Erlendur Magazine Issue 5 by Erlendur Magazine

E R L E N D U R MAGAZINE Issue 5 2021

Marko Svart

2021 New beginnings

Contributors NonyKingz Anton Young Marko Svart Dario Mentesana Katie Knight Michelle Bird Danith Chan Daniel Roh Alberto Larrea Helen Cova Gunnar Andri Thorisson Nichole Leigh Mosty Kelechi Anna Hafstað

Connect with us

Disclaimer e contributors of the magazine own the rights to their content. is magazine is an initiative created to promote cultural diversity and inclusion in Iceland.

erlendurmagazine@gmail.com

MEET THE TEAM

Editor /Founder Carlotta Tate Olason

Bianca Hallveig Sigurdardottir Director of Art & Design /Co-Founder

Editors Note

I would like to rst say thank you to my team and all you wonderful Erlendur supporters. Wow! It’s 2021 another great year for us all. We launched the magazine in 2020 during a time when the world was in gross darkness we came as a beacon of light sharing stories of amazing men and women. We hope to continue to encourage, inspire and lift your spirits this year. In this issue, we feature a diverse group of people who are using their skills and talents and are contributing in their own way to improve themselves and society. I have a genuine passion and love for the youths as I am forever young at heart. Last year we launch our the icebloomers podcast for the youths. Now we are boldly Launching the Erlendur Mentorship & Apprenticeship Program which has been on my heart for some time now. I felt it’s for me and you to do our part in helping increase the quality of life of young people with foreign heritage living in Iceland. I hope you will support our youth programs.

Cat Gundry- Beck Director Of Photography

2021 is going to be an amazing year, I am aware there will be challenges, but out of every challenge comes growth so be strong. As we move forward this year, let's show love and gratitude as our today is sure but our tomorrow is just a promise. Enjoy this issue and your 2021. Regards Carlotta

Dori Levitt Baldvinsson Contributing Editor

Content 16. KingzMade Muzik "My name is Chinonso Emmanuel Odigbo, popularly known as "NonyKingz" Born and raised in Nigeria but lives in Iceland. I'm an Afrobeats Musician".

30. Danith Chan The Account /Bokhald

Michelle Bird

23.

"As a foreigner having lived in Iceland for the past 20 years and knowing the path of both starting, owning and operating business and having been involved in ling taxes"

20.

Daniel Roh American In Borgarfjörður Daniel an American writer and outdoor guide living in Borgar örður with his Icelandic wife and newborn son. He moved to Iceland in March 2020.

ERLENDUR youth Mentorship & Apprenticeship Program

ERLENDUR youth Mentorship & Apprenticeship Program int roduct ion About 1 in 3 young people are currently not in education nor employment. This can leave them feeling disconnected from society. Many of them are multi-talented individuals, who need access to positive role models, critical resource and connections that will assist them to progress in their career, education, and personal development. Erlendur Mentor and Apprenticeship program is an intervention that hopes to assist; young people giving them a chance of personal and career development. It is a great way of connecting young people to businesses and individuals, who are keen on investing in the future generation and improving society. Such programs have been proven to be beneficial to the participants.

TARGET GROUP Teenagers and young adults of foreign heritage from ages 15 to 25 years

Tackling inequality is a key part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Thus, one of the rationales behind the program is to reduce inequality. Which in many cases can cause economic instability, social challenges that later can contribute to environmental problems that inhibit communities and individuals from flourishing.

Objectives Connecting youths with Individuals /Companies

Promoting positive youth development Career & personal development Promote Cultural inclusion Empowerment for a new path towards purpose and destiny Removing limitations, unlocking potential and discovering purpose Increase in confidence and self-worth Creating new habits for success Increase their quality of life Boost productivity

Mentors We all have mentors some are positive some aren’t. It is essential for young people to gain access to positive role models. Who are keen to inspire, encourage and help them gain relevant life skills as well as career and personal development. Mentor will help in areas such as

Career/ personal development Connect with people and resources that can help them. Teach valuable skills like communication and goal attainment Create opportunities for growth Be a positive in uence in their life

Apprenticeship Role-based learning

e aim is to help young people develop indepth skills and knowledge in the areas they are passionate about. As well as allowing them to work on real projects where they are supervised and coached by skilled professionals. is hands-on learning will oﬀer them the ability to work on a project.

at will help

them develop skills and con dence, within a safe and supportive environment, whilst applying their knowledge and talent; which will help them progress life.

Learning Outcomes for Mentees and Apprentices

Identify personal strengths Be more focused on setting and accomplishing goals. Develop readiness and motivation to succeed Increased confidence and communication skills Have a deeper understanding of their purpose Career Development Entrepreneurship Promote Cultural Diversity and Inclusion On the job training Skills and talent development

Learning Outcomes The companies/ Individuals

Both Companies and Individuals participating in the project, are likely to gain new perspectives, actionable step towards cultural diversity and inclusion on various levels such as personal, company and society. It’s a way for individuals, employees and the organization to contribute to the community’s growth and success, strengthening Iceland on the global scene through receiving world perspectives in-house.

Teenagers and young adults of foreign heritage from ages 15 to 25 years

Erlendur Mentorship & Apprenticeship Programs are here for you. Proposed start date: February 2021 Duration: 6 mths to 12 mths for each participant for more information and to join the project Email: erlendurmagazine@gmail.com or DM us

Erlendur Mentorship & Apprenticeship program

We are pleased to announce our new Mentorship & Apprenticeship Program. Which will Begin this year we are excited that Anna Liebel has joined us as the Training & Partnership Director for the youth program.

Anna is a leadership and team development consultant empowering leaders and their employees to turn ambitions from a stress factor to a successful contributor. She helps leaders reclaim their genius zone by eliminating reactivity, transforming their leadership and becoming catalysts of thriving company culture. .

Anna Liebel Training & Partnership Director

To get involve or to get more information about the project to connect us erlendurmagazine@gmail.com. Companies and who are keen to get involved can also connect with Anna directly.

The Icebloomers Podcast CLICK TO LISTEN

Host by young people providing a platform for young people to share their experiences, stories and converse over a variety of topics such as fashion, music, culture and much more.

If you are keen to be a guest on the podcast or if you have any suggestions we would like to hear from you.

The Icebloomers podcast is in association with Erlendur Magazine

Alberto A. Larrea The football agent from Ecuador living in Iceland

working as a fOOTBALL AGENT IN ICELAND By Carlotta

Alberto relocated to Iceland over 10 years ago from Ecuador. He is currently a football agent but the journey to where he is today was not easy. Three years ago, his life dramatically changed, while he was working as a warehouse personal.

Alberto A. Larrea

Moving from Ecuador to Iceland has made him resilient and ambitious. Before being a football agent, he worked as a cashier, warehouse personal, a dishwasher and chocolate factory worker at one point he even sold hot dogs. In each of those jobs, he worked with much excellence.

I became creative His life changed dramatically overnight when a forklift crushed his foot, he was devastated knowing that he would not be able to play football, a game he loved and was passionate about. Well, his injury was to become a blessing in disguise. He began thinking creatively since he wasn’t able to do many of the things he enjoyed doing such as playing football and working at the warehouse. He was unable to nd employment after the accident. It was harder for him being a disabled foreigner whose Icelandic is not perfect also he was not able to drive, wow it was not easy for Alberto.

Now a happy agent

Nevertheless, Alberto was eager to be productive. He wanted to get back into football as well as work. en decided to get involved in local football. He was looking for a path that would help him follow his passion of one day becoming a football agent. He began learning all he needed to know about being an agent. Two and a half years later he still is going at it. Alberto is now a happy football agent.

“It's exciting, get to work with players from diﬀerent parts of the world who want to play in Iceland; as well as with young local players who want to become professionals. It has been a rocky and challenging road, but I would not change a thing, I am just grateful and happy to be where I am today.” Alberto

His story shows us the power of passion, zeal and vision. Never give up on your dreams look beyond your disability see each challenge as learning or as an opportunity for growth.

www.aal.is

No ny K i n gz AfrobeatS Artist In Iceland

My name is Chinonso Emmanuel Odigb o, p o p u l a r ly k n o w n a s "NonyKingz" Born and r aised in Nigeria. I 'm a n A f r o b e at s Musician, Moved to I c e l a n d e a r ly 2 0 1 6 .

Music has always been my passion I can recall the day when I rst started music with my older brother, this was during our elementary & high school years. We were very good for our age and became very popular however we could not continue. We were both young students who wanted to focus on our academic work. Our parents were incredibly supportive they encouraged us to follow our dreams. Nevertheless, I never gave up on any dream. My brother and I decided to put our aspiration of doing music on hold for a while and focus on our Education.

I moved to the Philippines in 2014 to attend university; I decided it was time also to follow my dream of doing music. But It wasn’t easy since it takes a lot of nancial investment to produce and promote music. I was a student with only allowances from my parents, again I had to put on hold my musical aspirations. While studying in the Philippines, I met my Icelandic wife she was just a friend in the beginning. Our relationship got serious and we got married. We moved to Iceland from the Philippines, and here I am today living in Iceland with my beautiful wife and family.

NonyKingz - Love Affair (O cial… cial…

Watch later

“ I made it this far without the love and support of the industry”

"A s a n Af r o b e a t s Musician living in Iceland I had no choice other than to Launch my own music label"

K i n gz M a d e Muz i k

In 2016 just after moving to Iceland, this is when I oﬃcially started making music nally. I launched my music label, which I called "KingzMadeMuzik" and I began showcasing myself and my gift to the world. I was excited that I was getting back into the music industry. However, Iceland was now a new playing ground for me here in Europe. I decided it would be best to network and connect with others within the music industry.

I contacted individuals on various social media platforms to let them know I am an artist, and I needed their support and publicity. On one occasion I went all the way from the town I was living in then “Akureyri” and ew to Reykjavík to meet the radio station’s host and among others. I did all this to make sure my music was heard. I was not as successful as I hoped, and things began getting harder for me for three years.

NonyKingz "The world does not end in one environment or country."

I decided not to give up, so I began researching if there were other Africans, foreigners & Afrobeats musicians here in Iceland. To my surprise they weren’t many artists doing real Afrobeats. I also realized this genre is quite new to many people living in Iceland and the few musicians who are doing such music are not getting the support. It was devastating after discovering this but I decided to continue. Because the world does not end in one environment or country. I started building myself and kept focusing on my gaols. Now today I can boast about what, I have accomplished in my music career so far now. My music is being played around the world and I am getting so much support from people outside Iceland.

Stay Focus I will work harder because my success will bring inspiration and encouragement to people who have big dreams but are in fear of failing or worried that they have no environmental support. If you can dream it, you can do it. I would like to say thank you to all those who supported me throughout my journey. Without your support, I would not be where I am now.

daniel Byung-CHAN Roh The American In Borgarfjörður

Photo by Skuli Palmason

An American In Borgarfjörður By Daniel Byung-Chan Roh

Dniel is an American writer and outdoor guide living in Borgarfjörður with his Icelandic wife and newborn son. He moved to Iceland in March 2020. He majored in English at Virginia Commonwealth University and is still trying to convince himself that it wasn´t a complete waste of time or money.

There's a hill behind our house with a good view of our valley, topped with six or more cairns, one of which I built this spring. Behind it stretches hills and rivers that go on for as far as the eye can see, unbroken by roads or houses. It's now been over nine months since I've moved to Iceland. I was brought straight to this cabin upon arrival, considering COVID and quarantine. It was snowing and cold then too. A summer with unending sun has, in fact, ended. We slide into an oppressive winter and it seems to be an appropriate bookmark to the beginning of the Spring into which I first arrived

Photo by Skuli Palmason

The view from the hill into the inhabited valley is nearly identical today to the place I retreated into in March. A light layer of snow blankets the ground, thin enough to reveal the rocky surface that just up like the surface of a lake disturbed by a heavy rain. If you held up two photos, one taken today and one taken in mid-March, you wouldn't be able to tell one apart from the other. But it's an entirely different view to me.

The view

I can tell you now that the farm is named Bjarnestadir, the slight rise to the right is called. Bjarnastaðahnappur You can see the tip of Baula, a steep, sharp pyramid-like mountain that juts into the horizon like a stubby knife from it on a clear day. Ok (It's named Ok, as in Och when pronouncing Ochre) is a plateau mountain that I see every day. Unmovable, strong, and rigid. No longer a glacier, an actual funeral was held for it in 2015. Langjökull wraps around all the other features and hills of the valley. Þorisjokull is behind that. I know what it feels like to stand on Langjökull, lucky enough to have gotten a tour of the ice cave on it. " jökull means glacier in Icelandic. Eiríksjökull got its name from a bandit that escaped an ambush of farmers.

Photo by Skuli Palmason

The river nameless

To continue reading more about "An American in Borgarfjordur," and to know more about Daniel check out his blog

e trail up to the cairns was tangled and diﬃcult to ascend. e branches hadn't been cut back and the trail was overgrown and laborious in the snow. I spent two or three days making it passable. I was so proud when I heard our two-year-old niece walked on it. It was a lot of work, but grounding. I was leaving some mark or improvement. e view I saw in March was stunning but unfamiliar. e peaks foreign and the river nameless. e various farms just buildings, picturesque but anonymous.

www.trodcasting.com

michelle bird "Everything I do is pretty much related to art. Naturally, the biggest kick is painting. Painting is like a love affair or a passionate dance. The intimacy that I create with the material, the fruit of expression, and constant reﬂection anchor me.”

Blind painting as a way to connect

"I feel color with my skin,” Michelle exclaims before gently leaning forward, head tilted to one side, and asking, “how do you experience it?”

Michelle Bird’s paintings exude a fusion of sensuality and mixed cultures. Having inherited her Mongolian Chinese father's classical eye, and her Western mother's courage with bold architectural form, Michelle’s art has always stood at the crossroads of strong cultural forces. She came early to her love of color growing up in Hawaii, where sunsets showcase multifarious ashes of green. When her family then moved to California, she added textures to her repertoire, those of old-growth Redwood forests, San Francisco fogs, plump grapevines and desert silt.

BUT IT IS THE SENSORIAL PROCESS THAT’S PARAMOUNT TO MICHELLE

Everything I do is pretty much related to art. Naturally, the biggest kick is painting. Painting is like a love aﬀair or a passionate dance. e intimacy that I create with the material, the fruit of expression, and constant re ection anchor me.” She sits back in her chair before continuing, “I paint fervently for long intervals. Sometimes it feels as if I’m walking blindfolded through nature.”

“Generally, it begins with a random brushstroke. Whether it is abstract or gurative, I ponder the brushstroke until it indicates the next step. By establishing a rapport with my canvas and being aware of my own presence, I listen to the painting. “ is is what I share in my workshops, experiencing color through our bodies. Listening to the canvas. Closing your eyes and feeling your way through a painting. Having sound as a guide, ese methods free up something innate in all of us. It removes the ‘should’, the notion that ‘I’m not creative’. It’s wonderful if you are feeling stuck in any part of your life”.

M i c h e l l e r e g u l a r ly h o l d s pa i n t i n g workshops Michelle regularly holds painting workshops for artists, adults, and children from her spacious studio in Borganes. She’s hosted workshops in experimental and blind painting for the engineers at Google Zürich and has taught similar to local artists in Iceland. She‘s been a part of the Gleðileikur Happy Games, where she hosted 40 students for a 3-day blindfolding painting workshop, and the colorful large panels created by the students now adorn the walls of Borganes school. Participants come away feeling energized and pleasantly surprised from her workshops, describing them as an eye opener, showing some how far they had drifted from their creative core. Others have found it helpful in letting go of their “perfectionist syndrome” and allowing a more intuitive approach to their creativity.

Local clubs and professionals have taken advantage of her workshops due to Ungmennasamband (young local people) being very keen to support creative endeavours such as these. (Michelle points out during the interview that the City Hall will work with her and communities to put on such workshops, so do contact Michelle if you are interested in this.) Michelle has coached emerging artists at the Menntaskolinn College in Borgarnes, has been awarded grants from SSV Uppbyggingarsjóður Vesturlands (a local fund) and established the platform Fluxus Design Tribe, where she features collaborative social art initiatives.

B u t at t h e m o m e n t I h av e a n u n wav e r i n g d e s i r e t o p o rt r a i t p e o p l e . W h e n e l s e i n l i f e d o yo u ge t s o m e on e ’s u n d i v i d e d at t e n t i on f o r s e v e r a l h o u r s ? ”

is desire she explains came from a dearth of contact and connection due to COVID-19. Painting a portrait in 2-3 hours has been a delightful discovery of connection and art, enjoyed as much by the sitter as by Michelle. “I decided I wanted to make this experience available to as many people as possible, sitting for a portrait is fun, and shouldn’t be the exclusive realm of Presidents and CEO’s.” “I’ve had some beautiful responses to this,” she tells me as she pulls up a review from her website. “It was a great experience to be painted my Michelle. In this world of high speed, constant information, and lack of focus in our daily life, it's a nice change to sit still and receive a gift like this, to be looked at and painted. It felt like sombody really wanted to "see me". It was an intense and unique experience in many ways”. - Jökull Torfason

www.theartofmichellebird.com

Liberate Yourself Through ART with Michelle Bird in Iceland from Michelle Bird

02:55

Youth ART Michelle has been highly active within the Icelandic art scene. In 2019 Djúpavogshreppur hired her to create a 4-day painting workshop with 18 students, collaborating on large abstract paintings that were in turn exhibited at the Egilsstaður Youth Art Exhibition. In 2020 she was hired to produce a series of inspirational teaching videos for the Icelandic Children's Art Foundation List Fyrir Alla.

Internationally Michelle has held exhibitions in Paris, Amsterdam, Torino, Venice, New York and Zurich. While studying in the Netherlands, she apprenticed with the painter poet Anton Martineau and attended the Rietveld Academy, and while in India, she learned single bronze casting techniques at the Honey Arts Modelling Center in Chamba. “But it’s the painting I keep coming back to,” she says, “it’s like breathing, I simply need to do it.” To contact Michelle about her workshops and portrait sittings birdmichelle@mac.com You can nd more examples of her work here www.michellebird.com and www. uxusdesigntribe.com Follow her on social media Photo by Dario Mentesana Pop in for a visit to her art studio (please call ahead to arrange a suitable time)

" I can help with your accounting and business start up challenges"

Danith Chan As a foreigner living in Iceland for the past 20 years, Danith knows the paths of starting, owning and operating a business and having to file taxes. She is a member of the FKA New Icelanders a platform for businesswomen of foreign origin in Iceland. Danith is also passionate about helping foreign women in Iceland. She here to assist you to navigate the Icelandic business and company filings giving you the freedom of focusing on growing your business.

A typical question to you, what brought you to Iceland and how long have you been here?

Celebrating 20 years in Iceland I came to Iceland in January 2000 and my rst impression of the country was how cold and stormy the winter was then. On top of that, it was my rst time to experience a volcano eruption through the living room window. It was a very strange feeling to see both the winter storm and the volcano erupting at the same time. e Icelandic nature did know how to introduce itself and make it a memorial stay.

While operating my own business and while working for Icelandic companies, I have had to deal with tax and accounting issues all the time. This is when I realized that while running your own business and being up to date with your tax filing and having a good relationship with your accounting firm can be equally challenging like running a healthy business and selling your services. Being a foreigner, I know what foreigners need and the language barrier coming with it. I dedicated myself to offering accounting services, such as your end of year tax report, yearly tax filings to RSK, VAT Reports, doing monthly employee salary slips and filings to pension funds or issuing invoices. I have helped people set up companies and offered financial services.

Not from any particular country I am grateful I am from Cambodia and having lived in China and Egypt for 20 years. I can say that I have spent almost half of my life here in Iceland, but I still identify myself as an Asian person, neither from any particular country. I tend to understand everyone´s point of view without making any cultural comparisons anymore. I have worked both as an employee and in my own company and I know how challenging it is for a foreigner owning a business here. Most of the challenges involve not knowing which government institution to go to. What documents you need and what type of license you might need for your business.

I am always thankful ,to those who have helped me to be what I am today as well as those who have been kind to me in my private life and those who have been helpful in helping me advance my career and experiences. Some working relationships have been converted to being personal relationships and I am grateful to each person who has shown the power of unity and helpfulness in making each other a more successful person. I hope the year 2021 will be the year of sharing knowledge, kindness and being successful together.

DO YOU NEED HELP WITH YOUR ACCOUNTING ?

Do you want to start a Business?

Do you want to own your own business but need help in setting up a company? Do you need to set-up a bank account for your business? Do you want to know what type of taxes and salaries you need to pay? Do you need help with your business plans or need to know how business works in Iceland?

Danith can assist with all aspects of your company. From setups to daily and monthly company expenses, yearly tax filings, filing VAT Returns, salar y and invoicing. As well as set-up bank accounts for your business. Your once-a-year individual tax filings. All the tax part concerning Ríkisskattstjóri and you can focus on your business or just do enjoy your time in the Icelandic nature.

Company and Tax Filings

Do you need your VAT led? Do you need to pay yourself or your employees' salary? (Launaseðlar or Verktakamiðar) Do you need to send invoices for your work or services? Do you want to have your Annual Accounts led? (Skattskil and Ársreikningar) Do you know that you have to le your Share? Capital Slips (Hluta ármiði), Contractors Slips Verktakamiði), Salary Slips (Launamiði) once a year?

You can get in touch with her danith@amicusltd.com

www.amicusltd.com

Helen Cova Is an Icelandic author born i n Ve n e z u e l a

"You will get to explore parts of yourself better through your writing but that doesn't mean you will get to understand those parts. I guess the dark, mysterious and unintelligible parts of myself are the ultimate creator and what feeds the writer in me".

Autosarcophagy To Eat Oneself is Helen’s second book. The book merges darkness and magic realism in a collection of thirteen short stories. We decided to have a quick chat with Helen

What did you learn in the process? is book has been more than just writing and publishing. It has been a school. It has taught me many things on its own and through the people who have been part of its realisation: •Space and time are necessary to write books.

How does it feel to have your first book of short stories out? As much as I had been working on my book Autosarcophagy: To Eat Oneself for almost a year, it still came as a surprise to have it published, to see it in stores like Eymundsson. e whole process felt like I had been having a recurrent dream in which I was writing a book, not fully thinking it was real until I nally saw it.

•Writing a book is not a solo work. •Having a support network is an essential part of making art. •It is only when I write from the truth of myself that I can reach others. •My style of writing is something "new" for Icelanders. •It is ok to lean on those people who are willing to support you. •

What kinds of responses have you received? I was not emotionally prepared for the responses of people to the book. I have all types of responses—from people who don't understand a word of what I am writing to those who are deeply touched by Autosarcophagy. It’s been great! So much that sometimes I feel like my physical body is not big enough to take it all in.

To get a copy of Helens Book go to her website

www.helencova.com

ere is a lot of "oﬃce work" involved in publishing a book.

•You have to do what it takes. •Sometimes walking away from the big spaces/cities will awaken something in you. •Publishing a book is very expensive.

However, you will get to explore parts of yourself better through your writing but that doesn't mean you will get to understand those parts. I guess the dark, mysterious and unintelligible parts of myself are the ultimate creator and what feeds the writer in me.

Autosarcophagy - To eat oneself,

was released by multilingual collective Ós Pressan. It was published in English and Icelandic and is now available in Penninn Eymundsson and in the author’s website www.helencova.com

I got a message from the middle of nowhere By Carlotta

Here I am in London sitting on a train it’s 2018, I am on my way to facilitate a workshop. e train pulls into the station a gentleman in a long Gray coat came in looking clean and handsome. I can recall this because he also was smelling great. He sat next to me pulled out a book from his bag. He opens to the page he marked. I was minding my business when my eyes wandered over to his book. hmmmm “Aliens in Iceland Gunnar Andri In Africa” I wonder what that book is about, I said to myself ?. He got oﬀ 2 stops and later.

Gunnar Andri Thorisson Author of the book Message from the Middle of Nowhere

I replied to him “no mate I don’t” he sends me another message “Oh I thought you would since you practically live in a village lol, it’s a good book. I then send him a message a week later if I ever come across him, I will let you know. Well....back to the story about this book, I went to visit a friend in Ke avík in 2019 a year later. I thought to myself, oh I should have a look at the title of the book. I was to discover later the Title of the book was “Message from the middle of nowhere”. is was weird a few months later a friend sends me a message via social media asking me if I knew the author of the book “Message from the middle of nowhere”? Come on! Not any another person asking me the same silly question “Do you know MR son or Miss dottir”?, I think once you live in Iceland some people have a tendance to gure we must all know each other since it’s such a small population compare to other countries.

I noticed she had a book on a table that said, “message from the middle of nowhere”. In 2020 someone else asked me if I had read the book; most time if someone recommends a book to me, 80% of the time I check it out I love reading but in this case; I never thought of checking this book out. Well, I decided to nd out more about the book and contact the author. So, I send him a message via Facebook & Linkedin well he took a while to reply. Finally, we connect and met for coﬀee this was just before COVID-19 hits. Well, he kindly gave me a signed copy of the book....and gave me the history behind the book I must say it’s pretty cool and a great read. My favourite quote from the book “life isn’t always fair, get used to it and move on” Page 45 . Well I can say the book wasn't sending me a message from nowhere it was sending me messages from everywhere.

W.O.M.E.N in Iceland

By Nichole Leigh Mosty Forkona/Chairwoman

Samtök kvenna af erlendum uppruna á Íslandi WOMEN OF MULTICULTURAL ETHNICITY NETWORK

As with everyone and everything in society the year 2020 was a bit irregular for us here at W.O.M.E.N in Iceland, as we were not able to do as much as we would have liked to. We were however, provided with opportunities to work within our organization to improve initiatives and projects We really regret not being able to offer all of our, in person events and services, though we did get a few in between upsurges in COVID. We did learn new ways to help support women of foreign origin through advocacy and online adaptations to projects like The Women’s Story Circle and Peer Support, which we will continue to develop and offer online outlets to.

W.O.M.E.N in Iceland

2021 promises to be a very active year for us here at W.O.M.E.N in Iceland. We recently conducted a survey among women of foreign origin where our members and followers de ned for us what types of initiatives they would like to see us work with. We will be bringing back some of our popular empowerment, self-defence courses, and adding more opportunities for social interactions where women of foreign origin can strengthen important social networks.

We will continue our advocacy work through collaboration in Multicultural Councils in both Reykjavík, and Hafnafjörður and through our representation in various committees and government initiatives. We will be placing more emphasis on our work to combat sexual and domestic abuse. Two of our board members Achola Otieno and Margaret Johnson recently published articles regarding gender-based violence and the specific vulnerabilities women of foreign origin face as part of “16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence”.

In 2021 we will also create fundraising initiatives in order to start a legal defence fund for women of foreign origin and a membership drive oﬀering women of foreign origin the opportunity to become full- edged members of our organization. So watch this space! W.O.M.E.N in Iceland will be doing our best to support and empower women of foreign origin living in Iceland this year.

TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE IN 2021 WITH AFFIRMATIONS

By Carlotta

I have created an ebook of affirmation just for you. In support of Erlendur Magazine. Affirmations are positive phrases that you repeat to yourself. Why are affirmations helpful?, well Neuroscientist has carried out research. Which suggested future-oriented affirmations activates regions in the Brain that implicated in self-related information processing. erefore, is now clear that there is a relationship between affirmation and neural pathways. Many successful people have shared their positive experiences with self-affirmations. Also, affirmations have been used in various interventions and have produced great results. For example, many individuals stated after practising daily affirmations they have seen physical and mental changes for some their stress level decreases.

To get access to the aﬃrmations in support Erlendur Magazine Click the button and get your copy.

Get the eBook now

L E T ' S T A L K F A S H I O N By b i a n c a h a l lv e i g Stylist and Fashion Writer

Let’s talk about my floor-length parker coat By Bianca Hallveig

Winter is one of my favourite times to style out ts, I love layering diﬀerent accessories like scarfs and hats. It is almost like one big playground for styling. However, a good warm winter coat is an essential item especially when you live in Iceland. e weather is always changing, and you never know if it is going to be cold, windy, snowing or sometimes the occasional sun. During the winter it is essential to cover your body well. is winter I chose to wear my favourite coat, for now, it’s a oor-length parker coat. It is so warm and practical. If you go out and it's windy or snowing, I can be zipped up from head to toe literally. When the weather is good and it happens to still be chilly out, I can zip it halfway up also I am able to have fun wearing coloured pants underneath, showing it oﬀ by zipping it open from the bottom up. So, as you can tell, I turn a basic long coat into a fashion statement is not hard. Just add accessories, for example, long coats/jackets by adding a crossbody bag it helps with a pop or a colourful chunky scarf may also do the job making way for a fashionable statement.

I don’t dress like the weather I’ve also noticed when it comes to winter most people often wear dark colours because it’s cold and the weather is sometimes miserable, but I don’t think we should dress like the weather. I believe you should outshine the weather, add a pop of colour to a plain out t or add some pattern. A lot of winter coats are black so instead of having a dull black out t and then adding a black coat over it try to wear a statement piece like a top, pants, a hat or a scarf which stands out in colour or pattern and then pair that with plain articles of clothing and by doing that you look very stylish but it’s a simple out t to throw together. So, this winter stay warm and add a bit of colour to your out ts

Marko SVART Meet Marko Svart - a Swedish/Finnish multi-artist, based in Reykjavik. .His brand oﬀers unisex clothing and accessories, all individually hand made by the artist himself and has since 2019 been running a shop on Týsgata 1 in Reykjavik. I was curious to know more about Markos' designs also, I wanted to understand the inspiration behind his designs. So, I went to have a chat with him. As I walked into his shop, I could feel the creative energy; I love his personality and quirkiness it came out also in all of his designs. I know you would ﬁnd his work interesting and original as I did.

Svartbysvart fashion sho… sho…

So! Marko tell us about your designs

Marko Svart

Well, I require my designs to be timeless, ethical, sustainable, and fully unisex. I want to nd innovative ways to use materials in a sustainable way, completely banning plastics and other harmful materials or methods. It is always ambivalent for me, being a fashion designer but mostly disagreeing with the fashion industry as a whole. One example, which I strictly avoid, are aesthetic trends. I think trends are super uous and due to their fast-changing nature - a dangerous way to overproduce and over-consume. If you are always following trends, you never have the possibility to look into yourself, and it makes you feel inadequate and never-enough.

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Minimalism

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Unique Jewellery bone ceramics metsä collection origami earrings

STRIKING NORDIC MINIMALISM

Svart’s work shows striking Nordic minimalism, collecting ideas and characteristics from his diﬀerent homes and mixing them together with his intricate creativity while taking inspiration from nature, art and architecture. “As a Swedish/Finnish creator, now based in Iceland, I feel a huge connection to Scandinavian design. Since it emerged in the early 20th century, Nordic design has always has been modern, and innovative, due to its simplicity and functionality. Still, I tend to limit my outside inspiration for my work. We are constantly overwhelmed with information and looking for inspiration is too much. I do of course get immense inspiration from the ocean - one of the reasons I moved to Iceland – and much of my work is directly related to sea creatures and such.”

svartbysvart Originals Although being educated in both lm-making and professional dance/choreography, my artistry has always taken an unconventional road. I realized my artistic independence as a teenager and have since then put all my importance into my personal growth as a creator. I found it more fascinating and rewarding to create from raw talent and drive, rather than academical studies or expectations. My design is very much action-centric, where analysis, design and implementation are contemporary and inseparably linked. Research and knowledge are brought into my design process through judgment and “common sense” more than by virtue of the predictable and controlled process stipulated by the rational model of design.

I have a broad range in my eld of work, which may be confusing to some since most creators are often focused on one or very few mediums and art forms. I decided to never limit myself, and I require my work to feel ceaselessly intuitive and free. I see my artistry as my whole existence, and it would be unfair and impossible to limit one’s being, right?

www.svartbysvart.com

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