the propaganda panda presents
a j e d
vu vol. 2
50+ pages of features!
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dear reader: As you read volume two , you might get a sense of being here before ! This volume was all about deja vu , as it says in the title , but also memories , letting go of the past , and moving on to the future . Thank you to all who submitted ! This volume could not have been created without you , and we appreciate your work . We at the Propaganda Panda want to support the arts communities as best as possible . Lastly , I , Stephanie , the creator / admin of the Propaganda Panda Zine , would like to say that this is a safe space . A place for discussion , opinions , education , and growth . A place to represent the arts communities through the power of expression .
thank you for supporting us!
table of contents
author's note: pages 1-2 monthly crystals: pages 4-5 monthly astrology: pages 6-8 opinion piece: pages 9-14 historical highlight: pages 15-16 poetry-'lost places': pages 17-20 interview-Tarquin Alexandra:pages 2127 SPOTLIGHTS-small biz: page 29-34 SPOTLIGHTS-writer: page 3541 SPOTLIGHTS-musician: page 42-48 SPOTLIGHTS-artist: page 4959
y l y of jju l u M ⋅ N O U ON
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MONTHLY EDITION
CRys tals! Featuring empowering crystals, those that work with warming energies, especially for the Sun in Leo, and balancing crystals, those that work with cooling energies, especially for the Sun in Cancer.
Carnelian: associated with the sign of Leo, which most of the planets will enter in July, carnelian has the ability to bring courage, boldness, sense of self, ego, and passion. It’s also red-orange, which is associated with the sun.
Malachite: works well with carnelian. It’s energies bring protection and healing of the self. July is also a vacation season, and this stone offers protection during air travel.
technically a crystal, it still has special energies in communication, learning, and for improving performances. Its deep blue brings calm and loving words to your mouth.
Opal: associated with the sign of Cancer, which the Sun will be in for a good portion of June, opal has the ability to bring creativity connecting to your Divine self, and emotional healing.
ENERGIZED
Lapis lazuli: although not
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monthly edition
astrology upcoming astrological events
New Moon in Cancer:
Mercury enters Cancer:
The new moon in Cancer brings new beginnings, new emotions, and a clean slate. We may feel inclined to start something new, and to clear our minds. In addition, we feel protective over ourselves for our emotional safeguard.
With Mercury entering Cancer, we become willing to talk and think about our emotions and the way we express our love and protection towards others. We are willing to communicate with a partner about our needs.
When the Sun is in Leo, it is at home. Individually, we are comfortable with who we are, and aren’t afraid to flout it! We’re more generous, more expressive, a little self-centered, and playful.
New Moon in Cancer: July 9th Mercury enters Cancer: July 11th Venus enters Virgo: July 21st Sun in Leo: July 22rd Full Moon in Aquarius: July 23rd Mercury enters Leo: July 27th
upcoming astrological events continued:
Venus entering in Virgo is considered a “rough” transit to some. We tend to be more picky in choosing our lovers, but we can overcome this by making sense and purpose with our love. We’re more practical, and can sometimes mena we want longterm results.
The Full Moon in Aquarius brings more intellectual, mind over heart feelings to the surface. We feel the need to collaborate and plan for the future. However, take care of your needs as well, and rest when you feel you should.
Mercury entering Leo leads us to be more dramatic and theatrical with our words. We think about our needs more, think about how to express them, and our goals become more grand.
'never too young' ⋅FEMINIST WRITING⋅
an opinion piece WRITTEN BY STEPHANIE OLVIDO
about the sexualization of young girls
TRIGGER WARNINGS: sexual assault, grooming, groping, catcalling
One of the cruelest things in this age is the blatant lies coming from the internet. Feminist ideals have been warped and weaponized against young girls by saying being sexual is simply reclaiming who you are and your body.
fake feminism So what’s the problem with that? The problem is when underage girls get roped in the mix. Young girls are, well, young. They’re still growing. They’re still developing. Hell, these are the years you’re supposed to figure out some form of who you are. Underage girls are at a high risk of being sexualized, preyed upon, groomed, and maybe worse due to the fact that most haven’t experienced that level of disgusting on the Internet, and don’t know how to handle it
.
But the narrative isn’t just pushed from creepy adults on the internet. The blessing and curse of the internet is how fast content spreads. The same story takes place here. Seeing sexual liberation from adult feminists on apps like Tiktok, Instagram, etc., which are teenage populated apps, can also make teenagers feel that it’s ok.
And here’s the part where people get confused. Bottom line: it is ok! If you’re responsible and mature, I don’t see a problem with it on the Internet. Taking control of your body is something everyone should do, and everything people deserve. However, you shouldn’t need to do that if you’re under the age of 18. So why do kids do that?
"I don't wish women to have power over men; but over themselves.
-MARY WOLLSTONECRAFT
growing up too fast I’d like to draw your attention to Britney Spears. She was oversexualized, that’s just common knowledge, but it happened to her dressed as a schoolgirl. If you Google ‘schoolgirl’ vs ‘schoolboy’, you’ll get a better idea. It’s so bad to the point where most girls get catcalled at the developing, ‘embarrassing’, puberty stage, ages 13-15. These are the ages that predators go for. The younger you are, the easier you are to be manipulated and exploited. With this, the problem only furthers. Girls feel like they have to dress a certain way in order to reach a standard of beauty. They realize, the more sexualized they are, the more people give them validation.
The male gaze is defined as, “the perspective of a notionally typical heterosexual man considered as embodied in the audience or intended audience for films and other visual media, characterized by a tendency to objectify or sexualize women” according to Oxford Dictionary.
the male gaze The male gaze is one of the reasons stuff like this happens to young, impressionable girls. The effects of the male gaze can leave long-lasting effects on teenage girls. Once they get exposed to this objectivation (catcalling, slut-shaming, groping, etc.), they see it as a version of themselves that is beautiful, so they tend to dress more revealingly, and inadvertently sexualize themselves. However, the male gaze is a double-edged sword. Objectivation goes both ways- some changed, some are too ashamed. Those who don’t dress up in a way a man finds attractive are called “prudes”, “virgins”, “rejects”, etc.
woman vs. woman The male gaze, as talked about previously, also tends to divide and pits women against each other. This is what should NOT happen- you shouldn’t shame another woman for how she presents herself. This is also something that needs to be addressed: internalized misogyny. Shaming these young girls is not okay. In fact, it does the opposite (calling them too young makes them want to grow up faster, and leads to what we DON’T want to happen, as well). Victim blaming is not the answer. However, these young girls need to realize that reclaiming your power sexualizing your young body (that is still developing!) and putting it on the Internet where anyone, especially pedophiles, can access it.
≠
If you’re a young girl, especially from the ages of 12-17, please note that you are beautiful the way you are. You shouldn’t have to mature faster or grow up in order to feel beautiful. Understand the consequences; you aren’t stupid- you can make your own decisions, but if you’re underage, it’s harder to protect yourself, and can leave long-lasting effects on you, like getting groomed or sexually assualted.
historical highlight
Microsoft Internet Explorer
This was the beginning of the women’s suffrage movement for the right to vote.
july 1920th, 1848 The Seneca Falls Convention was held in Seneca Falls, New York.
Over 300 women showed up to the convention that aimed to fight for civil, social, and religious rights for women, not just voting rights. The organizers of the event also were fierce abolitionists, who fought for the end of slavery.
They are named as follows:
Elizabeth Cady Stanton ( o r i g i n a l o r g a n i z e r ) , Lucretia Mott , Mary M’Clintock , Martha Coffin Wright , a n d Jane Hunt They manifested a manifesto, to put it, called the Declaration of Sentiments, which called on women to fight for their constitutional rights, and 11 resolutions, demanding women would be equal to men.
w ⋅ r i y t i r n t g e o p
t s llo t s o
s e s c e a c l a p l p by Srishti Pandey, @its.me.srishti
Jaded memories etched in my brain;
I’ve been here before,
I’ve felt
on these rain-soaked,
this fleeting feeling before. This scent of lilac in bloom, honeysuckle frenzy, dancing dandelions,
algae-covered, worn out cobblestones, and velvet fern lining tickling my bare legs with a familiarity that is lost as it returns.
wild marigolds and…
There are apartments where brownstone should be names engraved in sand; stones would be lost. I’ve seen.
This banyan tree stretching to the clouds, and penetrating down to its hearth, with those twisted branches, which could hold a treehouse filled with children’s mirth. Remains of the treehouse entail – decaying wood and rooting iron.
I wouldn’t know for sure it had existed.
I’ve seen.
I’ve been here before.
about the poet!
Srishti Pandey (she/her)
Instagram: @its.me.srishti Twitter: @srishtipandey_
biography: Srishti is 15 and hails from India; sleep-deprived, with big dreams. When she is not studying math, she finds solace in the literary world. She has poetry forthcoming in the Ice Lolly Review and Intersections Mag.
e s d i ⋅ g t n r a
dreams & s n w o n k un by teri anderson, @tinyteri13
Teri Anderson (she/her)
about the artist!
Instagram: @tinyteri13 Facebook: @teriandersonartist
biography:
Teri Anderson creates work that looks into the idea of craft in art, textiles, installation and sculpture to create a linear or surreal environment which the audience have to inhabit. The work links to her heritage and how textiles were key in their family history including sample machinists and pattern cutters. Building on this Teri proposes an art practise which incorporates a craft based techniques into the art based discipline of installation.
n t i h e y a l ife d a
AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH:
Tarquin Alexandra
what do you do in a normal day?
This is the perfect opportunity to talk about chronic illness! I’m chronically ill. I’ve got POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome), MCAS (mast cell activation syndrome), and ME/CFS (myalgicencephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome). Without going into too much detail about what those are, essentially, what it means for me is that I have to take a lot of breaks in between tasks. In part due to exhaustion and malaise, and also to avoid worsening symptoms or triggering a flare up.
I typically spend an hour or two in bed after waking up on an average day. It takes my body a while to adjust to being awake and preparing to move around. On a day that I’m feeling up to getting some work done I try to pick 1-3 things to do. This can be something like recording vocals, writing an instrument part for a song, filming or editing a video.
Oh! Tangent! I recently got to be a part of a project by a band called Biscuit Sundown. As an anniversary release of their debut EP called Give Me A Season! They got various artists to produce their own version of each of the songs. It’s called Give Me A Remix, and I did the song Everyone but Me. You can look up Biscuit Sundown on any streaming platform to find it. Okay tangent over, back to my day: I like to set a timer to limit the amount of time I spend on things. I’ll get sucked into a project and hours will go by without me realizing and suddenly I’m exhausted and I don’t have the energy to make lunch or dinner. So I try to take a break every 45 mins to an hour or so and make sure I’m taking care of my body. Pacing yourself is a practiced skill, so I’m still working on getting it right.
All this to say, this can be a normal experience for some chronically ill and disabled people.
Everyone’s experience is different, and things like race, class, gender etc. obviously affect the experience someone will have with chronic illness. Something I think about a lot is how lucky I am to be living in Canada, with a parent who is able to support me, with friends who are understanding, and with a platform I can use to talk about this, however small that may be at this point in time, and I think that privilege is really important to talk about when having conversations about disability. The more that people are aware of these issues, the more we can implement and push for accessibility.
I would say my music is inspired by my life as a whole. I’ve always written as a way to understand what I’m feeling and process overwhelming events and situations in my life. Last year someone new entered my life who was really special to me and who made me really happy, but I felt an anxiety around that happiness, kind of like I didn’t trust it, so I wrote my most recent EP, called A Tyrant’s Demise, about that. It’s currently available on all the music listening platforms.
Is your work inspired by your past or memories? Lately I’ve been writing a lot about my experience being chronically ill. I’m working on a project that I think will be an album. It's still in its early stages, and I’ve got a lot of ideas that I need to bring down to earth. I think when I started I had at least 20 different songs that all felt like they belonged on this album, and I’ve had to reduce that number by a lot so that it’s the best it can possibly be. You know what they say about killing your darlings.
What got you into your work? I started writing when I was a teenager. I was really struggling with depression and anxiety. I’ve always loved Taylor Swift, and in interviews she talks about how songwriting is what she needs to do to sort through her feelings. I don’t remember the first song I wrote or the moment I decided to try it, but I remember thinking it sounded so much more fun than journaling your feelings, so I tried it, and now I use it to process any and every feeling that I have.
As for hobbies. I’ve recently taken up crochet. For my birthday, my friend knitted me a three dimensional, life sized, semi-anatomically correct stuffed penguin, and the head and bottom were crocheted, so I tried it and I really like it! I just do it for fun though, it’s nice to have something I can make that’s only for me. I also really love old movie musicals, and musical theatre! I don’t know if that counts as a hobby, but it’s a prominent part of my life.
Where do you want to be in the future?
There are so many people who speak up about their disabilities that have made me feel less alone and have helped me to understand my own experiences, and I would really love to be able to do that alongside them.
I love music and would love nothing more than to be able to make a living doing music! In addition to this, as my chronic illness begins to overtake the way I walk through life, I also would also like to be a part of creating more representation for disability. I’m disabled, and I’ve only just recently started learning about a lot of disability rights issues, and connecting with the disabled community.
It’s also really important to me to learn how to be a better ally and be able to help amplify other marginalized voices.
If we’re talking stretch goals for the future though, like ideal pie-inthe-sky dreamy-dreams, I would LOVE to collaborate with some of my favourite songwriters like Tessa Violet, or dodie, or even Taylor Swift.
THE
PROPAGANDA
PANDA
PRESENTS
THE SPOTLIGHTS SERIES A way to uplift the arts communities by giving them a platform to get personal.
SMALL BUSINESS ⋅ ARTIST ⋅ MUSICAN ⋅ WRITER Interviews, our takes, and ways to reach these lovelies included!
part one: small business/website
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an interview with Fearless Identities, created by sisters Paris and Avril
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1. Is your work inspired by your past?
We would say yes, sometimes it's intimidating to speak about something you're proud of because there's fear about what people would think and how others would react. We cared a lot about what others thought about and we were losing ourselves, creating Fearless Identities is supposed to tell others to be proud of themselves and their own identity.
2.
What got you into your work? And tell us a little bit about yourself! We decided to make Fearless Identities as a way to give a voice to the unheard, usually, I see posts online that start with, 'I know nobody cares, but...' and it's sad to see that people think that their achievements/goals aren't important. Now, about us, Avril Lux loves to code - she mainly did the website - and Paris Lux enjoys art - in fact, all the art on the website was made by her!
sneak peek of their website here!
Where do you want to be in the future? In the future, we hope to inspire people to use their voices to be heard. We also want to make sure that people are confident to share what they are proud of. It would be great to be in a position where younger people can look up to us and think that they can make anything they put their hearts to because inspiring others to be confident and proud is so important.
art and motto:
3.
4.
AutoBiography My sister and I (Avril Lux and Paris Lux) are two 14-year-old black girls and after being excluded and isolated from groups at school, we've decided to inspire others to speak up about their experiences using our website called Fearless Identities, coded completely by ourselves with HTML, CSS and PHP. Our mission is to give a voice to the unheard, because being ignored and excluded has made us feel like we're not good enough and we want to let others know that they're not alone.
Our Thoughts The work that they are doing is very important as it is impressive. Gen Z has an individuality mindset, but refuses to accept those who are not the norm. Isolation and exclusion is a threat to individuality everywhere. We hope you choose to support their work!
Socials: @FIdentities
website: fearlessidentities.com
They also were featured in an article on WONKedition for teens who are changing the world, and teen magazine called TeenHLife.
part two: writer/poet
a
an interview + featured work with @everybodylikesliz
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"I Miss"
The hiss of heat off asphalt most of all Sunlight blinding me as I exit any car Every perfect sunset seen from Albertsen’s Too purple, vivid, and pink Feeling appreciated (if not seen) The one perfect yoga class That lemon asparagus pizza And loyal co-workers Friends on rollerskates A used bookstore Bigger on the inside than possible Unfolding with undiscovered rooms Reading cookbooks by the pool The family of skunks that lived under our shed A sense of fate the Midwest cannot appreciate Events unfolded slowly, full of Unexpected Surprises Things happened like car accidents And were accepted the same
1. Is this work inspired by your past? Is any of your work inspired by your past? Yes, this is a poem inspired by my time living in Las Cruces, New Mexico, about a decade ago. I am currently working on a collection of poems all inspired by that time, to be titled Dust Storms May Exist. I think enough time has now passed to give me some perspective. But I am a nostalgic person in general. I co-host a podcast (Perhaps It's You) about the classic TV show Unsolved Mysteries. I paint portraits of 80s toys. I make zines. I love the feeling of nostalgia.
2. What got you into your work? And tell us a little bit about yourself! I was inspired to finally write poetry by my friend Kara Calagera. I love seeing her perform and everyone should read her book Karma Vet. In the past, I have mainly written personal essays, bland copy for pay, and (for a while) autobiographical comics. I am also an artist who paints, creates collages, and is currently dabbling in film photography. My other interests include ghost tours and thrift shopping.
Where do you want to be in the future?
3.
I'm pretty happy in Minneapolis. I live in the Witch District and it is an inspiring place to be. But if I win the lottery somehow, you'll probably find me eating gelato on a beach in Barcelona. Beyond that, I look forward to having some of my ashes spread in the pond in Hollywood Forever Cemetery.
4. A Brief Biography Minneapolis based artist, zinester, and freelance writer, Liz Walker is known to paint silly things, make comics, and write about stuff she gets much too excited about, like thrift stores and Lance Henriksen. She's roomates with with pups named Lennie Brisco and Rey Curtis. Also happens to be addicted to Polar Water, Cadbury Mini Eggs, and post-punk music.
Our Thoughts Poetry is one, but being an interesting, well-rounded person is another! And with that, we think that her poem comes from that personality, that side we get to see, but in a more nostalgic, longing light. We think that her poem truly captures what we had in mind for this volume.
Socials: @everybodylikesliz website: www.everybodylikesliz.com email: EverybodyLikesLiz @gmail.com She also co-hosts a podcast, Perhaps It’s You: An Unofficial Unsolved Mysteries Podcast.
part three: musician
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an interview with @hello.jda
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1. Is this song inspired by your past? Is any of your music inspired by your past? Yes, most of my songs are about a memory or a specific emotion. I don’t tend to write love songs (I purposefully avoid them) because I try to translate my exact feeling into sound. Frozen Sun was a much darker song about losing yourself and gaining closure on that emotion and kind of giving that sadness a home. It was my first song because I felt like I had to get that emotion out of me, and it was really therapeutic and has allowed me to move on to brighter emotions. :)
2.
What got you into your work? And tell us a little bit about yourself!
I’ve always loved singing, and I wrote a blog post about my inspiration in music! (see our links at the end to read!) I really enjoy learning languages and learning about new cultures since my household was multicultural growing up. I also enjoy journaling and mindful activities that allow me to understand what I’m feeling.
Where do you want to be in the future?
3.
So my idol is Janet Jackson, particularly her Control and Rhythm Nation albums, and it’s because she empowered young women and was socially conscious enough to put relevant issues on a national stage. I want to be like her, I’d like to create a better culture in music and serve as a leader of the new inclusive feminist movement while enacting meaningful social change and amplifying underrepresented voices. I’m a music producer so my goal is to produce for other women and POC who otherwise wouldn’t have gotten the chance to make music to make it more accessible but that’s a passion project :)
4. A Brief Biography
JDA is an 18-year-old pop music artist studying digital music production in the United States. She loves celebrating culture through the language of music. She also cares deeply about creating an honest and open dialogue about equity, social justice, and mental health. When she’s not trying new choreography, you can find her exploring the local music scene, or learning a new production technique. If you met JDA for coffee, you might find her to be ambitious, optimistic, patient, curious, and just a little bit goofy. She hopes you enjoy her work! -taken from the "About" section of JDA's blog, we highly suggest you check it out!
take a peek at their work! a short review of a song
I fell down, the sky is gone, all that's left is a frozen sun. -a lyric from JDA's song, Frozen Sun If you've ever been snowed in, then you'll know what this song feels like. The intro is this soft, piano meoldy that sets the tone of this graceful tune. However, the lyrics can be a bit of a contrast to the angelic voice singing them. JDA says this song comes from losing yourself, and you can hear it in her voice. You can hear the raw emotion, and you can hear it in the lyrics, as if they were a mirror of her mind.
Our Thoughts We love to see work like this being done. Singing and producing talent aside, the heart to create a space for inclusion is something we have to admire, especially coming from a place of experience. We wish JDA all the luck in the music industry, because this one is a superstar!
Socials: @hello.jda @hellojda website: hellojda.com YouTube: hello! JDA And check her out on Spotify: JDA :)
part four: artist
n a
an interview + featured works with @full_sirkl
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01- "Bus Stop" Editor's note: personal favorite! I love the contrast of the bus stop itself compared to the background and the gray platform.
02- "Jetty" Editor's note: There's a lot of rain in these, huh! Very peaceful, I'm a big fan of the rain,
03- "Pikachu"
04- "Chinatown"
05- "Bugis Street"
1. Is this project inspired by your past? Is any of your work inspired by your past? For this particular project, it is inspired by my past - using specific memories from my past as visual & conceptual inspiration. I do have other works that are influenced by my experiences in my past; more so I have works that touch on concepts like moments (in time), nostalgia, transcendent sort of vibes.
2. What got you into your work? And tell us a little bit about yourself! I always had passion for art, anything creative! But I only made my solid decision to be an artist & create boldly not too long ago, which landed me in art school for 3 years and now a fresh grad. I thought that if I did anything else in my life, I'd be long dead before my body would.
Where do you want to be in the future?
3.
In the future, I'd to have my own studio with a small cafe attached. But honestly, I'm not sure. But it'd be nice if I could showcase my work & plan for shows on the regular in the future, and continue making art. Teaching, mm, a teaching post would be interesting!
4. A Brief Biography A Singaporean artist-curator who sometimes thinks to themselves that they should leave their home country to do art but realizes they're broke. Shan is a trained spatial designer (diploma) & fine artist (BA), they still can't nail a specialization which is why most of their artist descriptions are vague - except for the mention of their coffee addiction. Coffee is good. If Shan were to choose the type of artist they are, perhaps the term 'Interdisciplinary' would be it. Read the rest about them in their website!
Our Thoughts You don't really encounter artists as talented or interesting as this one! Using certain design elements and unique mediums that aren't in common mainstream artworks is a whole different field, and we applaud them for it! We hope they go far in horizons!
Socials: @full_sirkl https://sirkl0circle.wixsite.com/sirkl.com