CI Magazine - July/August 2021

J ULY/ A UG 2 0 2 1 I S S UE N O . 15 FREE

BIG INTERVIEW

MIKAELA LOACH

t o g ea nt hb ee r we c

l u f r e po w

PLUS

SUSTA INA BL E HEROES How to embrace a more mindful eco-lifestyle

GET V ISIBLE Learn how to do the work you love and succeed

FOREWORD

EDITORS NOTES

Stop micromanaging your dreams Hello, my name is Fab and I am far too good at micromanaging.

Especially projects, dreams and goals. The past year has only exacerbated this. With so little control around the external circumstances around me, I grasped at what I could control in my business. This is probably the area of surrendering I worked most at in the past few years.

I wish I could tell you there is a time when you can stop learning.

However, just as in order to live we have to evolve, in order to evolve we have to keep on learning.

It’s easy to use busy as our encompassing excuse for not being able to spend some time learning something new and share these reflections with other people who may need to hear it.

Yet, I learned that once you stop “I believe becoming good thinking about what things should at following your gut is be, and embrace the mantra of ‘oh Whether you decide to completely well’, you stop micromanaging change your current focus or to a superpower” your dreams. Something magical add more value to something happens when you open up to the you are already invested in, opportunities that come to you becoming obsessed with learning - yet, I believe becoming good at following is something successful personal brands have your gut is a superpower. in common.

FAB’S FAVES

I know this is one of my patterns, so I work extra hard at letting go when it comes to the business. Once I learned not to let the ego get in the way, I have been able to evolve and grow, something that as a marketer I had to learn very fast. That evolution, that time that you can carve for yourself right now, as the world opens up and everyone is desperate to slow down, that is your kew to surrender.

To let go of whatever idea that you know, deep down, is not worth your time. As the world as a collective takes time to recharge, you can take this opportunity to review your priorities. Get crystal clear on your values and reflect on the lessons you learned.

LUCA MOVIE A celebration of the Italian riviera as an animation movie. Also, an excellent reminder not to hide you unique quirkiness that makes you who you are.

BRITISH ADVENTURES Excited to be spending some time exploring what the British countryside has to offer.

Staycation for the win.

Reflection is an essential aspect of running any business. Yet far too often, we are so focused at KPIs and sales targets, we forget to look at hoe we feel about the way our business is enriching our lives daily.

I am going to share my own lesson: lean in and ask for help with confidence. If you believe enough in what you are trying to build, people will be there to support you. As I am approaching the launch of the next steps for a brand new project I have to remind myself of this. Trust, surrender, listen to your gut.

FAB GIOVANET TI Editor in Chief

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EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief: Fab Giovanetti Contribution Editor: Amy Lanza Sponsorships: Chanelle Allen

CONTRIBUTORS Columnist: Joanna Konstantopoulou, Charlotte Willis; Hannah Wallace Special thanks to: Amma Aburam, Zoe Alakija, Joe Barnes, Tracey Follows, Khaleelah Jones, Steven Laureys, Amy Leighton, Mikaela Loach, Lauren Lovatt,

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CONTENTS

18 IN THIS ISSUE S T R E N G T H | J U LY/A U G U S T 2 0 2 1 | I S S U E N O . 1 5

ESSENTIALS

F E AT U R E S

WELLBEING

03 Editor’s note

18 Mikaela Loach

66 Creative Impact top picks

05 Contents

26 Do the work you love

68 Hannah Wallace column

06 Good news

30 How to heal relationships

70 The affects meditation

10 Monthly calendars

38 Men and yoga

72 Top Picks: Planners

13 Mission statement

40 Your online identity

74 The business of plants

14 Founder series

44 Inside Amma's closet

78 Bookshelf

16 Charlotte Sophie column

80 Making Matters

28 Expert profile

82 My sustainability journey

36 Behind the content

84 Why Trees Matter

38

86 Psychologist corner 88 The art of preserving

F E AT U R E S 50 How to use a VA

36

FOODIE

54 Being visible online

92 An ode to heritage

58 Optimisation

98 Recipes

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NEWS IN THE NEWS

Good

As we are consuming news more than ever, we thought we’d bring you our very own roundup of happy news.

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THE SCANCI SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE DOING PERIODS DIFFERENTLY HEALTH | GLOBAL

Founded in Sweden, Yoppie is the first menstrual health brand of its kind. The brand delivers curated boxes of PETA-approved, eco-friendly tampons, sustainable pads and PMS-fighting supplements direct to your doorstep based on your cycle and preferences. The deliveries are perfectly synced with your cycle to make life that little bit easier.

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IN THE NEWS

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REWILD YOUR TASTEBUDS WITH ACORN COFFEE FOOD | UK

Jim Parums is a forager from Manchester who has recently launched a unique, sustainable delivery service hoping to rewild our tastebuds and showcase nature’s unsung ingredients! From oak leaf tea and acorn coffee to Scot’s pine pollen syrup, each Forage Box shows unusual elements that grow bountifully in the British isles but are often overlooked. “The idea is to show there’s a lot more going on when nature gets to farm it.”

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CONSCIOUS FASHION BRANDS TO WATCH OUT FOR FASHION | UK

Best friends Maria and Yulia founded the newly launched Conscious Citizen to create a world that encourages progress and a shift in consumer mindset. Their missions to create positive, sustainable fashion through their four pillars: The Conscious Citizen, The Conscious Consumer, Love & Care for your items, Up-cycle, Recycle, Resell. The lounge wear pieces are created from high quality, sustainable materials, such as organic cotton and recycled canvas, delivered in water-soluble packaging, which can be dissolved in hot water once opened.

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COPPAFEEL! SELF-CHECK TOOLKIT HEALTH | UK

CoppaFeel! is a UK breast cancer awareness charity whose marketing campaigns have already helped many people. They have recently launched their Self-Checkout kit, which encourages people to “get to know their chests”. Breast cancer accounts for 44 percent of cancer diagnoses among women in the UK, and men can also get the disease.

CoppaFeel! is free, online SelfCheckout service guides people through practices that can help them identify changes in their chests.

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BRISTOL WINS GOLD AS SUSTAINABLE FOOD CITY SUSTAINABILITY | UK

Bristol has been officially named a Gold Sustainable Food City by the UK partnership programme Sustainable Food Places. City-wide initiative Bristol Going For Gold, led by Bristol Food Network, Bristol City Council, Bristol Green Capital Partnership and Resource Futures has enabled Bristol to champion big shifts in its sustainable agenda. After Brighton and Hove, Bristol is the second city to create a much fairer and healthier food system for both people and the planet.

ESSENTIALS

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ANIMALS RECOGNISED AS SENTIENT BEINGS NATURE | UK

In an update to Animal Welfare Laws in the UK, they are formally recognised as sentiments under UK law after many campaigns.

This legislation will ban live animal exports such as shark fins, prohibit trophy hunting imports like foie gras and formally recognise animals as sentient beings while improving conditions for livestock.

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94-YEAR OLD RECEIVES HER HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA EDUCATION | US

Grace Lee McClure Smith was 16 when she had to drop out of high school in 1942 during WWII when her husband was drafted to fight. She then worked as a Grace school bus driver for over 30 years but always sorry for not completing her schooling. To change all that, Grace received her honorary diploma from Hazel Green High School in Alabama. During the ceremony, she said, “It’s better late than never, isn’t it?”

Thank you, everybody!”

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ESSENTIALS

JULY07 01, 02, 03, 04, 05

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11th July

WORLD POPULATION DAY World Population Day aims to increase people's awareness on various population issues such as the importance of family planning, gender equality, poverty, maternal health and human rights.

6th July, 5pm

HOW TO NEGOTIATION WITH CONFIDENCE WITH EGBE The workshop will focus on why negotiation is important, how to recognise opportunities to negotiate and will involve an interactive exercise providing members with an opportunity to practice negotiation in a safe space.

You will leave knowing when to negotiate, how to negotiate and feeling confident that they have the skills to do so.

7th July

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12, 13

7 14

CHOCOLATE DAY If we ever needed more excuse to enjoy a little chocolate each day, today is the day!

Did you know? Countries with a higher consumption of chocolate per capita produce more Nobel Prize winners?

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15, 16 17th July

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18, 19

WORLD EMOJI DAY This holiday validates our obsession with these ubiquitous graphic icons.

While sometimes they may seem silly, according to various psychologists and researchers, they may play a vital role in the way we communicate today!

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20th July, All day

THE BUSINESS OF PLANTS The business of plants is a free event in partnership with Plant Academy celebrating plant-based and plantpassionate businesses and individuals.

On July 20th, we’ll be hosting a free selection of talks from members of the Plant Academy community and the CI community to spotlight some of the amazing people we know and love.

14th July, 5pm

WHAT’S WORKING ON PINTEREST NOW The workshop will focus on why negotiation is important, how to recognise opportunities to negotiate and will involve an interactive exercise providing members with an opportunity to practice negotiation in a safe space.

You will leave knowing when to negotiate, how to negotiate and feeling confident that they have the skills to do so.

21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30

31

31th July

AVOCADO DAY (US) As avocados have a special place in our hearts, we thought we'd celebrate the US National avocado day!

AUGUST08 01, 02

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3rd August, 5pm

HOW TO FIND HOPE WITH BERNADETTE RUSSELL How to Find Hope is the new book by best-selling author, Bernadette Russell.

The book dives into the many ways we can find hope in our everyday lives, despite the twists and turns.

We will have an exclusive book club c hat with Bernadette all about her book, her story and how we can all be a little more hopeful.

04, 05, 06, 07

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8th August

CAT DAY It is a day to raise awareness for cats and learn about ways to help and protect them.

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14, 15, 16

13th August

INTERNATIONAL LEFT HANDERS AWARENESS DAY

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19th August

WORLD PHOTOGRAPHY DAY Photography lovers across the globe will be celebrating World Photo Day. Get your camera at the ready and start sharing your favourite snaps.

20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25

17th August, 12pm

CREATING AN EMOTIONAL CONNECTION THROUGH COPYWRITING We are joined with copywriting expert Gurpreet Bharya to talk us through how we can create an emotional connection with their ideal customers through their copywriting. Words are powerful and it's time to harness that power and use it for good.

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26 26th August

WOMEN’S EQUALITY DAY Surrender, Break Free of the Past, Release your Power, Live Beyond Your Story is Nicky’s latest book and in this exclusive collective Book Club Q&A, we dive deep into finding your power. What if you need to break down before you can break through? Find authenticity, growth and freedom through letting go and coming home to your true self.

27, 28, 29 30th August

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BANK HOLIDAY (UK) Fingers crossed for some sunshine, as this marks the last UK Bank Holiday until the Christmas Holidays.

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ESSENTIALS

M I S S I O N S TAT E M E N T

WHAT’S YOUR MISSION? We asked our collective members what’s their mission and how they are looking to make a positive impact on other people and the planet, and here’s what our member Zahara had to say.

Zahara Chowdhury Job title: Education Consultant, Founder: School Should Be From: Reading, England I’ve spent most of my career in teaching and education. From the classroom to working with senior leadership, the rhetoric has always been trying to make students ‘fit’ into education and curriculum that many educators feel is outdated and irrelevant. Often, we are powerless and too

MY MISSION “School Should Be aims to centralise all of the topics we as students, teachers and parents think young people should be learning at school; the objective is to encourage authentic and honest conversations to help young people ‘adult’ well!”

busy to change it. Along the way, many of us have lost sight of the purpose of school and how to have conversations with young people who know a lot more than they are sometimes given credit for. Students and teachers are fast becoming numbers and cogs in the wheel, and few realise the implications on our future, whether that be society at large, the world or the workplace.

When we look at the world today, it’s pretty scary to see the state of what our students will grow up in. I’m determined to change that. I believe that change starts at school, the second home for many students. I want to encourage students to learn, think critically and ultimately become kind, empathetic and confident individuals - the people the world needs for all of us to ‘adult well!’

SCHOOL SHOULD BE We provide lessons and ‘think pieces’ through blogging and podcasting. The SSB platform is available to students to contribute with their voices and lessons they want to learn. I work with schools to consult and train them to create the culture they want for their students. It is a place for collaboration for everyone passionate about what school should be.

MORE INFORMATION Website: www.schoolshouldbe.com Instagram: @schoolshouldbe

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FOUNDER SERIES

TIME TO GIVE A DAMN Stephan Stegeman Company: Shop Like You Give a Damn Job title: Co-founder & CEO Founded: 2018

W

e are Europe’s largest 100% vegan marketplace that verifies and aggregates fair and sustainable brands in fashion, cosmetics and homeware. Shop Like You Give a Damn is THE online department store for ethical shopping. We give a damn about the world and encourage you to do the same. So: shop compassionately.

And as little as possible. But when you do buy something, make it a vegan, fair and sustainable purchase. Use our 14 ethical & sustainability criteria to filter on the values that matter to you most!

My eureka moment Our eureka moment came right after a pigeon targeted my soon to become co-founder Alex with a well-aimed dropping. I was ranting to him about how hard it was to find decent clothing as a vegan man and saw the light a few minutes later: I wasn’t the only vegan person on earth, and if I couldn’t find

a solution to my problem, this was probably because there wasn’t one.

We started researching and found out that there was indeed no vegan place with a comprehensive offering of ethical clothes.

Validating the idea After we had the idea, we went to work on the business model we wanted to use. As soon as we had a clear picture, we set up a Google Ads account, created a few search ads for a (at this time not existing) vegan department store and ran them. When someone would click on this ad, they would land on a page that said something along the lines of: “Hi, so awesome of you to visit this page! Unfortunately, the vegan department store doesn’t exist yet, but we want to build it. If you’d like to be kept in the loop, please leave your email address behind.” We generated around 1600 impressions, 220 clicks and got 40 addresses in 3 days with a small budget and considered our idea validated.

The failure I am glad I experienced I like this question! It reminds me of this quote: “The master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried.”.

The ‘best’ failure we experienced was

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thinking that we had our ethics on an acceptable level in the beginning.

We were called out for that by a few industry experts (they said we were greenwashing) and it sent us on a learning journey we are still on. We have learned so much, and our ethical approach is the better for it.

Biggest advice you’d give to someone That you need to be careful with whom you share your business ideas because otherwise people will steal your idea. This might be true in a very few situations, but in general it’s total bullocks. Almost all entrepreneurs know how hard it is to sell your ‘amazing and unique’ brand to your target audience.

Most of the time you really need to ram it down their throat. Especially when it comes to doing something good for this world, we need to work together. Learn from one another and collaborate. We shouldn’t hide good ideas because of ‘the fear of being stolen’.

The role of social media Not much, to be honest. It’s the channel that generates the least amount of revenue. We believe that one can really connect with an audience on social media if you approach it from a personal

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ESSENTIALS

TOP TIPS FOR

ANYONE STARTING A BUSINESS

1 | START NOW The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now.

2 | LEARN YOUR PLACE Don’t work in your business, but work on your business. Try to make yourself obsolete. Create a business that works without you.

3 | GO ALL-IN Believe in your own business (idea) enough that you are willing to learn how to raise money so you can build your business properly.

angle, and it’s probably a great way to remind people you exist and to establish a form of community with your target audience, but this hasn’t been the case for us yet.

Looking to the future We always say we want to make it easy for everyone in the world to ‘make the better choice’. And I believe we are in a position to actually do this. Verifying and aggregating beautiful brands and making sure people around the globe get access to them. To really make an impact with our startup. That’s what excites us most and gets us out of bed every morning.

MORE INFORMATION Website: shoplikeyougiveadamn.com Instagram: @shoplikeyougiveadamn

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COLUMNIST

CO NTEM PL ATI N G WITH CHARLOT TE

Using Social Media Sustainably Columnist Charlotte explores the power of setting healthy boundaries online.

A

ddicted to the scroll, like, and share?

I feel you. It seems that checking our social media has become as habitual a routine as brushing our teeth. But who can blame us? It’s hard to escape. We are bombarded by notifications, trends, and the almost Pavlovianconditioned subconscious urge to check our phones in case we’ve missed something. We’ve become an image-obsessed society, as we self-inflict pressure upon ourselves to post an immaculate perception of our days, all in hopes of maintaining the façade of keeping up with this ever-changing, toxic-tainted, multiplex universe that we call an online presence.

And wow, it’s so all-consuming. Are you consuming social media, or is social media consuming you? This is a question I like to ask myself sometimes, just to do a self-check in on

“Reflect on your habits, health, and working on a sustainable energy distribution across your daily life” my habits and screen-time. Most of us will find ourselves flitting between the two responses, but if you haven’t taken a look at your social media habits lately, here are some pointers to steer your answer.

Do you spend more than two hours on your social media apps every day? In the morning or evening, is your routine not complete without checking social media? Do you experience pressure to post something? Do you feel a rush, spike of joy, or anxious feeling when a notification appears?

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Answering yes to any of these questions might indicate that your relationship with social media needs a revamp, putting your time and energy at the forefront of your app use. It all begins with setting sustainable boundaries for yourself.

Monitor your screen-time Take stock of how many hours of the day, week, and month you use social media apps. Consider how best you could re-allocate this time to passions or projects you say you seldom have the time for.

Turn notifications off Yep, turn them all the way off. Notifications have a bad habit of drawing you back into the app, regardless of the fact you simply logged on to reply to a DM. Try disabling pop-up notifications, notification lights, and mute your app announcements.

Schedule regular breaks Taking a social media break is like pressing the reset button on what’s important to you in the physical world. The number of breaks you choose to take, as well as how long they last, is completely up to you. But be strict with yourself. Log out from your app, or even delete it altogether!

Get woke to filter use When you’re online, make sure you arm your selfesteem with the knowledge that everything you see might not reflect reality. Never compare your life, body, or image with that of anyone else. You are uniquely you, and your life uniquely yours.

And that’s a beauty no one could edit. @charlottesophiewrites

QU OTE

“Wisdom is knowing when to have rest, when to have activity, and how much of each to have.”

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

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MIK AEL A LOACH

IT’S TIME TO BECOME PART OF THE

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Photo by: Charlie Hyams

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Photo by: Ch

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Photo by: Lauren McGlynn

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ikaela Loach is a climate

to oil and gas producers in the North Sea. “This is the government who say that they don’t have enough money for social services and for all the different things that they say they don’t”.

justice activist based in Edinburgh in Scotland. She is a medical student at the University of Edinburgh who uses her Instagram platform of over 100,000 to make the climate movement more With the appropriate government policies, investment inclusive, focusing on the intersections of the climate in the green industry can create three times as many jobs crisis with oppressive systems such as as oil and gas. Paid to Pollute wants the white supremacy and migrant injustices. government to demonstrate leadership on “Especially when it this plan, showing how they can transition During our chat, we discussed the court case comes to creating away from oil and gas while reskilling that Mikaela and her group at Paid to Pollute change, we can’t do workers and creating thousands of well-paid are taking towards the UK government it alone. We’re just a jobs in the process. that was supported massively by her online result of the people community. “That launch was immense, we surround ourselves “It’s the biggest thing I’ve been involved in huge part because of social media, the with, who’ve supported with. We are taking the UK Government to presence I have in the community.” us and loved us.” court, which has been quite a long journey.

I protested, camped out, nearly got arrested “It’s inspiring to see young kids actually outside of the department that I’m now who care about ending fossil fuels. They even made the taking to court. It feels like an arc of an issue that I’ve cared other two claimants and me out of Lego with an oil ring!” about so much.” With Paid to Pollute being such a success She smiles:” it was so cute. It’s just amazing that it can thanks to the community’s support, we reflect on one of inspire other people in that way.” the most powerful lessons from lockdown. Something that stood out to Mikaela through all the different lockdowns and Paid to Pollute is taking the UK Government court as the how governments, institutions, and companies responded is government has given 3.2 billion pounds of public money that creating drastic changes is possible.

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“We have the infrastructure to do that; we have the resources to do that”, she points out. “I think especially from the climate and racial justice lens, and we look at all of these things that we were told would be impossible to achieve. Yet, they were made possible during the pandemic.”

She looks at examples such as people being furloughed and still supported, even as the economy wasn’t doing as well.

People can work from home as well, something that disability activists have been talking about for a long time. “A lot of things were scaled back. Emissions were reduced in some ways that were all able to be done. It shows that we can do anything. There needs to be enough willpower behind them.

And that not creating changes is also a choice.”

Mikaela has been busy revising exams all before setting off to take a sabbatical from medical school, an excellent reminder of the importance of stepping back and taking some time to slow down. “On a personal level, I’ve learned a lot about trying to slow down”, she admits. Learning to slow down is essential - but also in the midst of that, it’s vital to find boundaries for many people around your time, something Mikaela worked hard to set for herself, which has made her take more significant decisions linked to her well being.

“I think being at home, we thought we’d have all the time to do things. I’ve learned how to put boundaries in to protect my time. I learned that my obsession with being busy was linked to a lot of internalised capitalism. Felt like my worth would come from being productive, and I only would have as much worth as I was productive. I realised how many of these things I’d say to myself would disagree with my values and beliefs. It was a manifestation of my ego saying, ‘I need to do everything.”

Through this process, she had learned that it’s much healthier to set boundaries and say no more, and even share those opportunities with other people that might not have their voices heard as much.

“I think for a lot of people wanting to make a difference, it can be hard because we feel like we have to do everything. We have to be everything. But I’ve just realised that I won’t be

FAVOURITE RESOURCES YIKES PODCAST Alongside Jo Becker, Loach is the coproducer, writer and presenter of the YIKES podcast, which explores climate change, human rights and social justice.

CLIMATE IN COLOUR Climate In Colour is an online education platform and community making climate conversations more accessible and diverse.

MOSS MAGAZINE MOSS is a luxury fashion magazine featuring transparent, sustainable, ethical, conscious labels that are movers and shakers in the fashion industry.

PAID TO POLLUTE CAMPAIGN The world is on track to produce double the amount of fossil fuels that can be burned if we are to stay within our agreed limits.

INTERSECTIONAL ENVIRONMENTALIST This is an important platform for resources, information and action steps to support intersectional environmentalism.

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f o r e w o p e Th y t i n u m m co useful to anyone if I’m completely burnt out. And I want to be here for a long time doing this work for a long time. And I think to do that, we also have to look after ourselves.”

Mikaela praises the community’s power and how it supported her throughout this past year and a half, something we massively get behind. “Especially when it comes to creating change, we can’t do it alone. We’re just a result of the people that we’ve been surrounded with, who’ve supported us and loved us.”

not caring for ourselves in that way, we’re not going to be able to be fully renewed.”

In her content, Mikaela opens up extended conversations “I think I would have struggled had I not been surrounded encouraging her audience to question things, start by people to ground me, especially when having such a big conversations, and proactively be part of the journey. online platform that has grown in that time.” As well as being When looking at accomplishments and challenges, a few a very grounding experience, it’s also core elements spark to mind. The most allowed her a space to vent to people who rewarding aspect has been connecting get it - something she sees as a big part of “We need to remember that with people all over the world who are self-care. all of us have the power to doing this work. To have the ability be part of this community of to reach people, organise, and spread “I think self-care has been capitalised struggle, and we all need to information about important things. on so much. We’ve made self-care into take our position.” something you buy and can only achieve Yet, such a big platform also brings some if you have access to capital. But I think a challenges to learn from. Mikaela reflects lot of the best self-care that I’ve experienced has been when on the challenging side of having such a big platform and the I’ve put myself in spaces around people who I know that I can amount of pressure and weight suddenly put upon her voice. vent to and be with and be in community with and support each other.”

“I’m not qualified to talk about a lot of different things that people will ask me to talk about. I think that’s what’s difficult.

There is nothing wrong with bath bombs and face masks: Often, we can put people on a pedestal on social media where “don’t get me wrong, I love a bath bomb every once in a while, we feel they know everything about everything. I find that “ she laughs. “Yet, I think that we need to reflect on how we quite a journey because I have carried that burden on myself. see self-care. Because if we don’t have community, if we’re Yet, it’s not my responsibility. I can talk about the things

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that I know, and I can uplift other voices when I do when I don’t know as much.” She suggests how, if you don’t have lived experience or knowledge around an issue and want to raise awareness for it, you can amplify people who understand the problem and have researched this and live in that situation. “We think we have to say everything when sometimes we’re not the best person to say - yet, we can use our platform to amplify someone else’s voice. Remember that social media is not the be all and end all.”

Showing up online, sharing a positive message does not have to be all about being vocal on social media. There are so many different roles, and whatever skills people have, they will be helpful.

Photo by: Coleshill Ph otography

In her book Freedom is a Constant Struggle, Angela Y. Davis writes: “It is essential to resist the depiction of history as the work of heroic individuals in order for people today to recognise their potential agency as a part of an ever-expanding community of struggle.”

“Change was created by huge amounts of movements and huge amounts of people.”

listening to her podcast, got involved in organising.

“It’s such a small thing, but that’s all I want. I don’t want awards or any of this stuff.

All I want is people to get involved in organising. The more people we have doing that, the more chances we’ll be able to create.”

To Mikaela, this quote is a reminder that all of us have the power to be part of this community of struggle, and we all need to take our position. This might not be the publicfacing one, and it might be something completely different.

“When we focus on these people who seem extraordinary, Martin Luther King Jr, Nelson Mandela and Angela Davis, if we make out that they were the ones who create a change, we are giving a wrong telling of history. The reality is that change was created by huge amounts of movements and huge amounts of people. The people who did the monotonous work including printing out leaflets and sticking them up around the city. We need to remember that all of us have the power to be part of this community of struggle, and we all need to take our part.”

She admits to tearing up and getting emotional whenever she gets a message from someone, who, by following her or

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Words she leans on a lot and often goes back to are the ones of Audre Lord: “There is nothing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives.” May this be a reminder that we all need to be part of movements and struggles. “We all have to become part of the sleeping giant that awakes. So often alone, when we’re here as individuals, we feel like we have no power in this world. Whereas when we come together with movements and communities, we become part of the sleeping giant that has so much more power than we had when we were on our own.”

We can do so much, and we can change so much. And we can create this new world that we want to see, what Mikaela beautifully refers to as the breath of the New World.

MORE INFORMATION Instagram: @mikaelaloach

Twitter: @mikaelaloach

O T D I A P LUT E L O P “LET’S MAKE SURE THE POLLUTER PAYS, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND” Campaigners launch legal challenge over UK government support for production of uneconomic North Sea oil and gas

The Paid to Pollute campaign, coordinated by the notfor-profit initiative Uplift, brings together UK, Scottish and international organisations seeking accountability for UK government support for the oil and gas industry.

Three environmental campaigners are launching a legal challenge against the UK government over its support for the production of North Sea oil and gas that is only economic because of subsidies costing the public purse hundreds of millions a year.

Mikaela Loach (one of the claimants) said: “Much of the UK’s oil and gas production is only economic because of public handouts. The government is paying companies billions in public money to extract every last drop of oil from the North Sea when it should be focusing on decarbonising the UK economy, meeting its international climate obligations and setting an example to the world as host of the UN Climate Summit in November.”

Every year oil and gas companies receive subsidies worth hundreds of millions of pounds through reliefs on decommissioning offshore installations, reduced tax rates and tax allowances.

Just as a few examples, in 2015/16 and 2016/17 the UK government gave more money to oil companies than it received in taxes. Since signing the Paris Agreement in 2015, the government has paid £3.2 billion of public money to North Sea oil and gas companies.

A second claimant, Kairin van Sweeden, an SNP Common Weal organiser and daughter of a Scottish oil worker, said: “The UK government is wasting public money extracting oil and gas at the expense of our wider economy and our environment. Instead of propping up a declining industry it should be funding a managed phase-out of fossil fuels

and a just transition which creates new, green jobs and enables oil industry workers and affected communities in Scotland and the rest of the UK to shape their own future.”

The UK could be the first major oil and gas producing country to move away from fossil fuels, setting a strong standard for the rest of the world. Instead it’s keeping alive a declining industry that’s committed to extracting more oil and gas than safe climate limits allow. Carbon dioxide emissions from existing global fossil fuel reserves will push the world far beyond 1.5°C of warming and close to 2°C, research by Oil Change International has found. The UN Environment Programme calculates that countries are still planning to produce more than twice the amount of fossil fuels in 2030 as would be consistent with a 1.5°C temperature limit.

The Paid to Pollute campaign is supported by Oil Change International, Greenpeace UK, Friends of the Earth Scotland, 350.org, Platform, UK Student Climate Network, Fridays For Future Scotland, Parents For Future and Mothers Rise Up.

JOIN THE FIGHT Website: paidtopollute.org.uk/petition To donate to the cause: paidtopollute.org.uk/donate

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HOW TO DO THE WORK YOU LOVE Author Joe Barnes explores how to find meaning in life and improve your mental wellbeing.

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Written by Joe Barnes

n 2020, the World Health Organization released figures revealing that 254 million people across the planet suffer from depression. The statistics are even worse if you focus exclusively on the developed world. In the US, 1 out of every 4 adults suffers from a diagnosable mental disorder in any given year (according to the Johns Hopkins Medicine website).

Why are these numbers so high?

Traditional explanations, especially when it comes to depression, focus on the chemical Imbalance theory. The idea is that people, through no apparent fault of their own, sometimes experience a lack of positive neurotransmitters – dopamine, norepinephrine,

serotonin. This lowers their mood and, without corrective medication, they’ll experience loss of motivation, despondency and, in extreme cases, suicidal thoughts. However, UK psychotherapist Dr James Davies challenged this theory in 2013 with his brilliant book, Cracked.

Davies points out that there isn’t a single shred of scientific evidence to support the chemical imbalance theory.

Furthermore, the DSM (the mental health Bible where disorders are listed) also, in most cases, lacks any scientific evidence to support its diagnoses.

What does this mean?

There are a growing number of mental health professionals who believe our

poor mental health stems more from spiritual and environmental factors than anything to do with chemical imbalances or the physical body. Could these ideas highlight an interesting new solution to your own struggles with depression and mental health?

A SEARCH FOR MEANING The most powerful insight this new way of thinking reveals is that we are in charge of our own wellbeing. We are not depressed by accident. Something is missing in our lives and if we can identify the cause, we can find the solution.

While Davies highlights a number of spiritual and environmental solutions to our discontent, I’ve chosen to focus on just one – a lack of meaning in our lives

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DO THE WORK YOU LOVE Joe Barnes A more in-depth version of the (The Dream Job Chart) exercise can be found in Joe’s book

FREE

Find out more and get a FREE COURSE, just head to the website below

Website: escapethesystemnow.com Instagram: @escapethesystem19

(especially our working lives).

In 1946, Victor Frankl, in his book Man’s Search for Meaning, revealed, after documenting his experiences of 3 years spent in Nazi concentration camps, that having a clear meaning for your life can help you remain positive in the most desperate of circumstances.

Unfortunately, the world of modern work is so far from being able to provide us with this (a 2013 Right Management Survey stated that 81% of employed Americans are uninspired by their work) that our jobs can end up making us feel trapped and depressed.

But what if that was to change?

What if every day was a chance to be involved with an exciting project that made you feel alive and had a positive

impact on other peoples’ lives? Surely this would dramatically improve your well-being?

FINDING THE WORK YOU LOVE Finding this passion project is not easy, though, and it requires you to make one fundamental change to your thinking.

You must give free reign to your dreams.

This is something society warns us against. We’re taught to ‘be realistic’ and that it’s better to aim low and avoid disappointment.

Without fear of judgement, or even the consideration of whether your dreams are possible (yet), you must list between 5 and 10 ideas for making money that inspire you. Remember, nothing is off limits.

Once you’ve taken this step, it’s time to evaluate your options. Grade your choices out of 10 for 4 different categories – Enjoyment (in the moment fun), Fulfilment (the lasting impact your potential dream job will have on you and others), Length of Time to Master (how long will it take you to become proficient enough to make money from your passion – the longer it takes, the lower your score out of 10), Potential to Monetize (if you can you make money through it give yourself a higher score).

Once you’ve completed this exercise, you should be left with a score out of 40 for each potential idea. You can then make a selection, or possibly combine different options, and begin your journey to the kind of passion-based work that makes life worth living.

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EXPERT PROFILE

Egbe Manton Job title: Founder, Legal Entrepreneur & Changemaker Career journey: Law Degree Your expertise in one word: Legal I am on a mission to disrupt the legal space and bring it into the 21st century. I am the founder of Manton Legal, a legal consultancy that offers simplified, affordable legal guidance to entrepreneurs and SMEs. I empower people to pursue their passions and build their commercial offering whilst my team takes care of the legals. With my skills, values and passion I am transforming and shaping the next generation of law.

What is the biggest mistake people make when it comes to your field?

The biggest mistake I see is people forget about the legals. They concentrate on more lucrative parts of their business such as social media, marketing and sales. What they don’t realise is that legal is one of the biggest kept secrets. Legals could help them create revenue in their business and help them reduce risks along the way.

How can people feel more confident about improving People can feel more confident by reaching out to a legal expert. We are just normal people with a passion for legals. We are here to help you progress your business by helping you to feel confident to understand the legal side. Business owners can access some valuable websites which will give them legal guidance such as www.ico. org.uk. This site is your go to place to understand your responsibilities as a business owner in respect of data protection laws.

What is your favourite thing about the Creative Impact community?

I think Creative Impact sets itself apart from others in the industry. Their values and mission align with my own.

I feel inspired by working alongside such an exciting and innovative community. I am inspired by how Creative Impact educates, inspires, and motivates their audiences to become the best version of themselves.

MORE INFORMATION Website: mantonlegal.co.uk Instagram: @mantonlegalconsultancy

TOP TIPS 1 | PLAN AHEAD Try to always get your legals in order before you even first start your business

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2 | GET HELP If you are concerned about a legal part of your business, reach out to a legal expert.

3 | PROTECTION Take time to work on your business, and think about what areas you want to protect.

F E AT U R E

How to heal your relationship with yourself and others We sit down and talk with Camilla Sacre-Dallerup about the importance of nurturing our relationship with ourselves before focusing on other people.

Interviewed by Amy Lanza

A

lot of the UK and the wider audience may recognise Camilla Sacre-Dallerup from her dazzling days on Strictly Come Dancing. But as a Holistic Wellness and Business Coach, her life has truly changed since then. In this interview we look at how Camilla transitioned from being an athlete to the fierce leader she is today.

“The transition happened because of my fascination - or rather my obsession - with the power of the mind all the way through my years as an athlete and later on as a dance coach.

I became more fascinated by how our mental state could have an impact on our mindset on competition day than dancing the actual steps!”

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She admits it wasn’t such a big transition because, in some ways, she’d already been teaching her dance students how to use a number of mindtools before she ended up doing it for a living, full-time. “I’ve been self-employed since 2000; first working as a dance coach and then from 2009 as a life coach.

I grew up in a family where both of my parents ran their own businesses and I studied business in Denmark, so I’d always been interested in running my own one day. In business - or dancing, or even in a family - when working in a team, it all comes down to good communication, really.”

As a dancer and having worked with a teammate for many years, a lot of her success relied on communicating

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Photo: Kevin Sacre Photography

effectively with her partner, and coupled with the power of the mind, these two things have enabled her to come full circle with her business.

“A coach that walks the walk results in

“Now I am working in a space where I can share everything I’ve learnt through my own experiences and from working with others, too. During my time on Strictly when I was coaching, my partner and I would advise businesses on how to communicate and work together better through dancing, and now I’m using mind tools and mindfulness techniques!”

- although great on an ego level - were going to change how she felt inside. “Without the spotlight on me, or the narrative of ‘Camilla the dancer’, I wanted to discover who I was at this time of my life in my mid-30s.” She realised she wanted to find out what she was passionate about and what lit her up, so she went on a journey into herself to discover what really made her happy. “Not the trophy, nor being a champion dancer, nor having a certain job title. I wanted to know what made me happy inside out. That was when

During her last year of doing Strictly Come Dancing, she realised that none of the things that she had achieved

a client that walks the walk.”

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I realised I was actually feeling empty inside and none of these ‘successes’ were going to fill that up. I was going to have to fill up that emptiness with self-worth and self-love and that made me take that major leap in my life.”

She says: “A coach that walks the walk results in a client that walks the walk.” Her life as a professional dancer and working in entertainment herself: “doing live tv shows (which I still do) and interviews, learning how to deal with the press, learning how to be in front of the camera and an audience, and even using social media - means a lot of what I have learnt through my own life and experiences are directly things I can support my clients with.” She feels very comfortable supporting clients like executive producers or actors, for example, because they are under pressure in a way that she has experienced herself. “Likewise, on a personal level, having had good and bad experiences, from grief to heartache, has helped me become even more empathetic to support others better.”

She primarily works with high achievers, who often hold senior or executive positions and work in highly-pressured environments. A typical client may be experiencing stress and anxiety, or they may be lacking in confidence, or stuck in a rut: “I’ll work with a client to help them identify their true path and potential, often through spiritual guidance and connection, and my 7-System Mind Method”. As a mind business coach, she teaches her clients how to positively align their subconscious mind with their conscious path, break through limiting beliefs and thought patterns and use practical tools to achieve their personal and professional goals. “My coaching is bespoke and unique to the

THREE PODCAST EPISODE RECOMMENDATIONS From Me, My Relationships & I

THERESA CHEUNG EP #22 This episode about dreams really stands out because since we had that chat, I have never slept the same since! She explains how dreams are like a night time life coach, how they mean different things and how we can resolve situations in our dreams, too. When I go to sleep, I feel like my mind is working for me and coaching me! Theresa’s work and listen to that podcast episode. She is a remarkable woman, who has written over 100 spiritual books and I have huge respect for her.

YUNG PUEBLO EP #29 The extraordinary poet and author of Inward, who manages to say in very few words what others would need pages and pages for. His short poems really hit home with me and he was one of the only two people I really wanted to write a foreword for my book It’s Not You, It’s Me, because I really admired the way he wrote. And when I reached out to him, he said yes! It felt so aligned in my soul, and I just love his teachings, poetry and wisdom, so I was very grateful for that experience and conversation.

ANDREA McLEAN EP #34 I felt very connected to her story and how she chose to leave a job that, seemingly, on the outside was brilliant and fun to follow her own path. That really resonated with how I felt when I left Strictly Come Dancing. No matter how glamorous something can look to others on the outside, it may not necessarily align with what you’re feeling on the inside. It reminded me to tune out the noise of what other people think you should be doing and follow your own heart and passion in life.

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“It’s really nice to be able to support people from such an authentic place and I believe it is necessary to have a nurtured mindset in this busy world. I take the time to nurture my own mindset and I teach my clients how they can nurture theirs.” individual - there’s no one-size-fits-all prescription!”

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, people who may have only considered practising self-care before the pandemic, felt an even bigger urge to examine their own thoughts and go within to understand more about themselves. Even for those who were forced to stop working, it provided an opportunity to ask themselves how they wanted to run their lives going forward and ask questions like, ‘How do I want to go back into the world?’, ‘How do I want to feel?’ and ‘How do I want my schedule to look?’. “People have really stepped up their self-care and self-awareness - building these into their schedules and looking within” Sacre-Dallerup admits “This pandemic has reminded so many of us that while there is nothing we can immediately do about those things that are out of our control, what we can do is go within and take control of the things that are within our control - how we run our lives, what we choose to focus on, how much time we take for ourselves and what our priorities are.”

As the author of three books, Dream Believe Succeed, It's Not You It's Me and Reinvent Me, Camilla has learned that if you have a dream or a goal that you feel passionate about, start. Take one action at a time and just begin. Don’t allow yourself to become overwhelmed by thinking about how to do the whole thing, whatever it is. “Trust me, when I was

thinking about writing 60-80,000 words for my first book, I felt very overwhelmed! So I came back to the one thing I could do at that moment and that was simply to start. Each day, I just wrote a little bit , whether that was 200 words or 100 words. I didn’t judge what I did, I just did the action of writing. And that ended up being three books!” Camilla’s advice is to do what you are passionate about, that's usually the easiest thing to do. “For me, anything to do with the brain and the mind-body connection fascinates me, so I always want to absorb information about this and share it with

THREE LESSONS FROM CAMILL A’S BOOKS IT’S NOT YOU, IT’S ME We are all mirrors to each other and all relationships are mirrors to ourselves.

When you improve your relationship with yourself, you ultimately improve your relationships with others and you choose relationships that are better for you.

When you feel worthiness for yourself, you start to attract relationships into your life where they respect you and so forth. So, any change you want to see outside of yourself, starts within. Youare worthy enough and that we do not need to wait for outside validation to feel whole and healed within.

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REINVENT ME When it comes to reinventing yourself is when you find yourself in a situation where you are feeling uncomfortable, or sad, or frustrated, or hurt, or lost, or stuck, it’s common to just want to push the feeling away. I’m saying, instead, listen to your body and your mind. Those uncomfortable feelings, whether you’ve fallen out of love with your job, or you’re feeling lost in your career could actually be nudging you in a different direction. Allow yourself to feel them and allow them to guide you.

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When she compares her first book to her third book, there might be some patterns and ways of thinking that she feels differently about now. “As human beings, we are always evolving and as Oprah says, when we know better, we do better. So, never be scared of changing your mind or opinion, or feeling differently about something.”

DREAM BELIEVE SUCCEED Whatever it is you are dreaming of, start taking action. Nothing will happen - even if you believe - without taking action but amazing things can happen even with small steps of action every single day! Do not underestimate the power of discipline and showing up even when you don’t feel like it.

That was my biggest takeaway as an athlete, because an athlete shows up even when they don’t want to. But they know the power of taking that small action - they know that even that half-an-hour rehearsal that didn’t feel good is still an action towards their goal.

Photo: Kevin Sacre Photography

others from a place of healing and helping. The books have also taught me that it is ok to feel differently now than how you did before. It’s ok to change!”

IT’S NOT YOU, IT’S ME How to Heal Your Relationship with Yourself and Others Read the latest book from Camilla now by going to bit.ly/itsnotyouitsmebook. Get discounts while supporting your local bookshops MORE INFORMATION Website: www.zenme.tv

Instagram: @camilladallerup

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BEHIND THE CONTENT

@DESTINYJOELIVIA aka Destiny Joelivia Malcolm-Anti Job title: Natural Living, Wellness Blogger Followers: 2,300+

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i, I’m a young black British woman, navigating mid-20s like ‘the one where she reads the map upside-down...Again’. That is to say, I’m human, and I don’t always get it right. That’s where the heart of my mission comes in; as a creative, I have learnt the beauty of being still and how harmful it can be to live such a normalised, fast-paced life. We’ve lost the patience to grow through our mistakes, our pain, and our joys. With

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this in mind daily, I share my personal experience of trying to live well, naturally, via Instagram, and will soon be expanding my resources to local events & a website you never knew you needed. My mission is to use my creativity to encourage holistic rest and rejuvenation for us to be well. I’m here to give you permission to slow down.

Behind the content It can be tricky as I get creative overwhelm and anxiety reasonably often, just like buckets of ideas and good content being poured into your mind faster than you can churn out. I use notes a lot. I jot down all of the ideas I have for content, make sure I

always ask my audience for their desired posts, and then add them to a Google Sheet doc to start working on them. There are a lot of content calendars out there now which can help with creative blocks. I’m also working on re-creating the content that has done well on my Instagram. Repetition deepens the impression - we need to hear an important message more than once, maybe just in a different way.

On making a bigger impact I believe to rest is to allow healing, and healed people heal people. I have learnt the importance of slowing down not just for the mind but the physical benefits too. It has been my passion to

ESSENTIALS

“You are not in a race with anyone, honestly, not even yourself.”

encourage people to move their bodies more, connect with nature, and spend more time being grateful. As I got older, I understood how difficult it can be.

My content provides an objective lens for those who want it. It permits them to stop to smell the roses. Mourish the mind, body and soul in simple and accessible ways. I want to inspire others to find rest in the little things.

The mistake I was glad I experienced Carrying a mountain of expectations on my shoulders. I felt like I was in a race with those who had started before me or who had more time than me. I struggled with management, and when

FUN FACT

I’m a singer/songwriter! National, plus 2 international gigs & currently paused).

It began when I wrote a song called Goldfish, aged 16, which swiftly transformed into a professional passion.

I feel overwhelmed, I hit burnout quicker than I can say help! I finally reached out to a friend, and she sat with me over Whatsapp Video Call for hours, going through possible ways to do this creative thing for real. That was the best day ever. As a woman with a cycle, I move through seasons, so it’s unfair to compare ‘bleeding Dest’ to ‘ovulating Dest’. Trust each process, and take your time. If REST is my message, I want to live that.

Nuggets of gratitude Well, my husband, Daniel, has been one of those anchors mentioned. He has not supported me, and through all of my trials, he has shown me a silver lining or drawn one for me.

I’m grateful for how talented and passionate he is, too, because it means he loves what he does, and I need that kind of drive around me, especially when pursuing crazy creative dreams!

Lessons and achievements Getting married and moving to a new city. It’s an achievement because I had to do a lot of soul work during the process! I got professional counselling, forcing myself to pursue a life outside of my inner-city work life. All of this in the process of getting married and moving in a pandemic! It taught me that all things are possible and that I should never let go of my anchors, for they will always be my guide through storms and sunshine.

What excites you about being a Creative Impact member It’s the constant community support for me! I am never too far from an answer with this network, and I’m grateful for every article, every resource, and all the time put into it. It inspires me, too, to see people like Fab show up no matter what.

MORE INFORMATION Instagram: @destinyjoelivia

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Bringing men together through yoga Yoga teacher Caleb reflects on his journey from being on MTV to inspiring more men onto the mat.

By Caleb Jude Packham

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spirituality - something which was furthest from where I was at. Through this process of self-discovery and enquiry, I began to acknowledge unresolved trauma from my past that I had not dealt with before.

A few weeks after arriving in London, I ended up at an ayahuasca ceremony. If you're unfamiliar with ayahuasca, it's an Amazonian plant medicine that is used by the indigenous as a tool to facilitate healing, personal growth and to expand consciousness. The experience was quite literally life-changing as I had tapped into my dormant

I began my life with the traumatic experience of being relinquished at birth. I was given up for adoption straight away, and it was six weeks before a family found me. My adoptive parents are incredible, and I had a wonderful upbringing. However, that single event that occurred at my birth caused a primal wounding that I'd never really dealt with… until ayahuasca sent me on the path of healing. Being a naturally disciplined person, I committed to my selfdevelopment. I read self-help books, went to seminars, got

t was the year 2004. I was happily successful with my career in the entertainment industry. Living by Bondi Beach, Sydney, I was the host of a prime time TV show after 5 years as a VJ for MTV Australia. And yet, I wanted more. A year later, my show was cancelled. So I took the opportunity to move to the UK to pursue a TV career here.

But the Universe had other plans...

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“There are so many misconceptions around yoga - that you have to be flexible, that it's a religion, that it's a women's only practice.”

JEZ SMITH jezsmithphotography.com

that it's a religion, that it's a women's only practice. When in fact, yoga helps you become flexible, you don't have to be religious to do it, and it's been men who have predominantly practised it over the past 5000 years.

Join Caleb’s next live immersive yoga event at London’s Ministry of Sound in July. Set to live music performed by a 5-piece band, this hybrid event will unite 80 participants in the club with a global live-stream audience to experience the healing power of yoga, music and connection. Tickets via his website

therapy, started practising yoga and mindfulness… and over time, I began to experience true happiness through living life authentically.

In 2015, I decided to go “eat, pray, love” myself. I headed to an Ashram in Rishikesh, where I studied to become a teacher of Sattva Yoga, a fusion of asana (postures), pranayama (breathwork), meditation and kriyas (the yoga of electricity). Through exploring this dynamic, physical practice, I experienced profound psychological shifts that enabled me to finally break through the wounding from childhood.

During my time in India, I realised there are so many misconceptions around yoga - that you have to be flexible,

I returned to London on a mission to make yoga more accessible to people who wouldn't normally set foot in a yoga studio. So, I started teaching Sattva Yoga in a local pub.

There's something exceptional about practising yoga in nonconventional spaces. And that's continued to be my format, to create authentic yoga experiences, often with live music, in unusual venues, such as Ministry of Sound and The View from The Shard.

And what's really interesting is the number of men participating in these classes. In fact, in many of my classes, I've flipped the usual female to male ratio, with men outnumbering the women. Recognising the growing trend of more men doing yoga, I teamed up with a long time friend, and we founded Wellness Warrior, a men's lifestyle and yoga brand with a mission to inspire more men onto the mat.

In 2019, we launched 50 Men 50 Mats, bringing together 50 yoga newbies for their very first yoga class ever. It was an extraordinary thing to witness all these men together, in support of each other. A TV show based on this concept is now in the pipeline, along with a book to be released in April 2022 through Bloomsbury Publishing.

15 years ago, I was living in a different kind of fast lane. These days I've still got my foot on the pedal, but my direction is aimed at a higher purpose, to help others access their fullest potential through the power of yoga.

MORE INFORMATION Website: wellnesswarrior.yoga Instagram: @calebjudepackham

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CREATING YOUR IDENTITY IN THE ONLINE WORLD Professional futurist Tracey Follows discusses how our personal freedoms and potential identity in the online world will be transformed over the coming decades.

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racey Follows is a professional futurist and CEO of Futuremade Her clients have included Telefonica, Google, Sky, Farfetch, Conde Nast and Virgin. She has spoken at UN HQ in New York, delivered her TedX at the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office and closed at events such as Think With Google.

She has a column in Forbes and her opinions are regularly sought by national media. She is a member of the Association of Professional Futurists, World Futures Studies Federation and a Fellow of the RSA. In this chat, we discuss how to create your identity in the online world.

Was there a light-bulb moment for you when you realised your passion?

I've always been really interested in science fiction and read much of it as a child. Later on, when I went to University I chose to study Philosophy and my main interest area was philosophy of science and even then we did a big project on SETI (the search for extraterrestrial intelligence)!

After graduating I went on to do a Masters in 'Technical Change and Industrial Strategy' which again was about innovation and understanding advanced technology from a policy point of view. I think what I'm saying is that I've always been very interested in the intersection between technology

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and society - that's the common theme I think, and of course that is what I spend most of my time doing, as a futurist.

Given your interest in the future, how did you become engrossed in the topic of our identities?

I had realised during the last decade that our identity was undergoing significant change. It was mainly thanks to digitisation.

I already realised that our identity was becoming fragmented because it was distributed all over the web: an email address here, a credit card purchase there. And I began to wonder who was now in control of making and managing our identities, was it still me, or was it the technology platforms that held each of these fragments of personal data?

The Future of You explores the concept of identity and our identities, in the plural. What do you mean by this?

Take for example, me scanning in my passport to verify my identity. Back in 2016 I did this on one of the technology platforms after it became clear that my log-in details had been compromised.

That platform rejected the match and told me that I wasn't me. I really worried then, how would I ever prove that I was who I said I am in a fully digitised world? It really is the stuff of sci-fi.

F E AT U R E

“This is the battle of our times, the fight of the next decade.

The quest to preserve the future of you.”

TRACEY FOLLOWS

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And as I researched the book, what became even clearer was that we now had an additional dimension to our identities, a technological dimension.

Put it this way, in the past people had often debated whether identity resided in the mind, and therefore in our consciousness. Or, whether it existed in physical form - we are all familiar with the idea that if a person or object changes to such a degree we can say it ceases to be the same thing that it was.

Well, now the psychology of self, and the biology of self, has been joined by the technology of self - a dimension that is digital, implantable, ingestible, and above all invisible.

How does the role of emerging technologies impact the notion of identity?

Imagine you are no longer dependent on carrying a smartphone for your cognitive upgrades but you have an implanted chip that automatically updates your identity's operating system, or your brain is running off the cloud and you are controlling machines with your thoughts. These technologies affect who we think we are and blur the boundaries not only between man and machine, but between one man and the next. Moreover, who is in control of the terms and conditions for using such technological extensions? Not me, or you. But a corporation.

I don't think people have quite understood this yet but the

implications for personal identity and autonomy are huge.

How can we create our own identity in the online world or are our identities being created for us?

We are always creating and re-creating our identity. We create fake Instagram accounts (finstas and rinstas), only post the most vibrant or most flattering pictures of ourselves and our loved ones, and we chat away with chatbots and other machines talking to them as if we have a personal connection. We engage with computer generated virtual influencers and even buy products they promote. All the time we are doing this, we are crafting our own identities online. And sometimes they are different from the identities we inhabit in the physical world. The former is more fluid and flexible, the latter is made of skin and bone and has certain limits.

How is digital technology causing us to think differently about who we are and who we could become?

Mainly through avatars. We use them to discover alternative versions of ourselves in alternative worlds. The more people play in virtual games, and take on virtual characters, the more they can expect to do so again and again in different environments - until everyone has a plethora of personalities to manage. It can be overwhelming. And it can be difficult to say what is real and what is unreal, what is authentic, and what is inauthentic - after all they are all 'you' to some extent.

What are the three main takeaways you hope readers remember from The Future of You. That we need to stop seeing identity as a transactional thing, something we need to prove or not prove via a piece of paperwork. It is now a digital footprint alongside a physical footprint that

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morphs over time and can even exist in many different places at once.

Identity is complex and is no longer 100 percent in our control, if it ever was, of course. But we should always read terms and conditions and take more time to think about the longer term consequences of handing over or creating personal data for another entity to use.

We need to start considering our digital afterlife, the preservation of our digital identity beyond the passing of our physical remains. Whether it be holographic or avatar or some other future guise, from now on, versions of 'you' will outlast your death. The question is who would you like to digitally curate 'you' after you are gone.

Are there things we can be doing today to capitalise on the life-changing technologies to ensure we don't become just another piece of data?

Yes, we can investigate decentralised

we look at vaccine certificates, check out decentralised digital apps like Yoti or Evernym that allow the user to take control of what personal data is shared and who has access to it. But this is just the start.

THE FUTURE OF YOU: Can Your Identity Survive 21st Century Technology?

For purchasing information about Tracey's recently realeased book, use the link bit.ly/traceyfollow-book to get discounts while still supporting local bookshops

solutions that award more power to the user and try to prevent lots of data falling into the hands of those who would like to engineer a more centralised function. For example, if

What is next for you, Tracey?

I will continue to investigate what I believe is a global roadmap to the establishment of a digital identity for every citizen in the world. There are pros and cons if we want to access digital services in the future but we need to counteract the growing authoritarianism that has been enabled through the pandemic and get back to the notion of autonomy and a sense of personal responsibility rather than relying on the state to dictate how every citizen alike should and should not behave. This is the battle of our times, the fight of the next decade. The quest to preserve the future of you.

MORE INFORMATION Twitter: @traceyfutures

@future_of_you

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INSIDE THE CLOSET OF

AMMA ABURAM How eco-fashion is about bettering lives and preserving our planet.

Interview by Amy Lanza

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mma Aburam is the face and passionate sustainable fashion writer behind Style and Sustain. We had the pleasure of talking with Amma for our latest Creative Impact event. Her words were a breath of fresh air, and we learned so much about her passion, voice, and mission, and now we are sharing it with you.

Amma is a Ghanaian and French fashion marketing expert based in London who became a fair fashion advocate and blogger after learning about the devastating impact of fast fashion on people and the planet in 2016. Through her online space Style and Sustain, she writes, creates eco-fashion editorials and gives tips on loving fashion sustainably and ethically. She believes

“we can all create a better fashion industry, especially as consumers through our choices.” If that wasn't enough, Amma also recently started Style & Sustain-the podcast where she has conversations with changemakers, inspiring individuals and brands in the eco-fashion industry.

It's clear that Amma has a lot of passion for the fashion industry, but where did it all start? She has “always loved fashion, and in [my] early teens (like many) [I] fell into fast-paced, fast fashion trends.”

She admits: “I shopped frequently and thoughtlessly and found summer jobs in retail so that I could shop at a discount. Landing my first job in retail management meant I kept acquiring more clothes. I never thought about the impact of my habits until 2016 after watching The True Cost documentary

by Andrew Morgan. That was a wake-up call for me.”

“I found it unsettling that something I loved and enjoyed so much could cause such damage to people and the planet, I knew I had to change. Finding spaces like Fashion Revolution helped me along the journey. It led me to start Style & Sustain as a way to hold myself accountable but also inspire fashion

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lovers like myself to turn to sustainable and ethical fashion practices.”

This grounding helped Amma to acknowledge a few personal truths and revelations. Style and sustainability are not mutually exclusive. “There is a general notion in popular culture that fair fashion is boring, and I wanted to debunk that. Loving fashion consciously can be stylish, fun and innovative.

Removing ourselves from fast fashion trends means that we can explore personal style more authentically as we have to be more creative.” She points out how, from secondhand/vintage to swapping, renting, eco-brands, there are so many ways to ethically and sustainably have fun with fashion.”

Creativity comes from consciously combining all these practices to create your own style.

Eco-fashion is about bettering lives and preserving our planet. “Creating clothes that are not detrimental to the earth treats garment workers with dignity and pays them fair wages. Without the two combined, there is no real sustainability because one should not come without the other.”

Having sustainable and ethical fashion practices changed her outlook on life. “I believe it teaches us to move away from

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TOP TIPS If the world of eco-fashion seems quite overwhelming, then you're not alone.

Amma shared with us her top 3 tips to be a little more sustainable every day 1 | EXPLORE YOUR CLOSET. Spend time with the clothes you already have, try new combos. When you see something you like, check your wardrobe first to know if you already have something similar.

2 | SWAP OR RENT. Before buying something new, check if your family or friends have what you need to lend or give to you. There are also some fabulous swap events, like those hosted on the regular by The Dress Change. Let's not forget rental platforms that are amazing like Onloan, ByRotation, New Wardrobe, Hirestreet and more.

3 | GO VINTAGE OR SECONDHAND. It's stylish, and you won't look like everyone else. If you must buy new, support a sustainable and ethical brand.

an individualistic/instant-gratification mindset to “how do my actions impact the world and others?”. For me, it was fashion, but we can apply this mindset to anything. I always tell people to find what they are most passionate about and practice that as sustainably and ethically possible. Because the truth is that all this is intersectional, and many of these issues are tied to social justice issues, be it the fashion industry, the food industry or the beauty industry.

We can all be involved in solving problems by focusing on what drives us.”

Amma reminds us that we are not just consumers but citizens whose choices have an impact far beyond what we can

imagine. Amma references this quote from Anna Lappé: “Every time you spend money, you're casting a vote for the kind of world you want.” because that's where our power lies as consumers, in where we decide to put our money. When it comes to our clothes, we can either support fast fashion brands (and their questionable choices) or put our money towards brands and practices that preserve the planet and uplift/support garment workers.

Beyond that, activism is not just in the

big moments like going to protests or being loud on social media but rather in the choices we make every day about spending our time and money by asking: who does this benefit? That's the bigger picture for Amma, and her mission through Style and Sustain is

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to help people start with those few fashion choices that make a big difference.

We could not talk about brands and fashion without finding out Amma's mostloved sustainable item in her wardrobe! In the last few years, she has committed to only buying pre-loved denim simply because denim production is one of the most harmful processes for people and the planet.

“Conveniently, denim items are the most traded garments in the secondhand/ vintage industry. Whether it's a denim jacket, jeans, denim overalls, you name it, you can find it somewhere secondhand or vintage, so why buy new?”

From her website to social media, Amma reflects that social media is crucial and a fundamental tool for change in our generation. “The important thing for me is to remember that it doesn't start and end on social media; it's just a tool, so I try to be active in other ways.” Amma likes to practise what she preaches “There is a general notion in popular by attending real-life events culture that fair fashion is boring, like panels, supporting sustainable brands pop-ups, and I wanted to debunk that.” speaking to family and friends, donating to projects, generally living her message out in real campaigns from the likes of H&M, Sustainability in fashion is a new trend life. “It's all intertwined to me; social Urban Outfitters, Missguided, etc., at in itself. But what does the future hold media and real-life activities co-exist the moment in the UK and overseas. for eco-fashion? According to Amma, and feed off each other in putting my “the fashion industry will have a similar message out there and connecting to “Greenwashing is trending, and it's not path to the food industry. We saw the like-minded people.” always easy to spot which brands are at rise of vegetarianism, veganism, and it. Greenwashing is a sign that the now it is a norm. Sustainable and While scrolling online, it’s also consumer mindset is shifting for the ethical fashion will also slowly become a interesting to see the effort certain better: people are asking for more “norm”. I also see the circular fashion brands are making in this space. Each sustainable and ethical practices from economy continue to boom, with the brand has such different approaches to brands, and brands are listening but not younger generation hooked to platforms sustainability, and it’s very hard to entirely. Greenwashing is brands trying like Depop or Vinted where peer-tochampion and cover each element when to find the cheapest way to satisfy this peer fashion and independent brands it comes to producing ethically and consumer demand, but I love that they are thriving over fast fashion.” being sustainable. The best brands, are being held accountable for their lies, according to Amma, are without a doubt and rightfully so!

Ultimately, passionate bloggers and the ones that admit that it's a journey activists like Amma hope for the day and commit to continual improvement.

“For me, an easy way to spot when we even drop the “sustainable and “I admire the work of Studio One greenwashing is just by looking at ethical” label to clothing items, as these Eighty-Nine, Mayamiko and Birdsong production quantities; how can a brand will be inherent qualities to fashion. for very different reasons. The first be sustainable or ethical if they are While greenwashing is the latest trend brand uplifts local artisans in Ghana and regularly producing millions of new within the space to be wary of, she shows that producing ethically and pieces at an incredibly fast pace? It's similarly hopes to inspire people to sustainably in Africa is essential and most likely they are not. Also, is there a educate themselves and make personal feasible. Mayamiko is incredible for real ethical element to their production? changes that will help create more their approach to women empowerment If they are talking about pineapple significant shifts in the industry and and the charity tied to their work, and leather but not garment worker rights, create a more sustainable (and stylish) the I love Birdsong for promoting local then it's only half-truths. Do we need industry future. production and supporting local female to give grace to brands trying to turn MORE INFORMATION garment workers in the UK.” things around? Yes, but we can give them continuous feedback on how to do Website: styleandsustain.com On the flipside, there is a lot of negative better, and that's key in fighting Podcast: Style & Sustain - The podcast press around so-called “sustainable” greenwashing.”

Instagram: @styleand.sustain

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CREATIVE IMPACT

PRO SECTION

Get

visible DID YOU KNOW? Around 380,000 small businesses open each year in the UK.

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Virtual Assistant

HOW TO USE A VA TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS In conversation with Grace Robinson

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re you looking to grow and scale your brand this year? Worried you don't have the time to do it all or the resources to hire a team member?

A Virtual Assistant might be just the person you need to help your business dreams come true. Are you ready to outsource some work today?

Grace Robinson is the managing director of Eden Assistants, where she oversees 15 fabulous VAs within the creative industry. After years of working as VA herself, she set up Eden Assistants “to help business owners work their magic in their zones of genius”. Individuals and business owners reach out to VAs for several reasons, and Grace comments that most often, it's “when people are looking to grow their brand, and they realise there are so many different skills involved. According to Grace, a VA can step in “when you're looking to outsource things you're not good at or that you don't enjoy”.

“When people are looking to grow their brand, they realise there are so many different skills involved.”

Why do people reach out to a VA for help? Grace comments that when people are looking to grow and realise there are so many different skills involved and challenging for one person to have the skills, resources, experience and time to do everything, they look for a VA! Often they've been recommended to do so from a business coach: to outsource things you're not good at or that you don't enjoy.

“It's when people stop enjoying the work they do. With any business, there are always extra tasks involved that won't be your passion or your core work and take away from your focus.”

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VAS vs INTERNS vs EMPLOYEES Having the time to focus on the parts of your business you thrive in is vital, but why hire someone virtually instead and a real-life employee? From interns to team members, all job roles serve a purpose. Still, Grace reminds us that “to employ someone as a team member is a HUGE commitment. For example, you need HR policies etc. to do it legally, and it is also a big financial commitment”, which isn't for everyone. “That's for when you're at the stage that you cannot cope on your own; you have the money and can invest.”

You may be thinking about hiring an intern, which is a great way to “give young people the opportunity for work experience [and] it's good for outsourcing lower-level jobs that don't require much from you to lead them.” Grace continues that an intern's ability may end there, and when you need more training or experience, a VA is ready and waiting. Unlike a team member, they are insured externally and work alongside updated GDPR rules and regulations.

BARRIERS IN THE INDUSTRY Despite the wealth of benefits of VAs, the industry is still relatively new in some more traditional sectors. Similarly, business owners and brand leaders aren't always aware of the criteria of a VA. They have a wealth of knowledge, and to become a VA takes a lot of skill and training.

Grace comments that “they are excellent problem solvers, they have to do things by themselves a lot of the time. It's a profession in itself!”They have often come from roles as Personal or Executive Assistants and have experience with taking instructions and diversifying.

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That said, they're not super-human, and you're probably not “going to find the perfect unicorn VA that will be able to do everything!” Just like most jobs, all types of role are different, “so it's important to find someone who can do the majority of things you need”. She admits, one “person cannot do everything expertly,” and if you're still lacking, it might be an idea to fill in the gaps with another expert or freelancer.

CHOOSING A VA THAT IS RIGHT FOR YOU How do you get started? Is there a wrong time to start?

The first thing is to “find the right match in terms of skill, expertise and attitude to fulfill your brief and requirements”, Grace tells us, “while some will want to be led, others will take the lead”. It is essential to be clear on the role of your desired VA,“if you're not prepared to welcome a new member of your team, it's not a good time. You need to take time to think about what you want to hand over and how to choose what to delegate.” Think of this time as an investment. In the future, this time and money invested will serve you.

“The more hands, attention and skills in your business means there's more room for your business to grow. It can help to drive your business forward more quickly and easily.”

Ultimately, clear communication is vital when working virtually. It is essential to plan in calls and regular catch-ups as “the better and more precise you are, the better and more efficient the VA will be”.

For additional sources of motivation, Grace recalls the need for comments and praise when deserved. She also suggests introducing them to other team members to make

your VA feel more involved. Don't forget to take time to get to know them, even virtually, and play to their strengths.

AN EVOLVING WORK-SPACE This virtual way of working may have seen alien to many of us pre-COVID 2020, but with the rise of working from home, the VA space is evolving. Grace has noticed a definite increase in demand for VAs and becoming a “new and integral part of the team... The role of the VA and the idea of virtual working has gone up in people's opinions, attitudes and beliefs. You can work from home successfully, and that can do a lot online.

The industry is starting to take VAs more seriously.”

Speaking about business more widely, Grace comments that there has been and will continue to be a lot of redundancies in certain areas due to the pandemic. Many brands and businesses realise that a VA can fill these roles more costeffectively. Without the need for HR, admin policies and desk space, a VA can be very appealing. While there are industry wage averages as conducted by the Society of Virtual Assistants even year in the UK, remember that “good VAs will charge what they're worth [and] rates will vary throughout the country.”

When growing and scaling your brand or small business, trust and enthusiasm are two essential traits you are looking for in any team member. With ever-increasing time and money demands, a VA offers an affordable and flexible way of working to your strengths and theirs. Whether you need a couple of hours a week or a few days a month, there will be a VA out there waiting for you online to fill in the gaps in your business so you can get back to the bits of work that make you feel alive.

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HOW TO EMBRACE BEING VISIBLE

ONLINE Amy Leighton is an experienced presence coach and self-confidence mentor, and we invited her to share her wisdom with our collective.

Here she reveals all of her best tips to give yourself the boost you need, so show up and get visible in 20210 and beyond.

Written by Amy Leighton

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orking with women on their selfconfidence, I want to highlight three things to equip them with critical tools to help them get more visible.

From looking at visibility with value to channelling our energy and nerves in a way that will benefit us, I will explain the 1% rule. Read on for more about this rule, but it's one of my favourite things to build habits and help us get visible.

Whether you are right at the beginning of your journey, need to brush up on your skills, or whether you are an experienced Pro at being visible for your business, all of these tips apply.

Firstly, let's get visible. For some reason, whenever I am, whenever I use this phrase, I always get embarrassed. Now there's that song that goes, “let's get visible. Visible is noise. Let's get physical, physical.” But what do you mean, Olivia Newton-John? I don't know. When we are thinking of visibility, it's essential to clarify what this means.

“We need to establish how we can

help ourselves get visible in a way that feels good for us.”

Back to the basics and build a solid foundation. When I use the word visibility, I refer to the act of showing up and putting your face to your brand or your business.

For example, speaking to the camera on Instagram could be doing stories, doing lives on Instagram, or Facebook Lives. It could be doing podcasts. There are so many different ways to get visible, and we can put our face to our brand or business.

The reason why this is important is that more than ever, we are craving that human connection.

Gone are the days of beautifully curated captions, doing it justice. Gone are the days of beautifully put together grid feeds being enough. Gone are the days of us just being able to hide behind words and our products. What people want now

is the human connection behind the product or the service that they're buying.

People buy from people. So, if we are not showing up for whatever we're offering, we're doing ourselves a disservice.

We need to establish how we can help ourselves get visible in a way that feels good for us.

WHAT IS HOLDING YOU BACK? More often than not, something holds us back from showing up and allowing us to show up in the way that we want to.

There's this ubiquitous buzzword now, and I don't like using it, but it's true. And it's the word authentic.

What is holding us back from us showing up as ourselves in the way that we want to? What is that, and nine times out of 10, it will be something along the lines of “I'm worried about what people are going to say about me.”

For example: “I've just turned my Instagram profile over from private to business. I'm worried about what people from my old corporate job are going to wonder about me.” Perhaps you have “shown up” once before, and you didn't quite have the engagement that you wanted to. So there's a minor niggle that maybe it's not the most effective way to connect with your audience.

What is holding you back? What is it that is stopping you? It might also be that when you do show up, you feel it's all got to be perfect, and you've got to know what you're saying once we start to assess that we can work from there. Then we can begin to say “Okay. Well, if something here isn't working for us, how can we start to reframe that? And how can we start to change it so that we do show up in the way we want to?”

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REAFFIRM YOUR VALUES Now, Queen Brene, aka Brene Brown, says Integrity is choosing courage over comfort. You choose what is right over what is fun, fast or easy. And you decide to practise your values rather than simply professing them.

I'm bringing this into play here because when we see people going live or see people getting visible in their business, we often hold the perception that people are confident. We often have this belief that people know what they're doing, and they're smashing it, while “I could never be like them”.

Most people are feeling some sort of nerves. But, if we can lead from a place of integrity, if we can lead with our values in mind, as opposed to doing what everybody else is doing, we will come across so much more effectively.

If we follow what others are doing, while it may work for them, it might not work for who we are in the situation we're in. So it's essential as part of our background work that we tap back into our integrity and lead from courage. And that we realise that actually, we're in it for the long game.

What is the point of having one successful live session and then not working again? If we can lead from that place of

“By becoming 1% better every day for a year, we’re going to have a huge impact and foster change.”

integrity, if we can lead from a place of our values, then we will feel so much more confident with the content that we are putting out there and showing up as ourselves.

What are your values? For example, mine are kindness, honesty, openness, being supportive to people and showing compassion. So for me to show up, if I'm showing up and I'm telling people, “you have to do this, you have to do that”, that's not me leading from a place of integrity. Now, I've done that previously. If you scroll right back through my Instagram feed, you'll see me doing that because that's what I thought I had to do to be successful.

When I am showing up online, I am holding that space for those people who want to be there and myself,

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and I am kind to myself. Whatever happens, is going to happen, and we're all human.

If I completely fluff up, it doesn't matter. If no one turns up, it doesn't matter because I never know who's gonna be watching on replay. But if we can start to drill down into what our values are and lead from there, we will feel so much better about it.

CHANNEL YOUR FEAR INTO SOMETHING GOOD Once we've started to tap into those values, we need to think about how to channel that energy. I've got my values, I've tapped into them, I have a vague idea that I'm gonna hold this space and that I'm going to keep this space for myself and the people who want to come and join me.

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Nothing happens overnight, but if we can begin to do this practice regularly and be consistent with it, we can change that fear into excitement.

On a scientific level, we will start developing those new neural pathways within our brain. Then we will allow ourselves to begin to feel better about showing up because we understand the need to channel that energy effectively.

With the idea of being confident and having some consistency behind it, and creating those new neural pathways, I want to introduce the book Atomic Habits by James Clear. It is a fantastic read, and I would highly recommend it. He talks about this idea of becoming 1% better every day. It refers to the little habits you start to bring into your day to day routine, no matter how small. This idea of atomic habits is based on a book called Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg.

Both books talk about making a tiny habit or identifying something small you can change. These changes will not take a tremendous amount of time, and they won't feel like a giant leap. But it's something that you're going to be able to do day after day after day. It's going to help you to become 1% better.

As you can see, by becoming 1% better every day for the year, we're going to have a huge impact and foster change. So what can we do?

“But oh my goodness me. I've got all these nerves, and my hands are shaking, and I've got a dry mouth, and I can't quite get myself to press that like button.”

If that is the case, remember this quote: fear is excitement without breath.

That means that when we are nervous or when we feel fear, and when we're excited, we get that same rush of adrenalin.

It's how we use it that will make all the difference. So, for example, if we're nervous, we like to breathe from our chests.

However, if we can then start to take some deep breaths into our diaphragms, we will calm ourselves down, and we're going to begin to lead from that place of excitement. Equally, instead of telling ourselves, “I'm nervous, I'm nervous, I'm nervous,” let's start to think, “I'm excited, I'm excited, I'm excited”.

We should practice: “I am excited”, instead of “I'm nervous”.

Equally, it could try jumping on somebody else's Live video.

We could share a little comment or even try taking part in a session. If you want to appear on someone's Q&A or talk to their podcast, go and ask them! These actions will come about due to the little minute actions that you can repeat every day that will come together to make a difference.

So my last question to you is: how can you get 1% more visible every day? The question is: how can you get 1% more confident about becoming visible every day?

If you want a bit more human to human connection, especially this year, please reach out to Amy and find out more about her work online and on her social media.

MORE INFORMATION Website: amyleighton.com

Instagram: @amyleighton

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OPTIMISATION FOR WEBSITE AND SEO Search Engine Optimisation can significantly impact your website and discoverability, yet is constantly changes. Learn how to show your site on top of rankings.

In conversation with Khaleelah Jones

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ne sunny Springtime afternoon, we sat down with SEO queen, Khaleelah Jones, to reveal how to harness the power of Search Engine Optimisation and how to understand the basics. With over a decade of digital marketing expertise, Khaleelah is the owner and founder of Careful Feet Digital Agency and co-CEO at Ada’s List, a global community supporting women in tech.

She is a 2020 WomenInTech 100 winner, a finalist for the 2020 NatWest everywoman awards, winner of the 2018 Next Women Pitch Competition, Khaleelah has a PhD in emerging media, an MBA and has worked in the marketing industry for over a decade! It is safe to say she knows her stuff.

WHAT IS SEO? Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) can significantly impact your website and discoverability, and far too often, it may feel too overwhelming. It’s the process of optimising your content online in a way that stands out, which makes search engines like Google show your site on top of search rankings for a particular keyword.

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That said, Khaleelah reveals that SEO is far more than simply throwing in a few keywords to your posts. This is one major misconception about SEO today. There is a lot of data and strategy that needs to be considered and not just the classic keywords.

There is also a lot to be said about the user experience and the other personal business-related aspects that happen off your website, which also have a huge role in discussing SEO. “Think of SEO as a more holistic practice and an overall experience on and off the website... it’s about making your website the best recommendation for others to use” A website is a two-way relationship: it’s a place for users to find answers and the content they are looking for. It is also a space for the creative to offer their service efficiently to their niche audience. With this in mind, the user experience side of SEO is more important than ever. You need to understand how you guide users through your content and not just on your website itself but how it connects with your social media channels, for example.

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IS SEO STILL RELEVANT? When the user experience appears more of a persuading factor than ever, is SEO still relevant? Khaleelah affirms that it is:

“It comes down to what your strategy is,

and it depends on why you have a website or create content? Why have a website if you don’t want people to find it? Or even social media?”

She also points out that while many of us understand the benefits of using Ads to drive traffic to our content, we are less likely to concern ourselves with SEO, which acts as a free traffic guide.

While you may have to invest more time understanding SEO best practices and making them work for you, you will experience the benefits in the long term. For example, it’s a good idea to work out where the best places to put your keywords are. A meta description is not something that Google considers, whereas keywords can be found on the page itself, in the titles, in the URL and in the HTML. Check out the MAZE blog, which helps direct you to where to put keywords to rank for those keywords.

A NEW ALGORITHM? If you thought algorithm updates were only for Instagram (much to our dismay), think again. Khaleelah reveals that there is going to be a significant algorithm update in May for SEO. The change will shift from SEO being mainly keyword orientated (slowly being phased out) to focus on search intent and user experience.

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The new update will ask the question: how can search engines match users with the best results? It will take into account reviews of your website, the time people spend on your website as these pointers are signs that it’s easy to navigate, that people love it, and you’re providing quality content.

• Think about the way Google understands what your page is about. Make sure you have relevant keywords! Be as specific as possible as Google also relies on semantically related keywords, and this will ensure users find you for precisely the right reasons.

That said, keywords are never going to go away completely.

The way Google scans and reads your site means that it still needs language queues to tell users what your site is about.

Therefore, if you’re new to SEO, start with keywords on your website as it indicates what your site is about and makes sure to put them in the relevant places.

SEO AND SOCIAL MEDIA There is a lot of awareness today about SEO keywords and the link with social media around images and more accessible social media. Social media searches and exposure rely on hashtags, which we “search” for. There is a search function for tags, people, places. “Think about social media as its mini search engine.”

Three basic implementations for today: • Make sure your page is mobile optimised! Many people assume their page is mobile optimised, but a lot of them aren’t.

Download plugins or check online to see how mobile-friendly your site is, given that a large proportion of users consume content through mobile devices.

• Check your google analytics! You can see where most of your website hits come from, as in which pages are the most frequently visited and see how much traffic is coming from mobile vs desktop users.

It is important to optimise your social pages to facilitate ease of use and search-ability. Khaleelah recommends using camelcase, where you capitalise the first letter of every word in your hashtags, so it is easier to read and pull apart what you’re trying to say. e.g. #CreativeImpact.

Another bonus of having your social media optimised is that Google considers “trust signals”. These signals refer to what goes on outside your website (but those

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P R O S E CT I O N

linked to your website). If your social channels have great engagement, Google believes you’re a legitimate entity and have a service to offer worth suggesting to users.

Another social media platform that is a massive driver of traffic is Pinterest, as long as the people who are on Pinterest are your ideal audience. Consider who is using Pinterest and see if this aligns with your ideal website user or client. Keep this in mind also when creating pins/content for Pinterest. It is essential to have “a good transition from the Pinto website” and accurately represent the content they can find by clicking the pin.

Three tips to boost your website/user experience optimisation • Make your website and purpose clear. When you build a website, you assume that what you are doing is apparent to outsiders, but this isn’t always the case. Try to think about

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when people come to your website organically for the first time. What do they see? Once they click on it, you have 3-5 seconds to clear who you are and how you are fulfilling their needs. You can achieve this in a couple of sentences that get to the point of what/who you are. Top tip: go back and re-read your site and ask someone else to give their opinion and check your bounce rate for your website, too.

• Time spent on your pages. We take it for granted that people will spend a lot of time reading our content to take the following action step or click on our calls to action. In reality, this isn’t true, so make your calls to action explicit, in your face and crystal clear.

• Look at competitor sites. It is always healthy to check out your competition as it provides the opportunity to see what they are doing that is working and not working. You can liberally emulate what you love and also know how you can do other areas better.

P R O S E CT I O N

THE FUTURE OF HOW WE CONSUME CONTENT With the rise of audio-only platforms like Clubhouse and the increasing popularity of visual/image-based sites, it is not surprising that Google and SEO are adapting. With that in mind, it’s important to remember that Google will always need text to “read” what the site is about. When you create content, whether that is visual or audio, Khaleelah reminds us of the need to make the description text as accurate as possible.

“A happy website user returns time and time again and stays there for longer.”

podcasts. Google looks at how fresh and updated your content is and is more likely to find and push relevant content.

“USER EXPERIENCE IS KEY!” In the future, it seems clear that SEO will remain essential for driving traffic to our content but that the experience users have when they are on our websites is even more critical.

Creating a site that loads quickly, is mobile-optimised and is very clear on its aims, services and calls to action will only help users navigate your site and make them want to stay online for longer. A happy website user returns time and time again (and recommends you to their friends). They leave glowing reviews and Google will believe, it too.

MORE INFORMATION

It is what Khaleelah referred to as the “barometer of freshness” and works in the same ways like social media and

Website: carefulfeet.me

Instagram: @careful_feet_digital

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CREATIVE IMPACT

WELLBEING DID YOU KNOW? In less than two hours, waste produced in the UK would fill the Albert Hall in London.

Sustainability

WELLBEING

CR E ATIVE I M PACT TO P PI CKS

WHAT’S NEW IN WELLNESS

With brand new “wellness” products out every day, it’s hard to stay on top of what is worth the hype. Don’t worry, we have rounded up a few of our absolute favourites in this latest top picks: what’s new in wellness.

We have everything you need to get summer ’21 off to the best start. Kick back with delicious refreshing non-alcoholic drinks and scrumptious cookie bites.

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1. Scintilla Fresh-Faced Cleansing Milk - £18, 2. Oat Avenue Granola Butter - £10.99 for a set of 2, 3. Mockingbird Esmeralda Cerveza 330ml Non-Alcoholic Beer (12 Pack) - £26.99, 4. Raw Bake Station Crookies Taster Box - 9.99, 5. Nutravita Mind & Mood Range - from £9.99, 6. AQUIS AQUIS Copper Sure Rapid Dry Hair Wrap™ - £30, 7. Fabalous Chickpea Chocolate Spread - from £4.99, 8. Kibtea Mint, Lemongrass, Moringa - 3.99, 9. Higher Nature UK Digital Defence Day and Night Protection Serum - £40,

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WELLBEING

FI N D I N G GR ACE WITH HAN NAH

How to protect yourself from energy vampires You may have been in a situation where someone drained your energy. Our columnist Hannah shares practical tips to help you deal with energy vampires.

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s we interact and go about our daily lives, we will come into contact with many people. Some of us are more open than others, and by this, I mean more empathic; therefore, we feel things more.

reclaim our power, and this begins with taking control of your inner world by doing things that can strengthen and protect us from energy vampires. Let’s be honest; you can come across them anywhere: having a daily practice is crucial.

Have you ever been in a room or around someone and came away feeling a bit drained? You’ve probably been in a situation where someone has drained your energy. It can be more personal because you know them, or it’s just that you’ve come into contact with someone or a place that had a draining impact on you.

I always suggest a ten-minute meditation practice to everyone, not just for energy protection but also because it heightens awareness and brings us back to our calm centre. These 10 minutes lay an essential foundation to create, and I would recommend finding one that works for you.

First, I want to clarify that we don’t want to go around calling people “bad”, and we can’t always

“Self-awareness is the best guide you have against energy draining situations” avoid things. However, we can get clever with this, and it’s about using your discernment. It may be essential for you to try and avoid some places, but it’s important to be flexible with this, but get clear on your boundaries.

First off, be aware of your triggers and how you feel, for instance, when you go to certain places.

As with all things, awareness is everything, we are all different, so this is important. Get clear with this, next gain awareness of people who may be a trigger in your life, do this without judgment.

We have to take personal responsibility first and

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Before you can protect yourself, you need to clear yourself. Firstly ground yourself with roots coming through your feet into the earth, then visualise white light clearing your body and energy field.

You can use an aura spray which I love to do, or something like sage or palo santo (please be aware of necessary cultural appropriation with these two things).

Next, imagine any cords or attachments; the more you practise this, the easier it becomes to cut and clear them. Visualise a golden or violet flame around your energy body, and finally, a mirrored ball around you. Lastly, affirm, “I am safe, protected and in my centre.” Aura sprays are great to top you up throughout the day and do before bed to clear yourself.

Lastly, I leave you with this; no day do we feel the same; on some, we may feel more sensitive than others. Learn to understand your rhythms and protect yourself first. @thehannahwallace

WELLBEING

AFFI R M ATI O N

“If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration.”

Nikola Tesla

AUTHOR BIO

Find out more about Hannah, writer, blogger, and podcaster at @thehannahwallace or head to Hannah’s website to download her free meditation.

WELLBEING

How meditation affects your brain Dr. Steven Laureys explores the effect of meditation on the brain, using hard science to explain the benefits of a practice that was once thought of as purely spiritual.

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know that feeling all too well.

Always running behind on schedule, trying to juggle everything. Driving the kids around, keeping up with work.

While I kept raising the bar for myself, I felt that instead of getting by, I was actually losing track of myself. Instead of finding balance in life, I kept pushing and shifting my boundaries

– and now I know that feeling all too well. Always running behind on schedule, trying to juggle everything.

Driving the kids around, keeping up with work. While I kept raising the bar for myself, I felt that instead of getting by, I was actually losing track of myself. Instead of finding balance in life, I kept pushing and shifting my boundaries – and not for the better.

THE NO-NONSENSE MEDITATION BOOK: A scientist's guide to the power of meditation Read Steven's latest book now, by going to bit.ly/nononsense-book Steven Laureys MD PhD is an award-winning neurologist and neuroscientist recognised worldwide as a leading clinician and researcher in the field of the neurology of consciousness. He is the former president of the Association for the Scientific Study of Consciousness and has published over 500 scientific articles on the workings of the human mind.

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And that was where mindfulness meditation turned things around for me. Meditation has become my pause button, always there to ground me in the moment when life is passing me by. I often take a few minutes to myself in between consultations with patients to reset and declutter my state of mind.

However, a lot of confusion arises when I coin the word ‘meditation’. I noticed that it has somewhat become a trendy buzz word, even. So let me first clarify what meditation is not. It does not entail mysterious practices.

It is not solely preserved for Buddhas and zen masters. Your brain is not suddenly exempt from thoughts.

You do not transcend into nirvana

WELLBEING

TOP TIPS 1 | THE 4 A’s Anybody, anywhere, anytime, anyhow.

As I already mentioned, anyone can engage in the practice of meditation.

Make the most out of your travel, your commute or your walk in the park.

2 | TAKE A HIKE Spending time in nature can help activate all senses. When feeling overwhelmed, it helps to mute digital stimuli such as notifications that don’t really need an answer right away.

Instead, pay attention to the light, the sounds, the smell, the energy around you. Don’t worry if your mind keeps wandering off… you will still have a beautiful hike to look back on.

3 | COUNT YOUR BREATHS It can be as easy as it sounds. Count 4 seconds while inhaling, hold your breath for 4 seconds, and exhale for 4 seconds. If you would like to take it up a notch, or if you keep getting distracted, you can always follow a guided meditation on YouTube or the Headspace app.

overnight and it is surely not a magical cure-all for your problems. Actually, it’s much simpler than all that.

There are so many misconceptions around the practice of meditation, that I decided to write The No-Nonsense

Meditation Book, focusing on the scientific aspect of the benefits of long-time practice of meditation.

What is actually happening in your brain when you meditate? Because of course, I am first and foremost a scientist. While aiming to demystify the stereotypes around meditation, I also intend to raise awareness to how easy it all can be. Trust me, if I am able to do it (and I am surely no zen master), you surely are too. Even your grandmother, the boy next door, the mail man – meditation is for everyone who is willing to try with an open mind. Because that is exactly what meditation is all about: looking at life without judgment, while fully aware of the present moment. Accepting the monkey mind and letting things go.

There are so many low-threshold ways to practice mindfulness, and more importantly, there is no ‘one’ right way to do it. Who knows, maybe you already have been meditating all your life without knowing.

If you do happen to become a zen master after some time – that’s great, kudos to you! But if you don’t, that is just fine as well. But most importantly, find out what works best for you.

Because in the end, mindfulness is more of a way of looking at life than carrying out a few exercises. Really make it your own, and have fun!

MORE INFORMATION Instagram: @DrStevenLaureys Twitter: @DrStevenLaureys

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TOP PLANNERS 1. SugarFancy Co SugarFancy Co Planner - £15.07, 2. Dream Life Dream Life Workbook - £35.44, 3. Black Daily Goal Setter Black Daily Goal Setter Planner - £21.95, 4. This Time Next Year This Time Next Year Planner - £25, 5. The Inspired Stories The Inspired Stories weekly planner - £29, 6. Power of 3® Power of 3® Planner - £22.95,

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WELLBEING

The business of plants

By Lauren Lovatt

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he last year has been challenging for all businesses; whether large or small, we’ve all been affected somehow. As companies open up again, we face new hurdles, a lack of staffing and recent consumer trends, so how can we adapt to this new world? Some may suggest the business of plants.

For myself, as the founder of Plant Academy, we began with a vision to inspire passion through plants and help more entrepreneurs start plant-based businesses because we saw a lack of indeed targeted courses out there for people wanting to create their conscious concepts. Our Last onsite course, Plant Three, focused on teaching this idea of plant-based business, and 15 months on everything is significantly different, but what is it about Pant based business that shows true agility, sustainability and a vision for the future?

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All photography: Sara Kiyo Popowa

Plant-based business can be defined in a few ways, starting with a company that focuses on plant-based ingredients, whether food, beverage, cosmetics or otherwise. I would say that Plant-based goes beyond the ingredients used and into a way of conducting conscious business. It is future thinking and truly aware of its positive and negative impact, whilst always being active in implementing practices to influence and create in sustainable ways.

WELLBEING

Because of the pandemic trends in sustainability and health are going up tenfold. Sustainability has gone from a nice-to-have to need-to-have in recent years, and although we have seen big businesses needing to up their green credentials, a system change is what is now essential. Plant-based businesses are the link between wanting to change and making it easy for people to consume consciously, not only through good products but through their marketing, placement and aspirational concept curation.

Here in London, Plant-Based businesses are commonplace, but many incredible concepts are emerging overseas to share this vision with people around the world. HOY is Paris’ trailblazing Plant-Based hotel, an idea with a plant-based restaurant, yoga

“Plant-based businesses are the link between wanting to change and making it easy for people to consume consciously.”

Shala and sustainably focused rooms.

“Hoy is quite a different hotel as we are oriented to wellbeing, an industry which has been evolving and progressing over the past 5-6 years. I think that this year helped people to change their lifestyle and mood quicker and faster. They want to have a good impact on their environment. People are less afraid of wellness practices as they need to turn to natural remedies rather than medicine.” Charlotte Gomez de Orozco, founder of HOY Closer to home, there are many plant-based concepts, like Mother in Hackney Wick, who has gone from café, to shop to veg box scheme and back to thriving business because of their creativity and agility.

“A new range of customers are coming to MOTHER who are curious about the benefits of eating more

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plants and less meat. The pandemic has given people the chance to slow down, and in turn, think more about their food choices. Whether it’s for their health, the planet, or the animals - eating less meat is a great way to go, and we continue to make delicious alternatives.

We’ve adapted by making our food easy to access throughout the ever-

changing hospitality service landscape.

Utilizing our Canalside take away hatch and delivery channels, we haven’t had to close for a single day during the lockdown, which seems to have been appreciated by the community” Charlie, Mother Co-Founder.

Even world-renowned restaurants have reconsidered their offer, take the example of Eleven Madison Park, a notable three Michelin star restaurant in New York, which this postpandemic is reopening vegan.

“When I started thinking in creative ways, I knew we couldn’t go back to what we were doing before. As an expert in this field, I couldn’t ignore all the things happening in the food industry. It’s a fact that it’s not sustainable to continue the way it is.

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are luxurious has to be rethought, and, in many cases, we’re holding onto old ideas. For me, if there was one time to break free from this and show a different way, it would be now” Daniel Humm ‘we’re back video’.

Ingredients are critical in this time because of the positive impact wellsourced plants have on our planet and how we can think differently about how we grow and our impact on the world. Urban farms, like HARVEST, Organic and biodynamic focused suppliers like Shrub are all part of this system, making sustainable food the priority.

Beyond food, there are people making products, photographers, influencers and beyond all carving their way to share positive plant-based ideas with the world. As we do need to act now, these people and concepts make a new way of living possible for us all.

MORE INFORMATION Website: plantacademy.co.uk Instagram: @plantacademylondon

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WELLBEING

BOOKSHELF

BE THE CHANGE

There is nothing like sitting in the summer sunshine with an ice cold drink and a good book to get lost into.

This month we have some great ones for you from our book club pick all the way to a selection of books to inspire you to live a greener and more sustainable life.

JOIN OUR EXCITING COLLECTIVE BOOK CLUB Are you looking to get inspired by the latest book of the moment? We believe that reading together can help reflecting on the lessons learned along the way.

Read along with fellow members, explore our top pick for the coming fortnight and meet the author in our Book Club, available via the Creative Impact collective creativeimpact.group/collective/

WHAT WE’RE READING HOW TO BE HOPEFUL BERNADETTE RUSSELL

(ELLIOTT & THOMPSON LTD)

Whether we’re grieving or afraid, worn down by everyday troubles or relentless bad news, there is always hope. As an expert on the multiple benefits of hope and kindness, Bernadette Russell reveals how hope can be nurtured by all of us. This book by writer and activist Bernadette Russell celebrates hope as an essential and courageous thing to envisage, create and connect within our everyday lives. Bernadette shows us the places we can look for hope and ways to keep it alive despite the challenges we face.

This book opens our eyes to how we can encourage hope in our communities. With tips and case studies of everyday ‘heroes’, it will inspire you to act with renewed hope for a more compassionate world.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR bernadetterussell.com

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Click on the books to get sales link

WELLBEING

REWILD YOUR LIFE

SARAH STIRLING (HARDIE GRANT)

Speaking a lot of home truths, Sarah Stirling reveals how we are over-attached to technology and ultimately the Western world has never been so disconnected from nature. Rewild Your Life is here to help you tune up your personal connection to nature with 52 seasonal indoor and outdoor projects. The book shows us how connecting more deeply with the natural world is key to keeping the environment alive, while simultaneously bringing joy and wonder back into every day.

OUR BIGGEST EXPERIMENT

ALICE BELL (COUNTERPOINT PRESS, BLOOMSBURY)

Alice Bell is a climate campaigner and writer based in London and “Our Biggest Experiment” tells the story of Eunice Newton Foote, an American scientist and women’s rights campaigner who warned the world in 1856 that an atmosphere heavy with carbon dioxide could send temperatures soaring. Bell also dives into many other scientists, chronicles our energy state, offers an understanding of climate change and our current crisis. The message of the book is ultimately hopeful; by harnessing the correct research and intelligence, we can reach a more sustainable and bearable future for humanity.

THE GREEN INDOORS

MADDIE BAILEY AND ALICE BAILEY (HARDIE GRANT)

Are you a fellow plant lover and looking for the perfect plant for your home? This brand new book is your answer. The Green Indoors focuses on working with the plants you already own and matches awkward spaces in your home with environments in the natural world to show how you can relocate plants to help them thrive. This book is divided into chapters detailing all the possible conditions: Extreme Sun/Heat, Dry Air/Central Heating, Deep Shade, High Humidity, Draughty, Cold. Fear not, they also cover what to do when all hope is lost!

A LIFE LESS THROWAWAY TARA BUTTON

(HARPER COLLINS)

Tara Button has become a champion of a lifestyle called ‘mindful curation’ - a way of living in which we carefully choose each object in our lives, making sure we have the best, most classic, most pleasing and longest lasting - kettles, desks, pots & pans, scissors, coats and dresses, instead of surrounding ourselves with throwaway stuff and appliances with built-in obsolescence. Tara advocates a life that celebrates what lasts, what is classic and what really suits a person. There are 10 steps to master mindful curation and each is explained in this book, from understanding and using techniques to freeing yourself from external manipulations.

DID YOU KNOW Did you get the latest book from Creative Impact founder Fab Giovanetti?

Reclaim your time off offers practical steps to help with remote and flexible working, so you don’t ‘burnout’.

ORDER TODAY fabgiovanetti.com/reclaim

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WELLBEING

“MAKING MATTERS”

thick gloopy paint to a canvas, and the experience of being absorbed wholly in the task.

Scientifically, creativity in its widest sense, is dependent upon an increase in the production of dopamine and alpha waves in the brain, which occurs when one is in a more relaxed state of mind, and different areas of our brain are literally being activated and deactivated. Being creative also requires a move into a zone of “Playfulness”, the permission to have fun, and the

willingness to make mistakes. Studies have repeatedly shown that the benefits of engaging in creative pursuits reveal themselves in numerous ways. They have the ability to calm difficult and otherwise unexpressed emotions, reducing stress and anxiety levels, to increasing one’s self esteem through achievement, perhaps beyond former expectations, and inspiring new ideas and ways of thinking.

Although tragically often completely side-lined, art, craft and design should be seen as a valuable part of every stage within our education system. Early exposure to sensory experiences is vital for developing our sense of self, nurturing our well-being, and allowing creativity to flourish. The capacity to think critically, creatively, and use one’s imagination, as well as developing aesthetic and functional awareness, should be nurtured. This inevitably benefits the way other subjects within the curriculum are learned and experienced. The Creative Industries now contribute significantly to the UK’s and several other economies, and it seems incongruous not to

Photo: © studio Alvaro Catalán de Ocón

Photo: © studio Alvaro Catalán de Ocón

Experiencing an unfamiliar lack of control over our own destinies, and a disruption in our routines, in which new rules and necessary adaptations have been applied, the impetus for shaping and forming something tangible, as a coping mechanism for some people, both consciously and less so, is clearly a very basic human instinct. On a purely sensual level, there is something very soothing and comforting about the “Slow” and “Mindful” repetitive motion of a needle stitching cloth, or the application of

Photo: © Robbie Wolfson

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eldom before have we been so constantly reminded of our capacity for creativity, and our deep need for selfexpression, as when the COVID Pandemic took hold and severely restricted our lives. In a matter of weeks, evidenced across social media platforms such as Tik-Tok, Pinterest, and Instagram, people were discovering their newfound skills in baking sourdough bread, making latch-hook rugs, and fashioning bowls and platters from self-hardening clay.

The practise and purpose of craft.

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WELLBEING

Photo: © Monkeybiz

SHEDDING THE SHACKLES: Women’s Empowerment Through Craft Readers can head over to www.bloomsbury.com for purchasing information

recognise the role these subjects play in this context.

There are profound benefits in including creativity, -singing, dance, basket-weaving, painting, and so much more, within the treatment plans of so many areas of healthcare; for cancer patients, stroke rehabilitation, sufferers from Alzheimer’s and different types of dementia, and for those suffering from PTSD and other areas of mental health.

I can speak at length from my own experience, over several decades of engaging and working with groups of people, young and old, on community textile projects, and running workshops teaching the techniques of my craft, of the very visible power of making art in collaborative settings. I have constantly witnessed the differences that occur for people between the beginning and end of a session.

Working together on a particular creative project seems to bring about both socially and creatively therapeutic benefits. Not only are they a valuable part of making something which they hope will reveal a pleasing end result; but whilst their hands have been busy, the process of making

with others has generated a certain increasing level of camaraderie and intimacy in the most unthreatening of ways. It has so often provided an arena where it is possible to exchange useful information, experience the joy of the birth of someone’s first grandchild, and gradually mourn the loss of a loved one.

In researching and writing Shedding the Shackles: Women’s Empowerment Through Craft, my own creative practice and my obvious interest in materials and making processes has naturally led me to look at both female craft practices which address issues of female empowerment, and feminocentric cultures trans-globally, and the formation of women’s craft social enterprises. Frequently using ancient techniques, which have been learned and passed down from generation to generation, it has been fascinating to investigate their survival, development, and suitability for today’s consumer market, and how all these factors might have socially and economically impacted upon the women themselves, and their communities. Often offering them mentoring, social, technical,

Lynne Stein is a textile artist, and originally trained as an exhibition and display designer, and as an art therapist. Lynne’s work has been widely exhibited and she has been featured in magazines and journals as well as on BBC radio and TV broadcasts. Frequently running workshops, and giving talks and demonstrations, she has taught extensively in a variety of community, educational and healthcare settings, and within museums and galleries.

and economic support, as well as the flexibility of being able to fit their work within domesticity and childcare, for many of the female enterprises featured, handicraft represents their very means of survival, and the ability to put food on the table. As one female South African bead worker says, ”I now feel that the work has taken me away from poverty, and as a single mother I am able to raise my children and send them to school.”

MORE INFORMATION Instagram: @Lynnestein @Herbert.press Twitter: @Lynne_stein @BloomsburyBooks

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WELLBEING

MY SUSTAINABILITY

JOURNEY WITH CLAUDIA, FOUNDER OF CIRCLA

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very year, 2.1 billion units of packaging is produced by the beauty industry and only 1% of that is reused. Despite what we’ve been told, it’s a mess that won’t be solved by recycling. As one of many consumers disillusioned with the UK’s plastic-heavy, recycling-focused way of doing things, Claudia Gwinnutt wanted a change.

What was your reason for starting Circla? Like a lot of people, over the last few years I've become more aware of the damage our consumption is having on the planet. However, when I started looking into switching too more planet friendly options, the alternatives often meant I had to sacrfice on the quality or convenience of the products I was already using, alongside this it was also an absolute

minefield to navigate what was actually sustainable or just marketing greenwash! I wanted to launch something whereby choosing the most sustainably option did not feel like a compromise or a chore but instead something that could be seamlessly integrated into our everyday. For us putting our your empties for a refill should be as much a positive intentional act as cleansing your face.

What’s next for Circla? I'm so excited that we're finally working on our packaging. Up until now, we’ve used existing packaging solutions — a mixture of glass and aluminium for a lot of the products, with a plastic pump. The pump is something we ask customers to hold onto but, whilst they're reusable a couple of times, after a while they become a waste

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stream. That’s why we've started working with a packaging designer to decide which packaging material would have the least impact on the planet and how we can make sure our bottles can be reused for up to 100 times.

What headline would you love to read about Circla in the future?

I'd love to see us be able to roll out across the UK. A circular economy, with reuse models that place the convenience and the customer at the heart, really is the future. But at the moment we're limited operationally by having to be London-focused, so seeing Circla rolled out across the UK would be a dream come true.

What are three pieces of advice you’d give to someone just starting out on their sustainability journey?

For me, the first one is: don't give up.

Don't be overwhelmed, and definitely don't be made to feel guilty. Life is to be enjoyed, we all want nice things,

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we all deserve to be treated and to treat ourselves with stuff that makes us feel good. As you embark on your sustainability journey, just keep trying, find what suits you, and be easy on yourself. Secondly, don’t try and start all at once. You need to find something sustainable to your lifestyle, and small switches are the best way. I love the

quote ‘It’s only one straw… said eight billion people,' and I really do believe in that idea of cumulative impact.

My third piece of advice is that sometimes the sustainability movement, particularly on Instagram, actually leans you into buying lots of stuff. I see a lot of people buying stuff because they don't want to be

shamed, when what they have at home is perfectly good. If you already have an electric toothbrush, or a stockpile of cotton pads, use those first before you find a more sustainable option.

The worst thing you can do is actually throw stuff away, because a lot of that rubbish ends up not being reused or recycled.

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WHY TREES MATTER Exploring the magical qualities of trees with the tree forager Adele Nozedar.

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oraging. You might have noticed that this pastime, which some of us see as a way of life, has been gradually growing in popularity over the last few years until we've come to the point that the lovely people at Creative Impact kindly ask me to talk about it.

But what exactly IS foraging?

Firstly, the technical bit. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, foraging means 'to search widely for food or provisions' or 'to search a place such as to obtain food. Further, a 'forager' is 'a person or animal that searches widely for food or provisions.

In 'The Tree Forager', I recall the tiny crab apples that fell from the trees that lined the grass verge across the path from home. Of course, I ate them. They were toe-curlingly bitter, these tiny dolls' house apples. But I'd found them all by myself. They were mine. I had a relationship with them and an affection that has remained just as strong. Was this the first wild food that I found and ate? I think it must have been. But I was equally happy, as most kids are, digging in the mud in the periphery of the small veg patch at the end of the garden, its prosaic utilitarianism masked off from the prettier and more decorative flowers. Was that foraging too? There's innate curiosity in both. What I do

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TODAY

know is that different foragers have different approaches. Some choose to include animals and birds in the equation. Some specialise in fungi.

Others, like me, are continually amazed by plants.

The foragers that I admire are many and varied. I'd love to have met Euell Gibbons, whose book 'Stalking the Wild Asparagus' is a masterpiece.

He's no longer with us. I'd also love to spend time with the legendary Steve Brill. And in the UK, Robin Harford's colossal knowledge and gentle approach are inspiring.

The people that come to me are keen on learning to identify and use wild plants, and they learn a lot. However, in this process, something else happens, which is much more important. We get to look at the world differently. Foraging can give all your senses a sharp kick up the backside, reminding you that there are colours and scents, and tastes and textures and sounds in the natural world that demand we pay attention!

For me, foraging is a frame for a much bigger picture, the essential part of which is that we are a part of nature; we are always 'in nature, and there's no separation. If we can truly grab hold of this fact, I believe that everything will change for the better. As long as we delude ourselves that we are separate from our environment, then we're pretty doomed. Foraging teaches us to recognise where we are.

'The Tree Forager' describes 40 trees and their uses, medicinal capabilities, edibility and more. My favourites

To find a credible guide, see The Association of Foragers www.foragers-association.org

include, in no particular order. I love Elder for stories, elderflower cordial and for the outrageously high anthocyanin content of the berries, which have kept generations of us healthy. Medlar is a favourite for its strangely medieval vibe and unusual fruits, at their most tasty when left to rot, which makes a natural kimchi. The money puzzle is in great danger from illegal logging practices and needs all the help it can get. I love Yew for its stories and its sheer magic, a tree that is toxic and yet gives us a potent breast-cancer treatment which saved my friend's life.

If you would like to start foraging, begin by looking at a plant that you are already familiar with and that you know it is edible. Find out everything you can about this one plant or tree and continue from there.

MORE INFORMATION Website: breconbeaconsforaging.com Instagram: @hedgerowguru

THE TREE FORAGER: 40 Extraordinary Trees & What to Do with Them Use the link smarturl.it/treeforager for pre-ordering information Adele Nozedar is an author, a food writer and a passionate forager. Her books include Foraging with Kids, The Hedgerow Handbook, and The Garden Forager. A keen forager, Adele has led walks in most parts of the UK as well as in Spain, Italy, Greece and India.

She is the founder of Brecon Beacons Foraging, which offers regular foraging courses designed to scintillate the senses and help us find the edible plants that are around us.

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PSYCH O LOGIS T CO RN ER WITH J OAN NA

How to get used to reentering the world with a healthy mindset Ways to relieve your stress and enjoy your first taste of life without restrictions.

T

he government's roadmap out of lockdown is slowly reaching its final stages, and life is beginning to feel normal again. With pub gardens flourishing with keen beer drinkers and shopping centres packed with people seeking out the best post-lockdown deals, we're relishing the chance to socialise with friends outside of our bubbles. Whilst many will rejoice at the thought of being social again, for others, life after lifted COVID restrictions will come as a struggle.

Don't dwell on what has been lost You have lived through an event that will astound your descendants and will feature in the history books for years to come. Yet, you overcame the difficulties and adapted. Your physical, mental and emotional health, along with your finances and relationships, may all have been adversely affected. Still, it will not serve you well to carry those negative aspects with you into the future.

Focus instead on what you have learned from being in social restrictions and how you can harness that knowledge and experience and use it to improve the outlook for your health and wellbeing in the weeks and months ahead.

Take things slowly The best way to start socialising again is to ease yourself slowly into life after lifted COVID restrictions. There is no pressure to do everything all at once! If you're feeling anxious, try to take

ASK A QUESTION Ask our resident experts questions and each issue

things one step at a time, starting with activities that cause you the least stress before working up to those that cause you the most.

Take stock of where you are now Many people have gained health and well-being benefits from the lockdown. They have improved their work-life balance, developed new interests and made healthy lifestyle changes. But for vast numbers of others, isolation and anxiety have taken their toll. As a result, their mental and physical health may have suffered, and they are reluctant or nervous about going back to how life was before, or perhaps they no longer have that life to go back to. If you are feeling unprepared for the impact of reentering the world, a professional therapist can help you regain your confidence.

Talk to your friends No matter how it may seem, you're certainly not the only person feeling stressed about socialising after lockdown. Whether you are nervous about catching COVID or if you can't seem to face being social again, there will be others around you who feel the same way. Talking to friends and family about your worries may help you find solutions to your stress and make them aware of your concerns, which will help them to understand if you do turn down social plans.

Look forward to a fresh start You are coming out into the world again, like a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis. With the right strategies in place and a positive mindset, it could be a healthy and wonderful place to be.

we'll answer one for the Creative Impact magazine.

Go to bit.ly/AskCIexpert and submit your question

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@healthpsychologyclinic

WELLBEING

The art of

preserving Learn how preserving can help combat food waste with chef Emma MacDonald.

I

grew up in the country, and my family had a garden where we grew vegetables and fruit. Inevitably, we always had a glut of something to pick and use up.

The fruit was often frozen and used in puddings during the winter, and we made the veg into chutneys with all those unripe tomatoes you get if you do not have a greenhouse. I remember fondly the jars lined up in the pantry, which came out with certain meals or was given to friends who came to stay. This memory has been with me ever since and was probably one of the key drivers for how I got into making pickles. I have always been concerned about waste and struggle to throw anything out without saving it (although this does not always work!). I remember my brother being constantly amazed at how I could make a meal out of nothing when he was living in London.

I started my preserve and jam company, The Bay Tree, alongside three children, which has kept me reasonably busy over the last twenty years! I used the business to develop innovative chutney and preserve recipes like Banana and Date Chutney and Grapefruit and Earl Grey

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THE ART OF TODAY PRESERVING: Ancient techniques and modern inventions to capture every season in a jar For pre-ordering information about the book use the quick link smarturl.it/artofpreserving Emma Macdonald, a trained chef, founded The Bay Tree from her mother's kitchen table. Selling into all the major supermarkets and multinational stores, as well as independent delis across the UK, The Bay Tree is now possibly the finest and most popular quality brand provider of pickles, relishes, jams, marinades and chutneys in the country. Emma is also the author of The Bay Tree Home Deli Recipes for Nourish.

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Marmalade. But I have struggled to find time to be creative in the kitchen at home. Writing this book allowed me to get creative again since the book aims to inspire other types of preserving that we cannot make as part of The Bay Tree. For example, the homemade gravlax I learned when I worked in France and the chorizo sausages and chocolate-dipped orange and lemon peel that we made years ago are key ideas to someone looking to preserve all types of food. I hope I can inspire others who may have time to learn and gain confidence in something really quite simple yet so alien to so many. All you need is time, a few empty jars or bottles and a simple understanding of preservation principles to produce some delicious items you can keep for later, give away to friends, or eat for yourself and feel proud of.

Preserving may not seem easy if you live in the city and have no garden, but if you have a local market, you can often get a great deal at the end of the day to be able to make a few jars of something for the larder.

In today's world, we all need to look at how we use food and the waste associated with packaging and convenience.

Much of the destructive waste is created by our busy lives, in which there is little time to spend cooking and feeding ourselves properly, and there are so many other exciting distractions. But I am not convinced that by being so busy

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QUICK AND ESSENTIAL TIPS TO REDUCING WASTE 1 | MY FAVOURITE FOOD TO PRESERVE HAS GOT TO BE RASPBERRIES. There is nothing more sublime than homemade raspberry jam - with just the right acidity to bring out the best flavour. I can never make enough; it is eaten directly from the jar with a spoon in my house. If you're at all tempted by the idea of making your own jam or finding out more about preserving, I recommend starting with raspberry jam. All you need is some raspberries and sugar; make sure the sugar melts before you start boiling your mixture, and then keep stirring until you start to get a set when you take a bit out.

And if it does not set perfectly, it will make a delicious fruity mix on yoghurt.

You'll never look back!

2 | MARINATING SALMON is also a great way to produce a 5-star product out of what has become a commodity.

It is incredible what a bit of salt and sugar can do to transform a side of salmon into a real treat. It requires equal amounts of granulated sugar and rock salt mixed together and laid over a side of salmon to cover. Leave in the fridge for up to 24 hrs then wash off and dry.

You can then flavour your salmon with the zest of lemon and ginger or dill and lemon, whatever you like the taste of.

3 | CHUTNEYS AND RELISHES ARE SIMPLER TO MAKE THAN YOU THINK AND VERY VERSATILE. I love being creative with vegetables to make a chutney or relish. I like to challenge myself to make something from nothing using what is left over, as it always makes me smile to see what I have saved from the bin. That sense of triumph makes it taste even better, so feel free to be as inventive as you like!

4 | CONFIDENCE IS THE KEY with preserving, so make time to understand a bit of biology and what makes food spoil. This knowledge will go a long way in helping you get it right.

In simple terms, sugar, vinegar, and salt help stop yeast, moulds, and bacteria spoiling food. Investing in a pH meter and a thermometer will help significantly overcome some of these. Still, in most cases, any recipe you use will have a high acid or sugar content to allow something to last. But always fill your jars over 85 degrees C and do not open them once the lid is on until you need them.

5 | NEVER LEAVE A BOILING POT OF ANYTHING ON THE HEAT, as the moment you do, it will catch on the bottom. The flavour of burnt ingredients can permeate a whole batch, so be careful to keep an eye on boiling product!

we are very satisfied, and maybe enjoying the simpler things would help us have healthier diets and more general life satisfaction.

Saving food and waste is becoming, and probably has been for some time, critical to our climate, so one way to do your part in helping the climate crisis is converting food for long-term use and finding ways to use up the food in your fridge before it goes bad.

There are so many ways to reduce waste, including freezing leftovers or making them into another meal.

Don't buy what you do not need, and make time to cook properly, which will reduce the amount of packaging thrown away from readymade food. Buy from your farmers market, local market stalls or greengrocers, where there is less packaging, and you are likely to find a great deal on some ripe produce which you could turn into a jam or a sauce for a pasta dish.

All of these ideas are little ways that accumulate to help benefit your diet and save the planet.

I know that it is hard to change the way we live, but small steps lead to big change. Perhaps most critically of all, we need to teach the next generation how to cook, to inspire them to live healthy and tastier lives.

MORE INFORMATION Website: thebaytree.co.uk

Instagram: @thebaytreefoodco

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DID YOU KNOW? In 1686, a Sicilian fisherman produced the first gelato maker. He opened Café Procope serving ice creams in Paris.

Heritage

AN ODE TO HERITAGE THROUGH FOOD Interview with Zoe Alakija by Amy Lanza

Z

oe Alakija is a British-Nigerian cookery writer and art director, and she is the author of the brand new cookbook Afro Vegan: Family recipes from a British-Nigerian kitchen.

As cofounder of Roundtable Journal: an annual print magazine and community for women, she is passionate about sharing authentic and diverse cuisines with a global audience and draws heavily on her heritage and upbringing. We spoke exclusively to Zoe about her new book, the inspiration behind writing the cookbook, her favourite recipes and lessons she has learned while celebrating her unique culture.

How important do you see this book in the broader community of vegan cooking and showing off cuisines from other countries?

It is essential that we give space in the food industry to cuisines from all countries and that the cuisine shared is authentic and connected to the author. It was so important to me to share not only these dishes but my personal connection to them. There’s genuinely such a great diversity of styles within the Nigerian cuisine, and I’m so thankful to have had the opportunity to share my British-Nigerian family’s take

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Photo: Afro Vegan by Zoe Alakija is published by Hoxton Mini Press

on these. I know it has meant a lot to my family and friends in Ibadan to see the food we grew up with presented in this way.

Books like this need to exist to show the cuisines’ adaptability to vegan dishes and show the great diversity and depth of Nigerian cooking. Nigeria is such a large and diverse country, and like many others, its cuisine sways, influenced by its specific regions. Fresh red palm oil floods into the cuisine of the southern states, from Akwa Ibom to Edo. In Kano and the other Northern states, traditional food surrounds millet, corn and other grains. This region is also known for its cattle, which the nomadic Folani people herd, and in turn, naturally, the Northern cuisine tends to feature beef. These dishes range from Miyan Kuka (a spicy draw-soup, otherwise known as Baobab Leaf Soup) to Tuwon Dawa, a side dish with a texture almost reminiscent of potato gnocchi, formed from cassava and guinea-corn. Scattered across Nigeria’s coastal regions (such as Delta, Cross-river, or Lagos), the dishes feature fresh fish, more than the standard sprinkle of ground crayfish, which features quite heavily in most vegetarian-appearing Nigerian dishes. However, the hard work of the cooking, or the “magic” as we call it in the book, is rarely wholly due to meat or dairy.

We hope this book gives those home in Nigeria or abroad a taste of home whilst making it easier to cook good vegan food. You shouldn’t have to choose between your beliefs as a vegan and the food of your home.

Some other divine foodies that also share vegan West African recipes are @thecanadianafrican, @vegannigerian, @zoeadjonyoh, @yewande_komolafe (Nigerian), @michael__elegbede, and @kitchenbutterfly. I adored creating this book and showing the different ways to incorporate Nigerian ingredients, tastes and recipes into more modern vegan dishes.

It’s so wonderful to read about your fond memories of smelling the plantains on the BBQ and your aunties laughing at your European mother getting her tight cornrows*. How important was it for you to include these anecdotes?

This book was originally a much larger text that we had to, quite difficulty, trim down to fit into the book. It wasn’t easy to write as that was such a special time for me. For me, this is one of the most important pages. It sets the scene and introduces the reader to the world that created this book.

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This book does not necessarily belong to any distinct cuisine; it is a brief peek into the culturally diverse community in Ibadan. It was quite difficult for me to put into words what made my home feel like home. Sharing these anecdotes helped do just that. Moments closest to my heart took place underneath our thatched-roof cabana, in our bushy garden, around a large poolside table with our extended family and friends. I live in London, far away from home, with my cheeky bulldog, Nala. Naturally, and especially during this last year, I’ve missed home abundantly. These recipes are the perfect antidote to that homesickness. When you feel shakily disconnected from your family, culture, and home, the gist of it is to immerse yourself in food. Writing this book was almost like writing a love letter to Ibadan, my home, and my cherished upbringing. Sharing quite intimate family photos and stories was a way to give context to my experience of life at home in Ibadan and show where this food comes from.

Photo: Afro Vegan by Zoe Alakija is published by Hoxton Mini Press

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*(I should probably note, though, that I think you may be referring to my sisters and I getting cornrows- my extremely British mom wouldn’t get these! However, she used to take us there, where we would get ‘the cockroach’ style, which looks quite a lot better than it sounds!)

abundant in a way. Another influence that stemmed from living in London has been just being around a different combination of cultures. In London, we are at the heart of an extensive cultural exchange, and you’re meeting multicultural people and eating multicultural food every single day. I remember being quite confused when reaching university, as there was only one British student in my entire class, and the rest were from almost every far-flung corner of the globe.

Lastly, of course, access to new vegan ingredients like oat milk or vegan chocolate chips has also been a game-changer. I have never seen a vegan branded product in Ibadan, but Lagos is slightly better at stocking these.

You say that your time in London influenced your cooking, too. Can you give us an example of this?

Perhaps a dish, ingredient or situation that you recall?

In the book, I refer to this as an ‘ultra modern’ cooking style compared to the more ancient, traditional food of Nigerian cuisine. Dishes that are slightly faster to whip up, trendy or

From a culture that boasts lots of meat-heavy dishes, how did your family meet your newfound veganism?

My twin brother, Carl, has a farm in the South West called Durante, which amongst other things, produces poultry.

He loves his meat and is a die-hard Nigerian foodie. To him, a plate of Jollof is not complete without heavy chunks of

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AFRO-VEGAN INGREDIENTS MAGGIE SEASONING CUBES Sadly, the best things in life are rarely good for you. But these cubes are so flavourful. I add them into almost anything savoury, from rice dishes to stews or soups, and have a mammothsized jar full of them at home.

SCOTCH BONNETS (RODO) I can’t always find these around me in London, so I often buy these in bulk, chop them up finely and keep them fresh by scooping them into ice cube trays (1 or ½ a pepper in each to keep the measurements for later on), fill them up with any oil of choice and freeze them.

Then, whenever a recipe calls for a

pepper, and I’m out of luck (or too lazy to find them fresh), I tip 1-2 cubes into my pan or pot. If you’re not able to track them down, you can use habanero chillies instead. I would recommend wearing gloves when preparing Scotch bonnets and definitely avoiding touching your eyes or mouth (I’ve been a victim of making this mistake).

PLANTAIN I have these green for chips or crisps, yellow for dodo, salads or stews, or black baking, or whenever you need them quite sweet and caramelly; plantains are probably my most used ingredient and a definite staple in West African cooking.

Also, do not substitute with bananas, they may look similar, but they are entirely different. And if you’re like me and you hate bananas, you can still love plantain.

COCONUT I use coconuts in all their many forms, in both sweet and savoury cooking. I love toasting desiccated coconut or coconut flakes and scattering over ice cream or cakes, using coconut oil to flavour my dodo, or following my aunt Keffi’s recipe by slicing it up and roasting to make spicy, fresh coconut chips. Or even just cracking open and prying out the flesh to eat straight up.

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Photo: Afro Vegan by Zoe Alakija is published by Hoxton Mini Press

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meat, and the veggie suya was just a non-starter. I managed to get him hooked on my suya roasted chickpeas as a bar snack but getting him to try the rest is still a work in progress! My younger sister pretty much eats the same way I do, and my mom isn’t really a huge meat eater, so she loves the food I cook too. Whilst calling myself a vegan is relatively new, I’ve been vegetarian for most of my life, so it hasn’t been too hard of a shift. Although most of the food shared in the book is naturally vegan, like the puff puff or dodo, so it wasn’t a huge strain.

Photo: Afro Vegan by Zoe Alakija is published by Hoxton Mini Press

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What has been your favourite childhood dish that you’ve veganised?

Hands down, the groundnut stew (page 36 of Afro Vegan).

We had this so often growing up, but my mom would prepare it with chicken, which, in all fairness, does taste really, really great (I should probably not be saying that!).

I did (to my parent’s dismay) use to kick up a fit because I used to flitter between liking and hating meat as a kid. And in true fuss-pot fashion, I did not like meat touching my food; god forbid actually having it stewed in. However, I loved this stew so much; the exuberance, spice, flavour, and texture are so hearty and packed with so much flavour. So I Zoe’d it up a bit by incorporating chunky sweet potatoes, removing the meat, swapping out the chicken stock for vegetable stock, and adding loads of crispy toppings, so nothing is lacking in the texture department. It is one of my favourite dishes, and I make it almost every time it rains, and I need some cheering up.

How did you find the process of writing the book?

Was there anything that surprised you along the way?

I work on Roundtable Journal, which I co-founded back in 2017, and I thought the process would be similar, but it was completely different, especially as I was creating the content instead of helping curate it. I’ve never studied recipe development or photography, so it was a new experience for me. I had worked on this book as a concept during my final year at UCL and ended up writing, shooting and designing a draft which I then got printed and bound. I sent Hoxton Mini Press a 30-page introductory file, closed my laptop and went on holiday to Lagos. I didn’t approach other publishers as, although they had never done a recipe book, I thought they would be the best fit. However, a few months later, they reached out, so I met up with their team at their bookadorned office, along with my draft copy, and we went from there. After that, COVID hit, so we developed the idea over Zoom, which was tricky too.

What are your three best pieces of advice for anyone looking to write and publish their cookbook?

Firstly I would say just go for it and be willing to allow aspects of your book to change. I learnt a lot on the go and worked closely with so many people, from Dani, the designer at Hoxton Mini Press to Emily, the recipe tester and Harry, the editor.

So the book I started with and the book we published are entirely different but different for the better.

Secondly, imposter syndrome can be very real; it can sometimes be quite an intimidating experience, but have faith in your work, and the rest will follow. Thirdly, it really does take a village. You’re only as good as the team you work with, so make sure you’ve found the best publishing team for you that don’t just understand your vision for the book but are excited about seeing it come to fruition, that will support and encourage you along the way.

How has social media impacted your relationship with food, how you share it with the world and how you’ve been able to celebrate Afro Vegan, the book?

Social media is a fantastic tool for sharing new foods, projects and ideas. I get slightly emotional every time a new reader tags me in a story or shows me a photo of a recipe they cooked from the book. As the book launched, whilst there were still harsh COVID restrictions in place, we relied on social media as it allowed us to share and celebrate the book in a way that otherwise, we just wouldn’t have been able to.

It’s an easy way to instantly test ideas and share with likeminded people, which is vital, and I’ve been overwhelmed by the support and lovely messages I’ve received in the last few weeks following the book launch in the UK. I’m slowly getting better at sharing more of the food I create online, so definitely stay tuned for more goodies coming your way!

If you had to pick just three recipes from the book to cook for friends and family, what would they be?

As it is summer, I’m making a lot of salads and snacks.

So, I would make the plantain salad Imoyo, cheesy Kokoro, and then substitute plantains with bananas; definitely, I could not resist that urge for cinnamon puff-puff for something sweet.

ON THE NEXT PAGE...

Take a look at 3 of Zoe’s favourite recipes from Afro Vegan (the plantain salad Imoyo, cheesy kokoro, and the cinnamon puff-puff), which she is kindly sharing with us here!

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Recipes

B ROUG H T TO YOU BY

ZOE ALAKIJA

Plantain Salad Imoyo SERVES 4 | PREP TIME 50 mins, plus marinading time

Imoyo is a type of recipe that owes its distinctive style to the Brazilian heritage in Nigerian cuisine. These recipes typically use raw ingredients and citrus marinades, and often feature plantains, garlic and green peppers, too.

I’m rarely one to have just a salad, but for me an imoyo salad is spicy-sweet enough to stand up for itself. I sometimes find myself adding more agave syrup to my bowl, especially if my plantains weren’t ripe and sweet enough to balance the lingering burn of the Scotch bonnet and the tangy, salty dressing.

TOP TIP Plantain is best when mostly black with a little yellow, a bit firm to the touch.

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DIRECTIONS 1 | Heat the oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C/325°F fan). Top and tail the plantains, then score the skin down the length of each, trying not to cut through to the flesh. Repeat down the opposite length and remove the skin, then cut the flesh into 1½cm/½in dice.

2 | Tip them onto a large non-stick baking tray, drizzle with the oil, sprinkle with the salt and toss to coat. Spread across the tray so the pieces don’t overlap, and roast for 30–35 minutes, or until golden and caramelised around the edges, stirring halfway through.

Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

3 | Meanwhile, combine all the dressing ingredients in a small jug and give them a good stir.

4 | Toss the cucumber, green pepper, parsley and cooled roasted plantain together in a large bowl. (Add the avocado, if using, too.)

Pour the dressing over everything and give it a good mix. Put the salad in the fridge for 30 minutes, so the flavours have a chance to infuse, then serve.

Photo: Afro Vegan by Zoe Alakija is published by Hoxton Mini Press

INGREDIENTS • 2 ripe yellow plantains (with black splotches) • 1 tbsp vegetable oil • ¼ tsp fine salt • 1 cucumber, finely diced • 1 green pepper, finely diced • 30g/1oz fresh parsley, leaves picked and chopped • 1 avocado, peeled, destoned and diced (optional) • The dressing • 3 tbsp lemon juice • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil • 1 tbsp agave syrup • 1 Scotch bonnet (to taste), very finely chopped • 2 garlic cloves, crushed • ½ tsp fine salt • ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

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Cheesy Kokoro SERVES 10 | PREP TIME 45 mins

INGREDIENTS • 340g/12oz coarse or granulated cornmeal • 60g/2oz white garri • 1 tbsp cane sugar (or granulated sugar) • 4 garlic cloves, minced • 1 tsp cayenne pepper • ½ tsp ground ginger • ½ tsp fine salt • ½ tsp nutmeg • 1 vegetable stock cube (preferably Maggi), crumbled • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast • 2 tbsp good quality vegan parmesan, finely grated • 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped • vegetable oil or other flavourless oil, for deep-frying

DIRECTIONS 1 | Combine all the ingredients, apart from the oil, in a large bowl. Bring 500ml/1 pint water to the boil in a medium saucepan.

Pour the mixture into the saucepan, stirring continuously as you do until a dough starts to form. Remove from the heat, tip back into the bowl, and knead until you have a smooth ball of dough.

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Photo: Afro Vegan by Zoe Alakija is published by Hoxton Mini Press

Kokoro is a crispy, golden and supremely crunchy street food made from cornmeal. It’s predominantly sold along the roads of south-west Nigeria, particularly in Abeokuta. This version comes with vegan parmesan and fresh parsley and is ideal for those listless moments when you just don’t know what to munch on – but you want it to be good. It’s best enjoyed hot and dunked in fresh chilli sauce (p.124 or 133).

Cue chef kissing fingertips!

2 | Roll the dough into breadsticks about 1cm/½in thick and 15-20cm/6-8in long. The slimmer they are, the crunchier they’ll be.

If the dough sticks, lightly oil your hands.

sticks and fry until golden and crisp, rolling over occasionally so that all sides cook evenly. Be careful to not crowd the frying pan.

3 | Place some kitchen paper on a plate, ready. Half-fill a large, wide frying pan with vegetable oil and heat. Add the kokoro

4 | Transfer the kokoro to the plate as soon as they’re done and leave to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

FOODIE

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FOODIE

Cinnamon Puff-Puff MAKES 40 | PREP TIME 35 mins, plus rising time

Somewhere between bread rolls and miniature doughnuts, these fluffy bites of deep-fried gold are satisfyingly firm on the outside and as light as air within. Hugely popular in Nigeria, puff-puff are often the star feature of a plate of ‘small chops’ (finger food) at weddings and birthdays.

Traditionally, they can be a savoury side or even a breakfast filler, but I love dredging them through a sugar- andcinnamon coating, which turns them into an irresistible dessert or indulgent snack.

INGREDIENTS • 100g/3 ½oz golden caster sugar • 2 ½ tsp active dry yeast • 450g/1lb plain flour • 2 tsp ground cinnamon • 1 tsp ground nutmeg • 1 tsp ground cardamom

AFRO VEGAN Family recipes from a British-Nigerian kitchen Zoe Alakija is a British-Nigerian cookery writer and art director. She is the author of the cookbook and co-founder of Roundtable Journal: an annual print magazine and community for women. She lives in London with her bulldog, Nala.

• 1 ½ tsp fine salt • vegetable oil, for deep-frying The coating • 5 tbsp golden caster sugar • 2 tsp ground cinnamon • 1 tsp ground nutmeg

DIRECTIONS 1 | Put the sugar and yeast in a large bowl and add 450ml/¾ pint warm water and let it sit for 5 minutes. Then sieve in the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and salt and whisk together until completely smooth. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave for around 1½ hours, or until the dough has doubled in size.

Website: zoealakija.com Instagram: @zoealakija

2 | Meanwhile, combine the coating ingredients in a shallow bowl or on a plate and set aside. Place a large colander next to the stove, lined with kitchen paper.

Photo: Afro Vegan by Zoe Alakija is published by Hoxton Mini Press

3 | When the dough is ready, half-fill a large pan with vegetable oil and warm over a high heat. Carefully drop a heaped tablespoon of dough into the hot oil; if it’s hot enough (about 180°C/ 350°F if you have an oil thermometer), the dough should float. Continue dropping spoonfuls, but don’t crowd the pan. Fry for around 2 minutes on either side, until they’re deep brown all over.

4 | Remove from the oil using a slotted spoon and transfer to the colander. Repeat for the rest of the batter.

5 | While the puff-puff are still warm, roll them in the coating mixture (or have them plain with savouries), and then serve immediately.

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