ISSUE #2 // September 2015 by Local Riot Magazine

ISSUE #2

SEPTEMBER 2015

INSIDE interview with Deer Designs Australia, short stories, syrian refugee crisis & more

Local Riot is a collaborative magazine created by two girls who wanted to provide an outlet for the creative souls of the world to share their work, 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.

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EDITORS NOTE Hey Riots! The seasons are changing and Local Riot is back for Issue #2. We hope that this new season treats you well and for those who are back in school, good luck and remember to #BeARiot. - Ailish + Maisie

MAN Y THAN KS TO: • Amber and Bonny (@DeerDesignsAUS) – thank you for the interview, the beautiful jewellery pieces, and helping us out. • Everyone who submit work

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CONTENTS

CLASSIC S: monthly favourites // 7 pursuit of positivity // 10 judging a book by its // 30 cover

FEATURE S: a home away from home real australians say welcome 16 things i learnt when i was 16 you never fail unless you quit trying - speech deer designs australia interview hi, i’m your hormones

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issue two // september 2015 Social Media localriot.weebly.com twitter: @localriotmag ask.fm: ask.fm/localriotblog

Co ntact

localriotblog@gmail.com

Co -owners

Ailish Delaney Maisie Evason

Graphic Desig n Ailish Delaney

Co ntributing Writers Alecia Wood Chloe Mason Ioana Florescu

Co ntributing Photograp hers Chloe Mason Kana Marie

Get to Know the September Team REGULARS MAISIE EVASON: Twitter: @thebrkfstciub Instagram: @thelittlemermais Tumblr: flowahpetal.tumblr.com AILISH DELANEY: Twitter: @probablyailiish Instagram: @ailish.delaney Tumblr: lazyplum.tumblr.com RIOTS IOANA FLORESCU: I’m from a little city in Romania. I am a self-declared computer geek and makeup junkie with an affinity for writing and photography. As of now, the top three things on my bucket list are visiting London, writing & publishing my first novel and doing volunteer work for a non-profit organization. (highalcyon.tumblr.com) CHLOE MASON: I love my dog, persian carpets, journaling, rookie mag, iced cawfee, fresh fruit and the ocean. I live in New Zealand in a small arts centered hippy town and I'm an Aries. (lionstigersandbitchesoh-my.tumblr.com, instagram: @chlochlo_mason) KANA MARIE: I'm a sixteen-year-old self-taught photographer based in Oregon. I love emphasizing natural light and muted, earthy colors in my work. Aside from photography, I enjoy playing ukelele, singing, and curling up with a good book and a cup of coffee. (clovertone.tumblr.com, instagram: @mkaemarie)

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 local riot magazine 6 it to us at localriotblog@gmail.com

Art therapy For my birthday my sister bought me a colouring book, not just any old colouring book, The Little Book of Calm Colouring. Essentially, research shows that working with your hands relieves stress, and thus adult colouring books were born. There are many types of books including Animal Kingdom and Secret Gardens. With each two-page spread in the TLBOFCC, you get an inspirational quote on the left and a picture to colour in on the right. Not only is it strangely relaxing, it's super fun. So release you inner child and get colouring! Golden Girls: Another birthday gift was seasons 6 and 7 of Golden Girls. My collection is complete! Following Rose, Dorothy, Blanche and Sophia through their ups and downs was interesting, to say the least. Each character brings a different version of fun into the series making it one hell of a roller coaster. 7 seasons full of laughter, tears and friendship that will never die. The Fox and the Hound: This wasn't a birthday gift I swear! However, when my sister received it for hers it certainly tugged at the old heartstrings. The movie was a favourite of mine way back in the day and watching it again brought back so many memories. A truly heartwarming story about friendship and love. “Forever is a long, long time, and time has a way of changing things.”

- Maisie

Badlands – Halsey Badlands is a new album by artist Halsey who has taken over the internet over the past year. I didn’t listen to it for a little while because it was incredibly hyped up and seemed overrated but due to my sister’s constant playing of it on Spotify I had a listen and I am hooked. The promotions for the album have been incredible and Halsey puts so much effort in behind the scenes to make the Badlands experience feel as real as possible. The album has a unique sound and feel to it and I definitely recommend listening to it, my favourite songs are Drive, Hold Me Down and Gasoline. Courage Now I’m not too sure if courage, a feeling, can be a monthly favourite but it is for me. A few days ago my grade at school went on a retreat and everyone took part in different activities at a high ropes/low ropes course. It was all about choosing to accept the challenge you were presented with, “challenge by choice”. Courage is one of my September favourites because due to this people, like myself, were able to experience new things and accept the challenges they were faced with. Dr. Martens So I finally decided to try and break in my docs and boy, oh boy do I love them. Aside from the occasional blister they’ve been giving me, when paired with thick enough socks they feel fine and look great. Docs can be styled dressy or casual and I want to buy many more pairs! - Ailish

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PHOTOGRAPHER: Kana Marie PHOTOGRAPHER: Ioana Georgiana

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By Ailish Delaney

No energy in the universe is created and no energy is destroyed. Energy is transferred, passed on to become something else. The energy that you are made of has come from some other form, and when you die your energy will go on to become something else yet again, whether it is a monkey, a dolphin, or burn bright in supernova in the future.

You are made of star stuff. The energy inside of you has not only been a part of some other form of creation, but has come from space. You have history inside yourself, history of the galaxy, of a storm cloud, of an animal, of creation, and now of you. Your energy has come from something else, and originally from space. The elements of basic life have come from the furnaces of stars,

released by stellar explosions and originally he big bang, from the creation of our solar system and our world. You have the universe inside of you. We look at stars and we see them as beautiful, bright shining balls of light in the distance. We see planets as intriguing, wondering about the potential life forms that live there and find ourselves longing to find out what its like on the surface. We see pictures of galaxies and nebulae and are in awe of their beauty, yet we too are made of star stuff. People are able to recognise the beauty of the universe we see but not the beauty of the universe inside. People do not realise that they hold the same beauty as the stars they admire. They hold the same WORD as the planets we discover.

“We are made of starstuff. Our bodies are made of star-stuff. There are pieces of star within us all.” – Carl Sagan local riot magazine //10

We long to explore the universe, expand our knowledge, experience the beauty; we fall in love with it. It should be the same with our bodies and who we are. Explore who you are as a person, expand your knowledge on yourself and those around your, come to recognise the inner and outer beauty that you are made of; fall in love with yourself.

“You have galaxies inside your head. Stop letting people tell you you can’t shine.” – e.m.f.p

You are a part of the universe, as she is a part of you. You should be working in unison, recognising the beauty that both of you hold and embracing that. Come to understand that there is part of the universe inside of you that is ready for you to explore. It’s ready for you to open your eyes, to look and see the true beauty that you hold. Like the stars in our sky, you light up the world and you need to take care of yourself to keep shining brightly. Take care of yourself, love yourself, and when the time comes your energy will go on to create more history and become a part of something else.

Until next time, Ailish

*disclaimer: photos are not mine, taken from tumblr

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PHOTOGRAPHER: Chloe Mason

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PHOTOGRAPHER: Chloe Mason

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A Home Away from Home By Alecia Wood (TW: A BUSE)

Before Worthless. Insignificant. Wretched. Indegno. Inùtil. No matter the word, no matter the language, Raca had been called them all. It was in his name! Raca; Israeli; Worthless, good-for-nothing. Despite his efforts, he simply couldn’t escape the ridicule; it had been a part of his life from the moment he was born. For most, the home is a place of sanctum, a space that cannot be tainted by the evils of the world outside. For Raca, this was not the case. Every moment was hell. Birds chirping and children playing was something Raca would have done anything to wake up to. Instead, he was faced with the constant fights between his mother and stepfather. Diedre; Mythology; Sorrowful, broken-hearted. Diedre was born deaf. As she grew older, she was forced to learn about the world on her own. Born to a drug addicted mother and an alcoholic father, Diedre never had much hope. She didn’t spend much time at home, not that her parents noticed. Every day Diedre walked from her school to the youth shelter, only a few minutes away. The shelter was the girl’s only safe place, the only place she could feel like somebody cared. Before discovering the shelter at age twelve, Diedre had never had a voice. Her mother and father believed sign language was a waste of time. She used this to her advantage, learning from the shelter everything her parents had never cared to teach her. Raca did not believe in help. It was not very often his teachers saw the bruises his step-father left scattered across his body, but when they did, the first thing they offered him was ‘help’. The Department of Child Protections visited often, but with his mother and stepfather’s bulletproof defenses, they were of no use to him. He had a roof over his head, he went to school, he had clean water, what more could he ask for? Within the walls of the shelter, Diedre was a different person. She was no longer the only one struggling; she was not alone. No matter how hopeless she had felt before, once she stepped foot into the large, open hall of the shelter, the weight on her shoulders disappeared. For a few hours, Diedre was normal. The other kids in the shelter were in similar situations as her, many being even worse off. When they were together, each of them were given a voice, they finally felt like they belonged, Diedre finally knew she was worth something.

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During “Get up you useless rat!” the filthy, careless man screamed, “it’s about time you learnt where you really stand in this house.” A sharp pain shot through the small boy’s ribs as the man began his relentless beating for the morning. Slipping in and out of consciousness, Raca gave in. He felt himself slowly drifting off, when finally, the abuse stopped. Clearly exhausted, his stepfather gave one final kick to his ribs before spitting into his face and walking away. Raca spent what seemed like hours lying on the floor, blood dripping from his nose with what felt like a few broken ribs. This was not anything new to Raca, he'd been beaten worse before by his stepfather… but this time, he didn't want to get up. For Diedre, that Monday was like any other. She was up as early as possible, she hated being in the house when her parents returned from their late night antics, and by 7 she had made her way to school. Diedre then spent the next hour as she waited for her class to start seated in the library, reading anything and everything that she could. Nothing about her day seemed out of the ordinary. As usual, Diedre walked from the school to the shelter, not wanting to return home. Raca arrived at school two hours late that day. No one noticed. It wasn’t unusual for him to be late; the administrative staff was more than used to it. His teacher paid no attention to Raca when he limped into the class and collapsed into his chair in the back row. Nothing was different today. He somehow made it through the day, ignoring anyone that spoke to him, and when the bell finally rang, Raca was, as usual, the last to leave the school. He never wanted to be home early enough for his parents to notice him. If they saw him, they hurt him. After a few hours, Raca was kicked from the school grounds, but he still didn’t return home. Instead, he found himself across from the Youth Shelter. He’d walked past the building countless times, but he had never paid any attention to it. Today was different. Raca crossed the street with purpose, for the first time in his life, he found the confidence to break routine. To get help. Diedre often lost track of the time she spent with the other teens in the shelter, sometimes it was dark before she realised any time had passed at all. Diedre was setting up a game of ‘Jenga’ to play with the younger children in the shelter when the small bell over the door chimed, the light Diedre installed for herself flashing along with it. Diedre usually ignored the gentle flashing; after all it was never anyone new. Today was different. She looked up as a boy in his late teens staggered into the common area. Bruises covered his face and arms. It was unlike anything Diedre had seen during her time at the shelter. The boy looked around frantically and, from what Diedre gathered, began calling for help. Two of the supervisors ran to help the boy, leading him to a chair by the dining table. Curious, Diedre made her way over to him, pushing her way through the small group that surrounded him. She began frantically signing to the nearest supervisor, hoping to get information about the boy. “Name? Age? What happened?”

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There was no reply from anybody; all eyes were on the mysterious boy as he slowly looked around at the group of children. Once seated comfortably in a chair, Raca finally had the time to assess the situation he was now in. He didn’t know anything about any of the people that were now staring at him. They were waiting for something… They were waiting for him. “Please...” he began to beg, “Someone just take me away.” A girl stepped forward from the group, holding a small tablet in her hands. She began to type feverishly on the device. Once she was done, she turned it to face Raca. The tablet read: Diedre. 17. Deaf. We can help you. The girl, Diedre, then handed the tablet to Raca, and waited hopefully for a reply. He took the tablet gently from her hands, as if it was a small child. Never in his life had he seen such a device. He began to slowly type a reply. I aM RACA 17. Scaaared. Father Stepfather. He never stops. After reading the words on the small screen, the girl slowly crouched in front of Raca, looking into his eyes. Her eyes were like bottomless pits; he seemed to lose himself looking into them. She was moving her hands slowly, making shapes with her fingers as though she was trying to communicate. He couldn’t make sense of what she was trying to say. Diedre had almost forgotten how difficult it was communicating with hearing people. Everyone in the shelter knew at least basic sign language for her sake. Raca did not. Sighing, Diedre gently placed her hand on the boy’s knee, not wanting to scare him. Although he flinched, Raca relaxed slowly as Diedre comforted him from a distance. Raca’s heart beat faster as Diedre softly ran her hand over his leg as an attempt to comfort him. Slowly, he started to calm down. He could feel himself relaxing as he held eye contact with Diedre. She was unlike anything he had seen. He took the tablet from beside him and began to type: Show me to talk Stay here yes? He looked at Diedre as she read his message. He wasn’t sure he’d understand what he was trying to say to her. He’d never had time to learn very much, he’d never concentrated during school. The girl looked back up at him and nodded, a small smile turning the corners of her lips up.

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After Raca returned to the shelter every day after meeting Diedre. The two began to fall in love. ‘Love.’ It wasn’t a word Raca was familiar with; it was not a feeling he had felt. After months of meeting with Diedre daily at the shelter, Raca was signing comfortably, he could have full conversations with Diedre without any problem. Diedre woke each day with a purpose. She had something to look forward to. Raca. The only light in her life. The mysterious stranger turned lover. Raca was all Diedre had ever dreamed of, and he had literally fallen right into her lap. Soon after meeting Raca, Diedre turned 18. She moved away from her parents, gaining a full time position as head of the shelter. She’d made a career out of what she loved doing. Raca escaped his stepfather’s hold not long after Diedre moved out of home. He found a home with her, helping her to run the shelter and saving children in situations much like their own. In a short six months, Raca’s life had completely changed. He never would have believed this would have been possible six months before. He had no hope. He had no chance. Now he had it all.

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Real Australians Say Welcome

By Ailish Delaney

To sum it up in a few sentences, a civil war broke out in Syria in 2011 stemming from antigovernment demonstrations. The once peaceful protests turned violent and escalated due to the government’s violent crackdown. The rebels started to fight back and a conflict began that devastated the nation. This war is continuing today and has been described as “the worst humanitarian disaster of our time.” An estimated 9 million civilians have fled their homes in Syria in search of refuge and according to the UN, more than half of all Syrian refugees are younger than 18. This conflict, according to the UN, has claimed 220,000 lives, injured one million people and confined 12.2 million people inside Syria who are in dire need of humanitarian assistance, more than 5 million of those are children. This humanitarian catastrophe has been called the worst refugee crisis since World War II. A blind eye could no longer be turned towards this issue when an image surfaced of a Syrian toddler’s body that had washed ashore on a Turkish beach. People could no longer ignore this issue, it caused them to realise that this is currently happening, people are dying trying to reach safer countries, many children are dying, and even though it is not affecting them it is affecting millions of others on the other side of the world. Over 3 million Syrian refugees are seeking shelter in nearby countries of Jordan, Iraq, Turkey and Lebanon, and making dangerous journeys to find potential safety. There is seemingly no end in sight to the civil war and as this crisis continues everyone needs to play a part in doing what they can to help.

“Residents of the refugee camp of Yarmouk queuing to receive food supplies from the UN, Damascus, Syria.” (UNRWA via AP)

Over half of the people involved in the conflict are children. They are forced to endure things local 20 be no child should have to, death, immense suffering, and war.riot The magazine youth of Syria//should

going to school, forming hopes, dreams and aspirations, deciding what they want to do in the future, or even on the weekend, having fun and just being kids. This ideal life that they should be living, that we have the privilege of living, is a stark contrast from the reality of their lives. They have lost their friends, their families, their possessions, their homes, their lives, yet they carry on.

“Syrian refugees Almuseneh, 11, and Yusef, 4, rest on the bench in Belgrade, Serbia, city park, where their family will spend the night” (© Aida Sunje/World)

Living in a western country that is wealthy and safe, I live a privileged life. I, along with many others, have the privilege to go to school every day, to come home to my family, to have a permanent home, to have a sense of normality in my life, to be able to do and buy what I please. I have a chance to achieve my dreams, a chance to make something of myself. These children, these people, deserve just that. They deserve to be safe, they deserve to be free, and they deserve peace. There are some people who are against helping the refugees; they think the money that countries are using for foreign aid is better off elsewhere. People are able to look on from the outside, if they’re tired of hearing about the issue they just don’t have to watch the news or read about it in the media, they can stay unaffected from the crisis and allow themselves to think, ‘they don’t need our help’ ‘that’s our money’ ‘we should be helping our own country.’ You are privileged if you are able to even think like that. Foreign aid and accepting refugees into the country provides them with safety, freedom and a chance at life. If you are able to choose between donating money to helping save a life and buying a materialistic item, you are lucky. They need our help; we cannot ignore their calls and cries. People are suffering and it is our moral obligation as humans to help each other. We cannot let this go on, it is unjust and inhumane to allow people to suffer through this, we all need to band together and do what we can. They need us. Syrians are now the largest refugee population in the world. People all over are doing their part; countries are taking in refugees and proving aid. Australia has recently announced $44

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million in aid and is accepting 12,000 refugees. Germany has already accepted 6,000 refugees and has pledged to take up to 20,000. Germany is the highest contributor to refugee relocation by a wide gap. There are ways that you can help too. You can donate to organisations such as Mercy Corps and World Vision, signing petitions, and spreading awareness on social media. (For more links and information on how you are able to help head to localriot.weebly.com/blog as there will be a post up soon). Please remember, they did not wish this upon themselves; no one wishes to have to risk their lives to find a safe place to live, no one wishes to live in fear, no one wishes to have to leave a place that they once called home, no one wishes to have their beautiful nation ravaged by war, no one wishes to have to leave their life behind, no one wishes to experience that much loss. They did not wish this upon themselves. Open your heart, open your mind, be understanding and compassionate, because we are morally obligated to help and protect in whatever way possible. It is a human right to be able to live your life freely, a right many of us have.

“3 year old Yahya, his sister Hayat, and mother have been in Lebanon for one year.“ (©2014 Ralph Baydoun/World Vision) “People killing, people dying Children hurt and you hear them crying Can you practice what you preach? Would you turn the other cheek?” The only question is, will you show love?

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PHOTOGRAPHER: Kana Marie

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16 things I learnt when I was 16. Maisie Evason

Another month come and gone, as August saw the end of my 16th year of life. I remember vowing to make my 16th year one to remember. I was convinced that my life would be like a John Hughes movie full of friendship and heartbreak and super awesome 80s soundtracks. As I enter the year of the dancing queen, I would like to share with you 16 lessons I learnt during my sweet sixteenth year of life. 1. Sometimes life isn't all that sweet. - Life gets sour. So stay in bed for a weekend, watch trashy TV and eat chocolate. Then wake up on Monday, get out of bed and get on with your life. 2. If the question is travelling, the answer is yes! - My 16th year took me all the way to Italy with my 4 best friends. (It was a school trip, we played safe I promise). I seized every opportunity I possibly could. There's no doubt that I have caught the travel bug, and I am definitely glad there's no cure. 3. Italy is magical. - On the topic of travelling, I would like to take a moment to discuss the beauty of Italy. You see the pictures and the movies and I promise that nothing quite compares to actually being there. I haven't stopped thinking about my trip since we got back. I look back in all my photos and admire the place that made me feel at home even when I was miles away from my house. 4. Don't be afraid to be alone. - Sometimes you need to be alone. If life gets too much and causes you to walk away from your friends, it's okay, because the real ones will be there when you're finally ready to turn around. 5. Just cry. It's okay to cry. - Honestly, I cried so much in the past year I'm not even sure how my body produced so many tears. This year someone walked into me and knocked my coffee on the floor and I cried. I cried over spilt milk and you know what? I felt so much better. 6. Enjoy school. - Easier said than done, I know. But I promise that if you find something to like about school, a reason to get up in the morning with a smile, your life will be unequivocally easier. (Unequivocally is a good word, look it up.)

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7. Play nice with teachers. - As a person that's always had a bit of a controversial personality, I have never been a huge favourite among teachers. However, it has taken me almost 13 years of schooling to realise that sometimes you just have to play nice with teachers, even if they are the bane of your existence. 8. Don't stop trying. - I promise you that failing sure beats the hell out of never trying. Even if you get a crappy mark on the essay you hand it, the mark is definitely better than the zero you would get if you didn't hand it in at all because you'd convinced yourself that you couldn't do it. Don't stop trying. 9. Appreciate the opportunities you're given. - We've all heard the same old spiel from our teachers, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Stop complaining, some people would do anything to have the opportunities that you have.â&#x20AC;? Generally this statement is followed by students rolling their eyes into the backs of their heads, but your teachers are right. There are people that would love to have the opportunities you have. So don't do that essay because you have to, do it because you want to expand your knowledge. Don't study for that test because you have to pass, study because you can learn about the world around you. Don't do it because you have to, do it because you can. 10. Have faith in yourself. - It's hard to do sometimes, it's really hard to do sometimes. However, over the past year I've watched people I know create something wonderful, because they have had enough faith in themselves to put their ideas into action. Look at Ailish and I, for example, we started a magazine because it was something we wanted and we believed in ourselves enough to make it happen. Have faith in yourselves. 11. Make friends not foes. - It took a while to get there, but I finally realised that not liking people is the BIGGEST waste of time. Sometimes it's hard trying to get along with people and I'm not saying you need to be everyone's best friend. I'm saying ask how they are, laugh at their jokes and just smile. It will make you happier and it will make the people around you happier. 12. You're allowed to be confused. - Confused at school. Confused at your mum. Confused at boys. Confused at life. It is okay. You don't have to know everything. But raise your hand in class to ask a question when you don't understand. Ask that boy what he really thinks about you. Write in a journal about how confused you are and draw a mind map. It is okay to be confused and it's okay to not know the answer to a question, just make sure you attempt to find the answer. Â

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13. You don't have to know what you want to do with your life. - This is a big one. I spent the past year being asked the same thing: “So Maisie, what do you want to do when you leave school?” The question used to make me nervous, then when I answered that I didn't know, the looks I received made me even more nervous. Then one day, in the midst of a desperately needed friends marathon, I realised that I don't have to know anything. The world is full of endless opportunities and when I am ready, I can decide which one I want to take. So can you! 14. Do not bottle up your emotions. - It may seem like a good idea, may seem like you're protecting people but it isn't and you're not. If something is wrong or you're angry or you're happy. Talk about it. Let it out. Find a person or people that you can trust and let them listen. It's really important that you don't bottle up all of your emotions because, trust me, it never ends well. 15. 80's music makes everything better. - Okay, so it doesn't make everything better but it certainly makes a large majority of things better. 16. There's always next year. - Don't take this the wrong way. I'm not suggesting that you don't finish that essay, because there's always next year to bring your grades up. I'm not suggesting you don't make up with your friend, because maybe next year they'll come to their senses. I'm merely pointing out that if it is too much and you find yourself falling, there will be another year where you can get back up. I made many mistakes over the past year, but I have learnt from them and there is always this next year where I can be positive that I won't make them again. So there you have it, 16 super important things I learnt in my sweetest year! If you have any lessons you have learnt and want to share, send them to us at localriotmag@gmail.com and maybe we can learn from you!

*disclaimer: pictures are from tumblr, credit to the illustrators

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PHOTOGRAPHER: Kana Marie

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PHOTOGRAPHER: Kana Marie

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YOU NEVER FAIL UNLESS YOU QUIT TRYING Speech by Ioana Florescu

I have always wondered why we live and why we die. Is it just because that’s how things need to work? Something like a spin cycle, more or less. But recently, I have started to come to terms with this fact. Apparently, we were born to fulfill our destiny. What is destiny, anyway? A permanent exam that we all strive to pass and when we do, we feel that life is well-worth living. The time or the place is not that important. It can be now, or in ten years time, somewhere where you least expect it, and that one event can change all the things you ever knew, to sum it up in a few words, it can help you or get you down just as easily. For instance, one moment you’re here, stuck in a small town, yearning for more, and the next one you’re living the unimaginable in a far away land. Well, if this city simply no longer satisfies your need of knowledge or your thirst of exploring, then it makes you want to take off, experience a change of perspective, a change of heart. If no one’s stopping you, what are you waiting for? Or, are you stopping yourself from achieving the dream of a lifetime, simply because you’re too scared to let go of your past and think about your future? Stop thinking “what if…” Do it now, while you still can, because, if you kick it down, it’s over. For good. You are the only one capable of setting a goal, of knowing where to put an end to the line. If you start working on something, you might as well finish it, right? You are going to make mistakes, of course, that’s just what humans do, but so what? Keep yourself motivated: “If you don’t succeed, try again and again.” So, if you want my advice, don’t let anyone tell you what to do. Even though they might have the best of intentions, what they want you to do might not always work right for you. Nobody knows you better than you know yourself. So, take your time and listen to your heart, let it guide you along the right path. It is in moments like this that we start weighing our options and possibilities. A choice must be made before it’s too late. Choose wisely, because, once you’ve made up your mind, there’s no going back. The past is history; you can’t erase it by trying to correct every mistake you’ve ever done. Yet, try not to repeat them for the sake of a better future. Think of it as an unwritten journal, ready to be filled with new memories, with faces you meet every day, and basically, highlights of the new, more self-confident you. So don’t worry if you don’t get only straight A’s, because you probably have other things to be proud of. And finally, at the end of the day, cross out the things you did instead of those you wish you would have done. Think of what the future holds in store for you, then turn the page and prepare yourself for writing yet another chapter of your journey.

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An avid collector of Penguin Classics books purely because I like the cover. The Lucy Family Alphabet - Judith Lucy This month the book I chose wasn't one of my usual reads. I'm fact, I didn't know much about the book at all. (I bought it because it was a penguin book and it was on sale!). The life of Judith Lucy and her family condensed into 200 and something pages is downright hilarious, inappropriate, but hilarious. Judith Lucy found out she was adopted at the age of 26 and the book (a true story!) is Lucy explaining how she coped with finding out, mixed with flashbacks to eccentricities of her childhood and the absolute nutters that were her adopted parents. This book had me in stitches! Surprisingly Lucy is able to turn her downfall into a life lesson and a comedy. She grew up in Perth which allowed me to relate to a lot of the things she spoke about, my favourite being her mothers quest to buy all the Christmas gifts from the first 2 aisles of K-mart. Currently the book is residing with my English teacher who, coincidently, is a fan of Judith Lucy and her stand up comedy! I recommend reading this book during a busy time like the school term, because not only is it funny and light-hearted but Lucy's writing style makes the book quite easy to read. 4/5 STARS.

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INTERVIEW WITH DEER DESIGNS

Deer Designs is an Australian jewelry business run by two Perth sisters, Amber and Bonny. They pride themselves on being cruelty free and sell cute handmade items such as chokers, scrunchies, bracelets, and more! Find them at: http://www.deerdesignsaus.com/ @deerdesignsaus on instagram We asked the girls from Deer Designs a few questions to get an insight into their cruelty free jewelry business. Local Riot: When did you start up deer designs? Deer Designs: We started Deer Designs just over a year ago. I (Amber) saw a choker that was from the 90’s on an old photo that I fell in love with. I tried to find one that was similar online but couldn't find anything, so I decided that I should try to make it myself. I went to spotlight and got a few supplies.

Once the rest of the supplies arrived from online, I made up a few chokers to give to friends and Bonny (the other half of Deer Designs) said I should try selling them. LR: How did the idea come about? DD: I posted some photos on Facebook and Instagram and got a bunch of positive messages and decided to start selling. As I am in my final year of university studying Marketing and Advertising, I used some of these skills I have learnt to get the business up and running. With the help of a friend Travis, who runs the clothing label Anchor Seven, we got a really nice website which promoted our products in a great way.

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LR: We know all your stuff is handmade, does that make it difficult for you to keep up with orders and juggle other things in your life? DD: We love designing new products and are currently in the process of releasing a new line. This is great but sometimes it does take a little longer than we would like because we both work part time and study full time. While doing both of these we don't have a huge amount of spare time but this is our favourite hobby, so we make sure we have a few hours every couple of days to fill orders and make new items. We also do a lot of stalls, which take up most of our weekends, but are great for getting our name out there to a wide range of different people, so for the mean time it is definitely hard but it will be worth it. LR: We love that your items are 100% animal free! How do you go about making sure animals aren't harmed in the process of your jewelry making? DD: We love animals and it almost came second nature to make sure nothing was harmed in the process of making any of our items. With a little bit of sourcing and slightly

higher costs for some of the materials, we could easily make this happen. We find that a lot of people don’t really mind spending an extra dollar or two on some of the products because they know that we are sourcing from friendly places. LR: And finally, what item of jewelry do you think every girl should have? DD: Our personal favourite items are the heart chokers, we have never seen anything similar before and they are so god damn cute! We love when people enjoy our products and these definitely seem the most loved, every girl needs one!

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SEAL CHOKER $6.00

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FLOATING CHOKER $10.00

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HEART CHOKER $10.00

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Hi, I’m your hormones. By Chloe Mason

Ebony’s pen shakes uncontrollably in her hand as she empties her angsty internalizations into a new journal. She feels like a walking cliché. Fraud. Selfish. Dramatic. Inconsequential. Irrelevant. Pointless. Insignificant. Hormonal? Her journal is already ruined with bad art. Slamming the new purple crushed velvet journal into the wall, she races to the kitchen for some external dialogue. Probably an argument but who cares? There was a bowl brimming with fresh fruit if it ended badly. *10 minutes later* Ebony returns to her room with a ripe peach, juicy and kind. Gently she picks up her journal and opens it to the previous page, the unreadable scrawl seems alien and conflicting with her new mellower mood. The next day is Monday and Ebony has homework due, she realizes this as she walks through the school gates in a daze of milky languid sleep, marmalade toast and coffee in hand. Last night she painted with dark blues and purples in swirls and starry nights, neglecting the algebra her teacher set her. Ebony feels no regret and continues the walk to her classroom. “So many people to avoid,” Ebony thinks aloud as she passes ex boyfriends, too observant teachers and friends of the past. Her mood is turning sour as the minutes pass by, nothing is particularly wrong but school is no haven and the extended due dates on homework are catching up with her. She takes her seat and yanks her hair out of a ponytail, brown curls cascading around her face and sinks into her burgundy coat, protected from disappointments yet also possibilities. Ebony drifts to and from classes throughout the day, mathematician one hour and artist the next. Seriously wondering how the school system works but at the same time casually just being. The atmosphere of the art studio makes her happy, until a gang of loud girls in the year below barge in looking for glue sticks. She sits and watches them for a while, their effortless joy and energy seems untouched by hormones. Envy rushes through her. And then joy. Joy to be feeling an explainable feeling, something others can understand. School. Homework. Paint. The same cycle every day. Ebony lies in bed staring at the ceiling trying to decide whether she can be bothered completing her algebra or if a nap is in order? She does both. Her dream of sums and equations is interrupted when her mother peers through the door whispering, “How was school?” placing the last of the peaches next to Ebony’s curled up body, “Just peachy thanks” Ebony replies with a big grin. Her mother shakes her head, exiting the room saying, “Honey, you’re so hormonal.”

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