MOTIF www.motifmag.com | ISSUE 3
magazine
Journeys
MAKE LIFE AN ADVENTURE
GLOBAL INSPIRED FASHION
BLOGGER’S LIFE JOURNEYS TRAVEL TIPS TO TEMPT
Regular Features
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EDITOR’S LETTER TEAM/CONTRIBUTORS WHAT YOU’RE SAYING HOROSCOPES
Learn what to look out for in the coming months with our elusive resident astrologer.
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PHOTO: ANDREA 44
What We’re Doing
REVIEWS The Road | Huckleberry Finn | Our Fave Travel Shows | Dead Man | Stand By Me | David Bowie| Kings of Leon | Blip FM Playlist
What We’re Thinking
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WHAT ‘JOURNEYS’ MEANS TO ME... Three online identities share their biggest life journeys: physical and inner. A MEASURED LIFE Robin Sidwell, our UK friend, explores the yardsticks by which we measure life’s little adventures. YEAH, NO Michelle Retford dreams of a desert road, scorching sand and a searing blue overhead. SEEING IS BELIEVING What happens when at twenty-two you’re told you will lose your sight? Laura Lawson takes us on a journey of grief and acceptance THE MAN CAVE About to embark on his first overseas journey, Shannon Evans ponders what changes will occur within.
Go On, Follow Us! To subscribe to MOTIF Magazine or get more information, visit
www.motifmag.com
What We’re Eating
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT Tempting flavours for the tastebuds that will help recall journeys. RECIPES Hoisin Pork | Eton Mess Signature Cocktail: Red Arrow
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What We Love
What We’re Wearing 66
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THE PACKING DILEMMA Fiona Murphy ponders whether travelling chic is wrong.
A FASHIONABLE JOURNEY AROUND THE WORLD Xiaohan Shen’s stunning photo journey of two fashionable girls around the world.
FASHIONISTA PACKING TIPS Evelyn Ebrey returns with tips on how to ensure you’re still a fashionista on the opposite side of the world.
THINGS WE LOVE Stunning fashion, tempting travel goods and trinkets you’ll proudly display.
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CRAFTY MINX Our new resident crafter Dana Beach creates a journal to document life’s travels.
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BLYTHELY I GO Blythe heeds the flirty calls of Paris. PHOTO: STEPHAN RIDGWAY
Editors’ Letter
It was our in tention to fo cus on a my eys for this is riad of journ sue, includin g creative, e physical journ m otional and eys. Howeve r, we found o being drawn urselves again and ag a in trips and ad to physical jo venture. urneys,
PHOTO: PATRICK LEE
Believe it or not, the them e of this issu about organ e ically and co mpletely asid came fact that Teg e from the an is probab ly sipping a c in Rome as appuccino you read this and Lara is re to the UK (q locating uite possibly crying tears her cup of te of regret in a).
We wanted to e right ways to xplore creative and emo tional journe express ours ys but could elves. Take h journey if yo n’t q e art though, b u will) we hav ecause in a ro uite find the e discovered actually prov und-about-w that journey ides countle ay (a s to concrete ss kinds of in exploration. spiration and and tangible p lessons. It tr laces uly is a rich g ro u n d for We have Ro bin Sidwell w riting about sharing her how we mea experience a sure life’s jou s an artist w an insightful rneys, Laura h o is losing h look into ho Lawson e r sight and F w not to dress Evelyn Ebrey iona Murphy the part of a back with tip gives us tourist. We s on how to ionista statu are excited pack for a h s, and we hav to oliday and st e the humou Cullen for th ill maintain yo have rous and yet ose who are ur fashincredibly sh about emba rewd wisdom rk on a little of Alexe trip of their We’ll take yo o wn! u on a taste journey in o your wardro ur What We be in our ve ’re Eating sec r y fancy fashio bloggers wh tion and we n spread; yo o will tell us ’ll inspire u can read a about their little jaunt o bout some in jo u rneys and of f her own w spiring ith a scenari course Blyth o from the a e has also be m en on a a zi ng Gina Gara We have som n. e exciting ne ws about MO cal and now TIF MAGAZ have an App INE – we are fo r all our rea their iPad. going all tec ders who ju hnologist can’t live without MO T IF on With the he lp of Damjan o ver at OCU can downloa NECU, we c d over at itu an now offe nes FOR FR r a MOTIF ap EE! p that you Spread your wings and yo ur sense of adventure an d come on a Tegan & Lara journey with MOTIF. xo
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DOCUMEN
TEAM & CONTRIBUTORS
Megan Russell: Cover Artist
MR Illustrations Megan was born and raised in painfu lly sunny Sarasota, Florida. When it reached time for College she realised she could no longer handle the searing heat and fled to Baltimore, MD where she attended the Maryland Institute Co llege of Fine Art. Her work is generally based on fair ytal es, myths and fables and is heavily inf luenced by Art Nouveau, classical theatre and the Golden Age illustrators. Megan has worked for a variety of clie nts including the Peabody Institute, Cicada, Muse and HPN Ma gazines and illustrated our delightfully whimsical cover.
Keri Bevan
Photographer Keri Bevan Keri is a UK based fine art photograpof her. She strives to evoke a mood myster y, nostalgia and whimsy rathrough the art of digital photog h phy. She enjoys experimenting wit to various techniques such as TT V amdre a e create photographs that hav a like, ethereal quality that evokes Keri’s sense of wonder in her viewers. gaphotographs have appeared in ma zines and publications, and have es found their way into private hom around the world.
A Special Thanks To...
Xiaohan Shen Fashion Photographer
XSSAT Xiaohan Shen is a photographer, designer, blog ger and dreamer. Raised in the longtangs of Shanghai, educated on the shores of Sy dney, Xiaohan embeds a unique blend of ea st and west. This blend of cultures shaped her philosophy, outlook an d style. A trained designer's eye and a sensitive feminine perspective m akes Xiaohan's phot og raphy special and high ly sought after. Xiaoh an also runs one of Aus tralia's top street fa shion blogs, xssat street fa shion, where she re gu larly photographs an d interviews trends etters from around the w orld.
nca Pedruco, Kate Clifton, bal Gallery , Amelia Tulloch, Bia Glo nt, eme nag Ma del Mo m tfor Pla llen, Maria ford, Victoria Cetinich, Alexe Cu Ret lle che Mi ey, Ebr lyn Eve l, wel Robin Sid Evans. Vanstos, Gina Garan & Shannon
NTS & IMAGES
Fiona Murphy r tributing Write
Con Laura Lawson: Contr ibuting Writer y. Pen. Paper. Pla Be lie vi rng o is Seeing enam Fiona has been La ur a is an y o art student and sunshi b an ne ed with a Belgi ad di ct from Southern Califo ed th u o l-m u rn ia fo ed a tl and n. Nes adjusting to life with ce she was seve progressive f her o sea captain, sin er rn co e vis th io n in lo , ss. ag D b ro n pp ing out of art ea st into a musty b school and taking up oped wanderlu el ev d e sh , writing, Laura has cont ry school libra Tintin. But ribof s re ut ed tu to en m dv an A y ar t and writing blogs. In The cte ro p M whilst reading O d TI il F she shares her journey of Mother (and ch vision loss. t in u p ay to appease her st to ad ns) Fiona h tion organizatio years ad a few more h e sh l ti n u ey ars, she Sydn intervening ye e th In t. el b d under her nail clippers an f o ar fe a aed p develo as a physiother d ie if al u q so al arting ladders; she f 23, she is dep o e ag e th at w na pist. No led. She’ll be o el av tr ss le s d n rland. for la to Sydney Ove n o d n o L m o journey fr
DOCUMENTS & IMAGES
e h t o t w e n ! m a e t F I T O M
Dana Beach: Craft Editor
Crafty Minx Dana Beach has been crafting since she encountered her first lacing card at the age of 3. While she still uses needles and thread, her skills have Would you extended to any thing she can Have a grealikt eidetoa focorntria bute? learn. Not one to settle on a craft, she has been blogging submission? at Crafty Minx since 2006 where she shares tales of her We’d love to hear from you! life as a promiscuous crafter, craft tutorials, and tips for other would-be craftyminxes. Email us at
either: jointheteam@motifmag.com O submissions@motifmag.coRm
WHAT YOU’RE
I would love to get a copy of the issue if it comes in a printed version so I could flick through it all day, every day! xx Sally
Just followed your business card to the magazine...wow! Awesome job, amazing how two people can project such a big image. All the very best with your enterprise, wiish you every success! Steve Hi guys! I recently met you at the Sydney Life Instyle. You were saying that you might have an upcoming issue with an Oriental theme. I thought you might be interested in a group exhibition that I
sincerely I would just like to me the thank you for giving with you opportunity to work your mag. for the next issue of rience for It was a great expeto Sydney, me as a new model girls were particularly as you friendly. so very lovely and Bianca xo
HelI can’lo Tteganbelie&ve Lara, I won t h e gi v e away! My earri n gs arri v e d on Monday. T h ey are l o v e l y , I havThanke tyouhem boton hrigandht now!best wishes on Motif's upcoming year.Melissa x
PHOTO: BENTLEY GLOBAL ARTS
What We’re Doing
REVIEWS | THOUGHTS | ROAD TRIPPIN’ PLAYLIST
what we’re doing
by Cormac McCarthy
The Road
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REVIEW BY MICHELLE RETFORD Cormac McCathy’s The Road is planted in the wake of some unspecified disaster, possibly nuclear, a decade or so after the event and we follow, wide-eyed, the coastal migration of a nameless man and his nameless son. There is no breath in The Road. There is no resting place. Apocalypse tales are unsettling to some prehistoric part of our brain, in a way that murder mysteries, parables or ghost stories cannot be. The distant, natural end of the world is assured, obviously, but we have built weapons that would annihilate the world many times over, and we live with that constant, suppressed awareness. And there is some awful suspicion within us, I think, that for all our civility, we are only ever a circumstance away from savagery; an ashen postapocalyptic wasteland is entirely possible, and the descent into darkness that it might trigger seems so sickeningly inevitable. The majority of humanity, as far as we see, has been wiped out. If not by the initial disaster, then of illness, starvation or murder, and the remaining pockets have turned militaristically savage, alliances formed in death between desperate survivors that kill and eat each other, including babies, children. The procession of one such regiment bearing men in balaclavas, pregnant girls, wheelbarrows of junk, tethered boys as catamites; dystopia nowhere near a satisfactory description. This is hell, and McCarthy will not let you look away. McCarthy’s language is a challenging, staccato, unrelenting noise, tempered with a dark, lugubrious beauty. In places it borders on scientific in its brevity, as though, were it not so darkly poetic, it might be some awful textbook, while in others it runs on in a panicked, descriptive stream, but always there is very little meat on the bones of his words, his similes unexpected and austere, and the starkness of it is disorienting, hypnotic, consuming. Underpinning the mercilessness is the man’s love of his son (“…and if he was not the word of God. Then God never spoke…”), an unbearable dread to the words of love the man speaks to himself (to us), talismans of a once-easy life, heavy as a grieving human heart. In addition to the punishing onward-trudge of the narrative is the awareness that there is actually no end goal. They will live out the rest of the foreseeable days in hiding, until all food has been scavenged, until all survivors wipe themselves out as a consequence of an unending, unwinnable, unholy war. The man and his son will roam the blackened land until, until, until. It lifts an already difficult novel to unbearable heights.
what we’re doing
by Mark Twain
REVIEW BY TEGAN PASLEY First published in the 1887, Mark Twain’s classic Huckleberry Finn picks up where its predecessor, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer left off – with Huckleberry Finn putting gold in trust and becoming “sivilised” with the stuffy upper-class Widow Douglas and Miss Watson. It’s his father he fears most, however, and when his drunken “Pap” returns to town looking to prise the gold from young Huck’s hands, he escapes his small shack jail cell and flees into the unknown. His flight sparks not only an escape from his father but also a journey into adulthood. While taking refuge on an island, bordered by the Mississippi River and not far from his hometown, Huck meets Jim, a friendly African American slave fleeing his “owner”. Together Huck and Jim hijack a boat from a dead man and meander down the Mississippi searching for a better life. Jim yearns to be reunited with his family; to feel, for the first time, as though decisions that affect him are solely his own. And, aside from the threat of patriarchal violence, Huck desperately wants to shake off the constraints of a conservative society where he feels at odds with the prim expectations of those around him. It is with these two unlikely characters that Huckleberry Finn takes you on a physical journey of pure delight. Noted for its descriptions of the colourful characters our unlikely protagonists encounter along the way, Twain’s novel poses poignant questions of its characters and its readers also. Jim’s humility, intelligence, deep capacity for love and forgiveness as well as fiercely protective nature endears him to Huck, and to us. We, like Huck, are left questioning the validity of a system that oppresses people based on colour. It may not seem so revolutionary now, but as Twain created Jim, a multi-faceted and complex character of depth and sincerity, he also created a path to the civil rights movement that was to come in the following century. At the end of their journey the characters are older, wiser and more aware of the trappings of a society that separates because of class, age, gender and colour. Striking, moving and intensely funny at times, Huckleberry Finn is one journey that you will find hard to forget.
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
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what we’re doing
OUR TOP FIVE TRAVEL SH
This issue we couldn’t decide on only two television programs that explored our central th life and for different purposes. Lara Cory explores the world through the eyes of five very about the world around t
AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY GARDENS (2008) Hosted by the earthy and understated Monty Don, this ten part TV series goes on a journey around the world to explore different kinds of gardens. Don not only looks at the aesthetic aspect of gardens, he also investigates the various interpretations and very meanings behind gardens by going deep into the practical and spiritual side of the human relationship with their environment. Going from highly manicured, aristocratic landscapes to potted herb gardens in boat houses, Don intrigues us with his philosophical observations and soothing style.
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THE LONG WAY ROUND (2005) Who knew that watching a couple of rich, bored actors motorcycle their way across the part of the globe would be interesting? Yet, from the very beginning, The Long Way Round delivers an engaging and exciting journey. We watch as Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman make their way through 12 countries and 19 time zones in just 115 days. We feel their highs and lows from the moment they plot their trip and secure their bikes and alongside them as they negotiate their way through visa check points, local customs and their fair share of bumps in the road (literally).
GOING TO EXTREMES (2003) Going to Extremes is a 4 part series that sees expert geographer Nick Middleton traverse the globe in search of the hottest, driest, wettest and coldest places on Earth. He experiences temperatures of 43C, visits a place suffering a 14 year drought, compares two neighbouring Indian cities competing for the highest rainfall and goes to a place known as ‘the hell hole of creation’ where it stays 36C all year round. Middleton’s informative and entertaining presentation explores why people inhabit these places of extreme environmental properties and how it feels to be there.
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HOWS...
heme. Instead we were struck by the myriad journeys taken by people of different walks of y different personalities, always with their eye on something unique and inspiring: learning hem and their place in it. A COOK’S TOUR (2001) A Cook’s Tour is first of celebrity chef Tony Bourdain’s ventures in television. A two season programme, A Cook’s Tour was the show that did it all before Man Vs. Food, Bizarre Foods and others came on the scene. Bourdain’s gritty style and slightly twisted, New York humour made him a TV sensation. His humility and grace in unfamiliar cultures endears him to the viewer as he takes us on a taste journey from dining with Geishas in Tokyo to drinking vodka in St Petersburg and comes home again to show us what life was like when he was executive chef at the celebrated brasserie, Les Halles in New York City.
KEVIN MCCLOUD’S GRAND TOUR (2009) KEVIN MCCLOUD’S GRAND Brits Christopher Wren, Inigo TYou might know Kevin McCloud Jones and Robert Adams and goes from his long running Channel 4 further into the cultural experience series Grand Designs. A British of the Grand Tour by showing us designer, writer and TV presenter some unique, funny and inspiring McCloud has an easy and engaging customs of old world Europe. style that makes him a pleasure to watch and learn from. His Grand Tour is a 4 part series that takes us on a journey through Europe to explore architecture and design through the eyes of the old world traveller. The Grand Tour, usually taken as a rite of passage by wealthy aristocrats and artists, would include the architecture and ruins of Ancient Rome and Greece. McCloud explains how these buildings influenced the work of fellow Kevin McCloud
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what we’re doing
Dead Man by Jim Jarmusch
REVIEW BY LARA CORY The first time I saw Dead Man I lost interest early on and turned it off. I couldn’t get into the pace and get over the lack of colour. Perhaps I wasn’t drunk enough. Dead Man needs to be viewed when you’re feeling reflective and untethered, it needs to be enjoyed after a couple of generous jiggers of bourbon. Only then will you understand what Jim Jarmusch is trying to do. Shot in black and white and set to a dramatic and desolate Neil Young score, Dead Man features quite an impressive ensemble cast starring Johnny Depp and Gary Farmer and includes cameos from Iggy Pop, John Hurt, Robert Mitchum, Gabriel Byrne and Lance Henriksen just to name a few. Dead Man is the story of William Blake’s (Depp) transformation from a timid clerk with no hope and no prospects to a fearless outlaw with nothing to lose. Blake is shot when he gets caught in bed with the wrong woman and ends up on a killing spree that can only be described as survival. Suffering from a bullet wound,
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Blake is helped by Nobody, a Native American and surprisingly well-read outcast. The two wandering souls traverse the countryside as they run from a notorious bounty hunter and Nobody prepares Blake for his spiritual journey to the other side. Some say Dead Man is actually Blake’s journey through purgatory. Dead Man failed at the box office and was both panned and lauded by critics. It confused some but others believed it to be an exciting and important addition to American film.
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REVIEW BY ROBIN SIDWELL Based on a novella by Stephen King, Stand By Me tells the story of four boys – Chris, Gordie, Teddy and Vern – who leave the security of their backwoods hometown to embark on a quest to find the corpse of a missing teenager. What they don’t know is that they’re not the only one’s looking for the body though and it isn’t long before they encounter a group of knife wielding thugs, led by a youthful Keifer Sutherland. The cast is a strong one, though for me the standout performance perhaps belongs to Corey Feldman, whose portrayal of Teddy – an eccentric kook with a family history of mental illness – comes as a departure from the more comedic roles we’re used to seeing him in.
Stand By Me isn’t simply a film about a journey though. It’s a story of self-discovery, a rite-of-passage tale that almost defines the genre. As they embark on their quest, each of the boys have shadows that cling to them; a dead brother, an alcoholic father, a background steeped in domestic violence. Alone in the great outdoors and with only each other for company, they find themselves facing up to the very things they are trying to escape. Moving, simple and beautifully sound tracked, the film explores the journey from boyhood to adolescence and the trails, tribulations and ultimately friendships that go with it.
Rob Reiner
Stand By Me
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The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust by David Bowie REVIEW BY LARA CORY The simple, moody elements of Five Years beckons immediately when you listen to the Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust. In a semi-hypnotic state, Bowie’s desperate vocals and mysterious lyrics start to take hold. Uplifting and melancholy somehow and instantly engaging; you just know you’re in for a trip with this album. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust is a concept album about a spaceman called Ziggy Stardust and his journey through the world. There are many treasures in this album from Soul Love’s cruisy beats and honeyed warmth, Moonage Daydream’s brain busting lyrics to Starman’s simple acoustic charm. Then the classic hits Ziggy Stardust and Suffrogette City are followed by the epic Rock n Roll Suicide sung with the same desperate passion that builds to a crescendo; wrapping up a near perfect rock n roll experience. There is something so perfect about this album. It feels like an audio trip into the heart of an era. The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust holds a very special place in many hearts. Now it’s time to find space in yours; you can’t live any longer without listening to this album.
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REVIEW BY LARA CORY King of Leon’s (KOL) second album Aha Shake Heartbreak followed Youth and Young Manhood – a raw and dirty collection of simple southern rock n’ roll. Aha Shake Heartbreak was a more refined and mature offering. Higher production values and a more eclectic sound KOLS’s second album sings about love, loss and life in a small town, and all from a surprisingly grown-up perspective. For a bunch of guys in their early twenties, Aha Shake Heartbreak presents a poignant point of view. It feels like a coming of age album that captures the journey from boyhood into manhood observing the things you learn along the way. Not only
what we’re doing
Aha Shake Heartbreak by Kings of Leon
BLIP FM We’re Road Trippin’
Go on, listen now - it’s free and online!
lyrics but the music possesses a kind of melancholy hindsight of the way the girls were, the parties, the fights and the idle hours spent pondering a future. Aha shake Heartbreak is an honest to goodness rock n roll album that oozes of masculine expression, contemplation, sentimentality, aggression and the arrogance of youth. There are songs that lift you up and draw you out, lyrics that move you and change you. Stick it on in the car. Turn it up and sing it loud, you’ll feel better for it.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17.
Charlie Sexton – Graceland Marianne Faithful – The Ballad of Lucy Jordon The Roches – The Hammond Song Lissie – Oh Mississippi Kings of Leon - Talihina Sky Shirley & Lee – Let the Good Times Roll Gene Vincent – Be Bop Belula Rupert Holmes – Escape Gerry Rafferty – Baker Street Harry Nilsson – Jump into the Fire Chris Issac – Wicked Game Eagles of Death Metal – San Berdoo Sunburn Mr Bungle – Retrovertigo Tom Waits – Jockey Full of Bourbon Martha Wainwright – Far Away Stone Temple Pilots - Interstate Love Song Queens of the Stone Age – Long Slow Goodbye
Tell us what you think... email us at:
music@motifmag.com
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PHOTO: KERI COOK
4 2 # p i T l Trave
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PHOTO: BENTLEY GLOBAL ARTS
What We’re Thinking
A JOURNEY INTO DARKNESS | MEASURING LIFE | COLUMNS
what we’re thinking
Journeys
WHAT
MEANS TO ME
PIA JANE BIJKERK “Pia Jane Bijkerk” Blogger
I had lived abroad in Italy with my parents as a child and knew I would always make it back over to Europe some day. We returned to Sydney when I was about fifteen and from there I finished school, went to uni and carved out a career as a stylist. I was in a five year relationship. Everything was going well but I felt I had to make my move. It was now or never. I felt if I didn’t follow my heart now, I would never do it. I was feeling too closed in, too attached to life in Sydney. I needed to break free and feel freedom to move. So at 28, I sold everything I had, left my boyfriend and moved to Paris. I wanted to see the world. Along the way I’ve learnt that you need to listen to your heart – I’ve learnt to trust my instinct. To this I had to stop disregarding my intuition and not let fear override what
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PHOTO: OLGA BENNETT
Pia is an author (new book My Heart Wanders), photographer and stylist. After moving to Paris at 28 and living there for a year, she then moved to Amsterdam where she stayed for three years. She has since moved back to Sydney this year with her French boyfriend and spends her days promoting her book with whimsical, selfstyled displays.
what we’re thinking
“
Three bloggers tell us about their life adventures, what they’ve learnt along the way and if they’ll even reach the end of the ever-stretching road...
”
my heart knew was right. You also need to have courage – I’ve had to develop courage to overcome my fears in order to achieve what I wanted to achieve. Best of all, embrace change – don’t get stuck in life. Change is life. I’ve learnt that tough times will come and go, and change is sometimes hard but you will adjust. Don’t fear change, embrace it. My journey will never be over. I have left part of myself in each of the cities I have lived. I have emotional ties to friends and family. I am still involved in the culture of the cities for my work. I have to stay in touch with what the artisans are doing and creating. So even though I’m back in Sydney for the time being, my heart is definitely still connected to Paris and Amsterdam. Home is in my heart, and my heart is always wandering.
STEVE BERTRAM “Adventure Food” Blogger After having been a chef in Toronto for about 12 years, and inspired by the ethnic diversity there I decided to take a year off and go travelling around the world to learn regional cuisine first hand. The one year trip turned into ten years, and although I'm back
in Toronto now, in my mind I'm still on my journey. As you know, there are many things you learn along the way. Firstly, life is very fluid. Sometimes having a "five year plan" can prevent you from seeing interesting opportunities you never thought of before. Also, there is a universal truth in people. Hope, fear, laughter, and sadness shine the same in every one's eyes. Perhaps the most surprising is that the Internet is a wonderful tool. It has fundamentally changed travel and has allowed brief personal encounters to turn into long term friendships I doubt my journey will ever truly end, but eventually circumstances I have not dreamt of yet will determine my final destination
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what we’re thinking
ULTIMATE ROAD TRIP
NATIONAL GEO
FOXNOMAD TRAVEL BLOG
MY EGG NOODLES
TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHER
VIVA TRIPS & TIPS
JOURNEYS CLOSE TO HOME CAT TRAVEL BLOG
OUR JOURNEYS WITHIN
LONGEST WAY HOME TRAVEL BLOG
LIFE BLOG
ART BLOG
TRAVEL BLOG
TRAVEL BLOG
BLOGGERS TO WATCH JOURNEY CHIC DESIGN BLOG
NORDIC HOUSE DESIGN BLOG
EMMAS DESIGN DESIGN BLOG
PARIS APARTMENT DESIGN BLOG
FOOD AND TRAVEL
SOUVLAKI FOR THE SOUL FOOD BLOG
EAT. DRINK, STAGGER
PARLA FOOD FOOD BLOG
FOOD BLOG
FOOD BLOG
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PHOTO: KERI COO K
AMEASURED life We’ve all heard the saying, ‘life’s about the journey, not the destination.’ But how do we map out a journey that doesn’t cover any physical distance? How do we measure the progress of life itself, other than in terms of years and decades? Robin Sidwell looks back at some of the journeys he’s undertaken – both literal and symbolic – and the milestones that define them. WORDS: ROBIN SIDWELL PHOTOGRAPHY: KERI COOK
PHOTO:
OK
KERI CO
I remember doing a piece of work once called ‘My Life Journey.’ I was twelve years old and it was my first day in a new school. We had to draw a line on piece of A3 paper and choose twelve ‘significant things’ that had happened to us since we were born. We had to put the twelve things in chronological order and write a paragraph about each of them. It was basically a timeline. Except that this particular timeline wasn’t about the rise and fall of the Roman Empire or the Industrial Revolution or Shakespeare’s life and works. It was about me. Specifically, it concerned itself with the things that made me who I was.
what we’re doing
When I sat down to write this article, I thought a lot about the different types of journeys we undertake during our lives - both literally and of course metaphorically - and for some reason, I kept coming back to that timeline. The reason it’s stuck in my head all these years is probably because it was the first time that I was ever asked to consider the notion of my own life as a journey, something that could be measured in terms of milestones, just like literal journeys are measured in terms of distance. I remember sitting there in class and being quite taken with the idea. After all, as adults, the notion of life as a journey is something we’re all familiar with. To a twelve year old, it’s quite an abstract concept though. So what did a journey mean to me as a twelve year old boy? Well, if you’d asked me to make a list of all the journeys I’d been on, I’d probably have started with the annual jaunt to a rented cottage in Cornwall that we took as a family. When I look back at those journeys now, I remember them as exciting, almost clandestine affairs – we used to set off at two or three in the morning to ‘avoid the traffic’ and I used to pretend I was a prisoner of war, escaping under cover of darkness – in reality though, they were probably quite tedious. Most of the journey was spent playing eye-spy with my brother, listening to audio books on a walkman whilst my parents bickered over a map that my mum 24 | motifmag.com
couldn’t read and my dad insisted he had no use for. Every now and again – usually at three our four minute intervals – one of us would lean into the front and ask, ‘are we nearly there yet?’ or ‘how far is it now?’ When an answer came back, it rarely satisfied. Children don’t measure journeys in terms of time and distance, they measure them in toilet breaks, landmarks, games of eye-spy or how many sweaty cheese sandwiches they’re forced to endure along the way. When it came to my timeline then, one of the first things I decided to write about was a holiday we’d taken to Cornwall. This particular holiday proved exceptionally memorable after a stray mongrel turned up at the cottage we were renting and mated with our own dog, something that resulted in a trip to the local vets. Other ‘significant events’ that I chose to write about included the birth of my brother, the death of a family rabbit, the time we moved house and of course, various childhood illnesses and accidents. As someone who’s worked with children for much of his adult life, I can tell you that most kids have an ‘illness timeline’ in their heads Ask any child to tell you about the broken bones and stitches that they’ve had and they’ll reel them off without hesitating, sometimes in chronological order. This is because illnesses and accidents – just like births, deaths and starting new schools – are all rites of passage. And rites of passage
what we’re doing
are the milestones with which we measure the progress of our journey through life. Think about your own life for a moment. Just as most children have illness milestones, most adults have relationship milestones. Very often if you think back to a certain time – your teens or your early twenties for example – the first thing you think about is the person you were seeing or the friendship group you were part of. We have career milestones as well. And okay, so we don’t like to admit it, but at some stage or another, most of us measure our progress through life in terms of material or monetary worth; how big our houses are or how healthy our bank balances. In fact, some people evaluate their progress through life exclusively in those terms, showing off their wealth in much the same way that children show off their scars. f you think about your future – and let’s face it, we all map out our futures to a more or lesser extent – then chances are you’ll think of these sorts of milestones also. People think about their futures in terms of their careers – promotions, career changes, retirement – their milestones also. People think about their futures in terms of their careers – promotions, career changes, retirement – their relationships – marriages, divorces, settling down – and even the deaths of themselves and their loved ones – wills, inheritance, how you’ll cope without your parents etc. If I’m being honest, the idea of
it depresses the hell out of me, but even so I still find myself going there from time to time. Personally, I like the idea of living for the moment, enjoying what I’ve got and not worrying about what’s around the corner. Then again, I’m also the kind of person who’ll quite happily book a last minute flight, get on a plane and just go somewhere. Other people prefer to plan their holidays months in advance, making sure that everything – from the flights, to the hotels, to the meals, to the travel insurance – is taken care of. Very often, they plan their lives in much the same way. I guess what I’m saying is that a journey – be it literal or metaphorical – can always be quantified in terms of progress and advancement. When it comes down to it though, the real milestones – the things that we think about when we delve into our pasts or wonder about our futures – rarely concern themselves with distance or time. Although we think in weeks and months in the short term, when we look back along the road we’ve travelled, we more often than not think about the people we’ve met, the places we’ve been or the events that have occurred. This is because ultimately it’s people, places and events that shape us. The years and decades mark out the physical journey, but it’s the personal journey – the ‘spiritual’ journey, if you like – that makes us who we really are.
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TRAVEL TIP # 46
PHOTO: KERI COOK
Fort hos egoi ngawayf oral ongt i me-t wi t hapi r ave l l l owc as e .Fi r s t l y , i f y ou' r ebac i ng,youknow h kpac kow dodgys o m e o f pi t he l l owsar et hatyous l e e p o n , a t l e as your twhe e s n tyourhe adons o m e t h i n g f ami home l i arand l y,i tgi ve st hei l l u s i o n o f y ourc c omf l e an, or t abl epi l l ow wai t i n g a t home l .Yourpi owc as ec l anal s odoubl e u p a s a g r e bagf a twas oryourde h l i c at e s . W h e n y o u ' r e f or final c e dt l y ofindal aunde r e e , j u s t c huc de ks l i c ai at d e si nt ot hepi l l o w c a s e , a n d t i e t opwi o ff t he t har ubbe rore l as t i cband.Thi yourf s way avour i t et opsand/ o r u n d e r w e ge a rwon' tbe at e t nt ode at hbypowe r f u l p a y gowas as youhi ngmac hi ne s .
What We’re Thinking
Michelle Retford
YEAH
Iyou seemean... what ...but
NO
The world is a glass, overflowing with water. - ‘Ode to Enchanted Light’, Pablo Neruda
My life is, as most lives are, a series of have-to’s and mustattend’s. I work at my day job six days a week and can DJ up to 3 nights a week, which is work combined with a prerequisite gregariousness, and for an introvert the hangover from that can be intense. Which isn’t to say I don’t love playing music for people, and for being paid to drink and hang out with my friends, disclaimer disclaimer disclaimer, but when partying (or enabling partying) becomes a job, perspective does shift somewhat. So exhaustion, a dash of existential ennui and general boredom has coalesced into general bitterness and annoyance, and even my most petulance-tolerant of friends are noticing. So, I leave for America in just over two weeks, and it’s not a holiday. It’s an escape. I never wanted to do the sightseeing thing, though of course there are sights and I will unavoidably see them. It’s not that I think I’m too cool to be a regular tourist, it’s just the concept of slowly slogging it out with 60 other travellers in an awkward clump, all crowding around one Rivers-clad college student tour guide does seem to weaken the romance of the experience somewhat. Instead I’m driving through the Midwestern desert, on a road trip that I’ve been absently planning since I first heard Beck’s Sea Change in 2002. I’ve long had a desire to live in the Arizona desert, swathed in still, dry heat. No neighbours. High blue skies. That is the safest place on earth, I’ve always thought. There would be no possible way to be sad there. You would be dried out, steadied, focused. Beck’s album and inspiration for my trip, provides
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gradual clarity, like surfacing after a lung-stretching submersion. There’s a sad relief to the metallic twang of guitars, but it’s on the ascent from the depths and emanates acceptance and recovery. And that’s what I’m chasing, I think. Warm, strange ground under my feet and the peace I’ll find after weeks of total, selfish silence. The Neruda line I quoted at the beginning - I remember a time when that was the most explicit phrasing of how I saw the world: there is a calm, pure excess to life that is slightly too much to bear. Exquisite and painful, it epitomises the embarrassingly romantic sensitivity that I currently am not able to fathom. Reading that poem was revelatory at the time, a perfect metaphor for the overwhelming peace of being alive that one is occasionally incapacitated by. Reading it now is almost meaningless, and while I can’t bring myself to care about the poem's sentiment, I deeply dislike that I don’t care about that. I don’t care about this beautiful poem, but I do care that I don’t care about this beautiful poem. Like my default setting is one of petulant contradiction, even internally. But this concept of desert peace obviously implanted itself somewhere deeper within me, because I entirely trust that I will be absorbed there. I will absorb the desert and never be cold-blooded again. I am desert-bound and empty, and tired, and hopeful. So I’m journeying, but it’s not a hipster Polaroid road trip (though there will be Polaroids, and it is a road trip), but instead a road trip of necessity, and escape, and regeneration. But I’m taking my CD's and headphones. Just in case.
ARTWORK: LAURA LAWSON
Seeing
BELIEVING IS
Some journeys can shake you to the core. They can be unwanted. and happen unexpectedly. They can even be debilitating. Laura Lawson, author of successful blog Believing in Seeing and well respected artist, takes us on a journey of shock, grief and ultimate salvation. WORDS & ARTWORK: LAURA LAWSON
In the summer of 2009—a blistering one here in Northern California—I learned that I was going blind. I was 22. It had been a grand summer, chock-full of outdoor concerts and ice cream cones by the bucket load. I had plans to attend art school that fall, a lifelong dream of mine, and I had been accepted at numerous institutions across the United States. The plan was to attend a school in Georgia, the biggest art school in the country in fact, and I began preparing myself for sweet tea and ghost walks aplenty in the Dirty South. One incredibly ordinary day while driving somewhere with my boyfriend at the time, I mentioned out loud that I was a bit thirsty. Without thinking, he reached over to hand me his soda, but I did not see the can until he
practically shoved it in my face. He remarked on my bad peripheral vision—something I had never noticed before. He continued to playfully tease me about it over the next few weeks, until one day my father remarked that a lack of peripheral vision might actually be something serious. I booked an appointment for an eye exam, not a rare occurrence for me since I had been wearing glasses and contacts for most of my life. I was not expecting a death sentence for my vision. I remember how the optometrist’s voice faltered ever so slightly as she issued the words that would forever change my life: “You have the worst peripheral vision of any young person I’ve ever come across.” I simply sat in her big black chair as she rifled through a dusty textbook the size of Montana
what we’re thinking
and solemnly announced after a pregnant pause, “I think you have retinitis pigmentosa.” Come again? I soon learned that the mysterious retinitis pigmentosa was not something my optometrist could just write me a prescription for and my vision would magically reappear, nor could she even properly diagnose the disease I could barely pronounce. I climbed the hierarchy of vision professionals the next few weeks as I was referred to doctor after doctor, and finally landed in the office of Dr. Duncan, head of retinal research at the University of San Francisco, and an awfully nice lady. The tests performed on my eyes were not so nice. And sure enough, eight excruciatingly long months after the day I didn’t see the Coke can handed to me in the car, I received my official diagnosis in the form of an unfriendly little letter that told me ever so unsympathetically that my diagnosis was consistent with retinitis pigmentosa, hereafter referred to as RP. I checked, but it was not April Fools. This was my reality. Approximately 1 in 3,000 lucky individuals like myself are stricken with RP, a degenerative disease that is waging war against the light-sensitive rods and cones that compose the hundreds of tissue-paper thin layers that make up the retina in the back of my eyes. These rods and cones are responsible for converting light into electrical images that travel up the optic nerve and connect to the brain—yeah, they’re kind of important. RP is a genetic mutation that results in night blindness and a slow deterioration of the peripheral vision, in some cases also affecting the central vision, almost always eventually giving way to blindness or near blindness. There is no cure. As that sobering summer drew to a close, even though I had not officially been diagnosed at that time, it was pretty clear to my family and I that something serious was happening to my vision. I was shocked to realize that I 30 | motifmag.com
could not see my hands on either side of my head. My vision had been deteriorating so slowly for the past few years that I hadn’t noticed any changes at all. I suddenly realized why ugly little bruises decorated my body almost consistently—I was not just incredibly clumsy. I remembered a car accident that I had caused a few years prior, thinking it was so strange at the time that the car I hit had seemed to just appear out of nowhere. In a matter of days, I decided to give up driving, moved back in with my parents, and I opted to attend a small art school in Laguna Beach, much closer to home and therefore my doctor, and forsook all dreams of becoming a Georgia Peach. You never think something like this will happen to you. I certainly wasn’t prepared for this. I was completely gung ho to pursue a career in painting, my absolute dream job and something I’d wanted to do ever since I could walk—a career one typically needs working eyeballs for. I began attending art school nonetheless, sans car and sans peripheral vision. I tripped over easels in class and watched the sun disappear behind palm trees as I waited at bus stops several times each day. When I stayed up until two in the morning to finish a drawing, admittedly a rather regular occurrence, my mind couldn’t help but probe the question, “When will I be unable to do this?” I felt alone. I didn’t know it at the time, but I had begun to descend into the dark dungeons of grieving. I went through all the grieving stages over the course of the next year and a half: denial and depression standing out among the rest. I have always been outgoing to a fault, making friends with everyone around me, but attending this school was different. While I didn’t sport a cane and dog to class every day, there was inevitably an invisible sign above my head that followed me around at all times, reading “BLIND GIRL.” People would hear about my eyes—although I didn’t overtly advertise my disease, it was
what we’re thinking
not necessarily something I could easily hide sitting at bus stops all over town—and didn’t know what to make of me. I can still see the look on one professor’s face as I approached him after class one evening, informing him that I will have to miss a few classes due to flying up to San Francisco periodically for tests on my eyes. He response was something along the lines of, “Well, you know our class policy. You can’t miss more than one class. That wouldn’t be fair to the other students.” I looked him square in the face and said, “You don’t get it. I am going to be a blind artist.” I began to write. I started a blog to chronicle my journey into impending blindness. I titled it “Believing is Seeing,” an homage to the cure I prayed was headed my way. People began to read my blog, my silly little blog that I had started as a way to vent my frustrations into the universe, and then the most amazing thing happened. . I began to get emails on an almost daily basis from visually impaired people all over the world who had read my words and had laughed and cried along with me, understanding all too well what it feels like to run into someone at the grocery store and have the contents of their shopping cart spill into the aisle, or to be rescued by the paramedics for heat exhaustion while bike-riding to the nail salon—okay, maybe that last one was just me. No one truly understands what I am going through unless they are going through it themselves. I had inspired hope for others, which incited hope for myself. I found that the many times only way I could feel better, despite the well wishes of those around me and even my faith in God, was to help others worse off than I. Despite the good that began to unravel itself in my life through my writing, I left art school completely worn out by the idea of being a painter. The irony of a blind artist had lost its appeal, and I largely succumbed to my disease. I only took solace from my blog and the comfort that it
somehow brought to others. For many months I did not paint. My palette mocked me, my brushes taunted me. How I wished I had control over my own future! I felt robbed and utterly helpless. Months passed. The pain slowly lessened. By August of 2010 I began to climb the last stage of grief: Acceptance. The tears came less frequently. Being a visually impaired person was who I was becoming, and that idea bothered me less and less. Asking others for rides became normal for me. I developed a new normal. It’s terribly clichéd, but what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. RP was hard for me because there was nothing I could do to help the inevitable outcome. No cure, no medicine, just…waiting for blindness to strike me down. I felt old. And then one day I shook myself into believing that things really were going to be okay. I had time, plenty of time in fact, and I began to choose to put that time to good use. That’s the key: joy is a choice. My perspective began to stop revolving around doomsday, and I found true fulfillment in my life again: fulfillment that flourished. Despite RP. I began to paint again, and even started selling my work. I didn’t think of art as something I will someday not be able to do very well, but instead focused on how I could do it to the best of my ability right now. I don’t forget what it was like to have the freedom to drive, but I’ve stopped worrying about how I raise my children someday without being able to drive my kids to soccer practice. The details will work themselves out. They always do. Sometimes right-brained people can get bogged down by peripheral distractions, and that’s all RP turned out to be—a distraction. One that forged strength and fortitude into my character. And for that, I am exceedingly thankful. Read Laura’s blog at Believing is Seeing.
motifmag.com | 31
What We’re Thinking
MAN THE
CAVE
WITH SHANNON EVANS
I believe there are a few types of people in this world. There are the content types; those who are born, grow up and spend their entire lives in one particular area. Then there are the curious types; these people at some stage venture out to see what else the world has to offer. And then there are the escapist types; people who are always thinking that the next place is going to be better than the last. For the first twenty years of my life I fit nicely into the “content” category. I grew up in a Sydney suburb called Concord; my brother and I the third generation of our family to live in the same house. So it comes as no surprise that I can still vividly recall the day I made the decision to step out of my comfort zone and embark on a personal journey. Dissatisfied with where I was headed a few years out of school, I asked myself that inevitable question, “what do you want to do with the rest of your life?” After some pondering I decided to further my studies in the quest for a good career. I found the perfect degree for me. In fact it was as if it was tailored made. There was only one problem; it was in Tasmania, a good few hours away from where I grew up. Not only would I be sacrificing three years of income and copping the costs of education, I would be leaving all the people I thought I couldn’t live without. After three years and a degree in hand I trawled job sites for a suitable entry level position. It wasn’t long
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before I stumbled across the perfect graduate job in my chosen field. It ticked all the right boxes, except for location. The job was in Canberra. Ah well, I thought to myself, it’ll be another step closer to where I eventually want to be: back at home. After working my way through the ranks, I got to the point where I realised I had done enough ‘hard time’. Before I had the chance to look for a job closer to ‘home’ an associate caught wind I was thinking of pulling the plug and offered me a job. I was chuffed, realising that my sacrifices were starting to pay dividends. The new position was on the Sunshine Coast in sunny Queensland, even further away from home. Renowned for beautiful beaches and sunshine, the move (for once) felt like a choice. I wanted to go. The Sunshine Coast became very old very quick. And yes, the pun is intended. Commonly known as ‘God’s Waiting Room’ given the ratio of retirees, the move reinforced my feelings of homesickness. I guess the ironic thing about my journey is that I am writing this from the exact room I grew up in. Yes, that’s right. Like so many other Gen Y’s, I have returned to where it all started and where I have wanted to be. My journey has taught me many things, particularly about sacrifice. For me, I learnt that yes, you may be missing out on a lot of things while away, but when you return everything will most likely be the same; a comforting thought for some. Yep, I am definitely in the first category.
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PHOTO: BENTLEY GLOBAL ARTS
What We’re Eating HOISIN PORK | ETON MESS | RED ARROW
What We’re Eating
Food for thought...
we’re exploring IF T O M of e su is is For th s ie like me, this mean od fo a r Fo s. ey n ur jo ventures in my d a ry a n li cu s; ey n taste jour mouth. n remember I have ca I s a g n lo s a r Fo long the way. a n te ea ve ha I od ls by the fo are not only measured my trave i a M gn ha C of s memorie For example, my panied on the back om cc a un g in d ri ke ces li ting sweet ea to anchored to experien ed ti y bl ca vo are also irre d hustle of the n of an elephant, they a t a he e th in or d street ven of the churros I banana roti from a k in th e m s ke a m S g the U h city night. Travellin try-fried chicken wit un co , d n la ey n is D e in teen-dollar ir th tried for the first tim d n a rm Fa ry at Knotsber gravy and biscuits lobster in Maine. to eating Chinese ck ba e m s ke ta e op Eur My back packing in memories on those y pp ha ot n – s ri Pa zza in tia to find the a food in Italy and Pi ro C to g in tt ge of r the relief pense of Italy. occasions. I remembe ex e th to d re pa m co d cheap food so abundant an e UK will add to th to ls ve a tr y m t ha I can’t wait to see w hts eating Yorkshire ig n ry te in w ps a rh k. Pe aybe clotted m my mental food ban or l ca lo e th t a and chips ew experiences Pudding, greasy fish n e th ll a t gs on m A Bath. cream and scones in eling that we will fe e th t ge I , er ev w tures ho , and culinary adven make in our kitchen ll I’ t a th ls ea m e th in nd comfort in fi take the most delight ll e’ W e. m ho of remind us the old staples that trip of all - the e st ta d re su ea tr t os the familiar –the m journey back home... Lara xo
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PHOTO: LARA C COR Y
PHOTO: LARA CORY
Hoisin Pork Ingredients: 1 large pork fillet, sliced thin. 1 cucumber (sliced finely using a potato peeler) 1 tbsp light soy sauce Peanut oil for frying Boiled Jasmine rice to serve For Marinade: ¼ cup Hoisin sauce 3 garlic cloves, crushed 2 tbsp – malt vinegar, shao hsing wine 1 tbsp light soy sauce 2 tsp white sugar 1 tsp five spice ½ tsp sesame oil Method: Marinade pork for half an hour. Stir-fry the pork in 2 batches, in a dash of smoking peanut oil. Put all the pork in the wok and add the soy sauce. Serve on steamed jasmine rice and finely sliced cucumber. Sprinkle with Sichuan pepper and salt.
HINT Once you have the staples of Chinese cooking like shao hsing wine (or dry sherry), malt vinegar, light soy, oyster sauce, kecap manis and sesame oil you will have the basic ingredients to make most kinds of stir fries. Stir-frying with peanut oil will give you a more authentic Asian flavour. Peanut oil is good because it has a high smoking point – better for hot woks! And for something truly spectacular...dry roast a tablespoon of Sichuan peppercorns until they pop and become fragrant. Then transfer to a mortar and pestle with 3 tablespoons of salt and grind until you have a chunky, flavoursome salt mixture.
motifmag.com | 37
PHOTO: LARA CORY
Ingredients: 1 carton of whipping cream 1 punnet of strawberries or raspberries 1 box of baby meringues Method: Whip the cream. Dice the strawberries. Crumble the meringues. Fold all the ingredients together and there you have it. Garnish with a few whole strawberries and a sprinkling of meringue. The longer you leave this mixture in the fridge, the less crunchy the meringue becomes. So if you want more crunch, serve immediately, if you want a little less, pop it in the fridge a while.
DID YOU KNOW?
PHOTO: COMEDY NOSE IMAGES
Eton Mess
Signature Drink: Red Arrow Feeling patriotic? Want to celebrate in style? grab yourself a Red Arrow and take your tastebuds on a short journey... All you need is grenadine, blue caracao and some coffee liqueur like Kahlua or Baileys. Pour into a shot glass in the order above, layering as you go.
Rumour has it that Eton Mess came about by a happy accident involving a Labrador sitting on a picnic basket, turning a tidy dessert into a delicious mess of cream, berries and meringue. And that historically, Eton Mess was served at the famous Eton Collage annual family picnic held on the 4th of June. Originally it may have used ice cream or cream and utilised strawberries or banana, the meringue being a later addition to the traditional dish.
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PHOTO: BENTLEY GLOBAL ARTS
What We’re Wearing
ONE FASHIONABLE JOURNEY | PACKING DILEMMAS
TRAVEL TIP
PHOTO: LARA CORY
# 39
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PHOTO: ORIN ZEBEST
Three pairs of socks, three t-shirts, two pairs of pants, two sets of shorts, a swimming costume, thongs, walking shoes and a hat. I usually pack that much for a trip to the beach, let alone for an eight month long expedition around the globe. In a few weeks I will be shouldering my backpack and setting off on an overland journey from London to Sydney. I’ll be travelling through twenty-three countries, cramped in the back of a hot and sweaty truck with a handful of strangers. To rein in costs we’ll be camping on Turkish beaches, roadsides in Romania, valleys in Nepal, paddocks in Pakistan and the red earth of The Alice. Basically roughing it. The expedition leaders have clearly stipulated that backpacks cannot exceed 80 liters and have provided the aforementioned list as a packing guide. It’s limited to say the least. As my departure date draws closer I’ve been busier than a Bower bird, accumulating a pile of shiny new things. I’ve got a tent, sleeping mat, pillow, sleeping bag and fancy water purifying gadgets. I’ve also purchased a litany of
outfits, far exceeding the recommended list and I haven’t even hit London’s high street. I usually consider myself to be endowed with a pragmatic personality. This has come to the fore as I’ve obsessively researched the inoculation and visa requirements, climate and cultural variations of each country I’ll be passing through. This practical attitude, has also allowed me to clearly determine necessary (antibiotics, petrol, phone credit) versus unnecessary purchases (books, film tickets, take away coffee) whilst saving for the upcoming trip. However In the last three months, I have developed an insatiable appetite for clothes. I’ve been justifying each purchase as being ‘ideal’ for the journey. Unfortunately, after a quick survey of my intended wardrobe, I seem to have amassed a collection of completely impractical clothing. Jumpers that pill at the mere mention of condensation; jeans which tourniquet my midsection if worn on certain days of the months (blasted premenstrual water retention!); dresses with fabric so fragile it puckers when in orbit of surfaces any more abrasive than a baby’s bottom; blouses which veer on indecently sheer, unless
what we’re wearing
Is it wrong to want to look eternally chic and impossibly immaculate as you traverse the varied terrains of our world? Fiona Murphy yearns for fashionable ensembles that will make her journey even more memorable, adding to the experiences she has along the way; and knows that in most cases it is impractical. Welcome to...
Packing DILEMMA ... THE
worn with specific undergarments; pants which increase the likelihood of a fractured pelvis, as the hems catch under my heels. But I adore each and every outfit. Over the past two years, elaborate daydreams have helped me sustain penny-pinching practices. I’ve envisioned myself in an eclectic array of ensembles whilst sniffing my way through Turkish spice bazaars, marveling at the Ajanta Caves sculptures or ambling through Nepal’s Royal Chit Wan National Park. Consequently buying clothes has become a tangible and integral way of planning my trip. It yields instant gratification that vaccinations or travel insurance don’t provide. But are my mountains of impractical clothes a foolish whim and waste of money? It’s probably practical to purchase purpose made travel clothes. Clothes which are designed to be multifunctional and are apparently perfect for any occasion. Pants that do everything but wipe your arse; cargo shorts with enough storage space to keep a cache of files; or a coat that rolls up into the size of a postage stamp and repels bears. But as I gingerly clutch a paisley printed sundress, I picture myself swanning through the orchards of Petrín
Hill, Prague. I’m tickled pink with excitement. A level of excitement that the Kathmandu catalogue has yet to generate. Perhaps it’s more logical to cram my backpack with my gorgeous yet ‘un-technological’ wardrobe? Packing for travel should not be driven entirely by function or even vanity. My aim is to slip into the seams of society and wallow in the country’s way of life. I want to look like I belong. After wadding through masses of anthropological data (Facehunter, Lookbook, The Sartorialist) I’ve made the startling conclusion - the average urbanite from Berlin to Bangkok doesn’t meander about town in boots and overcoats, designed for mountaineering. So why should I don achingly bland and often bizarrely androgynous, travel clothes? I want to look like I belong wherever I venture; whether that be upping the style stakes in Stockholm or wearing a veil and Salwar kameez in Pakistan. Looking like you belong, not only helps you sidestep the tourist tick-a-box mentality, it also ensures an element of safety. It’s common sense not to wander about tourist attractions dripping in snatchables. But the polar fleece motifmag.com | ##
what we’re wearing
Read Fiona’s adventures at her blog Pen.Paper.Play.
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PHOTO: ELLIE
and money belt combination doesn’t exactly scream local. If in an area populated with pickpockets, it seems like the sensible thing to do dress in clothes accessible to the locals – not as a walking advertisement for North Face Apparel. Furthermore stylish ensembles evoke a sense of ease. They don’t conjure up images of sudding up your duds in bathroom sinks; hanging clothes out to dry over tent guide ropes and hostel radiators; or sleeping on shirts to “iron out” the wrinkles. I enjoy camping, but I don’t want to look like I’ve been camping for six months. I'm starting to see the packing guidelines as a challenge. So I’m pulling out my old Sega console to study Tetris, as I’m determined to fit my wardrobe of dainty dresses, ankle boots, cardigans, camisoles, ballet flats and rompers, into my backpack. Game on.
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PHOTOGRAPHY: XIAOHAN SHEN | MAKE-UP/HAIR: KATE CLIFTON STYLIST: TEGAN PASLEY | ASSISTANT: LARA CORY
Blinged-up Eskimo: ALASKA
Soft Structure: ASIA First page, Amelia wears: Black Fur Hooded Jacket, sylist’s own, MultiDiamond Strip Ring, Sparkle Ring, White Sparkle Wrist Wrap, Lovisa; This page, Bianca wears: Snake Chain Knot Necklace, Lovisa, Three-quarter sleeved Trench Jacket, Black Mini-Skirt, White Over-sized Tee, Thigh-high Socks, Laceup Heels, Leather Satchel Bag, all stylist’s own; Right page, Amelia wears: Khaki Trench, All About Eve, McCartney Knit, All About Eve, Grey Tights, Stylist’s Own.
Winter Warmth: SWEDEN
Bianca wears: Canvas Shorts, All About Eve, Breton Top, Brown Leather Back Pack, Colourful Scarf & Sandals, all Stylist’s Own
Cute Marketeer: PARIS
Vintage Wanderer: NEW YORK
Amelia wears: Black Mesh Sectioned Top, Evil Twin, High Waisted Grey Pants, This is Genevieve, Aztec Necklace, Lovisa, Circle Diamond & Stone Ring, Lovisa, Shoes, Stylist’s Own
Aztec Warrior: SOUTH AMERICA
Bianca wears: Orange and Black Dress, Evil Twin, Gold Cuff, Lovisa, Aztec Cool Bugle Bead Necklace, Lovisa, Gold Stretch Bracelet, Lovisa, Shoes, Stylist’s Own
Glitzy Resort: THE MEDITERRANEAN
Bianca wears: Red Kaftan, Evil Twin, Snow Iceblock & Chain Necklace, Lovisa; Over page Amelia wears: Fur Crochet Vest, Dotti, Shirt Dress, Jorge, Bone Necklace, Lovisa, Black Tights, Belt and Leopard Cuff, Stylist’s Own
pyou i r t o n ; u pyo l ohe t d your u e e r m e a h e t r e sar nt dandd f ge ouasyo pe y A o r . t h o n u e e o l g y i la l ng ave hi r yt r h,oras hat ve c t e i u t w a m h k s t o a e ur Sbo . s ando s e l yc e e makes c i h o ALWAY i t T pr . b r s o i e j n t h r t c e a e t g h o on st st fc e ti otknow o n m t o d n c i off.I n o a p e r e t lb l hat as s ka ngt vi daywi fadi a i oas o h t et y s hol l n d i p i l r m i m i a ake s e t t h n s t i a u b n m h i t i a t d e w e n a d k t c a o w a rm ont ve daybo t nc i ue ome ti s o e hol y g d a e e o s v d s a i a d h r de ?H e vem ve rne ue u ve tyou' anhour i a r h t o f d d Haveyo ?Haveyoue e l s whyyo l n ho a o e n s r a o e u e o r o b d r y o o he yt whatt tanot y?Have at s n,onl a u o J i d i t l ? s e o e h u l n eq oo mpl i outt s yourow yf d n k o u ng o o b o l ooki n b o r . ngt t t u u n o yi e b r y t , g f ant t opo hana t ont findone wi mpor k u o o ngi $ o y b hi a n t r S e t h x Y ntsane e i ti l ?Andw r dALWA c a e t h c a i w e v houl t p d s u e a d,b e eand me hana c ) vi r ntt onbas e nd: i s e s i t s i r i l a f e p m e r s g m m o , o l o c d c c r n e e ur at e sar nt eofmi omeyo ac nogr c e Age s e i p b s e r n n e o a h o tme m,t ghts ni he ht tmi t whe i n e w g a k c l i e t av ,s r ke i yourt , youl w o n k r ve youne
PHOTO: KERI COOK
TRAVEL TIP #211
PHOTO: KERI COOK
FASHIONISTA PACKING TIPS WITH EVELYN EBREY
T
here are few things in life more exciting than travelling to new cities, countries and vast corners of the globe, especially as there is always so much to explore, experience and (of course) lashings of shopping to be done. I adore travelling and I’ve been lucky enough to do quite a lot of it in my life so far, from a very young age. But packing for a trip away can be a tricky task and an exhausting exercise in logistics. I have learned a lot in my many years of trying to cram my belongings into a suitcase, while still keeping to a 20kg limit per bag and having enough stylish ensembles to wear whilst wandering the globe. So, in the spirit of travel, I’ve put together some tips and tricks from my own experiences, ones that will help you make the most out of your suitcase space and be ready for any occasion while abroad.
COLOURS
KEY PIECES
WEATHER/CLIMATE
No matter where you are going or how long you intend to wander, there are a few key pieces you should definitely include: a trench or light coat for travelling, a pretty party dress to have some fun in, a cardigan to throw over your shoulders in the evenings, a smart day outfit (dress or top and skirt) suitable for exploring and shopping, a well-fitting pair of jeans or trousers, a classic shirt or top that is versatile and easily dressed up or down as well as a comfortable nightie or pyjamas (you would be amazed how many people forget about sleepwear!)
MIX & MATCH
The key is to make your travel wardrobe mix and match as much as possible so you have more options and can change things up at the blink of an eye. Choose shapes of garments that complement each other and work well together. Pick out everything you think you want to take and try on different combinations of them. It will soon become clear which pieces are versatile and which ones aren’t. Make sure you consider layering them if you’re heading to a cold destination.
Pick a colour palette of 5 – 6 colours (including neutrals) that works for you and go from there. For example , with my pale skin and white blonde hair, I often choose lilac, blue, pink, grey, ivory and black. These colours all work with my skin tone and mix and match really well. You don’t have to rigidly stick to it, but it will help you co-ordinate your pieces better. Don’t forget to include prints for variety too.
Always check what the weather is going to be like where you’re going so you can plan accordingly. Don’t assume you know what it’s going to be like, especially if you’ve never been there before, you may be surprised at how much cooler or warmer it is to what you were expecting. For hot climates keep your layers light and floaty and for cooler climates layer on the wool and thermals.
LINGERIE
Make sure you consider your lingerie colours and styles in your outfit planning. It’s pointless to pack a strapless dress without a strapless bra (if you need one) or a white dress and only bright underwear (unless you’re intending to masquerade as Carrie Bradshaw). Take enough pairs to cover your trip if you can and try them on with your travel wardrobe if you’re not sure if they work together.
ACCESSORIES
This is where you can add more colours, fun and sparkle to your holiday wardrobe. Jewellery doesn’tusually take up much room so go for some variation and include a few statement pieces to brighten up your looks. Accessories are the best way to dress up or down your outfit so take some casual pieces and some glitzy ones.
what we’re wearing
FIT
Don’t pack anything that doesn’t fit you well, I’m pretty sure you will not magically lose/gain the weight you need to fit into it just because you’re going away. One of the keys to looking stylish is to wear garments that fit you really well and compliment your shape.
SHOES
Include flats that are comfortable and good for walking, a nice pair of heels suitable for dinners out and dancing and either a pair or sandals, thongs or boots depending on the climate. Make sure you take shoes that fit you properly, that are practical for what you are intending on doing and that work with multiple pieces you’re taking if possible. Don’t take new shoes as you will likely end up causing yourself pain and blisters.
FABRICS
Consider the fabrics of the garments you’re taking and avoid taking anything that will wrinkle easily or needs to ironed regularly (unless, of course, it’s a favourite piece and you’re prepared to look after it accordingly). Do try and choose natural fabrics whereever you can. Things like cotton, silk and wool are good choices they breathe better; an important thing for travelling.
ACTIVITIES
If you’re planning on doing any fun activities that require specific outfits don’t forget to pack them; a swimsuit is generally a holiday must. Even if you’re travelling to a cold destination, there will quite possibly be a spa pool/jacuzzi you may want to splash about in to warm up. Outfits for any sports you enjoy that you intend on doing should be included too, such as tennis, golf, cycling or dancing.
LOCAL CUSTOMS
Don’t forget to find out what the local customs are as far as dress goes at your destination/s. Most Middle Eastern and Asian countries require your outfit to be quite demure, for example. So make sure you check what they are before you go to save yourself any potential fashion faux pas.
## | motifmag.com
HANDY
TIPS 1 Put your shoes in plastic bags so the grime on the soles of them doesn’t get on your garments.
2 3 4 5
Put your socks or tights in your shoes for more storage space and to help keep the shape of your shoes. Make sure you wash or dryclean everything you are planning on taking in plenty of time.
Don’t overstuff your suitcase you want to make sure you leave room for possible purchases. If you love shopping like I do, you could always pack another bag flat in the top Always wrap your toiletries/perfume/ beauty products in a plastic bag so that just in case anything breaks in transit, it won’t get all over your garments. No-one wants foundation or moisturiser all over their favourite dress.
Most importantly have a wonderful time, take lots of photos and enjoy every minute of your trip!
PHOTO: BENTLEY GLOBAL ARTS
What We Love THINGS WE LOVE | BLYTHE
what we love
THINGS WE Laptop Sleeve Mark By Mark Jacobs $80.00AUD
Love
Leather Travel Journal Kikki K $49.95AUD
Crochet Knit Had Missoni $310.00AUD
Anklet & Bracelet Net-A-Porter From $60.00AUD
! E M W O INBE N
Fluff Poodle Luggage Tag Sourpuss $7.95AUD
W CRI SUBS
Messenger Bag Tom Hide $170AUD
66 | motifmag.com
what we love
WIN SUBS
CRIB
Jangala Quilt Swash POA
Duet Leather Travel Wallet Corban & Blair $45.00AUD
ME!
E NO W
Par Avion Clutch Mushu $60.00AUD
Union Jack Cussion Table Tonic $85.00AUD
Wayfarer Sunglasses Ray Ban $140.00AUD Belted Voile Shirt Dress Splendid $140.00AUD
motifmag.com | 67
EXPERIENCE JOURNAL It’s often been said that an unexamined life is not worth living. It can also be said that an unlived life isn’t worth examining. In this issue, we help you to create a beautiful piece of craft: a journal that not only helps you examine, but will also inspire you to live. Materials: Chipboard or an old cereal box Manilla envelopes (I used 6”x9”) Maps or other interesting paper for the cover. Various types of paper for visual interest; columnar paper, primary writing paper, scrapbooking paper, and scrap paper. Photos and small mementos Rulers, paper trimmer, and scissors Hole Punch Book Rings Glue stick or other adhesive (anything that won’t wrinkle paper) and paper clips Decorative elements like tape, tags, and pockets. To Customise: Make the journal to chronicle your life journey. A cute idea is to make twelve dividers out of envelopes for each month. You can create a goals page for each month, add prompts, and journal activities as well as keep mementos from the month. Use larger or smaller envelopes to customize the size to your needs.
Process: 1. Cut all of the elements to the size of your envelope. Cut two pieces from the chip board or cereal box a little bigger than the envelope (6 ¼ x 9 ½ ). Cut all other pages to 6x9 inches. Cut 2 pieces of the map to roughly 2 inches larger than the cover on each side (8x11 inches). Cut two pieces of coordinating scrapbook paper ½ inch smaller than the cover on each side (5 1/2 x 8 ½ inches). 2. Construct the front and back covers by gluing the chipboard piece into the center of the map. Cut the corners of the map so they don’t overlap when you fold
what we love
PHOTO: DANA BEACH
them over. Fold in the sides and glue them down to the other side of the cover. Glue the piece of coordinating scrapbook paper to the center of the inside of the cover, covering the raw edges of the map. Let the glue dry before you continue. 3. Punch holes in the cover ½ an inch from the edge, 2 holes ¾ of an inch from each side and one in the middle (4 ¾”) 4. Punch holes in all the pages ½ and inch from the edge, 2 holes ½ an inch from each side and one in the middle (4 ½”) To make this process easier, create a guide that you can mark the holes on all of the pages to make sure the pages will all line up. When punching holes in the envelopes cut a piece from the flaps so they can still close while the ring is through them. 5. Put all your papers and envelopes in the order you want them in and insert the book rings to keep them together. 6. Customize your journal with decorative tape, pockets and tags. Add journaling prompts throughout the journal for easy writing on the go. 7. Now you have a journal that you can add mementos and journaling to as you travel.
STEP 2
STEP 5
STEP 6
PHOTO: DANA BEACH
PHOTO: DANA BEACH
PHOTO: DANA BEACH
use these pics as a guide...
TRAVEL TIP # 12
PHOTO: LARA CORY
Whilst we all buying! I h love shopping for so uvenirs alw ave been o n way too ays think and get ex many trip cited becau s where I g twice about se of the p with an ex o shopping rice of som tra 5-15kgs , ething and of pure JU away to m c o N m K! Trinke y friends o e home ts that I ca r palm off When I lo n't even gi to my littl ok back on ve e n i a e l c l those che that mone e s . y wasted ( ap, tacky t better spen hings, I th cocktail). ink of all t on that e Not to me x t n r a t i m on the bac the bag th assage or o kbreaking at harbore ne more d all the u l a b o port to por u r i t took carr seless crap t. ying f r o m hostel to h In the pas t 6 months ostel and alone I hav many odd e s and ends ... and let m found myself walkin turning m g away fro e tell you k y back on m now, I hav a single on en't regret e of them. ted ..
PHOTO: GINA GARAN
what we love
Blythely I Go...
The City of Love flirted. What else could Gigi do but bat her lashes? 74 | motifmag.com
PHOTO: BENTLEY GLOBAL ARTS
What We’re Doing Next
HOROSCOPES | GIVEAWAY | NEXT ISSUE
What We’re Doing Next
HOROSCOPES
Want to see what the next three months has in store for you? Our resident astrologer Mr Astrology gives you the detailed scoop.
Hello sunshine! Yes, I'm talking to you! Surely you know that this is how people see you. However, there are times when the pressure to provide that ray of sunshine prevents you from dealing with your own struggles. It's like being lost in the bush during a pitch black night, with everyone in your camping group panicking and whispering in your direction "Where's the torch? We need the torch! It's in YOUR bag!" The problem is, you can't find it quickly without the use of a light source... like a torch! Being depended upon to provide something which you also need is not much fun. So, what's the solution? At the moment you have the slippery illusionist Neptune rolling back towards the section of your chart which represents 'others'. This means that you can play magician! Deceive your camping group. Search your pockets for a lighter or a set of matches. Tell them that their eyes will adjust to the dark soon. Say whatever you need to in order to buy yourself some time while you continue to quietly search your bag. Then, when you do manage to find the torch... Presto! You'll be feeling great, and you'll seem impressive!
You are wonderfully skilled at initiating projects. You bring an excitement and an enthusiasm to the job that literally breathes life and potential into it. Once that first burst of fiery energy cools down though, things can start to appear a little less appealing. You're now entering into a period in your life in which you'll be required to settle into a rhythm. In the last horoscope, we saw you trailblazing. Now that you've pulled ahead of the pack, you're going to have to set and maintain a steady pace. Don't be overwhelmed by the magnitude of your current circumstances though, or by the ongoing obligation that accompanies your new commitments. You haven't bitten off more than you can chew. You have the answers to any challenging situations you may encounter. Where there's resistance, you have adaptation and change. Where there's destruction, you have renewal. Where there's stress, you have focus. Where there's hopelessness, you have inspiration. It's all there. At some stage over the next couple of months you'll begin to reflect on how you got to where you are now. Just keep reminding yourself that there are many positive reasons to pursue your current path. Stay motivated!
They say that patience is a virtue, and that all good things come to those who wait. Let's face it. These aren't your favourite proverbs. You're more from the school of thought which says that patience is virtually useless, and that good things do indeed eventually come to those who wait... but by that time they're second hand! There's something you really want. You're something you really want. You're finding it difficult to see outside that desire. You're eager to get your hands on it. It's occupying your thoughts. It seems quite possibly within your grasp. Though you've probably had enough of hearing about what they say, I've got one more for you. They say "If you love something, set it free; If it comes back it's yours, if it doesn't, it never was." Philosophically, you understand the idea, but when something is this important to you, can you put that philosophy into practice? I'll let you in on a little secret... You're a Sagittarian! You're blessed with good fortune. If what you want isn't destined for you, then something else better is. Your strong sense about this one is most likely right though. Just remember that important things tend to take a little longer to prepare.
You're in the middle of a process of letting go. How are you coping? Do you mind if I hazard a guess? Let's first take something into consideration. The symbol for Cancer is the crab. Have you noticed how big those big pincers are? They're quite strong looking, and unless I'm terribly mistaken, they don't look like they're really made for letting go. So, I'm guessing that you're struggling a little, but doing the classic Cancerian thing of rationalising it all to convince yourself that you are doing a good job. You know the one, "this is all an important lesson for me, so it's ok for me to hold on. In fact, it's quite necessary. Actually, I'm quite proud of myself." You'll read a lot in books about the Cancerian tendency to hold on to the past. Well, I'm going to modify that viewpoint slightly. It's not really about the past. It's more about the potential future. It's about putting some things aside in case you need them later. Looked at positively, it's a type of resourcefulness and insurance. Looked at less positively, it's keeping you stuck in this moment, and preventing you from moving forward. At least consider that possibility.
Jupiter, the planet of opportunity, has moved into your opposing sign Taurus. What does this mean? Well, if Scorpio represents your 'self', then Taurus must represent 'others'. Therefore, this time is a period of opportunity for you in relation to others. What this means is that you are being presented with the chance to about others, and in turn through the mirror they provide, learn about yourself. You might find that the barriers which people normally maintain begin to gently dissolve in your presence. When this happens, try to resist your natural tendency to dive straight in with full force. Be a little more passive. Conversations need not be interrogations. Allow the other person to guide the flow of your interaction. However, you must watch them closely. Notice your influence on them, and their influence on you. Become aware of your emotional and mental responses to each other's comments, gestures, vocal tones, and facial expressions. The better you get at this exercise, the more able you will be to see what actually is, rather than simply seeing through your personal and projected filters. The ultimate goal is truth. Seek it over the coming months, and you will be greatly rewarded.
You're a bit unpredictable, aren't you? One minute you're feeling something with all of your heart, then the next minute it's the complete opposite. If people were simply looking to you for moment to moment honesty, they'd certainly get what they were asking for. However, it's more likely that they're looking for a little consistency. How are they supposed to trust what you say if you invalidate it only moments later? What do you mean that's not what you're doing? Have I misunderstood you? Oh, I see. You're saying that there's a difference between moment to moment moods, and the underlying sentiment. It's like a boat that tilts and turns with each wave whilst the anchor stays firmly planted on the sandy ocean floor. Well, you'd better make sure that everyone else understands this, because you're currently being misunderstood. I'd better warn you that if you don't make an attempt to clarify some things, there are going to be some consequences for which you're unprepared. So, over the next couple of months, make the effort to check that you're being perfectly understood. Asking others to explain to you what they think you've said is the best way to make sure of that.
Take a quick breath. This moment of rest won't last long. Any minute now you'll be diving back into your hectic schedule, attempting to live the answer to the question "What do you want to be when you grow up?" So, while you have this chance... Inhale. Now exhale. That ought to do it. Are you ready to go again? Of course you are. You're used to living life in the fast lane. It's your natural state of being. You're like Charlie Sheen when he said, "I have one speed. I have one gear. GO!" You wouldn't have it any other way... normally. Note the key word "normally". You see, during the next few months you're going to have the sense that something is missing. That something is relaxation... big time! However, I've got my fingers crossed that you'll recognise the importance of rest ahead of that time, and take the necessary steps to routinely include it in your life. It's worth remembering that when it comes to maintaining a clear and agile mind, adequate rest and relaxation are absolutely essential. Since your ruling planet Mercury is the planet which represents the mind and thinking, it's well worth prioritising.
Hey, what has been going on with all you boys and girls lately? You just haven't seemed yourselves. It's as though all of you have suddenly morphed into a bunch of hardworking, ultra-focused, driven, goalseeking achievers. I must say though, I like it! In the last horoscope, I mentioned that this was on the way. It looks like you're really rising to the challenge. You're displaying not only the ability to work extremely hard, but also the knowledge to know when it's worth the effort. It's impressive. I can tell you that a lot of people are very jealous of you right now. Capricorn for example, who works all the time, whether necessary or not. Cancer, who works hard, but mostly when it's unnecessary. It's a real skill you have, and it's quite inspiring. Up until now, we all had you pegged for someone who stood around laughing at the rest of us for participating in the mundane aspects of our working culture. We thought that you were out of the game, but there you were, plotting and waiting for your moment to strike. Bravo. Well played. Now we're all chasing your tail again... and that's exactly how you like it.
Clever Libra, you're known for having an amazing mental capacity for simultaneously holding two conflicting ideas inside your head whilst being able to thoroughly comprehend and appreciate the importance and validity of both. That's quite a skill! It's great temporarily, but this particular ability doesn't serve its highest purpose if you remain in this state indefinitely. Sooner or later, one of those ideas and the path of action it represents is going to prove itself to be more appropriate. For you to become as successful as you deserve to be, you're going to need to act on that information. Now, I've managed to make it this far into your reading without using the word "decision", but I can't go any further without mentioning it. I know the decision-making process is difficult for you when it comes to personal issues, but what very few people seem to realise is that you're wonderfully capable of making decisions for others. So, why not try this... Imagine you're making a decision on someone else's behalf. Pretend that it is them and not you in your situation. Offer them your unbiased opinion, which will naturally come to a well-considered conclusion, and then simply take your own advice!
Previously, you took a journey into the world of the unseen. Though the perspectives you gained from that journey are still relevant, I would suggest that it's time for you to gently come back down into your practical reality again... but not for the reasons you probably suspect. I imagine that you're waiting for me to say, "play time's over, and it's time to get back to work". I mean, I would have, except for the fact that Jupiter has moved into your sign. Jupiter is interested in helping you to gain wisdom and understanding from your experiences. Your otherworldly journeys have allowed you to taste another dimension of existence, but they need to be assessed for meaning. How do these experiences change your worldview and alter your approach to practical, daily life? These are the real questions on offer now. I'll give you a hint. It all has less to do with attempting to control your environment, and more to do with appreciating the abundance which is available to you. It's about having a sense of gratitude for the gift of life, and behaving accordingly. So, have a little faith. It'll all work out just fine in the end.
For the next few months, you're going to be given the chance to reassess the way you express yourself when interacting in social situations. Of course, you could do this purposefully, but the reason I said the word chance is because these situations may appear to come about by accident. Capricorn's symbol, the goat, is a sure-footed creature. This makes you consciously aware of both the way you present yourself, and of the things you say around others. You rarely step out of line or put a foot wrong. However, under the current skies it seems likely that you may find yourself accidently blurting a few things out, bypassing your usually strict filter. What this will help to teach you is honesty and adaptability. Once your true thoughts and feelings are out, you'll have to sit with that, and even explain them if questioned. This sort of time period prevents you from feeling stuck. It helps you to grow and develop. Counter to most people's development, it's going to help you to go from disciplined and mature to relaxed and playful. If you get it right, it will help you to loosen up a little... and that's just what you need.
"The buck stops here." What a shame this saying has to do with responsibility, and not money. Wouldn't it be nice if every passing dollar simply dropped into your piggy bank? Oh well. Tell me, if the buck stops here, must the fun stop also? As an earth sign, you understand the practical necessity of having your material needs met. Surely then, you understand that we must sacrifice time and effort for financial rewards. You get that, right? Well, actually, I'm being sarcastic and a little facetious. Something about my statement shouldn't sit right for you. You've learned a valuable lesson recently, and you're ready to put it into practice. What was that lesson? Let's look at it this way... If you were going to edit my previous statement, which word would you replace? Hopefully you'd replace the word "sacrifice" with "invest" so that it reads "we must invest time and effort for financial rewards." You see, if you're enjoying the task at hand, it doesn't feel like a sacrifice. It doesn't even feel like work. It simply feels like the action is occurring, and there is an associated joy or contentment. That's 100% Virgo, and it's your idea of "fun"!
Tom Hngidere Bag Messe
THIRD ISSUE
Giveaways Mushu cited tois Amsubpeer rexr P th oua rown Avion y C ffe P D ’relut o c e h s W le to omurls e fr u oue b be a ing priz s - a fab th r z d ama e Woo rug wo h l To T adstoo D! U to A
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PHOTO: KERI COOK
Travel Tip # 93
There is an art to packing a backpack. Alway s Fold. Never Scrunch. And alw ays fold tightly, small and compact. Pack from the ce ntre outwards, and use s mall tops and underwear to fill in the small gaps around the edges.
What We’re Doing Next
A sneak peek at PHOTO: PETER MAESTRY
WHAT WE’RE DOING NEXT ISSUE
Feminine
THE NEW
We’ll: Review all of our favourite feminine books, films, music and television shows. Explore the notions of femininity and feminism. Look at how women in the twenty-first century can be strong and girly. Ask our bloggers what it means to be a woman today. Revel in the fashions of our readers; interpreting feminine fashions...this could be YOU!
4 e u s s I n! o i t i t e comp
COULD
YOU
Covergirl? EVER
Ever wanted to see yourself as the covergirl of a magazine? Well here is your chance! For our fourth issue, MOTIF is asking readers to submit photos that reflect their interpretations of ‘The New Feminine”. Ten lucky people will have their image published in the fourth issue’s fashion spread and ONE LUCKY READER will find themselves as MOTIF’s first EVER covergirl. Think you have what it takes? All you have to do is take some high resolution images interpreting feminine fashion and send them to:
covergirl@motifmag.com Make sure we receive them before August 15th, 2011 and you’re in the running!
The “Journeys� Issue WITH SPECIAL THANKS TO:
Tegan Pasley Lara Cory Dana Beach Keri Bevan Victoria Cetinich Kate Clifton Alexe Cullen Evelyn Ebrey Shannon Evans Gina Garan Laura Lawson Fiona Murphy Bianca Pedruco Michelle Retford Megan Russell Xiaohan Shen Robin Sidwell Amelia Tulloch
Editor-in-Chief, Writer, Stylist, Page Design Executive Editor, Writer, Sales & Advertising Resident Crafter Contributing Photographer Researcher Make-up Artist & Hair Stylist Contributing Writer Contributing Writer Column Writer Contributing Artist Contributing Writer & Artist Contributing Writer Model Contributing Writer Cover Artist Fashion Photographer Contributing Writer Model