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MIND CAFE EDITION 3 - BALANCE

ON BEING PRESENT

In This Edition T H E I M P O R TA N C E O F S AY I N G N O : S I X B O O K S F O R F I N D I N G S TA B I L I T Y - P 2 8

Given the chaotic nature of life in the 21st century, finding stability is more important than ever. Let Ed Cunningham from ‘A Need to Read’ teach you how. H OW B I G Z U U R E M A I N S G R O U N D E D O N H I S JOURNEY TO SUCCESS - P44

Bafta-nominated Big Zuu has made enormous strides in his career in recent years. In his interview with Joe McNally, Zuu discusses the keys to remaining balanced on the way up in life. THE ART OF BALANCING SELFISHNESS WITH SELFLESSNESS - P76

In a society that values altruistic behaviour so highly, Gemma Steele explains how finding space to be selfish every now and then is crucial to our mental wellbeing. N U R T U R I N G N AT U R E : H OW P E R M A C U LT U R E C A N A LT E R O U R P E R S P E C T I V E O F B A L A N C E - P 1 0 2

Channel 4 star, Poppy Okotcha, is renowned for her expertise in all-things nature. In this interview with Gemma Steele, she sheds light on a few insightful links between the plant world and modern life and some important lessons we can all learn. R E C O G N I S I N G YO U R PA S T : F I N D I N G B A L A N C E AFTER ADDICTION - P112

Addicted to heroin for eighteen years, Brian Pennie learned some harsh but crucial truths about what it means to be happy. In this interview with Adrian Drew, he shares those important lessons with us. SHARP EDGES - P122

Fame wasn’t all that world-famous As It Is frontman expected it to be. Years into his groundbreaking success, Patty Walters lets his guard down and shares the truth about his journey to stardom.

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Mind Cafe Media Ltd. 2021 (ISSN 2635-0793)

IN THIS EDITION

PHOTOGRAPHY

Hedi Sersoub

MODELS

Danielle Copperman

L O C AT I O N

France

Balancing Doing With Being AU T H O R : DA N I E L L E C O P P E R M A N

aving worked in the wellness industry for almost ten years now, I’ve heard the quote “We are human beings, not human doings” more times than I can count. It resonated with me at an early stage in my personal wellbeing journey, uttered, I assume, by a yoga teacher as I lay enjoying one of my first ever savasanas. But it stuck with me and, still to this day, it is something I come back to whenever I feel rushed off my feet, exhausted, overwhelmed, or like I’m endlessly chasing my tail - but it also soothes me when I feel I’m not doing enough. As I sit and write this piece, it’s the first week of the New Year. I’m in France, where I have been since last April, almost exclusively isolated in my boyfriend’s family’s home in the countryside. It’s a strange time of year, this. There comes a slow lull after the energy and busyness of Christmas, shifting from boiling point back to a steady simmer. But it’s not a simmer of sameness, of staying still, it’s a simmer of newness; of being ready for what’s to come, with a new sense of intrigue. I think this time of year is the perfect time

to talk about balance. It is a time when we can pause momentarily to both reflect on the old and prepare for the new. It is also historically a time for making resolutions and setting goals, but thankfully the approach to these things, it feels, is beginning to shift. It’s now more about setting subtle, personal and meaningful intentions, with no restriction and much less pressure, not conforming to society and hastily making lists based on what you think you ‘should’ be doing and bettering about yourself. At New Year, all year in fact, we have the autonomy to choose whether we want to hit the ground running, or tread gently and ensure we’re doing the right things, for ourselves. I speak for myself when I say it takes significant effort for me not to dive head first into my inbox without looking back. But this year, I’m making a commitment to being more conscious about how I’m spending my time, in a bid, more than anything, to ensure I retain some kind of balance throughout the rest of the year; something that normally falters a few weeks in, despite my best intentions. I want to be a human being rather than a human doing.

BALANCING DOING WITH BEING

It’s a concept that has gained more popularity in recent years, as we’ve come to care less for extreme diets, rules and resolutions, and more for slowness, stillness and the ability to just be. Of course we’re still (and maybe now more than ever), in an age of constant success-driven striving. But now, I think we’re more aware: aware of how unsustainable it is to exist exclusively like this, and aware of the importance of balancing it out with other things, things that really matter, keep us well and make us happy. These days, if you’re not constantly complaining about how stressed or time-poor you are, it’s assumed you’re not doing enough or working as much as you could be. We have come to glorify busyness, as if the doing itself is more a sign of success - worthy of validation - than the actual achievements themselves. It’s just not impressive to anyone to hear someone talk about how great they slept last night, or how nice it was to get out in nature with friends or family in the middle of a normal working day. They want to hear about other

people going through the struggles that they themselves endure to keep up with the pace of modern life. But it’s no wonder we have evolved into such chaotic beings. It’s no wonder we are constantly chasing our tails, constantly striving, so focused on doing well. Success these days is focused on several things. Firstly, there’s jobs: whether we have a good job with a good position; whether we get impressive promotions; how much we earn. Closely after comes wealth: how much money we have; how many expensive belongings we own; how many holidays we take. Then, relationships: whether we have a partner, a family, kids; whether we’re married and who our other half is, maybe even what they do; how popular we are, how many friends we have. Then there’s our homes: where we live; how big our house is; whether we rent or own. And finally, material things: what kinds of belongings we own; how we dress; what car we drive; the list goes on.

“We have come to glorify busyness, as if the doing itself is more a sign of success than the actual achievements themselves.” A Q U OT E BY DA N I E L L E C O P P E R M A N

MAKING WELLNESS A HABIT

PHOTOGRAPHY

Joe Marchant

MODELS

Big Zuu

L O C AT I O N

Flora & Fauna studios, London

How Big Zuu Remains Grounded On His Journey to Success AUTHOR: GEMMA STEELE I N T E R V I E W E R : J O E M C N A L LY

oom we’re here, man’s about to get interviewed in this old-school yard, stuff is happening.” Big Zuu, one of the UK’s most talked-about grime artists, has only been in our studio for two minutes, yet the whole team are already grinning from ear to ear. His energy is electric. As a writer, it’s hard not to go into an interview without expectations or even a mere idea (however vague) of how an interview will go. It’s often why you strive to book a particular interview in the first place. You fall in love with the resulting article before you’ve even conducted the interview. I expected to find Zuu funny. I expected his confidence, his loudness, his energy, but what I didn’t expect was his vulnerability, his humility, his determination. Big Zuu, whose real name is Zuhair Hassan, seems to thrive on superseding expectations. “If you always feel too comfortable, you kind of get lost in the sauce and that’s how you end up not progressing, that’s how you end up

just staying stagnant”, says Zuu. There’s no way you could accuse Big Zuu of staying stagnant. Having released his EP in 2017, Zuu shot to fame when he featured on renowned YouTuber, KSI’s track, ‘Uncontrollable’, which has now been streamed almost 23 million times on Spotify. Two years later and Big Zuu has maintained his successful music career, but also, quite surprisingly, Big Zuu isn’t just big in the recording studio, but in the kitchen too: he now has his own cookery TV show on Dave. “I always want to learn”, explains Zuu. “there’s always the next step, and for me, that’s what I’m chasing.” The first series of Big Zuu’s Big Eats saw Zuu and his two best mates cook for some of the UK’s biggest comedians, including Jimmy Carr, Ed Gamble and Phil Wang. It’s recently been commissioned for a second series that promises to feature big names like Maya Jama, Harry Redknapp and James Acaster to name a few. The most recent string to Big Zuu’s bountiful bow is his hotly anticipated debut cookery book.

H OW B I G Z U U R E M A I N S G RO U N D E D O N H I S J O U R N E Y TO S U C C E S S

PHOTOGRAPHY

Joe Marchant

MODELS

Aaron Unknown

L O C AT I O N

Flora & Fauna studios, London

Love, Passion and Balance: How Unknown Came to be Known INTERVIEWER: ADRIAN DREW I N T E R V E W E E : A A R O N U N K N OW N

s an artist that’s becoming more prolific and influential with every move he makes, it’s somewhat ironic that Aaron Gatward’s artist name should be ‘Aaron Unknown’. Unknown as an adjective is, in many ways, the opposite of what Aaron’s explosive trajectory in the past few years reflects. But unknown isn’t an adjective. It’s a philosophy. A movement. Through his lyrics, Aaron communicates so much more than the average rapper, sharing his beliefs, ideas and encouraging his listeners to love one another. Rapping for fourteen years, Aaron’s career began with his breathtaking freestyle session for Jamal Edwards’ SBTV - a creative platform for up and coming rap artists. Since then, it’s been a whirlwind. Before his debut, Aaron was rapping without a name, writing lyrics from his bedroom in South London

and sharing his message to a small group of friends. Now, Unknown means so much to so many people. ‘Rather than being a brand name, it’s more of a philosophy,’ explains Aaron. ‘And it blew up out of nowhere. You drop a little pebble in the water and at first the ripples are so small. But through time, that keeps going, and eventually that same little ripple that was in the centre reaches the end of the lake.’ Sitting opposite Aaron, now a good friend of mine since our paths collided, there’s a certain energy about him. A presence. You can feel the truth in his words - a truth that resonates on a deeper level. There’s character. It’s hard to explain, but Aaron seems to be one of those rare people you meet in life that leaves such a lasting impression, inspiring you to pursue your wildest dreams with the utmost tenacity.

L OV E , PA S S I O N A N D B A L A N C E : H OW U N K N OW N C A M E T O B E K N OW N

There’s this whole idea that two people become one in a relationship, but I hate that. Two becoming one is negative. It’s a minus. How about two become four, or eight, or sixteen? Why can’t we come together and expand rather than shrink?” A Q U OT E F R O M A A R O N U N K N OW N

What started with lyrics scrawled onto pieces of paper in his Brixton bedroom has since transformed into a fastgrowing movement, driven forward by millions of loyal listeners and fans all resonating with Aaron’s message. ‘What is that message?’ I ask Aaron as he sips his coffee. ‘What do you aim to teach through your words, what’s the point in it all?’ ‘Above everything, I want to teach people that they can love themselves. A lot of people seem to think that love has to come from something external, or someone other than themselves. But it doesn’t. Loving yourself is perfectly possible. There’s this whole idea that two people become one in a relationship, but I hate that. Two becoming one is negative. It’s a minus. How about two become four, or eight, or sixteen? Why can’t we come together and expand rather than shrink?’ Having risen to such astounding heights in a relatively short space of time, Aaron goes on to highlight the importance of balance. ‘Everything is a duality,’ he explains. ‘There’s balance in everything.’ Keeping his ego in check and ensuring to prioritize creativity over money or fame, for instance, required Aaron to seek balance in all facets of his life as a means of self-preservation. ‘But that aside, balance is necessary in all areas. I wrote about it years ago in one of my earliest tracks. You can’t have up without the down, you can’t have sky without the ground, you can’t have dryness without the clouds, you can’t have monsoons without the droughts, you can’t have humble

without the loud, feelings without the doubts, can’t have smiling without the frowns and you can’t have silence without the sound. Each are complete opposites, but the message is clear. Life is all about balance.’ Aaron and I spoke at length about the constant struggle between light and darkness. That is, finding glimmers of hope in difficult times and enabling positivity to balance out pain and suffering. ‘Light always overpowers darkness,’ he explains. ‘When you spark a lighter in a pitch black room, you can see. But a small patch of darkness is virtually invisible in a bright, open space.’ That’s the power of love. Even in the worst of times, you can still overpower darkness and difficulty with positivity and kindness. In many ways, Aaron shares the same message in his lyrics, imploring people to open up their hearts and embrace self-expression. To round off, I asked Aaron where he sees the next few years taking him. ‘Well, I see the next few years taking me to a place that I’m not even ready for - and that’s fine because I have the support and energy that I need around me. I’m realising that I can actually make that impact and change. There’s no materialistic goal, I just want people to see their full potential,’ he continues. ‘I see myself as becoming this beacon of unconditional love. That’s my aim, and I want to share that same love with everyone on this journey.’

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Edition 3: Balance