Kaleo Journal Issue 002

ISSUE 002 ● SEPTEMBER 2016

Kaleo Journal

people need people purpose, social structure and human connections

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Welcome to Kaleo Journal Kaleo Journal is a collaborative magazine of many talented young people who are looking to make their impact on the world in a positive and expressive way, using their talents to create something amazing. And they have.

Brought together by a team of young people passionate about bringing social issues to light, Kaleo believes in the power of the youth. Dedicated to giving emerging creative people a platform, our interviews and profiles delve deeper into their talented minds to inspire and excite you.

Released on the first of every other month, each edition is centred around a theme that encapsulates issues that deserve discussion such as equality, wellbeing and identity, in entertaining and engaging ways. With a range of articles, reviews, quick reads and our signature regular columns, we aim to express the diverse issues that matter to young people in a refreshingly clear way.

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Terrific Tunes

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From Me To You

Welcome back, As of now we have officially published two issues and the response we have received has been incredible. Thank you to the team and readers for allowing this dream of mine to come true. Without you all, it would have never come to see the sunshine that has allowed it to blossom into the beauty it is today. Because of Kaleo Journal, I am able to connect with beautiful souls from across the world and learn more about those in this generation who are filled with passion and purpose.

Our name, Kaleo, means “to be called”. A calling in life gives purpose to one’s existence, it allows them to understand their purpose on this planet. Through creating this magazine, I have met people who are finding their purpose despite what path society places them on. Regardless of race, sex, and age, this generation is fighting the typical social structures and fulfilling their life calling.

I hope that throughout this issue of Kaleo Journal, you are motivated to find your purpose. I believe that when you break out of the mold that this world puts around each person, you are able to truly connect with other humans and together, find the purpose that your heart desires. Remember that it takes time to understand purpose, but we are all here trying to figure it out. People need people.

All the love,

Kamryn Kobal

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What’s Inside

011 Team Kaleo

012 That Orange English Light

015 Cosmetic Shift

026 Photo Essay: Kindred Ties

Will I ever overcome these feelings of doubt and confusion?

Will the answers ever be clear?

030 Discover: Postcard Club

035 Poet Tree: Jade Corrina

036 A Letter In Which I Contemplate Life

038 In The Spotlight: Isa Gueye

Despite their statuses online, no one fully has this life figured out.

044 Poet Tree: Tannis Nohlgren

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045 Guns For Hands

046 Magic Is Might

048 Four Letter Words: Role

Of Issue One

050 Meet Finn Edwards

056 Serendipity

057 Quotable: Mary Hutchinson

058 The Psychology of Concerts

064 Poet Tree: Stacie Martin

065 Lost In The Music

066 Globetrotter: Lollapalooza

074 Extra Homes

075 Poet Tree: Jordinna Joaquin

076 Don't Haunt Me No More

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Team Kaleo

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Kamryn Kobal Founder and Editor

Chloe Katopodis Creative Director

Margot Oyuela Photojournalist

I am trying to become a morning person, but I still find myself brushing my teeth in the shower.

To be fair, Kaleo plays in my mind late at night so my tiredness is justified.

By 4pm I’ve had two naps, even though I woke up at 12. This penchant for rest is a side effect of being spiritually 80, but actually gives me time to process and plan life.

A 17-year-old dog lover who can make some fire mix tapes! It’s too bad I’m probably making those as part of my extreme procrastination to finish an essay...

Alex Colberg Photographer

Bella Lopes Writer

Alex Markey Music Columnist

I am the person who laughs at everything, including how I fail to spell 'potatoe' correctly despite living in Idaho for 4 years, owing my sister millions from a silly bet.

I will be obsessed with a new idea I stumble across on Pinterst, taking over my life for days or weeks! I believe little passions in life are what makes it pleasurable.

I have a horrible memory when it comes to homework and repeating the same stories, but at least I can remember every word to the whole ‘The 1975’ discography!

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Of Issue One Our Incredible Contributors Ed Cheverton // Artist www.cargocollective.com/ edwardcheverton

Hannah Lozano Writer Your fave new pug owner is ready for college round 2 in her 3rd story flat.

Active enough for a half marathon but sedentary enough to binge watch FRIENDS. Stairs, beware.

Kelsey Austere // Photographer www.cargocollective.com/ kelseyaustere IG: kelsopicasso.

Isa Gueye // Artist Tumblr: euo instagram: isagueye Finn Edwards // Artist IG: royeboi Gustavo Marinho // Photographer IG: mr_gustavo Colin Leonard // Photographer IG: colinleonard Shannon Dierickx // Photographer IG: captainwolf.s

Chilli Team Mascot I am old enough to jump on tables, but not old enough to register that I'm not supposed to. Plus I'm cute enough that you can't be angry at me, even after stealing food.

Makeup Artists featured in Cosmetic Shift: Rômolo Cricca IG: romolocricca Arieh Simon IG: arieh.jacob ALexx James Kyler: IG: iamalexxkyler Spencer Wehry IG: makeupbyspencer Seth Garrington IG: simplysethh _________________________ Poetry contributed by: Jordinna Joaquin IG: jordinnajoaquin Jade Corrina IG: jadecorrina79 Tannis Nohlgren IG: poetmama79

Bailey Crow // Photographer IG: bailey_crow

Mary Hutchinson IG: blackbirdpoetry

Elah Shalev // Writer IG: elahxo

Stacie Martin IG: stacie.martin _________________________

Marlee Miller // Writer IG: marrrleee Lourdes Ballesteros // Writer IG: lourdestagram Hannah Ofczarzak // Playlist IG: ofczarzakhannah

We would also like to extend our thanks to the people who support us in this project, especially family, friends and readers - it's you guys who help make this happen!

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That Orange English Light WORDS: MARLEE MILLER PHOTOGRAPHY: SHANNON DIERICKX We have all heard the cliché saying, “Everyone has a purpose in life,” a million times but does anyone really know what their full purpose is?

Do we know for sure when we find it? Is it one single “aha” moment when you just know? I think not. Or could it be multiple moments? A scavenger hunt of events that lead you to find your purpose?

Perhaps. Maybe we truly never know our purpose in this life.

Maybe some do, some don’t, and some die trying to figure it out. I can’t completely say that I’ve found what my one purpose in life is. My duty, my

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calling, the reason God sent me to Earth. But what I have found is a purpose to keep living this life, a purpose to keep going on so I can find my purpose.

Let me just start from the beginning of my journey. When I was 15 years old, I found myself constantly feeling sad, I couldn’t really find a certain place where I fit in… The typical text book definition of a freshman in high school.

But things began to change in Algebra class when I met a girl who invited me to go to a music festival called Hangout

Fest. Immediately I went home and I looked up the festival lineup and started listening to a few bands on the list that I wasn’t familiar with.

I searched through endless songs by bands, but nothing really sparked my interest until I first heard songs from everyone’s favorite band, The 1975. The song attached to their name on the lineup was a song called “Sex”. I pressed play, expecting to hear another generic indie song but in that very moment of hearing the sound that we all know now… the beginning chords to the end of our favorite concert,

I felt it. I felt my whole body tingle and a feeling that I still can’t quite describe flushed through me. I finished listening to the song while mesmerized by the boy in the video with the Chanel shirt on. I could not believe my eyes or my ears and I surely could not and still cannot believe that I found my band. I didn’t even know that “finding your own band” was a thing! I had no idea of the world I was about to enter.

Now, I could go into the story of my first time seeing The 1975 at Hangout Fest or the first time I met Matty, but I have a different story to tell.

After returning home from the festival, I was even more in love with this band after seeing them live and being the only person in the tiny crowd who knew the words to some of their oldest, unknown tunes.

I decided I’d make a Twitter fan account for them, as I figured it would be nothing like how my One Direction fan account was. My first username was @ the9teensevnty5, cute right?

Within just a few weeks, I became friends with more people on the internet than I ever had in real life. One of the first people I started talking to was a girl named Sophie Carothers. We talked everyday about our love and disbelief of this one band and eventually became best friends. On my 16th birthday, The 1975 released their 2014 Fall tour dates. I immediately called Sophie and we came up with the brilliant idea that I would fly from my town in Louisiana to Austin, Texas to meet her and embark on a 3 day groupie adventure. That was the single

best decision I had ever made in my short, little life.

A few months later I was on a plane by myself, meeting a girl I met on the internet for the first time, all to go see this band. As I stared at the moving clouds beneath me, I couldn’t help but ask myself “What am I doing?” I had no clue what was about to happen for the next 3 days and put my whole life into the hands of a girl I had never even met.

When I landed in Austin, I waited outside the airport anxiously but so excited to meet Sophie. When she pulled up there were 3 other girls in the car, one of those girls was the one and only Kamryn Kobal. I ho pped in the back seat and was instantly welcomed into a new family.

Kamryn didn’t even know who I was, but she was nice enough to buy me a CD and wrist band for The 1975’s signing at Cactus Music that weekend and even let me sleep at her house. I was so overwhelmed with happiness and love for every single person I met in those 3 days. It is crazy how a group of strangers turned into my absolute best friends just from the love we shared for this band.

Two years have passed and nothing has changed; my friends and I are all still chasing this same band around the country, making unforgettable memories together on each adventure.

Except, now there is something different about us: we found our purpose and made our connection. Two

years ago we were all trying to find ourselves, find our people and find our place.

It’s incredible that we were all able to do so through The 1975. Now we’ve created these inseparable bonds, no matter how far away we are from each other. This connection is a special one that not everyone gets to experience. It is the understanding and acceptance of each other, the love and passion we all have and no matter how different our lives may be, the one single thing that holds us all together forever. That connection IS the purpose, it’s our purpose. It’s what keeps our spirits alive, and inspires us. The 1975 is more than a band, they are a threshold between reality and dreams. For me, they are the reason I started to believe in my dreams and that I could live a life that would actually matter. They are the reason I began to believe that my life has a purpose.

And that’s the reason we all do this… The traveling, the camping, the stalking, everything we do that makes people call us crazy. They think we’re insane because they don’t get it. They don’t get the friendships and the experiences we all get to share. They also don’t understand because I am certain no other band shares the kind of relationship and connection with their fans like The 1975 does.

They get it, they get us. And that’s the reason that we do it, isn’t it? *Cue “Chocolate”*

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Cosmetic Shift CURATED BY CHLOE KATOPODIS

Makeup and the beauty industry as a whole has traditionally been geared towards women. This bizarre concept is not only harmful to females but rather to all genders. As make up is deemed a distinctive factor in femininity, and in a society where we have been conditioned to have rigid expectations of gender roles and stereotypes, this restricts people from being in touch with their feminine and masculine sides and fuels toxic masculinity. It is yet another aspect of equality that needs to be addressed but not enough discussions are being had about it.

A sensation is sweeping the web – a cosmetic shift where it’s becoming commonplace to find a person who doesn’t identity as female exploring the mystic world of makeup artistry. We still have a long way to go, but here are five figures you should keep an eye on – a smokey eye that is.

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Seth Garrington @simplysethh When did you first start experimenting with makeup?

Growing up, my mother never wore makeup, so when I was around 10 I was at my grandmothers and used one of her eyeliners.

She caught me and I told her it was "army paint" at the time I was so embarrassed, but it made me happy playing with it.

How do you feel about being an inspiration to people?

Being an inspiration to people is very humbling. Thinking about having people out there that look up to me, who see what I'm doing and want to do the same, is a very heartwarming feeling. My goal is to inspire others to be themselves, shamelessly. If I can inspire even one person to be themselves and not care what anyone else thinks, I'm happy.

What challenges did (or do) you face?

My biggest challenge I've faced is realizing who I am isn't a bad thing. Growing up "different" I always thought the fact I wasn't like everyone else was something I shouldn't be proud of. I was never the boy to stay up all night playing video games, I never played sports, and I always thought I was weird or abnormal. I've struggled through a long journey of learning to not caring what other people think, but once I realized doing what I love makes me the

happiest, I never looked back.

How do you think your presence will influence people, especially boys, in experimenting more with cosmetics and beauty?

I think boys in makeup will snowball.

Personally, I looked up to several boys in makeup, and that helped me be open about wearing/doing makeup! The more that are accepted in the community, the bigger the community will get! I hope to be someone that breaks through the boundaries of gender normalities.

What is your favourite beauty product and why?

This is a hard question... my favorite beauty product would probably be eyeshadow. You can change your whole eye shape with eyeshadow. Eyes can be so captivating and beautiful, so that's probably my favorite product.

Any words of wisdom?

I once heard a Hellen Keller quote that stuck with me: "the only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision."

I think you need to go through life open minded and ready for new opportunities. If you go through life with a closed mind and no goals and no willingness to grow, you'll never get anywhere.

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Arieh Simon @arieh.jacob What was your first experience with makeup?

My first experience with makeup consisted of my mom and I going to a drugstore to buy a Rimmel foundation, concealer and powder.

At that point, I was watching a lot of British beauty guru's like Zoella and Tanya Burr, and that was what they wore. I wore it out to school a few days later, and quickly realized the foundation was WAY too dark for my skin tone, and I had not blended it down my neck.

I am so lucky no one took pictures of me at that time, I probably looked like a mess!

What is a difficulty you’ve had to overcome?

One of the hardest things I've had to overcome is going out with makeup on. I get a lot of hate on social media, but it has never been a big problem because I never let it affect me. The main issue I had when I first started wearing more dramatic makeup is the looks people gave me in public. It used to take me a lot of hyping myself up to get the confidence to wear makeup out because almost everyone either did a double take or just blatantly stared at my face.

What is one of your proudest moments?

One of my proudest moment was when the brand Morphe Brushes reposted my work on their Instagram. At this point, I had been working really hard by challenging myself to work with more color and to just be more creative in general. A brand has never reposted me, and it was a goal of mine. I have a distinct memory of getting a comment telling me Morphe had reposted a video of me using one of their palettes. I literally went on my knees and starting yelling out of joy. I felt like I had some sort of recognition for my hard work.

What would be your ideal future for the

beauty world?

My ideal future for the beauty community is for it to be a less negative environment. I am constantly telling my followers how sad I am about the level of negativity and hate within the makeup artist community. I always say, makeup is simply stupid. It is paint that we apply daily to our faces, and it is meant as a way to express ourselves through creativity.

For some reason we have built it up to be a place for fights and name calling, which is extremely sad to see. I hope to one day see people appreciating each others work, and maintaining levels of respect with another.

What is your favourite beauty product and why?

My all time die hard favorite product is the Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer (I know, a super long name). I can always trust it to cover anything, not crease, blend out really well.

Any words of wisdom?

My biggest words of wisdom that I try to tell all my friends/acquaintances is to choose positivity. We often hear the phrase "choose happiness", which is a similar idea.

You may also hear people telling you it is easier to just be positive. In my personal experience, it is easier to be negative. Take for example, talking behind others backs; it is so much easier to just talk negatively about someone else because you do not have to deal with the consequences. This past year I have completely stopped talking behind others backs, leading to much less eventful conversations and even lost a couple friends.

This proves that it is not so easy just to be positive, it is much easier to just not worry about it and not deal with the consequences.

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Rômolo Cricca Farina Bataglia @romolocricca What is it about makeup that was interesting to you?

To be honest, I was born with an interest for makeup, so there was never a specific time where the interest arose. Ever since I was little, I would watch my mom doing her makeup and getting ready and so it seems like I have always had a big interest in makeup.

What was (is) your aim by posting your works online?

If I'm not mistaken, I began doing my makeup in 2012 or 2013. I used to take pictures of myself and not show anyone, but as time passed, I slowly began showing myself to people. All my friends knew that I did my makeup, yet I was still scared to post pictures because my parents didn't know, even though it was assumed that I am gay. I posted my first picture in July of 2015, and it was an adrenaline feeling.

Everyone seemed to like it and asked for more photos, so after that I never stopped.

What moment has been a standout for you?

I've never taken a make-up course or anything but one time I won a four hour course I took over and ended up teaching all the girls in the course. Every time I do my make-up I see

myself getting better, which is encouraging.

What do you hope to see in the future for the beauty industry?

I like to see originality. Today, everything you see is normal and people are being original, being themselves, without fear of being judged. That's what I like. It's better than how it used to be but we do still have to evolve a bit.

What is your favourite beauty product and why?

Without any doubt highlighter. Highlighter is my favorite product when it comes to makeup, I can't leave the house without it.

Sometimes I only put highlighter on my face, I love it so much! It’s in the name itself... It's also a great base.

Any words of wisdom?

I think when your work is recognized, it seems to be easier, but it isn't. There are days where I spend hours taking photos to not like a single one of them, so I delete it all and redo it. When it does work out, I end up with 300 photos and I have to pick 4. It's not easy, but it’s the best thing in the world being recognized. A big thing that happened recently is Lime Crime sent me products and they acknowledged my work and talent. There is nothing more gratifying than the fact that [Kaleo] came to me asking me questions too.

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Spencer Wehry @makeupbyspencer When did you realise that makeup is something you wanted to seriously pursue?

I think I realized it was something I wanted to seriously pursue when I was about 13 or 14.

When I was a kid, I would watch my mom put on her makeup and I would be so fascinated by the transformative aspect of it. As I got older, and started seeing my friends buy makeup and use it, I really wanted to give it a shot. So I started doing my friends makeup and practicing on myself. While I wasn't very good at it at the time, I was still having a blast doing it. I think it was during that time that I realized how much joy it brought me, and how much I wanted to pursue it.

Why do you think there has been a shift in the variety of people who are interested in cosmetics?

I think that because of the power of social media, people have been able to see the power of cosmetics.

People are starting to see what cosmetics can really do, and how artistic it can be.

What was a pivotal moment or experience for you?

One pivotal moment for me was definitely the first time a cosmetic brand shared my work.

It might sound vain but, being a man wearing makeup and putting that out on social media isn't going to be widely accepted across the board. I remember the day it happened I was a little down on myself. I didn't think the look I was going to post was that amazing, but I posted it anyway. An hour later, I got a text from my friend saying "Congratulations!!" And I said "Why?" And he said "Jeffree shared you!"

So I went on Instagram and I couldn't believe it, but @jeffreestarcosmetics had shared my work. It was something I never expected

would happen, and I will always be thankful towards that brand and Jeffree for being the first brand to share my work.

Why do you think it’s important that people see a variety of individuals in the beauty industry?

People need someone they can relate to. All people are beautiful, and all people should feel beautiful, fierce, etc. It's also important that brands see a variety of individuals so that those individuals can be represented by those brands. The power of social media is very real.

Now you see more people of color represented in beauty campaigns and their skin color being represented in certain brand shade ranges.

You'll also see men in certain brand beauty campaigns! However, it's still not enough.

There will always be room for more representation, so the fight to get that is not over.

What is your favourite beauty product and why?

Hands down my favorite product is Anastasia Brow Wiz. My life was forever changed when I first used It. Any words of wisdom?

As cliche as it might sound, it truly is so important to stay true to yourself. Know your worth, as well as your values. You are incredible and unique in your own right. As much as I love social media for what it's done and what it's doing, the amount of hate in the world lately has been overwhelming. So please try and stay positive, don't spread hate.

And if you are getting hate directed towards you, it's going to be hard but try and ignore it and stand clear of it. Don't let anyone get you down. You are beautiful.

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Alexx James Kyler @iamalexxkyler When did you first start dabbling in makeup?

I first started in makeup when I was around 15 years old, I also had an interest in it just from watching my mother do her makeup in the morning.

Luckily I had an amazing mother that supported my curiosity. She gave me some of her old products just to play around with.

I ended up always doing my friends makeup whenever they came over to my home!

Needless to say ever since then, my passion and love for makeup has continued to grow and grow.

How did you overcome difficulties, judgements or pressures?

For me, I always had a very positive outlook on life, even in tough times. Growing up for me wasn’t always the easiest so from a young age I really learned how to be in a positive state of mind with whatever life threw at me. It’s all about your mindset really, and what you’re surrounded with. Anytime my family was going through any situation that wasn’t exactly positive my mother always had a way to not show any negative emotion around me or my two brothers.

As for any judgements I always go to one of my favorite people, being RuPaul. One of his quotes always stayed with me, when someone was making fun of me, or being harsh. “If they aren’t paying your bills, pay them no mind.”

Which for me actually helped in the long run, why should I care what people say about me, it’s none of my business.

What has been a highlight (no pun intended)?

Honestly one of the most special things that has happened to me during this wild ride, and something I hold dear to my heart is the countless amount of people who will either send me an email, or snapchat about how I inspire them. It’s a very uplifting thing that keeps me doing what I love to do. Let’s get real, without the people who love and support me, i’d be nothing but a boy with a dream.

What are your goals for the future and to influence the beauty industry?

For me personally, I play on continuing to do what I’m doing.

Bettering myself every day, and learning new things! I’m excited because by the time this issue comes out, my YouTube channel should be up and running, which is a big step for my career.

I’ve always wanted to do tutorials online and really put my personality out there, but because of my high anxiety it’s been a work in progress.

Any words of wisdom?

I used to be obsessed with the show, “The Real,” especially because I love Tamera Mowry. She shared some great advice someone gave her before and it was, “There is always going to be someone prettier, smarter, and more successful than you.

You just have to be the best you, that you can be.” Honestly that has stuck with me ever since I watched that episode. You just have to be the best you, that you can be and everything will be alright!

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Kindred Ties A SERIES BY BAILEY CROW

II found found aa love love for for antiques antiques at at an an early early age. age. From From antique antique shopping shopping and and thrifting thrifting with with my my mom mom each each weekend, weekend, and and going going through through my my grandparents grandparents old old belongings, belongings, II fell fell in in love love with with items items covered covered in in dust dust and and layered layered with with dirt. dirt.

Some Some consider consider these these things things to to just just be be things things or or just just plain plain old old garbage, garbage, but but each each of of the the items items is is aa piece piece of of my my family’s family’s history; history; the the white white hat hat and and white white gloves; gloves; my my great great Mamaw’s.

Mamaw’s. The The fur fur coat coat and and beaded beaded purse; purse; my my grandma grandma Peat’s.

Peat’s. The The hat hat pins; pins; my my granny’s. granny’s.

All All are are items items that that connect connect with with me me and and to to the the past. past. II never never met met some some of of my my great great grandparents, grandparents, but but having having their their items items allowed allowed me me to to connect connect with with them them and and learn learn about about the the people people that that they they were. were.

Postcard Club INTERVIEW BY CHLOE KATOPODIS

Postcards are gems, magical relics from a time far gone, before you could just share the picturesque qualities of holiday destination in an instant. But with this advancement of technology that connects us so quickly, we lose the charm that comes with physical mediums. No longer are we sending small cards with comically staged tourists on a beach and gone are the hasty 'wish you were here' scribbled on the back that never had enough room to properly express your joys.

The whimsical nature of these kitschy souvenirs may seem to be lost, but illustrator, Ed Cheverton, is bringing them back in a blissfully modern way through his project 'Postcard Club' while keeping the practice of the crafts movement alive.

Discover Introduce Postcard Club to us.

Postcard Club is a platform that encourages artists from all over the world to make and send postcards to each other with an aim to visually connect us in a more physical sense outside of the digital world.

What was your thinking/ inspiration to begin a project like this?

Postcard Club started in the winter of 2013, I had recently finished my degree and was suddenly quite alone without a studio to work in with other artists. I had been doing art swaps for a little while, exchanging parcels of zines, drawings and bits with other artists, which I really enjoyed and decided to see if anyone wanted to swap handmade postcards with me. I found it such a nice way of connecting with other artists work as opposed to scrolling down blogs. It was a really simple way of creating a physical connection with internet friends. I then thought it would be really interesting to see if I could encourage other artists to swap between each other and slowly form a huge interconnecting network of postcard swappers. Thus the club was born.

What were your aspirations with it? Have you achieved it?

I never really had an end goal, I just wanted it to grow and grow and for the network of swappers to spread globally.

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in the world. Earlier on in the club most of the swaps were between me and another artist and I’m really pleased that more and more artists are swapping (some quite regularly) with each other.

Recently I’ve been thinking of what might be next for the club; maybe an exhibition or publication, but nothing quite ‘fits’ yet.

Has there been a particular highlight for you?

I couldn’t really pull out something singular: no swap is ‘better’ than another. It’s been really exciting to see artists being more and more inventive with the format; postcards have been made from wood, felt and fabric, been 3D and moveable.

The core concepts of connecting as creators, and even greater as humans, seems central to the Club.

What do you think is so vital about these connections, and how do you see social media in this picture?

Social media and the digital world have developed our way of interacting so very much in the last decade. I would never call it a bad thing though, it has it’s purpose. I guess I used to be quite anti-digital and perhaps that’s partly where the club came from. I think I felt quite disconnected from art I was seeing online. It was all being seen through a screen and I longed for more tactility.

Making art can be so personal and a solely individual

Postcard Club experience. What the internet has allowed us to do is share it so freely and widely in a way never possible before.

This is great. However it all can get lost and is always seen through screen. I wanted the club to provide a network where artists could share and see each other’s work in the flesh.

Personally I prefer traditional mediums as tactility and having a physical connection is so important to me when making work, but where computers don’t offer physicality they offer a lot else. Computers and digital technology are just another medium, alongside pens, paint and paper to making work.

You also have your own small publishing venture, Jazz Dad Books, which includes zines and books with a distinctly handmade quality.

It also appears that the craft movement is making a resurgence, with many artists using traditional mediums as opposed to digital.

I started Jazz Dad Books as a small press platform for myself and a handful of other artists.

But also all the zines and comics I’ve published needed to have a reason to be physical books so the paper stock, format and binding is always thought out. What the digital world has really highlighted is the need for physical work and print to make the most of being physical.

What are your thoughts about this and the unique dynamic that digital approaches don’t offer?

Traditional and digital approaches aren’t enemies.

One is not better than the other, they simply both offer very different things. The issue arises though I think when one is used to emulate the other, or one isn’t used to its full potential. I think the rise of artists using traditional medium is more a balancing out of approaches. Digital art and illustration was so popular at the start of the millennium simply because it was new.

As one thing gains popularity I don’t think it takes long for the opposite to resist. I think it will be interesting to see what the balance is in the next ten years.

I feel that there is a totally different dynamic when creating art by hand, such as collages, as it gives you a more intimate connection with the piece and ultimately reflects this effort. Sometimes, especially as a young artist myself, when I see digital pieces that look so effortless and clean, I can be misguided about the amount of time that actually goes into a piece.

As a young artist, how did you navigate your artistic journey and overcome doubts to find purpose in your works?

That journey is still going and I hope it never ends! I was really lucky to constantly be around other creative people all through school and university.

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Discover All my friends helped shaped my work I think; I was introduced to so much on my degree by them. There was a real sense of labels back then, I think I needed to know whether I was an ‘Illustrator’ or a ‘designer’, an ‘animator’ etc. Although I was on an Illustration degree the tutors were brilliant at letting us explore anything we wanted, but there was always that hanging over my head.

I think it’s so so so so important to not close yourself off to anything in your education. I’ve felt that I’ve slightly lost the sense of experimentation recently I had at university and I’m really consciously trying to regain it.

The purpose of my work is constantly evolving. It started off as a way for me to play and have fun and then became a bit more cathartic and therapeutic as I went through periods. Recently it’s been about exploring narratives I’d never pursued before and letting bodies of work mature and develop over time. I hope it continues to change in the future as well.

How are you managing it now, as compared to when you first began university?

I think I’ve managed to shake this sense of labelling myself (I apologize for sounding so pretentious). I don’t really care what I am but I just really like making stuff. Sometimes that’s illustrations for a client, sometimes it’s very self034

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indulgent personal work.

Why do you think you had these struggles?

There was this invisible pressure I felt (and I know a lot of friends also did) where after uni we had to get big quick. I’ve really really enjoyed letting things slow down. This doesn’t necessarily mean I work less but I let projects mature for longer. There is a sci-fi comic I’ve been working on for about two-ish years now that was just meant to be a short zine but has grown into this huge and ever expanding universe of different stories.

I know that in Adelaide, which is a small, quaint city that is more like a town, the art culture is completely different to other places, Australia or worldwide. I can often feel like it’s not respected as much as other countries, and that art doesn’t hold a validity (as compared to other ventures). What has been your experience with this?

I’m really lucky that I’ve never really experienced this I think. Bristol where I live now is a very creative city and Brighton, where I did my degree, was the same. There is always events happening and a huge community of artists here. We all support and help each other. Every so often I’ll break out of this bubble (when visiting family for example) and it can feel a bit weird. It’s easy to talk to another artist about drawing wizards all day but not everyone…gets it.

What social structures do you think are in place that stunts the artistic community and cultures in general?

The arts are always underfunded. I really hate money and how much of a grip it has over us but also how much we need it to have a functioning society. How many incredible creative projects never happened because of lack of money? The arts have been badly hit in austerity Britain and when university tuition fees were tripled (of course they are still less than tuition in other countries) prospective students were basically told by teachers and parents they shouldn’t pursue creative fields as there were less chance of jobs.

Finally, any final words of wisdom you can share?

Make work you care about and try and develop your own visual world over time. ____________________________ Want to join this incredible worldwide network of postcard swappers? If you think this all sounds sensational and would like to make a swap, feel free to contact anyone on the members list or invite any friends or artists. If you have made an exchange or want to swap with Ed, email him at edcheverton@hotmail. com. There's only one rule: All cards must be handmade by the artist. Remember, anyone can be an artist so let's get swapping! Head to postcardclub.tumblr.com for full details and to be inspired. All images featured from Ed's Cargo. ●

Poet Tree

If eyes could speak Don’t run away That is what my eyes would say If eyes could speak They would tell you to trust Dive into me Embrace passion and lust If eyes could speak They would tell you don’t fear Arms wide open, it’s safe in here If eyes could speak You’d see straight to my heart And know without a doubt This is only the start Jade Corrina

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A Letter In Which I Contemplate Life Who am I and what does it all mean?

CHLOE KATOPODIS Dear Danielle, I'm thinking again.

Nobody should be allowed to Think because it fills your head with Thoughts and I don't want them anymore.

Dearest Thoughts, please leave my Cranium because you are all too much and it has been so long since I thought the weed killer I was pouring on your roots had kicked you out.

But now you've come back, with stronger legs to kick the door down, and stronger arms to push through all the Security Guard Thoughts that have been successfully blocking your existential hoo-ha, and you seem to be much bigger. But that's a trick too, like three conniving children in a tench coat and I want to push you all over and stomp on you.

Get out of my head. Get out of my head, I'm warning you. I'm holding my Stomping Boots.

I'm lacing them up. I'M COMING TO STOMP ON YOU. IT'S GOING TO HURT. Danielle, I have no stomping energy, that was a lie, and I fear that this time that these children are going to find a house in my brain and grow up there. And Danielle, children become teenagers, which isn't even the worst.

Teenagers become adults, and some adults don't move out of home ever. That is the worst. And I can sense this is one of them, I can just sense it.

You see, its's been a long while since school ended (please don't start me with The Passing Of Time, I'll close my eyes and fall back into a river) and the incredible amount of stress (and the white hair) has subsided, and I've been left with a shell of myself to try and piece together. Without stress, who am I? Suddenly, I am waking up not feeling like I 036

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am truly ready for death, and now without The Sadness, there is all this space for The Happiness and The Joy and The Excitement and all of their other friends. But Danielle, you know I'm not good at making friends. You've heard stories of me blurting out nonsense and establishing that I am a Helpless Fool. So how, oh how, am I expected to introduce them into my life so easily when I've been Siamese twins with Captain Negative for my formative years of developing a sense of identity.

I thought it was part of me, but now, with some distance, I'm discovering that it's not.

And that it's not okay for a person's constant state to be negative. And it's definitely not okay for our education system - something that should be so incredible - has been a defining factor in that.

But I've had some air, I've had some breathing space, I've had every oxygen particle go through my lungs and now it's back to finding myself. But who am I? And what do I want?

What is my purpose? I've just come from a rigorous schooling system where I have just had to do the work given to me, and that was that. I was busy, I was working, I had a purpose - complete the assignment well. And I did. So now what? Uni is different, there is so much freedom and ultimately, it's making me ready for life outside of an institution.

A life where I will have do direct myself and find purpose through my work. Which I assign.

To give myself purpose. Can you see my dilemma?

I don't (really) care about my grades, or anything other than having to prepare myself to leave university to become a capable Designer, and in reality, Human Being, because design is a lifestyle and a way of living. At the end of the day, its going to be me, ME, who is out there working, for people, not teachers, in

reality, not school.

I don't feel ready.

I am petrified.

I couldn't think of a scenario I am more unprepared for.

Being alone and in complete control of my life and future and direction and decisions.

Can you hear me screaming?

And I am falling into a crisis the more I Think Thoughts. The more the three children/tench coat man/stay at home adult build a home in my head. And Danielle, I hate the furniture they're choosing.

Danielle, there is no IKEA in my head, yet there bringing back IKEA-like furniture. There are no BILLY bookcases, there is the IS DEATH THE END? bookcase towering over the room, filled with works by Nietzsche, with titles like 'How Real Is Reality' and 'The Absurd Universe'.

What happened to my Harry Potter and Dr. Seus books? Where is my MALM bed, Hybrid Creature, because that TIME IS A CONSTRUCT bed doesn't look comfortable. Hybrid Creature, why don't you try a SOMMAR mug, not a LIFE IS AN ILLUSION mug because your freaking me out with all of these thoughts your raising.

As I go on in the design course, and think about myself as a Designer, I think about my role and purpose in this world, and how pursuing a creative career can contribute to the world, as well as myself. What is my place in the grand scheme of things? Why have I been put here? The phenomenon of life is too incredible to be a random by product of something, but why am I here now? In this very time? Around these very people? Why have I experienced what I've experienced?

What is the relevance? And why is this important?

Will I ever overcome these feelings of doubt and confusion? Will the answers ever be clear? Will these thoughts keep creeping into my head throughout my life?

Probably yes. And you know what, I think that's okay. Because what is a life without questions, without pushing the boundaries and challenging yourself and others to look beyond to live a deeper, more spiritually fulfilling life with a purpose to change the world for the better.

I think of all the injustice in the world, not just extreme cases in poverty stricken countries, but in my own too, and the less obvious cases such as our lack of empathy, compassion, understanding and respect. I think to myself, there is no possible way that you can ignore this when it's all around you. I think that a big part of doing things is not having a choice.

Time, I've realized, doesn't stop. I can't go back in time to rectify broken friendships or lost moments. All I can do is just be. Time will still keep going, so I have to go with it. I have to become like Water and flow. Taking things in my stride, I have no choice but to make a change in this world. I have no choice, and neither does this generation, to be passive. We have to change, we have to work, we have to start a revolution of thinking to make progress.

And this is our purpose overall. We all have our parts to play in how we contribute, but we don't have a choice to if we want to participate. We have to.

It's hard, becasue this has to be self driven.

And Danielle, you KNOW how much I sleep.

And Danielle, I don't think I'll ever stop being tired. My Spirit is one of many others that has had Atlas drop the World on them, and I can't stop holding it. I am weighted by the world.

But I am pushing back.

I don't know what life means, but now it's up to me to magage these thoughts. Oh what's that Hybrid Creature? The correct way does not exist? We will never truly understand how others individually perceive them world? Wow, interesting.

Danielle, I think I might be Okay. Or at least, I think I can manage the journey there.

With all the love my Chaotic mind can communicate, Chloe ● PEOPLE NEED PEOPLE

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In The Spotlight: Isa Gueye

The raw, expressive film maker with a passion for progress INTERVIEW: CHLOE KATOPODIS ART: ISA GUEYE

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In The Spotlight direction. That is my primary interest. I do have interest in writing but not alone, I have really enjoyed collaborative writing projects I have done.

Hi Isa, how are you going today?

Things are going pretty well, thank you for asking!

What is a distinct memory you have with film (that inspired you/changed your perspective/ lead you to a realisation)?

A few weeks before turning 13 I watched The Seventh Seal

by Ingmar Bergman and it really changed my life. I had never seen media like that and I had never connected with a character so strongly as I did with the knight, Antonius Block. His confusion about God and the nature of humanity really connected with my angsty 12 year old self.

You’re currently studying ‘Film Production’; what are your goals from this? What would be your ideal project to work on?

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What changes do you think need to be made in the future for the film industry to grow positively?

There are the obvious answers of representation and diversity among those of us behind the camera but there’s a huge issue with the way that creativity is funneled in the film industry. One can either go the ‘indie’ route and work with smaller production companies but those films are therefore constrained to lower budgets and can do a lot less in terms of plot and creativity. Whereas if you go big production company, your creativity gets compromised by set expectations and producers. So you have the options of making something small that probably isn't your full vision or making something big that also won’t be your full vision.

I think film is such an incredible medium, communicating so well through the combination of sound, vision and speech.

What is it about film that your connected to (as compared to other forms of art such as painting or sculpture)?

Film is one of the most sensory engaging forms of media and that gives you a lot of play around with which I love. There are so many

Isa Gueye elements to control and small changes to those elements can alter other things drastically.

Making films is like playing dominos.

Your journals are really fascinating – the commitment to documenting visually, especially the images of how full they are, is so motivating. The commentary is so raw and expressive.

Can you tell us more about the journals, including your process and their significance?

I wish they were more complicated than they are.

I just found myself wanting to incorporate images in my journals since I’m a very visual person. I ended up doing it with every journal and now I’m on my 14th since I was 15!

I’ve noticed that some of them have names; where do these names come from and why do you name them?

The journal’s names are mostly after people in books like I connected to.

Social media, especially Tumblr, is such a complex thing that connects us in odd ways. While it allows us to connect to others, and makes us more aware of things, it can also give us a false sense of reality, especially with aesthetic blogs, and can often take away from the realities of life when only a highlights reel is presented.

What do you think of this, as well as the importance of being honest and transparent about struggles (such as mental health and personal wellbeing)?

I think the importance matters only to the individual themselves. I know a lot of people who struggle with mental health and don’t post about it on their photo blogs at all. If it helps you to post about it then I think that’s great. I don’t think anybody

Your list poems are another highlight of mine too, can you expand more on them and their significance?

They didn't start out as poems and I don't really write them to be poems. I find it very calming to list things and I do it all the time in my journals.

I noticed some of the lists might be relatable to others so I formatted them and changed them a little! I enjoy writing them and find it easy and calming.

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In The Spotlight Works) that set me up with glasses and equipment to make a documentary on a subject of my choice. Shortly later I was hospitalized for anorexia and when I came back I changed my film idea and began working on CWS. However I was then hospitalized again in a residential hospital for my eating disorder and when I got out and I started working on its again.

owes it to be open and honest about their struggles regardless of what kind of content they post. I’m always in support of people sharing and being open and honest but only when it is, first and foremost, the choice of that person. And for those who do not choose to share, that’s absolutely fine to! Post on!

In your documentary, ‘Civil War Sickness’, [right] you express your own personal struggle with an eating disorder but your approach to differ from the usual detailed voyeuristic perspective made it unique – accessible to all backgrounds, as well as posing a deeper set of questions.

Can you tell us more about the film, and the response from it? A lot of comments express their affinity towards it; what does this mean to you?

Civil War Sickness took me 9 months to make. I was accepted into a teen filmmaking program (Reel 042

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The script for CWS was my final essay at my graduation from my partial eating disorder program. I reshot all the footage the month before I released it because I didn't want to use any footage of me while I was still sick. A lot of the footage I took originally was pretty bad too, talking about weights, showing sizes, etc. Taking that long to make the film helped me trim it!

The cut footage was very much a reflection of my recovery itself. The positive responses I’ve received from it have been beyond inspirational, it was so, so hard for me to put it up so having those responses reminds me every day that it was worth it!

Your platform on social media is fairly expansive; many people who use Tumblr will have been in contact with a post of yours at one point.

What does it mean to you to have such a large following – do you seek to connect with others through your posts, or

Isa Gueye is it a more personal thing to blog?

It means a lot, I’m glad at people appreciate my artistic taste. But blogging is definitely something I do more for myself, for a while I think getting followers was something I really cared about but now I don’t look at the number unless somebody asks me! Not to say I don’t appreciate their presence.

Your film work, notably ‘Saudade’, [left] captures the feeling of how many youths feel, especially towards the end of high school, not really knowing about the future and are in an odd transitionary period of their lives.

Can you tell us more about the film and what the inspirations/ goals were for it?

Sure, I worked with Dalton Kearney and we both spoke about having seen or experienced a similar thing. I think it’s definitely something I experienced to a certain degree both when I moved to college and when I transitioned to a different school for my junior year of high school.

conventional educational journey and especially in this field, I often feel like I’m floating and watching other people success while I wait for…something? Regardless of the setting, I think that feeling is something that all of us experience in some way, especially in our youth!

What helped you (or is helping you) through this time and what words can you extend to others?

So many wonderful people!

My best friend, Cyrus. My girlfriend, my former film teacher now penpal, my wonderful friends from high school and college, my family.

And as always, my six-yearlong companion Logan The Border Collie-Lab Mutt.

Any final words of wisdom you can share with us?

If you’re thinking about making a film but are too scared to write it down, ask for help, start shooting, edit, etc. Just do it, if its rubbish don’t share it. At least you’ll have made something! ●

I think a lot of people can connect with the blonde girl, who have felt pretty lost, disconnected and ‘afraid of growing up’, particularly when others seem to have it more together and have a clearer vision. Can you expand more on this?

I can definitely connect with her. I haven’t exactly had the PEOPLE NEED PEOPLE

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Poet Tree

She accepted the truth Instead of rejection She looked in the mirror And saw her reflection Absorbing reality Not a deflection Her truest self Not their perception She loved herself Without any objection She embraced her flaws Let go of perfection She was who she was There was no exception Tannis Nohlgren

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Guns For Hands LOURDES BALLESTEROS

My newest tattoos are from a lyric of one of the songs that means the most to me by my favorite band of all time: Twenty One Pilots.

"The solution is, I see a whole room of these mutant kids fused at the wrist I simply tell them they should shoot at this - simply suggest my chest and this confused music it's obviously best for them to turn their Guns to a Fist."

The lead singer, Tyler Joseph, once said that tattoos can be utilized as conversation starters, for conversations that would otherwise be awkward or difficult to initiate.

The conversation I hope to initiate with my ink is something I believe that equates all of us regardless of race, gender, age, sexuality, and/or socioeconomic status is that at the beginning of each day we have the opportunity to do good for ourselves and the rest of the world or to do wrong for ourselves and the

rest of the world. However, if each of us find something to USE, whether that be another physical being or music or art or job or anything else you might be passionate about, we can find a purpose and a way to empower ourselves and one another rather than harm ourselves and one another.

Unfortunately with all of the hurt going on in the world, sometimes we are unable to choose what is done unto us. Yet we are allowed to decide how we react, how we move forward, and how we want to make a change. So thank you for letting me use the both of you and your music, Tyler and Josh, because I am currently the best version of myself. And as for the rest of you, my friends, use your talents and passions to help each other because in turn you will end up finding yourself. And in case you need it, I will always be open to these conversations at any point of any day of any year.

"I'm trying to sleep, but I can't when you all have guns for hands". ● PEOPLE NEED PEOPLE

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Magic Is Might WORDS: ELAH SHALEY PHOTOGRAPHY: COLIN LEONARD I believe in magic. I have experienced magic. Harry Potter is magic. When I read Harry Potter I go to a world of magic. It’s a place to escape and to help me understand the real world in which I live. The characters are my best friends.

I have known them and loved them longer than I have most of the people I know in my real life. They were always there for me and all I had to do was pick up a book.

When I had no real friends to turn to, I turned to Harry, Ron, and Hermione. The Harry Potter books have been a constant my entire life. I have grown up with the series. I started listening to my mom reading the books to my brother when I was around four years old, and by the time I tuned eight years old, I read books one through six in a single summer. Now I am beginning my sophomore year of college, and I have re-read the series over ten times since. I have not once gotten bored of the story.

Having read the books at such a young age, and have continuously read them as I’ve grown up, I really do understand the complexities of the characters. This understanding allows me to connect with the characters on such a personal level.

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complex and whole people. I relate to them. I see pieces of myself in them, and pieces of them in me. I learn from their mistakes. These characters are my best and most influential role models. I can see the traits in them I wish I could see in myself, and strive to achieve what they have.

I want Hermione’s confidence and work ethic; Luna’s uniqueness and refusal to cave in to her critics; Ron’s loyalty; Fred and George’s carefree attitude; Ginny’s determination; Dumbledore’s natural ability to lead; Arthur’s devotion to his passions; and Molly’s ability to unconditionally love. The reason I really do relate to rather than merely admire the characters though, is for their imperfection. Hermione acts pretentiously about her intelligence, Luna has trouble fitting in, Ron has a short temper, Fred and George disregard the rules, Ginny is defensive, Dumbledore is not forthright with his intentions, Molly is overbearing, and Harry is impulsive. Their imperfections make them perfectly real. They make mistakes because they’re human. My mistakes are valid because these people I love have made the same mistakes.

It’s so hard to express how much influence these characters and this series has on my life. No matter where I am, I have these people and

this home to return to.

My absolute favorite character in the series is Luna Lovegood.

She has taught me to accept myself for who I am. Luna’s uniqueness drives people away. She wears radishes from her ears and believes in mythological stories. Her well-intentioned, blunt and honest remarks make people uncomfortable. However, she turns out to be the most accepting, genuine, caring, and loving person in the series.

She values her friends so much because up until she was fourteen, she had none.

Having gone that long without friends did not faze her in the slightest. There was never a bitter or judgmental thought in her mind.

When she was kidnapped and left in a dungeon she was the one to reassure and help the other prisoners. She stood

by Harry when the entire wizarding world was against him. She is the epitome of positivity and acceptance.

She inspires me to be myself, and showed me that the only people I should want in my life are the ones who love me for me. I have grown up with this connection to the characters in Harry Potter. I don't know the person I would be without their influence, and I wouldn’t want to know that person.

These characters have grown up with me, and changed me for the better. ●

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Four Letter Words A COLUMN BY KAMRYN KOBAL Typically, the phrase “Four Letter Words” refers to short slang words that have negative connotation. Whether the word is vulgar or dull, four letter words never really care a good reputation. This issue is centered around the word 'role' connecting to our purpose in an increasingly changing world growing with technology.

As a ‘Generation Y’ young adult, I have experienced the positive and negative aspects of growing up in the society that has reached an enormous height in its knowledge of technology with computers, personal devices, information and communication through social media.

While our world has certainly not reached the pinnacle of knowledge, this generation and those on either side will certainly reap both the benefits and harm that the pain of progress brings when trying to understand one’s role in our ever-changing world.

As of now, humans are making more breakthroughs than ever in those worlds of science and socialization. Practically every teenager in first world societies has a smart phone buzzing in their pockets lending them access to an entire world vaster than the one we live in physically. With the touch of one button we are able to see what others are doing on opposite sides of the world, despite the thousands of miles stretching between us. While I have witnessed firsthand how the internet and social media can bring together some of the greatest people from across a nation, I see how this progress can certainly bring confusion and chaos, as well. When a young adult from this generation is dredging through life and still trying to figure out their purpose, they are also held accountable for this additional burden of communicating through a contraption held in the palm of their hand that stores both a curse and a blessing of continuous transmission.

Media outlets constantly fill the internet with the violence and chaos that encapsulates our world, proving that this society is desperate for love.

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Role world go around. Everyone is just trying to survive another day, trying to understand their role. But whether one fully knows where they belong or if they are simply walking blindly through each day, if everyone could just give a little bit more love, then I think the roles we find ourselves in would be a bit easier to fill.

Defined as the part that someone has in a family, society, or other group, the word “role” is a four letter word that strictly explains the purpose of one’s existence. As a teenager, understanding your role can be incredibly confusing, especially when you are able to constantly compare your role to your peers’ simply by unlocking your cell phone. But I believe that whatever your role is in this life, grasp it with a tight grip and fill that purpose with positivity and unconditional love.

Something I have personally struggled with is having a bad attitude when things don’t go my way. I don’t necessarily mean that I’ll dramatically refuse to go to school if I wake up on picture day with a few new blemishes on my skin, but I always have a set idea of the way things should work out and when life doesn’t follow my plans, I tend to let it affect me in the most negative way. Recently I have attempted to understand that roles change. One day I could be the main star of the show where all the attention is on me and my needs are being catered attentively. But there are also those times where I need to be content with simply filling the role of being the helper, where I put my plans aside to aid those around me.

My generation in particular is experiencing new discoveries each day as we discover new technologies or strengthen our understanding of existing ones. Despite race, sexuality, age and gender, people are beginning to stand up and say, “Hey, you don’t have to fit any role that you don’t feel comfortable in.” According to recent studies, more fathers are serving as stay at home dads rather than fitting the traditional nine to five job, while women’s participation in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) careers are continuing to increase each year. People are beginning to fully understand that they can fill a role that is geared toward their own passions, rather than fulfilling the purpose that society tells them that they must follow.

If you find yourself in a place where you don’t feel comfortable then try and shift your mindset to see if you are in a position where you are needed

Despite their statuses online, no one fully has this life figured out. It is incredibly tempting to connect virtually and compare your walk with everyone else’s, but ignore those words on the screen. While we are all maturing and making new discoveries within our complex minds, I encourage you to find your purpose in this life and whatever it may be, continue to play the part with an open heart. If you find yourself in a place where you don’t feel comfortable then try and shift your mindset to see if you are in a position where you are needed. However, also remember that to truly be the best version of yourself, I believe that you should be in an environment where your creativity will be challenged and your passions will be met. ● PEOPLE NEED PEOPLE

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Meet Finn Edwards A free flowing artist with a fondness for flora and fauna INTERVIEW: CHLOE KATOPODIS ART: FINN EDWARDS

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Meet

What is your first memory with art?

My mum home-schooled me and my younger sisters all of our primary school years, and one of her main focuses with teaching us was to channel our creativity. One of my youngest memories of growing up and my mum teaching me to draw and nurturing my skills and my passion for art and drawing! Shoutout to my brown mum !

What is your relationship with art at the moment? Is it a hobby or are you studying it?

Well I'm only 16 so I'm currently still in high school doing VCE Studio Art, but am currently really enjoying that course, I've found that I have learnt to express my art really well visually, but also express it though annotation and thought process!

What is your artist process?

When I find an idea or I see something that I find really inspires me wether it be on the Internet or just in public I like to take photos so I know what I'm aiming to create until I get home to sketch books and stuff. From there on I'm just really trying to express my art in how I'm felling or what I'm seeing on either digital or tangible support.

Do you use references or just keep a mental inventory of things that inspire you?

With the current course that I'm doing at school, it's a necessity to hand in an independent A4 folio of random stuff that you find inspiring to pass the course. But I find a lot of inspiration from just random artists who are on Instagram, you can find some incredible people on that thing man!

Where do you find inspiration?

I've become very inspired by Angie Pai visually because I really enjoy her distorted faces and portraits, she has really helped me to develop my own style.

I've also become really inspired by my Spotify playlist. I've found that music really helps me get excited and willing when I'm creating art and I really think the whole vibe of the music I listen to shows up in my art (not to sound too pretentious). You can

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Finn Edwards check my playlists on my Spotify @zennigann.

Who or what has had the biggest influence on you artistically?

One of my all-time favourite mediums is a good watercolour palette, you can work some wicked magic with those.

What mediums are your favourites to work with?

I don't think I have a least favourite medium because I think it's stupid to box yourself in, but I don't enjoy using set pastels; they're hella dirty and can't stay where they're supposed to on your page.

Least favourite? What is one you want to experiment with more?

I would like to experiment more with stuff like Lino prints with my portrait styles, I reckon that would look so mental!

I am in love with your little portraits, the line work and interconnections flows so beautifully and creates such an impacting, unique work.

How has your style developed over the years, from realistic digital portraits to more expressive, abstract hand-drawn pieces? Where do you see it going in the future?

Thank you, When I was young I used to try and draw realism but I soon realized I didn't enjoy it that much and it wasn't much "my style", so I tried to develop my own style! I took a lot of inspiration from a Melbourne artist called Angie Pai who does similar portraits. In the future I want try to adapt my portraits where when I draw it it’s all in one stroke and I never lift the pencil/pen of the page.

What would be your ultimate art project?

I honestly would love to design someone like FKA Twigs' album cover art. I feel like I understand her style of expression and think we could cook up something really cool.

What can we look forward to on your art scene?

To be honest I don't actually have anything major that's coming up. Other than applying for a major Melbourne art school I don't have anything to confirm other than just making my art.

Let’s talk about the #PlantsNeedSelfies that you started on your Instagram. Introduce it to us. How was this hashtag born and what was your motivation to start it?

I feel like my Instagram goes through phases. #PlantsNeedSelfies was basically the hashtag I used during my plant phase during around 2015. I started it because I was posting so many photos of plants at the time, I wanted to keep them all in one place for people to look at them.

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Meet What do you hope to achieve, if anything, from it? Have you ever thought about pushing it further (say by contacting the botanic gardens for a collaboration) or was this never intended to be something big?

Honestly I never thought about a collaboration with the botanical gardens, but let's hope they see this interview and hit me up for that to happen so I can continue the hashtag.

It’s interesting with social media how hashtags can turn into big things now, even to movements or becoming a core part of a movement [think BLM].

What are your thoughts on this ability to connect people in such a way that is unique to this age?

Social media is so important and influencing, especially towards teenagers. I don't think my hashtags is something that really influences other teens, but I find it incredibly interesting how something like black lives matter has been able to reach out to so many people through purely a hashtag on social media.

Aside from generating some beautiful photos, the series raises connections to the interaction between humans and nature. How do you perceive this relationship?

I think the kind of environment you surround yourself with is very important for things like mental health and mood. I like to create a nice natural environment not just for my own enjoyment, but I think by the attention I get on social media, other people really enjoy it as well.

What changes do you think need to be made in the future for it to grow positively and stop being such a destructive/ unproductive thing (i.e. us not harnessing the power of nature, not respecting it, learning from it, working with it not against it?)

I honestly think the government need to enforce some strong laws surrounding how we treat our environment and how that effects climate change, like the evidence is right in front of your face, why do something about it? The earth gives us so much yet we continuously abuse it.

What are some final words of wisdom you can share with us?

Don't dog the boys. ●

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Finn Edwards

FIRST TIMES

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Serendipity A COLUMN BY BELLA LOPES

The golden sun rises each morning ready to give light to the world. He is awake, bright, yet secretly hoping to spy the night light from her. The moon awaits each day for her time to glisten, also hoping to catch a glimpse of the rays from the sun.

Their love is ancient, growing more and more each day as they anticipate to see each other; they are patient. They never get to meet in person due to their distance but the sun and the moon have been lovers from the beginning of time.

Once a month, they get to see each other, one glowing as much as the other. They both have so much light yet it is so unalike, distinctive, and unique.

He lives his days full of harmony relaxing through his own warmness and emotions. His light is warm, soothing, bright and draining. He is kind and honest, always praising the earth and other planets he shines. He is humble and generous with his light, continuously thinking of others and going above and beyond expected. He smiles and shines his love for her towards our earth, knowing she isn’t there but appreciating her regardless.

Her light is vivid, expressive, and tranquil. She is the humble, appreciative and creative. Her nights are filled with leisure and discreet while enjoying the view of quiet earth. Her enthusiasm grows every night, while she awaits her lovers light to reach her until she becomes full. Those nights are cherished and praised as he gets a small view of her and gives her light. She is full of elegant admiration of his power and warmth.

Time passes, and they grow more excited for the time where the calendar turns pages and he gets to see her glow and she receives his shine. They are serene and so in love. They don’t mind not having possession of each other because their light is enough to spread love throughout the earth. ●

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Quotable

You were born to rise from the ashes, not choke on them. Break free from the prison of your mind and listen to your gut. Life has a way of wearing you down but you are stronger than the constraints that are demanded.

Mary Hutchinson

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Moiety The Psychology of Concerts WORDS: HANNAH LOZANO From a distance, we are a world of sound - nonsense clanging with rhythmic tones used to seduce the minds into dances, choruses, and applause. But down here, music is far from nonsense.

Not only are we moved physically, but emotionally as well. What causes the bliss of hearing music with others?

When our brains strive for something, our hypothalamus is shouting out to us for a need, mainly only for food, sex, and sleep. That’s how we survive. It’s in our reward circuit, so when we satisfy these needs, our brains release a chemical called dopamine to thank us, and in return we feel pleasure, an intense joy that makes us want to feel it again.

Interestingly, when we listen to music, dopamine is released, just as it would when we fulfill a need that is contingent for survival. So our brains are not only rewarding us for listening

to music, but they are telling us that they feel closer to survival now than they did before.

As for listening to music in solace, I will dive into that another time, but let’s think about it from the communal listening standpoint. It is known that misery loves company and vice versa, so when a crowd is rejoicing in a festival of dopamine secretion, how wondrous could that outcome be?

Music therapy has been an effective method of treating patients with chronic stress, anxiety, trauma, disabilities, and disorders for many years.

It is usually elicited either in groups or individually by a certified music therapist who promotes the use of instruments and singing as forms of coping with the aforementioned issues. While playing music has been seen

as effective because it helps control tics and attention disorders by introducing rhythm to the mind, listening to music has been found to be a powerful method of opening individuals up to the act of creative expression.

Researchers have found that music has a strong influence on stress levels as well, which has been substantial in promoting further research in the behavioral approach to music therapy.

This passive form of group music therapy reflects the live music form of expression, where individuals listen to music in a communal manner and are typically encouraged to become engaged in their surroundings. A common belief regarding live music is that it is elicited to bring people together. Many musicians agree with this notion in varying ways, across different genres.

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Moiety In an interview with the band ‘Walk the Moon’, which was conducted by Rolling Stone magazine, the artists describe the empowerment they give their fans with their music and in their shows. This band in particular is famous for the cathartic concert theme, which celebrates diversity and expression. This is an example of performers creating a bonding of sorts between the band and the audience, as well as affording similar bonds amongst the audience members. Their shows focus on the therapeutic remedy of music as a stress reliever.

The effect they create at their shows encourages the audience to break out of their shell and release the tension of everyday in this experience.

In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, the lead singer, Nick Petricca stated, “From that initial inner child, we're taking a stand. It's in the song 'Different Colors': 'We know the kids are right.' A kid doesn't care if you're gay, black, white, green, whatever. It's not just tolerating people's differences — it's celebrating them.”

I looked into the mindset of other popular artists to explore their foundations for performing.

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In contrast to the aforementioned show whose focal point is amity as an artistic expression, many performers use different tactics to bring people together. Many performers center their focus on “rage” to express their emotions and thoughts. While the rough, metal genres and others whose atmosphere is antithetical to 'Walk the Moon’s’ have different ways of performing, they all seem to create a sense of bonding between those who attend.

The lead singer of ‘Young Rising Sons’, Andy Tongren stated in a conversation with me after his performance that he focuses primarily on the effect that his music has on the audience.

In fact, when I mentioned his song “Somebody” where all instruments are unplugged, the audience is encouraged to sing along, and the performance is solely acoustic, he said that the song was written for the purpose of singing it live. He claimed that he wanted to be able to have a connection with those who have come to celebrate music with the band as a true musical experience.

At ‘The 1975’ show, the band performed their song, “Me”, in a similar way. Walk the Moon has been known to exorcise

negativity from the crowd through a ritual with their song “I Can Lift a Car”. ‘Twenty-One Pilots’ and ‘Coldplay’ also have points in their shows where the crowd becomes a part of the performance. It seems that across genres and artists, the purpose of the music is to create unity, whether through light wristbands, waving arms to “lift a car,” literally lifting each other up, screaming and yelling about daily injustices and frustrations, or by simply singing in harmony.

With an avid delight in the way that music can move people, I decided to research the therapeutic nature of synchronized notions within music in the Fall of 2015. I also delved into previous research on music therapy and the theory of “flow.” Using this research as a framework, I then structured self-reports that examine emotions and perspectives to conclude how individuals are affected by concerts, if at all.

Research by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in his book “Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience” has

The Psychology of Concerts shown that individuals find themselves in emotions that are collected from the context in which they put themselves.

When interviewees from many parts of the world were asked to describe what makes an activity enjoyable, the results had very similar descriptions, even when the activities were very different. Csikszentmihalyi also found that those who experienced “flow,” the term he uses to describe immersion in an activity by extreme focus, lose their consciousness of self and become aware only of external forces, no longer inhibited by self-awareness.

In addition, studies show that pain that is shared can bring people closer. Many shows, like the one discussed above, bring back the feelings of pain and suffering. Perhaps this is not just a way of portraying oneself, but a tactic by the performer. It has been found that individuals who have negative feelings are less aroused by happy music and have elevated levels of comfort while in the presence of others in a similar situation.

While in a sad mood, listeners found sad-sounding music more appealing than happy music. This could explain why some performers neglect the “glittery” atmosphere and direct their music toward the

darker side of the audience members’ emotions. It has been shown that listeners’ moods are affected by the certain kind music the music they listen to nevertheless, so I will explore what exactly is being affected, and what it does for the individual.

In the previous research I gathered, I found many details describing whether or not individuals were affected by certain forms of therapy.

Since I was looking to find what exact emotions were affected, I concluded that I should collect data that could demonstrate the aspects resulting in feelings of anxiety, sadness, happiness, and stress, as well as an alteration in self-perception. I analyzed my survey’s results to depict the specific changes in the individuals who attended these shows.

Each survey provided the respondent with multiple aspects to consider and rate from 1-10 as they pertained to the individual, including levels of stress, anxiety, and sadness. Another section which was present in both surveys asked for a rating from 1-10 on appearance, cognitive ability, potential, contentment, happiness, talent, and confidence. The standard deviation of each item was found to consider a representative increase or decrease in each factor before and after a concert. By doing this, I could calculate whether or not certain attributes increased or decreased as a whole after the concert took place.

I distributed a self-report survey to 15 individuals, each from a different concert, from genres including Alternative, Pop, Rock, Hip-hop, and others, some which included a variation of multiple genres. Three participants attended Austin City Limits music festival, which offered hundreds of acts over three days, across many different genres. Respondents were asked to provide a brief list of things that help them cope with anxieties. This was to provide insight to how individuals feel about what is good for them to engage in a better mood.

In the large amount of concerts that I have attended in the past few years I have noticed the direct eye contact made between the lead singer and those in the audience. This, along with the artists grabbing the hands of individuals and singing directly to them seemed to evoke a large amount of excitement from those to which he was singing. The audience seemed to move with the performers

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Moiety of the survey was confidence.

Respondents reported feeling significantly much more confident in themselves, hopeful for their future, and assertive in their potential.

and vice versa, which could suggest a synchronization from the music and each other.

The responses for this question on the pre-concert survey listed things that concern solace, such as reading, praying, listening to music, being alone, writing, exercising, and drawing. The post-concert survey received less of these responses and more answers that included the involvement of others, such as talking with family members and friends, attending concerts, and walking dogs.

The most significant changes were found in the decrease in levels of anxiety, sadness, and stress. The other factors, which reflected a more positive outlook on life, increased enough to show that their mood was affected, but not enough to prove a significant change.

The self-report also provided many questions which could result in answers that can be directly linked to anxiety, confidence, and satisfaction.

These questions were all set on a 5-point Likert scale that designated exactly how they felt about something, which provided conclusive results on the effectiveness of the concert for the representative 15 participants.

A few activities, such as consolidation in relationships, overlapped both surveys.

However, the majority of reports in this activity were listed in the post-concert survey.

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These respondents ranged from ages 15 to 50, with varying backgrounds and occupations. The entity that seemed to be most affected by the concert in this section

This finding, perhaps, could be linked with Csikszentmihalyi’s flow theory. As individuals danced and sang and swung to the music together, they lost the caution which was presented before the show to keep a distance from others.

By show’s end, they were immersed in a different state, no longer concerned with the bodies of those around them, but with the music that linked them.

My results from this project give insight to the question concerning the effect on individuals by music.

Interestingly, the most prominent change was in selfperception. Individuals have

The Psychology of Concerts been found to be much more confident in themselves and feel more important when they have a community or group surrounding them. This could suggest that by bonding with others, the individual’s selfesteem increases. The survey results also suggest that after attending a concert, individuals feel less of whatever negative feelings they did before the show began. Overall, the behavior of attendees was changed to reflect Csikszentmihalyi’s flow theory and motivation was most clearly affected positively of all of the recorded attributes.

every group that surrounds me in front of the stage gives me a feeling of friendship, of acceptance- that remote sense of respect, the relief of being understood. And it all comes back to the flow, the shared emotions, and the therapeutic techniques that musicians use, whether they are cognizant of it or not.

With every concert crowd I find myself in, I can’t help but notice the sense of community I feel. Whether I’m in my hometown of Houston, Texas, Illinois, Florida, New York, or any city that draws me in,

It is this unique, almost sacred justice that we share that empties my wallet in fills my heart weekly. It is where I’ve made my closest friends, where I’ve found myself, and where I have come to

terms with even my most untouchable emotions.

All the excitement, the tears and the nerves of the road trips to venues both big and small, of camping outside of venues, of racing for a front row spot, it all adds up to create the moiety of the brain and the body, and how they inhale the music through every sense, dopamine and euphony coming together to give us the magic that is live music. ●

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Poet Tree

Some people are two faced, find the beautiful qualities in both. Some people believe their own lies, search for the things they tell the truth about. Some people are rotten human beings, choose to love the parts of them that are pure. When we find faults in others that are hard to see past, we must fight even harder to seek out their goodness. Put a spotlight on those hidden gems. And hope, one day they’ll shine brighter than all the other stuff.

Stacie Martin

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Lost In The Music WORDS: ALEX MARKEY PHOTOGRAPHY: SHANNON DIERICKX I truly believe that concerts are one of the greatest ways to experience genuine human connection. There is something intoxicating about being pressed up against or surrounded by thousands of people who are feeling the exact same thing as you. Everyone in the crowd is there for the same reason. Everyone wants a connection. Whether it’s a connection with the sound, the people around you, or the band, experiencing human connection at a concert is inevitable.

example, Tyler Joseph, the lead singer, ambushes around the crowd in a giant red hamster ball while everyone helps roll him around. Another thing the band does in the live show that has become a tradition for every show is playing one drum islands.

Two times throughout the live show, platforms are given to the crowd to hold up and Josh, the drummer, climbs onto them and plays on a small drum kit while the crowd supports him.

A prime example of this is going to a Twenty One Pilots concert. Twenty One Pilots - or tøp for short - is one of those bands that makes you feel something. They make music for people to use. Writing this, I’ve realized that the connection this band makes with the fans is hard to form into words. They make music to remind kids that staying alive is worth it (a constant reminder the lead singer shouts to the crowd almost every show) and that they understand what you’re going through.

It’s an incredible feeling to be the support that holds them up after they’ve been the ones supporting you. I have never felt such a strong connection to anything outside this concert. This band makes you feel like even though you’re in a crowd of 14,000 people, you are so incredibly close to every single person in the room.

Other than emotional connections, tøp makes physical interactions with the crowd to make you feel like you’re a part of the show. For

Every heart beating to the same rhythm makes you forget every problem you had prior to this show and makes you feel like everything will be okay. That’s the human connection that comes from this music and it is a special one. ● PEOPLE NEED PEOPLE

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Globetrotter: Lollapalooza A COLUMN BY MARGOT OYUELA Music festivals are basically the holy land of music lovers like myself. From seeing your favorite artists to exploring the city that it takes place in, festivals are always a wild ride. Lollapalooza is one the oldest and most well known music festivals in the world, and I was lucky enough to experience it during a special time. This year, Chicago hosted the 25th anniversary of Lollapalooza and extended the festival to 4 insane days.

As a (self proclaimed) festival expert, I have created a complete guide on how to cross Lollapalooza off your bucket list.

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MY LOLLAPALOOZA ESSENTIALS

TIPS AND TRICKS

Poncho.

Knowing Chicago, it will rain during the festival. If you don’t want to get soaked, bring a poncho so you can keep dancing in the rain!

Sunscreen. Don’t be fooled by the rain. You're probably still being roasted in the sun.

Empty water bottle.

Unless you want to pass out of dehydration or pay $6 for a bottle of water, I would suggest using the water refill stations that Lolla is kind enough to provide.

Clear ziplock bag.

If you don’t want to risk ruining your phone in the rain but still want to snapchat the band currently playing, put your phone in the bag! It's the best alternative to those $100 waterproof cases.

Kleenex.

I'm gonna say one thing: PORTAPOTTIES. Those things don’t usually include toilet paper for the thousands of people at Lolla. Trust me, Bring.

Your. Own.

Wear closed toed shoes. I bet your sandals are adorable and totally match your outfit. You know what doesn’t match?

Broken toes. If you're battling the beasts in that crowd, your toes will thank you for wearing closed toed shoes.

Set a meeting place.

If you're with a group of people, there's always that one idiot that gets lost. If you set a meeting place, you wont have to worry about going on a mission to find the idiot.

Make your own schedule.

A lot of people don’t realize how insanely huge Grant Park is. There were 8 stages this year…..

It makes it easier for everyone to have your own schedule of what artists you want to see and what stage you have to run too.

Wear minimal makeup.

Girls, I usually encourage you to wear as much makeup as your heart desires but for this festival, it’s a bad idea. You'll thank me when it rains and your mascara didn’t make you look like a raccoon.

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Globetrotter SURVIVING CHICAGO FOOD: I have one tip for anyone visiting Chicago. GO EAT PIZZA. You are in one of the pizza capitols of the world, enjoy it. Not only is it a cheap option, it's the best thing you'll eat in Chicago.

WHAT TO SEE The Bean. Usually I would give you a less touristic option, but you cant skip the bean!

Millennium Park is amazing and the bean is a great photo op.

Willis Tower. Again, another usual tourist spot but the Sky Deck is a sight to see. You're basically walking on air and have the most beautiful view of Chicago.

The beach. If you wanna cool off and get a good view of the Chicago skyline, the beach is a great spot to spend some time.

Navy Pier. Not only does it have a water front view of Chicago, you can go on the ferris wheel and get an even better view of the skyline! Not to mention the garden inside is another beautiful photo op! ●

However, if you get tired of shoving pizza in your mouth everyday and want to stock up on food that wont make you gain 50 pounds, I suggest grocery shopping for your whole stay.

You wont have to pay for expensive festival food if you eat a huge breakfast and dinner using your groceries!

HOTEL: Chicago can easily get expensive if you go with traditional hotels. If you're looking for a cheap alternative, AirBnb has cheap rental homes right in the middle of all the expensive hotels.

Another option for those of you who don’t mind your personal space being invaded, is hostels.

Chicago has many hostels that go as low as $25 a night! Sure, you have to share a bathroom with 15 other people, but at least you're saving cash!!

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Extra Homes Extra Homes is a photography set by Kelsey Austere that includes homes left for Mother Nature’s will; homes abandoned and not taken care of; previously loved homes and never filled again.

While talking a walk through her neighborhood to free her mind, the series occurred to her she began to connect with these houses left, just as she has been left by others.

“For the first house, it had been abandoned over two or three years ago, and the owner left a lot of things inside.

There were broken windows, and a lot of weeds growing around the house.

Each weed reminded me those who have left me. They are just that - weeds. A weed, to me, is an unwanted part of life, so I see those people that have left me as weeds, and I deal with whatever pops up because of them. I figured so do the houses, even if they miss the life and joy that come from the people that lived in them.” ● 074

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Poet Tree How To Cope With Loss Everyday words Seem to turn into love songs...

But do you remember anything at all?

The after school library visits?

Or the time i asked you when you started wearing a watch And you said “since forever”?

Forever doesn’t exist.

Neither does time.

And you Were a crime Of taking back What was once mine.

When people leave with no explanation You sorta get this odd nauseating feeling in your stomach, An allergic reaction.

A medical issue Of nonstop tears, unclear fears, Rushing to the grocery store to buy more tissues.

I wished i could burn

every poem i have ever written That had sentences where the first letters of the words in it Spelled out your name.

I am trying to write this as incoherent as possible But when you write about a person its probably pretty plausible To put in every single thing you remember about them, Especially after they’ve left Because when the color of their skin and their eyes Are now merely an abstract image in your head A photo taken while the camera was falling out Of someone’s hands And the reason why they left in the first place Is kinda hard to understand...

I feel that romanticizing the details of your face

Is the only thing that can keep my heart from snapping Like an over-pulled rubber band.

My mom tells me: “Try to count all the reasons why he was a horrible person, Why the pain of losing him is only, to you, A burden” But my mind can only count all the reasons why I wanted you back, my mind can only count All the sheep you said you’d catch for me because i wanted to have one as a pet, But you flew 30,000 meters above the sea And you were more than 30,000 meters away from me and yet...

My mind can only count all the reasons why I didn’t want to forget.

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Don't Haunt Me No More WORDS: CHLOE KATOPODIS PHOTOGRAPHY: SHANNON DIERICKX Human connections are stunning things. The way two people become friends against all odds, the way they come together over something so insignificant that marks the beginnings of a journey that they reminisce on how weird it was in the future.

Growing together in spirit and becoming a part of each other's souls, the magic of blossoming into best friends.

Not all friendships last, even those you thought had impermeable bonds, stronger than any of force of nature.

You go from finding yourself in a glass palace, glistening with light and warmth, to a standing in the dark as it suddenly becomes night. And suddenly you're lost and alone and you can't see clearly and it's more like a cave your trapped in. Everybody talks about how relationships break up and the heartache between couples, but nobody ever discusses when best friends break up. You hear of fall outs with friends, but best friends - the understated soul mates -

seem to receive zero attention.

So when you find yourself in this situation, what do you do?

There is no guide, no movies, and your one constant source of support is lost.

Over the year, I've discussed this with friends around me going through this and have found that we find ourselves with so many memories.

Things we see that remind us of them, random things that shouldn't have any meaning, but do have this hilarious farfetched story to go with it that was conceived with your nowex-best friend. And it hurts.

It hurts because everywhere you go, there are reminders of them when all you want to do is move forward. These things can consume you, and stop you from doing things you love. But I'm here to shine a light on a way that I worked through this, that is not just helping me with the grieving process but is building me up as a person.

I've given the apt title of 'Reclaiming', which basically

involves making the tainted object, the one that causes you painful memories, into your own. It involves giving it a new memory, with new people, or even better, just yourself.

This process takes the thing that you associate with them into its own entity, giving it new memories. Now instead of being brought down, you're uplifted. It's about cutting ties and becoming independent.

Say you saw a film with them, try listening to the soundtrack while doing something eventful, like going for a drive with friends or making art. Or even when you're studying so instead of them, you think of physics. Or make a day of watching movies with another friend.

Reclaim your memories, become independent and move forward positively.

The reality is that human connections can break and life will still have to go on, regardless of your feelings, it's just about managing it. You'll be okay, it's just a process. ● PEOPLE NEED PEOPLE

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Submissions Do you know a friend or a person who would really suit our style? Either let them know of Kaleo so they can go forth themselves OR send us their profile of work (Tumblr, website, Soundcloud, Instagram, etc) and their email address (no phone numbers please) so we can contact them ourselves if we think we’d make a merry match.

‘Vent’ is a project we manage through Tumblr. The blog is a place where people can anonymously send in any thoughts playing through their mind or stressing them out. It is based on the idea that just telling your thoughts or feelings to someone, anyone, can make you feel better because it’s not pent up inside. Our goal is to create a safe space and promote mental wellbeing through communication and expression.

Or how about you! Do you have something that you would love to express in Kaleo? Well then let us know! We would absolutely love to include you in our publication! Follow the guidelines above and head to our website for all the details.

The submissions can be anything, serious or minor, ranging from: ‘I accidentally closed the door on my cat’s tail’ to ‘I recently came to terms with my asexuality and don’t know how to feel about it’.

Help Me Out

We look to make it a column in the magazine, so people can connect to their plights and we can raise awareness of the importance of mental health. We are also looking to compile a list for mental health resources around the world, so if you know of an organization or want to partner with us, please send us a message to help expand this list. kaleovent.tumblr.com

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kaleojournal.com/submissions submit@kaleojournal.com

Have any interesting questions for us that you want to see answered? We’re starting a column, ‘Help Me Out’, and would love to, well, help you out.

It can be anything, ranging from how to do a makeup style or make a friend feel better or how to deal with school life when it all starts to crumble. We’ll do our best to answer them, in an issue or online, or at least help point you in the right direction. kaleojournal.com/help help@kaleojournal.com

Let's Connect In the vast abyss of our planet Earth, we can sometimes slip apart. Let’s never let this happen. Let’s Connect.

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