Issue 17

O P E N

YO U R

M I N D

A N D

P O C K E T

ISSUE 17 | SEPTEMBER 2019

T H E

WO R D S

CO N T E N T S MINDSET & PRODUCTIVITY

02

How To Stay Productive

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The Five Minute Journal

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Public Speaking: Overcoming the Fear

| + GIVEAWAY

Click the titles to read!

CREATIVE THOUGHTS

C R E AT E

TO

I N S P I R E

HOW-TO

13

Build Your Personal Brand

19

Freelancing: A Starter’s Guide

21

Get the Most Out of Social Media

26

Podcasting: The Why, Who and What

Being Original: Inspiration or Plagiarism?

123

Creatives: Chronic Empaths?

125

Dull Your Concerns

MENTAL WELLBEING

ARTS, CRAFTS & DESIGN

127

Food my Comfort, Food my Enemy

33

The Magic of Plants: Homemade Treats

132

Shame and Creativity

39

Bullet Journaling: A Beginner’s View

136

How to Relax Your Body and Mind

44

Becoming an Interior Designer

142

Man Enough

CREATIVE WRITING

WRITER’S STUFF

50

Editing Your Novel Like a Pro

150

Call Me By Your Name

55

Traditional Publishing: A Real Experience

154

Best Bus Buddy

59

‘My Road to Publication’

157

We Had Parted Ways in April

61

Podcasts: Our Invisible Audio Friends

159

Future, Part II

166

A Sunset Between Kabul & Syhlet

174

Unsaid: Some Class

COLOURFUL HUMANS

01

118

64

Sara Meadows

69

Charly Clements

75

Paperboat Documentaries

82

Metin Salih

88

Fried Cactus Studio

92

Do That Thing

96

Dima Rizk

101

Natalie Fedechko

106

Tucum

110

Carl Tuléus

113

Sana Adnan

| VANEETA KAUR

| SARAH GHANI | CHHAVI ADITYA

| TARA LUNE |SHAZMEENA

| FAIZA AZIZ

| ILLUSTRATOR | ILLUSTRATOR | VIDEO CREATORS

| ARTIST

BOOKISH STUFF

177

Diversity & Representation in Harry Potter

183

Review: Stronger, Faster & More Beautiful

| CREATIVE STUDIO

TRAVEL BITS

| CREATIVE MENTORSHIP

| DIMA GLOBAL | CREATIVE ENTREPRENEUR

| FOR THE COMMUNITY | JOURNALIST | BAKER ENTREPRENEUR

186

Travel Blogger: Radhika Sharma

190

Solo Travelling; What is it Really Like?

194

Travel Guide: Rome

E D I TO R ’ S

N OT E

Dear readers, It’s been a while since the last Unread magazine hit the digital shelves, but be sure that the team has worked immensely hard to make this month’s issue something beyond REMARKABLE. Whether you’re looking for inspiration, motivation, or something to pass the time with – issue 17 is definitely worth a peek.

Over the past few months we have been thinking long and hard about how we can make Unread even more colourful for you. As you know, it’s important to us that you continue to enjoy and benefit from our platform and all that it has to offer.

So, after some careful consideration, we have decided it is time we focused on expanding our platform beyond the magazine. As a result, the bi-monthly issues will be temporarily placed on hold for a couple of months. We say ‘temporarily’ as the magazine is Unread’s heart and soul and it will continue to be the centre of our platform. However, a couple of months set aside to focus on boosting other aspects of Unread is needed for growth.

We are buzzing to see future projects come to life and have faith that you will continue to support Unread as you have done over the past two years. Without you, Unread wouldn’t be what it is today; a colourful, talented and beautiful global community of creatives from all walks of life, making AMAZING things happen. Thank you.

Food for thought: Sometimes we try too hard to search for inspiration; we desperately look for that one creative direction that no one else has. The key in this scenario is to start with what you’re passionate about. The rest will flow on its own. Finding yourself that hobby, a passion is probably one of the best feelings ever. You find yourself excited and looking forward to doing whatever it is. There are some ‘down’ days, but when you’re truly passionate about something, it can add a little colour even on those down days!

Lubna

Founder, Unread

To get involved or any other enquiries visit our website or drop us an email: unreadmag.co.uk hello@unreadmag.com @unreadmag 01

@unreadmag

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P R O D U C T I V I T Y

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HOW TO STAY PRODUCTIVE WHEN YOU'RE NOT FEELING MOTIVATED B Y A D I T I K A U S H I VA

@ K A U S H I VA

@ A D I T I _ K A U S H I VA

It happens to all of us. We have a looming to-do list in front of us, yet we chuck it and binge watch Netflix or slump under our duvets and sleep. I’ve had such days, then felt incredibly guilty of not having, ‘accomplished’ anything at the end of day. So, over the years, especially since the last two years, I have honed my strategy for staying productive, even if I’m not feeling it.

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For any self-employed creative or entrepreneur, it is a question of self-discipline and self-motivation. It does not come easy. We need to battle with resistance, self-doubt, and sometimes bouts of depression. We are accountable to ourselves and sometimes despite doing everything right - we have periods when we’re simply not feeling it - when it gets difficult to fight the urge to waste time to get work done.

Before I share some productivity hacks that have worked for me over the years, you should know two things about me: •

ONE, I work on multiple projects at a time - while my day job, (for lack of a better word), is my dance start-up based in India, (I currently live in London) I am also a freelance writer working with magazine editors and individual clients requiring web copy, blog posts, product descriptions etc; working on my second novella; and sometimes I teach movement meditation and Bollywood workshops.

•

TWO, despite that, I am a procrastinator and not the most organised person in the world.

So, if I can stay productive on my down days, you can too. And here’s how:

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ALLOW YOURSELF MICRO-PROCRASTINATIONS

Procrastination is going on top of my list. If you are reading this, you are perhaps not feeling the most motivated today, are already binging on Netflix or procrastinating by going on Twitter or cleaning your apartment. procrastinate (verb) to keep delaying something that must be done, often because you are not sure what to do next in your line of work, or because the job is unpleasant or boring.

Procrastination is fine. I don’t avoid it, but I do try to keep it small and quick. Most of the times, I hop on to Instagram or Twitter, browse through my feed, save an article or a picture and then get back to figuring out what I should be doing and how.

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SET YOURSELF A TIMER

Have you heard of the Pomodoro technique? It’s a simple productivity technique where you work for 25 minutes followed by a 5 minute break. You repeat this two more times, and finally work for another 25 minutes and take a 15 minute, (or longer), break.

This productivity hack helps to reduce the ugly, ambiguous things on your to-do list down to something you do in a series of easy-to-manage 25 minute chunks of time.

I’ve never been big on productivity hacks and tricks, but I used this for the first time a few months back on recommendation. Now, I always have my timer on when working on big projects.

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GO BACK TO YOUR 'WHY'

Sometimes reminding myself of why I’m doing the task that I’m not feeling motivated to do is enough to reinvigorate me. Seeing the larger picture and your life in macro helps. Other times when I find my, “why” is lacking, or the purpose behind a task is missing, I re-examine the reasons behind why I’m doing a task. If it turns out that a task has no purpose or doesn’t make an impact in my life, I eliminate, delegate, or shrink it instead.

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SHRINK YOUR WORK

I have a huge resistance to administrative and mundane operational work. But they are unavoidable, right? There go hours of my life, I think as I stare at my excel reports. To combat this resistance, I shrink how long I have to work on these jobs. Instead of two hours, I set, say, 45 minutes. I feel lot more comfortable, and once I am in the flow I may stretch my time too.

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CHANGE YOUR WORK SPACE

Whenever I find myself in a rut working from home, I leave the house to work at a library, co-working space or a coffee shop to expose myself to a change in environment. Every time, it makes a huge difference in how much energy and focus I have.

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TICK MARK ALL THE EASY TASKS ON YOUR TO-DO LIST

To start a very “meh” day off on the right foot, start with the simplest of tasks. Put them down on your to-do list and tick them off. More the ticks, more the feeling of being productive. These can be as simple as organising your workspace, returning a phone call, or scheduling an appointment, clearing out your e-mail inbox, or deleting unused pictures and making space in your drive.

Remember, getting started is always the most difficult part. If you warm up your muscles with the easy tasks/small jobs, you might be able to get into a momentum and turn your “meh” day into a productive one as you move onto bigger tasks.

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TAKE A GUILT-FREE BREAK

Often, “not feeling it” is a great sign that you should step back from your work to recharge and be unproductive for a while. Completely separating yourself from your work may not always feel like the best course of action, but when you’re not in the mood to work, it’s worth asking yourself whether you’re simply procrastinating, or whether you’re genuinely in need of a break. Take a guilt-free break, for a day or more. It’s okay. Embrace how you are feeling and pamper yourself with a self-care day or stay-in-bed day. It’s okay.

START WHERE YOU ARE. USE WHAT YOU HAVE. DO WHAT YOU CAN.

A toothbrush for your mind.

Be happier in 5 minutes a day!

Five Minute Journal INTELLIGENT CHANGE

@INTELLIGENTCHANGE

@FIVEMINUTEJOURNAL

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seven years ago...

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we couldn’t imagine a simple journal would lead to hundreds of thousands of people adopting gratitude journaling into their daily practice - from teachers, students, CEOs, therapists to notable adopters like Tim Ferriss, Emma Watson, and Camila Mendes.

Like many, we would theorise on how to become happier, but wonder what the next steps were. Why weren’t there simple tools to move from theory to action?

Again and again, keeping a gratitude journal kept appearing in self-improvement books and positive psychology research – even Oprah mentioned it. The general idea was: shifting your focus to the positive would dramatically improve your happiness. Seemed straightforward to us.

At the time, we were already journaling and decided to take on gratitude as a part of our practice.

The problem was, we were inconsistent. Our practice took 20–30 minutes and on many days, we did not want to commit to (in our mind), that length of time. Furthermore, our journaling entries were kind of all over the place. We knew that the benefits of keeping a gratitude journal relied upon nailing the consistency part.

We thought, what if we could simplify our practice to just 5 minutes and it still be meaningful? What if we created a journal for people like us who started many journals, but consistently failed?

And thus, The Five Minute Journal was born – a daily guided journaling practice consisting of 5 questions to focus on the good in life and set a direction for the day. Additionally, we decided to split the questions into a morning section and a night section. Start the day off right and end on a high note.

the 5 questions: morning 1. What are you grateful for?

2. What would make today great?

3. Daily affirmations. I am…

night 4. Three amazing things that happened today…

5. How could I have made today even better?

So why are these questions beneficial each day?

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what are you grateful for?

According to Robert Emmons and Michael McCullough, leading researchers on gratitude, this kind of journaling results in greater connection with others, increased personal joy, better sleep, and lowered symptoms of physical pain.

On a subconscious level, gratitude journaling helps counterbalance our negativity bias. If someone compliments your new haircut or outfit, you will likely not remember it beyond the moment in question. If someone disses your style, however, you will likely remember it forever.

Criticising and focusing on problems comes easy. For most of us, appreciation and focusing on the good takes effort. By keeping a gratitude journal, you develop a practice that keeps you accountable to developing appreciation and enjoying happier days.

what would make today great?

It’s so easy to let your days and weeks run you, and wonder what the heck you actually accomplished? Furthermore, many of us do not even know what lights us up on a daily and weekly basis.

Close your eyes and project yourself to the end of the day, imagining and visualising the things that give you that ‘spent’, ‘fulfilled’ feeling of an amazing day. They don’t need to be monumental. It can be as simple as going for a walk, spending 5 minutes with a loved one, or reading for 10 minutes. By consistently focusing on doing the things that make our days great, gradually we shift our attention away from the weekly grind to looking back on our weeks with fulfilment.

In the beginning, we found you may probably include a lot of things that are stimulating, but not fulfilling long-term, (i.e. Netflix). But over time, you truly learn the activities and environments that help you thrive.

daily affirmations. I am…

Everybody seems to have different views on what affirmations are – for us, affirmations are a practical tool to counterbalance the negative affirmations we tell ourselves.

How many times throughout the day do you shame yourself for eating a donut when you said you’d eat healthy? How many times do you sigh because you’ve stayed in a specific a job ‘too long.’ How many times have you told yourself that you are lazy, unworthy, not confident, or a host of other limiting beliefs. These thoughts needed rewriting.

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By consistently focusing on doing the things that make our days great, gradually we shift our attention away from the weekly grind to looking back on our weeks with fulfilment.

The daily affirmation is a simple statement that defines you as you want to be. Every time you write the daily affirmation, you prime your brain to start building this belief in your mind. With consistency, you’ll begin to create that change from within. We also find it helps if you provide evidence.

“I am confident because I have demonstrated confidence leading a sales meeting.” Or it can be a shift in your current values, “I am committed to living a life of focusing on the here and now versus worrying about the future.”

amazing things that happened today Similar to the gratitude section in the morning, it’s easy blowing past the amazing things that happen to us daily. This question is a reminder to savour the moments, small and big. To notice. To tattoo the good moments in our brain. Despite the problematic days, we know we can find something good within it.

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how could I have made today even better?

Within each day, there are certain things we wish we could have done a bit better or different. This question provokes reflection of how we can improve for tomorrow. The key here is to not beat yourself up about it, but rather approach it like, “hey, it would be cool if I got a bit better at X thing.”

This starts building a pattern in your life where you look at problems and at the actions that you can take to move through them. In time, this exercise can begin to shift how you look at problems and help you automatically take the actions you want to take.

While the guided format and the journal only takes about 5 minutes a day, it dramatically increases the likelihood you’ll stick to it!

Keep this journal (or any journal for that matter) in a place where you will consistently see it each day. For us, it’s by our bedside where we use it first thing in the morning and last thing before going to sleep. Others carry it with them to work.

Get specific and use themed days. There are only so many times you can say you are grateful for your friend, the weather, your dog before it loses its emotional impact. We find getting very specific writing down what you are grateful for dramatically helps. What specifically about your friend are you grateful for? Their laugh? Their intellect? Them being there for you no matter what? You know you’ll be

The Five Minute Journal is not a magic pill

on to something when you feel that good emotional feeling in your body. Another way we deal with repetitiveness is using categories for specific days.

Focusing on relationships, personal, and the world

but we have found that, over time, it has significantly

at large on separate days helps keep the journal

impacted our outlook on life. It has become the

fresh.

counterbalance to obsessive self-criticism, stress and anxiety.

Lastly, we still miss days. It’s going to happen.

While 100% consistency would be great, even 70%

We could all take a little more time out of our lives to count the blessings. Too often we overlook the small things, which are really the big things. Whether you use The Five Minute Journal or a freehand journal, we encourage you to commit to 30 days to see the ‘magic’ unfold.

consistency is a massive improvement from our previous journals in which we’d go months, even years, without filling it out. When we miss a few days (or weeks), we simply dust ourselves off and jump back in.

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PUBLIC SPEAKING OVERCOMING THE FEAR

Did you know that according to most credible sites out there, one of the biggest fears that people have is actually public speaking? Crazy right?

You would think people are more afraid of death than speaking in public, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.

Most people are terrified of speaking in front of a group of people, and it all comes down to a few things that hold them back and stops them from overcoming this fear in life.

Here are some of my top tips to help you overcome this fear of speaking in public: 1. Invest in yourself - this would be my first piece of advice to anyone who is on this path and wants change. Start your personal development journey ASAP! Truth is - YOU are your biggest investment, so be open to learning and growing into the best version of yourself! My favourite quote is one by Jim Rohn which is; ‘For things to change, YOU have to change. For things to get better, YOU have to get better.’

Consume positive and inspiring content on a daily basis, whether from self-help books, audiobooks, podcasts, videos, masterminds, networking events or social media. They all help towards cultivating a positive mindset, which in the long term will help you gain a lot more confidence in yourself. Shift your mind and everything else will fall into place.

2. Surround yourself with ambitious people - they say that you become the average of the five people you spend the most time with, so choose wisely! The people in your life play a huge role in your journey - you need to have encouraging and supportive friends around 11

you, that help keep you motivated and inspired to overcome your fears - whether that’s public speaking or something else. Distance yourself from some, if not all, negative people in your life as they are holding you back by constantly discouraging you and saying things like, ‘you cannot do this.’

3. Networking - talk to people, talk to people and talk to more people. Become comfortable around your fellow human beings and learn the art of striking a conversation because you literally are ONE person away from a whole different life. Aim to connect with like-minded ambitious souls who are either on the same path as you or ahead of you, so that way you can learn and benefit from their company. Building real genuine relationships will truly help you in many different aspects of your life. This could lead to future collaborations / partnerships / speaking gigs which never would have happened if you didn’t open your mouth and just say, hi!

4. Add value - if you want to gain any kind of credibility in this space, you must be adding real value into the marketplace. People listen to those who they KNOW, LIKE and TRUST. You need to be your authentic self and provide value that uplifts others. People will then see you as somewhat credible, both online and offline. Also, they sometimes forget what you say but the key is to make sure they never forget how you made them FEEL. That’s where the real magic lies so make sure to be passionate and transfer a lot of positive energy into their lives.

5. Stop worrying about what others think - you need to be willing to let go of your ego and be completely transparent and honest in what you share. Most people care too much about the opinions of others, which stops them from moving forward. When you fully accept who you are and the message you want to share, nothing or nobody should stop you from making that happen. Not even YOURSELF! I wish someone taught me all this earlier on in life, but I’m a big believer that everything happens for a reason! So, just be grateful and start taking action TODAY! Wishing you all the best on your journey! ~ Speaker Sadiq

@speakersadiq

The Purposeful Mindset 12

TIPS ON HOW TO BUILD YOUR PERSONAL BRAND B Y F E D E R I C A P E C I S & F E D E R I C A AT TA N A S I O

weareeffe.co.uk @weareeffedigital

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F E R A E W

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Founded almost two years ago, by Federica Pecis and Federica Attanasio, We Are F is a full-service digital marketing boutique helping female entrepreneurs and female-founded brands grow and expand using digital marketing.

"Instead of focusing on a specific industry, as many other marketing agencies do, we decided to focus on something that matters a lot to us: female empowerment. We believe that, with powerful branding and well-structured digital marketing strategies, every female-founded brand can attain its full potential and grow at a pace that’s right for them. Our mission is to close the gender gap, helping female entrepreneurs succeed and grow their brands.

We met on our first day working at a digital marketing agency in London. It was friendship at first sight. After a while of working together, we realised that combining our expertise and aptitudes would result in a fiercely powerful duo."

Federica A. has a background in fashion and branding, while Federica P. previously worked as a Digital Marketing Manager in the auto and financial industries. Federica A. loves designing, storytelling and all things visual, whilst Federica P. loves creating strategies and diving into numbers and data.

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These days, with the continued growth of social media, the importance of having a strong brand identity cannot be overstated, especially if you work in creative fields as a photographer, designer, or copywriter. For these groups, it has become harder and harder to stand out of the continually-growing crowd.

SO WHAT IS BRAND STRATEGY? Well, a brand strategy is best defined as the method you intend to build, shape, and develop your brand’s voice. It’s how you articulate what your brand aspires to be, the purpose it serves, and how you communicate that message to the world at large. It’s a regimented plan for business success.

One of the most important points we stress during our one-to-one digital coaching program is to explain, in depth, what your brand strategy should be. With a series of questions, we can determine how best to position your business and identify what your brand proposition and values are.

Here you’ll find 7 tips on how to build an effective brand strategy that will leave your competitors by the wayside.

1. ASK YOURSELF, WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? The very first thing you should ask yourself is, what the aim of your brand is. The best way to do this is to identify your mission, vision, and values, by answering some fundamental questions: •

Why does your company exist?

•

What does your company do?

•

How and why you do it the way you do it?

Let’s say you’re a wedding photographer, aiming to make your client’s wedding day look like a beautiful fairy-tale, ready to be showcased in Vogue magazine or on national billboards.

You might want to start by communicating the above, as well as adding that you’re offering special packages for certain times of the year, or any other additional value you can provide your clients. Tell them why you are the best at doing what you do.

2. DO YOUR RESEARCH The beauty of digital is that nowadays you can find next to ANYTHING online, including your competitors. No one is telling you to copy someone else’s ideas verbatim, risking becoming a boring continuation of that status quo. Our advice to you is to be smart, do some research and let other brands' successful strategies inspire you and learn from their failures to avoid making the same mistakes.

While you’re at it, look to identify any gaps in their strategy and add something extra to your service that no one else has ever done before. Following the lead of brands similar to your tone of voice and propositions can really help to expose your business, provided you’re not just a carbon copy of your competitors.

3. IDENTIFY YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE Now that you have answered the fundamental questions regarding your brand’s identity, try and ask yourself who you are doing this for? Or more simply, who is going to use your service?

Get yourself a pen and paper; picture and describe who your ideal customer will be. Will it be an adventurous woman in her 30's or a lazy middle-aged man? Write their stories, their interests and finally, their needs. Identifying what they want and when they want it, will be key to determining how you market yourself effectively.

4. DEVISE A BRAND STATEMENT This goes all the way back to the first point. Bring together the answers to the questions you initially asked yourself, about your vision, mission, and values and then trim it until you have something punchy enough to gain your user’s attention.

Ultimately, this will say in a few words, who you are and why you are different. During the editing process it can be easy to trim it to the point that it’s unrecognisable, so never lose sight of the answers to your original questions.

5. CREATE A LOGO AND A COLOUR PALETTE Try and picture in your mind, just for a second, your personal favourite brand. You’ll probably realise that the well-disciplined visuals of the brand are one of the first things to come to mind. This is why it’s super important for you to have a logo that encapsulates your brand’s essence at a glance, along with a recognisable colour palette and fonts to match.

Having an instantly recognisable style is something that you need to decide early on and will absolutely have to stick to across the entirety of your brand’s communications. By not sticking to a single message, you risk confusing your customers and even losing their trust; this is all about familiarity.

6. CREATE A BRAND BIBLE When it comes to content and communication, you’ll need to establish a uniform way to talk about your brand; both internally and externally.

Ensuring that everyone in your organisation has access, and adheres to, the same brand bible is an excellent way to do this.

First, you’ll need to make sure that you’ve identified some universal guidelines in terms of style, message and tone of voice. Next, collate this info in one document, that is easily accessible.

This will help you to not only keep in mind who you are as a brand, but also provide a very useful tool for your team to refer to. Remember, when you’re communicating, consistency is the key.

7. PUT IT OUT THERE Now that your baby is ready and your brand’s story is dying to be told, it’s time to use all the available tools on the market to showcase your work. Make sure you create your website and social media pages to display your work, maintaining your tone of voice, mission statement, and visual style. Always be consistent; if you are, then it’s very hard to go wrong.

For details go to www.weareeffe.co.uk/coaching and use the promo code:

“MADEFORUNREAD” for 20% OFF.

FREELANCING

BY MARIA ZAHRA

Freelancing, just like starting any business, isn’t a straightforward task. It requires a great deal of persistence and management before clients start ‘flooding’ in and your services really begin to take off. Here are some tips that will help you find a good grounding, if you ever decide to start freelancing.

•

Plan of action: That is to know what you are doing and why. Whether it is to make freelancing a source of extra income or whether it is as self-employment. Do not just dive into it either way. You know your strengths, so utilise them and work on improving constantly. Organisation, having a workspace, and scheduling will greatly improve the quality of the service you provide. It will also benefit you in not just acquiring clients, but really cementing yourself as a freelancer.

•

Have a portfolio: It helps to have a portfolio of some kind to present and showcase your work to perspective clients, especially when marketing your service. Take writing for example – on your blog or online portfolio - have a specific style of writing, but do not limit yourself solely to that. You should be able to cover a wide range of styles that suit your clients’ needs as no client will ask for the same.

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•

Marketing: From updating your social media to highlighting your services, guest writing, and networking with others. Whether your freelancing is a source of extra income or your main source of income, marketing your services and targeting a specific audience will widen your reach.

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Pricing: Undoubtedly, you'll be torn between overpricing and under-pricing the services you provide. Take into consideration how long you would spend on average per hour on the work. Compare your prices with other similar services/jobs to give you a better idea of pricing. Have a fixed price list that is open to negotiation depending on the work that is commissioned.

•

Confidence: Being certain in your abilities to succeed and going out there to provide that service is key to make freelancing a success. Be certain in getting work done to a high standard. Learn to say no, and be firm (yet reasonable) when dealing with clients. Whilst you do want to please and benefit your clients, remember the service you dedicate your time to is also for yourself.

The above tips are just a brief indication of steps you would need to take when starting out freelancing. These were the steps I took and learned from and have found them to be a successful starting point. Fingers crossed, it should work for you when you decide to venture into the world of freelancing!

HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF

SOCIAL MEDIA B Y

IM RA N

D EA N

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I work in investments and discovered an interest in social media as I felt no one was being honest and providing genuine advice in this space. I therefore spent 2018 building my brand on Instagram called Investor.Hub with the aim of helping interested young people understand investing.

IN JUST 6 MONTHS, I WAS AT 19,000 FOLLOWERS. When scrolling through Instagram explore pages, I could not help but notice the great number of women who resembled Kim Kardashian and members of her family – from their makeup to clothes and their poses. The current gym hype is another thing. I am incredibly fascinated that something related to enhancing health has not only become so mainstream, but has also been glamorised – pushing people to attain a certain aesthetic.

It makes me think, people do indeed soak in knowledge through social media and adapt themselves in a way to fit in, to become who they are. But, there are of course many other ways in which people are moulded to become the individual they are.

In today’s world, if you want to grab the attention of the ‘Millennials’ or ‘Generation Z’, you have to be on social media. The closure of Toys ‘R’ US, Sears, House of Fraser stores and many other brick-andmortar businesses are proof that a large part of the world has definitely moved online. Not only are people shopping online, but they are buying goods and services through social media ads and on native platforms. Although personal brands can somewhat find it harder to build a big following, once established, they can also be profitable on social media – examples are your big influencers.

When I thought about sharing tips for social media, I thought that 10 tips across all the platforms, (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook etc.), would be difficult to discuss, as each platform is quite different.

So, I thought I would offer more general tips.

THE FIRST THING TO REMEMBER IS THAT ALL YOU NEED IS 1,000 TRUE FANS Before anything, the first thing to remember is that all you need is 1,000 true fans – exactly what Kevin Kelly said in 2008 in relation to brand and business. These fans will be loyal, they will buy and they will share whatever it is you produce/offer.

MY TOP 10 TIPS: P I C K T H E RI G HT P L A TF O RM

"Most peoples’ growth on

Some of us are writers, artists, athletes, singers or in another field, and not all platforms will be best placed for our audiences. For example, if you are a writer then Instagram and YouTube might not be as worthwhile as

social media is not linear!

It tends to happen in spikes

Medium, LinkedIn or Twitter. Remember, we are not trying to be everywhere straight away; we want to be where our audience is hanging out.

P RO D U CE G O O D CO NTENT I think this is obvious – you need to produce good content for people to like and share. The ‘share’

and those spikes can be random, so it’s better to focus on building awesome content that is reaching your 1,000 true fans."

part is critical in getting ‘big’ on social media. I remember, one of my posts on Investor.Hub went viral, entirely because it was entertaining and informative. If your content isn’t great, people will not have the best experience, and it will be unlikely they’ll visit your page again. Just like a restaurant, if you have one bad experience you are unlikely to go back!

Each platform will require different types of content. For example, having an eye-catching thumbnail on YouTube is crucial and a good-looking feed on Instagram is a must to attract followers. Each platform rewards content differently.

GRO W T H E RI G HT WA Y – D O NOT BUY LIKES, FOLLOW ERS, VIEW S O R S U B S CRI B E RS There will be a lot people who have 'faked it' and it will be obvious. But, in the long-term, it won’t benefit them. You may also find that some people approach you and offer a paid service to help build your following, but remember these are shortcuts to failure as these fake likes or followers will never engage with your content. Also, most of the algorithms of these social media platforms keep changing and I am sure such a strategy will not work in the long run. As the saying goes, Rome was not built overnight and neither will your page.

E N G A G E WI TH Y O UR CO M M UNIT Y This is so crucial to winning on social media. Remember, it’s called ‘social’ for a reason and you should be engaging with comments, searching hashtags in your niche and building relationships with relevant people. The people that will love your content the most from the beginning will continue to be the loyal pillars in your community.

GO B E Y OND A N I CHE A ND FOCUS ON A SUB- NICHE What do I mean by finding a sub-niche? Well, there are so many people on social media, and you need to stand out from the crowd. You can’t, for example, focus on just ‘fitness’ – it might work better for you to focus on a specific type of fitness, such as fitness for mums or skipping (yes, there are some big YouTubers, like Jump Rope Dudes, who focus on skipping ropes and have hundreds of thousands of subscribers).

H A V E A P L A N A N D S CHE D U LE You must have heard the famous quote; ‘failing to plan, is planning to fail.’ This could not be more true for social media. To grow a thriving community, you need to be consistent, and to be consistent you have to plan when you are going to post and the type of content you will share.

Your community will get used to a routine, so if you post once a day then you should try to stick to this. Remember, rushed content is never good – it becomes obvious when something is created last minute, which can put users off.

BE UNIQUE Whilst it is great to see what your competition is doing, I would never try and copy them, because your personal or business page has its own voice, and that should project on your pages. People do not want to follow a duplicate of another page, and it will also be harder for you to consistently copy content that is not yours – you will eventually burn out trying to keep up. Saying that, viewing other profiles similar to yours can help you figure out what might work and what doesn’t.

H A S H T A GS Hashtags are used on most social media platforms and if you aren’t using them, no one is discovering your content. Those hashtags allow for people to search content related to specific topics and themes. Like we said about finding a sub-niche, I would also recommend doing the same with your hashtags. For example, if your page is about creativity, use two-word or even three-word hashtags that are related to this area.

INVEST TIME IN LEARNING HOW TO BEST USE NEW FEATURES

DO N ’ T O B S ES S O VE R NUM B ERS Too often when you are building up your social media page you get hooked on looking at how many likes, comments and views you get. Don't get me wrong; they are important, but try not get too down if you are not getting a lot of likes. Focus on building and engaging with your existing community of followers and producing good-quality content that is niche-specific. Most peoples’ growth on Instagram is not linear; it tends to happen in spikes and those spikes can be random, so it’s better to focus on building awesome content that is getting out to your 1,000 true fans.

N E V E R S T O P L EA RNI NG Social media is continually changing; from algorithms to new-user features. It is important that we keep on learning and try to understand these new changes so we can build strong brands on social media. Always invest time in learning how to best use the new features, and keep up to date with the algorithm changes to stay ahead of the game.

ENGAGE WITH COMMENTS SEARCH HASHTAGS IN YOUR NICHE BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH RELEVANT PEOPLE

IMRAN DEAN With a background in finance, investments and a passion to learn about news businesses, I pursued a career in the investment field. Saying that, I have always been creative and recently discovered that there was a great opportunity for those interested in investing, to learn it in a fun and informative way. This led me to creating @Investor.Hub, with the mission to help people learn about stock investing. On my personal page @imran_dean, I love talking about personal development and have recently started drawing and bullet journaling.

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SO YOU WANT TO LAUNCH

A PODCAST?

THE WHY, WHO & WHAT OF PODCASTING

BY ALICE BEHNHAM

@alice_benham www.alicebenham.co.uk/ 26

ABOUT

L I S T E N TO P O D C A S T

ALICE BEHNHAM DIGITAL MARKETING COACH ACCIDENTAL ENTREPRENEUR PODCASTER HOST

I’m Alice - digital marketing coach, podcaster, retreat host and accidental entrepreneur. If you had told me when I left school that I’d be running a business within a year, I wouldn’t have believed you. Yet here I am (in my early twenties) helping a whole host of business owners to level up what they do and build a more effective and sustainable online presence. I’m all about keeping things simple and real and am passionate about starting the conversation around the often unspoken sides of being an entrepreneur.

When I’m not sat at my desk or oversharing via Insta stories, you’ll most likely find me re-watching a Twilight film with a pint of ice cream!

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On the 9th of February last year I made one of the best business decisions I’ve ever made. I started a podcast. I had no clue what I was doing. I Googled everything. I made a lot of mistakes. But ultimately, I built something which would serve my business in ways I could never predict.

THE NEXT BIG THING There’s no denying the fact that podcasts feel a bit like the next big thing. It seems that everyone either hosts one or is launching one and it doesn’t surprise me, because the way we consume is changing. People are no longer spending hours scrolling through blogs but are instead getting their content fix whilst on a drive, answering emails or at the gym - we’re tuning in rather than reading.

And as the way people consume changes, so does the way we create. Enter podcasts - an intimate and dynamic way to connect with your audience and the perfect tool for business owners.

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Hosting a podcast can grow your audience.

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Hosting a podcast can help spread your message.

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Hosting a podcast can connect people to the personality of your brand.

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Podcasts can play a fundamental role in the success of your business.

BUT (and it’s a big one), only if they’re done intentionally. Like most areas in business, it’s all too easy to launch something because everyone else is doing it or some expert told you it’s the right move but I am a big believer that every decision should be made based off of how it’ll serve your business as a whole. And launching a podcast is no different.

So with that in mind, let me walk you through the WHY, WHO & WHAT of launching a podcast.

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WHY WHY

We need to be clear about how launching a podcast will serve the big picture of what we’re building.

Arguably the most important question to consider - WHY am I launching a podcast? As business owners with limited time and money, we need to be clear about how launching a podcast will serve the big picture of what we’re building.

The great thing about podcasts is that they can serve a multitude of purposes. From growing your audience and showing the value of your work to inspiring others and connecting people to your story, there are so many ways a podcast can play a role in growing your business.

1. LOOK AT YOUR CONTENT: With the ‘big picture’ purpose of your business in mind (eg - fill coaching spaces, grow your membership, sell your products) look at the content you currently create - everything from your blogs and Instagram content to your newsletter and pins.

2. THE BIGGER PICTURE: Now I want you to take a step back and ask yourself - how well are these currently serving that big picture? Consider the current weaknesses, gaps or challenges you notice.

3. PODCAST AIM: Then, bringing your future podcast into the conversation, consider what the podcast would need to achieve in order to compliment what you’re already doing, fill the gaps in your content and ultimately, work towards that big picture goal: • Struggle to educate your followers on the value of your coaching? Host live coaching calls.

• Don’t feel like you do well at connecting with your audience on a personal level? Create informal and personable solo episodes.

• Need something to bring in new followers? Host guests which have a similar audience to that which you’re trying to build.

What I’m trying to say here is think about it. Don’t just host a podcast because XYZ told you to, launch one because you can truly see how it’ll benefit you and your business.

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WHO WHO

I’m a big believer that anything we create, whether it’s an Instagram caption or new product, should always start with the WHO.

It’s true what they say - if you’re speaking to everyone, you’re speaking to no-one - and if you’re not clear on who you’re creating for, it’s impossible to come up with a piece of content which is sure to interest, engage and serve them.

So before thinking too practically about what your podcast will be, take some time to consider who it’s for.

If the WHY of your podcast is to promote your products or services (even if it’s indirectly), the audience of your podcast is most likely your ideal client or customer.

Whilst I know the question of ‘who’s your ideal client / customer’ feels a little over-done at this point, I want you to look at them in a new way. Whilst demographics are sometimes relevant, they’re rarely beneficial when it comes to knowing what content to create for that person - so instead of thinking about them practically, think about your future listeners on a personal level. Ask yourself…

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What are they interested in?

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What challenges do they face?

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What questions are they asking?

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What are their values?

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What do they look for in the content they consume?

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What podcasts are they currently listening to?

If you’ve already got an audience who (somewhat) resonate with this profile, don’t be afraid to ask them! Whether it’s chatting to a client at the end of a call or putting a poll up on your Instagram, the more you can do to understand WHO it’s for, the more effective you’ll be at creating a podcast they’ll love (which will ultimately serve your business).

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WHAT WHAT

The format of your podcast defines what your episodes will be like

So now you’ve considered the WHY and the WHO of your podcast, it’s (finally) time to think about the WHAT, aka the format. Put simply, the format of your podcast defines what your episodes will be like.

You may already have an idea in your head, but even if you do, it’s always worth giving it a sense check.

With the WHY of your podcast in mind, consider: •

What type of episodes would achieve this?

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Will they be guest, solo or a mix of the two?

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What topics will you explore?

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What structure will the episodes take?

My biggest encouragement at this point is to get creative with your format. With so many podcasts out there (and let’s be honest, a lot more to come), your format is your chance to stand out.

For a year and a half I went for the classic approach of interviewing guests in a raw / honest way purely because it seemed to work for everyone else and those listening enjoyed the episodes. Then after 60+ episodes I gave myself permission to be disruptive with a new format, and it’s not only made it so much more enjoyable for me to create, but it’s allowed my podcast to stand out in it’s own right.

So, don’t be afraid to try something new, push a few boundaries and create something which is unique… you’ll thank yourself later!

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RESOURCES From how to get onto iTunes to what to expect in terms of cost, there’s so much more I could say on the topic of podcasts. SO to help you take the next steps in launching your podcast, here’s 3 resources made with you in mind...

LAUNCHING A PODCAST Your technical guide to launching a podcast - this blog post walks you through all the important (yet a little boring and confusing) side of launching a podcast from what equipment to buy to how you get onto iTunes.

CLICK HERE

COACHING Propel your podcast! If you’d benefit from an injection of 1 on 1 support, accountability and expertise as you take your podcast from concept to launch, I do offer a coaching package which does just that! Quote ‘UNREAD’ upon enquiry for a bonus session if you book!

CLICK HERE 32

Discover the

Magic of Plants W I T H

M EG A N

F R O M

@sweetwateronline

S W E E T WAT E R

sweetwateronline.com

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Since the dawn of humanity – before language and before religion – humans communed with creatures of the plant kingdom. From hunger to injury to childbirth, our ancestors knew that the plants around them held their healing.

Today, the air we breathe, the food we eat, the clothes we wear, the houses we construct, and much of the medicine we ingest, is borne of the abundant generosity and wisdom of the green world.

And the plants still need us too. We nurture their seeds, we protect their young, and we draw local pollinators close with our shimmering summer gardens. Our connection to the plant world is still rich with knowledge – both ancient and just burgeoning – and our interdependence remains vital to our survival.

We can all cultivate deeper relationships with these plants that house and heal us by caring for them in our yards, inviting them into our foods, and mixing them into our medicines.

Whether you live on a farm, in a suburban home, or in a city apartment, you can find or sow these plants beside you for the joy of their beauty and companionship – or to cook up healthy, whole foods and gentle concoctions for your own home apothecary.

First, become familiar with your landscape and pick up a plant identification book for your area. You’ll likely discover that many edible and medicinal plants already grow right outside your doorstep, but I’ll give you a few simple suggestions to start with. Let’s begin with weeds.

weeds Dandelions and violets are some of the first and most tenacious little sunbeams to burst their bodies through the dirt in springtime. If possible, you should collect dandelions and violets away from roadsides and other polluted areas and in places that you know are free from pesticides, like a meadow or an abandoned lot. Your best efforts will reward you with incredibly delicious treats. Additionally, both dandelion and violet flowers are edible.

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dandelions are high in vitamin A, vitamin C, B complex vitamins, fibre, and minerals like iron, magnesium, calcium, and potassium. They’re a fantastic kidney and liver cleanser and digestive support. The leaves can be mixed with a haul of heart-shaped violet leaves – which are also high in vitamins A and C, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and blood cleansing – to make a mouth-watering wild pesto. Just follow the simple directions below.

make wild pesto 1. Collect enough dandelion and violet leaves to satiate you (be aware that dandelion leaves are a bit bitter, so you’ll want to mediate them with more mildflavoured violet leaves) 2. Rinse the leaves and dry them on a towel 3. Add the leaves to a food processor with a palm full of nuts of your choice (I like almonds), a chunk of hard cheese (like parmesan), and a glug of olive oil Remember, you can always add more of these, but you can’t remove them!

4. Sprinkle salt and pepper, add garlic to taste and then blend until smooth

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violets

make a beautiful, bright blue-purple decoration on salads and desserts. My favourite way to eat dandelion flowers is to batter the freshly-picked blooms in eggs and flour, pan-fry them, and add them to pasta.

the mint family You can also cultivate a bounty of food and medicine with the beloved mint family.

Plants from the lamiaceae family are some of my favourites to grow, to nibble on, and to feed the bees with, as their small, bountiful flowers also garnish our drinks and garden beds.

If you have a tract of land to let these beauties run wild, let them (and they will, as many mints are runners that love to spread), but you can also grow them happily in container gardens indoors — even hydroponically — as long as they get lots of bright sunlight. They prefer moist, welldrained soil and shallow, wide containers to deep ones.

Some of my favourite mints to grow both indoors and out are peppermint, spearmint, catnip, and lemon balm. Each one of these plants make a fantastic tea that will calm your belly, soothe your nerves, and aid digestion. Catnip is especially wonderful for insomnia and irritability, and all the mints can be added, like a gigantic mug of tea, to warm bathwater.

To make your own pot of tea from mints – or any other herb – you’ll want to dry the leaves first, and you have a few options on how to do this. Below are several different ways to dry herbs for tea!

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herbs for tea 1. Lay your leaves of choice on a cookie sheet or mesh screen in a dry, well-ventilated area for 2–4 weeks 2. Tie the sprigs together with string, cut a hole in a brown paper bag, and hang them upside down in a low-humidity location for 2–4 weeks 3. Put the herbs on a cookie sheet in your oven on low (below 180ºF/82ºC) for a few hours until dried – just check them often 4. Once your mint leaves are dry, scoop them into a tea strainer or tea sock (or just add to freshly boiled water and strain) and enjoy your own homemade medicinal teas 5. You can also muddle fresh leaves into cold drinks or freeze them into ice cubes in the summertime.

flowers Finally, let’s waltz with flowers. Edible, medicinal, and absolutely gorgeous flowers abound in the plant kingdom, but I’ve selected two that can be as happy on a sunny windowsill as in a cottage garden.

Hibiscus and roses are renowned, not only for their stunning beauty and unique flavours, but also for their healing qualities for hair and skin. Both of these lovely plants can be shaped into shrubs, hedges, or trees outdoors, although hibiscus should be brought inside during winter in temperate climates. They can also be grown all year-round indoors, as long as you have a spot that allows for bright, prolonged sunlight throughout the seasons.

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Hibiscus’contain loads of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, as well as gentle acids like citric and malic acid. They help rebuild the keratin of our hair and nails and aid the skin in retaining elastin.

Similarly, roses are anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and both moisturize and protect the skin and hair follicles, while also soothing and healing blemishes. Both of these flowers make a luscious infused oil that can be used on the hair, skin, and nails.

make your own healing oil 1. Fill a clean, dry mason jar halfway with dried organic rose petals or hibiscus flowers (or both) 2. Cover the dried blooms with your organic oil of choice (I prefer jojoba as it is the closest to our skin’s own sebum, but any cold-pressed oil will do) 3. Pour the mixture into a food processor or blender and blend for a few seconds to increase the surface area of the herbs, therefore increasing the extraction of their healing constituents (you can skip this step, but your oil will be less potent!)

4. Put the herbs + oil back into the jar and cover with a piece of cotton cloth (like an old clean t-shirt) 5. Store in a cool, dark location for 4–8 weeks 6. Strain the herbs out, using a cotton cloth or coffee filter and rebottle your infused oil!

(Remember to keep every step dry and devoid of water to avoid mold!)

Always take the time to harvest mindfully and with regard to the needs of the plants, their pollinators, and the larger ecosystem, so that the nutrition, medicine, wisdom, and beauty of the plant kingdom will be with us always.

Share these recipes with your loved ones and community to help reclaim the ancient wisdom of humanity. Be sure to label your medicines well with the extract ingredients (and their origin if possible), as well as the date of bottling.

Anyone can begin with one single local plant. First, you become certain of its identification, and then you progress by loving the plant itself – living with it on your land or in your home if possible.

Then you let your imagination grow wild.

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-

B U L L E T

J O U R N A L

-

Bullet Journaling: A Starter Pack

BY ANAM SHAIKH

I’m sure we have all scrolled through our Instagram and Pinterest feeds and have come across journaling ideas so aesthetically pleasing it made you cry. I have. In a spurt of productivity, I decided that 2019 was the year that I would finally get my life together and start journaling like any artistic person does. The fact that I made the same resolution in 2018 and 2017 and 2016 (you get the drift) doesn’t matter, but it’s a new year new me… I need to pretend that I can adult. I’m great at starting projects and leaving them halfway, but we’re halfway through the year now, and my journal is still going strong, not as visually pleasing as the ones on Instagram, but we will get there hopefully. For beginners who want to start out on Bullet Journaling, here are a few things to keep in mind.

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What is bullet journaling...

The Bullet Journal is a planner system with a blank journal housing certain elements like an index, a future log, monthlies, dailies and collections.

Bullet Journals are rapidly logged, written in a series of bullet points (as the name suggests), which effectively cuts down the content by almost 60%. The bullets are further categorised into: • Tasks – things you have to do • Notes – things you don’t want to forget • Events – noteworthy events in time

What you need...

Now let’s start with the basics. The only thing you need to make a Bullet Journal is a journal (duh!) and a pen. The journal can be any empty notebook, the pen can be any ballpoint pen. However, to get an element of importance into the sacred ritual of BuJo, as it is called, it will be better if you have a nicer diary or notebook, and a pen that makes you feel expensive. You can further accessorise your pages with glitter or coloured pens, washi tape, doodles, or anything else that tickles your fancy. It is up to you to make your journal as aesthetically pleasing as you want.

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You don’t need to be artistic...

Another thing to keep in mind is that you can BuJo even if you have no artistic bone in your body. You do not need to have perfect handwriting, impeccable writing skills, a steady drawing hand, or any designing skills. Find a method that works for you. It is YOUR journal, go with YOUR way. Do not put too much pressure on making it look perfect. Customise it according to your ideas and capabilities. Half the fun of BuJo is in the visual appeal but do not chase Instagram levels of appeal, that will take time (speaking from personal experience). The aesthetic sensibility of the journal does not take away the productivity aspect of it.

Themes It’s a good idea to theme your journal, with topics like self-care, selfimprovement, health, shopping, school, books to read, movies to watch, meal prep; you know, the stuff that makes you feel like an adult who has their priorities in place sorta thing? Yes, like that. You can have daily and monthly planners, money logs, bills, grocery lists, and all the daily minutiae, but aesthetic.

In general, there are three types of logs: •

Future log – a log about tasks to be done in the future, as the name suggests

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Monthly log – categorised tasks, events, and goals for the next thirty days

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Daily logs – daily reminders or to-do lists

Make sure to also come up with your own signifiers about priority objects in your to-do lists. I usually use star and double star markings or exclamation marks.

The index The first page of your journal is usually the Index. This Index is important because it serves as the structure and framework of your journal. If you wish to colour code your journal, remember to make the legend in the Index so you do not end up confused halfway through the journal if Red was supposed to be for Important Tasks or for Urgent Tasks (there is a difference). Create your own symbols and colour codes, a system that makes it easier for you.

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Remember: You I say ‘your journal’ because that is what it is. It is YOUR journal, with YOUR ideas, stuff about YOUR day, making YOU more productive, keeping YOU emotionally, mentally, and physically healthy, prioritising YOUR needs, getting YOUR work done. This is why it is also important to take time out for yourself and this journal. A kind of a me-time. Ideally the fifteen minutes before you sleep would work well enough. Write down the events of the day, things to do the next day or the next week.

Give yourself time If you are starting out, you will have to give yourself time to fit around this whole schedule.

What works for one person may not work for another so you have to find your own groove. You will not become an expert at BuJo overnight. Give yourself time to adapt and improvise. You should also try to avoid overdoing a journal. It might seem tempting to try out everything but it will be sad if you end up abandoning it halfway because of your own high expectations.

Keep practicing Keep practicing and experimenting with your journal. Just keep turning the pages, and do not be afraid of change. There are various templates and ideas available online, and it can seem like a rabbit hole or an abyss. As a novice to another novice, do not, I repeat, DO NOT compare your BuJo to the BuJos you see online. As I said earlier, what worked for them may or may not work for you.

We may only aspire to reach those levels of aesthete and design, but hey, we are all trying here.

And my journal is as beautiful as the ones I see on Pinterest, and so is yours.

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THE JOURNEY TO BECOMING AN

Interior Designer

BY ALISON GIBB

@greatscottishindoors greatscottishindoors.com

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PEOPLE SEEM TO ARRIVE AT THIS PROFESSION FROM ALL SORTS OF WALKS OF LIFE. Many are, as you would expect, traditionally trained artists and designers. However, people with sharp business brains, who know there is a creative soul inside their otherwise highly-skilled outward persona, often seem to gravitate to this artistic, but still relatively commercial discipline.

There is definitely something in the Zeitgeist - I think property has been a hot topic for a couple of generations now. For many people, their homes are their security and even their pension, so getting them to look as good as possible has become extremely important. People with an eye for interior design are very sought after, as their gift is perceived as a way of enhancing a family’s fortune. This possibly explains the rise in popularity and status of this profession.

Is it as easy as it looks? You kind of imagine the life of an interior designer as one long shopping trip; choosing fabrics and wallpapers for other people. How lovely! Well I have recently had a week of self-discovery. I have been on a short interior design course at Juliettes Interiors; a top end furniture retailer and interior design studio in London’s Kings Road and it was a real eye opener.

They asked all of the participants to focus on a room that they wished to re-design. As my cousin was kindly putting me up for the week and my own house has been very thoroughly ‘done,’ I planned to work on her living room. We were asked, in advance, to bring before photos and measurements, which I did of course – roughly.

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Any professional interior designer probably needs to look away right now, unless they want to give themselves a really nasty headache. I hardly measured anything - just took a rough idea off an estate agent’s website of a house for sale on their street. I did not measure the width of the fireplace, the alcoves, the height of the skirting – no, no, no they have all been penciled in afterwards if you look carefully!

I have now had my incredibly inexact, ‘it’ll be fine’ attitude to life officially confirmed.

I have realised that the job of an interior designer is actually to visualise their client’s décor scheme very, very clearly and to effectively communicate that vision to them in detail. They are doing a sales presentation really, and the more beautifully their vision is presented, the more likely their clients will buy into it.

Through doing this, they might suggest fabric, furniture and wallpaper choices, in the hope that their client will then purchase them through them.

INTERIOR DESIGNERS CHARGE IN VARIOUS WAYS: they can charge for a consultation, but many are happy to have an initial chat for free. However, they really should charge for the extremely painstaking task of taking measurements, drawing up plans, elevations, visualisation and for creating a mood board. They can then make further money by supplying the furniture, fabrics and wallpapers as a retailer.

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Undertaking the design of my cousin’s living room, I quickly realised that interior design for other people, even a close relative, is very ‘on display’ and unless you give it a lot of consideration and address every detail really carefully, you could feel very exposed. The resulting scheme is likely to receive a lot of scrutiny, especially if it is known to have had the input of a designer.

Serious analysis is required. Simply, ‘being creative’ is not enough. Creative people who cannot draw up a report, detail specifications and costs won’t make a living as an interior designer. The saying goes that creativity is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration, and this is ever true in the world of interior design.

However, I would like to add that if you are not highly creative, with a wonderful sense of colour and the ability to visualise space, you also will not do very well. Simply going through the process, being precise and having tremendous attention to detail is also not enough. There is no doubt that on top of that, a little bit of magic is definitely required.

The living room on the next page depicts the living room of one of my favourite designers, Jessica Buckley; a genius with colour and someone I believe to be a gifted artist. You need to be able to layer fabrics, colours and patterns as well as an artist creating a painting.

KNOWLEDGE OF TRENDS AND FASHION IS PARAMOUNT: and expertise in the history of design for people, who want their interior to reflect the period of their property, is also necessary. A client with a Regency home will want cornicing from the Regency period, therefore, it will be your responsibility to make sure the moulding pattern and style is correct.

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COMMUNICATION IS EVERYTHING, OF COURSE, AND IT HAS TO BE TWO-WAY: the designer needs to listen to their client and understand what they want and then be able to communicate to the client what they think they should want! A delicate process, to say the least.

I am thrilled to note how popular my Interior Design Toolkit is proving with Interior Designers. Over and over again I receive reports of what a wonderful conversation starter it can be between designer and client.

When they first meet, designers often report that their client has literally no idea as to what they want. Working their way through my toolkit can be a really gentle way of establishing that. Once a style has been decided upon, they can then go on to look more widely for sources of inspiration, but knowing what they are looking for makes this search so much more fruitful.

ANOTHER KEY SKILL IS COLLABORATION On top of being highly business-like and creative, the designer also needs to be able to collaborate with architects, builders, plumbers and electricians. This kind of communication can be challenging for people who are real detail orientated.

In a commercial project, where the deadline and budget are extremely tight, things can literally happen overnight. Trying to persuade a team of electricians to undo something they have been working on all night (something you told them to do and the client is paying for), while you were comfortably sleeping, can be quite a difficult conversation to have. If you are a fragile, creative type or even a volatile creative type, (who finds themselves either in tears or punching walls or worse when things go awry), you should think carefully before entering the jungle of the building trade.

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A delicate character might think that they would rather stick to domestic projects, but clients can be difficult. When it is someone’s home and things are going wrong, it can get very personal between designer and client. I would rather tackle a dodgy plumber than an unhappy housewife any day of the week.

I do not want to end this feature on a gloomy warning to anyone who has ambitions in the direction of this wonderful, creative profession.

Sticking up for yourself is an important skill in any profession, whether you are working in an office, a hospital or a classroom. Frictions and tensions arise in all walks of life and the stresses on a building or refurbishment project are no different.

We need beautiful interiors, both at home and in public-shared spaces. Anyone interested should look at courses available; at their local college and at correspondence courses, if your location is at all remote.

Alison Gibb Alison Gibb is a Scotland-based interior writer and stylist! She studied painting at Glasgow School of Art, to later share her colourful passion with others as an art teacher.

After having children, Alison decided to try something new and teamed up with her husband, photographer Douglas Gibb, who had started specialising in architecture and interiors. Eventually, they set up a brilliant business creating features for interiors magazines.

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We need beautiful interiors, both at home and in public-shared spaces.

Begin your studies by enjoying your environment. Your surroundings make a wonderful starting point for any creative project. Start observing them carefully, enjoying the beauty around you and taking a critical eye of things that could be done better. Making sketches or taking photographs will get you thinking and observing.

Have fun researching the wonderful creatives already working in this field, from fabric designers to furniture makers; start collecting a little black book that you can draw on when you start your first project.

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W R I TER'S

CO RNER

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How to tackle novel revisions like a pro B Y

H ANNA H

BA U M A N

Finishing your draft is just the first step in your journey to publication. Tackling edits and revisions is both exciting and overwhelming, invigorating and terrifying. But the editorial process isn’t painful if you know where to start.

click to discover

@BTLEDITORIAL

@BTLEDITORIAL

BTLEDITORIAL.COM

BETWEEN THE LINE WRITER’S NOOK

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EDITING ENCOMPASSES SEVERAL PARTS OF YOUR WORK: 1. THE STRUCTURAL STUFF: generally known as a developmental edit. This includes things like plot, pacing, and character development in novels.

2. THE INDIVIDUAL SENTENCES: generally known as line or substantive editing. This includes the rhythm of your words, how everything reads, and the logical structure of sentences and paragraphs.

3. THE OVERALL COPY: generally known as copy editing. This includes spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

You need to go through those three phases of editing before you proofread, which is the final check to make sure you’ve caught as many errors as humanly possible.

Before approaching a professional editor or a publishing agent, you should complete a thorough self-edit and follow the above steps. You’ll want to start with the big picture.

THE STRUCTURAL EDIT Your developmental edit, in which you look at plot, pacing, character arcs, and other big picture ideas, is where you want to start to save time. After all, there’s no point in editing sentences for grammar when you might end up making huge changes!

To start, approach your draft with fresh eyes. I always recommend my clients put their manuscript away for at least a full seven days, if not more. The human brain is a mysterious and wondrous thing, and during that down time, it will make new connections, uncover new problems, and show you areas where your story might need some help.

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Before editing, create a list of questions to ask yourself as you edit. Below are a few to get you started: •

Does the plot have an inciting incident, rising actions, and a clear resolution? What about the subplots?

•

Does the story drag at any point? (Hint: If you're bored re-reading a section, chances are your readers will be, too).

•

Does each character have a consistent personality and actions OR clear reasons for changing?

•

Does the setting seem real without being overly descriptive?

If you created an outline or story bible for your project, refer back to that as you perform the structural edits. Make sure you hit every element you wanted to include.

Keep your list of questions and/or your outline handy as you begin to edit, and don’t be afraid to take it slow. The plot and characters are the foundation for your actual words, and pretty language doesn’t make up for a messy or underdeveloped story.

THE INDIVIDUAL SENTENCES Once you’re satisfied with how you’ve revised the story, it’s time to begin your line edits. This is probably part of what you think of when you think about editing your own work. This part gets into the nitty-gritty of language and how things sound, and this is when you get to put your individual voice and style to use.

If you can, read out loud to hear the rhythm of your words - you’ll find a lot of awkward phrasing this way. You can also use the text-to-speech feature in your word processing program to do this for you, though the computer sometimes adds awkward pauses.

Cut out info dumps or reduce their word count by one-third to one-half. Of course, you can always cut more or less as you see fit, but condensing and reducing info dumps is the best place to start if you want to keep the pace of your story!

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THE OVERALL COPY After you finish line editing, it’s time to polish your work for grammar, spelling, and punctuation, and check the overall ease of reading.

This step includes running your document through several different word processing programs, as they all have strengths and weaknesses. And as you do this, don’t blindly trust the computer - the programs don’t understand context or nuance. Judge each suggested edit carefully before making changes.

Search your document for crutch words and phrases.

These are words/phrases you rely on too much or ones that don’t add anything to your copy.

If you need help identifying the crutch words in your writing, check out this blog post I wrote.

Be as clear and concise as possible in your writing.

That doesn’t mean you can’t use beautiful and flowery prose, but make sure your sentences have a clear subject and object, and make sure you aren’t repeating yourself multiple times unless your character needs to.

One final thing to check for in your self-copy edits is passive voice. Passive voice is a sentence construction in which the object acts as the subject. Rewrite most passive voice to active voice to make a big impact on your story’s pace. You can read more about passive voice here.

If you need to do a quick check for passive voice, try adding “by zombies” to the end of your sentence. If it still makes sense, you’re in passive voice!

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WHAT TO DO NEXT Once you’ve completed your self-editing, you can move on to working with other writers for feedback, seeking an agent, or hiring a freelance editor.

Whether you want to self-publish or pursue traditional publishing, I always recommend finding a critique partner and/or beta readers. These are writers and readers, respectively, who will provide input on story structure. They may even catch some typos!

If you’re going to self-publish, you should always work with a professional editor. There are editors out there for every budget, and many are willing to work with authors on a limited budget. Reach out to see how their schedule is looking (we book up quickly).

When working with a professional editor, you should also take a look at their portfolio and see what their professional credits are. Make sure you get a sample edit from them, too, to see if you like their editorial style. Just like writers, editors have different voices and styles, and working with one who understands your voice will help your work shine.

Whatever publication path you choose, with a little mindfulness and time management, you can get through your self-edits relatively stress-free!

About Hannah Hannah Bauman is an editor and writing coach based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. She founded Between the Lines Editorial in 2016 and has worked with authors from around the world.

If you’re curious about Hannah’s editorial services, contact her at hannah@btleditorial.com for more information and a free sample edit.

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WRITER’S CORNER

A TRADITIONAL PUBLISHING EXPERIENCE

BY YAZARAH

W W W.Y A Z A R A H . C O M @THE_SICKNESS_YAZARAH

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ABOUT YAZARAH Yazarah was born in the West Midlands but has moved so many times that she still gets lost in her own house. Her love for animals is turning her house into a petting zoo and a hotel for stray cats and foxes. Being raised in a ‘broken home’, she is proud of her single mother and wouldn’t have it any other way. Yazarah is a Psychology graduate and trainee counsellor. She loves delving into the dark places of the mind and her book is as much psychological as it is supernatural - it pushes the meaning of humanity to its limits. Her fascination with the supernatural started young: wandering through woods, watching horror films and drawing witches (instead of princesses!). Inspired by her life, religion and fighting for an identity as a British Asian, she is breaking stereotypes through her writing. Her interest in other cultures, features in her writing.

I started writing stories when I was about twelve years old, but at that age publishing didn’t even enter my wildest dreams – and that’s saying something because my dreams were pretty wild. I continued to write all through secondary school. At first it was mostly scraps of ideas that I tried to force together, then when I realised how bad it was I’d scrap it. However, one vision kept flitting in and out of my attention, but I never gave life to it and was unable to put it into words. Until characters grew and then the idea started to solidify, I realised then all of my previous attempts failed because I had been missing characters that were true to me.

I finished my first proper novel at fourteen and suddenly decided that I would publish it. My adolescent self was so ready to conquer the world with my words, but that fantasy was very quickly shot down. I thought finishing the novel was the hardest part – that’s what all the magazine articles and book blogs always said. They made it seem that as long you could put together a completed manuscript, there would definitely be someone out there eager to offer you a publishing deal. Hell no.

First of all, I had no idea where to start, publishers were like an alien race for me that I could only get to by star ship. I did some research online, starting with publishing houses that my favourite authors were with, but they were big names, like the A-list celebrities of the publishing world. Most were closed for submissions anyway, the others asked for a list

of things that might as well have been physics equations: ‘synopsis’, ‘proposals’, ‘SAE’. Some would not accept ‘unsolicited’ manuscripts – more fancy words I didn’t understand and distanced me even more from the whole publishing world. But I didn’t let it faze me for long.

I found an amazing book called The Writers and Artists Yearbook that explained everything and gave helpful, practical advice and tips. Finally, it gave me something I could actually work with. I’m sure there are other books and resources, but ten years ago this was the most detailed and easy to understand.

Now I had a direction, I set to work perfecting my synopsis and making a list of publishers and agents (which I had only just found out about through the book). Agents sounded like knights in shining armour, who will believe in you and fight for you. Little did I know, getting the attention of an agent is more rare than a publishing house! Naturally I got dozens of rejections from both. Fed up, I stopped approaching them and again focused on my manuscript. Editing is equal parts fun, equal parts torture – you turn into a word master by the end of it!

I’m actually really glad now that I got rejected back then because I wasn’t satisfied with the novel, it wasn’t where I wanted it to be. I wrote my first draft when I was a teenager, but I grew up and so did my characters. Good characters always reflect something from within the writer; amazing characters have a personality of their own. So, I re-wrote my novel and edited it for the umpteenth time, the only thing that remained relatively the same is the very first and final chapter. Honestly, even to this day, I’m still not satisfied with my work. A true writer is never satisfied with their work, but we need to know when to let it go, otherwise we will never finish a novel.

A couple of years later, I started approaching agents and publishers again and still got rejected. I considered other routes, like self-publishing, many times but it just wasn’t for me, I wanted to do this or not at all. It knocked my confidence badly and I doubted myself so much that I stopped writing. I was miserable and my mind was a mess – my characters were running a riot, trying everything to get my attention; Idris set fire to everything, Ray blocked memories and placed herself firmly in front, like the little sociopath she is, and Hiro threatened to start a massacre (again).

It took a lot of encouraging and even more scolding from my friends to realise I had the wrong attitude all along. I didn’t start writing in the first place to get published – that was

secondary. I write because I love it and it is my lifeline. Writing is therapeutic for me - the only thing that grounds me in a harsh world and a chaotic mind. I went back to that attitude and started on my second novel, determined to develop my writing. Maybe that was the magic trick because once I enjoyed writing again, and I wrote for the right reasons, I finally

got some interest. I was contacted by three different publishers. I chose one, a contract was made, and then editing began once again!

I cannot describe how I felt the day my books arrived, two weeks before it was officially launched to the public. 10am the delivery came, I took it straight to my mum. She asked me what it was.

“My books,” I replied casually.

She gave me a long-suffering sigh. “More books? Have you even read the ones you’ve already got?”

I broke into a grin and leaned closer, as if imparting a secret. “No. My books.” I repeated emphatically.

I opened the box grandly. My mum almost cried reading the dedications. Almost.

I’ll have to try harder in my second novel.

SYNOPSIS Hiro Sheuri is a man surrounded by demons on all fronts: his cruel past, the vampire spirit possessing him and the Jinns he lives amongst. Hiro’s job was to keep their secret world hidden, until he takes in two human survivors whose lives were ravaged by monsters. Luke, a boy from America displaying strange symptoms of an unknown virus and Ray, an inpatient of a mental institution controlled by a powerful organisation called Soteria.

Hiro discovers the creatures of the Second world are being infected by a sickness that is driving them insane. Including his greatest enemy, the A’richeils- once beautiful, alluring beings that grant one wish in exchange for a soul, become demented monsters that attack without purpose or reason. Something is controlling the infected creatures and they are targeting Hiro. They seek the Savant sword, an indestructible weapon that binds a power so destructive even the bearer is not safe.

Dedra Davis 319 Crescent Rd.

MY ROAD

Waco, Texas 76710 254.717.4248 dedradavis03@gmail.com

TO PUBLICATION

www.dedradaviswrites.com

By Dedra Davis

I think I have always been a writer. My road to publication has been a long one with many detours, stops, and starts, along the way. Writing for me has always been a dream. When I was young, I would read a book and think if only I could write like that—one day.

After college, I would start writing poems, novels, and children’s books and stop. I would get inspired, but the inspiration would float away like a loose balloon. Life would intervene and pull me away.

In reality, my confidence as a writer would always trick me into halting my writing. Who was I to write? Why would anyone want to read my words? I am certainly not interesting enough.

Doubt always won.

Even with my journalism degree as a backbone, I lacked confidence. I felt spineless, even with the degree, and so I squandered all my dreams of being a writer—and of being a published author.

Until one day, over five years ago. The confidence came out of nowhere. And while I was still petrified to push submit, I did it, and I was published. I came alive; I grew internally. I felt like I grew taller, as well—I was no longer metaphorically spineless.

The last five years have been some of the happiest for me. Self-happiness—doing something for me, accomplishing goals and living dreams.

I wrote for a small newspaper for three years, started a blog, and submitted to several magazines. Being published, no matter the form, was thrilling to me, and I never felt more proud of myself. I became a bit addicted.

I also started yet another novel. But with this book, once again, the inspiration hit, I ran with it, and it vanished. Or did the fear creep back?

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In October, another spark of inspiration hit. I wrote a picture book. Inspired by my daughter’s silly Great Dane, the book spewed out like word-vomit. This was not the first children’s book for me—I wrote four picture books, thirty years ago (during the no-confidence era), but after one rejection, I filed them away. But this time something is different.

In October, after I wrote this manuscript, I turned to a friend of mine who helps writers market their children’s books, before and after they are published. She gave me a lot of advice and support. And I was so excited to get started.

Thirty years after that first rejection, I have confidence. I now believe in my words. And I want to share these words.

On my blog, I aspire to inspire. There isn’t much difference in children’s literature. Picture books inspire, educate, entertain, and cause a giggle.

The difference? With blogging, when I am inspired to write a blog, I do it. I write I edit, I pick beautiful pictures, I get the SEO correct (my least favorite part), and I push submit. I don’t have to hope and pray for anything—except readers. I don’t need an agent. Nor a publisher. I only need a reader and me.

The road to publishing is quite different. I am at the mercy of an agent and a publisher. I once read agents need me (the writer), but I see no evidence of that so far.

I am on this lonely road, paved of queries and rejections, and fear. And, doubt.

The road to publication is full of bumps. This adventure has lots of bumps and not a lot of pretty scenery. It is a scary road I am driving down. I often wonder why I am putting myself through this turmoil?

The answer is because I know at the end of this long road there is a different road. A smoother, happier road, with a book I can hold. A book I can read to children. I will read this book, and listen to the kids giggle and watch their eyes smile.

This time, I am persistent. I am failing forward because I want this so badly. I am putting up with rejection and disappointment because I have a dream. I believe in this dream, and I believe in myself. And that—that feels amazing.

I have a goal to query 100 agents and publishers this year. I am almost halfway there.

Writing is a lonely art. It is a gutsy art. You put yourself out into the world, raw. And sometimes it feels like you are running around naked and everyone is laughing at you. But other times still, it feels so damn good. When someone tells me they feel my words, that they are inspired by what I wrote, it makes running around naked a little bit easier.

I am living my dream of being a writer. I am brave. I am persistent. I will be published—one day.

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OUR INVISIBLE AUDIO FRIENDS My suggestion to anyone trying to care for their creative mind, body and soul, like I do with podcasts, is to try and find a selection of podcasts with which you feel most connected, that gives you practical advice or information, and which motivate you to keep going.

BY ROSSITZA PFEIFER

To me, podcasts are a natural development from blogging. Most of us have listened to one or the other at least for one episode already. They cover a wide range of topics and areas. Regardless of whether you believe in their worth, or like to listen to them, some of them have huge audiences and the financial success to prove it.

Apart from offering very practical business, creative or social media advice, podcasts are valuable, even if you don‘t have a so called “side-hustle.” They are mostly conversations between two humans who exchange their life experiences, and talk about how they communicate, find their self-worth and self-belief - who doesn’t love conversations like these over a coffee?

I like to see those invisible friends in my ear as creative and business coaches. There is only one other person in my offline daily life who is endeavoring in creative writing and remotely envisioning a financial future for his writing, so I am basically on my own with my creative projects. My friends and family will listen, but it’s not the same as having someone who is in the trenches with you. So hearing about people who have done it before me, or are in the same situation, is very helpful to me. I see these podcasts as tools and guidance towards a more fulfilled life where all parts of me have a legitimate place – not just the worker, the mother, the wife and tax payer. This is why I have divided my invisible coaches into the areas of mind, body and soul for my envisioned (creative) life.

MIND I’m regularly working on my author mindset and trying to learn how to build an audience for my writing and getting my work into the world. Some podcasts that have helped me a lot with this are, ‘The Creative Penn‘ with Joanna Penn, a passionate indie author who shares so much insight and valuable

information about being an indie author and making a living out of this.

Two podcasts that share marketing and social media insights for creative businesses in general, and also offer food for thought on self-belief, are the ‘Grow with Soul Podcast‘ and ‘Hashtag Authentic.‘ To me, Joanna, Kayte

and Sara are audio friends I will listen to - they inspire me to work on my mindset and implement the knowledge I gain.

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BODY This area is more about my body of work – the creative writing I do in the form of articles, essays, and short stories. My favorite audio friends in this respect are ‘The Secret Library Podcast‘, ‘Marginally‘, and ‘The Writer’s Digest Podcast‘ because they offer insight into the process and the craft of writing. Their interview partners are fascinating as well and I have learned of many writerly resources through them.

SOUL Cathy Heller’s ‘Don’t Keep Your Day Job‘, and again Sara Tasker’s ‘Hashtag Authentic‘ are my go-to podcasts when I’m looking for some general motivation for my dreams, and some encouragement in self-belief. They always leave me smiling and seeing things more positively than before, so it’s good that Cathy has two episodes per week.

I might not listen to all episodes right away, but it’s like having a well of encouragement right in your ear whenever there are a few spare minutes in the day.

My suggestion to anyone trying to care for their creative mind, body and soul, like I do with podcasts, is to try and find a selection of podcasts with which you feel most connected - podcasts that give you practical advice or information, and motivate you to keep going. But, try to keep them to a handful only, because listening to podcasts, (most of them publish several episodes per month, so the hours of listening accumulates very fast), can become a way of procrastination in itself as well. They should benefit you in some way, and not become a habit like scrolling social media, feeling none the wiser or more motivated afterwards.

I listen to my audio coaches whilst commuting (when I don’t want to listen to other passengers anyway) whilst I’m cleaning, or ironing. In other words, when I’m occupied with something, but my mind is free.

There can be a lot of value in them, if they are used and listened to intentionally.

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ILLUSTRATOR

Sara Meadows

BY LUBNA

Sara Boccaccini Meadows is a Brooklyn-based textile designer and illustrator, who is originally from the North of England. She loves painting with her 5 year old, hiking, collecting cool objects and traveling the world in her spare time. If you haven’t seen her beautiful masterpieces, you need to head over to @boccaccinimeadows now and fall in love with her unique work. @boccaccinimeadows

boccaccinimeadows.com

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Right now...

I‘m currently part of a Climate Action residency on Governors Island, NYC - we’re preparing for a summit this September! I’m also super excited about the launch of a wallpaper collaboration with the French brand @bienfaitparis.

Earliest memory of drawing!

I don’t really have a specific memory of starting to draw or paint, but I do have a lot of diaries and year books with intricate black and white doodles. I think I’ve always drawn to relax my mind.

Inspiration?

Yes, I’m definitely inspired by nature! I grew up in a National Park, and would always be taken on long walks by my parents, so was always surrounded by the beauty of nature. It is definitely where I get most of my inspiration from, although it doesn’t have to always be in the Great Outdoors. I love visiting Botanical Gardens whenever I’m in a new city.

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How did you start sharing your work on Instagram?

I don’t think I put too much thought into when I started an account for my artwork. I just saw it as a great visual platform, and it seemed to make sense to start putting my work on Instagram. I seemed to get a good response and enjoyed the feedback initially and that inspired me to keep going. It was pretty organic to be honest, and I just shared what I was doing without thinking about a big plan or growing a following.

How did you find your illustrative voice?

My style is pretty natural and I’m drawn to painting flowers and nature! I create a lot of repetition in my work and that combined with organic colour seems to have become my illustrative voice. It seemed to strike a chord with people online and I enjoy the process.

Your top advice to illustrators looking to get more exposure I think platforms like Instagram and tumblr are great to put your work out and build a portfolio. Be yourself and be true to your style, it will be more distinctive that way. Reach out to people that you are interested in and inspired by.

Tell us about your Enamel mugs and phone covers - they’re so pretty!

I have enjoyed being able to put some of my designs on very small runs of products. The enamel mugs have been very popular and sold out quickly. I currently have a small number of mugs inspired by trees and the changing seasons.

I have those on my website (boccaccinimeadows.com), along with prints and cards etc.

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You also published your own book? YOU GO GIRL! Tell us more?

Last year I did a Botanical Painting book that was inspired by some of my favourite places to paint. It was a big project, but rewarding to be able to try and give people a glimpse into my creative process. I absolutely love it when people share with me some of their completed work from following the projects in the book! I hope to get the chance to do another in the future, and am working on a couple of ideas at the moment.

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What are your go-to tools when it comes to creating your marvellous illustrations? I use pencil, watercolour, gouache and fine pens mostly to create my work.

Before scanning the work and being able to render it for production in Photoshop.

I travel a lot, and keep painting journals as I go, so I need my essential art equipment to be easy to pack away and carry!

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ILLUSTRATOR & CARD DESIGNER

Charly Clements

BY LUBNA

Meet Charly Clements, she’s a greeting card designer and freelance illustrator from the UK, known for her unique style, quirky illustrations and brilliant puns. Three years ago, she decided to sell all her belongings and travel around the world armed with only an iPad Pro. Since then, she’s been lucky enough to live in so many amazing places, while being able to work on some of her dream @charlyclements

charlyclements.com

@reallifelines

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How did your love for art/illustration come about?

I’ve always had a passion for drawing. Ever since I could hold a pencil you would find me sketching on anything I could get my hands on! I knew I wanted to have a creative career, but it wasn’t until I started University that I decided to specialise in Illustration. Just before I graduated I took part in New Designers in London, where I showcased my final major project, ‘procrastination’. I was very lucky to get picked to do an internship at Tigerprint.

There, I had the opportunity to learn new techniques and even got to design greeting cards for Marks and Spencers! That was a dream come true! I’ve always been big on puns and word play, so it’s been amazing that I was able to combine my two biggest loves.

Your inspiration?

I travel around a lot, so I’m constantly finding inspiration from the beautiful places I visit.

I’m also guilty of spending hours on Pinterest and Instagram, I think I’m a little bit addicted.

Ideas normally pop into my head when I’m just about to fall asleep, so I always sleep with a notebook under my pillow just in case. Is that weird?

Your message?

Humour and happiness! I try to create work that people can relate to in some way. Whether that’s through humour, puns or bad dad jokes. Knowing my work brings a smile to people’s faces is why I love my job so much!

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Two fave pieces?

Wow it’s so difficult to choose! I’d have to go with my ‘Clementine’ portrait because so many of my amazing followers drew it in their style. I also love my “Cozy Night In” illustration because that’s when I started to really push my colours palettes.

Your art on cards!

CLEMENTINE

I always enjoyed making cards for friends and family and decided to open an Etsy shop during my last year of Uni. I still remember the day I reached 100 sales and I couldn’t believe people other than my family were buying my designs.

Fast forward 5 years and now I have my designs stocked in shops worldwide!

CLICK TO SEE!

C OZ Y N I G H T I N

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Real Life Lines What is it?

Real Life Lines is a passion project I started back in 2016 where I’d promote my favourite creatives on Instagram by bringing their photos to life.

Aim?

At first, I used it as a creative outlet. I wasn’t feeling very inspired with my illustration at the time and felt I needed to work on something completely different. I then saw it had potential to be more than just a hobby and it grew from there.

How did it come to life?

It started off with a funny doodle on a photo I found online. I shared it on Instagram and people asked to see more. I gave myself a challenge of posting a drawing to Instagram every day for a year. It quickly grew on social media, and got noticed by blogs and websites such as Reddit, My Modern Met and Bored Panda. Eventually, I got approached by brands to create content for them. This is why I love passion projects!

Your go-to tools?

I used to sketch everything out traditionally and then scan my designs and edit them digitally.

But this definitely slowed my process down a lot.

Since getting the iPad I work completely digitally now. The only tools I use are the iPad Pro and Apple Pencil with the Procreate app. It’s been an absolute game changer!

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Your top 3 tips for creatives!

• STOP COMPARING YOURSELF TO OTHERS • SET YOURSELF PASSION PROJECTS TO GET YOUR WORK NOTICED • ENJOY THE PROCESS!

...I should probably listen to my own advice more often!

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I N T E R V I E W

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VIDEO CREATORS

Paper Boat Documentaries S H O R T

F I L M S

I N S P I R E D

B Y

PAS S I O N AT E

L I V E S

BY LUBNA

@paperboatdocumentaries

paperboatdocumentaries.com

Paper Boat Documentaries produces and creates video content for passionate businesses, brands, creatives, good causes, or simply individuals with a story to tell. They love to tell real stories, and have a unique documentary style to their work, hence the name!

In their videos, founders, Martha and Simon, aim to capture the passion and heart behind why people do what they do. Â

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Meet Simon Simon is the guy behind the camera, who also directs the filming and records the sound on our shoots. He is also the Editor of our films and is responsible for nearly all of the post-production process, besides the final sound design and audio mix.

Meet Martha Martha is the Producer. She manages the workflow of a project from start to finish. She is across all communication with our clients and is responsible for the preproduction and organisation leading up to a shoot. In the post-production stages, Martha co-ordinates the edit, working alongside Simon as an Edit Producer.

B E T W E E N U S , W E COV E R T H E B U S I N E S S E L E M E N T S - S O W E ’ V E G OT O U R H A N D S F U L L !

Mission in one line: Short films inspired by passionate lives.

Why ‘Paper Boat’?

To us, the image of a paper boat conjures up the idea of freely travelling along to unknown destinations. When you watch a paper boat travel along a stream, you have no control over it, it just goes with the flow and ends up wherever it’s meant to be. That’s kind of how we felt when we started this - we’ll go along with the adventure, enjoy the journey and whatever happens, happens.

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What inspired you (Martha and Simon) to start this company? What was the actual ‘light bulb’ moment?

Before Paper Boat Documentaries, the two of us worked in London, in television production (Martha) and post-production & advertising (Simon). These career paths taught us so much - we both agree that without them, we wouldn’t have the skills or experience to be doing what we do now, so we’re really grateful for that. However, eventually, we felt frustrated by the lack of creativity we both felt in our respective roles.

As a way of dealing with those feelings, we started creating short documentary films together about passionate people we knew, on the side of our full-time jobs. The more we worked on our own projects, the more we realised how much happier and more fulfilled we were doing them. These feelings kept growing, which led us to the realisation that we needed to quit our jobs - this sounds pretty dramatic, but it was a considered decision. We didn’t quit there and then, instead, we gave ourselves a window of time to continue working and save up as much money as we could.

The Autumn of 2016 was when we waved goodbye to those careers and London life, to embark on a road trip around Europe.

The goal of the trip was to make short documentaries about the interesting people we met on our journey; our intention was to seek out people who were passionate about their work.

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It was an incredible three months of driving around The Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and Belgium in an old Volvo Estate (with a make-shift bed built in the back!).

We met really great people and made short documentaries about some of them, which we edited on the road. Needless to say, spending time with people who love what they do sure does rub off on you. When we returned to the UK, we couldn’t imagine doing anything else and were determined to find a way of making videos about passionate people our job, so we decided to create a full-time business doing it.

What sort of films do you create?

We love to tell real stories, focusing on people’s passions and what drives them to do what they do. If we’re telling the story of a passionate business owner, we like to spend a good amount of time interviewing and filming with that person, so that we really get to know them. Behind a two-minute film of ours, there has often been a couple hours of interview and a day or two of filming!

Between us, we cover the video production process from start to finish - apart from the sound design and audio mixing which happens in the post-production stages, that’s

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all down to the brilliant skills of our good friend, Alex! In the early stages of Paper Boat Documentaries, we created three to five-minute short films, but the way in which people consume content has been changing over the past couple of years, so the duration of our videos is often shorter now - sometimes they can only be a minute long!

We also make short social media clips that can be only 10-20 seconds, it’s quite amazing how much information you can get across in 10 seconds. The scope of the work we create nowadays is definitely broader in comparison to when we first started, which we think is a good thing. It’s important to adapt to what’s going on around you.

What has been your most favourite project so far?

One of our all-time favourites is a short film we created about Stuart Macfarlane, the Chief Photographer at Arsenal Football Club. This was a passion project of ours in late 2017. We still love to take on passion projects, even though we’re a business now. When we met with Stuart, he had been doing the job for 28 years! A moment we’ll never forget is when Stuart referred to his job as ‘the dream’... 28 years in! To us, Stuart’s story demonstrates the good things that can come out of pursuing what you are truly

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passionate about. The whole experience of filming with Stuart was just amazing; we were given the incredible opportunity to film pitch-side at the Emirates Stadium, on a match day, which was a real pinch-ourselves moment. We learnt a lot from meeting Stuart and we truly hope we will share the same unwavering passion for our job in 28 years time as he did for his!

S T U A R T M A C FA R L A N E V I D E O

What has been your most challenging project so far?

Due to the nature of what we do, every video project we work on is so different, so they present their own individual challenges each time. Challenges we face can be anything from permissions for filming locations, to delivering projects with quick turn-arounds, and many more things in between! We try our hardest to prepare and plan accordingly for each project, thinking ahead of the challenges we may face and how best to overcome them.

What kind of companies/individuals do you work with?

We consider ourselves very lucky, in that we get to work with such a wide array of different companies and individuals. Every project is very unique! Most recently, we’ve been working with a fantastic well-being company, which we’ve loved because they have a great ethos. At the same time, we were also working on a video about a really passionate restaurateur and chef. In between those, we were interviewing various artists and creatives for a community video. It really is such a mix, which we love!

How do you assess whether you will take up a certain project?

It’s important to us that a project has the right intentions. Of course, we understand that our videos are predominantly used for advertising and marketing purposes, but it’s chief to us that the clients we work with and the projects we work on share our values.

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Thinking about it, we’ve never really had any experiences of a client approaching us and us thinking they weren’t the right fit. Perhaps ‘like attracts like’ in that sense, as the clients we work with are often like-minded people who are passionate about their business, cause or creative pursuits.

What does the future hold?

We have very recently taken on our first office space. After two years of working from a home office set-up, we decided to take the plunge and get ourselves a separate space, so that has been really exciting for us so far in 2019! There are many things we want to achieve going forward - we both feel that we still have a long way to go and a lot more to learn. There are a few passion projects we’re really keen to do about certain people who have inspired us, so one of our main goals is to make those happen! We’re not entirely sure what the future holds and to be honest, we’re excited by that. As long as we still get to connect and meet with more passionate people and tell their stories through our work, we’ll be happy.

AS

LO N G

CO N N EC T

AS A N D

PA S S I O N AT E T H E I R

W E

M E E T

P EO P L E

S TO R I E S

WO R K ,

S T I L L

W E ’ L L

G E T

W I T H A N D

T H R O U G H B E

TO

M O R E T E L L O U R

H A P P Y .

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ARTIST

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Metin Salih From very humble beginnings (the floor of a fish and chip shop) in Hackney, London, came the talent we know and love to be Metin Salih.

At just 13 years old, an advertising executive saw a portrait Metin had painted on the wall of his family fish and chip shop, sketched on chip paper. Little did Metin know that this moment was the starting point of a 25-year career that’s seen him illustrating and designing campaigns for the world’s major advertising agencies.

METIN.CO.UK

@METINSALIHART

I ALWAYS WANT TO PUSH THE BOUNDARIES OF MY ART. I WANT TO DIVE INTO EVERY STYLE, EVERY MEDIUM. 82

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Inspiration?

Hmm, what inspires us all? Inspiration comes from all around us; be it beautiful, ugly, spirit or a challenge. I think what inspires me the most is when someone says NO – all I wanna do is say HELL YEAH! I always want to push the boundaries of my art. I want to dive into every style, every medium. It’s only when you really test yourself that you find out who you are or more importantly, what you can achieve.

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Creative process?

Creative process is a funny thing. Anyone who tries to be creative – be it music, art, literature or film – has my sympathies.

You can start every single day the same way. The same espresso at the same cafe at the same time, play the same music, the same time of day or night. You work through the night until you’re exhausted.

Then the next day nothing works! No matter how hard you try, you just can’t recapture it! It’s as if someone has turned off the creative juice tap! If this happens, I just go for a run and forget everything for a while – seems to work…sometimes.

You have created incredible portraits of some well-known figures, tell us, who did you enjoy bringing to life the most?

Each portrait is so special. Honestly, I’m so honoured to paint each and every one. They tell me, sometimes a complete stranger, their inner fears, strengths, dreams and I try my best to capture their individual stories in a painting. Sometimes hidden (because they don’t want it to be obvious), other times loud and colourful.

From Stormzy’s struggle to be true to himself and his music, to a janitor at Saatchi & Saatchi, whose mother passed away and the only recollection of her was a tiny black/white photo and some distant memories – each one is entrusted to me, and for that I am truly honoured.

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Love me Save me The LMSM Collection started off as a painting for a dear friend whose mother lost her husband a year ago. At the funeral, a bee was buzzing around her and of course, she associated the bee to her late husband. It brought her comfort and remembrance. I thought, how can I make this extra special, have a deeper meaning? So, I secretly painted their initials within the membranes of the bee. Upon unveiling it and asking her to look deeper, she noticed their names. She cried, which set me off too.

The very next day, I opened the morning paper to read an article saying that we are losing our bees. A lightbulb moment? Karma? Who knows? That day I painted a bee and an elephant. The next day, there was another article about ivory trade and it hit me; ‘Love Me, Save Me’. Do you ‘Love Me’? Then ‘Save me’ - a plea from our beautiful friends (LMSM).

I kid you not, that evening I painted a rhino, what happened the very next day? The very last white rhino was killed. I felt weird, as if something had led me all along, who knows?

Later that week, I painted the 10 most endangered species on our beautiful Earth. The words LMSM appear on areas such as elephant-tusks, rhino- horn, whale-meat or tigerfur - which are all reasons why poachers kill these beautiful creatures.

The mission is to open people’s minds to what is going on every day, whilst we watch EastEnders and sip on our Starbucks coffee. I recently launched hoodies with the artwork and message on it, and am hoping to expand into jewellery. A good percentage goes to each individual charity that helps our beautiful friends. I plan to collaborate with a few people in the public eye, who can wear and take the message beyond my little studio in Kent.

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What is your main medium?

At the beginning I tried everything: oils, acrylic, gouache, pastels and more! People would say, ‘ooooh I like it when you paint thick like Lucian Freud’ or ‘hmm love your black and white fashion stuff.’ Then I thought, why not combine it all? I’ve painted in so many styles for many clients – what if I merged them all? Then when they said, ‘oh no you can’t do that? That’s not real art!’

Well that made me more determined! So, today my art is an accumulation of everything I’ve ever learnt, and I don’t give a damn about what others say.

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YOUR DEFINITION OF: Art; what is it?

Art

Is it dried out tea bags on a radiator?

Is it an oil painting?

Picasso said, “art washes away the dust from everyday life,” - so true.

We are ALL artists. We are ALL surrounded by art. For me, art is everything - sounds so cliché but it is. The laughter from a child, the flow of a dress, the way sunlight dances on fields… I would dream of having the same feeling.

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CREATIVE STUDIO

Fried Cactus Studio

BY LUBNA

@fried.cactus.studio

www.friedcactusdc.com

HELPING BUSINESSES AND BRANDS GROW BY PROVIDING FRESH ILLUSTRATION AND DESIGN THAT ENGAGES WITH THEIR TARGET AUDIENCE! 88

ARON LEAH

I TRY TO SAY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, WITH AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE.

FOUNDER

Aron, where did it all begin?

Honestly, Fried Cactus Studio started as a way to calm my mind and help me focus on what is important. Which to me, is family. The studio then started to work as a way to collaborate with different people and push myself to grow personally, creatively and professionally. It has now become an extension of my personality.

Previously, I was working 9–5 as a graphic artist for a clothing company and would freelance on the side, however I was never able to make it as an artist or illustrator. So, when I found design and learnt how a really cool illustration could tell a story and become so much more, I became obsessed with stripping back and simplifying my process and work. I try to say as much as possible with as little as possible.

I don’t like to think too much about what the studio could become, but more about how the work could evolve. I view success as having a balanced lifestyle and being grateful for what you have right now. If I can sustain a level of consistency with that, then I think life would be pretty cool.

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SERVICES YOU OFFER? Mainly, I do logo and brand identity design within the food and beverage industry. I also work on collections for apparel companies.

WHAT INSPIRED THE COOL NAME? (WE LOVE IT) My wife and I visited an agave cactus farm whilst travelling in Morocco.

I’m starting to work with an animator where the illustration side of what I do will grow.

PROJECTS SO FAR...

It’s a fond memory that stuck out to

I work on all kind of projects from logo

me - the name Fried Cactus evolved

and identity to packaging and illustration!

from that experience.

The most enjoyable part for me is that every project is different and I get to really

GO-TO TOOLS & PROGRAMS?

understand the client’s journey, up until the

Procreate on the iPad Pro, Adobe

something that they really connect with and

Illustrator, Photoshop and my brain!

ultimately their audience will connect with.

point we connect. Then the aim is to craft

CREATIVE PROCESS It changes so much! For me, knowing that good ideas are hard to come by and I have to let them come naturally. Doing an activity unrelated to your project is a great way for your subconscious to shine.

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ARON’S TIPS HAVE YOUR ADMIN SORTED... ...before you start freelancing full-time.

This includes invoicing and book keeping!

Personally I’m really bad at paperwork, so trying to be creative whilst worrying about all that became really counterproductive.

NETWORK! Create a good network of people in the same boat as you! Freelancing can be super isolating, so being able to talk about the ups, downs and bounce ideas around is invaluable.

CURATE YOUR WORK! The work you put out in the world will impact the work you are asked to do.

GROW Continue to grow personally, professionally and creatively - never stop learning.

MAKE TIME FOR YOU Always make time for what you enjoy - something away from design or illustration.

I surf and this helps me so much! No matter what’s going on, taking time to do what you enjoy will almost reset your mind by focusing on something else.

“

Keep practicing your craft. Someone once told me that if you are stuck in a rut, change your tools and this will change your process and kick you out of that funk. Fresh perspective is key.

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Heather Iqbal

BY LUBNA

Do That Thing started when I wanted to learn more about some of the amazing black and ethnic minority creatives driving the industry forward and overcoming various barriers. I interviewed everyone from graphic designers to filmmakers to event managers – and one thing became clear: a scheme which connected a younger generation of black and ethnic minority creatives was needed. Not just to grow networks, but to also allow young creatives to empower, lift up and champion one another in an underrepresented industry.

So, what is Do That Thing? It’s a new kind of grassroots mentorship scheme. It brings together creatives from BAME (black and ethnic minority) backgrounds across the UK to learn from, lean on and lift up one another.

@DOTHAT_THING

Starting in Manchester, Bradford and London, Do That Thing will pair Leaders, who are established creatives, and creators, with those just starting out on their journey to make their mark on the creative sector, and embark on a successful, paid career in an industry that contributes over £90 billion to the UK economy.

You can find out more and apply here.

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GET INVOLVED! Do That Thing goes beyond the industry silos of PR, advertising, media buying, design or social media. It starts with creative people of colour wanting to earn a living from their talents.

APPLY TO BECOME A DO THAT THING LEADER If you’re between 25 and 35, from a black or ethnic minority background, and are a paid freelancer or employee in the creative sector, then why not share this experience while building upon your own?

APPLY TO BECOME A DO THAT THING CREATOR If you’re between 19 and 22 years of age, from a black or ethnic minority background, and either starting or seriously considering a career in the paid creative sector, apply to become a Do That Thing creator!

It’s important to note that these ages are just a guideline and we encourage everyone around those brackets to apply – we know everyone is on a different journey.

COLLABORATIONS SO FAR! We’ve collaborated with some incredible creatives, who have informed how we should structure and execute our scheme, as well as provide real inspiration to drive it forward.

This includes creative direction from Saliah Bryan, support from graphic and 3D motion designer, Hashmukh Kerai, fashion buyer and all round campaigner, Laiqi Ahmed and founder of Don’t Sleep on Us, Neelam Keshwala.

We’re also really thrilled to have held our first event ‘Diffuse’ in collaboration with FUSE and FRESH Magazine, two amazing creative groups in Manchester.

And of course, our biggest collaborators are our partners, The Unmistakables, who have supported us in creating the scheme and championing it forward!

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THE UNMISTAKABLES The Unmistakables are a marketing and communications consultancy consisting of minorities. They help leaders create brands that make a difference to the world - and they do that by building companies that actually reflect society inside and out. They look at the world differently, and they’re unique to any agency you’ll ever work with.

They helped strategise around Do That Thing and supported us in taking it from a kernel of an idea to a real, nationwide scheme that helps open up access to an often-closed industry.

ABOUT HEATHER My entire career has been about running campaigns and using different creative methods to do that – running political campaigns using the digital grassroots, running campaigns to help brands reach their audiences better, and now, in my day job I run communications campaigns at Global Witness. Global Witness is an amazing NGO that looks to tackle corruption and the environmental destruction and human rights abuses caused by it. It’s an honour in particular to run the communications for our Land and Environmental Defenders campaign.

I founded and started running Do That Thing in the last year, which has become a big part of my life. It’s not something I get paid for, but I fit it around my full-time job. I’m really passionate about it, which has given me the drive to take it further – but I’m trying to be careful about burning out!

I’ve always been really into zine making and writing, but I’d say pulling together the content and approach for Do That Thing has become my biggest creative outlet.

CREATIVITY IS

Flexing a muscle that allows you to think outside of your immediate sense – and using that muscle to make something, anything out of your expression of that.

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5 TIPS FOR STARTING A PROJECT 1. Pen to paper: Is the hardest part, but the most important. You can spend

weeks, months, years thinking of an idea, but until you articulate it on a piece of paper, you won’t start moving forward with it. Mark down your dreams.

2. Fit it around your life: Sometimes you want to start a new project or take a

different direction, but you already have a lot of other commitments and don’t know when you’ll ever have time to do it. I suggest sitting down, looking at your likely schedule for the next month, and putting aside a portion of time – as you would for a new hobby – and dedicating those pockets of time specifically for that project. To get started, you might want to cordon off a whole Sunday or take a day off so you can really plan it with some dedicated time.

3. Write down why: When you decide something new, write down why you’re

doing it. Put it in a prominent place – stuck above your desk, as the background on your phone. This will help you stick to it, and remind you of what you’re trying to achieve so you don’t wander away from the original objective.

4. Ask for help: Want to start something but don’t know how? No one will have the

perfect answer, but there are big networks out there and lots of willing people, who run their own projects, happy to share their insights. Messaging people whose blogs I have read, who I follow on social media, meeting them for a coffee or having a phone call has been so valuable for bouncing ideas off them and hearing how they deal with their project.

5. Keep trying: Missed a deadline or feeling unmotivated? Life can be hard and

full of a lot of challenging moments. Don’t be hard on yourself if you don’t move your project on as quick as you might like. Just give yourself the space you need and pick it back up when you feel you have the emotional, physical and mental energy to do so. Yes, sometimes you have to push yourself, but punishing yourself will sap all the joy out of your inspiration.

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CREATIVE AND HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST

Dima Rizk

BY LUBNA

A human rights activist, Gimme Mo’ UN UK Ambassador, X2 Founder of DIMA Bracelets for Change and an upcoming CIO that inspires to build sustainable projects and run educational programmes for underprivileged children all around the world. @TEAMDIMAGLOBAL

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With a passion for volunteering and giving back to the community, Dima Rizk is one inspiring individual, who is taking her passion for change and a talent making bracelets to bring about a positive change in the world.

During her volunteering experience in Malaysia, Dima realised how much power she truly had to make a difference in the community. In Malaysia she was part of an initiative that built an educational centre, a kindergarten and an environmental rejuvenation project in the Bornean rainforest. She has also worked on sustainable projects in countries like Lebanon, India, Ecuador, South Korea and more.

Dima has been interviewed on several TV channels, including MTV, where she has shared her journey, teaching her confidence and further inspiring her that change can be achieved. She’s also enlisted the support of a number of celebrities, including Jean Claude Van Damme, Miss USA, Monique Coleman, Love Island’s Laura Anderson, who have worn Dima’s bracelets to support causes and projects she is involved in.

With upcoming projects in Lebanon, Philippines, Nepal and Kenya, Dima is currently planning to work in a small village on school dinner projects, uniforms and will look to increase enrolment, improve adolescent mentorship programs and imitate knit and chat clubs for young girls and boys!

Team Dima Global Team DIMA Global is about inspiring young people to volunteer out of their comfort zone and make a change through a collaborative effort.

The main prerequisite for volunteering is that you must have the heart to do it. At Team DIMA Global, we mostly focus on underprivileged people from all around the world, who are missing out on basic needs.

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• We are advocates of education and help build sustainable projects within the community to give them a chance at a good life with no limits!

• We also help run health programmes, including feeding projects, providing sanitary products as well as educational programmes to ensure no child is left behind and that they realise their potential.

DIMA Bracelets of Change are made by myself, and girls and boys in different parts of the world – not only do they learn vital skills during their knit and chat classes, but they also use their time during these mentorship programmes to learn and be a part of the change!

‘light bulb’ moment?

I think my ‘light-bulb’ moment was when I returned from Malaysia! I did a lot of volunteering for a number of organisations, but Team DIMA Global remained at the back of my mind. I was lucky to connect with like-minded people in the UK and different parts of the world that helped bring my vision to life. My parents were a massive support and they helped so much, especially financially (bearing in mind I was only 17/18 at the time).

Monique Coleman (star of Disney’s High School Musical) who is not only my mentor but my big sister, really advised me and became a big part of my dream. That said, I didn’t actually know where to start, how long this was going to take and what I needed to do. I just wanted to help people!

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I founded Team DIMA Global because I realised how much I talked about my trip, the work that I did and the impact it had. I think it had a lot to do with what I saw on my volunteering trips – I wanted more young people to experience what I did, to go out there and explore and see how lucky they are to be in the fortunate position they are in.

How does it all work?

We have our own small and personal structure with an amazing and dedicated team of volunteers, who understand the vision and the important role they each play to accomplish any project.

We have Global Youth teams in countries including, Kenya, USA, South Korea, France and Lebanon etc. - who help us spread the cause! We’re always meeting up, creating new projects and sharing our ideas to move forward with our work!

Three Interesting Facts About You 1. I studied Politics and International Relations 2. I won the UK Positive Youth Award for my contribution to education and empowering everyone and the environment 3. I’m British, American and Lebanese

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Starting a project can be a hard work - especially a non-profit organisation what challenges have you faced and how did you overcome them?

Fundraising! Trying to get people to give you money isn’t easy because you need to explain exactly where the money is going etc. You don’t want them to think that you’re going on holiday with their money!

Sometimes, some challenges we face can turn out to be quite positive. For instance,

STARTING A PASSION PROJECT! 1. Make sure that the project is close to your heart and be passionate about it 2. Confidence – don’t let anyone put you down 3. Recruit a great team to work

we have a small team, who come up with

with. A team that is passionate,

great ideas! At times it can be difficult

has integrity, is creative and

when trying to pick one or when trying

cultural!

to cooperate many ideas…so, in a sense, there’s a challenge, but when we have more and more discussions, we overcome this.

I think another challenge we faced was picking a unique logo for our mission – you don’t understand how much I pestered my mum and my sister – so stressful! We’re such a creative team, so it had to reflect our creativity! New projects, new logo!

Congratulations on getting your bracelets in some great stores! How did that happen? (Creoate being one of them, right?)

Pop-ups are my favourite and so good for any product in general because it can be seen, tried on and purchased on the spot. It also allows you to connect and network with people from all around the world – we actually found that Australians really love our bracelets!

We’re always on the lookout for pop-up spaces and for people to collaborate with!

Our next stop is Los Angeles!

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CLOTHES & PARTY DÉCOR BIZ

Natalie Fedechko

BY LUBNA

withalittlegraceandluck.com

@withalittlegraceandluck

Natalie Fedechko owns her very own custom apparel and party decor business. She started off making party materials for her own children’s events, and later invested in some new machines, taught herself how to use them and found herself creating custom birthday shirts for friends and family – from that point, things took off !

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RIGHT NOW...

I am currently getting my Etsy shop set up. I took part in some amazing craft fairs a couple months ago and have been taking some time to re-invest in a website/blog. I want my blog to be a little more personal and to have pictures of the things I have done in the past and my Etsy shop to be a portal for custom listings.

Grace & Luck is like my third child, I see so much potential in it because I LOVE making custom things and bringing peoples’ wildest ideas, dreams and parties to life. I spend every single day improving my talents and am always open to criticism – I don’t stop until I get the job done. If I don’t have what you are looking for, or I’m not sure, I pride myself on finding the best or being able to provide answers for my customers.

IT HAS BEEN VERY HARD STARTING OUT, BUT OVER THE PAST COUPLE YEARS, I’VE PRACTICED AND BECOME SKILLED ENOUGH TO START AN ACTUAL BUSINESS, CREATING WITH A HOBBY I LOVE.

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CREATIVITY IS... ...stability. Now I know that sounds kinda odd, but to me… creativity has always been an outlet, the way I handle everything. From writing, to singing, to making – it has all come from the hard things I have faced and has made me take risks, ignore doubts, and focus on the task at hand.

CHALLENGES? When I was young, I faced a lot of challenges and many who know me now, only know me from high school onwards, which were the most stable four years of my life. I thank god for those days, because it was within them that I got therapy and realised what normal life could be like.

I grew up in an unhealthy environment, always switching schools. Somehow, I think that made me adapt to any place, any time, any group of people, I like to think I could talk to a wall, and I’m sure my husband and friends would agree. Those experiences made me, me.

For that I am forever thankful.

It’s not easy when you wake up every day and battle the traumas of your youngest years, but it’s made me strong. I have children now and I’ll protect them with every ounce of my being. I strive every single day for them, I wake up with an extremely grateful heart for my family and that I have made it this far. This business means so much more to me than just t- shirts and parties. It’s a dream come true.

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I have recently discovered a non-profit organisation called, ‘Forever Your Overwatch’ - they provide security, training and empowerment for anyone living in fear of a violent threat. This organisation does amazing things for many women, including a very close friend of mine.

If you’re looking to gain skills to truly feel like you are able to protect yourselves, and gain some peace of mind these are the guys to call.

FUTURE PLANS I would love to become a full-blown boutique and event planning venue, basically the ultimate party one-stop shop. I am also planning on posting lots of content on my blog, as well as selling items on Etsy as of now – pictures of products are on our Instagram page!

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ADVICE! I am big on taking time for yourself, not this new-age self-love trend, like genuinely just do whatever it is that makes you happy and gives you peace. The older I get the more I realise you don’t have to surround yourself with people who hurt you, it’s important to surround

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Tucum -

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By M’ Giulia

MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE ONE SUSPENDED COFFEE AT A TIME Solidarity. It shines most bright when tragedy hits. In the aftermath of World War II, amidst the rubble and hardship, Naples’ citizens sought to help each other by starting a tradition known as the ‘suspended coffee’ (il caffe’ sospeso). This consisted of paying for two coffees, one for oneself and the other for any other person in need who would go to the coffee place but could not afford one.

This elementary form of charity has inspired Giandonato Salvia, a 30-year-old Italian economist, to extend this idea to that of a ‘suspended economy’ (l’economia sospesa).

Giandonato is the founder of a tech start-up which aims to provide tech solutions for problems faced by those most in need. He is also the inventor of ‘Tucum app’, which is a mobile application revolutionising the way we look at charity by enabling people to make micro-donations, which are then used by people in need to buy meals.

I caught up with Giandonato to better understand how this app works, but also to understand his ideology.

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Giandonato, could you explain ‘suspended economy’?

The organisation which has developed the app was put together on the 16th of February of 2018, but the idea behind it came about way before. I had been working for a couple of years on the idea of the ‘suspended economy’ mostly from an academic point of view.

This new economic terminology refers to an economy which puts the human at the centre, rather than profit; the common good, rather than the sole interests of the entrepreneur. It’s the economy of those most in need.

THE TUCUM APP Allows for donors to make micro-donations through their mobile phones. The donor gets to choose an item (for instance a meal) from a given a list of enterprises who are partners in this project. The money donated then goes to partially cover the cost incurred by the partners providing the service and the remainder goes into another fund which can be accessed by organisations who also help those in need. This way all the donations are ultimately redirected to those most in need through the use of an electronic currency check the app out here How do the beneficiaries get the donated goods?

Currently we have partnered with Caritas Italy, who are present in various areas in Italy and work closely with the poor. They help us identify those individuals most in need and present them with a card (which operates on a near field communication (NFC) technology). This card is topped up daily with credits as opposed to cash. The beneficiaries can then present this card to one of the partnering companies and claim their daily credits in food, which they get to choose. This ability to choose, rather than beg, restores a level of dignity to the person in need.

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In reality, Tucum is the name of a ring made out of coconut wood in Brazil. It used to be worn by slaves during their celebrations as a show of fraternity amongst them.

Nowadays it has evolved into a symbol of the fight against poverty. It embodies what we hope to bring about with our app. We believe that technology is the way forward in today’s society, yet we should not forget those most in need and must use these new tools to bring a more equal and peaceful society.

There are times when I pass someone begging on the street - I find myself wondering whether I should help, if the money would be used wisely, whether the person is genuinely in need or otherwise. How does Tucum respond to such questions?

Tucum has been created specifically to overcome problems of fraud, as well as the inadequate use of cash. It creates a system of accountable and transparent charity. The beneficiaries would have been previously identified by the Caritas members, who work with them on a daily basis. Moreover, the beneficiaries would also be asked to follow a programme of self-improvement which would eventually lead them to find work and help themselves get out of the poverty cycle. The credits on the card are personal, nontransferable and non-cumulative and hence must be used daily. The beneficiaries would also be asked to pay a minimal fee of €2 a month for the card. This is not a payment, but rather a token which gives them ownership. It makes them the protagonists of their story, rather than simply the passive receivers of hand-outs. It also ensures that there is a degree of appreciation for the donations received.

And what about the partnering enterprises? What do they have to gain in getting involved in such an initiative?

Currently the enterprises we are looking at are grocers, restaurants, bars and other food supply stores. The partnering companies must be small and medium enterprises (SMEs), in this way we would also be aiding them with more business. When registering as a partnering company, such SMEs will only get back the cost of each meal or goods claimed by the ‘person in need’, therefore technically they would lose profit margins from such transactions. Yet, they would be increasing their output, which could help in spreading their fixed costs further. They would also be gaining more ‘traction’ in the market, as well as the intrinsic satisfaction that they are giving back to society. In order to be accepted as a partnering enterprise, the business must be proven to be an existent enterprise and carrying out ethical operations.

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What was the most challenging step in developing the app?

It was the process of translating the ideology of ‘sharing’ into a concrete product. It was particularly difficult finding a bank that was well-developed in terms of technology and e-currencies, but also held social causes at heart. We had to research extensively and finally found such characteristics in UBI Bank, whose personnel helped us immensely in the process of setting up the financial infrastructure for the app.

What is the most satisfactory thing in seeing this app take off?

Probably the thing which makes it all worthwhile is how the eyes of those we meet brighten up when we mention the project. Upon hearing about the project, people are filled with hope that a better world is possible, that dreams can truly become reality when shared amongst a number of people. Currently, in the world there is no other instrument which is as innovative, structured and brings together people from different social rings and conditions.

Giandonato’s passion for this project is truly contagious. In a time of unprecedented affluence and technological innovation, we must make sure that no one is left behind.

Hence by challenging the status-quo we – as the new generation of entrepreneurs, business people, economists as well as simple citizens of the world – are being called upon to be change makers. Let’s make sure that the economy is used to serve the people rather than making the people serve the economy. This can start from small gestures after all – even a suspended coffee can be a humane act which shows that we actually care for each other. For more information about the Tucum; click here.

“WE BELIEVE THAT TECHNOLOGY IS THE WAY FORWARD IN TODAY’S SOCIETY, YET WE SHOULD NOT FORGET THOSE MOST IN NEED AND MUST USE THESE NEW TOOLS TO BRING A MORE EQUAL AND PEACEFUL SOCIETY.” - GIANDONATO SALVIA 109

Carl Tuléus

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LOVE BROUGHT HIM TO HIS TRUE SELF B Y A L E Y N A K AYA

Journalist student, model, Instagram celebrity and now editor-in-chief of the trade magazine, Service trends. 23-year old Carl Tuléus is a person with many experiences in the baggage.

– Love shaped and brought me here, he says.

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Ariana Grande is playing in an apartment on Södermalm, Stockholm’s inner city. Carl Tuléus is standing by the balcony with a cup of coffee and cigarette in his hand, he is wearing a beige fur jacket.

Carl tells us that his life predominantly consists of immense changes. Everything from changing jobs in different industries to moving around the world. He describes the most significant change as his move to Berlin, and the meeting with the man he fell in love with.

– He was a German actor and worked with local theaters, films and television series. I was absolutely fascinated by the fact that I finally met someone who worked with culture.

During his five months in Berlin, every waking time was spent with the man. Carl Tuléus lived with the German actor and the relationship rolled on, until it didn’t go together anymore. He tells us that they both wanted different things in life and that the relationship made him feel confined. When the contract for housing time came to an end, Carl therefore packed his bags and returned to Stockholm.

– I was blinded by love and forgot myself.

He describes the time after the breakup as tough but enriching. It was in connection with the breakup that Carl managed to find himself and his passion for writing.

“I am enticed by playing with words’’

Photo: Aleyna Kaya 111

Much of Carl’s literary work is based on real events, often about past love relationships.

– It is meeting people and love in between that made me grow and find my inner voice.

Writing is not the only thing he has mastered. In connection with the breakup, Carl was discovered by MIKAS model agency and started his model career. Yet another thing he managed to squeeze in his eventful life.

– For me, modelling is an art form. That’s where I can live out my acting dream I once had, he says.

Being in the spotlight is not something new for Carl Tuléus who in his younger days tried to get into acting.

He tells us that he never got any roles but a certain status on social media, when he started posting humorous clips on the app Vine. He reached up to

“Writing is like acting and our life is like a play’’

36,000 followers before the app then closed down for good.

Acting is not something that he wants to do today, however, Carl wants to use his experiences and express it through writing.

The afternoon is coming to an end, the cold penetrates through the cracks on the floor. Carl fumbles with the pocket of his jacket and pulls out his cellphone, he wants to read a poem.

– I easily associate emotion with inspiration. To keep myself in order I write poetry. When the theme is love; he is my inspiration.

Carl has had all the titles one can imagine and still inspires many people on different platforms. But what Carl Tuléus really wants to be is an author. He describes his dream to be, writing books for a queer audience and use love as a tool in his narration.

– My identity is easier to splash with words than to say it out loud.

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I N T E R V I E W

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Sana Adnan An evening chat with a small-business owner (cake included!)

BY AMINA AHMED

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I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with someone who makes the world a little sweeter. Sana Adnan is a local baker who runs her own custom cake business local to the New York area called The Cake Shop NY. She’s been diligently at it for almost a decade as her lengthy client list proves.

A full-time baker and mother of 2, Sana is usually covered in either flour, frosting, or the kids’ homework. She was kind enough however, to sit down and answer some questions about her self-made company. She looked happy to have a moment to simply sit down (with a clean shirt!) and have a conversation, which is something we all could use once in a while.

@TheCakeShopNY What led to you starting your own business?

I’ve always had a creative mindset and wanted to achieve something that was mine. I honestly never thought I would get into baking. I actually started making small party favors for birthdays, and from there I had the idea to try baking. But I didn’t want to make just any cake, I wanted to make special cakes. I’ve always loved seeing the cakes they made on Cake Boss.

When did you first get into baking?

I started baking about 7–8 years ago and it was on a very small scale at first. I had no idea it would ever get so big. All of my loyal clients made it happen for me. I’m so grateful to everyone, who believed in me and gave me the opportunity to make their events special.

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How did you learn to bake?

I’m proud to say that I’m self-taught. I taught myself through YouTube videos, TV shows, and blogs. There was definitely a lot of trial and error, but I never stopped trying. Even to this day I love exploring new techniques and recipes. I really look forward to each and every design.

My advice would be to follow your heart.

As simple as it sounds, people need to hear it.

Challenges?

It’s generally a very challenging job. Working from home and being a full-time mother of two kids, I definitely experience my tough days. As far as the difficulties I’ve faced, sometimes I have to work non-stop for weeks at a time before getting a day off. I don’t get much sleep or time with my kids, especially if I’m making a large cake. Deliveries are also tough ‘cause it’s a very nerve-racking moment whether the cake will make it to its destination in one piece.

Also, if I’m working on a specific design, it can take days or even weeks till I perfect it. But, I don’t like to give up, and I like to think that facing these challenges shows that I give 100% no matter what the stakes may be.

Has it been tough doing everything on your own?

It sure is tough working alone but honestly, I really do enjoy it at times. Working alone allows me to get that one-onone time with my creative side.

I like things a certain way and I hold myself to a high standard when it comes to the final product.

Do you have a memorable or favourite cake you’ve made?

Ahh favourite cake! Well, all my cakes are my favourite; they are like my babies haha.

But if I had to choose, I’d say I really like the jungle themed ones. I also really enjoy making wedding cakes. I recently

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made an upside down chandelier cake and it came out beautiful. I have fun with it all – girly cakes with blush tones and whites, ivories, purples – those are definitely my favourite colors to work with.

What was the toughest cake you’ve made?

That chandelier cake was definitely a tough one because it required a lot of precision and I’m proud to say I nailed it! I think I worked a few straight days on that one as it was huge.

Your advice...

My advice would be to follow your heart. As simple as it sounds, people need to hear it. Never give up on what your heart tells you and keep trying till you get there. I also believe it’s vital to uplift and support one another along the way. Whatever is yours will come to you no matter what – no one can take that destiny away. I’m a big believer of fate.

Inspiration?

I get inspiration from everywhere! I love beauty and I love making my cakes beautiful. I definitely add my own twist to them too. I get a ton of inspo from Pinterest. I follow a lot of international bakers, which gives me a peek into the trends outside the state and even the country. I love seeing the cakes people have made.

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Future plans?

Hopefully I get to open my own bakery one day – that would be an absolute achievement for me. I would also love to do a TV show – I think I’d have a lot of fun with it.

There seems to be a lot of competition in custom cake making – how do you stay afloat of the others?

Yes, there’s definitely a ton of competition, but I focus on the details rather than the numbers and whatnot. Details matter. I’m also very accommodating and quick with emails and price quotes, which gives me an edge. People who have events coming up sometimes are in a pinch so they always appreciate getting a quick reply back. I also work with the client so that they are happy with the budget and the product. But on top of all that, I have to say that I truly bake each cake with love, and my clients have even written back saying they tasted the love baked into the cake. That puts a smile on my face.

WHATEVER IS YOURS WILL COME TO YOU NO MATTER WHAT – NO ONE CAN TAKE THAT DESTINY AWAY. I’M A BIG BELIEVER OF FATE.

Follow Sana on Instagram: @TheCakeShopNY to see the amazing creations she’s whipped up through the years. I had the great privilege of sampling her cakes and cake pops and I have to say, she wasn’t joking about those details. Each one tells a complete story and she definitely brings the ideas her clients have to life.

At a time when big companies are monopolizing the market and taking small businesses out of the equation, we as consumers owe it to ourselves to realize just how big of a role we can play in inhibiting this takeover. The first step is to support a local small business.

The best part is, you may get a chance to meet the owner and therefore, receive the attention and service you wouldn’t get with the bigger guys. The love they have for their craft will show in the product as it does with Sana’s cakes.

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Being original

TH E F INE LINE BETWE EN INSPIRATION AND PLAGIARISM

B Y

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K E L LY

A U R O R A

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As an artist working within a niche design area, I am often asked how I avoid plagiarism and creating work too similar to that of other artists in the same field. There is a fine line between inspiration and plagiarism, whatever the creation is - be it artwork, design, music or even blog posts. Taking too much inspiration from an idea can lead to your work being considered plagiarism.

When this topic comes up, I’m reminded of the famous quote by French artist Paul Gauguin;

“AR T I S E IT H E R PL AG IARIS M OR RE VOLUTION” Although it can be hard to separate ‘taking inspiration from’ and ‘stealing’ the work of others, this quote helps me remain on the right side of the line. Before we create anything, we usually conduct research on past creations in the field we’re working in. If we want to design a logo for a new baking business, we’d look around at other logos from similar businesses to draw inspiration from. If we were conducting a research project, we’d study the work done by scientists before us and look into their findings. Good creativity is about taking something that has already been created and establishing ways of making it better. Revolutionising it.

The world changes very quickly and it does so because of our constant innovation.

We evolve by building on the work of those before us. However, if we are inspired by something and copy its elements completely, it can be considered as plagiarism. If we are inspired by the elements of something and use them to take our work to the next level, providing copyright has not been infringed, we should remain in the ‘safe zone’ when it comes to plagiarism.

I S I T E V E R O K T O COPY? As an artist, I learned to paint by directly copying the work of others. I’d study the work and experiment with the colours, the media and the techniques used by other artists and attempt to recreate their work exactly. Learning relies a lot on copying. To understand how something was created we must first experience creating it for ourselves.

While it is acceptable to copy when learning, it’s not acceptable to copy someone else’s work to pass off as your own. We’re taught this from an early age – copying the work of others

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and saying it’s your work is never OK. We’re all well aware of this, however, in an age where it seems almost everything has already been said, written or created, how can we avoid copying the work of others too closely?

As you may know, I design and create artwork inspired by Islam and Arabic Calligraphy.

Although it’s a niche area, its one which is growing rapidly. Therefore, the market for Islamic artwork is becoming saturated with lots of fantastic and beautiful pieces of artwork that can often appear similar. This is because a large number of creators are drawing inspiration from the same source; The Quran. So as artists drawing inspiration from the same sources, what can be done to ensure we aren’t creating work that is too similar to the work of our colleagues or competitors?

I N S PIRAT IO N THAT AVOID S C OPYING To ensure the work I create is different enough from that which I am drawing inspiration from, I like to follow three simple rules:

• RE CO G N IS E and understand what you’re inspired by • BUIL D on it • L E AVE something behind to inspire others

R EC O G N IS IN G A N D U N DER ST AN DI N G W HAT YOU’R E I N S P I RE D B Y If I look at a piece of artwork and fall in love with it, I ask myself what it is about the work that appeals to me so much. Is it the colours the artist has used? If so, what is it about the colours that I am drawn to? Is it the mood of the piece? Really think about what it is that drew you to the work in the first place and then conduct further research into those elements.

For example, I have really enjoyed working with Scandinavian design elements in my work recently. I recognised that it was the simple, minimalist yet bold features of this

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area of design really appealed to me. I studied Scandinavian design more and more until I established my own version of the style. I then incorporated these features into my Islamic artwork. As a result of this research and the understanding of exactly what it was that appealed to me; the artwork I finally created was so very different to the first piece of Scandinavian artwork I took the inspiration from.

B UI L D O N IT To be inspired by something, means we have used it to develop something new. The key word here is ‘develop’ as that is what takes you from direct copying to ‘being inspired by something.’ Most artists will be flattered that you liked their work enough to want to create something similar. Creators and developers want to see the world evolve and enjoy being a part of it, however small. As long as you’re building on what you have seen created previously, your end product will be far enough from the original to not be considered as plagiarism. We are all so very different as human beings and if we put enough of ourselves into our work, it will inevitably become unique.

To be inspired by something means we have used it to develop something new

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L EAV I N G S O M E T H IN G F O R OT HER S T O B E I N SPI R ED B Y This is my favourite bit! Being original and different to the other creators around you is exciting. All creators want to create something that is talked about and this is where originality is key. You must create something that is different, in some way, to everything else around you. If you have truly understood what appealed to you about the work of others and you have built on it, you should automatically end up with something that is unique to you. Leaving something behind for others to like, be inspired by and build on is a great cycle to be a part of.

ES TA BL I S H A C OM M U N IT Y Finally, one of the best tips I can share with artists working within a specific niche, is to establish a community with your fellow creators. I don’t see my competitors as my enemies.

I genuinely see them as colleagues or friends. I work closely with other artists who create work similar to mine. We communicate often and this greatly minimises plagiarism. We are open and honest with each other if we feel our work is too closely related. If we notice copyright infringements or replica pieces being sold illegally by rogue traders online, we are able to share this information effectively between us. Forming a network like this has really helped grow my small business and build great relationships with like-minded people!

One of the best tips I can share with artists working within a specific niche, is to:

ESTA BLISH A COMMUNI TY W ITH YO UR F ELLOW CR EATOR S

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CREATIVES: Chronic empaths, asset or affliction?

CHRISTINE CARPENTER

I have this theory.

Creative people are habitual empaths. They feel everything so very deeply. They live with an intensity unbeknownst to the average individual. Entangled with the awareness, the traumas, and the ordinary beauties of the world, they regurgitate said emotions with an unparalleled ferocity via their medium of choice. Acrylic paints slathered across textured canvas emote with feeling in every brushstroke. A guitarists’ callused fingertips ingest the vibration of each strum, pulsing with sentiments through steel strings. Designers adorn the backs of society, illustrating the moods of the moment. A knitter’s hands silently shift interlacing fibers from left needle to right; a yearning to revel in the satisfaction of growing textile. A writer, pressed for deadline, clicks feverishly at the keys, endeavoring to apprehend and detain the ever-racing, elusive thoughts; one sweet line at a time. Be it the pains of the world or the joys of our existence, creative people view the world in technicolor; complete with eyes for heartache and an insatiable appetite for beauty.

Like a hunk of homemade bread smeared across a plate of dripping gravy; artists absorb both the disarray and magnificence of humanity. Empathizing is compulsory; they thoroughly saturate the doughy inside. Akin to the porous center amid the crusts, the creative soul expands to ingest every morsel, sopping up the soggy mush. They ingest each savoury bite, letting the excess drip aimlessly from their lips. Once full, the passion grows with an abundance that leaves the artist compelled to express. The vehicle? Creative mediums.

The common fallacy is that the sensitivity of creatives is their pitfall. As children, they are either labeled exceedingly sensitive as if an affliction, or alternatively, the sensitivity is nurtured as an asset.

The concrete truth is that sensitivity is equivalent to strength. Utilising the arts as a cathartic outlet is an articulation of authenticity. The calling to create is a channel for introverts who might otherwise be repressed.

Creative types are susceptible to the pangs of pain that reverberate through the world because they feel everything. With deep empathy, they are equally entrenched in the injustices and enthralled in the joys of their surroundings. They examine their existence with painstaking detail and possess a profound appreciation of life’s offerings.

With empathy and rooted emotion comes suffering. Sensitive souls ache; they feel with an extreme depth. Paradoxically, by experiencing their environments with an intensified lens, they grow captivated by the simpler beauties of the world.

There is bliss in creating that is incomparable to most anything else. Making is a contribution, yes, but also an expression of the creative’s internalisation of life’s captured moments. An onlooker of the art might appreciate it for its beauty, use of color, texture, or form, while the artist is reminded of the experience in creating the piece, the struggle, the joy. Their work is an interpretation of their empathetic journey through this life; an indelible footprint to be sealed into the hearts of its audience; to be eternally treasured.

The curtain lifts, and, drunk with feeling, the artists’ eyes rise to convey their craft.

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W R I T E R ' S

CO R N E R

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Dull your Concerns & Enflame your Wits B Y C H R I S TO P H E R J A M E S

It is 1:51 am, midweek, and I do believe I am overdue slumber. Yet, I begin to wonder whether to seek the ease of my bed at all, or rather, pursue ‘typemanship’. Submit to weariness? Or strive for wakefulness? Indubitably, I have opted for the latter. As sleep-deprived I may be, there is prose to compose…

I suppose my intention is motivated by my being a lifelong dabbler and procrastinator. Over the course of a decade, I have conceived tens upon tens, (if not, hundreds), of pieces of original content. I even began writing a novel in 2013, but 16,000 words in I find myself removed; unable to compound structure: unable to compound creativity.

Distorted against the hectic backdrop, thoughts languish like withered parchment, harboured by the wearied glass shell of a bottle lost at sea.

Here and now, I find myself scribbling in an attempt to quench literary thirst and renew proverbial hunger. Simple, yet sincere. However, the importunacy of dismay irks me, and I begin to consider the irrefutable rote of societal routine. A question looms like the oncoming shadow of sunset and it cannot be discounted…

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"Why is it we convince ourselves that there are insufficient hours in a day?"

In the havoc of techno-mania, lives are torn between what is desired and what is required.

I fully endorse that there are those who lack the time to even contemplate such a dilemma, but I cannot resist the temptation of arousing controversy. When all is done, and laid to rest, surely opportunity knocks? Is the solace of the night not an alluring enough proposition?

Why must we strive for aspiration with contrived inspiration?

Perhaps all is easier said than done, but I find fatigue to be a terrible deadweight and one I wish to cast aside until I have thrived. I need not accept it as my anchor, but indeed as my cradle; patiently awaiting my coming – where we may finally take rest as one. But until such a contract is acknowledged, I intend on being functional, not submissive.

"I decree that it is the night that is your oyster; when the mind is liberated and the imagination sprints wild; when logic is defied and bewilderment is a quest."

Humbly, I opine these are the hours that ought to be coined ‘The Golden Hours’. The night is the only glimmer of the day when one is unsubdued; when the shackles of judgemental constraint are removed. It is in this moment we are allowed to forsake scepticism and delve into our unknown selves – a potential melting pot of ideas, frothing away beneath the surface of insecurity and vanity. Underlying the inglorious is the glorious. Yet undermining the glorious is pretence.

Thus, when night begets calm, I implore you to indulge in artistry and inventiveness. Dull your concerns and enflame your wits: be awoken by the ecstasies circulating this complex and exquisite intellect we have branded the mind. Encourage the pulsation of spark and allow fingertips to waltz onto your keyboard, or cloak the stem of your brush. Prompt yourself to be a somebody, not just some body. For regardless of the outlet, remember this: spontaneity conjures awe and you may just find yourself astounded…

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W E L L B E I N G

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food my comfort food my enemy

BY SUSIE TUCKER

Happiness lives within you, presently, as in right now.

Right now, in your size 16 body, right now in your stretched-out tummy, right now in your thighs that touch, right now in your heart that beats.

@SUSIETRIGGTUCKER

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food noun Any nutritious substance that people or animals eat or drink or that plants absorb in order to maintain life and growth.

Synonyms: • Nourishment • Sustenance • Nutriment • Subsistence • Fare • Bread • Daily bread

There are two types of people in the world. People who have a functional relationship with food, who use it for nourishment and sometimes enjoyment, but never dwell upon it beyond what it is – a basic human need. And then, there are those people who have a dysfunctional relationship with food – those who think about it non-stop, obsess over which kind is “good” or “bad,” how much of it to eat or use it as a drug, etc.

I am of the second group, brainwashed by a dietculture infatuated society. My story begins at the tender age of 10 years old, when I learned about dieting and the importance of “being thin” from observing a family member who was obsessed with her weight. That toxic seed, planted at such a vulnerable and impressionable time in my life, grew into an overwhelming field of weeds that I would spend the rest of my life trying to wade through.

As I write this, I think of myself, not very long ago, so desperate to find the secret sauce to being thin.

Like so many, I operated under the premise that the formula for happiness began with getting in physical shape (i.e. losing weight.) From our consumption of

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Food was my comfort; food was my enemy. I lived in a vicious hodgepodge cycle with food and eating.

Perfection, then permission, structure, then rebellion, and on and on it went. celebrities in magazines and movies, to perfectly-curated influencers on social media, our heads and hearts are filled daily with empty promises of self-fulfillment at a smaller pants size. I bought into those promises hook, line, and sinker - all of them. I have spent countless years and thousands of dollars chasing those rainbows, throwing every diet gimmick, pill, and potion I could at the wall to see what would stick.

A few years ago, I started seeing some buzz about The Whole30 on Instagram. I was following some bloggers who had success with the program, so like every other instance where I heard of a dieting success story, I decided to give it a go. An old dieting pro (yes, my first round I fully approached with a diet mentality), I was no stranger to eliminating sugar, etc, so I would feel right at home.

I made it through the 30 days with no problem. Easy peasy! I honestly felt amazing at the end of that 30 days – unstoppable even. My skin was clearer than it had been in years, I had a ton of energy, I didn’t crave sugar or alcohol or any of the food groups I had eliminated, and I felt great about the types of food I was eating. I had begun educating myself on real vs. processed food, starting with reading It Starts with Food by Melissa and Dallas Hartwig.

I felt empowered with my new-found knowledge and understanding of how food affects our bodies. Ignoring the reintroduction part of The Whole30, I became fixated on my new way of eating (a ‘lifestyle change’ at last!) and continued it strictly for 9 months straight. The program had taught me to ditch the scale (freedom!), but I knew I had lost weight and gone down a couple of sizes. I vividly remember telling my husband with full certainty, that I had finally found ‘it’, the diet that would become a lifestyle for me. I was sure of it... until I wasn’t.

After my ninth month, stress came at me from every angle – home, work, financial, kids – you name it. I didn’t know how to handle it, so I tripped back into the comforting arms of sugary, fatty, processed, and fast foods and face-planted hard into the worst binge-eating cycle of my life at 34 years old.

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One morning I woke with suffocating anxiety. I called in sick to work, dropped my kids off at school, and stopped by the drug store with the intention of picking up some Advil for a headache. Instead, I found myself on the aisle of sweets, loading my basket with honey buns, powdered donuts, and chocolate milk. In the parking lot I cried until I didn’t have any tears left and ate until I felt like throwing up. When I got home, I crawled in my bed, filled with self-hate, disappointment, and embarrassment. I knew I was not okay.

THE GIG WAS UP. THE FAÇADE WAS OVER. It was time to face what was really going on inside and I knew I could not do it alone. That morning I pulled myself out of bed, googled therapists in my area, and made an appointment with someone for later that week.

Not knowing what to expect at my first visit, I made a list of things wrong with me to show her - things I needed to fix. At the top of the list I wrote, ‘I need to lose weight, but I can’t because I binge eat.’ She decided we needed to dig into that one first. For nearly two years following that day, I sat in her armchair every Friday morning, peeling back the layers of that statement. As it turns out, all that time I was restricting/binging, I was actually stuffing my heartaches and using food as a way to control my feelings. Anytime I started to scratch the surface of acknowledging the truth of why I was unhappy, I chose to literally stuff the feelings, rather than allow myself to sit still and feel them.

As I write this, I’ve spent almost 30 years of my life buying into the Vogue idea that I could unlock the treasure trove of happiness once I lost weight.

But the truth I’ve learned, is happiness doesn’t live exteriorly.

PICTURE CREDIT: @SUSIETRIGGTUCKER

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Happiness isn’t a unicorn you should just hope to be lucky enough to catch sight of one day.

Happiness lives within you, presently, as in right now. Right now, in your size 16 body, right now in your stretched-out tummy, right now in your thighs that touch, right now in your heart that beats.

In my experience, this does not come to you without putting in some mental work first.

It’s not hard and it’s not grueling, it’s a simple shift of your mindset. It starts with gratitude and the way you speak to yourself. It’s about living thankfully in this present moment and looking on the past with gratitude for the lessons we’ve learned. It involves asking yourself questions and sitting still with the answers. If we can look inward at our hearts and see where we’re shut down and trying to resist life, we get an opportunity to step into who we want to be.

As I’ve worked through this, I’ve often called it a journey, but I think I will stop calling it that as a journey indicates there is a final destination. To be honest, I don’t know if I will ever be at the point where I have a completely functional relationship with food. I have accepted, that for now at least, my healing is a daily practice I must endure.

I focus on putting one foot in front of the other, forgiving myself when I misstep, and finding daily gratitude for my body and mind.

About Susie Susie Trigg Tucker lives with her husband and two children on a ranch just outside of Austin, TX. Through her journey of recovery from disordered eating and lifelong perfectionism, Susie has found her voice in advocating for women’s mental, emotional, and physical health. She is passionate about cooking real food and starting real conversations to help others who may be going through similar struggles. You can connect with Susie and find more of her stories and tips for navigating inner self-care, as well as her healthy recipes, over on her website and Instagram and Facebook.

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W E L L B E I N G

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How Shame Prevents

Creativity

BY NOOR PINNA

Brené Brown writes in Daring Greatly (2015), vulnerability is the center of difficult emotion, but it’s also, “the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, courage, empathy and creativity. It is the source of hope, empathy, accountability and authenticity” (pg.34).

If vulnerability is all these things, why isn’t it so easy to practice vulnerability? It seems the outcomes weigh more favorable than not. Yet, something holds us back. It’s a discomfort that we are unfortunately not leaning into. For instance, an emotion or a feeling like shame can isolate us and make us withdraw from people.

We become stuck in the storyline that we have created about a particular shame trigger. We believe that what we have to show or share isn’t worthy enough.

Our core beliefs then become activated by the event.

Once they are triggered, we end up with our narratives and cognitive distortions that can cause us to spiral down.

Our thoughts ruminating, telling us something that is not healthy. We feel vulnerable and associate it with ineptitude, stupidity that we should know better, lack of confidence, and, yes, shame.

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Before we divulge into how to create resiliency, I will discuss quickly what shame is. According to Brene Brown, “Shame is this intense painful feeling or experience that we are flawed and, therefore, unworthy of love and belonging. Something we’ve experienced, done, or failed to do make us unworthy of connection.” It is similar to feelings of guilt.

For the longest time, I thought about sharing my artwork with the world. Yet, Shame would hold me back. I truly believed in my thoughts. I thought that people would critique me, tell me I’m an imposter and that I didn’t know anything. My core belief was triggered which was this; I was not good enough. The narrative was 'I am nobody'. I don’t have experience in the skills of being creative - and that what I was showing to the world was trash. My stuff compared to others was not worth looking at. Shame held me back every time I wanted to pick up a brush and paint or watercolor. It made me sad and cringe inside and I would hide this part of me from others and not show what I had painted or drawn.

Shame holds our creativity back in many ways. It prevents us to fully thrive in our own existence. It holds back the confidence that we need to create passionate projects, to grab coffee with a potential client or friend, to have conversations that create belly laughs, and, essentially, to allow joy to enter into our personal and work lives. It fundamentally impacts our mental health and that cannot be ignored.

So how do we even begin to combat shame so we can allow our creative juices to flow in order to participate in things we are passionate about?

First, it is important to remember that shame is a universal experience.

This concept is vital in connecting with others. If we know that we are not the only ones suffering in our situation, then we are not isolating and withdrawing from our friends and our circles who may be experiencing the same feelings we have.

Second, becoming consciously and critically aware of what our shame triggers are when they are being triggered, what is triggering them, what are our behaviors are, and how it feels physically can help us deal more effectively with this issue and feel less

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victimized. Shame can have a physical impact on us and it feels different from other emotions. When shame prevents us from being able to be creative and function at an optimal level, we have to examine the fear behind it. As stated earlier, it is an experience that all of us go through, but how we choose to go through it and the path we choose to take to deal with it are going to be different.

Third, shame is experienced variously depending on one’s gender and culture.

Different messages can be provided via our parents, social media, our communities, and so forth. It is vital to recognize that and find ways to deal with these differences.

Save the qualities that are helpful and enriching, and discard the ones that you find negative and hurtful to your wellbeing.

Fourth, it is important to remember to reach out.

When we reach out, our perspective can become flexible, our narrative and our cognitive distortions can diminish and we don’t have to experience it alone. We want to be careful with whom we share our stories. Not everyone will be receptive, so engage only with the people that you trust who are going to provide empathy. Connecting with people who make you feel good and secure are key.

Fifth, practice grace, gratitude and self-compassion.

Practicing these skills, generally have an overall impact on our mental, physical and emotional well-being. Continually repeating this practice, time and time again, will allow the exercise of these skills to become routine for you. This will lead you to a greater connection with others, a more caring attitude, and increased empathy, and compassion. If this sounds like a foreign language to you, no worries; you aren’t alone in this. Many people, including me feel/felt this way.

My journey is very much similar to the journey of other people who are immigrants, persons of colour, female, and so on. By practicing and understanding the language of shame and the culture I was creating, or was being created for me, helped me learn how to be resilient.

When I started to recognize my mindset and started to call myself out and say things like, “That is shame talking; whom can I talk to right now that will help me?; How can I reframe this situation?; How can I practice gratitude and be more gentle with myself?”

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Once I confronted myself with these questions, I began to find ways to sort things out, and things started to transform.

My mindset became one that was flexible and my creativity blocks didn’t last long. I was able to sit with all my emotions and move forward in a balanced way that was beneficial to those around me as well as myself. It is a transformative process that allows us to create a healthier mindset. Recognizing shame has not only allowed me to be more genuine in my work, but it has also given me a greater capacity for empathy not just for myself but for others as well.

My storylines don’t stick to me like crazy glue. I became unstuck from my repeated destructive narratives. I was once afraid that poetry, my artwork, or any creativity that I was coming up with was falling short. Now, however, I can acknowledge and say that two things can be true at the same time: I can lean into the discomfort, face my demons, deal with them, and still conduct myself with grace. It doesn’t mean that these negative thoughts are gone completely, but now I am more mindful of which way I will allow these thoughts to dictate my actions. I'm still vulnerable, but I have turned the shame into a vehicle for a better self.

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M E N TA L

W E L L B E I N G

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How to relax your mind and body There are times when the difficulties of life get to us. When we feel like there is so much on our plate, eventually creating this stress which can take a toll on our bodies and minds. Stress can be toxic, keeping you stuck in this cycle of worry, panic and anxiety. For this issue, I want to help you detox that mind and body of yours from all the stress that comes your way.

To relax is to calm the mind and body. To allow your mind to quiet down, become lighter and more peaceful. When your mind is relaxed, your body will also respond by releasing all that tension in the muscles, headaches and even those stomach aches.

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SET AN INTENTION FOR THE DAY The moment you wake up, set an intention for the day. An intention is like planting a seed, drawing a map to exactly where you want to go. This intention will set your mind up; it’s what you will focus on for the rest of the day. The intention should not be forced, but has to be one that you believe in. It can be a simple intention; ‘my intention for today is breathe’, or, ‘to smile’ or, ‘I intend to help a stranger today’.

Once you have chosen your intention for the day, write it on a piece of paper or a sticky note and put it somewhere that you can see it. Even if your day is not going as planned, you have this intention to guide you where possible.

MAKE TIME TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF When things get so busy, we tend to forget about ourselves and how we are doing. All that stress can impact us, but we are too busy to realise that. Our minds are too preoccupied to step back from all those schedules, deadlines and to-do lists. We need to pause for a minute. Give ourselves a moment to breath and to focus on just our self – some genuine me-time.

Try to put all your electronics away, and unwind with music. Maybe light a candle, read an inspirational book, draw, paint, colour, doodle – do whatever calms you or makes you feel good. Tell yourself you deserve self-love and you deserve to treat yourself.

CLEANSE YOUR BODY Start your morning by drinking a warm or cool cup of lemon water. Drinking lemon water cleanses the liver (an important organ that gets rid of toxins), promoting it to flush out toxins from your body. The pectin that is in the lemon helps with digestion.

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During the day don’t forget to take DEEP breaths, this will bring more oxygen into your system. By breathing deeply, your diaphragm expands and will result in the massaging of your lymphatic system, which is involved in eliminating toxins from the body.

Source: Expand a Lung

RECONSTRUCT YOUR DIGITAL LIFE Your digital life can really impact your mental well-being and mood. We are constantly on our phones checking our feeds, seeing what others have posted. We are constantly connected to the world, to others and never usually make enough time to connect with ourselves and the real world around us. We can lose our ability to focus and concentrate on the ‘now’, because we are so used to checking our phones and entering the digital world more than needed.

When you are doing something, whether with friends or indulging in your favourite hobby, turn your phone off, put it away and focus on the present moment.

While scrolling through your feed, do you ever come across things that make you angry, sad or uncomfortable? Yes? Just unfollow them. Being exposed to things that don’t serve you positivity will just influence your mood and affect your day and mental well-being in a negative manner.

Reconstruct your digital life by following things that will benefit you, provide you motivation and contribute to a positive outlook on life. Remember the digital life is at your fingertips, so take control of what you want to see and simply just unfollow.

CONNECT YOURSELF TO NATURE Go on a walk and immerse yourself in the green around you. Breathe in the fresh nature air, let it fill your lungs and exhale all that stress and pressure. Even take your shoes off and walk through the grass giving your feet a natural massage.

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Connect with nature even if it is cold or rainy – even if it’s just a simple walk around the neighbourhood. It can help you feel invigorated and enhance your mood. So, lace up your boots/shoes and go out and experience what mother nature has to offer. There is beauty in all the seasons. Enjoy.

WRITE, WRITE & WRITE Writing is so therapeutic. The feeling of a pen or pencil gliding across a sheet of paper as you pour your thoughts out is next to none. Get yourself a special pen and notebook and start writing.

To ease your way into writing start with a list: When you feel stressed you may be having overwhelming thoughts bouncing in your mind. To calm down, write down all the thoughts in your head and make a list of them. This will help you make sense of them and help you process your feelings. Remember when you are writing nothing is wrong and there is no standard you have to reach: just write.

You can write about your dreams, goals and even hang them up somewhere as a constant reminder. You can also have a jar of positivity where you write good moments, positive quotes on pieces of paper for storage. Whenever you may be feeling stressed or a little down, you can open up the jar of positivity and read little pieces of paper.

“LEARN TO RELAX. YOUR BODY IS PRECIOUS, AS IT HOUSES YOUR MIND AND SPIRIT. INNER PEACE BEGINS WITH A RELAXED BODY.” ~ NORMAN VINCENT PEALE

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STRETCHING When you are stressed and have been working for a while, you start to tense up –stretching can really help release the tension in your muscles. You can do this by trying a few simple stretches or yoga. Quick stretches at your desk in the office can help get rid of tension, so raise your arms up high and stretch all that stress out.

RELAXING THE MIND Another way you can relax mentally is to use imagery exercises. This is when/where you mentally picture yourself in a pleasant place this will help calm your mind and body. For instance, you can imagine yourself in an open field filled with flowers of beautiful shades of pinks, reds and purple; smelling their sweet fragrance as the sun’s warm rays shining on your skin. When imagining a place, imagine a place that you associate with happy and positive feelings, everyone has their own happy place. For some help imaging beautiful, peaceful scenes, you can watch this video and others from this YouTube channel.

OUT WITH THE OLD IN WITH THE NEW Create a tidy space, whether that be your bedroom or your study place or desk. I don’t know about you, but when I see things organised around me, I feel more relaxed and have a tidier mind. Just seeing things messy gets me stressed. So, taking the time to tidy up and organise your space can help release stress. Not only organise your space, but if you have items and clothes that you aren’t using - donate them. Decluttering frees up space and your mind. Try it!

READ A BOOK Reading is a great way to reduce stress. Whilst reading, your mind is concentrating on the words and what they mean, meaning naturally you are sucked into another world. Studies show that reading even for 6 minutes helped to slow down the heart rate and ease tension in muscles.

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THE FOOD; FUEL OF THE BODY Do you ever feel sluggish and disgusting after feeding your body junk food/fast food? I know when you are stressed you reach for a bag of chips or a can of coke. But, this ‘unhealthy’ food we consume can not only negatively impact our body, but also our mind and mood.

Think of food as fuel. You either fuel your body with good stuff or bad stuff – it is your choice.

These are some foods that are known to reduce stress: •

Drizzle some honey over your yoghurt – honey contains high levels of tryptophan which reduces anxiety

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Green tea please – green tea contains L-theanine which has been shown to reduce stress and lead to a sense of calmness

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Yes, chocolate! When you are stressed a hormone called cortisol is released in your body, by eating a piece of dark chocolate can help regulate levels of cortisol, helping to reduce

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A banana a day! Bananas contain potassium and magnesium that are muscle relaxants and help ease your muscles. They also contain tryptophan which promotes the release of serotonin – which makes you feel happy.

Your body and mind need to recharge to function properly and live a better life. Take the time to pause for a moment and give your mind and body a moment to relax and feel refreshed.

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MENTAL WELLBEING

enough MAN

BY ELIF

Source: Ted.com

“Man Enough is inspired by my own struggles with my identity as a man - my battle against who society told me to be. When I was 10, we moved to a small town in Oregon that was full of tough guys in trucks and they made me feel weak and I was bullied because of it. I felt like I had to adopt this tough, manly persona to fit in. I had to push away all the qualities and the attributes that the world perceived to be feminine. What I realized as I got older is that those things were some of my greatest strengths. I was the best friend that you could tell your deepest, darkest secrets to and I would be there for you. But the guys who were saying bad things about the women - the guys that wouldn’t treat them well - were the ones that always got the girls that I liked. I just was like, “what’s wrong with this system? There’s something broken here.”

- Justin Baldoni in an interview with Marie Claire

W E A R E MA N E N O U G H

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There were moments in my life where I have sighed deeply inside and thought, “if only I was a man, life would have been much easier,” without knowing what it feels like to be a man. Is it really easier to be a man in our society? I don’t know. I don’t actually want to know either, it doesn’t really matter. Does it?

CLICK TO WAT C H

I recently watched Justin Baldoni’s Ted Talk: “Why I’m done trying to be man enough” and I couldn’t stop myself from looking for further information about his project. ‘Man Enough’ is a disruptive social movement ignited by a dinner conversation series that explores the heart of traditional masculinity in America. ‘Man Enough’ is a unique space where men, no matter their race, creed, sexual orientation and identity, political stance or socio-economic status, can come together to express their thoughts and feelings freely — something men have been socialized to cut off.

With ‘Man Enough,’ Justin wants to start a dialogue with men about redefining masculinity.

He has already sat down with Prince Ea, Derek Hough, Javier Munoz, Bassem Youssef, Matt McGorry and more to talk about masculinity (videos available here).

For me, it was amazing to listen to their conversations. I think it was the first time I saw men talking with sincerity about what they feel and what they need. One of the worst feelings is when you really feel down and have nobody to talk about it with; when you try to hide and suppress your feelings; when others make you think what you’re feeling is wrong; when you try to stay strong while the only thing you want to do is break down. I am glad that Justin has opened the conversation around masculinity and I think it’s our job to extend this project in our own communities.

I don’t have the necessary knowledge to come up with scientific theories, but deep inside I knew I had to do my own research. I thought, why not just talk to men about this topic – like Justin Baldoni does it? So, let’s talk with Djenk Ejup, Issam Yousti and Randy van Laethem, all from Belgium.

W h a t a re t he u n w ri t t e n rule s of ma sc ulin ity a n d w he n d id y ou l ea r n th e m ?

There are lots of unwritten rules of masculinity. Ways men should be to fit in society. I don’t personally agree to all of them, but I can’t deny that they exist. Even though society is becoming less and less patriarchal, I still think it’s the main difference between man and woman. It’s only natural that men are responsible for their family, making sure their children are well, that their wife is happy, that their mother can rest without being concerned about their sons doing. I’m not saying men are above women, I’m saying that men and women are different and thus, should not be seen as the same. Equality doesn’t mean identical. I think society still considers masculinity to be bossy, emotionless, tough, etc. There is a certain truth in that, but I don’t fully agree with it. I learned these abstract rules of masculinity since I was young. I think everyone does learn it from their father figure, at school, in the news.

Issam Yousti

There are NO (un)written rules about masculinity. Society thinks that men should behave in a certain way, but I say: it is manly to be yourself, it is manly to express yourself and it is manly to be free. Embrace every aspect of it and throw it in their faces. Let them eat it!

Djenk Ejup

I learned the following from my dad, peers and TV when I was growing up and especially during puberty: •

As a man, you have to take care of your family members

•

As a man, you need to be able to deliver harder labour than women

•

As a man, you have to have respect to others with dignity

•

As a man, you have to be strong

Randy van Laethem

Have y o u eve r b e e n to l d or a fra id y ou w e re n’t ma n e n ough?

Nobody has ever said that to me.

Issam Yousti Yes. When I came out as a gay man to certain people their first reaction was: so, you’re not a real man. Or, do you feel like a woman, submissive? It is funny how people associate being submissive with a female, yet little do they know that men can also be very submissive, regardless of gender. That has nothing to do with being a man.

Djenk Ejup A few years ago, I was afraid to jump from a certain height and it was at that moment that a friend of mine told me that I wasn’t man enough (yes, just because I couldn’t jump from a certain height).

Randy van Laethem

W h en a re yo u m o s t co m for ta b le sha r in g y our fe e lin gs?

I am a closed book. I don’t think anyone knows what’s really going on with me because I simply don’t open up to people easily. There are very few people who know me better than others, because I chose to let them in and I’m comfortable sharing my feelings with them.

Issam Yousti

I have to admit that I no longer share my feelings as I did before. I suppress them and I have multiple reasons for that: •

People also have problems and they don’t want to hear very often about your problems as well. Sometimes they just want to talk about how bad the weather is

•

You have to trust people in order to show that you are vulnerable, otherwise they will take it for granted

Otherwise, I am a very extroverted person and have no problems sharing my feelings. I believe that there is something very strong in saying: today I had a tough day. When you cry, people think that you are weak but no, they are wrong. Crying and being vulnerable is definitely a sign of strength, a sign that you kept your feelings successfully, and that you didn’t lose yourself in this maze called: becoming an adult. A sign that you are simply a human, a real one. A sincere one. There are many fake ones everyday posting their “perfect” life on social media. Be different, stand out. Be strong, be yourself. Show your feelings and take care of yourself.

Djenk Ejup I feel comfortable sharing my feelings with my closest friend.

Randy van Laethem

W h en w as t he l a s t t i m e you sa t d ow n w ith othe r me n to have a deep co nve rsa t i o n ?

I don’t have lots of friends, but I am able to have deep conversations about anything with the few friends I have. Last time was probably two days ago.

Issam Yousti

I don’t really remember, but it was maybe a month ago and I absolutely loved it.

I love deep talks, but people avoid them. Before I had friends whom I’d talk to about such things, also men. But it does not happen that often unfortunately.

When it does, I feel amazing – deep talks bring people closer to each other.

Djenk Ejup

It was a few years ago.

Randy van Laethem

Have y o u eve r s e e n a g ro wn ma n c r y ? Wha t w a s tha t like ?

Yes, I did. That’s probably more painful than seeing a woman cry because of these so-called unwritten masculinity rules we talked about in question 1.

Issam Yousti

Yes, I have. There is something special about a person crying, man or woman or gender non-binary. They show you a side of themselves they choose to show you. It is a choice. Many people don’t realise that. But they are very intimate with you. They are being vulnerable. Give them a hug, listen to them.

Tell them that you are here for them. Stay present with them. I always try to help people feel better, I always try to turn their pain into a joke so they can also have a smile on their faces and try to move forward. The sooner, the better, the healthier. But crying now and then is beautiful to be honest, it balances your energy and hormones.

Djenk Ejup Yes, I have. It was after someone died. For me it is normal for a man to cry.

Every human has feelings.

Randy van Laethem

I f y o u ha d t he c ha n c e to be hea rd b y eve r y on e a roun d the wor l d , w ha t w o u l d yo u sa y ?

Be careful with who you open up to, but finding the right person/people is definitely worth it.

Issam Yousti “ CRY I N G NOW A ND T H EN I S BEAUT I FUL TO BE HONEST, I T B A LA NC E S YOU R ENERG Y AND HORMONES .”

Life is like teaching: you will have hard days, you will have days when you will cry. You will have terrible days, but you also will have days where you feel like a superhero. Hold on to those days, look back at them, smile, don’t forget why this all is worth it. And cherish those days, they are rare. Once those days happen, celebrate them. People will try to ruin that because they are unhappy, but smile even more, dance and sing louder. Let everyone know that that specific day, you feel amazing. You feel big. And don’t allow them to influence that, ever.

Djenk Ejup

It’s okay to have feelings as a man. It’s not a sign that you’re weak, but it’s a sign that you’re human. It takes real strength to open up about your feelings as a man. I don’t call it weakness, I call it courage.

Randy van Laethem

“ W E M US T L EA RN TO PROVI D E M E N THAT S PACE , S O T HAT T HE Y FE E L AT E AS E TO S PE A K A BO UT T HE I R GE N UI N E FEE LI NG S – WI T HO UT FEE L I NG JUD G E D .”

C A L L M E YO U R B Y

B Y

name

VA N E E TA

Andre Aciman’s novel Call Me By Your Name is a coming of age story that was adapted into a breath-taking film by Luca Guadagnino. Though the film released in 2017, the words from both the script and the novel still blur around in my brain!

Based during a summer of the eighties, the story represents a growing romance between Elio and Oliver. Oliver is an easy-going American student that is interning for Elio’s father for the summer. Elio is an introverted and intelligent young boy that originally dislikes Oliver for his laidback nature.

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There are many layers to the story that can be spoken about. For example, though the film touches on a few social struggles very lightly; nowhere in the story does it mention their age gap or their sexuality. It’s simply just a romantic story set against the airy landscape of Italy.

One of the many points I love about this story is that there is an understanding that both these two personalities have fallen in love, but the word ‘love’ is never mentioned once. Now, I could talk forever about how peaceful and strong both the novel and the film are, but instead, I’m going to pick apart the monologue of one of my favourite scenes in both the book and novel.

So, picture this scene: Oliver has left Italy to go back to the United States. Elio’s father, Mr Perlman, seeing his son distraught decides to give him some advice. Other than a few lines, Mr Perlman’s monologue is pretty much the same in both the book and novel. Though he is talking about his son’s relationship, in my opinion the words have so many more layers.

Here are some of the lines from the book version of the monologue that I’ve chosen to look into:

Nature has a cunning way of finding our weakest spot. Most parents would hope the whole thing goes away, to pray that their sons land on their feet. But I am not such a parent… if there is pain, nurse it. And if there is a flame, don’t snuff it out. Don’t be brutal with it. We rip out so much of ourselves to be cured of things faster, that we go bankrupt by the age of thirty and have less to offer each time we start with someone new. But to make yourself feel nothing so as not to feel anything - what a waste! I may have come close, but I never had what you two had.

Something always held me back or stood in the way. Remember, our hearts and our bodies are given to us only once. We may never speak about this again. But I hope you’ll never hold it against me that we did.

I will have been a terrible father if, one day, you’d want to speak to me and felt that the door was shut, or not sufficiently open.

Let’s dive right in and dissect the possible meanings!

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Nature has a cunning way of finding our weakest spot.

Due to this digital world people are pulled further away from nature so we struggle to become in touch with ourselves. To me, this is exactly what this line hits at.

Sometimes, I do wonder that maybe people are too scared to be in touch with themselves as it brings out their true nature as well. Elio’s natural surroundings helped him to find himself; to discover himself thus, leading him to his weakness Oliver.

Most parents would hope the whole thing goes away, to pray that their sons land on their feet. But I am not such a parent… if there is pain, nurse it. And if there is a flame, don’t snuff it out. Don’t be brutal with it.

Mr Perlman presents how all parents should be. Every parent should accept their child the way they are. He refuses to be a parent that wants the ‘socially-accepted’ life for his child; the ‘opposite’ of what Oliver’s parents are like. Oliver mentions, his parents would chuck him in a correctional facility if they ever found out. However, here is a parent telling his child to embrace the flame; in other words, accept the love he felt and the loss he is now feeling.

We rip out so much of ourselves to be cured of things faster, that we go bankrupt by the age of thirty and have less to offer each time we start with someone new. But to make yourself feel nothing so as not to feel anything - what a waste!

Mr Perlman reminds seventeen-year-old Elio to embrace pain, so that he can love just as much again. We, as humans, attempt to remove any real emotions thinking it makes us weak, so, when we have someone real in our life we have less of our humanity to give. Aciman’s words mirror the new generation due to digitalisation influencing humans in how to think, feel and behave. What a waste of our precious life if we are afraid to feel anything.

I may have come close, but I never had what you two had. Something always held me back or stood in the way.

Mr Perlman admits to nearly having a relationship like Elio’s. He advises Elio to face his feelings; unlike him, who didn’t. He wants to let nothing stand in the way of him being himself. Naturally, sometimes parents wrap their children in cotton wool and

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this act of protection leads to a completely fearful human feeling more pain and hurt. In my opinion, a child, teenager, human needs to be able to experience in order to learn and grow and thus, be a mentally stronger human.

Remember, our hearts and our bodies are given to us only once.

This is another basic and simple but, important fact that we all forget. Though no person desires negative emotions, they do in fact lead us to stimulate affection, hope and contentment. So, as humans we need to understand that priceless gifts are given to us once. Treasure them otherwise we end up taking advantage of them at the cost of something that means absolutely nothing.

We may never speak about this again. But I hope you’ll never hold it against me that we did. I will have been a terrible father if, one day, you’d want to speak to me and felt that the door was shut, or not sufficiently open.

Mr Perlman closes his lecture with a bang! All parents need to be seen as approachable to their children. All parents need to try and need to want to understand their children. Never push them to talk but ensure their children are aware that they can talk to them. Mr Perlman explains that he will understand if Elio never wants to speak of Oliver again but, he will always be there for him and never wants Elio to think otherwise.

Parents—human beings cannot be homogenous otherwise we grow old and become lost into a load of forgotten dust. What would the world gain from this?

Cherish your child’s thoughts, actions and choices. Celebrate your child’s individuality. Let your child collapse but leave your doors open for him or her to tumble into when he or she needs someone to trust.

Remind your child that the world is cruel, but, don’t completely shield them against the unjust realities. Remind your child to embrace new beginnings but never forget to embrace all emotions with open arms. Remind your child to be human.

Parents - follow in the path of Mr Perlman!

By Vaneeta @PURPLEROANPROJECT

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C R E AT I V E

W R I T I N G

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Best Bus Buddy

B Y

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S A R A H

G H A N I

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She was two years older than me and the only other brown girl on my bus, so we naturally became each other’s bus buddies on the daily 50-minute ride to school.

Our friendship began with some small talk initiated by me, of course. It often included long moments of silence, prolonged by her, of course.

You see, as much as I knew she enjoyed my company, I also knew she appreciated silence. Her silence was often complimented by a book she was reading. Regardless of the lack of conversation I wished was non-existent, over time I learned to cherish these rides with my Best Bus Buddy.

We had decided to abbreviate the title of our relationship to BBB. She started sharing her thoughts on the books she was reading, which stimulated conversations that made the 50-minute rides feel like a mere five.

Over the years, I grew to admire her. She was one of the top students in her class, which made me work harder on my own academic life. She carried herself in a mature demeanour, which made me adopt some of her mannerisms. I almost became enchanted by her and wanted to imitate her as much as possible.

Despite being in different years, we shared the same English teacher.

Ms. Stephenson told both our classes about a writing competition that was taking place on a provincial basis. Having developed a passion for writing myself, I decided to enter. Obviously, I knew my BBB would too.

A few weeks went by and we both submitted our stories. Life went on as smoothly as my morning and evening bus rides. In the back of my mind, though, I kept thinking about the competition. Was my topic on getting accepted to Hogwarts and meeting Hermione original enough?

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Would the judges love my story? I really wanted to have that provincial stamp of approval that my writing was worthy of praise.

Months went by and I forgot about it. It was last period: English.

Ms. Stephenson walked in with a beaming smile. “I have amazing news everyone! One of my older students won 1st place in the writing competition. She might even get published!” I froze, like I had just been petrified by Voldemort.

My heart sank deep into my thoracic cavity somewhere and I became overwhelmed with disappointment. I rose my hand and asked her if she could disclose the name of the winner. It was my BBB. Excitement for her mixed with a slight pinch of jealousy would describe my emotions at that moment. I couldn’t wait for class to end so I could speak to her about it.

Finally, it was time to go home. I ran inside the bus to find her and congratulate her. She was sitting at our usual spot, her backpack on her lap and her elbows rested on it as she read a book.

“Congratulations! How excited are you that you won?” I exclaimed. She made room for me, thanked me, and went back to reading her book. I asked her if I could read her submission while she read her book. She accepted and handed it to me.

When I was done, I was blown away. Her story was written with such depth and eloquence that left me stunned, wanting more. “What’s your secret?” I asked, “how do you write so well?”

She put down her book and smiled at me. “I write for myself and for nobody else. I am my own best critic. Winning was just a bonus.”

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F I C T I O N

P R O S E

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We had parted ways in April

BY CHHAVI ADITYA

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I stood at the end of the roadside; you at the other. The agonising summer heat was burning our skin and our blood. It was a tough time; an insufferable decision. You wanted to be left alone.

And so I did.

In March, we were talking whole night on the phone. Laughing, crying and laughing again. We were witnessing the rawest form of happiness. Us. We talked about life and discussed our ideas about its origin. We talked about our dreams and discussed our future; together.

Our February was filled with short staccato bursts of telephonic conversations. We asked each other about our days too often back then.

We had kissed in January. Your lips tasted of everything I ever dreamt of. An ocean; filled with stardust.

December was as magical and unbelievable as finally getting your Hogwarts letter.

November. Cold hands. Warm hugs. Lonely roads. Long overcoats. Foggy glasses. Stolen glances.

Four months we spent knowing each other and let time pass by. October, September, August, and July.

We say June is where ‘we’ started, but I think it was May. We met in May. I got lost in you in May. I held your hand for the first time in May. I smiled from my eyes in May. Remember that May is important to me. It was the month in which I forgot a whole era of pain. It was the month in which I realised I was beautiful. It was the month in which I found you, the one who called me beautiful.

The sun shone that day after ten days of grey cloudy skies that threatened of storm. I thought that the sun would always shine. What I didn’t know was storms always come back, even if the sun shoos them away.

And so it did.

It was April.

But today, it is July. We are what we were from April to May. In reverse. There are storms today too. But none strong enough to take you away from me – as long as you’re holding my hand.

I didn’t mention the month you came back right? It’s because you didn’t ever leave since you came. Since May. You asked me what’s eternity?

And so I did.

Chhavi Aditya 158

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C R E AT I V E

W R I T I N G

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Future A LIFE WITHOUT THE SAFETY OF YOUR ARMS

Part Two B Y

TA R A

L U N E

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You fall and pick yourself up from the ground. All bleeding and covered in leaves. I didn’t even reach out an arm. You didn’t even think about the possibility of being caught by me. This is the problem. This is why you leave.

You move on, kiss other people and call it love. Call it love and it becomes real, right? As real as we were, as the love you felt. You think of me when you’re with them. You’d never admit it out loud, not even to yourself, not even in your dreams. Maybe if you wrap it in pretty bows and ties, nobody will bat an eye when they see your nauseous insides. Maybe a vision of me comes to you on a crowded street. You see ghosts everywhere, street lights and sirens, haunted images flash before your eyes. And you wonder why your love never kept me together. Why you couldn’t be the glue that kept me stuck. Why was I so eager to move out of place and ruin everything?

I want to tell you that it’s not your fault. That some things are meant to break or shatter into a million pieces or bleed out on the floor. It’s just the way it is. Some things are meant to stain your carpet, not your soul. Every time our wounds start to scar we bump into each other and it opens again like a flower in the spring. I’m sorry for staining the wrong thing, darling.

Next time, I’ll make sure to bleed on the carpet. I promise.

One night you show up late and uninvited to a party. All my friends are there. Are you aware that you’re in enemy territory?

“Oh darling,” you whisper and sigh as you see me from across the room. I’m sleeping on a blue couch. Not the most comfortable one. My friend bought it at a yard sale far past its expiration date, but anything’s a bed if you’re intoxicated enough. Some guy walks up to you, gives you a drink and asks for your name in return. It’s Stephen, you know I think he’s an asshole.

“Anne, and you?” Liar. You reach out your slender arm, hand and fingers exposed and ready to be shaken. He takes your hand, doesn’t shake it, kisses it instead. You’ve dyed your hair too, it’s not ash blond, cold and calm, it’s fiery red, all anger and words you never said. You’re a drifter.

“Stephen,” he introduces himself, like a king on a concrete throne. “So, who brought this angel into my life?” You do not answer his question, instead you smile and thank him for the drink. You make your way to my couch but

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do not sit. I wake up from the burning feeling of your eyes in my neck. There you are, standing above me like a vengeful angel. But revenge is not what you seek, is it?

I sit up in the red couch. It matches your hair, you sit down next to me.

“Here,” you hand me the drink. “What did you take?”

“Ugh. Shut up,” we sit in silence for a few minutes, watching people standing in line for the bathroom, pouring drinks in the kitchen, trying to fit on the tiny balcony, and dancing in the living room. The host is nowhere to be seen. It’s that kind of party that ends in ecstasy. “Thanks for the drink,” I break the silence. “I’ve taken a lot of things lately.”

“I’m sorry I did this to you.” The room is spinning. I want you to leave.

“You know, you’re not the sun, everything’s not about you.” Some people would call you self- obsessed, but I know you too well.

“What?”

“Yeah, it’s not like I’m here passing out on couches because of you. Get over yourself.” You stand up and take one last look at me. Then you leave. *** It’s Friday night and my friend drags me downtown to some film. It’s opening night and the director is there, some unknown rising star, I don’t know who but I’ve heard their movies are great. In the indie film world, it’s a big deal, to be unknown yet considered a genius.

Your eyes scan the crowd for mine. You didn’t invite me but still hoped I’d find out somehow. Hope is born inside of you and dies just as quickly as someone calls your name and you turn around. It’s just your best friend, your partner in crime, Macy. Your everything.

“Hey! They’re ready for you in the great hall, it’s time for your speech.” You dry your eyes and go with her down the spiral staircase.

And that’s when I rush out of the building. I leave my friend in the crowded hall with a question mark drawn upon her. She doesn’t know you and she

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didn’t know me when you did. Outside, I throw up in the alley next to the cinema. I had no idea you were the director genius. I never saw you that way.

You see something move through the crowd. A flash of black velvet that disappears before you catch it. But you feel it. You know. You stutter through your speech, written weeks ago so thoughtful and well. It comes out more like something written on the back of toilet paper.

“You know it’s your own fault, right?” Your best friend looks at you, from your black heels to your red hair. “You left her and the sooner you realize that it’s your own fault and move on, the better.”

“She was here.”

“You’re hallucinating.”

“She was here.”

“The movie’s starting,” she pauses, ”let’s go.” Sighs and leaves you there.

She moves with the rest of the crowd, into the dark theatre to watch your masterpiece. You open the big cinema doors and go outside, to the alley.

You can’t see me and my puke in the dark. You’re crying and smoking.

Taking desperate drags as if the tar will kill the memory of me. The distant sound of your film reaches us, people laughing, good reviews in the making, critics crying et cetera. If you close your eyes you can taste it. Fame. If you keep them open you’ll see it. Me. “Hey! Is there anyone there?” You notice the shadow of someone in the dark. “I can see you, if you’re gonna rob me then you’re wasting your time.”

“I’m not gonna rob you, I’m gonna steal a cigarette though.” I step out of the dark and it hits you. All of the love and pain and agony you’re pretending not to feel. “Can I bum one?” You hand me a cigarette and light it.

“I’ll probably regret this tomorrow but I don’t have a date for my own afterparty and that’s kind of awkward so…”

Tonight, your home will be filled with drunken poets and high celebrities thirsty for your creative veins.

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“Ugh what has she done to the place.” I mutter under my breath as we step inside. You’ve painted over the tapestry we chose, no more roses and daffodils. Instead you have white, hospital essence on every wall. You pour me a drink and I sweep it whole.

“You were never a heavy drinker. What’s happened to you?” Your eyes stay fixed on me, scanning from my white heels to the tip of my black curls.

“You’re skinnier too, are you alright?” I sigh. I hate it when you’re like this, judgmental, clinical, cold. We move towards the crowded balcony. When I open the glass doors a great cloud of cannabis smoke hits me. Twenty people sharing a joint, desperate for a high they’ll never get. You pick up a crumbled cigarette pack from your purse. Red Winston’s. I switched Winston out for Marlboro after we broke up. You pick up two and light them, hand one to me. I nod as thanks and pick it out of your hand.

“You used to hate smoking. People change.” I say. This is my attempt to explain myself. The drinking, the weight loss, lack of ambition and motivation. So many things I lack since you left me. But you are not the problem anymore, despite how much you want to be.

“You don’t have to be so rude.” Your voice is sweet and familiar but harsh.

Then you lean closer and before I can move away, preventing what we both know is a big mistake, there they are. Your lips. They used to be like a bed to come home to, where my lips could rest after a long day of horrible people and work that never mattered. As they touch mine once again I realize they’ve changed but I do not know how. We keep kissing, making out. Not because I still love you, cause I’m starting to realize that I don’t. But

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because I want to know what has changed. I want to pinpoint the difference in your touch and lips. You grow tired and move away. This time I scan you, painted yellow toe nails and black heels to the tips of your fire hair. The hair is a mask, made to make you look much more alive than you are. You are marble, white, heavy. Untouchable.

“We can’t do this.” I sigh. I’m not jumping on this roller coaster again. I am too tired to have another heartbroken whether it’ll be mine or yours. I put the half-smoked cigarette out in a mason jar, open the glass doors and let myself back inside, thinking I’ve left you with the potheads on the balcony.

You follow me to the hallway.

“Don’t go, please.” Desperation doesn’t fit you, darling. “What are you doing?

This is not like you.”

“People change . . . We don’t have to kiss or anything, just stay.”

“Why?” “I don’t know these people and I can’t find Macy anywhere”. You pause, think your words over a bit. “I just don’t wanna be alone right now, I won’t try anything, I promise. Just stay.”

“Fine.” I go with you back to the living room. We spend the night dancing and talking over share cigarettes and spilled drinks, reminiscing but not recreating. It’s good, it’s healthy.

I wake up next to you in your bed. Freaking out at first but quickly noticing how we’re both dressed. I get out of bed and find my shoes. Careful not to wake you up.

“Goodbye my sweet.” I say as I leave you there, sleeping like a cat in the morning sun. I find Macy in the kitchen, cleaning up your mess, as always.

“Do you know where my purse is?”

“I put it next to your jacket in the hallway.”

“Thanks Mace.” I make my way out of the kitchen but turn around quickly.

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”Hey Macy?”

“Yeah?”

“Take care of her, will you? She’s so bad at doing it herself.”

“She still loves you, you know, you don’t have to go.”

“That’s sweet, but I do. Just take care of each other, okay?”

“Okay.”

I walk down an empty street with a cigarette between my fingers where yours used to linger. Every step leads me further from you, my past, and closer to myself, my future. Sarah calls, always too eager to tell me I’ve made a mistake. I laugh at her attempt to make me turn back. I have finished this story and I do not intend to write it again. It doesn’t matter if we change the scenery. Whether I leave or you do, the letters always form the same word: sorrow. And I am done playing scenarios over and over in my head and hoping. I move on.

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S H O R T

S TO R Y

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A Sunset Between Kabul & Syhlet B Y

S H A Z M E E N A

READ THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER HERE

Chapter 2: The Dust is My Bed The kite drifted in the pink sky, Curving the delicate, gentle clouds so effortlessly In a world far from the soil, The kite floated like the songs of the sparrows.

Remember me as your kite, As your supporter, As your best friend, Flying for our friendship.

For you a thousand times over The steam of the hot chai curved, and lingered around the corners of Sheyda’s thin, silk headscarf, her fingers hooked around her thin cigarette, whilst she talked to Halima. They discussed their morning routines, and how the new eye cream they have both purchased is equivalent to magic.

Elissa sat in my lap, her petite body caved behind my arms. Her big eyes drifted into a deep sleep, whilst her double chin folded under the loose curls of her black hair, she hummed in tune with her delicate breathing. I held Elissa tight as my eyes hazed into silence, the comforting smell of her coconut hair serum filled my nostrils.

I sang the words of a poem amma (mum) used to sing to me, especially when she was feeling lonely. I was too young to sooth her wounds and pains, and I couldn’t do much as an adult either, amma was gone in a blink of an eye.

“Surely we belong to God and we shall return to him”

“Dust is my bed, It has embraced me, And it is my covering Around me is the sand, Enveloping me Even from over and above.”

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The house emerged into silence, the intense smell of bukhoor (fragrance) and chai felt like the only company that were left behind. Beyond the pitter and patter of the subtle rain, I could hear weeping from the kitchen.

“Sheyda?”

I could hear the grief and worry in Halima’s voice.

“Ibrahim, I need you, get in here now.”

Gently I laid Elissa on the velvet grey sofa, protected and guarded by a variety of cushions; miniature and large. Elissa stretched her small arms, turning and shuffling amongst the pillows. I walked into the kitchen, Sheyda’s face stuck in a tissue, whilst her black kohl smudged down her fatigued eyes.

Halima held her hand, a distraught expression written all over her face.

Sheyda’s breathing heaved up and down, whilst her tears streamed down her face, and into the tender material of her loose silk headscarf.

The substance of her make up smeared onto the edges of her headscarf, a few loose blonde strands of her hair appeared from the edges of her face. Halima tucked them in, ushering Sheyda into a tight hug.

I didn’t know what to say, a bitter, wistful feeling grew in my chest, and cultivated to the midst of my throat. The feeling of loss was one I was familiar with, yet every time the feeling appeared, it was as though I had been born in that moment; oblivious and unaware of the heartbreak of this life.

“Where is my Asma?” Sheyda broke down into a burst of tears once again.

“Where are my loved ones? Where are my parents? Where is my best friend?”

She questioned with wounded eyes.

“Where has the world taken her?”

Halima looked away, her pained eyes began to weep tears, she sniffed her nose and shook her head.

I stared at the white tiles, I didn’t have the courage to look Sheyda in the face.

“Asma loved you, and appreciated you so much, my words cannot comprehend the way she loved you. She was grumpy often, but I can promise you she did not leave this dunya (world) with any hate towards you.”

Sheyda looked directly at me, “how do you know that?”

“Because Asma told me before she passed away, that the grudges and small incidents don’t matter, sometimes love in itself is to appreciate and respect the friendship, whatever the circumstance may be, even if years have passed and no one is to be seen.”

I felt out of breath once I had spoken. A shaky feeling had overcome me, repeating heartfelt words from someone who has passed felt like a

responsibility, rather than narrating words of poetry. It was an oath to them, and the life they lived.

Sheyda grew silent, she sipped on her chai, her fingers trembling as her tears stained her face.

Halima continued to comfort Sheyda as I rubbed my eyes and ran my hands through my hair. “Jaan (darling), go get some sleep, it’s been a long day.” Halima accompanied me as I lifted myself of the chair.

Elissa arose at the kitchen door, her red T-shirt rising up, revealing her belly button, whilst her blue shorts were tucked under her round, soft stomach.

“Hayati (my life), what’s wrong?”

Halima held out her arms, her golden bangles moving along her thin forearms.

Elissa’s small feet padded along the cold floor tiles, her rolls and curls, bouncing with her.

“Khala (aunty), what’s wong?” Elissa asked concerned.

Sheyda laughed as she gently padded a tissue against her teary eyes.

“Aunty is a little upset, that’s all, but I am happy now that you’re here” A heartfelt smile beamed from Elissa’s face, although she was tired and was barely able to keep her head up, she was ready for another party.

“Im hungry.” Elissa announced, her tummy rumbling like an instrument.

I opened the fridge door and stuck my head into the lightened and cold shelves, my hands shuffling through Elissa’s chocolate desserts, and Halima’s diet food.

I stuck my head back out.

“I can make you some pancakes?”

Elissa jumped and shuffled on Halima’s lap, “YES PLEASE!” “Khala, pancakes?” Elissa’s face turned serious, as it did always when it came to anything to do with food. Her blushed cheeks hung low, as the dribble from her lower lip held on for dear life.

Sheyda nodded her head, an appreciative smile glowing from her face.

“Sheyda, it only makes sense that you stay the night, we will look after you and make sure you return home safe tomorrow inshallah (God willing).” Elissa interrupted, “but first you need to eat pancakes.” She spoke quickly with a serious tone.

“I will even take some home with me tomorrow.” Sheyda spoke gently running her hand through Elissa’s thick, curly hair.

I began to prepare the pancake mixture, Elissa standing on a chair next to me, her eyes fixed on the way my hands mixed and stirred the ingredients. Sheyda and Halima left to go upstairs.

I cooked in silence, humming the tune of amma’s favourite poem, Elissa copied me, her thick legs dancing along with her.

“Padar Kalan (grandad), can I tell you a story,” Elissa’s big eyes turned towards me, her head tilting back just by a little bit.

“Yes of course.”

“Ok get ready!” She tucked back her hair behind her small ears and cleared her throat.

In a sweet voice she began to narrate a story that stuck with me for years, both in the past and the future.

“Once upon a time, there lived a man called Bilal,” Elissa looked away confused for a moment, deciphering if the name was convincing enough for a good story.

“Yes, his name was Bilal, and he owned a bakery where would make…pancakes,” Elissa’s eyes in a quick motion fluttered, from the pancakes back to me.

“He had a best friend, but his best friend, was sometimes a bad friend to him.”

“Why?” I paused for a moment.

“Because when Bilal was sad, he would feel lonely, and his friend wasn’t always there. His friend always goes to play with other people, and not invite him, people like Layla and Shayma.”

Elissa broke down into tears, her fragile hands covering her precious face, whilst her chest heaved up and down.

“Elissa?” I grew silent and waited for her to find the courage to continue talking She rested her head against the side of my rib cage and wrapped her arms around my waist.

“I thought Armineh, was my best friend, I thought we would do everything together.”

“Like running your kite?”

Elissa wiped her tears and looked up at me, her eyes swollen and her nose runny, she nodded her head with certainty.

“How about, me and you practice together, and then when you are ready you can play with Armineh and even help her.”

“Do you think she will want to play with me?”

“Why would she not want to? And if she does have a problem with you and your kite, it’s okay, Allah (God) will grant you someone better. I can promise you that.”

Elissa smiled and hugged me tighter, she wiped her tears and her snot against my top and hummed the same poem Amma use to sing to me.

“Everything is temporary even your sadness.”

Little did Elissa know the meaning and depth of the words she was humming.

Over the years we all learn that often the bonds we form are temporary, but hold great meaning. The people who we decide as our best friends often don’t meet our expectations. The lovers who we pray become our spouses, are often lessons to learn from, before we agree to a lifelong commitment. The connections and bonds we make in this life are often temporary, but they trigger us for a life time, so we may learn with understanding and wisdom. Somewhere down the line, the younger generation will turn to you for answers that can only be understood, through the tender years of a life time.

To be continued…

- UNSAID -

Some Class For all those times I may have failed to express what I mean or feel, for all those beautiful stories in my head and even more beautiful people in my heart, for all the words I forgot to say, here’s to you these words I write.

FAIZA ABDUL AZIZ

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We started off on a completely bad note. I did, I mean. You and I were so different, at least that’s what I thought. It took me one and half years to realise that maybe not so much. Maybe we are more similar than I had initially thought.

I wasn’t liking it, you know. This whole ‘disapproval’ thing that you do. You wanted everything to be perfect, the best. You had set a standard for everything. The people you talk to, the places you go to, the things you eat, everything. Everything had to be good enough to meet your standards, and if not, it was just not worth it, right? It really put me off. But like I said, it took me some time to realise that this is who you are. And it’s not wrong to be so.

I think this is what happens to people all the time; can’t tolerate differences, immediately feel threatened. It really takes some time to realise that people are different, that they have their own stories. Some people come to that conclusion sooner or later, and learn to accept if not appreciate the differences. Some people just don’t.

Our differences, I had written about them previously too. Not a very good note though. A completely different tone from this one. I hadn’t learnt to respect us and our differences then.

Never thought I’d say this, but you have grown to be the kind of sister I never had. You taught me all the things I never had the privilege of learning from a sister. I learnt from you that not all battles are worth fighting for. You showed me that sometimes the best thing to do is to keep quiet. You called me out on my mistakes, but still told me it’s fine to make them. In ways, you have made me gentler in my approach. Irony is that I learnt all these from you without you even trying, and yet haven’t tried a single thing you actually tried to teach me. I still hate shopping, I hate dressing up, don’t know what make-up brush to use for what, all to your despair. I’m sorry, some things never change.

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Time is running out, and soon we’ll be on our different ways. No, we won’t stay in touch for long. Neither are you a person for social media, nor am I, which means no posts, no memes, no tags, no selfies sent, nothing.

However, I will forever hold immense love and respect for you in my heart, and thank you, for teaching me how to hold for myself, to put it in your words, some class. Honest, all my class, I’ve learnt from you.

art credit: @jaimefosterart

If you have anything unsaid to someone and think that you might want to say it now, please send it to hello@unreadmag.com 176

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B O O K I S H

S T U F F

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DIVERSITY AND REPRESENTATION IN THE

Harry Potter World B Y

S A F I YA

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Let me start by saying I love Harry Potter as much as the next muggle, witch and wizard.

I grew up reading the books; waited impatiently for the next one to come out each time.

So much so that I even attempted to write some of the sequels myself (very badly of course). The whole series is an utterly beautiful creation and I’m sure it will be timeless in its splendour. It is however, a creation which especially in relation to diversity, is continuously being added to… many years after we all read those satisfying words: “The scar had not pained Harry for 19 years. All was well.”

The ‘Death of the Author’ is a concept which means that once a work is completed, the author’s view on their novel holds no more weight than the view of any reader. It’s the notion that the work should and can only be judged in and of itself. This is a concept which J.K. Rowling definitely does not apply to herself or her works.

There have been several occasions now in which J.K. Rowling has made a big revelation about a character or some aspect of the witch and wizarding world we all love so much but of which there was little to no evidence of in the books.

DUMBLEDORE IS GAY The final instalment of the Harry Potter series, The Deathly Hallows, was released on 21st July 2007, yet it wasn’t until October of that year that J.K. Rowling told an audience in New York that Dumbledore is gay.

Rowling only revealed this bombshell in response to a fan stating that they had always had a feeling Dumbledore was gay. The reaction to her confirmation was for the audience to break into applause. The irony of J.K. Rowling saying that she would have revealed it a lot sooner had she known what a positive reaction she would get was clearly lost on her.

Even now with a Fantastic Beasts film being centred on a young Dumbledore and Grindelwald, the little detail of Dumbledore being gay was still not included in any way in previous books or films. We only know Dumbledore was gay because J.K. says so and yet even as author of seven books and screenwriter of the latest film, she still never actually wrote it into existence.

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Some people argue that Dumbledore was not openly gay, therefore it makes sense for it never to be mentioned or touched upon either in the books or the films. However, an author has the ability to reveal something to the reader without it being known to every character in that world. How many times were we as readers given an insight into Harry’s and others’ thoughts and feelings?

RELIGIOUS REPRESENTATION Another revelation, which came about only through a fan’s question on Twitter, was the fact that there were Jewish students at Hogwarts – in particular one Ravenclaw wizard called Anthony Goldstein.

This character was hardly ever mentioned and was certainly not an important part of the story. It is only many years later are we being told directly about his faith. There was no representation in the books of Judaism or Jewish characters, but because Rowling has revealed this she is trying to sell the fact that Hogwarts was a multicultural and multi-faith school… despite the fact that nothing in the books suggested this.

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HERMIONE AS A BLACK WOMAN When a black women was cast to play Hermione in the Cursed Child, many people – myself included – were happily surprised with this aspect of diversity in the franchise.

Rowling supported this move and claimed that she had never explicitly said that Hermione was caucasian. However, nor did she ever explicitly state that Hermione was black so I feel the credit for this breath of diverse fresh air lays far from Rowling’s feet.

It’s not enough to say that Hermione was never specifically described as white, therefore she could have always potentially been coloured. When the overwhelming majority of the characters are caucasian, that description becomes unnecessary and we would soon get sick of reading ‘he/she was caucasian’.

NAGINI IS A KOREAN WOMAN The latest of Rowling’s much-delayed revelations has come about following the Fantastic Beasts film franchise - and that is the surprise that Nagini, who we know as the snake and the final Horcrux of Voldemort, in fact used to be a Korean woman.

This was a secret that Rowling has apparently been keeping for the past 20 years, although for people, who were familiar with the myth of the Naga and Nagini (half serpent-half human beings), her name was a really big clue. Even so, I still don’t understand the point of coming up with this background for a character and never having any intention of including it in the books – after all, the Fantastic Beasts film series is a new and never-guaranteed addition to the franchise.

In the Harry Potter world, Nagini becomes a snake because she inherited the maledictus curse (which only affects women) from her mother, making a woman eventually turn into a beast.

There are some worrying misogynistic and racist notions that come with Nagini originally being an East Asian woman. Considering the Naga myth originates in South Asia, perhaps a South Asian casting would have been more appropriate. There is also the whole issue of someone from a minority background being seen as a ‘less than human’

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– because she eventually becomes a beast. Pottermore even describes her as ‘Lord Voldemort’s pet snake and loyal servant’.

One reason why there is an issue around Nagini being revealed as an Asian woman in the second Fantastic Beasts film, is that she is the only Asian character in the film and we all know that she will eventually permanently become not only a snake, but a ‘pet’ and a mere servant to a caucasian man.

Whether J.K. Rowling thinks so or not, it is significant – especially for the Asian community – that the only Asian representation in Fantastic Beasts is Nagini and that she fits into many damaging and stereotypical tropes of East Asian women in film and literature.

Representation matters in so many ways. It’s important. It can open eyes and broaden minds of all kinds of people. It is all the more significant to those who are from marginalised groups, because it gives them a voice. It can make them feel seen and able to relate to characters on another level. Would people from the LBGTI community feel like they could relate to a young Dumbledore because of his sexuality just because J.K. told us he was gay?

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Would a young black girl feel seen by book Hermione just because J.K. didn’t explicitly say she was caucasian? This is where representation can make a difference to readers.

Representation of diversity is one thing I think most people could agree that the Harry Potter world is lacking. However, that’s okay and ultimately that’s not my issue. Although I would have loved a lot more representation, especially in main characters, the fact is people of all backgrounds from all over the world still love these books. Anyone and everyone can relate to the characters in some way because of their personalities or their experiences, and I truly think that’s beautiful.

My issue is when J.K. Rowling keeps trying to incorporate diversity into her books so many years after she has finished writing them and in a way that is superficial. The representation she is trying to sell us doesn’t mean anything when it was not included in any substantial way in the books.

Diversity in the book industry has been making gradual positive progress in recent years and I think Rowling is in a position to uplift other authors who have given a voice to those she hasn’t; authors who are from marginalised groups themselves, rather than trying to retrospectively add another piece to her own finished puzzle.

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B O O K

R E V I E W

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Stronger, Faster & More Beautiful

BY MAI OF BOOKLAND

AUTHOR: ARWEN ELYS DAYTON RATING:

G E N R E : SCI-FI This was one of the most thought-provoking books I have ever read. It’s not my preferred genre, and it doesn’t contain any of the elements or themes that I usually find myself attracted to.

Yet, I was deeply immersed in the stories and found myself thinking deeply about each one of them.

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Goodreads Synopsis For fans of television shows Black Mirror and Westworld, this compelling, mind-bending novel is a twisted look into the future. It explores how far we will go to remake ourselves into the perfect human specimen and what it means to be human at all.

Set in our world, spanning the near to distant futures, Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful is a novel made up of six interconnected stories that ask how far we will go to remake ourselves into the perfect human specimen. It represents how hard humans are willing to push the definition of “human.”

This extraordinary work explores the amazing possibilities of genetic manipulation and life extension, as well as the ethical quandaries that will arise with these advances. The results range from the heavenly to the monstrous. Deeply thoughtful, poignant, horrifying, and action-packed, Arwen Elys Dayton’s Stronger, Faster, and More Beautiful is ground-breaking in both form and substance.

GENERAL THOUGHTS When I first received this ARC, I had no idea that it was a collection of anthologies, and that put me off a bit in the beginning BUT, after only reading the first few pages, I found myself utterly in love with it. Arwen brought big questions to the table, her writing was witty (sometimes even funny) and extremely attractive. I couldn’t help but find myself having several reactions that ranged from laughing to crying to being deeply contemplative.

To be honest, the thing that had me thinking the most is that, despite the scientific advancements, us humans are never satisfied. We change our hair color, we go to the gym to attain a certain body shape, we wear contact lenses to change our natural eye colors, some of us even try to change our skin tone. So, this had me thinking; in a world where these things might be easily accessible, who are we going to be?

After all, we all change our appearances – we are just doing it the hard way.

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LETTER TO THE READER There was a letter by Krista Marino, Senior Executive Editor, in the beginning of the book. I believe this letter contained one paragraph that summarises everything I want to say about this book:

“It’s a novel of six interconnected stories set in the future world we are creating now, and it asks the reader questions. Big questions. With the scientific advances we are making, we are changing biology.

So, what will it be like to grow up to, to fall in and out of love, to choose what you believe in, when the very essence of what it means to be human might be changing? As you can imagine, the answers range from the heavenly to the monstrous.”

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I N T E R V I E W

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TRAVEL BLOGGER

Radhika Sharma B Y A KA N K S H A D H I N G R A

The best experiences, the best memories and the best career choices are all subjective. Living life, choosing career paths and the ways to earn do not limit. Today, having a career in travelling and blogging is possible but as fancy it sounds to travel the world, it has a lot of hardships, tough decisions and undying passion attached along.

The feeling when a place or a moment, takes our breath away and fills us up with happiness, discovery and a sense of being lost and then found: these are

@radhika_nomllers

the experiences maybe one searches when on the road.

India has a bunch of amazing travel bloggers, who continue to capture the world with their lens and do not fail to express those experiences through words.

Radhika Sharma is one of them and we have some Q&A to get the insights!

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WHO IS RADHIKA SHARMA? I won’t say that I am a perfect human. I certainly lack a lot of things and I constantly keep working upon myself to be better with every passing day. But I am happy with whatever I am and I think that’s the first key to really understanding oneself; by accepting yourself first. I was not always like this. There was a time when I did not have friends and had self-esteem the size of an ant, but overtime I decided to change this. I started looking constantly for things that can change my perception; traveling was one of those magic wands I discovered few years back, which helped me to grow.

As a human I feel kindness really attracts me. I love sunsets, rain and snow. I love to take walks on a mystical road. I can never decide between mountains and beaches. I would love to travel full-time someday. I would like to try as many adventurous sports as possible, including surfing and skating. All these tiny things are what I am made of and I can’t wait for the future to unfold.

WHAT LED TO YOU CHOOSING THE PATH OF LIVING A NOMADIC LIFESTYLE? I never thought that traveling would become a drug for me. Literally. It is. If I don’t go somewhere for a week, I start to feel like I am dying. Haha! It is peculiar though, because during my childhood days I never traveled much. Amritsar and Jaipur in India were the only two places that I had seen, until a friend of mine forced me to tag along during New Years Eve of 2015, and that was the turning point. I felt independent and alive. I spotted four tigers in Jim Corbett and clouds floating just outside my hotel door; everything was just breathtaking. I knew I would keep coming back to the mountains for this, again and again.

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IT’S SAID, TRAVEL IS A BAND AID SOLUTION FOR HAPPINESS. WHAT ARE YOUR VIEWPOINTS ON THE SAME? Travel is not really a band aid solution for happiness. True, some of us do go to different places to break the monotony of our lives, but some of us can’t survive without travel. Those who can’t survive will forge a new journey, even though they are happy, sad, successful or low just because of the thirst to experience things beyond their vicinity.

AFTER ALL YOUR TRAVEL EXPERIENCES, WHAT STILL SCARES YOU ON THE ROAD? That’s a tricky one. I think running out of memory or battery scares me! This may sound absurd, because maybe I should be more conscious about my safety or theft, but I’m not.

Maybe I haven’t faced any troubles like that yet? But, I do like to capture every possible memory from the trip and if I run out of batteries or data, it irks a lot!

SHARE YOUR FAVOURITE TRAVELLING EXPERIENCE! There are many to be honest. First sky diving experience, first cliff jumping experience, playing Holi in Mathura, experiencing snow in Kedarkantha, going solo to Sikkim, then to Italy. There are endless memories, but the best one is experiencing shooting stars in Triund, India. I was so dazed and lost for words. I didn’t speak for half an hour and had happy tears in my eyes, because I didn’t expect to see shooting stars in Triund. It was gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous.

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WHERE D0 YOU SEE YOURSELF IN THE NEXT TEN YEARS? For the past 20 years I have been planning my next ten years, but I realised that things never really go to plan, so I plan the next few months or maybe year and let life take its course. I think this stops me from stressing too much and is maybe why I am a little content, if not too much, with what I have right now and what I have achieved.

FOLLOWING DREAMS, IS NOT LIKE CUTTING A CAKE. WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR HARDSHIPS? Many people think that I earn a lot, which is why I am able to travel so much, or that my employer willingly gives me days off to travel. This is so not the case. I sacrifice a lot to make trips happen. I do not spend on materialistic things - instead I go on a weekend trip back to back without taking a break, which can get exhausting. Right now, serving my notice to travel full-time and figuring out how to make money at the same time is a challenge, but what is life without struggle.

HOW HAVE YOU SEEN YOURSELF GROW AND EVOLVE? I was such a negative person once upon a time and now, I am a happy soul. I can empathise with someone without any struggles, I can steer conversations without any problem. I can talk to strangers, go outdoors alone. I am very independent now and I don’t feel lonely, even if I am alone. I am totally content with what I am and all this helps me a lot to be strong in tough situations. I think in today’s time all this is really important when the world tries to pull you down from time and again. You need something to remind you that you are enough for yourself, and I think, I discovered how to channel this energy for my betterment.

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T R AV E L

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Solo travelling: what is it really like?

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I often catch myself wondering what’s out there; dreaming of immersing myself in different cultures, wild adventures and endless varieties of delicious foods. When I stop and actually think about how big the world really is, I get so overwhelmed. Overwhelmed by how much there is I want to experience and worried that I am running out of time.

I am fearful that I am wasting my days. With these thoughts taking over, I do the only logical thing; I book a flight ticket.

Travelling solo is not something new. It’s been a popular method of travel for years, and it’s easy to see why. There is no need to wait around for someone to agree to join you on an adventure you’ve been dreaming about for a lifetime. You book the flights, pack your bags and go. The freedom is exhilarating!

Let’s put freedom aside for now; the moment after I booked my flights, I froze. What had I just done? Was I about to embark on a trip to Asia myself?! I’ll be the first to admit that I was extremely nervous about what I had just done. I spent hours worrying about every negative thing that could happen and even wondered if I should cancel my trip completely? I later realised that these thoughts, although absurd in hindsight, are very normal. Anything that pushes you out of your comfort zone is likely to make you anxious. But that’s not saying that everything that makes you anxious is bad.

Looking back now, after returning from my amazing adventure, I can’t believe I was ever considering cancelling! Whilst travelling I realised how awesome travelling solo is and why more people need to try it!

1. You are in control of the whole adventure. You. No one else. Just you!

You get to decide what to do and when to do it. The trip is based solely on your interests. If you don’t know your interests, this is the best time to find out!

Some people may find this stressful, as they like having a plan. If you find yourself in this position, there are plenty of tour groups available for almost every country in the world.

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Sign up to one and they will plan the trip for you (along with a group of like-minded people), and ensure you get to see all the best from the country.

2. You get to meet an abundance of new people, who you may not have met if you had been travelling with company!

There is often the fear of getting lonely whilst travelling alone, and I am here to tell you that that fear should not exist. Travelling alone pushes you to break out and speak to those around you. Especially if you are staying at hostels, or if you are going to tourist destinations. You will be surrounded by travellers, some of whom may also be alone and looking to meet people.

Another way I have met people whilst travelling was through online travel groups. The internet truly is a weird and wonderful place. There are many reliable places to find groups and meet people who will be travelling to your destination. It’s also a great way to get suggestions on what you could add to your itinerary, and perhaps even arrange to do an activity with people from the group.

3. You have time to clear your mind.

I know this is a cliché. But it is true. You will have all this time to yourself. Time to really clear your head and perhaps even address what has been keeping you up at night (if something has been). In between the sightseeing and adventure, it is easy and beneficial to take some time and really focus on what’s going on inside your head.

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4. You get to interact with some locals.

From my experience, locals are more likely to approach you when you are travelling alone.

Getting the chance to speak to someone living in the country and hear what they have to say is always an eye-opening experience. You get to learn about the country’s history and the culture in a truly unique and personal way.

If you have the opportunity, I recommend that you seriously take advantage of it! Plus, locals always give you the best recommendations for some truly hidden gems!

Above are just a few reasons why I think travelling solo is fantastic and if you are thinking about it; GO FOR IT!

Safe travels!

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G U I D E

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Rome

Ciao! Whether it’s a family holiday, a short city break or a tour around a few countries, it is not always easy planning a trip. So, to save you some time, I have put together an itinerary that will allow you to manage your time effectively and get the best out of your trip.

During the Summer of 2018, I was fortunate enough to visit the city of Rome that left me ever so mesmerised. Rome is a historical city full of art, architecture and culture. It is the home to many iconic landmarks; where each attraction portrays its own story.

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D AY O N E

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D AY T W O

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D AY T H R E E

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D AY FO U R

MORNING Trevi Fountain & Spanish Steps

Piazza Navona

Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapal & St. Peter’s Basillica

St. Angelo Bridge

Pantheon

St. Peter’s Sqaure & Piazza del Popolo

Mosque of Rome

Castle Sant’Angelo

Trastevere

AFTERNOON Colosseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill

EVENING Basilica of Our Lady in Trastevere

Borghese Gallery and Museum

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Notes Buy tickets in advance! Visit www.rome.info/ or www.italywithus.com/ to get additional details about sightseeing, events, travel deals, tickets and tours.

Also, if you’re visiting in the summer, then go on the early morning (exclusive) tours as it will be cooler and less busy as opposed to the afternoon.

Upon arriving at the Colosseum, if you’re approached by someone advertising tours on behalf of the tour company, “Italy with us”, then be sure to go ahead with it, as it will allow you to explore and gain in depth knowledge of the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill in about three hours. The same tour company also gives you the opportunity to get a taste of the Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica.

The Sistine Chapel’s ceiling is a master piece that was painted by Michelangelo which took him four years to paint. When you visit the museums, it will make you appreciate art and history like never before.

If I had known before that it was cheaper to book tours online prior to visiting Rome, I would have done that, but I must admit that every Euro was worth the visit!

T R AV E L , E X P L O R E & E N J OY !

Your travel guide,

Momina

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