ISSUE #4
DECEMBER 2015
Local Riot is a collaborative magazine created by two girls who wanted to provide an outlet for the creative souls to share their work, of the world thoughts and opinions. It is a magazine for young people by young people and is a place to come together, a place to be free of ridicule, a place to make friends, a place to educate yourself, a place to express yourself, a place to be heard.
EDITORS NOTE Hey Riots! We hope you enjoy your Christmas break and have a wonderful time with your friends and family. Remember this is the time to love and to give. Merry Christmas and a happy new year! - Ailish + Maisie
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MAN Y THAN KS TO: Alexandra Paffenholz – for the cover photo Harry Tatchley – for letting me steal all your holiday snaps (Ailish) Lily Millikan – for the interview and artwork All those who submit work.
CONTENTS
CLASSIC S: monthly favourites pursuit of positivity judging a book by its cover creative corner – Lucy Millikan
FEATURE S: why december? last time who is sam? congratulations! It’s a human? make a difference what defines happiness? why not to make a new year’s resolution airborne artist – Emily Clendenning texts I’ll never send
// 7 // 9 // 33 // 13
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19 21 22 25
// 28 // 34 // 40 // //
41 42
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Get to Know the December Team REGULARS MAISIE EVASON: Twitter: @thebrkfstciub Instagram: @thelittlemermais Tumblr: flowahpetal.tumblr.com
issue four // december 2015 Social Media localriot.weebly.com twitter: @localriotmag
Co ntact
localriotblog@gmail.com
AILISH DELANEY: Twitter: @probablyailiish Instagram: @ailish.delaney Tumblr: lazyplum.tumblr.com
IOANA FLORESCU: Twitter: @preachitjessie Instagram: @xoioana Tumblr: deliriumdreamin CAROLINE GADSBY: Twitter: @CarolineGadsby_
LILY MIDGETT: Twitter: @radicalflower16 Instagram: @lily.the.nefelibata Tumblr: lily-the-nefelibata
Co -owners
RIOTS EMILY CLENDENNING: Instagram: @emclen
Graphic Desig n
SAMMY WHITELAW: Twitter: @sammy_whitelaw ALY PETERSON Instagram: @sammy_whitelaw Twitter: @dammitaly Poetry: Tumblr: aleocn hellopoetry.com/girlinterrupted
Ailish Delaney Maisie Evason
Ailish Delaney
Co ntributing Writers Ioana Florescu Lily Midgett Caroline Gadsby Joshua Aguayo Sammy Whitelaw
Co ntributing Artists Emily Clendenning Lucy Millikan
Co ntributing Photograp hers Aly Peterson Harry Tatchley Alexandra Paffenholz
JOSHUA AGUAYO: Website: www.fullruna.com
HARRY TATCHLEY ALEXANDRA PAFFENHOLZ Instagram: @harrytatchley Twitter: @photgraphs Instagram: @alliepaff Website: vsco.co/ombredilucephotography/ LUCY MILLIKAN: Instagram: @lucymillikan Website: www.cargocollective.com/lucymillikan
Want to see your work here? If you’re a creative soul and want to see your work, whether it be art, modelling, writing, poetry, photography, etc, just email it to us at localriotblog@gmail.com
ABBA The urge to watch Mamma Mia came with December. One of my all time favourite films, partly because it's an ace cast with a cool storyline and partly because I spend an hour or so dancing and singing to ABBA songs. I'm aware that all of you know who ABBA is, well if you don't you must've been living under a rock all your life. Their music is perfect when you're dancing to yourself in your room as you get ready, or when you're having a sleepover with friends and get your groove on. So my main point is, ABBA are brilliant. Badges Instead of spending money on Christmas presents that I desperately needed to buy, I bought myself a denim jacket. However, there was an ulterior motive to my latest purchase, we all know it wasn't for warmth because summer in Australia is incredibly warm. What I really wanted was a home for the new badges I purchased online. Being the literature nerd I am, all three were Shakespeare related but badges are rad! They make cool additions to plain shirts, bags and denim jackets and I can't wait to invest in more. Merlin Merlin consumed my life for a solid 5 years as I tuned into Channel 10 every Sunday night to watch it with the rest of my family. As school ended this year I decided to re-watch it and it was the best decision I've made in a long time. Merlin has a brilliant cast and incredible special effects but it is truly wonderful due to the perfect mix of comedy and seriousness. The adventures of young Merlin and Prince Arthur will at times tug at your heartstrings and leave you in stitches. At other times you'll find yourself crying at some ridiculous hour of the morning yelling “For the love of Camelot!” (Ok, maybe the last part is just me.)
- Maisie
Piano I have always been a fan of music, especially musical instruments, but I have admired them from afar due to my lack musical genes. However, since I’m on school holidays and I have found myself with a lot of spare time on my hands I’ve started teaching myself, with the help of my musically talented sister, to the play the piano. It’s such a beautiful instrument and I’ve gained even more respect for those who play it, along with any instrument, as it’s proven quite difficult to learn but I’m progressing and most definitely enjoying myself! Star Wars Star Wars is one of the greatest movie series that is on planet Earth. If you haven’t seen them, which is actually a surprisingly large number of people, I suggest that you grab some popcorn, snuggle up and have yourself a merry little marathon ASAP. You’ll fall in love with the characters and the story as you root for the Jedi’s and the Rebels. You’ll be wondering where you can get your own light-saber and whether you have what it takes to be a Jedi. The newest edition to the Star Wars franchise, The Force Awakens, has recently been released and boy oh boy is it worth the watch. Prepare yourselves. How To Cake It How To Cake It is a YouTube channel where a lady, with a name I can’t recall, makes incredibly cakes. You should definitely check it out and will probably find yourself watching the videos for hours on end; at least that’s what happened to my sister and I. The cakes are amazingly realistic and are shaped as watermelons, minions, grilled cheese and more! - Ailish
Photographer: Aly Peterson
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By Ailish Delaney
A Letter to the New Year
“Years end is neither and end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instil in us.” – Hal Borland Dear 2016, I am writing to you hoping that you are listening. Christmas is in a few weeks and this causes the realisation that 2015 is nearly over, the year feels like it has flown by. With this means that 2016 is just around the corner and I’m writing to you asking that you treat me well. Academics. As you are my final year in high school I hope that I do well. May I continue to study hard and strive to achieve my best even when life gets in the way, lets figure it definitely will (I can’t ask you for that much). 2016 please be a good school year for me. I’m aiming for a good ATAR and I’m hoping that I have an enjoyable school year filled with memories and friendships to last the
years to come. Friendships. May the friendships that are meant to be stay in my life throughout next year, and long after that, and may I drift apart from those who weigh me down and cause me to feel negative about myself and towards life. Please let my friendships grow stronger and memories be made in this important year. I hope you aren’t planning any drama on the friendship front. Relationships. May my relationships, romantic and platonic, stay strong and continue to give me happiness and make me feel loved. Please allow the drama and negativity that occasionally arises to disappear next year; a peaceful year would be ideal. Myself. I hope that my relationship without myself continues to strengthen and grow. Allow me to continue to discover my identity and myself, as I grow more and more comfortable in my skin. May I find out more about my talents and interests and develop into a true individual. Please 2016, allow me to
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further a positive connection with myself and work on my self-love, this is a pursuit of positivity after all. Others. May you be a good year, not only for me, but for everyone. I hope you treat everyone well and allow them to have positive experience with you. Everyone deserves to find happiness and hopefully you are able to guide them to finding that. 2016 I hope you are good to me. I hope I make the most out of the experiences that you present me with and that I continue to change and develop as a person. I hope I become a happier and better version of myself. I hope that you treat myself and others well. 2016 I shall see you soon, please be good to me.
Yours sincerely, Ailish
“The book is called opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day” – Edith Lovejoy Pierce
Photographer: Alexandra Paffenholz
Lucy Millikan is a creative soul from Minneapolis. She is a 17 year old multi-media based artist and we asked her a few questions about herself and her work which you can find on the following pages. CONNECT WITH LUCY: Instagram: @lucymillikan Website: www.cargocollective.com/lucymillikan Local Riot: How and why did you start creating digital art? Lucy Millikan: I started making digital art in 7th grade when I got a Wacom tablet, but back then I pretty much just drew anime cats, and weird 7th grader stuff. For most of high school I didn't use it, but I picked it back up junior year and had a different way of how I approached the process of making art and so naturally how I approached digital art changed as well. LR: What inspired the three particular pieces included in our magazine? LM: It's really difficult to get into the groove of using a tablet again, and when I made these pieces I was also really into photography and really obviously layered images and so these pieces were sort of just a by product of that. LR: Do you have any art/artist inspirations? LM: I don't think I have any specific inspirations. A lot of my friends do art as well and I'm really inspired by them, and how they apply their art and where they end up more than anything. LR: What’s your preferred art mode? LM: I'm a multi-media artist so I draw, and paint a lot in addition to digital art. I also do a lot of photography in addition to various other mediums. Even though I use so many mediums I also find a way to apply it to my digital art. Usually I'll draw something and then scan it and manipulate the image some how using one of my computer programs.
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tropical sam
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Photographer: Alexandra Paffenholz
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Photographer: Alexandra Paffenholz
Ioana Florescu
I've always had a thing for winter, some sort of odd fascination. Maybe it's the transition from dead and withered nature we experience in the autumn to the ruthless kiss of winter. A deep contrast between shades of gold and auburn and blinding, iridescent white. I've always thought of winter as the teased little sister, the one that begged for approval from her older brother. She's misunderstood so she puts a lid on her emotions. Until, one day, she cracks. Or perhaps it's the deafening silence that sets in once winter arrives. Creatures seek shelter. Every day is a new shot at survival. Kill or be killed. That's the number one law in the unwritten code of nature. You either adapt to change or die trying to do so. But that's the animal law. A continuous cycle of life and death that people should not meddle with. It's not our battle to carry. Out of all winter months, December is the closest to my heart. Is it because December marks the beginning of a new era? One where cold, snow and frost dominate everything in plain sight. Nothing compares to those nights where you cozy up next to the fire with a good book and cup of hot cocoa in hand while winter plots its revenge against nature just outside your window. But sometimes you can find beauty in terror and the unknown. As the wind blows against the glass, placing a deathly kiss upon the surface, it leaves a glazing trail behind. The trails intersect, the ice metamorphoses languidly into an intricate spider web like pattern. As much as nature fascinates me, it's not the main reason why December makes me smile like no other. My family instilled the holiday spirit in me. I was taught to be grateful for what I have been offered because I realised that most kids weren't as privileged as I was. I'm not going to be a hypocrite and admit it, I was a snotty child. I had everything and it still wasn't enough for me. I don't think that's ever going to change. So I would make use of innocent schemes to talk my parents into getting me what I wanted. That sounds like a nightmare child, right? It so happens that I am an only child. Therefore, I got away with it every time. Whatever I wanted, no matter how crazy it sounded, they still made sure I had it. Growing up, I came to the conclusion that Barbies and dollhouses aren't everything in life. In fact, they are as insignificant as they can get. Children in poorly developed countries have scarce amounts of food while the average human being buys everything in bulk, out of greed and ends up tossing more than he consumes. As for today's generation, children choose iPhones and iPads, over classic toys such as dolls and remote controlled cars. This is partly parents’ fault as their heavy consumerism influences their children negatively. I can only imagine the look on a poor child's face if he got a small metal toy car or a rag doll with pretty hair. Not having much gives you the opportunity to see things in a different light, become more   appreciative of every item you own.
Photographer: Harry Tatchley
last Time I don’t ever want to forget how rough your hands were yet how softly they touched me but I do want to forget how lost I feel without your soft touch I don’t ever want to forget how bright your eyes were and how they locked with mine but I do want to forget how dull mine became when I got on that plane I don’t ever want to forget they way you lifted me up and kissed me for the last time but I do want to forget the lack of you in every other kiss. S.W
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Who is Sam? Written by Joshua P. Aguayo Dreaded stars had faded from outside her window, and the wounded sun crept over the horizon bringing Sam consciousness and realization of the pungent smell filling the ambient. She could feel the hardness of the floor separated from her by a cheap mutton, yet her head was spinning like a cursed roller coaster. It smelled of vomit, alcohol and sweat. She lifted her torso and turned her head, while her heart raced and her mind begged to find herself alone in those depressing chambers. She was alone, last night´s bloke should have already left, as usual. She wished she could remember him more clearly; all she could recall at the moment was that he had a cute smile and that he knew a lot about Batman. Exactly why that had been a turn on last night, however, still slipped her unwoken selfawareness. Clumsily she stood up, so clumsily that she ended up banging her head against the wall closest to her: like hitting a bell with a mace, the room vibrated causing her nausea, she did her best to hold it back, but she couldn't help feeling that taint of acid deep inside her mouth. Sam closed her eyes for an instant, trying to hold back her sickness and her tears. She burst crying like an infant, she could feel something liquid dripping between her naked legs, made evident by the cold air that made those pallid drops feel like knifes tearing her skin. With her blurred vision she quickly scanned the room in search of a condom wrapping. How many fucking stupid things could she do in a single night!? She covered her mouth in a futile attempt to silence her whimpering, as if anybody could listen to her in the desolation of her cheap and empty room. The chilling air of the night, not yet displaced by the rising sun, reminded her further of her own nudity. She tumbled into the bathroom, and trembling turned the light on, fearing the monstrosity she would find in the mirror. What little makeup she had had last night was now smeared like burn marks all over her face, a thin line of blood was running in front of her ear and dry crimson rubies circled her left
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nostril. She puked in the sink after a few minutes, at least this time she wasn't throwing up blood. She sat in the toilet, looking down as the sound of running water echoed in the lifeless small apartment. Her petite pierced breasts were missing their rings and there were scratch marks over the tattoo of a tree to the left side of her abdomen. She left out a few more tears while grabbing a nearby scissor; she opened its blades as far as they would stretch, just like she did her legs last night, and used the edge to carve a long crimson stripe into of her right thigh. She made herself bleed at the end and smashed the tool of repentance against the wall, letting out a deafening cry, shaking her legs and pulling her hair. Why did she keep doing this shit?
The morning sun began to pierce the shadows outside the bathroom, evidencing last night´s battlefield. She was tired of all this. It was fun at some point, it was fun when it was happening, when it all begun, but now she completely hated this, her labia hurt as bad as the day she lost her virginity, and god that brought back bad memories. She could barely feel the cold given how numb her body still was and now she feared having caught some weird disease she could probably not even pronounce. She slammed the side of the sink with her closed fist. Why was she so fucking stupid? Why? Her already inflamed eyes felt too big to fit inside her wounded skull. She just gave up, she wanted to kill herself or… Well yeah… Kill herself, since she had already tried to put her life back on track three times before and they all ended with new shameful scars on her body. If only she wasn't a coward on top of stupid. Her cell phone rang. She just wanted to have a simple life. It rang again. She wanted to use her money on something else than lines, condoms and junk food. It rang of a third time. For fuck sake! She just wanted a bed! She picked up the cheap cell phone that for some reason lay at the bottom of the shower next to her. The screen was broken, and it read “Camille”.
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Suddenly she noticed the sun had risen enough to light up her small apartment. Maybe it was finally time to stop faking strength, to get rid of the puny facade. Camille had been her best friend since high school, that kind of friend she didn't deserve, the kind of friend that doesn't turn her back on you no matter how many times you screw up, and yet she knew nothing about the Sam that now existed inside this bathroom of broken mirrors. She was like a lighthouse flung into the distance… She was… a story for another time… Sam hung the call and solemnly stood up to get dressed and get ready to march with the rhythm society for just another day.
I want you to think for a moment, think about how many times you've heard the phrase “because you're a girl.” My guess is too many. When you're born the very first description of you, the opening line of your life, is the doctor shouting to your parents between your newborn screams; "Congratulations it's a beautiful baby girl!" For a moment there, just a split-second, you are defined solely by your gender. This event is then followed by a multitude of cards and signs all congratulating your parents, which perhaps should say something like “Congratulations, you have a beautiful healthy baby.” But no, it doesn't matter that you're alive and here after 9 grueling months, you're a girl. That is all you are, a little baby girl in swirls of flowery pinkness. As we grow up the notion of being defined by our gender and acting differently because of it may begin to seem ludicrous. But in our current society are gender roles and stereotypes truly only a product of card manufacturers? Back before our time, gender roles were glaringly obvious and people were defined primarily by their gender. For example, in the picture perfect 1950's that everyone claims to love, women were restricted by their gender due to the patriarchal values held by society. If you were a woman in the fifties, you had the pleasure of being taught to clean and be a housewife, even if you had the brains to be a neurosurgeon. You played the young damsel in distress until a handsome prince came by and decided you were suitable enough to be a wife. You would then devote your life to this all-mighty male who went off to work each day to provide for you whilst you stayed home and swept the floors. Your life revolved around watching your children, cleaning and cooking and you had to be content with that. Thankfully, in our day and age, society has constructed a different ideological framework. One in which women have the opportunity to be doctors, teachers and lawyers. You would think that means we have all liberated ourselves from the confinements of our gender and thrown off the shackles of our feminine components to unveil hard-working, intelligent women. And for the most part, you'd be right.
Unfortunately despite our best efforts, we haven't quite rid ourselves of gender roles and stereotypes yet. Our society holds many views that cause a person to restrict what they do, most times without even realising, because of their gender.
“Pink is a girls colour!” “Your dress is too short. You have no self-respect!”
“You don't really like sport. You're just a girl.”
Little remarks such as these, are things people hear everyday, things so natural to us that we rarely register what's actually being said. We accept them simply because we have grown up in a society that believe pink is a girls colour. Our first room was fit for a pretty pink princess, our first outfit was adorned with pink flowers and as we grew up all our feminine needs came wrapped in pretty pink packages. Boys who wear pink are girly and embarrassing. Girls who are into sports are just try-hards but guys who are into sports are super attractive. A guy who sleeps around is a legend yet a girl who sleeps with her boyfriend is a slut. The list goes on, as gender roles put forward by society decades ago still linger in our world today. We have come a long way since the 1950s, but we still have a long way to go if we want to truly liberate ourselves from the confinements of our gender. Instead of celebrating our gender and embracing it, we have become its prisoners. We have let the past and its views dictate how we now view ourselves. My question to you is, why? Why do we let an outdated ideological system determine whether or not we can like a certain colour, participate in certain activities or wear certain clothes? Why do we do it to ourselves? If gender roles are a product of our own values, we have the power to destroy them for good. So what I'm really saying to you is break the rules, step outside gender the box your gender has created for you and do something that would piss off a straight, white man from the 1950's.
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make a difference Ailish Delaney
Passion is something that is integral for change to occur. We live in a generation in which we are passionate about things but this passion is belittled by the older generation until it goes away. With the mass amount of social issues in our society it is ever so important to be passionate and to care. As this year comes to a close it brings about a time of reflection, a time to look back and discover what you are passionate about and what you will fight for. Never let anyone tell you that you do not have the ability to make a change and have a positive impact. No matter your size, gender, race, sexuality, we are all human and we are all miniscule beings in comparison to the vast size of the universe. When thinking of life in that scale you realise that you can truly attempt anything, as those who push you down are not more significant than you. We are all small and fragile but we are all able to contribute to change. Care. Find something, anything, to care about and cling to it. Voice your opinions; don’t be afraid to shout out. Find what issues you are passionate about and don’t let yourself be silenced. It is so important for us to become a generation that cares, a generation that is willing to do what we must in order to solve these issues and create an equal and just society. We are the ones who will inherit the issues that the previous generations have caused and potentially attempted to solve, and then it will be up to us to solve them. We need to be the ones who will step up to the plate and collaborate to fix our world. To solve these issues we need to start now, find our passion, develop our opinions and want to make a change.
“If you desire to make a difference in the world you must be diff erent from the world. ” – Elaine S. Dalton
Don’t be afraid to take a break from the Internet and look at what is going on around you. Don’t be afraid to educate yourself on issues on the other side of the world. Don’t be afraid to form opinions on environmental and social justice issues. Don’t be afraid to care and give a damn, it may be scary, it may be different to what everyone around you is doing but it is ever so important. These days we find ourselves caring about what is happening in our lives rather than on a global scale. It’s not a crime to care about yourself and your problems, there’s always going to be someone who has worse issues than you and that doesn’t mean that you can’t be upset. But what we need to remember is that sometimes we need to expand our horizons and step out of our personal bubble to see what is happening in our world and try to understand what we need to change. It
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is important to be able to educate yourself on world issues such as the Syrian refugee crisis and the Paris terror attacks. We need to understand that there are things we should care about and things we should fight for.
We all have the potential to make a difference, whether it is a positive or negative one, well that is up to you. You have the ability to impact the world. Through sharing your thoughts and opinions and educating others on issues that are important to you, you will be able to have a positive influence on the world and be a part of working towards a common goal; a better world. By using your potential for good and caring about things you will be allowing us to become a more woke generation who are passionate and care about things, a generation who stand up for what they believe in, a generation who stand together for change. The future is ours to grasp and mould, we are the ones who can make it a brighter one. The world is your oyster and you have limitless possibilities the only questions left are, what do you care about? How are you going to make your difference?
“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new” – Socrates. Change starts with you, what future do you want to build? Hopefully it’s a brighter one.
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Photographer: Alexandra Paffenholz
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Photographer: Alexandra Paffenholz
Maisie Evason
The Lavender Keeper - Fiona McIntosh I must admit that originally I put off reading this book, mostly because it was quite long and the words were rather small. However, as the holidays came around I found myself with oodles of free time and thought I'd use it to tackle this novel. On the rare occasion that I do read historical fiction, I find I really enjoy it and this book was no exception. The Lavender Keeper is set largely in France during World War II and it follows the story of Lisette and Luc. Both of German descent, the two protagonists paths cross as Luc joins the Resistance and Lisette becomes a spy in order to help those who attempt to bring down Hitler and the Nazis. But of course, their love becomes the greatest risk as it threatens to blow both their covers. I found that once I picked this book up, I couldn't put it down. McIntosh excels at depicting a war-torn France (in particular Paris), whilst simultaneously highlighting it's true beauty which provides the reader with a glimmer of hope. The language is sophisticated but not overly difficult allowing you to level up your vocabulary without having to look up every third word in the dictionary. As a closet romantic I must admit I was rooting for Luc and Listette as their undeniable love for each other caused them to break rules and push boundaries, but you'll have to read it yourself to see how they end up! 3.5/5 STARS.
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what defines happiness?
CAROLINE GADSBY
Happiness. A word that not many people have come to terms with. In today’s world, happiness is often hidden by society’s rule, telling everyone that there is always something to be unhappy about and that there are far too many problems in this world to even consider looking at the bright side. I know a lot of people struggle with how to either become happy with the life they live, or how to simply let happiness outshine the other emotions that come with life. Let me tell you this, being happy in a world where you are surrounded by hate is
not exactly easy. But, once you start to become happier, everything and everyone around you will too. First, you need to make the conscious decision to be happy, and then stick with it. Society will do everything in its power to convince you that your personal happiness is dependent on something external like beauty, success, wealth, etc. Happiness is none of those things. Happiness is not measured by what’s on the outside, but what comes from the inside. It is one of the most rewarding, yet highly underrated feelings in life, and I hope, with the help of my tips, that you can become the happiest version of yourself and (cliché, I know) help make the world a better place as well. Well, for starters, what exactly is happiness? Some may define it as smiling day to day, no matter the circumstance. Others say that it is the vibrant sunrise and strong cup of coffee they start their day with. There is no right or wrong way to answer. Whatever makes your day just the slightest bit better; that’s happiness. Here are some of my tips and tricks to help you make yourself a happier person:
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Getting rid of negativity: Sounds so simple, right? That’s because it is. Cutting out anyone and anything that makes you unhappy or brings you down in any way will instantly make you a happier person. Whether it is a friend that always criticizes and makes fun of you, or being around a group that constantly gossips about others, you need to rid yourself of them. No person deserves to be surrounded by hate and hurtful comments everyday of their life. Most people never realize how much the people around them affect them and their state of happiness, which is why so many people keep those harmful elements in their lives. There is absolutely no need for someone to allow something as toxic as hate into their lives and have it deter them from living a happy life. I am positive (no pun intended) that once you eliminate all of the negativity from your life, you will instantly see a change.
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Acceptance: This could be anything from accepting the way you look, to accepting something not turning out how you would’ve liked. One of my favourite quotes is “accept what you cannot change, and change what you can’t accept”. This relates to so many aspects in life, including a person’s happiness. If you don’t like something about your life, by all means change it! If you feel that you would be happier with black hair and a nose piercing, don’t let anyone stop you from doing so. But, like everything, changing yourself has a limit. What most people fail to realize is that the reason they are so unhappy, is because they constantly compare themselves to others, and put themselves down if they don’t look or act a certain way. One of the main keys to happiness is accepting and loving yourself for who you are and how you were born to be. Once you learn to love the way you are, all the hate that you used to give to yourself will vanish, leaving a much happier you in its place.
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Stop comparing yourself to others: As I mentioned in the previous tip, comparing yourself to someone will only set you up for disappointment and unhappiness. Something that took me quite a long time to understand is that you will never look like anyone but yourself. I know that may seem kind of obvious, but a lot of people think that if they try hard enough, they can look like the glamorous model they idolize on the cover of a magazine. Although you can always improve yourself, you are stuck with who you are until the day you die. I say, the sooner you become comfortable in the skin you
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are in, the better you will feel. I also believe that if you don’t learn to love yourself, who will? Treat your body with love and respect just like you would do any other person, and it will instantly reflect on your happiness. “And if I asked you to name all of the things that you love, how long would it take for you to name yourself?” •
Learn to let go of anger: Learn this from me; holding anger is a poison. We think that hating is a weapon that attacks the person who harmed us, but hatred is a curved blade, and the harm we do, we do to ourselves.
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Find your balance: I have found that this is probably the most important key to a happier life. Once you find balance in everything you do, you won’t find yourself overwhelmed and unhappy all the time. Eating 10 pints of ice cream won’t make you happy, but neither will sprinting 10 miles. Be nice to yourself. Don’t be afraid to dance all night long and practice yoga the next day. Drink soda, but don’t forget your green juice. Eat chocolate when your heart wants it, and salad when your body needs it. Wear high heels on Saturday and walk barefoot on Sunday. Live high and low. Move and stay still. Embrace all sides of who you are. Be brave, bold, spontaneous and loud, and let that complement your abilities to find silence, patience, modesty and peace. Always aim for balance. Make your own rules and follow your own path and don’t let anyone tell you how to live according to theirs.
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Know which things are actually important: A lot of the time, you may find yourself fretting over things that are most likely, not important. 60% of things that you think are important now, won’t matter a whit to you by the time you reach 50. The trick is to figure out the important 40%, and work it. If you prioritize correctly, you will find that you don’t have time to worry about unnecessary things, and you will ultimately feel a lot better.
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Don’t be afraid to be yourself: This is another thing I struggled with deeply until recently. When you get so caught up in social norms, you begin to hate yourself if you stray from them and don’t meet society’s standards. Do what makes you happy, not what everyone else is doing. Accept yourself for who you
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are, and always, always, be true to yourself. “Always understand this: It doesn’t always work out the way you want it, and that’s OK.” •
Don’t be a people-pleaser: You can’t let people scare you. You can’t go your whole life trying to please everyone else. You can’t go through life worried about what everyone else is going to think. Whether it is your hair, clothes, what you have to say, how you feel, what you believe, who you’re with, and what you have. You can’t let the judgment of others stop you from being you. Because if you do, you are no longer you. You’re someone everyone else wants you to be. And that, my friend, is not going to bring you any happiness in your life.
“Being happy is a very personal thing, and it really has nothing to do with anyone but yourself.” •
Don’t put yourself down: Please, please, please be nice to yourself. Compliment yourself often, and stay away from harsh words. Love who you are and who you were born to be. Remember, if you love yourself, everyone else will too. Someone recently told me “There are many people who will put you down. Don’t be one of them.” And that, sticks with me every single day.
Lastly, happiness is when you can feel good about yourself, without needing everyone else’s approval. Find what you love, and conquer it. Always do what makes YOU happy, and don’t let anyone ever stop you.
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why not to make a new years resolution lily midgett
It’s almost that time of year again, the time where we all put aside an hour or two to create our New Year’s resolutions. I for one hate this idea, and you should too. Basically, since the year starts over, generations of people decide that it’s a great idea to make a list of things they can and should do better. A list of resolutions most people eventually give up. I think that from now on, we should make resolutions throughout the year, instead of putting off change because we tell ourselves “Next year I can change.” Any time is a great time to reinvent yourself and be who you want to be. Here’s why you shouldn’t call reinvention a New Year’s Resolution: 1. If you don’t live up to your expectations, it will be all right, because that’s the process of finding your inner self. 2. Feeling stuck to one specific thing can feel like a trap. It can lead you to feel as if you can’t choose a new one because you will label yourself as a quitter or a failure. 3. Doing the same thing is boring, just focus on being you and living life. Stop focusing on how many times you screw up in the process. Use them as opportunities to grow. Instead of making one thing that you ‘have’ to stick to for a whole year, make goals and things you want to tweak about yourself, and check up on it every month or so and keep track of your progress. Go be you and start rad riot!
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airborne as I wait for the plane to take off I cant help thinking about all the strangers, going to the same place all with a different story. there could be a man who lost his son in a plane crash and it is his first time flying since. there could be a woman who is leaving because this city is too small for her big ideas and wild heart. but there is me, who keeps thinking the longer I am on this plane the further I am from you and my heart is starting to hurt more, the further we fly. S.W
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I've always been in to art I think, I like the idea of capturing something even if it doesn't make sense or doesn't look right. Over the years I went from drawing entire made up worlds in my year 5 journal to studying art everyday at school and embarking on my own projects at home. I've never been great at drawing and painting but it was always something I enjoyed so with a lot of practice I began to progress. Â
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'Green Guitarist' - Acrylic on canvas
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'Self Portrait' Polychrome pencil & water colour paint
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'Perspectives' - Oil on wood
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Photographer: Harry Tatchley
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texts I’ll never send 11:44 PM // do you remember the first time we met? I do. 12:02 AM // I remember the first time we locked eyes like it was yesterday 12:09 AM // I remember the swirl of green and brown all in one mesmerising gaze taunting me like a bad dream 12:57 AM // you were never just a stranger to me, you were never a face that didn’t matter 1:18 AM // from the moment I laid eyes on you I knew you’d break my heart 1:32 AM // I cant stop thinking about the last time you told me you loved me 1:55 AM // you called me up after weeks of nothing and told me you’d never love anyone like you loved me 2:07 AM // you were saying goodbye weren’t you? 2:50Am // I could have forgiven you if it was only a kiss, but you fell in love with her 3:49 AM // I’ve kissed lots of people since you, but none of them pulled my hair and tasted like Fanta 4:27 AM // my god I loved you with everything I had 5:01 AM // it still wasn’t enough, was it? 5:55 AM // it was always meant to be her. S.W
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LETTER FROM THE EDITORS
Dear Riots, We started this magazine from a germ of an idea, it was originally going to be a blog, but it was a basic concept of writing and sharing the work of talented people. We wanted to be able to create a platform upon which we could share our thoughts and opinions and you could do the same. Local Riot has blossomed from this idea into something truly beautiful all thanks to you. We wanted to thank you for your contributions and continuous support throughout this year. You have offered your thoughts and opinions on the issues and allowed us to develop and find our identity as a magazine. Without your contributions Local Riot would still be a germ of an idea or a magazine filled with articles created by us alone, and that would cause our magazine to fail before it had even began. Your submissions allow us to continue doing what we love, that being making Local Riot. We get to discover the wonderfully talented beings that you all are and share that with the world (well, whoever reads it). We are truly grateful for your support and the opportunities that we have been presented with due to Local Riot. We hope to continue to produce and put together enjoyable content and further develop as a magazine. Thank you for bearing with us and staying by our side. See you in the New Year Riots. Bring on 2016! - Ailish and Maisie xx
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