, our tribe and our Creator Food to live. But we forgot. Remember now, Live for food? Our banks crank with gold Many live with mere bread. Many live to gain life Gain food and gain a stomach But we leave still empty Temporary longing and emptiness We forgot. Some advocating for peace with food Save the food Share the food Eat the food well from our Earth. We forgot. Prayer to our fellow beings Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eat, talk and share together We can listen We can be reconciled We can be whole again.

-- Julianne One piece of fruit from the Youth Food Project (YFP)

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A World of Rainbows Samantha Smith

Love, an intense feeling of deep affection. Imagine yourself being discriminated against because of who you love. Imagine yourself being told that you can’t get married because of who you love. Imagine yourself being informed that you are ‘wrong’, that you’re an ‘abomination’ because of who you love. What if I told you that this is the reality for millions of people around the world? What if I told you that society is prejudiced towards the LGBTQIA+ community solely for who they love? I am a sixteen year old who yearns to grow in a more accepting and loving world but I am absolutely disgusted with the treatment towards those who are a part of the LGBTQIA+ community. Everyone has the fundamental human right to love whoever they want to love because love isn’t something you choose, it’s something that chooses you. Nowhere does it state that there are limits or that there are gender roles as love is simply love and knows no bounds. It’s tearing humanity apart, splitting up families due to them plainly not welcoming relationships of all forms. Who are humans to put rules upon love? To exploit humanity’s greatest trait?

This should not be an issue to begin with. Before we are Indian or Italian, before we are male or female, we are human beings. We are equal and we should all be treated as equals. Marriage is the recognised union of two people as partners and this privilege is available to everyone right? Wrong. In a world of 195 countries, only 28 countries view same sex marriage as legal. It is the twenty first century and not everyone has the fundamental human right of marriage. LGBTQIA+ people in many countries are not only deprived of the ceremony of marriage, they also face punishments in a range of different countries for being who they are. Such punishments vary from fines to flogging, deportation and even death. In 2020, we are killing people for the ‘crime’ of love. Unconsciously, people limit their perception of marriage to be between a man and a woman. Society has conditioned it into our heads that that’s the right way or the expected way but at the end of the day marriage is about love. Love is love. Must I really go any further? Whether it’s between two males, two females, a male and a female or any gender identity, we are all capable of love. It doesn’t matter who we love just as long as we love and are loved. Although it is one of life’s greatest

gifts and is something we should be celebrating, not everyone is accepted or praised for the way in which they love. In Corinthians 6:9-11, there is a small section on the view of homosexuals, ‘Or do you not know what wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived:...nor men who have sex with men... will inherit the kingdom of God.’ Words written thousands of years ago still have a strong influence on today’s generations as in their eyes, love is limited, love is conformed but love should be freedom, it should be happiness. The problem is not the LGBTQIA+ community, the problem is not that someone loves someone else of the same gender, the problem is the world we live in. The world that sees black and white instead of rainbows. Due to the closed mind views on same sex marriage by a large population of the world, the LGBTQIA+ community are no strangers to pain and suffering. Thrown out of their houses disowned and bullied, these occurrences are more common than anyone could hope. Not only do they have to deal with being abused for loving someone, more LGBTQIA+ people suffer with mental disorders than heterosexual people based on a report done by the ‘National LGBTI Health Alliance’ (2020).

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This is due to “experiences of stigma, prejudice, discrimination and abuse on the basis of being LGBTI.” In fear of coming out, people hide themselves and can’t be truly happy until they feel as though they are able to accept who they are. Place yourself within a household with two traditional parents, within a non-progressive household, within a household where derogatory terms are thrown around loosely. Would you feel comfortable telling your family who you are? LGBTQIA+ people are constantly paying the price for humanity’s own ignorance and homophobic views. Change must be made. It is unjust that individuals don’t have the right to marry because of who they love, it is unjust that LGBTQIA+ people are challenged with the foolishness of society instead of society accepting love for the beautiful diversity it is. It’s not about falling in love with the gender, it’s about falling in love with the person and their soul. Our world is blinded by tradition and hate but we can not change who we are for society, society must change its views for us.

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In My Head Haylee. L. Bissett

This is a fictional story but holds truths for some people in life... Hi, my name is Reese Baker and… it’s been a very hard few months. Let me catch you up. It started last August, when a friend and I got in a toxic but silly fight about a friend and a bad situation that she was in; and by toxic, I mean it got really messy, quick. It was a small, petty argument and there was a simple answer to it at first, but over time the argument got so serious and overwhelming that it turned some of the best of friends into sworn enemy because of people choosing sides. Nearly my whole friendship group broke up after what happened just because I cared about my friend’s safety. After that I got really sad but not always just sad at times. I started to get really ill. I was always dizzy and light-headed. I stayed home from school a lot and had so much anxiety in my classes. I would leave class just to calm myself down and I always had intrusive thoughts on my mind. I knew how I was feeling was a big problem and it wasn’t right. I tried to speak to my mum about it, but my granddad got sick and I didn’t want to stress my mum out any more than she already was.

I was stuck. Stuck with my terrible thoughts that were getting worse and worse by the day, but I began to understand my emotions more. I figured out what I was feeling and why I was feeling this way. I was lonely. I felt extremely invisible and lonely even when I was surrounded by people. I felt this way because I lost some of my closest friends from the fight. They used to use me for their own problems. I knew I was a pretty good listener and I used to give good advice. I would take care of them but they wouldn’t change how they cared for themselves. Around this time, I tried to speak to some other friends of mine. When I told them, they reacted differently to what I had expected. The people l trusted shoved every words down the drain. “Oh you’ll be alright.” “There is nothing wrong with you.” “You aren’t lonely.” They said this in such a hurtful way like I was a pushover. That day, in the toilets during lunch, I bawled my eye out. That was the loneliest I had ever felt. It felt so dark and small in that toilet stall, on that toilet seat… like there was no hope in this gloomy world of mine. After that, I had to tell someone immediately. “There must be hope somewhere.”

I skipped class and I decided to confide in a close teacher of mine and explained everything that was going on in my head. She got me help and told my family. I will be forever grateful because I don’t know what would have happened if I didn’t get the help. At school, I started to see a counsellor and I also started to go to therapy outside of school. I got into a sewing and design program to find myself and stir my creative side. Now, that brings us back to the present. I moved classes because some of my old friends were in my old one and this wasn’t helping me with my recovery. I’m still getting help and support from family and friends I can trust. It can be a bit lonely of course and I still have my bad days, but I now know how to handle them and I’m encouraging myself to stay positive. Please remember that there is always some kind of help available. Mental illness or having poor mental health is serious and is different for everyone. It is OK not to be OK. If you want to reach out for support, contact: Kids Help Line: 1800 55 1800 Lifeline: 13 11 14 headspace: 9927 6222

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Laâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;au o le ola Sacreana

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My experience with

FilmFilmmaking making I never thought in my life that I would create short films. Initially, I began by creating videos discussing mental health to help build my confidence on camera. Then, after coming out as gay at the end of 2017, deep down, I knew I wanted to create a short film, however, was too afraid to. In December 2017, I began drafting an LGBTIQ+ short film script, character profiles, a production timeline and had a few meetings with friends supporting me with the project. After a few months, I realised that this proposed project was too ambitious, unrealistic and not within the bounds of available resources. At the tail end of 2018, I wrote and produced the first successful independent short film about my experiences of social anxiety, with production lasting over two months. I kept it simple and focused on sharing a story in hopes of raising awareness of mental health and breaking the stigma. This year, I produced an LGBTIQ+ short film about my personal journey of discovering who I am. Again, I kept it within the bounds of my filmmaking experience, resources and ensured that the story was the foundation of the film. I got into filmmaking because prior to this, I had an interest in photography and video editing. I figured that creating films would be my medium to speak my truth, express my personal experiences and be vulnerable in the hope of helping others. The process of filmmaking also helped me to accept my experiences and who I am as a person. Everyone has a story to share and film is the medium I use to get my message out to the world. When I was coming to terms with the fact I’m gay, I found comfort and a sense of community by viewing coming out videos and

Trang Lu

short films. A key reason why I make films is to pay it forward and hope to create a ripple effect where others share their stories. I wish to help others with my personal story as others have done for me. However, success in film production was only one side of the story. There was also the side of mistakes, failures and overcoming difficulties. Filmmaking has helped me accept myself through the process of being raw and genuine. I recently released my second short film, which is about my LGBTIQ+ journey. Story is a critical element in my film and the foundation of the story is rooted in my personal experiences. To achieve this successfully, I must be honest and raw with myself - no walls being raised or attempting to distort my story out of shame or embarrassment. Everything is there facing me, the pleasant and unpleasant experiences. No hiding from the truth here because if I do, it will come back to haunt me after I release my film. Being vulnerable and presenting our genuine selves to the world can be intimidating because of fear. Fear of being disowned. Fear of being isolated and rejected. Fear of being misunderstood. Fear of judgement. This list is not exhaustive. However, from personal experience, it’s much better to be authentic rather than lie to myself for a prolonged period of time. I remind myself that this is my journey and life - not everyone is going to want to walk alongside me and that’s okay. Some people join the walk and decide to diverge while others stick with me through thick and thin - the whole journey. It’s something I’ve accepted.

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Filmmaking helps with personal development (significantly!) As anyone who has created or been involved in creating a short film would know, it can be a time-consuming, stressful and exhausting journey. It requires a lot of effort and commitment to finish a project. For me, barriers that arise in the production of a short film include: • Lacking the skills and knowledge in certain technical areas (e.g. lighting, colour grading). • Not having a production crew and having to learn everything from scratch to be successful in my film production. • Experiencing writer’s block. • Being unsure of which approach or technique is best to use. • Being unsure of how to proceed with storyboarding. • Self-doubt and decline in self-confidence. I think that the most important aspect of filmmaking is our mindset. Sure, we can have all the expensive and high-quality gear in the world or a million-dollar budget, but if we don’t genuinely care about the art we are creating or simply give up permanently in the face of a roadblock or obstacle, there is no point to it. While I don’t have all the technical knowledge or a film crew, what I do have is the drive and perseverance to see this film through to the very end, no matter what challenges or obstacles may arise. If I genuinely want to do something, nothing can stop me except for my own mind. I will work with the resources I have and walk a path, rather than contemplate whether I should start walking or not. Forward movement is much better than stagnation.

Storytelling, Gear and Expertise. I believe that many of us have a message we would like to send out to the world to create a positive difference in the lives of others. However, it is not enough to simply think about the idea - we have to put it into action. No, we don’t need to be an expert or professional in the area to make an impact. We don’t need to be professional filmmakers either - I’m definitely not. Often, I find personal stories and experiences much more compelling and memorable than facts and statistics. So, what is your story? After all, we are the experts in our own lives. We write our story; no one else. When I started creating films, I fell into the trap of being preoccupied with gear. However, as I learnt more about this art form, I realised one crucial thing: the quality of our gear does not determine the quality of our story. Story is critical because if we have the best visual and audio quality but there is no structure or a story, people cannot relate to it - it has no deeper meaning. The human connection element will be missing. A story that is well thought-out and genuine has more impact on human lives than a bunch of nice-looking footage with no context. Gear does not drive our story, we do. Filmmaking gear is simply tools to help us tell our story. continued next page

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You do not need a degree to create short films. I never went to film school nor have I ever taken a class in filmmaking and I still created a decent first short film all by myself. I learn through the internet by watching YouTube videos and reading blog posts. However, simply gaining knowledge of how to do things is inadequate in improving my skills unless I execute it myself. You don’t need a bunch of debt and a piece of paper to determine what you can and cannot do. Nowadays, information is very accessible. You can learn practically anything of interest. If you want to do it, just do it. Unsure of whether it’s for you? Do it and you will know. I follow this simple method (which is not necessarily a linear sequence). Learn. Do. Fail. Repeat. Overcoming failure. Without failure on my journey, I would not have been successful. Failure isn’t necessarily a negative thing as it shows that we have gone out and attempted something. Remember that just because we may have failed, it does not mean we are a failure. Instead of seeing failure in a negative light, I see it as a guide and important teacher. A teacher of mistakes that I would not have learnt otherwise. A teacher of what projects are realistic and achievable, given my abilities and resources. A teacher reminding me of the importance of thoughtful and careful planning in pre-production. A guide to areas I truly care about and wish to create a positive impact. For example, after failing my first attempt at creating my first

short film (as discussed earlier), I knew that this was not going to be my last as the LGBTIQ+ area is one which I am highly passionate about and personally connect with. I’ve learnt through my experiences that taking small steps within my abilities and skill level is much better than attempting to take a leap I never trained for. An analogy would be climbing rungs on a ladder. Each step I take would represent the smaller-scale, manageable films I created over the years to improve as a filmmaker. My ambitious, unrealistic project to do ‘big things’ is like me expecting to magically appear at the top of the ladder when I have never climbed a ladder before. I’ve learnt to confront and embrace failure rather than perceive it as something to be ashamed or embarrassed about. Ultimately, I am human and do not have the answers to everything. It can take hard and unpleasant failures to build us into a more resilient and stronger human, which is a valid and natural part of the human experience. I would like to end by saying this. Find your medium to express yourself and your story because I can guarantee that at least one person out there will need to hear it. Never underestimate the power of your story - you can change someone’s life in ways you never could have imagined and may not even realise it. 

Pine Cone

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Haylee

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My Mum is a Hoarder

THREE entire rooms in my house have been used as storage space for all my mum’s clothes and belongings.

Lily

@comicsbylily

I discover new things stuffed into 2. Sometimes our overstuffed fridge. Even toilet paper…

know what the worst part is? 3. You Everything that I throw away is monitored.

Even a broken toy car remote could be used as an exotic home decoration or future DIY project.

Hoarding is a mental illness that should be treated seriously…

But I know this will never happen.

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Start a conversation with me but don’t ask me how I’m doing Saana we meet on the street. it has been days or weeks or months since we last saw one another and we make our greetings hug, kiss cheeks, begin to talk: they are your first words and I am frozen. how do I answer?

“How are you?”

shall I tell you what you want to hear? tell you “I’m fine” give a socially acceptable answer that tells you nothing of me, tells you I am more concerned with appearing alright than letting you know anything at all of substance? tell you lies that make you feel better for asking after me and having an answer to share with our friends who enquire but really, that is no answer at all or shall I tell you the truth? tell you that I am many things, multitudes, infinite possibilities that at this precise moment I am glad to see you, or perhaps I am anxiously awaiting our goodbyes and an end to this performance of etiquette. that this morning I was tired and hungry but only had time for a muffin and takeaway coffee before my train. that my clothes are wrinkled and these are yesterday’s socks, patterned with flowers to match my newly worn sweater. that I saw a dog on the street and wanted to stop to pat it and make sure it wasn’t lost (but we are told not to approach stray dogs because they might bite) (but I am afraid to be seen caring so openly) but in the end I walked past the dog and caught my train and now I am here talking to you and wondering if I am the dog you have seen on the street and stopped to pat in the end I assure you, tell you “I’m fine” because to do otherwise is unbearable and later I will tell my mother that I have seen you and you are doing quite well, but I will wonder are you really? or have you told me you are fine because that is the thing we do, and to go against this unspoken rule is to open ourselves up, to let ourselves be vulnerable, exposed? so the next time I see you I want you to talk to me about more than just how I am talk to me instead about something more: the dog you saw on the street, a book you’ve recently finished, that weird dream you had, and so much else. just please, start a conversation with me but don’t ask me how I’m doing.

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The Universe Within You

Jasmine Woodm an and Jade Hansper

Do you have an idea for a superpower? Use it. Find yourself thinking endlessly about different character personalities? Bring them to life. Want a character from a franchise that doesn’t make sense, showing up in an obscure crossover? The only thing left to do is write it. It doesn’t matter if it’s cringey or clichéd; the best ideas are the most outlandish. Draw. Write. Role-play. Just create. As a writer and artist in my free time, I have had so many people message me with “You know,

this trait would make for a great character!” or “Wouldn’t this ability be super cool to read about?” And yet, I NEVER see any material about their ideas! That’s why I’m writing this, as a plea to anyone who still feels insecure about their creativity or artistic talents. The thing about creating is that there are no rules; you can make the impossible happen. It may seem like a huge concept; creating character flaws and shaping worlds. However, stepping outside of your comfort zone and finding out what you enjoy is an ethereal experience, and it comes with vulnerability.

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Not all ideas are going to be the most amazing additions to the world. It can be really daunting, having poured hours of hard work into something only to have it rejected by a publisher or by random comments on the internet. However, understanding where you went wrong will only help you to build on your skills. Constructive feedback helps to improve work, just as long as it’s taken the right way. Creative arts can bring out the best in people; resilience and skill is something that is learnt from practice and accepting feedback; not something that just appears from thin air. It’s your own personal work, and at the end of the day, if people are trying to help you, it’s all about how much you are willing to take on board. In the world of Hollywood and trends, there are so many repetitive remodels and remakes of the same concepts. Along with many others, I am desperate for new ideas; ideas that haven’t been explored before. The world needs new and different creators because ideas and witty commentary can change the world. Writing, acting, painting or drawing new material means that unique ideas are introduced to the world, which can change a person’s perspective completely. You have the power! Sometimes, in our digitalised world, things can seem out of reach. Social media consistently sets a barrage of expectations and rules, constantly telling you that someone in the world could do it better than you. This is where we need to see past the filters; social media is just carefully selected portions of the user’s life. We all need to grow into the best versions of ourselves, regardless of others. While you may be inspired by other’s words, don’t stoop to comparison, you are working only for yourself, not for followers or fame. When you create, try to make sure that you aren’t being too harsh on yourself with comparisons or criticisms, it’s your own work after all, and not anyone else’s. Being kind, gentle and supportive of yourself and your work is absolutely necessary. It will give you the confidence you need to put yourself out there and try again and again. If everyone was an absolute perfectionist right from the beginning, none of us would achieve anything. “So, what now?” you may ask.

Now that the idea of creating sounds tempting; where does it start? Art, in its many forms, evolves from exploration and adventure in the world we live in. It helps us get off the couch and revisit the world around us that’s full of new possibilities. The best thing we can do, in today’s consumerist society, is explore every detail of our world with gratitude. Art can help us appreciate the mundane; inspiration comes from the simplest ideas. Simply let your mind do what it was meant to; imagine, invent and explore with every idea that comes to your head. No matter how juvenile or strange an idea may initially seem, there’s no room for perfectionism in the world of art. Perfectionism is damaging to both the creator and their artwork. While it’s great to persist and improve ideas, expecting everything to be perfect is unreasonable. Nothing is perfect – ever! There are always ways to improve, even for professionals. The best thing you can do is to try, even when you know it won’t be perfect. That’s what takes true courage. Remember, it’s completely fine to write or create the most stereotypical plot-lines or tropes down because not all ideas have to be published. In the end, it’s all for you, personally. No one else needs to see it. Once you have inspiration, explore your ideas through a medium that you love. Ideas and emotions can be shared and explored using poetry, drawings, music, comic strips, stories, theatre, paintings or anything you can dream up! You may have a particular love for coding or design and might try coding a game or making your own website. You can choose the way you want to showcase your ideas and interests to the world. Not all creators want to expose their art to places on the internet, and that’s completely fine as well. Perhaps you could share your ideas with family and friends; just remember, any constructive criticism is only meant to help you improve. In the end, for many creators, their art is a passion, so treat it like one and have fun! The world is what you make of it. So grab a pen, paper, laptop, paints, crayons or anything you can think of and make your imagination a reality!

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dreaming Issy Hay

lucid recreations metamorphosis shifting, changing inside out, upside down what is it iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m living as? how real are the songs that seem to repeat in our head? why should i leave this dreamy nightmare, when it is oh so cosy oh so gentle, not too safe, but trusting enough? do you have any hay? the night mare is hungry. or, in rethinking, perhaps insecurity might quench her thirst a little bit quicker.

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Editorial Committee Haylee

Lani

Ysabella

Hi there, I’m Haylee Bissett and I’m 14 year old. I am an editor, a photographer and a writer for The Bold Source. I love being a part of this magazine because it gives me a platform to speak on important topics and get my opinion out. I also love The Umbrella Academy and writing.

Hello! I’m Lani and I love reading and trying different cultural cuisines. I’m so excited to help edit pieces for this magazine because I love being involved with young people and seeing the different stories and experiences that each person shares. On typical days, I’ll be at uni and studying, but in my spare time I also volunteer at the hospital and work as a volunteer tutor.

Your local bookworm, Ysabella often finds herself adding more novels to her never-ending ‘to read’ list - hoping that one day, she might find the bottom of the pile. As well as being the ultimate procrastinator, Ysabella prefers to spend her time rambling in the Notes app on her phone and stressing over the latest show on Netflix while also fixating on that one tiny detail in her writing that shouldn’t really matter but it really does.

Lily Lily Nguyen is a passionate dog lover, photographer and comic artist so she does all three. She enjoys writing zines and comics about her life experiences and little moments that we often miss. She has self-published over twelve zines including How to Survive South-East Asia and My Mum is a Hoarder. On free days she enjoys eating Korean BBQ and making jokes that end conversations.

Sacreana I’m just a student who loves music and learning about languages and culture. This eager idealist also loves photography and wishes to study media arts/performing arts to proceeding into her dream career. Sacreana is my name and I’m one of the proud editors of The Bold Source and maybe, just maybe, you’ll see this name more often.

Samantha My name is Samantha Smith and being an editor of The Bold Source has allowed me to delve into my love of English and be a part of something special. Writing gives me a voice and therefore I have been thrilled to help create something which will give our youth a voice too. In between social justice work, studies and concerts I always come back to reading and my passion for literature. It has truly been a rewarding experience.

Julia Hi! My name is Julia, I’m 20 and I love to read and hear about other people’s stories. I joined The Bold Source editorial team because I wanted to help make a platform that not only showcases the creativity of our community’s youth, but also recognises the importance of our individual voices. In my free time, I like to draw, listen to old music and bake bread!

Her favourite quote - “I feel it now: There’s a power in me to grasp and give shape to my world…” (Rilke, 1905) - She hopes that the youth of today will realise that they too have their own power.

Abbey Hey, my name is Abbey, I’m 20 years old and I absolutely love writing. It has been exciting to be involved in the creation of The Bold Source’s first edition and to have witnessed the increasing impact of the project on the wider community. Watching The Bold Source grow from an idea to what it is today, an actual magazine, has been a surreal experience and I am proud to be a part of a team which has succeeded in establishing a space for young people to have their voice heard and their talents recognised.

bys@brimbank.vic.gov.au

Post: Brimbank City Council PO Box 70 SUNSHINE VIC 3020 Website:

brimbankyouth.com

Like us on Facebook: Brimbank Youth Services Follow us on Instagram: @brimbankyouth

Brimbank City Council acknowledges the traditional custodians of this land, the Wurundjeri people, and pays our respects to elders past and present. We acknowledge and celebrate the diversity of our young people.

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