Dopamine Positivity Magazine Issue 4

issue #4

November 9, 2019

amine let positivity engulf you

Illustrated by Abhay Pratap Singh

Faces of Hope

Divya Dugar

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04

Maybe Harry Baker

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Ratnam Agarwal

10

08

Because someone had to talk about Mental Health Akanksha Holani

Gratitude Checklist Damini Mehta

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Shikha Mittal

Ishaan Kumar

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Bob Ross : The Joy of Painting C.A. Sanders

Happiness List

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o

Plants for Positivity

Song Reviews

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12

20

Why settling down is the worst you can do for your happiness Michael Burkhardt

What does hope look like?

Vaibhav Kushwaha

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The Good Place Kuhu Nagpal

Celebrating Art & Happy Vibes

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A Word from the Creators

FACES OF

HOPE

By Divya Dugar

Spiti Valley Long winding roads and valleys with a blue sky that present unforgettable glimpses of cold desert and snow-crowned mountains welcome you when you set foot into the Spiti Valley. The word Spiti means 'The Middle Land', and it's named so because this valley separates India from Tibet. The geographic placement makes for a heavy influence of Buddhism and stark cultural similarities of the region into the valley.

Spiti is adored for the wide range of colorful landscapes it offers to its visitors. It is also one of the most sought after places for Astrophotographers because the sky her comes alive and you can't help but fall in love with it.

Faces Of Hope This book is about how I experienced the feeling of hope as emanated from the people of Spiti Valley. For the first time in my life, I was isolated from the outer world resulting from the connectivity issues but it lead me to explore and discover more human connections than ever before. Even though there were very few people, I was able to understand them deeply, talk about our different perspectives towards life and form ties that were expressed without saying any words.

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After two years of experience in photography, my camera has an instinctive approach while capturing portraits of people and so the moment is captured forever in the memory. But in Spiti, the directive was "Ask the monks before taking their photos." I didn't want to intrude into the personal lives of monks and I asked them for permission. The monks were very open and warm and gave me these beautiful moments.

Through this wonderful experience, I learned one important life lesson that I want to always remember. Somewhere between the connection of technology and urbanization, we have lost the ability of self-reflection and realization. When we find the space to look within, we find the place to believe, to hope. We find the place we can call home, we find us.

Hope never dies, it transforms

When we create photos, we freeze time to relive it again. But like memories, the paper also fades with time and color turns into monochrome. To characterize this transformation of hope from the bright colors to the different shades of black and white, I present the second part of this book. It is said that only in your darkest time, you truly find yourself. I believe it is because when you dig deep in this dark and barren pit, you sow the seeds that will keep reaping growth even when the sun sets. You sow the seeds that will nourish you till the end of time. It is because when you are surrounded by shades of black and white, you sow the seeds of Hope.

Of Memories Spiti has become very close to my heart. To be honest, I was anxious during the start of the journey but once the serenity of Spiti touched me I forgot everything and I found myself to be lost in this valley. As a photographer, I was fascinated by the people living there and I wanted to capture the real essence of Spiti through the people. In doing so, not only I learned immensely about portraiture but also

about life.

Spiti has left a deep impression as I did explore not just this place but also new things about myself. The whole journey has helped me reflect and grow. I fell in love with the reality that I lived in Spiti but also creating moments of the Spiti that can be looked back at. And this relationship of reality and the memories is what I call 'Faces Of Hope.'

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harry baker

MAYBE OT? MAYBE N

Maybe it’s ‘cause they don’t understand you.

Maybe it’s because they do and they’re afraid of what they see.

Maybe it’s because you are not normal.

Maybe normal’s not the thing you need to be.

Maybe today will be a good day.

Maybe today feels like it’s way too close to call.

Maybe one day you’ll look back and laugh at this.

Maybe one day you won’t look back at all.

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Maybe it feels like it’s getting harder may you’re still waiting for that day to come around Maybe it’s because i’m a londoner.

That i believe you can’t stop building bridges just ‘cause one is falling down.

Hey - i just met you, and this is crazy, but maybe you’re gonna be the one that saves me.

After all - you are wonderful.

Right now this feels like everything.

Right now it always is.

It’s only afterwards that we can see there’s more than this.

You can be informed by this without being formed by this just as a calm before the storm there is a dark before the dawn in this.

Whoever told you you must shrink to fit in got the filter wrong. we are not sculptures to be chipped away but platformed to be built upon so if somehow this changes you. let it be in a resilience in knowing that you made it through do not give them an inkling of a thicker skin. if we stop listening how can the truth that permeates start sinking in?

Not every day’s a battle.

Not every part of life’s a war.

It is the times that lie between that need to be worth fighting for.

Remember what this moment is. you may not have chosen this but one day you will be someone who rose from it if you see the same in others you can notice this sometimes we’re too involved in things to see the hope in it so show them this

there’s no eclipse without some kind of glow in it. those that know you, know to love you, those that love you, love to know you, those that don’t - forfeit the right to get to be the ones that mould you. if you ever meet the old you, say ‘i come from what you go through,’ there will be times when this is all you have to hold to.

There will be days you cannot help but cry and days you cry for help there will be days that you resist or are too tired to rebel when it takes everything to not just be defined by someone else. you can start by showing kindness to yourself

“

To see the world, things dangerous to come to, to see behind the walls, to draw closer, to find each other and to feel. That is the purpose of life.

The story revolves around a guy named Walter Mitty: a introverted man living a dull life working as a negative asset manager at the fictional but highly popular Life Magazine dreams up romantic and action-filled scenarios in order to escape from monotony, and when his own job is threatened, he sets out on a real romantic and action-packed journey. This is the second film adaptation of James Thurber's 1939 short story The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.

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”

In his uniquely funny and unexpectedly tender movie, Stiller takes us on a personal journey of lingering resonance. Walter's far-flung expeditions are focused on retrieving a photo negative to be used in the magazine's final print edition. The adventures serve more symbolically to help him break out of a lifelong rut. This movie's main character: Walter is a great role model because he never gives up on his mission, and is creative, so nobody can hold him back. It's essentially a feel good film which takes us through an extraordinary journey of an ordinary man while making us realise that efforts don't always go in vain and in the end you'll be rewarded for doing your part.

Stiller and company do a fine job -- it's gratifying to see Sean Penn tweak his adventuresome, elusive image in the role of the adventuresome, elusive O'Connell -and especially Oswalt, who takes what's essentially a voicing role and elevates it.

See this film for the cinematography, which frames nearly every shot l ike a perfectly composed photograph of the likes you'd see in, say, Life magazine, where Walter works in the movie. The colors are saturated, the edges are crisp. And there's a monumentality to it all, which is perfect for a film examining the measure of a man, in this case the unassuming Mitty, who gave up on his global-scale dreams once his father died and he needed to help support his family. Stiller's film is an undeniably attractive production, with gorgeous locations and some stunning special effects.

The soundtrack of this movie is one of the best and definitely among my top thirty soundtracks of all time as the songs are very meticulously selected as they help in elevating Walter's journey while taking the story forward and play out during crucial scenes hence elevating the importance and the effect that they have on the audience.

The song "Space Oddity" by David Bowie plays a significant role throughout the film.

Walter Mitty is referred to mockingly as "Major Tom" by his new boss, Hendricks, in reference to the astronaut Major Tom in

"Space Oddity", due to his frequent daydreaming: the boss interprets the line "ground control to Major Tom" as akin to "Earth to Walter; come in Walter". Cheryl later tells Walter that Hendricks misunderstands the song, as "it’s about courage and venturing into the unknown".

The song is featured in a crucial scene in which Mitty decides to leap onto a helicopter after imagining Cheryl singing the song.

Stiller talked about the importance of "Space Oddity" in that scene during an interview in which he said that, "I felt like the way it fits into the story, we got to this point and this scene which was sort of how the fantasy and reality come together for Walter, and that was what that came out of. That song, and what he mentioned in his head, and what he imagines and what he does, it all just seemed to come together over that song."

Review by Ratnam Agarwal

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IN to!PROGRESS WORK IN PROG K decided WORK IN PROGRESS WORK IN PR PROGR IN PROGRESS WORK IN K 10 design inspired by chehhra | Dopamine • November’19

by Akanksha Holani

OGRESS PROGRESS OGRESS PROGRESS RESS PROGRESS GRESS ROGRESS OGRESS ROGRESS GRESS OGRESS RESS SS RESS OGRESS ESS OGRESS GRESS ROGRESS RESS

The better doctors you seek the higher pays they demand! While their costs are justified, considering your head controls the rest of you, and thus, it should be the first priority, Indian wages don’t allow one to frequent a therapist or a psychiatrist.

So, it seemed like a never-ending circle but I really wanted to do something about it this.

Here’s the thing about wanting a change, you have to often bring it! So, over the years, I had gotten in touch with several psychiatrists and psychologists. There was a crazy idea: Why don’t I see them regularly so that most people won’t have to!

Thus, a panel of 72 doctors was accommodated on a piece of paper from my diary. I called them, met them, one after another over one disease after another. Knowing well that disclosing industry standards would get them major flak from their colleagues, they chose to remain anonymous. Nonetheless, they shared the knowledge for free, and as it turns out much like DIY tutorials, mental illnesses too can be done with at home. With the help of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). There’s one for every disease.

On my YouTube channel, I make detailed videos on these CBTs, not very glamorous but could save a life or two!

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1.

Play your favourite song and dance freely. Repeat until you’re smiling.

2.

Set an alarm for a particular time. For each fay every time the alarm rings, think of something you are grateful for.

G R AT I T U D E CHECK LIST

3.

Think of five friends. Write on a piece of Paper why you are grateful for your friendship with them. Fold it, and keep it in a box.

4.

Recount three ways you were kind to Yourself the past week. Thank yourself for it.

5.

Think about your sources of happiness love Strength and courage.

Write them down, fold The paper and write “thank you’ on top of it.

6.

Write about 5 things and that you are thankful for and why, everyday for a week straight.

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Damini Mehta 7.

Think about a small miracle that happened in your life recently. Give thanks for it, and appreciate its existence in your life.

8.

Spend some time outside, in a place you think is picturesque or beautiful.

Observe your surroundings, think about how magical the world is and truly appreciate it.

9.

Write about 5 things that make you smile regularly, on a sticky note. Put it on your workspace table and look at it whenever you need a little pick-me-up.

10.

Think about something you lost recently. Write about 3 positive insights you gained from it. Give gratitude to this experience for helping you in a positive manner.

Plants for My love for plants began in my backyard kitchen garden, where my grandma and I used to plant. In the middle of growing chilies and tomatoes, I got mesmerized by the beautiful process of growing plants.

Believe it or not, that’s how I ended up pursuing my education in the same field! Being an agriculture honor graduate with a management degree in Agricultural business, I worked as a researcher for a long time.

But when I moved to Bangalore, I had to leave agriculture behind to work as a business strategist and plants became a hobby in the balcony.

As a blessing in disguise, a trip to Ooty introduced me to different kinds of succulents and I just fell in love with those tiny little plants! I started curating and gifting planted pots to my friends.

Positivity

by Shikha Mittal

This is how Madoversucculents came into being and I became a greenpreneur! It’s my contribution to bringing everyone one step closer to nature.

Succulents are not just a thoughtful gift but also offer an immense bounty of happiness and positivity.

Beautiful mountains, serene rivers, vitamin seas, all give a soothing sensation. You can't spend every waking moment outdoors.

Well, you dont have to. Just a simple plant, a succulent, a garden, a tree outside your window can create a surge of positive and happy vibes.

It’s when one of my friends motivated me to explore the entrepreneurial side of my love for plants.

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by Ishaan Kumar

SONG REVIEWS

While many of Coldplay's best songs are built around the voice of singer Chris Martin, 'Paradise' makes a lasting impression before Martin offers a single word. The minute-long introduction builds with strings and keyboards before a slow, hypnotic beat enters the picture. Martin sings a third-person narrative about a girl whose life hasn't measured up to her expectations: "When she was just a girl / She expected the world / But it flew away from her reach / So she ran away in her sleep." Martin references the band's last single with the lines, "Life goes on, it gets so heavy / The wheel breaks the butterfly / Every tear, a waterfall / In the night, the stormy night / She closed her eyes," before launching into an epic sing-along chorus, "She dreams of para, para, paradise."

After a guitar solo, the song fades out with soft humming and a brief piano section, a nicely understated ending to a captivating song.

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PARADISE Coldplay

Artwork by Niti Shukla

These days, it seems a soul touching song requires a good vibe to it, a music to sway all night long and a meaningful touch of words. It is said that once Adam Young, the synthesizer maestro better known as the one-man band Owl City teamed up with Carly Rae Jepsen and unleashed what might just Owl City be one of the most upbeat, least offensive pop ft. Carly Rae Jepsen earworms to tear through a pair of earbuds in recent memory. What sets "Good Time" apart from its competition is the fact that it's completely devoid of the liquor-loving, hottie-courting, bling-and-bravado-spewing trappings that generally accompany these odes to all-night dance soirees. "Woah, oh, oh, oh / It's always a good time," the song begins. "It's always a good time." And, honestly, things never get much deeper than that.

“High On Life” pleasantly delighted me. Martin Garrix, the number one DJ in the world, must keep high standards. We got it, it’s beautiful, we are satisfied. The vocalist is Bonn. The style seems a tribute to the passed away Avicii, and we can’t really avoid thanking Martin for that. It’s an awesome move, and a way to not forget the expired legend. “High On Life”, despite the happy lyrics and the relaxing mood of the breakdown (extremely elegant chords there), is a bit melancholic because of that. We shouldn’t feel sad, especially when the stunning drop kicks in, but you can understand us. Anyway, speaking of that, the drop is our favourite part. The melody is not particularly experimental, but it’s catchy and dynamic. It’s a drop that brings good vibes, easily danceable, a good example of well-done progressive house. We would have preferred something surprising in there, some spicy elements, but it does its job better than many other drops. Bonn’s performance is nice, we must agree that he’s talented as well.

Martin Garrix ft. Bonn

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HAPPY by C.A. Sanders

from Bob Ross I always wanted to paint like Bob Ross. I used to watch his show, The Joy of Painting, every day after school. He fascinated me, and there was nothing more relaxing after a hard day at school than listening to his voice. It turned out that I had talent as a painter, and my favorite landscapes still decorate my apartment.

Last month, The Joy of Painting came onto Netflix, and I got sucked in all over again. This time, I’m watching it as an adult, and I notice so much more than as a teen. Even though I chose writing as my constant for life and have been writing professionally for 16 years, there’s so much everyone can learn from Bob Ross and apply it to their field of choice.

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Prepare Your Canvas: I used to think that Bob did everything as the show went on without planning.

I ignored the part in the beginning when he tells the audience about how he prepared the canvas (usually with a coat of Liquid White or Liquid Clear to make the paint flow). He also said in a few episodes that his ideas don’t come as he paints. He thinks about what he wants to do for days before each show.

“If you want beautiful, magical things to happen when you start writing, you have to prepare the canvas.”

Take notes, sketch out characters, outline your story, and THINK before you write. If you want your writing to flow as smoothly as Bob’s paint over the canvas, you have to start with a general idea and preparation.

Otherwise, you’ll be agonizing over each word or going off on tangents that make no sense.

Artwork by Fatema Patel November’19 • Dopamine |

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Artwork by Ram Shrestha

Blend On the Canvas: Bob worked by starting with brighter colors on his palate and blending them on the canvas, mixing with the liquid white or clear until he found the hue and colors that he wanted. He played with the color, unafraid of making mistakes because he knew that he could blend them away. This was the magic of his “wet on wet” technique.

Once you’re prepared for your story, don’t be afraid to edit and play with words and structure. There’s always a backspace button, so there’s no need to be afraid that something is permanent. The first thing a person writes down is rarely the best thing.

Write it, look at it, and blend it until it’s exactly what you want to say.

Work In Layers: Part of Bob’s signature style was the depth of his landscapes. He achieved this by “working in layers.” First, he would lay down a base or shadow color. On top of that, he would add highlights. By doing this, he would create the illusion of depth, and he

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always made sure not to overwhelm the piece with highlights. To paraphrase him, it’s easy to go crazy with the highlights, but then you lose all of the beautiful shadows.

No Mistakes, Just Happy Accidents: This is probably Bob Ross’s most famous catchphrases, but I feel that it’s misinterpreted. He doesn’t leave in things that he doesn’t like, rather he uses them as an opportunity for something new. If he doesn’t like the way part of a cloud looks, you can be sure that “a big ol’ tree” will end up in front, adding another layer of depth to the painting.

Think of your “mistakes” as opportunities and consider having a

separate document with scenes and lines that you decide not to use. Sure, you can edit them out, I do it all the time, but also see if it jolts something in your imagination. I always make sure to save the best stuff is an alternate file. Some of my favorite scenes–even main characters– in my stories have come from errors or moments when my words got away from me, and they’re sometimes from completely unrelated stories.

It’s Your World, and You Can Do What You Want: I noticed while rewatching The Joy of Painting that he says this in almost every episode. Despite the seemingly free-form appearance of his show, Bob Ross was always in control of his paintings. He painted his landscapes as he saw them. He was the master of the painting, not the opposite.

From chapter to chapter, let your imagination go. Start at Point A, know that the chapter needs to end at Point B, and just let it happen, guiding the writing just enough to keep it on track.

This gives an opportunity for those “happy accidents” without getting too far away from my plot.

Remember that you are the master of the story. You decide when you let your imagination run, and when to rein it in. But being in control has responsibilities as well. If you’re too tight with the plot, it’ll lack energy and life. Too slack and it will run away on you or fall into a hole.

In case you’re wondering, I plotted out the sections titles in advance and then went free form between them.

Afterwards, I’ll edit it and add pictures.

Obviously, Bob Ross couldn’t edit, but that’s the difference in mediums.

Besides, editing is part of the Joy of Writing, sometimes the best part. It’s where you make it shine.

That’s all. Happy writing!

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HAPPINESS LIST

Ryan Mico Yamamoto

Snow

Hetav Patel

Grandeur

Amaan

Ishan Chiripal

Puppies

Daisy Kuhu Nagpal

Diya Tibrewal

Sleep

Travel

I

II

Aman Baghel

Devika Gujrani

Smiling Kids Amaan

Butterfly Diya Tibrewal

Farm Field Hot Air Balloons Ishan Chiripal

Somya Naugraiya

Forest

Lights

Settling down means to stay where you are or find a place where you can be for many years if not the rest of your life.

From most people’s perspective, that entails, To get a job, a car, a place, a family.

Depending on where you live, expectations are to settle down between the age of 26 to 36 years.

While traveling to more than 6 countries per year in my early twenties I often thought once I am 30 I need to have everything figured out, slow down, have a well-paying job, think about family, and of course retirement! Instead, I worked, saved some money and spent all of it on experiences.

I grew up in a small town in Germany where life seemed to follow a predefined path right from childhood and for many years my mind was on this path.

Why Settling Down Might Be t s r o W e th o D n a C You r u o Y r o f s s e n i p p a H a rdt u rkh

by M ichael B

Right at this moment, I sit in a cafe in Mexico City, 28 years old, not knowing where I will end up in one month from now.

Not thinking about any of the points I mentioned above but experiencing every moment to the fullest.

In the last 12 months, I embarked on a journey where I changed my perspective. I left my old self behind moving away from society’s expectations and closer to how I truly want to live.

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Artwork by Divyanshi Mahi

Staying in society’s green zone The green zone is a construct based on societal norms, governmental initiatives, your family, your friends, and the education you’ve been through.It is sold as the “green zone” and has been created by anyone but by you!

Creating your own green zone

When you were 4-6 years old and became (self) consciousness, did you suddenly think? When I am 30 I need a car, a You are unique. house, and a family. I would be You have unique passions, talents, surprised if you did. It was not what and circumstances. you wanted until somebody told you.

If you strip off most of what others As a child you were present, exploring your surroundings, learning and growing every day, in a non-judgemental way! You were open to new experiences, open for what life had to offer you. Now think about it!

Isn’t life about exploration? About satisfying your curiosity? About growth? If it wouldn’t be, we might still live in caves! Instead, humanity has progressed at a rapid speed.

I am not arguing against family, planning your life, and making sure you have a roof above your head, but I am saying to not just stay in the green zone without considering other options.I know, the green zone is cozy.It is stable, it is predictable, it is safe. But predictable also means the same, the same for the rest of your life. In the worst case, it means living your entire time on the planet in a golden cage. Superficially you have it all, but under the surface you are miserable, realizing more and more that society’s green zone has always been your red zone.

have told you, what would you like to do?

When I speak with travelers, I always hear the same thing.

Traveling gives me a sense of freedom, of being present, just going with the flow. I am happily and joyfully experiencing life.

Take time and space to get clear about what you really want to do.

There is no reason to rush into anything!

Before my graduation, I spent five days in a temple in Kyoto, Japan, to become clear about my path.

I have given up on the idea of settling down. At this moment, I like the unsettled life. So if you feel a little lost, don’t worry.

Sometimes I feel like an intern trying to make sense of the world.

But does that not make life a little interesting?

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In my childhood I used to dream about the things we were taught and I personified them to learn more about them there was lovethe one that our mothers have unconditional blind and calming as it's said there was hard workoften personified as our fathers they work a lot and not tell us about it and it's hard being extremely tired still smiling like the best but my visualisation was limited maybe by resources and by experiences because I couldn't tell what does hope look like and years passed by without me deciphering how to personify hope though I don't need it now but now I know when you come back home from a long day at work tired and bruised with workload you look for a soothing voice to ask you about your day that is hope now I know when you are in stress and you are all in negatives probably thinking the way life could've been had you chosen a different option

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and you look out for a hand to hold you and tell you that you are going to be fine that is hope now I know when you're away from home missing every inch of it the food the laughter

by Vaibhav Kushwaha

Artwork by Anju Malik

your siblings and your mother there are wounds that run deep you wander for shelter every night then a light lures you towards the human who is home that is hope now I know that hopeit's always at the place or the person where it is supposed to be maybe it's your dog wagging his tail every time he sees you licking your face giving you the hope that you'll survive maybe it's the Pizza delivery boy who hands you the box with smile and tells you to have a good day or maybe it's your best friend sitting at some far away place making ugly faces over those morning video calls and telling you that he hates you a lot but you smile knowing that the truth is opposite but maybe now I know what does hope look like but I now know this too that whatever we are taught isn't meant to personify every time for maybe when we picture pain we might end up with a face and some memories that no longer rhyme together.

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A TV Show review of

designed by Nida Naeem ‘There is some good news. There’s some cake left!’ –Neil from Accounting Subtle yet tumultuous, currently ongoing is an era ruled silently by Netflix and other online streaming websites. Do you also fall under the category of the screen addicts? The term not entirely under a negative hint here but rather an educative one, are you someone who has a taste for T.V shows and films? Even if you are someone who watches whatever the world is watching; there has surely been a speck of relation between yourself and the screen.

If you’re reading this magazine, it’s quite conspicuous that you are a beautiful human, constantly in search of positivity and happiness. Well, The Good Place is a show where you are sure to find your daily dose of dopamine.

This present is sure a present; but it’s also a future of the past. In a time like this when you don’t have to wait for single episodes to air day by day, make sure what you’re watching is worth your days long binges.

Here’s an idea. What if we don’t worry about whatever comes next?

– Chidi Anagonye

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Watching the lives of four humans juggle between life, heaven, hell and other places existing in beguiling metaphysical forms is an absolute comical delight to watch.

“

Created by the same brain that went behind internationally acclaimed and award winning shows The Office, Parks and Recreation and Brooklyn Nine Nine, The Good Place also offers the same stickiness in the script and the same super quality of jokes.

The show starts off with Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell), the protagonist, finding herself in a place which seems like heaven. It’s a world where everything is perfect, all of one’s favourite things are available in unlimited quantities and no detail is too little to be taken care of. But, things start to change when Eleanor realises that she actually did no good on earth so maybe it’s all a mistake how she landed up in heaven.

The Good Place also offers the same stickiness in the script and the same super quality of jokes.

The story unfolds and leaves one’s heart in a medley of realisations, fair possibilities and thought invoking moments with oneself. It might leave you alone with the nihilist inside you. It might leave you thinking about hell and heaven. It might leave you thinking about love; or with revelations about morality. But it will never leave you sad. Smart, eye opening and engaging, this show definitely deserves a watch.

by Kuhu Nagpal November’19 • Dopamine |

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Celebrating art and happy vibes ...and then, I have love and art and poetry, and if that is not enough, what is enough?�

Art, music, dance, drama -- seem effortless, truth be told, a lot of effort goes into them -- and the outcome is no less than therapeutic. The soul feels a different spark when connected with art. And to celebrate all these different facets of art, Awaaz Studio Festival was organized last month at Birla Auditorium, Jaipur.

Team Dopamine had the pleasure to cover them as their magazine partners for the event.

The fest presented with an opportunity to unwind oneself from the shackles of daily lives furled around pressures, deadlines, targets, negativity, responsibilities and so much more.

Awaaz Studio Festival brought together more than 50 artists, 20 art forms, and over 700 human stories.

Art lovers from all over the country came, sang, snapped, clicked, laughed, smiled, cried, danced, and became a part of this magical experience.

An amazing line up of talented artists from various fields and places came together to showcase their magic and talents. They also had a splendid area set up for the Pop-up Souk - the festival bazaar. Adding the aroma, chugs, and chit-chat to the festivity, F&B Zone offered gastronomical food & beverages.

Team Dopamine had the chance to set up a digital display of their magazines to double the positive vibes in the fest, as well as engage art lovers in discussions about what makes them happy, as artists. We spoke with some artisans, homegrown creators, and eclectic brands with their finery, artisanal skills, creative demonstrations who all seemed to enjoy the atmosphere!

28 | Dopamine • November’19

To spark some joy in the audience, we encouraged them to write a kindness note and leave it for a stranger as well as pick one kindness note that another stranger had written! This activity not just weaved a surge of positivity among the audience, but also brought out some creativity and kindness. You won’t believe that one little note with something as simple as ”Smile more” or a smiley face could really be the highlight of someone’s day!

The bustling lawns were dotted with immersive activities such as DIY wall mural, live calligraphy, and a lot more.

As the sun came down, the Music Mainstage was lit with soulful and wonderful performances by Gully Boy fame music director & singer-songwriter Ankur Tewari, percussive fingerstyle guitarist Samar Mehdi, alongside local artists like Abhin Joshi, Manan Mehta, Dhatri Sharma, many more. These amazing artists hummed and performed their chartbusters. They truly made the audience sway with them into the world of music!

Finally, the artist we had all been waiting for, Ankur Tewari took our hearts away with his soulful music.

The last song he sang was “Mohabbat Zindabad”, and he said, “Anyone who tells you to hate someone is wrong.

Don’t listen to them!”, thus spreading a message of kindness and love!

Art, when brought to life from various spheres makes one's soul feel liberated. Awaaz Studio is doing great work in connecting local art globally and bringing it closer to the people by creating a meaningful impact in people’s lives.

November’19 • Dopamine |

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SUBMIT YOUR CREATIVES NOW.

become a part of us. by sending in a part of you.

ings. art. photography. writing. designs. movie reviews.paint paintings. articles. poems. book reviews. tv show reviews.s llages. photos. poetry. music reviews. abstract paintings.co kus. movies you love. recipes. diary entries .POSITIVE limericks. literature. comics. sonnets. portraits. journal p stories. short movie that made you gasp. open letters.collag tell us about HEALING WOUNDS. your journey. tell us about a kind stranger. childhood memo songs that make your feet tap. graffiti. thoughts. feeling our journey. things to do that make you happy. paintings. art anything that made you smile.

KIND

30 | Dopamine • November’19

Harshita Nagpal Mashu Ajmera

a word from the creators

A painter applies each deliberate brushstroke onto a canvas with a delicate hand. A photographer searches the horizon with a squint eye through a camera lens. A writer chooses the finest words to fill an empty sheet. These artists weave raw emotions into masterpieces.

With issue 4, we are completing our quartet of this quarterly magazine, celebrating the completion of a full year! Thank you for helping us evolve into something bigger than we ever imagined. We’ve been inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun for an entire year now.

ngs. articles. poems. book reviews. tv show reviews. ngsWithin thatthese makepages, yourstories feetemerge tap. graffiti. thoughts. feelings.

There’s something for everyone, TV from different places and cultures, all show binge-watchers and movie buffs, lages. poetry. music we hope abstract you enjoyed paintings. the reviews. unitedphotos. by common experience.

Eachreviews. one is unique, yet each one is similar.

Plant lovers/people who’ve been wishing to adorn their indoor spaces with “life”, literally, and

ages.Each piece in Dopamine Issue 4 shows how searching for reviews. one's s. photos. poetry. music abstract paintings. happiness, striving towards a kinder Shoutout to Samyak Samantaray for things toofdoourselves that make youone's happy. his out-of-the-world designs in this version and finding ies.place storie in a fast-paced world unifies us issue!

Weaving through these pages . all. embark on a journey of Tell us what you think about our les.you'll poems. book reviews. reviews. magazines!

Give Feedback. For more, realization, love, kindness and joy. tv show go and see our older editions.

November’19 • Dopamine |

31

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let positivity engulf you

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