CC May Zine by collectivemagcreations

MAY 2021

THE COLLECTIVE MAGAZINE'S

Creative Collections

VOL.9 'GROWTH'

Meet the Team

Lily Newman CREATIVE EDITOR AND HEAD OF PHOTOGRAPHY Lily is a recent photography graduate from Plymouth College of Art. With a career and hobby combined she enjoys photographing events and products as well as focusing her personal work on photojournalist and documentary style photography. In her spare time she loves to spend time in the Devon countryside with her family and 5 dogs.

'Growth' A WORD FROM OUR EDITOR I would like to start by updating all our readers on some changes that you may have seen at the beginning of the zine. Our Creative Editor Meg has made the decision to leave the magazine due to other commitments. It has been a pleasure to work with her over the last year and I wish her all the success. For now, I will be taking over the section so if you have any submissions or questions please feel free to get in touch with me and I will get back to you from both email addresses. 'Growth' was chosen as this month's theme because as a team we thought that a lot of people would relate to it as we have all been in lockdown for so long which ahs left a lot of people learning about themselves and growing as a person. We had a lot of really interesting and different interpretations of the theme which I thought we would have. I love it when not one project relates in one way or another, it's just like how not one mind thinks in the same way as another.

Lily Creative Editor and Head of Photography

Contents 05

ENERGY SUCKER Simran Kaur

INDUSTRY INSIGHT: LAURA HURST Graphic Designer & Illustrator

IT MUST BE NORMAL Alexandra Peake

WONDERLAND Rosie Lugg

INDUSTRY INSIGHT: ALICE PELATI Fashion Stylist & Founder of Alis 1996

GROWTH INSPIRED ILLUSTRATIONS Pierina Tiravanti

Energy Sucker SIMRAN KAUR

Simran Kaur is back this month with another one of her projects, this months project is, 'Energy Sucker'.

'Energy Sucker' SK: Social media is useful to find inspiration, to collaborate, to connect with people, to showcase your work and many other things, but do you know how to balance the usage of social media? Most of us use social media every day for hours and we don't even realise that this excessive use of social media can make you feel tired. It feels like social media is sucking the energy out of us while we use it, and then we wonder why we feel tired while scrolling and looking into that screen. Social media is good but also bad, and you should learn to balance the usage of social media in your daily routines.

To showcase the concept of social media taking away our energy and in a way seeing us as pawns that can be influenced, I created this still life photography project. I created with some colourful dought multiple pawns and electronic devices from which these tentacles come from and try to drag us inside the social media. At some point, the tentacles enter our bodies to manipulate us to keep using social media. Understanding that I was addicted to social media, did also push me to create this photography project to make people aware of social media. Creating this project made me understand indepth the way I personally felt towards social media and it made me grow away from it. I used to sit for hours in front of my Instagram or TikTok, and now finally I'm able to not do that and detach myself from social media which personally made me feel better

INDUSTRY INSIGHT:

Laura Hurst GRAPHIC DESIGNER AND ILLUSTRATOR Laura Hurst is a Graphic Designer and Illustrator based in Glasgow. After working as a Designer for a small print studio in-house, Laura now runs her own illustration and design studio. Laura offers some brilliant advice for young creatives looking to enter the industry, as well as being an all-round lovely person and talented designer that we had the pleasure of interviewing!

about texture and tactile elements - I love working with watercolour, paper and anything that feels visually tactile. I work with small businesses on all sorts of design projects, mostly branding and collateral that they need to present themselves in the world.

Hi Laura! Can you tell me a little bit about yourself and your work?

LH: I happened across a brilliant job when I came out of university, in a small print and design shop. I was job hunting in Glasgow and was looking for a bar or restaurant job to tide me over 'til I figured out what I

LH: I'm an independent graphic designer and illustrator figuring it out as she goes along! My style is all

How did you get to the point you're at now?

wanted to do. I saw this massive poster in a shop window that said "Graphic Designer Wanted". I went inside, had an interview on the spot and ended up staying for eight years. During that time I worked my way up to Senior Designer/General Manager, and learned a whole bunch about print, people and life in general. I'd always wanted to run my own business and I'd forgotten that dream over the years, but then my feet started to itch! I went self-employed in 2018. Print suited me as it was very hands-on. I'm into crafty things like knitting, painting and DIY, so I love getting stuck in and getting my hands dirty (and covered in paper cuts, when you work in a print studio!) Even after eight years it was still so exciting to see your project go from flat on the computer screen, to a tangible printed product. In fact I still get excited about it now! When you were a child, what career did you see yourself having? LH: All sorts of things! But the ones `Ì

remember the most are interior designer, architect, and cartoonist. Most of the things I wanted to do involved creativity somehow, so it doesn't surprise me that I ended up doing something like graphic design. I loved computers and video games, and loved making things, so it makes even more sense when I think of it that way. What are you most proud of doing? What do you consider your biggest achievement to date? LH: At the moment it would be surviving the pandemic as a sole trader. For various reasons I didn't qualify for the SEISS funding from the government, which was a bit of a blow but the lines have to be drawn somewhere, and unfortunately I just slipped through the cracks. I've got by on a very small number of projects but mostly from selling cards on Etsy. The plus side of this is it gave me loads of room to reflect on my business and figure out what I REALLY want to do with it. I feel I've come out the other side of this in a much stronger position in that respect. It's

also made me incredibly resilient to any financial lulls I might go through in the future! What do you hope to achieve over the next year? What are you most looking forward to? LH: To take all that reflection and put it into practice and build the business I really want to have. In the beginning I spent a lot of time looking at what other people were doing, and looking for answers externally. The fact is, I had the answers all along: I just have to trust myself to go with them.

"Do it your way. When you question whether you're 'good enough', or if you're 'doing it right', or whether you have 'the right' to do put your voice out there - push through those crunchy feelings and do it anyway. Trust that you have the answers"

Favourite cultural product at the moment? LH: I'm a bit late to the game but I just finished watching Schitt's Creek and LOVED it. I loved David Rose's character, and felt I identified with him in some ways. It was just such a lovely, comforting thing to watch during all this madness. Another thing would be Animal Crossing New Horizons - again, super comforting and just such a lovely, innocent thing to be able to tune out to when the world feels a bit intense.

How important is it for women to lift each other up and what does that mean to you? LH: I wish that we were taught more about being allies with other girls when I was a kid. In school there was often a sense of hostility between groups of girls, and definitely a lot of bitchiness. I was a really shy kid and found other girls to be quite intimidating, and I think this made me a bit wary of them. And sadly this natiness can carry through into adult life (of course this can be down to

individual character traits). But at a young age I don't think you're aware of the difficulties that face specifically women in adulthood, and so encouraging more positive relationships could be massively beneficial. I'm not suggesting we force people to be friends for the sake of it just create a less toxic emotional environment early on.

What is the most important message you want to send out to young femaleidentifying creatives thinking about their careers? LH: Do it your way. When you question whether you're 'good enough', or if you're 'doing it right', or whether you have 'the right' to do put your voice out there - push through those crunchy feelings and do it anyway. Trust that you have the answers. Even if things don't go the way you imagined you'll still learn something, and that's never a bad thing. Where can we find you? www.hursto.co.uk @heylaurabelle on Instagram LaurabelleStudioShop on Etsy A massive thank you to Laura for taking the time to answer our questions!

It Must be Normal AN ANIMATED SHORT FILM ALEXANDRA PEAKE

Alex Peake is a freelance illustrator, animator and Arts University Bournemouth graduate. Her submission for this month's theme of 'Growth' is "An animated conversation between two friends who talk about their insecurities whilst going through puberty. They discuss the pressures in school, girls, loosing their virginities, parents, porn and advice." AP: "I want this animation to open up a conversation with young people and to make teen boys feel comfortable about their body image and to show that they are not alone!" You can follow Alex on Instagram and see more of her work on her website. |

Wonderland ROSIE LUGG

Rosie Lugg is a 19 year old creative portrait and fashion photographer from Essex. Her project 'Wonderland' is part of a TikTok series 'Photoshoots inspired by Films' Lugg creates based on films that have been retold over and over again.

RL: "I have always loved expressing myself through creative outlets like film, art, music and so on, but it wasn’t until lockdown hit and I had endless time to experiment that I got into photography - I haven’t looked back since! Around May 2020 is when I took my first self portraits then as restrictions started to lift my supportive friends became the subjects! I eventually built my own small online brand ‘Rambos Photos’ which has led to meet some incredibly talented and inspirational people and become part of an amazing community. "

'Wonderland' The ‘Wonderland’ series is part of my TikTok series ‘Photoshoots inspired by Films’ and is of course inspired by Alice in Wonderland. The story has been told so many times in so many different ways, but every time the abstract, magical and unevenness of the story comes through - we tried to capture this in these images. Wonderland has a lot of odd proportions to add to the mystical elements, as well as beautiful scenery constructed by flowers. The word ‘Growth’ fits these qualities perfectly. It can be interpreted in terms of nature and the blooming of the colourful plants as well was the literal change in state and size of ‘Alice’ and her surroundings, which we played around with using perspectives.

INDUSTRY INSIGHT:

Alice Pelati FASHION STYLIST & FOUNDER OF ALIS 1996

Alice Pelati is a fashion stylist currently based in London. She founded 'Alis 1996', a platform dedicated to showcasing sustainable fashion and beauty brands. Alice offers advice to young creatives looking to enter the fashion industry. Can you tell me a little bit about yourself and your work? AP: I am an Italian fashion stylist, and grew up between the North of Italy and the South coast of France. Raised

in a family of artisans, I observed my mother managing her atelier of historical costumes since I was a baby. I have felt the fashion industry since the beginning. I started to collect fashion magazines at the age of ten and started to sew with industrial machines at twelve. At fifteen I approached the web creating my first fashion blog "Alice's fashion dream" (is funny thinking about these memories), and started writing articles for a small italian magazine. Later on, I studied and graduated in fashion design at |

IED in Turin where I won the final prize for my thesis project "FLYLIGHT". Two weeks later I was in London, building my independence and my future. In this city I pursued my career working in fashion retail as a commercial and as a stylist in ym free time, gaining many publications on magazines like Flanelle, IMute, Kaltblut and more. Last year during the lockdown I founded Alis 1996, an independent platform dedicated to showcase emerging and small fashion brands. We support slow fashion and ethical beauty. Today we have ten different designers that joined the website but we are looking forward to expanding our network. How did you get to the point you are at now? AP: Hard work, determination and I always say that 10% of luck has been with me. My nature always leads me to want more. As soon as I achieve a goal, I never give the time to myself to enjoy the victory, but I always look straight to what is next.

Can you tell us about a role model who has inspired you? AP: Honestly, I never really had in my life a specific person that inspires me. My life has changed so many times, through places where I have lived and friendships that have begun and ended, that my inspiration came mostly from what surrounded me, in that specific moment. For sure my mother gave me the determination and the sense of responsibility that always made me more mature than other people at my age. Right noe, one of my sources of inspiration and the person that motivates me the most is my boyfriend Lewis. He is creative too in the music industry and except for our love story, and the passions we share he represents a true motivation for me, he always pushes me to do better, especially professionally.

When you were a child, what career did you see yourself having? AP: All right, this will sound very ambitious, but is what I was truly thinking at a young age when people were asking me the usual question "What would you like to be in the future?" Well, my answer was: "Become the new Anna Wintour". I was dreaming of working in one of those skyscrapers in New York City, especially during my Gossip Girl period. Of course when you grow up, reality hits you and stops your dreams, because it is harder than you expected. What are you most proud of doing? What do you consider your biggest achievement to date? AP: I'm not the kind of person who likes to praise myself, but nowadays what wakes me up everyday and makes me proud is Alis 1996. Even though I know that I'm still at the beginning of the project, I am investing most of my

energy everyday to move forward and make the platform bigger. My biggest achievement in life, instead, is my university journey and the final prize I won from the company that sponsored our thesis. One of the most beautiful memories in life. What do you hope to achieve over the next year? What are you most looking forward to? AP: I do have an infinity list of things I want to realise soon. Most important of all is to go back to socialising with people. The thing I loved the most about London was how easily people met and socialised with one another, which is totally different from Italy. So one of the first goals is to meet new friends and creative people that can inspire my journey, as, unfortunately most of the people I knew left the UK due to the Covid situation. Then I am looking forward to growing with Alis 1996, register officially the brand name and increasing the attention of the media and visitors on it. |

Favourite cultural product at the moment? AP: Few months ago I became hooked on a documentary on Netflix called "Hip Hop evolution" by Shad K, which was very interesting. It opened my eyes to how long Hip Hop has influenced the fashion industry since its birth in the 80's. Musically, the last single of Lewisland "Cali Eyes", including the music video in which I worked as a stylist and the "Free Form" playlist on Spotify, which I always listen to. Of course in the fashion industry Area and Cult Gaia and many small brands as Elude Studio, Aurum.Ldn, Pelle Basics, Cielo Studio, to nominate just a few. Regarding photography I love Justin French. What do you think is the biggest issue today facing women in the creative industries? AP: I believe that one of the biggest issues women are facing today, not only in the creative industry, is that most of the people think that after having children leads to a career downfall. I do not have children at the moment, but I do not see being a mother as an obstacle for my career. And this fact has to be normalised in society and in every industry. I know that most women are so strong and organised to be able to manage both tasks. I also believe that

the height of a great career can be made in your 50's when you have acquired enough experience and wisdom. What is the most important message you want to send out to young female-identifying creatives thinking about their careers? Any resources you've found useful? AP: Never forget who you are and believe in your passion . Be curious and try to learn and study as much as possible. Some useful resources where to find collaborations and jobs in the creative industry are TheDots.com, Models.com and Kavyar. Where can we find you? AP: You can find me on Instagram at @alispelati (personal profile). My website is www.alis1996.com.

Growth Inspired Illustrations PIERINA TIRAVANTI

Pierina Tiravanti is a graphic designer and illustrator based in Lima, Peru. Pierina's illustrations submitted for this month's theme of 'Growth' have a focus on the human and make use of beautiful colour palettes to evoke a sense of movement. |

OUR THEME FOR JUNE IS BASED ON THE FEELING OF

'Being Trapped'

TO SUBMIT CREATIVE WRITING OR VISUAL ART, EMAIL: creative.thecollectivemag@gmail.com TO SUBMIT PHOTOGRAPHY EMAIL: photography.thecollectivemag@gmail.com AND FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @collectivemagcreations

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