Uploader Magazine June 2020 Dalal & Maesa Issue #7

CONTENT BY CREATORS

JUNE 2020

MAGAZINE

FATHER’S DAY Inspo

SOCIAL MEDIA Bullying

NAZA HOLLIMAN Mothers of Children of Color

Maesa Dalal COMPOSERS

and

ISSUE 07

100+ SUMMER Trends Inspirational MEN & WOMEN

BANNED #’s on Instagram

THE

CONTENT CREATORS

MAGAZINE

FEATURING

BLOGGERS | VLOGGERS YOUTUBERS PODCASTERS AUTHORS | WRITERS

ACTORS|ACTRESSES

PERFORMERS

AND MORE...

Contents JUNE 2020

SOCIAL & TECH 30 36

Social Media Bullying - Annie Morcos Instagram’s Banned Hashtags

INSPIRATIONAL MEN 40

50

Giving Back in the Face of Adversity - Texas Dela Rosa From Germany to Celebrity Hollywood Photographer - Bjoern Kommerell

BEAUTY 60

Beauty Scope - Debbie Savage

FASHION 66

76

100+ Trending Summer Pieces to Get Now - Editors Picks Style & Sass - Tiffany Giannato

84 88 92 95

Clear Your Mindset - Rebecca Schuster Mom Guilt - Andrea Rappaport The Mindset Minute - Andrew Carlson LOA (Ask Becca) - Rebecca Schuster

LIFESTYLE

INSPIRATIONAL WOMEN 100

112

118

Mastering The Performance of Art - Brittany Benjamin Four Days to Change The World - Molly Dare Hillenbrand Army Veteran to Entrepreneur - Sarah Apgar

EXTRAS 9 62 74 130 139

Letter from the Editor Father’s Day Gift Guide Vegan Wristlets - 20% discount with code Horoscopes & Astrology - Kyle Thomas Advertising Feature Photography: Hamid Moslehi

Page12 Our Cover Stars COMPOSERS

Dalal Bruchmann and Maesa Pullman

Talk their creative process, upcoming projects and their journey taken.

Page 126

Naza Holliman

Mothers of Children of color pray different

Photography: Hamid Moslehi

UPLOADER

MAGAZINE

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF CHERYL DE MARCO @cherylandmore

ON THE COVER DALAL BRUCHMANN MAESA PULLMAN

@dalalmusic @maesamusic Photographer: Hamid Moslehi

CONTRIBUTORS, FEATURES AND MENTIONS Andrea Rappaport @theandrearappaport

Andrew Carlson @shiftintoactionnow Annie Morcos @anniesartstudio Bjoern Kommerell @bkheadshots Brittany Benjamin @brittanybenjaminofficial Debbie Savage @debbiessavage Jamie Pomeranz @devilsmaycare Jessica Moss @nottooshabbybyjess Kelly Johnson @kellyybellyy62 Kyle Thomas @mrkylethomas Live in the Light @liveinthelight3 Molly Dare Hillenbrand @mollydare Naza Holliman @sweet.p.and.sky PrettyLittleThing @prettylittlething Rebecca Schuster @lovebecca26 Sarah Apgar @fitfighterfounder Sarah Schreiber @sarahschreiber Saweetie @saweetie Texas Dela Rosa @texasdelarosa Tiffany Giannato @tiffyg77

PHOTOGRAPHY

Alexander Butterfield Ben Enke Chris McDuffie @donqhannahphotography Elizabeth Hauck Frank J. Gallio @cherryblossomphoto Gabby Baglieri Hannah Bodsworth Jessie Hearn Photography Martha Abelson Photography Michelle Cox Photography Merissa Conley Randi Marie Seth Komito @komitocollective Shutter Shmack Val Westover Photography Vanessa S. Torres Photography Wendy Kathleen Photography Zach Sperazzo Zachary Smith @zacharyismith

GET IN TOUCH

hello@uploadermagazine.com www.uploadermagazine.com @uploadermagazine

Publisher

Uploader Media Limited

Photography: Hannah Bodsworth

letter

FROM THE

EDITOR T

his will be the first time we have delayed a publication, but one which I felt was absolutely necessary out of respect for all those who have been victims of racial injustice. All proceeds from June’s publication will go to the Black Lives Matter foundation. I have also included pieces under the PrettyLittleThing x Saweetie in the monthly fashion picks, where again, all proceeds from that collection will also go to the Black Lives Matter foundation. We all need to stand together to make a difference, and although progress is being made, there is still a long way to go.

Our cover stars Dalal Bruchmann and Maesa Pullman, are two extremely talented artists that have created incredible projects both together and separately, and their compositions are beautiful. This month we gave the spotlight section to one of our columnists Naza Holliman, where she talks about being a mother to children of color and gives an emotional recount of how she became aware of the racism that people of color face on a daily basis.

With the global crisis still very much on our minds, I would again like to thank everyone who has stepped forward selflessly to help and keep us safe. I am in awe of you all, and forever grateful.

o

c r a M e D l y r e Ch

UPLOADER MAGAZINE 9

ON

THE COVER Maesa Pullman

&

Dalal Bruchmann 12 UPLOADER MAGAZINE

Photography: Hamid Moslehi

ON THE COVER

THE DOUBLE TOUR DE FORCE 14 UPLOADER MAGAZINE

Maesa & Dalal DREAM DUET

Photography: Hamid Moslehi

ON THE COVER - DALAL

D

alal is Austrian born and raised.

A recording artist, composer, and singer. She began her musical career in the United States in 2011 where she topped the Billboard Breakout Charts in the US and the UK Pop Commercial and Dance Charts. After her move from New York City to Los Angeles Dalal teamed up with Producer Nate “Impact” Jolley. Together they performed at the BMI Acoustic Sessions, at the House of Blues, the Whisky A Go-Go, and headlined the Barbados Music Festival…

In 2019 she was the only female composer to be featured next to Max Richter, Yann Tiersen, Olafur Arnalds on the latest album by Canadian Violinist Angele Dubeau & La Pieta.

After releasing her debut classical record The Quiet Heart via The Orchard, she has released two more albums under the Warner Classics label, the classical arm of Warner Music Group.

Dalal enjoys riding horses (cleaning stables), Astronomy, and is an avid History enthusiast.

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ON THE COVER - MAESA

M

aesa Pullman is a soul-folk Americana/rock-n-roll singer-songwriter music-maker/ multi-disciplinary creator-performer based in Los Angeles, California. She writes, records, and performs her original music all over Los Angeles and has toured the U.S. and Scandinavia. Maesa has independently released singles, ‘Bells’, ‘Again Again’, and ‘Woah Honey’ as well as a six-song EP called ‘Whippoorwill’. Maesa has a country-funk family band, the Whole Damn Fam, writes and sings for Hans Petter Gundersen’s Norway-based band The Last Hurrah!! (Los Angeles 2018, Mudflowers 2015 (Runegrammofon), as well as co-founded and leads The Band of Singers (project of Dignity of Man at the Birdhouse nonprofit 501c3), a non-traditional 26-person community choir creating new, original, interdisciplinary performances. Maesa’s original songs can be heard on shows such as ‘OWN’s Queen Sugar’, ‘The Sinner’, ‘Wentworth’, ‘Catfish’, ‘Burn Notice’, ‘Girlfriend’s Guide to Divorce’, and others. She has experience composing for films, dance, and theatre including ‘Indigo Valley’, the soundtrack for which was released December 2019 via The Orchard.

Photography: Hamid Moslehi

UPLOADER MAGAZINE 17

ON THE COVER

Encountering the double tour de force that is Dalal and Maesa leaves anyone curious about what their creative process might be like.

That is where Uploader lucked out in getting a special peek into their stories, their shared journey, and how the current global situation may be affecting their@dalalmusic work@maesamusic now.

Edited by Cheryl De Marco

DALAL & MAESA

T

his incredibly talented duo create soulful scores for film out of southern California and carve a sound entirely their own. Their collaborations are organic both musically and in process. The two met thanks to filmmaker Jaclyn Bethany who brought them together to score her psychological wilderness drama, Indigo Valley (Giant Pictures). A dreamy match was made. Dalal brought her uncanny knack for string arrangements and Maesa her haunting, Americana instincts and a beautiful, singular tapestry of sound was woven. The Indigo Valley soundtrack (released via the Orchard December 2019 and nominated for two Hollywood Music in Media Awards) turned out to be just the beginning of a fruitful journey of working together. Their co-composed soundtrack for Under the Lantern Lit Sky, set in Mississippi in the 1920s, is aimed at a late summer release and will enchant listeners with its romantic, sultry soundscape. Meanwhile, the score for Jaclyn Bethany’s second feature, Highway One, is well underway.

The musical world of Highway One can be described as a long surreal trip with Slavic rap around every corner. The diverse range of musical styles in these films allow Maesa and Dalal to express the depth and breadth of their talents. This duo is poised to create miles of music together, stealing your heart with every variation.

Not only are the composers gifted songwriters, they are both strong vocalists and bang out dreamy duets like hotcakes. Music video for single, Braided, off the Indigo Valley soundtrack, traces the twisted past of the sisters in the film and the song is like a dark fairytale evoking the drama intrinsic in the characters’ relationship.

On collaborating, Maesa says, “Working with Dalal on a score is like second nature now … our rhythm of working together is like a well-oiled machine while still keeping it alive and truthful with whatever the moment brings. We both care about having the process flow naturally”.

“Working together with Maesa has brought me immense joy and I look forward to each brainstorming, music-making, fig-eating, idea-sharing, philosophizing session together. At the start of each project I often see us as two gardeners creating a world full of colors and patterns and scents”, says Dalal.

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Photography: Hamid Moslehi

Maesa

Pullman Photography: Hamid Moslehi

ON THE COVER - MAESA

The Last Hurrah!! in a bread factory in Bergen, Norway. We also love to record in barns and churches. The environment always influences the music. Our friends, who we play with often, also influence the music - we all influence each other some of these friends are Kyle McNeill, Miranda Lee Richards, The Record Company, Atta Boy, Moviestar, The Real Ones, Luther Russel, and Sarabeth Tucek.

ON THE JOURNEY TAKEN

WHY I DO WHAT I DO...

I

t has been a natural following of a path, and that turned out to be the path of music. In my experience, music can be a magical world to live in… writing a song can feel like magic.

Singing a long tone by myself to a wall can feel like magic. Playing on stage with people I love can be pure magic.

Growing up in my family, it was like everything could lead to creation, to performance. We were always making pageants and ceremonies outside on the hill in our backyard on special occasions. In my own development, I have gone through phases where it has felt like anything could be turned into a song… then one song leads to another… and you start following the

muses that might be so kind as to grace you with their guidance, or the muses start following you!

I play in bands with my brothers, Jack and Lewis, and with my cousin, Rosa. It is really special to play with my family and how lucky we are to have that dynamic is not lost on me. My long time love/partner-in-crime, Jason Hiller (we got married last year) has a recording studio, Electrosound, in the pool house of the house he grew up in.

We love recording live to tape. We are always together in music in a variety of ways - sometimes I am playing drums and he is playing bass, sometimes we are leading community musicians in site-specific dance performances on the streets of Butte, Montana in the middle of summer, or we are recording with our Norwegian band,

Along the way, I got connected with filmmaker Jaclyn Bethany. Though I hadn’t done any composing for films to speak of, she let me score a short film she was making while she was at the American Film Institute. Then, at the beginning stages of developing her feature, Indigo Valley, she introduced me to Dalal Bruchmann! Dalal comes with so much experience and brilliant instincts for composing and has a strong classical background, which was key for the soundscape of the film. My background is in folk and jazz and now I play rock-n-roll and “cosmic Americana”.

So, as you can imagine, the combination is pretty epic! We bring different colors and what we know to the table. Dalal has taught me so much about composing and especially the nature of strings in film scores. For that, I am forever grateful and so excited for all of the music we get to create together!

UPLOADER MAGAZINE 21

ON THE COVER - MAESA

ON LOCKDOWN I have become quite meditative about my relationship with the voice during this time. I’ve gotten pretty elemental with singing. Everything seems to lead back to the voice for me right now. And the intrinsic role of the breath in the voice is taking center stage in my body and mind. I got a bit low under the mysterious weight of the COVID crisis/ lockdown but I think I may have just turned a corner and I am excited to write and record and play again.

I remember now that my work is to make and share music and let the river flow. Not to mention, Dalal and I have a score to make! Working on the score with Dalal is part of what is sustaining my spirit right now! Luckily, the lockdown doesn’t prevent us from creating new music.

I am also putting out my full-length album this summer on the Electrosound label.

An EP from my side project, Miroma (with Miranda Lee Richards and Rosa Pullman) will be released in the coming months as well.

22 UPLOADER MAGAZINE

Photography: Hamid Moslehi

ON THE COVER - DALAL WHY I DO WHAT I DO...

I

was born on Walpurgis Night and my love for music and art started in a tiny village in the South-East of Austria, on a Thursday I’d like to think. I grew up in the countryside in a family that loved the outdoors, animals, and art. My mother is a painter and scientist and she is, to this day, my greatest mentor.

She taught me to trust myself to make fast decisions in life, because “it doesn’t matter if they may turn out to be wrong, you will be able to change them just as fast.” She also said “the best way to learn about your immediate world is to leave it behind and look at it from another vantage point” so that is what I did. I packed my violin and moved from the Sachertorte to the Big Apple in 2011 and began my musical journey in the United States.

My debut work made it into the Billboard Breakout Charts in the US and during this time I finished my University Diploma and my Bachelor of Arts degree in Animation, VFX, and graphic design.

After the start of my East Coast tour I, unfortunately, fell sick from carbon monoxide poisoning from a faulty furnace in the building. After quite a long healing process I went back to my roots and started to put my lifelong love affair with classical music on paper and moved to Los Angeles, where I‘ve made my home. After having found a soul brother in DC-native, record producer, and jazz drummer Nate “Impact” Jolley, we created “Dalal and the Impact Band” and started performing in and around Los Angeles (and Barbados).

During this time I also created my first classical debut in “The Quiet Heart” and started writing for smaller motion picture productions and art projects that eventually led me to film scoring.

ON THE JOURNEY TAKEN I’m delighted in scoring and being part of an array of beautiful projects.

From the dance documentary, ‘Beyond Moving’, about South African dancer Siphe November (Director: Vikram Dasgupta in connection with Canada’s National Ballet), where I was fortunate to work with insanely talented African instrumentalists, to the UK feature film ‘Hurt By Paradise’ (Director: Greta Bellamacina) that I scored with my dear friend Jeff Franzel. I’m a huge history

24 UPLOADER MAGAZINE

enthusiast and last year I was lucky to score the short film ‘The Shot’ (Director: Adan Canto), a period piece set in Texas in the year 1844.

I’m currently working with Danish animation studio Nørlum, where my dream of scoring a classically animated feature film is coming true. We presented the teaser for ‘The Sea Salt Girl’ (“La Bambina Di Sale”) at the Annecy Animation Festival in France in 2019 together with director Angela Conigliaro, producers Claus Toksvig and Elena Alexa, and script consultant Jericca Cleland.

As a solo artist, I had the pleasure of releasing two albums and six singles, playing beautiful piano compositions by composer Ludovico Einaudi for Warner Classics.

In 2017 I met multi-talented

director Jaclyn Bethany. After scoring a short project of hers, she introduced me to Maesa Pullman and we teamed up to score Jaclyn’s debut feature film, the psychological drama ‘Indigo Valley’ together, for which we later received a nomination at the Hollywood Music in Media Awards for Best Original Score. Maesa and I joined forces again for the fictionalized prequel to Tennessee Williams’s ‘A Streetcar named Desire’, where we took a musical time machine back to the late 1920s and had the most wonderful time writing and creating. Maesa is a true artist.

She follows her calling, simply and effortlessly. Our collaboration has elevated my spirit and my craft in so many ways. I found a true musical soul sister and will be forever grateful to Jaclyn for making our paths cross.

Dalal

Bruchmann Photography: Hamid Moslehi

Photography: Hamid Moslehi

ON THE COVER - DALAL

ON LOCKDOWN The last recording session for the film ‘Under The Lantern Lit Sky’ happened at Electrosound studios with Maesa and Jason a day before the lockdown was implemented in Los Angeles. For Highway One, Jaclyn Bethany’s newest brainchild, Maesa, and I had to start recording remotely with our musicians, which was incredibly unfortunate as the studio atmosphere is a wonderfully inspiring one, where people gather to exchange ideas and feed off each other’s energy.

The computer happened to be a poor substitute for that. On the whole, the world-wide situation is very worrying to me as authoritarian political agendas and structures seem to be lurking through an umbrella of noble reasons. Our social currency has taken a beating and in many ways, democracy has become a luxury. But I think critical voices calling for systematic changes are becoming louder and louder and I look forward to seeing a shift in our collective mindset; a new discourse that speaks of living a sustainable lifestyle, practicing medicine preventatively, and rediscovering our human connection in our everchanging cosmos. The world will move forward, art will move forward, technology will move forward but it is up to us all as to how this will be done. I stand firm in my belief in a future of less politics and more ethics. In Austria, we had a movement in the 1900’s called the Secessionist Art Movement that I greatly value. It’s motto rings truer now than ever before:

“To every time its art, to every art its freedom” UPLOADER MAGAZINE 27

TAG US ON INSTAGRAM AND WE WILL PICK OUR FAVORITES FOR A SHOUT OUT IN THE NEXT ISSUE

@uploadermagazine

SOCIAL & TECH Edited by Cheryl De Marco

SOCIAL MEDIA BULLYING

Any type of bullying is unacceptable, and although many bullies hide behind technology, it still takes a toll on you mentally. We asked Annie to talk us through how she deals with online bullying.

SOCIAL

SOCIAL MEDIA BULLYING K Words by Annie Morcos Instagram @anniesartstudio TikTok @AnniesArtStudio

eyboard warriors. Yes, that’s actually a thing. But what really is a keyboard warrior? Before we get deeper into the why and how to deal with them, lets look at the Urban Dictionary definition.

•

Keyboard warrior - A Person who, being unable to express his anger through physical violence (owning to their physical weakness, lack of bravery and/ or conviction in real life), instead manifests said emotions through the textbased medium of the internet, usually in the form of aggressive writing that the Keyboard Warrior would not (for reasons previously mentioned) be able to give form to in real life.

That is quite the definition. Most people reading that would say it’s a bit scary.

These keyboard warriors can definitely cause so much pain and hurt. But what’s really underneath it all? Why is this happening and most importantly how do we deal with it? It doesn’t matter whether you’re a famous influencer or someone who just loves posting their lunch photos, pets, and/or family pictures on social media. We’ve all encountered these ruthless and fearless bullies, better known as online trolls. It’s an odd concept if you think about it. People feeling the strong need to comment cruel or critical thoughts on someone’s posts. People they don’t know, people they will most likely never meet, stating opinions that have nothing to do with them. “It’s my opinion!” “I’m allowed to state whatever I feel!” “Take the criticism! Don’t post if you can’t take it!” “It’s my right!”. (continued on page 32) UPLOADER MAGAZINE 31

SOCIAL

A

s someone who has quite the large following on social media platforms, I’ve encountered a high number of these bullies.

Being experienced in being bullied was never something I imagined I would be.

I refuse to believe that people can be mean to just be mean. This anger has to come from somewhere. My first advice to people is always this. Don’t engage and feed the fire. People sometimes just want to be heard. When answering and defending yourself, one of two things will happen. Most of the time this bully will apologize and right away say that they didn’t mean to be hurtful and will go on to explain their reason why politely. Jealousy mostly comes from not having what another person has. The job you have, the purse you’re holding, the food you’re eating, your craft or even following online. Being envious of something you don’t have can quickly turn into judgment and jealousy, if you don’t understand the difference in your mind. So if we can accept this concept, and when such occurrences happen, we know that the situation is really not about us. It’s about how the other person is feeling. Bullying is to make the other person feel bad about themselves so that the keyboard warrior feels better about themselves. But in reality, it’s not about you at all. It’s completely about the bully.

Once we also accept this, we don’t let these comments hurt our feelings and take away from our happiness. Now, of course, this is way easier said than done.

But we practice daily to rise above the anger and hold on to happiness and peace.

Now, what if you engage with this bully and they don’t reply kindly.

This is when things get very escalated.

Emotions rise between both parties, and most often people come in defense of you. Now there is a group of people arguing and fighting. I feel the need to use one of my favorite hashtags. #EyeRoll. These situations hurt everyone involved. Everyone is angry, commenting rudely back and forth bringing each other down. Want my opinion? Use my favorite feature on social media platforms. The block feature! There is no reason to put so much effort and energy in these situations. This bully is not going to let up and clearly has more issues in their life than just your post.

These situations are outlets for their anger, for something inside them that is broken or missing. They found a target 32 UPLOADER MAGAZINE

and unfortunately, this time it’s you.

Just block them and don’t waste your energy. It’s not your place to fix people or to make them understand their wrongdoing. Accepting that not everyone will have the same opinion as you is key here. It’s ok to not think the same or like the same things. It’s what makes us beautiful as humans. We are all so different. Something we DO NOT accept is bullying. In most online cases there is nothing we can do about it if someone is bullying you. So once again, instead of giving these bullies your energy, block them and enjoy the rest of your day in happiness and peace.

What if you don’t have a bully, but there is someone you know that is part of your circle that you’re friends with on social media that doesn’t make you feel great. It’s sometimes tough to unfollow people who give you social anxiety when they are acquaintances, coworkers, or even family. Let’s use my

favorite other social media feature.

The mute option! On Facebook and Instagram, you can mute a person’s stories and posts while still following and being friends! On Facebook, it’s the hide option. Just click those three little dots by the post and mute/hideaway! That’s pretty brilliant if you ask me. There is no reason for you to feel anxiety and pain in seeing someone’s posts daily. In a way, it’s like you’re bullying yourself by allowing yourself to see that. You can choose to mute them, and feel more at peace without causing any issues with that person.

Done and done.

The world is full of enough hardships without having to deal with social media bullying. Everyone has personal issues in their lives, some just handle them better. Some chose to be angry at others online. Know and understand that bullying isn’t about you.

It’s about them. (continued on page 34)

SOCIAL

The only thing you will gain by reacting in anger is stooping to their level and wasting your happiness and time.

Let’s focus on uplifting each other and keeping our social media platforms light, informative, loving and educational. Next time you see a post you don’t agree with, before you comment, think about what you want to say. Is what you want to say going to come off hurtful to the person on the other side of the screen? We often forget that these posts are connected to actual people with feelings. You don’t know what that person is going through, and if that one comment can push them over the edge. Even light criticism can come off cruel for a person who isn’t in a good mindset. So just taking a moment to make sure we word things politely and kindly on accounts of people we don’t know can save someone a lot of hurt feelings.

I often lean on my influencer friends on my Instagram for advice to help me contain my emotions in tough situations online.

I’ve asked a few of them to give their advice on how to deal with online bullying.

I hope this article is helpful for you.

Annie x 34 UPLOADER MAGAZINE

SOCIAL @sarahschreiber “Social media bullying is the biggest thing poisoning the digital work. The fact that users feel like they have no true responsibility in their statements means no repercussions or guilt. They don’t see you as a human but as an inanimate handle. I truly wonder if they would ever speak to someone in person the way they speak to us online. Specifically the shocking comments from men to women. I delete the post immediately if there are words that I do not find to be uplifting or empowering. I don’t think it’s worth wasting any more energy on people like that. They are just reflecting sadness & unfortunate behavior within themselves.”

@nottooshabbybyjess “The best advice that I can give would be something I heard by Eleanor Roosevelt: “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent”.

Try not to take anything to heart, and just be true to yourself no matter what anyone says. You just have to remember that bullying is an insecurity within themselves that they are projecting onto you.”

@kellyybellyy62 “It’s so easy to focus on the negative but if you take a step back and look at the big picture, it will be easier to see how much positivity and love that surrounds you.”

@devilsmaycare “When I come across a hater I remember this: Trolls suck. But they also kinda don’t because they mean you went viral. Your work was loved by SO MANY people it got put in front of that one person who decided to ride your wave for attention. Just remember, they wouldn’t even be there if so many other people didn’t love your work. So think of the haters as confirmation you’re doing something right, and smile when you see it.”

SOCIAL

BANNED

INSTAGRAM’S LIST OF BANNED #HASHTAGS If you know Instagram well, then you’ll know that there is in fact, a list of banned hashtags. Any post that has a banned hashtag, will be hidden from your audience, and that causes havoc with your account, not to mention all your hard work in posting goes out the window. They don’t show the list, so we searched the net and did the hard work so you don’t have to. Instagram updates the banned hashtags often, so if we have missed anything, please do let us know so we can add/remove them.

A

B

C

D E F

G

abdl, addmysc, adulting, alone, always, armparty, asiangirl, ass, assday beautyblogger, besties, bikinibody, boho, brain costumes, curvygirls date, dating, desk, direct, dm, drugs edm, eggplant, elevator fuck girlsonly, gloves, graffitiigers

H

happythanksgiving, hardworkpaysoff, hotweather, hawks, humpday, hustler

I

36 UPLOADER MAGAZINE

ice, instababy, instasport, iphonegraphy, italiano

K L

M N

O

killingit, kansas, kissing, kickoff leaves, loseweight, lulu master, mileycyrus, milf, mirrorphoto, models, mustfollow nasty, newyearsday, nudity overnight

P

parties, petite, pornfood, prettygirl, pushups

R

rate, ravens

Q S

T U V

saltwater, samelove, selfharm, shit, shower, single, singlelife, skateboarding, skype, snap, snapchat, snowstorm, sopretty, stranger, streetphoto, sunbathing, swole tag4like, tagsforlikes, tanlines, teen, teens, thought, todayimwearing undies valentinesday

W

workflow

Y

youngmodel

X

Z

BANNED

SOCIAL

UPLOADER MAGAZINE 37

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INSPIRATIONAL MEN Edited by Cheryl De Marco

Photographer: Seth Komito

GOING THAT STEP FURTHER

FEATURE

GIVING BACK

IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY PROFESSIONAL CELEBRITY MAKEUP ARTIST AND PODCAST HOST TEXAS DELA ROSA, TALKS LEARNING A NEW SKILL IN ORDER TO HELP OTHERS DURING THE PANDEMIC, AND WE ARE IN AWE @texasdelarosa Edited by Cheryl De Marco

40 UPLOADER MAGAZINE

Texas Dela Rosa Photographer: Seth Komito

Photographer: Seth Komito

FEATURE

From zero sewing experience, to making 100’s of masks for workers in essential fields, Texas has not only adapted to his time in isolation, but has also spent that time helping others. Check out his Instagram for the how-to step by step details

TEXAS STRONG

F

or the first time in a little over a hundred years, life as we know it has come to a complete standstill for the roughly 7.5 billion of us living in the world today. For many of us, learning to adjust to a new routine at home every day is completely foreign. Like many, prior to this pandemic, my life was always go, go, go – and for it to come to a screeching halt so abruptly has been eye-opening and pretty interesting.

By day, I am a professional makeup artist and cosmetic tattoo artist, and by night, a podcast host and bartender in Austin, Texas. Before quarantine, I traveled regularly for work, and every day was filled with the promise of new adventures and excitement. However, as we are navigating our way through this new uncharted territory, I wanted to share some of the fun things that I have been doing during quarantine and how they have helped me cope with the reality of isolation.

Pre-quarantine, I worked in four to five different locations every week and got to interact with hundreds of people. I am very much an extrovert who works best under pressure, so I thrive not only in the company of others, but also by keeping myself constantly busy through my various jobs and hobbies.

Social distancing and being under strict stay-at-home orders by both my city and state are the antithesis of anything I’ve ever known. The first few weeks made me stir crazy, with a state-of-mind that “I must find something to do!”

At first, I watched every binge-worthy Netflix and Amazon Prime show, stayed up all hours of the night, didn’t wake up at any certain time, but finally realized that this lack of structure was adding to my stress. Something had to change. I asked myself, “How can I turn this into a positive?”

I wanted to find something that I could do to help people and to keep myself busy, but also fulfill the greatest need during this pandemic. That’s when the lightbulb turned on – masks it was! Let me be the first to tell you, I have never sewn anything in my life, and didn’t even know the basic terminology.

However, I bought a sewing machine, opened the box, and had no idea what any of the parts or symbols on the machine even meant. I watched a lot of YouTube videos to get the basics, and finally got to the point where I was ready to start.

My first few masks were absolute rubbish, which was really humbling, as someone who considers myself creative and artistic. Admittedly, I felt discouraged by my first few failed attempts and dreaded continuing to try, but my determination outweighed my fear of failure, so after a few hours of working slowly and watching more YouTube videos, (continued on page 44)

Photographer: Seth Komito

UPLOADER MAGAZINE 43

FEATURE

I finally made my best mask.

T

hat small victory lit the fire within, and since then, I have now made hundreds of masks and donated many of them to workers in essential fields, such as the medical and service industries.

I found that making these masks for others not only helped them to stay safe and healthy, but also helped me stay busy and sane, which feels like a win-win. My advice to anyone would be that if sewing isn’t your thing, find a hobby or project that you can do (or learn to do) that will keep you busy.

If it helps others in need, even better! Creating is what really drives me personally, but if you write, draw, paint, or have some other kind of talent that is worth sharing with others, what better time than now to experiment with those talents and create something spectacular? However, please don’t be too discouraged if at first you don’t succeed – just try, try again.

If creativity isn’t your thing, find other ways to connect with people who bring you joy. It is not a weakness to need human contact, and with things being the way they are, we have more ways than ever to stay connected, such as FaceTime, Zoom, social media, and so many others. Maintaining that person-to-person connection during social isolation is so important for our mental and emotional health, but don’t be afraid to reach out to family or friends when you are feeling disconnected. For instance, I recently “attended“ my first Zoom birthday party of a good friend, which was so good for my soul. It was so much fun to reconnect with some of my favorite friends, and I didn’t even have to wear pants! That’s one part of quarantine that I could totally get used to!

Now every time I join a Zoom meeting, I can’t help but smile and wonder how many others are doing the same thing..?

When all else fails, try to find humor and laughter every chance you get - it’s one of the healthiest things we can do for ourselves and is much cheaper than therapy! I find that something as simple as a funny movie, stand-up comedy, or awesome podcast can change my mood instantaneously.

44 UPLOADER MAGAZINE

Photographer: Seth Komito

Regardless of how you pass the time, I hope that everyone reading this may gain a little insight and inspiration on how to stay busy, happy, and connected during this pandemic. Despite everything, I really believe that so much good will come out of the current situation as we look within, reflect, and strive to do better than we did before.

Life will eventually get back to normal, but I hope that the new norm will be to see the bigger picture outside of ourselves. Please don’t let this pandemic make you to lose hope or feel alone – we are all in this together, and you are stronger than you know. And more importantly, be kind, be safe, and like Gandhi famously said,

“

“

Be the change you wish to see in the world.

Together, we’ve got this!

Texas Dela Rosa

Photographer: Seth Komito

UPLOADER MAGAZINE 45

“

“

Life will eventually get back to normal, but I hope that the new norm will be to see the bigger picture outside of ourselves.

Photographer: Seth Komito

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SOCIAL DISTANCING SAVES LIFES

Bjoern

Kommerell Photographer: Zachary Smith

FEATURE

FROM GERMANY TO CELEBRITY PHOTOGRAPHER IN HOLLYWOOD CELEBRITY PHOTOGRAPHER BJOERN KOMMERELL TALKS US THROUGH HIS JOURNEY TO BECOMING ONE OF HOLLYWOODS MOST SOUGHT AFTER PHOTOGRAPHERS & SHARES HIS TOP TIPS @bkheadshots Edited by Cheryl De Marco

UPLOADER MAGAZINE 51

FEATURE C: Why did you get into photography?

B: At the age of 12, my high school friends had a darkroom in the basement, and I went down with him one day and saw how they created and printed a picture. I thought that was so magical, and wanted to try it myself, so I borrowed the camera and a roll of film and did it. I was immediately hooked.

Even to this day, it is still the best.

C: Do you still create and print photos via the darkroom?

B: Unfortunately not, I did it for about 10 years, and then stopped around 2005. Computers have become the new darkroom, and that’s ok, it’s still fun. The darkroom is an old-school process, it’s almost like meditation, you sit quietly in the darkroom and hang your work out to dry. It takes time until it evolves, and then boom, it’s right there in front of you. So that got me hooked.

Unfortunately not, I did it for about 10 years, and then stopped around 2005. Computers have become the new darkroom, and that’s ok, it’s still fun. The darkroom is an old-school process, it’s almost like meditation, you sit quietly in the darkroom and hang your work out to dry. It takes time until it evolves, and then boom, it’s right there in front of you. So that got me hooked.

The same year I graduated from business school, there was a German photo magazine, that had a readers contest, with a cash prize. So I submitted, and I won the whole thing, which was very encouraging. Then with that money, I moved to Los Angeles.

C: You were born and raised in Germany, and now based in LA, what was the deciding factor in the big move?

B: I played a lot of tennis, and one of my tennis buddies had a friend that produced music videos. So eventually, I ended up meeting this guy and he told me about a video they were shooting with ‘Tears for Fears’ in Spain, and asked me if I wanted to go with them. The director of these videos was Cameron Casey, and back in the day, he was one of the most sought after music video directors. We got along really well, and so that was a really good connection, and also where it all started. This is also where I started to take photos of set 52 UPLOADER MAGAZINE

elements, because I saw all this lighting equipment, and all those things to grip equipment that was hanging out, which in itself was already a set. So I started shooting behind the scenes, but that was more just for fun. I would shoot people behind the scenes and not really necessarily what happens in front of the camera, almost like a documentarian, so that’s what got me into the whole film and LA scene.

Plus I love the cinematography. It’s fun, it’s artistic, and it was the 90s. So people had tons of money for music videos. Then I started going to every set that they had in Europe, London, and Amsterdam. So when I graduated, I decided to move to LA, because that was where my boys were. They let me sleep on their sofa, I would hang out on their set, and then when they didn’t have a music video to produce, I would just shoot people for free, making

friends and taking photos for fun.

C: You have a slightly different style of photography, and include many of your props in the photo itself. What are your favorite props to use when shooting?

B: I really like old school lights, not like those LED panels and those fancy new things. There’s a nostalgic flair to old school Hollywood lights. They still use them to some degree, but not with halogen bulbs. They use them now with LED bulbs, but I really like the housing as I think it gives this timeless feel, and that’s the whole fun of it, that you see that they have elements that have been used for decades and decades for filmmaking. They have a history.

The modern stuff is ok, but it doesn’t have that same appeal. But, who knows, maybe I will (continued on page 55)

Photographer: Zachary Smith

Photographer: Zachary Smith

FEATURE change my mind in a couple of years, and something else will catch my eye.

C: Where do you get your inspiration from?

B: My inspiration… definitely cinematography, big time. It started with music videos, and then, of course, movies and TV shows.

Whenever I watch a TV show, half my attention always goes to the way it was lit. It’s the lighting aesthetic that really turns me on, it is so fascinating. I recently watched ‘The Alienist’, and it was seriously beautiful, especially when you see what they’re doing. All these things inspire me, and then I try to emulate it.

C: You have an incredible list of clients, many being a-list celebrities, how did you get your name out there?

B: In the beginning, I approached agents and managers that was my main focus, because they have the most talents, and talent always need photos. Back then there was no email, so I sent them promo sheets and told them to try me out for a shoot for free, to see if they like what I do, and if not, that’s cool, but what’s to lose. But agency managers were my main focus because they are the ones who can convince a client to work with a photographer, and that is how you establish the connection. I was breaking the ‘rules’ a lot with the shoots, I would do what’s called ‘dirty shots’ when you blur something in the foreground, and most don’t do that for portraits.

People looked off-camera, cinematic lighting, and so many agents said, it was unorthodox. I did I shoot for this huge company, after they saw a proof sheet of mine, and they really liked my stuff, since it was different, and so they started to send all these people in my way. The minute a big player like that endorses you in that sort of way, the other guys get wind of it, and then all of a sudden I became the guy who shoots people cinematically. So that became my niche. But when trying to make a name for yourself and find work, those are the people that have a big say, also publicists; if a publicist likes you, that’s so important, and if they don’t, you get put on the blacklist, or the brown list and that is not good.

C: What are your top 5 tips for new and aspiring photographers?

B: The first thing is to study the photos that you like the most and try to emulate them. That’s the quickest way to make progress.

Secondly, do something every day that involves photography.

For example, if you are really trying to learn an instrument you would practice daily. Think of photography as the same thing, the camera is an instrument and you need to learn how to play with it so that you don’t put the camera on automatic all the time. Play with it on manual or semi-automatic until you know what you’re doing. Just go out and simply start shooting, whatever your thing is, it doesn’t have to be people, but the more you practice the more you learn. Create your portfolio, and don’t charge money right out the gate when you don’t know what you’re doing, because then you get a bad reputation.

Get to know your client, there’s a lot of psychology that comes into it, especially when shooting people, they need to trust and feel comfortable around you. I play music, which helps me and the client a lot, as it creates an energetic platform on which things can evolve.

Have a game plan before you go out on a shoot, have a location in mind that allows for the idea you have.

I’m a big fan of the ‘what if ’ approach. What if I do this? I like to experiment a lot, because that’s how you discover things, and this is how you make mistakes and accidents, which is the best way to learn.

UPLOADER MAGAZINE 55

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Your network is your net worth - unknown -

Photographer: Zachary Smith

BEAUTY Edited by Cheryl De Marco

TOP TIPS FOR SHINIER AND LONGER HAIR

Yes, we are still on lockdown, and yes I am sure we are over it, but this does give us the chance to practice self-care, and boy do we have some beauty hair tips for you.

Photographer: @bleudogfotography

Beauty scope

By Debbie Savage @debbiessavage tothineownstylebetrue.com

About the Author...

SHARING MY 8 BEST TIPS ON HOW TO GROW YOUR HAIR FASTER

W

Photographer: @bleudogfotography

Debbie Savage is a Cambodian-American who resides in Orange County, CA. She is an editor for her own lifestyle blog To Thine Own Style Be True. Her passions are her family and helping women honor their inner beauty by sharing tips and tricks from the trade.

hen someone comments on my appearance, it usually is to compliment my hair; people seem to be amazed by how long, thick and healthy it is. Because I love my readers, I’ve decided to share with you my top tips and tricks for growing long hair fast! While we’re spending more time inside, why not give your hair the attention that it deserves?

60 UPLOADER MAGAZINE

8 TOP TIPS FOR LONG SHINY HAIR 1. Rice Water Rinse

Did you know that rice water is an effective way to grow your hair naturally?

The starch contained in rice water contains essential amino acids, vitamins and antioxidants that make your hair strong and healthy, which is essential for hair growth.

You will need: ½ cup of rice, a wide-mouthed mason jar, a measuring cup and a strainer.

Give the rice a rinse, add the rice to your mason jar, add 2 cups of water and put on the lid. Now, it’s time for fermentation; I leave my mason jar out on the kitchen counter for 2-3 days, so that the rice water has sufficient time to ferment. Once it’s fermented, strain your rice over a plastic container and, before using the liquid on your hair, dilute it with 1-2 cups of water.

Your rice water treatment is ready to use! I use it as a weekly treatment by letting it sink into my clean hair for 5 minutes while I’m in the shower before rinsing it out.

BEAUTY

Another natural hair growth hack is using a pantry staple on your scalp: coconut oil. Using it as a hair mask for 5-10 minutes a week is enough for its vitamin E and fatty acids to penetrate your scalp and promote hair growth. I sometimes apply it directly to my split ends, especially if I have a photoshoot that day, as it locks in moisture and has a smoothing effect (you can even use it on flyaways)!

5. Wash Your Hair As Little As Possible

Easy to say, hard to do. This definitely takes some getting used to and can be a real inconvenience if you have thinner hair; let’s be honest, no one likes to walk around with greasy-looking hair. But with most of us spending more time home than ever, now’s the time to try spacing out your washes.

Giving your hair a break will allow your scalp to produce more sebum, your hair’s natural hydrating agent; simply brush it through your strands to have shiny, beautiful hair.

Photographer: Wendy Kathleen Photography

2. Coconut Oil

6. Hair Supplement

Nutiva Organic, Steam Refined Coconut Oil $7

3. Microfiber Towel

The friction caused by drying your hair with a regular towel can wreak havoc on your locks, which is why I use a microfiber towel to dry my hair. I wrap it around my head while I do my makeup and get ready. Using a microfiber towel reduces frizz and speeds up the air-drying process, which means less time spent blow-drying your hair, and thus less damage.

Turbie Twist, Super Absorbent Microfiber Hair Towel Wrap $15

4. Castor Oil Using cold-pressed castor oil directly on your strands or mixed with another oil, such as coconut or jojoba oil, can have many benefits, especially if you’re prone to hair loss, dandruff or frizzy hair, due to its anti-bacterial and antiinflammatory properties. You only need a few drops massaged directly onto your scalp. Simply leave it on for a few hours or overnight and wash it off in the morning.

Sky Organics, Castor Oil USDA Organic Cold-Pressed $18

I am of Hush & Hush’s Deeply Rooted clinically-proven supplements, which are chock-full of natural ingredients that promote hair growth. In addition to vitamins, herbs, and botanicals that target your hair directly, this product contains adaptogens that make your body more tolerant to stress, which we all know to be one of the main causes of hair loss.

Hush & Hush, DeeplyRooted Hair Growth Supplement $75

7. Scalp Massager

Is there anything better than a scalp massage? I think not. It’s so relaxing, especially if you manage to convince your partner to give you one. But let’s be honest, most of the time my husband will say no, which is why I reach for a scalp massager, which makes it so much more enjoyable than simply using my fingertips.

Treating yourself to regular scalp massages is said to stimulate the hair follicles and dilate your blood vessels, which in turn promotes longer, thicker hair.

Heeta, Head Scalp Massager, Amazon $10

8. Get Baby Trims

We all know we should be doing this but it can be scary, as some hairdressers can go too far (which is why I do it myself, using these scissors). However, getting baby trims regularly means getting rid of your split ends, which in turn means less breakage and healthier looking hair. No need to get rid of two inches; simply cut off a quarter-inch every 6 to 8 weeks and you should see a difference.

ULG, Japanese Stainless Steel Haircut Shears, Amazon $23 UPLOADER MAGAZINE 61

June 21st

FATHER’S DAY

GIFTS HE WILL ACTUALLY USE

GIFT GUIDE

THE shopping LIST Hat - Omary Dune: £18

Limited Edition HP Sauce - DAD www.gettingpersonal.co.uk: £12.99

Travel Tech Tidy Daisy Park: £20

Utility Holdall Barbour: £59.95

Sunglasses - Ollys Dune: £30

Wash Bag - Nanjing Dune: £28 Light Therapy Alarm Clock Amara: $65 Amazon Gift Card Amazon.com

Engraved Leather Bracelet www.gettingpersonal.co.uk: $26

Turntable Record Player Cuckooland.com: £54.95

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FASHION Edited by Cheryl De Marco

Saweetie For PLT X SAWEETIE PrettyLittleThing Sheer Tie Dye Duster Jacket: $38 Sheer Tie Dye Flared Pants: $30 Sheer Tie Dye Triangle Bralet $18

SUMMER FAVORITES FROM THE EDITOR

Sheer Black Shirt New Look: £22.99 Flower Drop Earrings New Look £8 Heel - Million Dune: £85

SHEER Saweetie For PLT X SAWEETIE PrettyLittleThing

Now that the weather is starting to heat up, it’s only natural to wear less, but with the new trend of sheer fabrics hitting the market by storm, we can now look chic and stay cool at the same time. - Editors Picks -

STYLE

Pink Polka Dot Organza Top New Look: Pink Heels - Casis Dune: £120

Organza Flora Dress Very: £60 Sporty Hiking Sandal Very £35

Pink Organza Tiered Dress Primark £19 White Bag - Danika Dune: £70

Green Sheer Smock Dress Miss Selfridge: £49 White Heels - Madam Dune: £70 /$95

River Island

Blue Demin Puff Sleeve Smock Dress New Look: £22.99 Gold Flats - Halladay Dune: £75 Beach Straw Bag - Daylla Dune: £70 Tassel Beaded Hoop Earrings Accessorize: £7

SMOCK DRESS

Dress up or down, these beautiful smock dresses are perfect for any occasion and they are incredibly flattering.

- Editors Picks Pink Tiered Smock Dress New Look: £22.99

Yellow Bardot Maxi Puff Dress River Island: £38 Black & White Gingham Smock Midi Dress Topshop: £45 Beach Tote With Purse Very: £32

Tiered Poplin Midi Dress TopShop: £45 / $85

Coral Poplin Smock Mini Dress Topshop: £29 Ring Detail Black Sandals Accessorize: £22.50 Ceramic Triple Drop Earrings Accessorize: £9

Green Floral Puff Sleeve Tea Dress: New Look £19.99

Preppy Round Sunglasses: Primark £2.00/$3.5

White Floral Print ‘Inky’ Trainers: Dorothy Perkins £19.99

BACK to New Look

NATURE

The nature-inspired trend is hot this Spring/Summer. These prints are going to be everywhere as soon as you step outside. Why not stock up now, and get ready for the big reveal when lockdown ends.

- Editors Picks -

Yellow Ditsy Print Eloise Tier Tea Dress: Miss Selfridge £25.00/$49.00

Orange Beaded Mini Grab Grab Bag: Topshop £22.00/$40.00

Floral Print Midi Skirt: Miss Selfridge £29.00/$57.00 Floral Print Bra Top: Miss Selfridge £16.00/$32.00 Willow Floral Print Angel Sleeve Midi Dress: Topshop £45.00/$54.00 (on sale in USA) Pink Ribbon Ankle Tie Espadrille Wedges: New Look £23.99

Yellow Daisy Grandad Midi Shirt Dress: Topshop £39.00/$67.50 (on sale in USA)

Blue Puff Sleeve Printed Flippy Dress: Topshop £25.00/$45.00

Lyrikal Pink Sandal: Dune £55.00/$75.00

Black Floral Puff Sleeve Mini Dress: New Look £25.99

Topshop

Bliss Cashmere Tie Detail Hoodie: Figleaves £140.00/$177.80

Bliss Cashmere Cuffed Joggers: Figleaves £120.00/$152.40

STAY at Camelia Soft Touch Pajama Set: Figleaves £50.00/$65.00

HOME

We all know that whilst working from home, most people are putting aside their jeans, in favor of comfy replacements.

Check out these fabulous loungewear pieces.

- Editors Picks Pink Long Sleeve Cotton Drawstring Sweatshirt: Miss Selfridge £22.00/$42.00

Topshop Blue Sky Tie Dye T-Shirt: Topshop £12.00/$22.00

Camelia Soft Touch Pajama Set: Figleaves £50.00/$65.00

Oversized Joggers: Topshop £25.00/$48.00 Pink Cotton Joggers: Miss Selfridge £25.00

Top: £15 Joggers: £15 Miss Selfridge

Snuggle Slippers: Dune £35.00

Tucker Multi Color Pastel Chunky Trainer: Miss Selfridge £35.00/$68.00

Polka Dot Top New Look: 15.99 Floral Printed Top Zara: $39.90 Wooden Bead Pink Bag Very: £25 Enamel Short Drop Earrings Accessorize: £8

PUFF

Pink Shirred Waist Midi Dress TopShop: £45.99 / $90

It’s been around for a little while, but get ready... as it’s going to be hot this summer. The puff sleeve although a little daring, certainly adds that extra something to a simple outfit.

- Editors Picks -

SLEEVES Blue Daisy Bow Back Mini Dress TopShop: £45.99 / $90 Green Puff Sleeve Tiered Midi Dress New Look: £27.99 Puff Sleeve Shirt Zara: $39.90 Yellow Box Clutch Very: £28 Belum Open Circle Stud Earrings Oliver Bonas: £15

Pale Yellow Poplin Puff Sleeve Midi Dress Miss Selfridge: £45 White Rowse Espadrilles Dorothy Perkins: £20

White Organza Cutout Dress TopShop: £45 / $85

Black Gingham Bralet Topshop: £14.99 Black Bow Hat Dorothy Perkins: £12

Floral Crop Top Zara: $39.90 Chloe Stone Earrings Oliver Bonas: £42 Nancie Belt Dune: £25

CROP TOPS

& BRALETTES Bralettes & Crop Tops are one of summers biggest trends and whilst you may find yourself feeling a little underdressed, they can be worn over tops, under sheer pieces, under jackets and of course alone as a crop top.

- Editors Picks Blue Bardot Barlet Miss Selfridge: $55 Khloe Sunglasses Daisy Park: £30 Knit Bralette Top Zara: $19.90

Saweetie For PLT X SAWEETIE PrettyLittleThing Low Rise Distressed Boyfriend Jeans: $58

Black Satin Bra Top Miss Selfridge: $35 Black Smock Crop Top Zara: $35.90 Vegan Leather Wristlet Live In The Light: £43 (20% Off with Code Uploader20) Phyllis Stone Texture Earrings Oliver Bonas: £32

Polka Dot Top: £25 Polka Dot Skirt: £25 Miss Selfridge

White Broderie Top Primark $8 Gold Shoes - Gabbies Dune: £90

Blue Denim Playsuit Miss Selfridge: £35 Vegan Leather Wristler Live In The Light: £43 (20% Off with Code Uploader20) Uploader20 Paul Smith Rainbow Trainers Very: £195

JUMPSUITS

Boilersuit: £45 Shoes: £39 Miss Selfridge

& PLAYSUITS

Although they have been around for a little while now, they are not going anywhere yet, making them the perfect outfit for those slightly cooler days and evnings, since it’s so easy to dress them up.

- Editors Picks -

Denim Boilersuit New Look: £32.99 Blue Tie Denim Playsuit New Look: £19.99 Belted Bag - Sunnie Dune: £40

Black Denim Boilersuit New Look: £29.99

Pale Blue Frill Crop Denim Jumpsuit New Look: £29.99 White Rowse Espadrilles Dorothy Perkins: £20 Sunglasses Dune: £35

Denim Jumpsuit Zara: $39.90 Cream Mules - Gianne Dune: £79

Sustainable Cropped Jumpsuit Bon Prix: £37.99

Amoressa Salento Swimsuit Figleaves: £140 Daisy Bucket Hat Topshop: £16 Black Raffia Flip Flop: £3

ONEPIECE Free Spirit Swimsuit Pour Moi: £39 Coral Leather Sandals Topshop: £42

SWIMSUIT The one piece swimsuits are back, and hotter than ever before.

With numerous color, cut and print choices, the options are endless, and you can double them up as a bodysuit... Bonus!

- Editors Picks -

Bali Palm Plunge Swinsuit Figleaves: £40 Green Ribbed Swimsuit Zara: $39.90 Polka Dot Swinsuit: £35 Polka Dot Floppy Hat £22 Accessorize

Underwired Bandeau Swimsuit Figleaves: £48

Blue Frill Plunge Swimsuit Miss Selfridge: £28 Green Ring Detail Sandals Accessorize: £22 Natural Plaited Tote Bag Topshop: £22

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STYLE and SASS

What To Recycle in Your Closets from Summer 2019 to Summer 2020 COVID-19 has forced the majority of people to buckle down their spending and shopping. However, if you are like me, you look forward to buying some new items of clothing each season so you can be trendy and chic. Have no fear!!! There are numerous fashion trends from last summer that are repeating themselves this summer!!!! Here are the trends I plan to recycle from 2019 to 2020.

Never underestimate the power of your closet. Fashion trends stick around for a while and style tends to repeat itself so no need to break the bank when trying to look chic and trendy for Summer 2020.

Tiffany Giannato @tiffyg77

Photography: Merissa Conley

STYLE & SASS

TIE-DYE trend

T

his print burst on to the fashion scene last summer with a bang. Whether you think it is rad or horrific, it is here to stay. In fact, tie-dye sweatsuits became a huge quarantine trend.

O utfi

t by M Photo adison Ave s by G o abby B f Melrose aglieri

UPLOADER MAGAZINE 77

STYLE & SASS

CROP TOPs

A

lthough this trend may not be for everyone, it has come a long way since the 1990s.

They are actually very flattering with a high-waist bottom on all shapes and sizes.

Many people started purchasing crop tops in 2018. If you are wondering if they have run their course….they haven’t…so do not give them away yet. They also pair up nicely with shorts, skirts, and jeans.

For Summer, I love crop tops that tie up with a bright color or pattern.

Outfits by Lit Boutique Photo by Merissa Conley

78 UPLOADER MAGAZINE

STYLE & SASS

ANIMAL PRINTs

S

ummer of 2019 was all about leopard and snakeskin. I remember being on such a mission to locate a pair of snakeskin shorts.

Well, those prints are not going anywhere for this summer so wear them with a smile.

Personally, I love snakeskin in Winter and leopard print in summer with pops of red.

Photography: Merissa Conley

Gab aphy: r g o t o Ph

g

by Ba

lieri

Photography: G

abby Baglieri

Photography: M

erissa Conley

Fit and Flare Dress: Madison Ave. of Melrose Pencil Dress: Marshalls

UPLOADER MAGAZINE 79

STYLE & SASS

TWO-PIECE SKIRT SETs

M

atching skirt sets are a comeback trend from the 1970s. There are so many styles of matching skirt sets out there currently.

My personal favorites are the two-piece sets with midi skirts in a pleated style or a pencil skirt.

Mauve outfit: Lit Boutique All Black: Forever 21 and Amazon Photos by Merissa Conley

If you have any fashion and style questions, please email me at tiffyg77@yahoo.com

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Uploader Magazine is looking for content creators and influencers that love trying products, voicing their opinions and sharing across various media platforms.

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LIFESTYLE Edited by Cheryl De Marco

CLEAR YOUR MINDSET

Whilst much of the world is still on lockdown, taking care of your mind as well as your body is pivotal in order to get through this time of uncertainty in a healthy way

Frank J. Gallio @ Cherry Blossom Photo

Frank J. Gallio @ Cherry Blossom Photo

MENTAL HEALTH

IDEAS TO CLEAR YOUR MINDSET Words by Rebecca Schuster Edited by Cheryl De Marco

O

h, what a year 2020 has turned out to be. It’s definitely not what anyone was anticipating. One sure thing to come out of this is with so many of us staying home, it has become the precise time to declutter our homes. Trust me. I am the queen of decluttering. I usually go through my entire house every six months.

My daughter knows precisely when the time comes because I start asking her, do you still want this? That’s her clue that mamas on the verge of getting rid of things. Now I have been doing this her whole life, so she’s pretty good at tossing stuff. Sometimes too good, as I will still keep something she no longer wants, knowing that she will be mad at me for having thrown it away when she gets older.

My mother and I moved practically every year from the time I was born to around the age of 16. Having lived that way, many of my childhood memories got lost with the moves. So I have an idea of what she will still want later on in life as memories. I figure if I am wrong, she can toss it later, but it won’t be hanging over my head. Now I am not saying keep all of your kid’s childhood memories because that would be insane, especially if you have more than one child. Having spent a good chunk of my life organizing, not just myself but also other people, it’s second nature to me. I’ve become aware of what people should keep and learn to let go. But that is an entirely different article as I could probably fill this entire magazine up with how to declutter your entire home and how to let things go. (continued on page 86) UPLOADER MAGAZINE 85

MENTAL HEALTH

I

am writing this article because with the minimalist movement and Marie Kondo suggesting to get rid of everything that doesn’t spark joy, I still come across people that are not finding happiness. There is a reason for that. You can get rid of all the physical things that don’t bring you joy, but you will never be free of clutter until you change your mindset. Clutter in your mind is far worse than any chaos in your home. I am not saying that you should not organize your surroundings, as I am a big believer that it helps shift the energy and is a starting point to creating change in your life. Remember, when it comes to clearing your space or living a minimalist life, it isn’t just about owning fewer things. Instead, it’s about your way of life and intentional thinking. You must ask yourself, what do I value most in my life. Marie Kondo has it right when she says you should only keep the things you love.

Still, it goes further than just items. It should also include your mindset and the circle you keep since the latter two can be detrimental to your well being.

Frank J. Gallio @ Cherry Blossom Photo

Mindset is such an important

topic for me that I thought I would share some ideas on what you can do to start clearing your mind.

As I share, consider taking a note pad and writing any of

them down that relate to you or maybe someone you know.

First on my list is journaling. There’s something freeing about taking pen to paper and writing every single thought that comes to mind. It’s a brain dump and a form of release for you to express yourself without any judgment. No one has to see this, and realistically no one should. Also, many times you will surprise yourself on what you’ve written and sometimes find answers you’ve been searching for.

Stop using the word “can’t.” Words hold power. By saying you can’t do something, you already doubt yourself and lack selfconfidence. It would be best if you started telling yourself that you can and do it the best way you know. If using the word “can” is too difficult for you, try using “maybe” or “what if.” Just by modifying it, you shift your mindset to think it’s possible.

And the truth is, anything is possible, especially in times of uncertainty. If there was ever a time to believe in yourself, it is now.

Forgive and release. Practice this daily, and it will soon become second nature to you. The following is the best quote in understanding the importance of it. “Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.”

– Unknown Leave the past in the past. Do not look back as you cannot go there and change anything. Everything terrible that happened in your past is a lesson learned. It happened for a reason, and it is not to keep reliving or beating yourself up over it. It served a purpose, and now that time has come and left. Isn’t it time you left it in the past too?

Learn to balance work and play and give yourself time to rest and heal. I cannot stress this enough. Working too much may help you get further in your career but know there is a price to pay. Be aware of it, especially if you notice certain things in your life suffering, whether it’s a relationship or your health.

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Mind your own business. There is nothing worse than getting caught up in other people’s drama because it leads to more of it and can have a trickle effect on your own life. Try to stay clear of it. If this task seems too impossible, because it’s a family member, make sure you are not adding fuel to the mix. Someone else’s mindset may not be in your control, but what’s going on in yours is. When you learn to master your mindset, it makes it much easier to deal with any situation that arises.

If there is one thing I know for sure, it is that gratitude is the key to happiness. Be happy now, with what you have period.

Whether it is a little or a lot, you must be grateful. The more grateful you are, the more open your mind will become. Anyone who practices real gratitude, daily, quickly learns that the more you are thankful for, the more the universe gives you. I am talking about the ‘good stuff,’ the happy moments.

Last but not least, fear is the number one killer for clearing your mindset. Why didn’t I write that one first? It’s the hardest for people to overcome. Anxiety from change or loss does two things; it makes you worry and lose sleep. The good news, it’s not impossible to get rid of. If you practice the previous stuff I listed, fear should gradually start to disappear on its own. Because it isn’t something you do one day by saying, “I am no longer going to be afraid.” But when you work on getting rid of it, fear does start to feel uncomfortable and has a hard time staying when your mindset is open. That is what I want to happen to you. I want your mind so clear that it automatically recognizes fear creeping in. Once you realize it, your mind will go into overdrive and kick it out, because it understands it no longer has room for it and serves no one but the ego-mind. Remember, your focus is where your power goes, and while minimalism may not be one size fits all, clearing your mindset is.

BLACK LIVES MATTER.

Photography: Michelle Cox Photography

MENTAL HEALTH

Andrea’s Angle

MOM GUILT

I Think I’m Losing My Mind

B

By Andrea Rappaport www.theandrearappaport.com @theandrearappaport

Before I dive in, let me start by saying that I (obviously) love my kids. They’re amazing, smart, loving, magical, little chicken nugget eating monsters, oops, I mean, miracles. But I swear on Chanel, if they ask me one more question right now, especially, “what does 8 + 14+ 0+ yellow equal?” or “how can bunnies hurt you?” or if I have to hear Peppa Pig’s “jumping up and down in muddy freaking puddles” one more time, I’m gonna blow…

My kids are small, 5 and 3 years old, and they need a lot of attention. I get it, I’m almost 39 years old and I need a lot of attention, (Note to self: discuss with therapist), and right now, I am their only source of attention, support, entertainment, and the only chef in the kitchen (and can we just talk for a minute about how much my kids EAT, mother of god, the snacks are all day...ALL. DAY).

Yesterday, I thought I could still hear their little voices squawking at me from the backseat of the car, long after I had dropped them off at their father’s house for the weekend. Clearly, I’m starting to lose it (read: I lost it months ago).

Photography: Jessie Hearn Photography

eing mom during this global pandemic ain’t easy. Well, let’s be real, it’s NEVER been easy, but it’s ESPECIALLY challenging now. And I, for one, feel like I’m about to lose my mother lovin’ mind.

About the Author...

Andrea Rappaport is a professional funny girl, TV and social media personality, podcaster, beauty guru, small business owner, content creator, and mother to 47 little boys. (Really, 2, but it feels like more). Known for her candor and tag line,“nailing imperfection”, Andrea speaks openly about her roller coaster ride with anxiety, the importance of comedy in her life, and her deep love for Marshall’s/TJ Maxx/Home Goods.

“Why strive for perfection when you can be NAILING IMPERFECTION.” utter Shmack

Photography: Sh

Andrea UPLOADER MAGAZINE 89

MENTAL HEALTH - ANDREA’S ANGLE And now I feel guilty. I feel guilty that my kids want to talk to me all day long and I want them to talk to me for like an hour or two...tops. I feel guilty because several times last week, I offered them money to stop talking to me (which actually worked...once). I feel guilty that at times, I want to zone out and scroll on Instagram, instead of playing doctor, or restaurant, or school, with them. I feel guilty because I guarantee you that by the end of the day today, I will miss those animals so desperately that my heart will be gutted and I’ll be holding back tears.

I feel like those two tigers mentally ran me over with their Power Wheels Escalade this week, so I’m not even sure if what I’m writing is 1) in English and 2) making any sense. Hopefully some of this dribble is resonating with some of you.

So, how do we preserve the sanity that we have left?? No, really...I’m asking you.

I found that jogging helps me. And I used to HATE jogging. It’s funny the things we take comfort in during this time of quarantine. I’m in the states (Chicago area) and we’re still quarantined. Searching online for clothes and shoes, that I might not ever wear, also makes me happy. Building Pinterest boards, drinking wine pretty much every day, eating cake and french fries, pilates, yoga, did I mention wine??

Also, I’ve started to get dressed again. I’m sorry, that’s a lie.

I’ve started to THINK about getting dressed again. But I am starting to do my hair and makeup again, while still clad in leggings, a t-shirt, and hoodie. Taking those few minutes to straighten my hair and throw on a little bit of color on my face is important to me. It reminds me that I have to take care of myself. I freaking hate the term “selfcare”, but it’s something like that.

Okay, so what’s the point?

The point is that this period (which is hopefully ending soon) has been hard AF. It’s been mentally, emotionally, and physically draining. Whether you are a parent, or not, I am sure we can all concur that experiencing this global pandemic has really thrown us for a loop.

I know we’ll come out of this thing stronger.

Hopefully with more love and patience for our children and not a drinking problem.

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Photography: Martha Abelson Photography

Photography: Val Westover Photography

MENTAL HEALTH

MINDSET

Shifting from “Mind-FULL-ness”

By Andrew Carlson to Mindfullness www.shiftintoactionnow.com

The Mindset Minute

@shiftintoactionnow

In the creator space, whether you’re an actor, artist, content creator, podcaster, or anyone in a creative space… We wear a badge of honor that we are always “busy”. Rushing from one thing to the next. Whether it’s Zoom hangouts, working on our content for our platforms, or just using the term because it’s an easy “throwaway” when we’re talking with friends.

I was talking to a large creator friend of mine who has a platform of 1+ million followers. Something shifts when you become an influencer.

People have this expectation of you to perform at 100% of the time, 24/7.

Because of this, we create this story in our head that we have to always stay busy. Busy creating, busy commenting, busy grinding & hustling, and even going live every single day since that’s what “large influencers do”. But what about your mental health?

Too often, people are rushing around with their minds full of a running list of everything they have to accomplish. The problem with this is, we can only have so much stuff in our mind before it becomes full. When our mind is full, we instantly flip over to autopilot. We live over 60% of our lives on autopilot. Have you ever driven somewhere and when you pulled into the parking lot or driveway, you have no recollection of how you even got there? That’s what it’s like living in autopilot! We can have days, weeks, months, or even years of living in autopilot because we keep telling ourselves that we’re “busy”.

How Can We Shift from Mind”FULL” to Mindful?

It boils down to these 2 things: Awareness & Language The next time you’re in a conversation and someone asks you how you have been, it’s time to actually be honest. A lot of people use the word “fine” when someone asks how they’ve been. But are you really fine? Or are you just not wanting to have an honest conversation? The same rings true for the word “busy”.

About the Author...

Andrew Carlson helps experts & influencers show up confidently in life & business; eliminating productivity panic, technology overwhelm, & creator burnout. You can find out more about him at www.shiftintoactionnow.com

Step 1: STOP IT! Take the word “busy” out of your vocabulary.

Step 2: Schedule time for yourself.

The next thing to do is to schedule time for you & your mental health.

Go on a walk, meditate outside, listen to a guided meditation, read a book, listen to a podcast without looking at your phone, etc. This is time for you to relax, recharge, and refuel your soul.

Step 3: Be intentional with your time.

The last step is to start being intentional with your time. Schedule time with your friends, family, and loved ones. Schedule time with yourself.

Schedule time to do the things you want to do. It’s when we don’t schedule time where we lose track of it and we let it pass us by. Life is too short for that.

We get one chance at this. Do you want to look back wishing you spent more time living instead of just existing?

Andrew

UPLOADER MAGAZINE 93

SOCIAL DISTANCING SAVES LIFES

ASK BECCA

Ask Becca

LAW OF ATTRACTION

Your Questions Answered

By Rebecca Schuster lovebecca.com @lovebecca26

Frank J. Gallio @ Cherry Blossom Photo

Q. Any advice for someone who’s having a hard time losing weight?

By Anonymous

About the Author...

Becca has many years experience as a certified Feng Shui consultant. Throughout her career, and being a single parent, she discovered the importance of living a happy and well-balanced life. “I believe you have to treat your mind, body, and soul with love to obtain true happiness.

“What you seek is seeking you.”

- Rumi I love helping people discover the magic of manifesting through the Law of Attraction. If you have a question, in any area of your life, you can send it to hello@uploadermagazine.com, and I will respond in an upcoming issue.

Happy Manifesting!

Love, Becca

A. When we place the weight of our happiness, not on a scale, but instead on how we feel, we create perfection. The problem is we put too much power of happiness on a number. A number we think we need to be at, and maybe we do, for health reasons. But it’s when we turn that number into something that defines us, that is where we go wrong. Quarantine time is like being on a roller coaster ride. It goes up, it goes down, makes us yell at times, and along the way it throws in a loop, and a deep drop until it comes to a halt. I’m going to say it’s the same when it comes to our weight.

We step on the scale and smile one day, and the next day we are checking it to make sure it’s not broken. I’m here to tell you the damn scale is not broken! Neither are you. What it reveals has nothing to do with losing weight.

The more focus you place on how you look or how much weight you want to lose, the harder it will be. It is much more challenging to shed pounds while your focus is on how much you weigh because all you are doing is making it grow. The same goes if you do not like how your body looks every time you glance in the mirror or hate how something looks when you try it on. What you focus on expands.

And for the love of God, do not compare yourself with anyone else. We come in all shapes and sizes, but most importantly, do not forget that you are not your body. It is just a vessel to help you navigate through life. The goal is not to be a certain weight but to be healthy if you plan on being here for a while.

While there are plenty of positive body image role models on social media, use caution they aren’t trying to sell you a quick weight loss product. There is a reason for so many diet plans. It’s because there is no one size fits all method for losing pounds. No matter what program you are trying, one thing is sure. If you do not have a healthy mindset, to begin with, losing weight will continue to be a challenge.

Make sure you choose a nutritional program, and it’s a life choice you can sustain long term.

Here is my manifesting advice. Focus on how you would feel at your ideal weight instead of the number you’re trying to lose. What happens when you do this? Feelings are what control your mindset.

Managing your perspective is what sets things in motion. When you know exactly how you want to feel the universe does everything in its power to help.

You will notice certain foods will no longer appeal to you. You will start to question if you need a midnight snack. You will have the energy to exercise. A friend or neighbor might suddenly become available to go to the gym or become your support system. You will start to imagine fitting into clothes that have been sitting in your closet for years or better yet seeing yourself in a whole new wardrobe.

If you’re still hesitant about how to start, try this. A powerful daily affirmation you can begin saying is: I’ve decided to be happy because it’s good for my health. While you say it focus on how joyful you feel at that moment. Throughout the day, when you start to hear the negative talk in your head, repeat the affirmation, and feel yourself being strong, healthy, and full of joy. Remember, the key here is how you feel.

In the end, you can’t weigh self-worth. What’s going on in your head is much more detrimental than the numbers on a scale.

UPLOADER MAGAZINE 95

ASK BECCA

HOW TO PRACTICE ALIGNMENT 96 UPLOADER MAGAZINE

ASK BECCA Q. I am feeling out of vibrational alignment and don’t know how to get back to feeling good. Any ideas? By Emma

A. From this question, it sounds like you are used to practicing being in alignment. That’s good news, especially when things don’t go as planned. I think these past few months have thrown a lot of people off.

We all have our set routines, especially anyone who practices manifesting, so when something like a pandemic happens, it tends to get everyone out of alignment. You are not alone. The difference between people who practice vibrational alignment daily, and those who don’t, it’s quicker for those who do to get back in the zone.

Conscious creators, who generally are in alignment, sometimes get so comfortable with their life working out that they forget how they got there in the first place. They become lazy or distracted, both things related to the quarantine, and stop their alignment practice.

Go back to how things were before you felt out of alignment. What were your daily habits?

How often did you practice being in vibrational alignment? How did you feel? You know how resistance works and how to stay out of it.

You have to remind yourself that practicing manifestation of any kind requires daily work.

Staying in vibrational alignment is an easy task, but only when we recognize the alternative. You can only get what you already feel.

Remember, conscious creators shine best in times of uncertainty, especially when we aren’t feeling any reason to feel good. Now is precisely the time to manage your vibrational alignment because you know how it works and all the magic it brings into your life. Believe me when I tell you amazing things are happening in people’s lives that have chosen to see the blessing in all this madness. You can go with chaos or stay out of it. It’s all up to you.

“

“

Anytime you feel good… you’ve found vibrational alignment with who you are.

FrankFrank J. Gallio @ Cherry Blossom PhotoPhoto J. Gallio @ Cherry Blossom

– Abraham Hicks –

UPLOADER MAGAZINE 97

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INSPIRATIONAL WOMEN Edited by Cheryl De Marco

THREE INSPIRATIONAL WOMEN TO ADMIRE Photographer: Chris McDuffie

FEATURE

INSPIRING DRIVEN AND INCREDIBLY TALENTED DIRECTOR, ACTOR, SINGER, AND DANCER, THE INCREDIBLY TALENTED BRITTANY BENJAMIN TALKS PANDEMIC, FAMILY, AND WORKING TOWARDS DIRECTING HER FIRST FEATURE FILM @brittanybenjaminofficial Edited by Cheryl De Marco

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Brittany Benjamin Photographer: Chris McDuffie

Photographer: Alexander Butterfield

FEATURE

MASTERING THE PERFORMANCE OF B ART rittany grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and discovered at an early age she had a love of performing. It began with little school plays and singing solos in choir, moved to performing operas for her parents in the basement, then getting the lead in a high school musical.

She danced competitively, sang competitively, and loved to go from a script to a stage. When her parents saw she had proclaimed a Theatre major in college at the University of Minnesota they supported her, while secretly hoping she might find a more practical career. But alas, passion beats practicality. It is a tough career and growing increasingly so as our world changes and jobs are more sparse particularly when it requires travel from your home town. Still, she keeps on keeping on. Brittany spent a short stint in Los Angeles just after receiving her Bachelor of Arts but currently resides in Minneapolis, MN with her husband and four children. Over the years she has had the pleasure to work on short films, feature films, voice-over work, commercial work, print work and has even begun to record vocals for score, write, and direct. (continued on page 104)

UPLOADER MAGAZINE 103

FEATURE C: How are you coping during this uncertain time?

B: I wish I could say I have been a rockstar about it but to be honest it has really shaken me. I am an extreme extrovert and I love meeting people, attending film festivals, working, and HUGGING PEOPLE. So, yes it’s been tough. My kids are very sick of my hugs I’m sure. We do feel a tremendous responsibility to do whatever is in our power to keep this virus from overwhelming the healthcare system, and so we have been staying in our home since the shelter in place order was issued. The uncertainty of what is to come for close friends and family members’ livelihoods, as well as being able to see my extended family has made this whole thing very emotionally exhausting. I’m writing a movie about it in my head.

C: Have you always known you wanted to be a performer?

B: I have. I remember being heavily influenced by singers, dancers, and actors as a child. I knew in first grade when I was given a part in our tiny little class play, I would always want to perform. I would memorize any movie I watched and recite the lines to anyone who would listen. I found every outlet I could to get on a stage. I remember a rule in our house was when you decided to start something, you finished it. I complained about dance when I felt like I was missing out by having to be at rehearsal.

But every year after performing at the recital I would sign right back up. My mom would say, “You’re sure you want to commit to this? You can’t quit once you have signed up.” I had always come off that great high you get from performing on stage in front of a crowd and could never turn down signing up for another year.

C: You have an extensive background in performing arts through dance, music and acting; at what point did you decide to take your career down the acting route, over singing and dancing?

B: I was very taken with all of them but acting and singing stood out the most.

I figured if I majored in acting I would have an opportunity to do more musicals thus combining all three. Then some guys and I started a rock band in college and I had an opportunity to create music 104 UPLOADER MAGAZINE

and perform out at bars and clubs, which I loved! But as I learned more about acting I started to have an attraction to on-camera work. The method of acting was so technically different from Theatre but with the same emotionality. When I started working on mastering the craft of acting I fell deeper in love. There is something about immersing yourself into a character and really trying to discover the “why.” It is a study of human behavior. I was constantly trying to understand why people are the way they are, then figuring out how I could portray those emotions effectively. It’s not easy, but the challenge to do it well was enticing.

I think I love acting because I get to put myself in someone else’s shoes and it builds compassion. There are so many stories that need to be told! It’s an honor every time I get to be a new character. I find the greatest depth of emotion in exploring individual

stories. I love learning what it means to step outside of yourself, your upbringing, your preconceived notions, and empathize with people who are different than you are. But not to stop there. I find true growth in myself when studying other people’s experiences, which I believe leads us to discover that though we are all very different, we are all very much the same.

C: What challenges have you hit during your career in entertainment?

B: When I was first out of college it was really difficult to decide whether or not to make the leap and move to Los Angeles. I was in love, I got engaged and then married at a young age to my husband (we will celebrate 15 years in August!) I knew our life was most likely going to be in the midwest, here in Minnesota, and that I wanted to have kids. (continued on page 107)

Photographer: Chris McDuffie

Photographer: Chris McDuffie

I also couldn’t shake my deepest career desires. I went to spend a pilot season in LA and learned a lot about the business and about myself.

Photographer: Chris McDuffie

I knew I would be happier putting my career on hold and starting our family in Minnesota than I would if I focused on career first. That was just me. I don’t mean it’s right for everyone. And I think I could have certainly had more professional success if I had put it as my first priority but I don’t regret it for a second. Along the way, there have been some bumps with trying to continue working while pregnant, nursing, and just generally having and taking care of our kids. And now they are a bit older- school age, so things are still morphing and changing. I try at every opportunity to prioritize my family before my work. It continues to be difficult to discern when a job “makes sense” for our family with regard to travel, time commitment, monetary compensation, etc.

There have been on set situations that are less than desirable, as I’m sure any actor would say, which causes me to rethink what I am doing and why I’m doing it. I want my work and who I work with to have integrity. It’s a process to find people making quality work who’s values align with yours, especially now since content creation has changed so much and there are more opportunities but not necessarily always quality ones. My credits are more indie and unknown and the lack of “big” credits make it more difficult to be seen for bigger productions. I used to let this bother me and to be honest, it still does here and there, but at some point, I was like, “What the hell? If I’m not having “big” success as an actor because of my age, geographical location, priority as a mom, or lack of credits, I’ll just make my own stuff.” That’s when I began writing and decided to direct and star in my own short film in 2017.

C: You directed, wrote, and co-produced 2 shorts ‘Next Door’ which came out in 2018, and ‘Pretty Young Thing’ which is in post-production. What it is like stepping into the director’s seat and looking at things from a different angle, and would you like to direct and produce more in the future?

B: Produce, no. Man, producers are amazing and so incredibly good at their jobs. I have just dabbled in producing for my own work and though it’s still a really awesome career it wears me right out and I don’t see myself doing it regularly. Directing, YES. It is so much fun to direct actors I can’t even tell you in words how awesome it is. The magic that happens with the cinematographer and actors during the making of a movie is so rewarding to lead and watch unfold. I see shots in my head but have no idea how I can really make them come to life until someone like Ben Enke (who was DP of my short film “Next Door”) comes in and MAGICS everything. I truly believe a directors job is largely to assemble a team of trusted professionals in their field who work well together so you can lead this creation in coming alive. I LOVE directing actors. Being a long time actor I think I may have good insight into what an actor needs from a director.

C: What 5 people would you love to work with?

B: FIVE?! There are hundreds.

Okay, let’s start with Sam Worthington. I’m putting this out into the universe because I recently auditioned for something he is starring in, and I have always respected him as an actor and would love to have the opportunity to work with him. Also easy on the eyes but that has absolutely nothing to do with it. I’m serious. No, I’m really serious.

Greta Gerwig. She blasted onto the scene with Lady Bird and blew me away. She has continued to show up in the biggest way. I would truly love to be directed by her.

Hugh Jackman. I have heard rumors of his character, presence, and work ethic on set and he sounds like a dream. Also- insanely talented.

Jason Reitman. I really dig his movies and have some weird 6th sense we would work well together.

Allison Janney. That woman is all kinds of incredible. (continued on page 108)

Photographer: Elizabeth Hauck

FEATURE C: Where do you get your inspiration from?

B: Oh so many people... I am inspired by my husband who is the most selfless and incredibly hard-working man on the planet. I’m inspired by my kids who delight me by discovering the world in different ways according to who they are, and in doing so remind me of all the beauty in this world. I’m inspired by my mom who is a true example of what it means to love people and live humbly and imperfectly letting God lead her just as I hope to. I’m continually inspired by the human condition in general. What makes us feel broken, and makes us feel whole. I find inspiration in knowing and understanding everyone is worthy and God’s beautiful creation. There is no one too small, and no story unimportant.

C: What would be your dream role?

B: I have three... they are all over the spectrum... weird right? But hear me out. One side of me wants to have a chance to play a struggling single mom in a very earnest and truthful dramatic film because I am amazed by the strength of women and moms in particular and how much self it takes to give your kids what they need and also maybe want. And though I feel I do that to an extent in my “regular” life, I also have a better half. I can’t imagine doing it on my own. I’m in awe of single moms.

Another side of me wants to play some insanely superhero strength badass woman in a blockbuster action style film. I love anything physical and I’m super into being “super” since I think it’s just a hyped up and extra way to portray the truth of what a real-life superhero does, but in a fantasy setting where the ending is always happy. And that’s a movie!

Don’t even get me started on when Thanos snapped his fingers. And the third dream role is to be the voice of a Disney character. I have wanted this since I was a child and simply can’t give it up. I deeply desire hours in the studio singing and voice acting for some exciting and powerful animated lead. My kids have been influenced by these characters and I dream of being one.

C: What is the most embarrassing moment you have had during your career?

B: Oh geez. I suppose it’s ANY time I don’t know exactly what is taboo on a film set like jumping up and offering to get everyone a coffee when I am talent and having people look at me like I’m a weirdo. I’m sorry but people need coffee on set and you can always feel the tension when energy levels are low. The biggest embarrassment has to be when I dumped a truly beautiful Triumph motorcycle because I lost my footing after putting up the kickstand before my stunt double was to take over and shoot off into the night. It was like 5 o’clock in the morning on a night shoot and I was so tired I just didn’t hold the bike’s weight. Now, I want you to know the motorcycle was actually FINE as was I. I still felt so horribly embarrassed.

C: How is home-schooling going, I imagine being a mom to 4 kids must make you appreciate teachers more than ever before?

B: Teachers are AMAZING. Even while my kids are home e-learning their teachers continue to show up in the best way. I had never, nor do I ever after this, plan to homeschool. I am amazed at how much PATIENCE teachers have and how much energy it takes to keep the organization, positivity, and zest. My kids’ teachers are some of the reallife heroes I’m talking about from the question above.

C: I have been watching the video clips that you post on social media, and I am loving them. Do you think that you will continue to do more once the lockdown is over?

B: Oh goodness, first of all, thank you so much for saying that. I do love 108 UPLOADER MAGAZINE

Photographer: Ben Enke

FEATURE that we have so much tech readily available to create. Content creation has changed so so much over the years. I find it comforting, exciting, and also maybe a little bit misleading? I don’t think you are automatically a cinematographer because you own an iphone. I mean this in the most genial way possible. If there is anything I have learned, it’s that one-man ships sink. You have so much readily available and making something is certainly better than not making anything at all, but people have individual talents and I’m not delusional enough to think I have all of them. I am a musician but that doesn’t mean I can create a stellar score by myself. Just because we can become a jack of all trades doesn’t mean we necessarily should, or that we should feel bad about ourselves when we lack in some area. Film making is a TEAM SPORT. I have always said that. “Trusting” and “relying” might seem like dirty words to the solo creator but I promise the end result is so much better with more input from the creatives around you. So with regard to what I created during lockdown, I am incredibly lucky to have some “actor-y” type kids, a husband who has done DP work and can absolutely color and edit, and even then it’s not a work of art. I think there is merit to creating things in a pinch or by yourself if you have to, but treasuring collaborating and involving more creative minds. I plan to keep creating but hope to have many collaborators.

C: Tell us something that our readers may not know about you?

B: I’m too sensitive. I put on a front about being very strong but tend to fall apart when I’m ganged upon. Don’t use this against me.

C: If you were given 5 million dollars, what would you do with it?

B: Cure Cancer?! Good God it would be incredible if that were a thing.

Somehow I know 5 million might not do it... I would certainly donate to many causes and missions, particularly regarding children. I guess if I’m being painfully honest I might also live very comfortably able to pay for all four of my children’s college educations, give to several organizations I believe in, and MAKE MY FEATURE FILM. I know, I know, you said 5 million not 500 million.

C: I know it is difficult to answer given the current situation, but, what is next for you?

B: Honestly, I am clinging to the idea I will be able to make my feature film in the relatively near future. I don’t know how it’s all going to play out or where I will get the money but it’s definitely something I am intent on making. I’m trying to stay very optimistic about what this pandemic means for our world and I have faith we will all pull through and find a way to be better on the other side. I know this doesn’t work if we are divided so I am urging everyone to give grace and work TOGETHER to get through this. I hope we can still see the people we love, create beautiful art, be the change we want to see in the world, and stay strong in the midst of a bit of hysteria. Fear is a liar. It can not rule us. We will innovate and solve our problems because there are many qualified people working to heal and keep us safe. God has a plan, and it’s not for us to die and become divided at the hands of some awful outbreak of a virus. I think we are meant to come together and keep on keeping on.

C: What do you think of Uploader Magazine?

B: I think the creator should certainly have her own feature in a magazine as a female powerhouse because she is creating something wonderful and celebratory. I am honored to be a part of it. I think there is nothing like it thus far and hope Uploader thrives and becomes the next “Vogue” for independent content creators. I want to give Uploader a very public and unabashed THANK YOU for featuring me. I am incredibly privileged to be included. I wish you the very best.

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Wealth consists not in having great possessions but in having few wants - Epictetus -

Photographer: Chris McDuffie

FEATURE

POWER HOUSE ENTREPRENEUR

TALKS THE

SOCIAL MOVEMENT EXECUTIVE PRODUCER AND ENTREPRENEUR MOLLY DARE HILLENBRAND TALKS ABOUT THE NEW DOCUSERIES ‘THE SOCIAL MOVEMENT’, WHICH WILL BE AVAILBLE ON AMAZON PRIME AND OTHER STREAMING CHANNELS. @mollydare, Edited by Cheryl De Marco

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Molly Dare Hillenbrand

FEATURE

FOUR DAYS TO CHANGE THE WORLD

C: As well as being an Executive Producer and Director or Partnerships with Red Knight Studios, you also founded HillenBRAND Media, what inspired you to start your own business?

M: HillenBRAND Media was born out of my love of showcasing entrepreneurs and business owners. People love consuming quick and entertaining content, so by producing 3-5 minute videos featuring the people behind your local brands and businesses in your favorite cities, it became a desirable content piece that also taught me a lot about Producing and how to humanize a brand.

C: Your career path is pretty incredible, and extremely inspiring, is there anything you would have done differently?

M: Honestly, I don’t think I would have done anything differently! I have had many twists and turns, things that worked out, and things that didn’t, but every single piece of my journey has taught me something, and I take a piece of everything I’ve done and every person I’ve met along the way with me.

I’ve learned more in the challenging times than I did when things just go smoothly so I’m pretty thankful that I’ve had a few bumps along the way because in figuring those out I obtained a lot more insight on what I need to do or need not to do going forward! (continued on page 116) UPLOADER MAGAZINE 115

FEATURE

C: What advice would you give to others thinking about starting their own businesses?

M: Look at where you want to be 10 years from now - personally and professionally- and say yes to everything that will get you there and no to anything that will distract you from that.

Put yourself in front of your Brand. Let people see you and connect with you. Tell your story of what motivated you to start what you are doing and why it matters to you. Customer loyalty is born from people connecting with you and your product!

C: The pandemic has forced many businesses to change the way they operate in order to meet the requirements set, has this had much effect on your business, and has it changed the direction your company will operate in the future?

M: With Red Knight Studios Company, the only negative aspect was having to delay a few of our Productions to the Fall but it only increased our desire to make this inspiring DocuSeries to showcase people at their best, working together, from all over the world to solve these global issues. One big change is that we added another team to Season 2 where they will have ‘ 4 Days to Solve a Pandemic’ I can not wait to see what these brilliant minds come up with!

C: I watched the trailer for ‘The Social Movement - 4 Days to Change the World’ and I have to tell you, I’m hooked, and I can’t wait to watch it. Could you tell us a bit about this new DocuSeries, for those that haven’t heard about it?

M: Absolutely. This docuseries was a concept created by Executive Producer, Chris Lavoie. He has a passion for showcasing the true genius inside a person.

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world together for one week where they are divided into teams and given four days to solve a global issue. Some of the topics are: Mental Health, Women Empowerment, Education Reform, Cyberbullying, Pandemics, etc...

Each team comes up with an actual business plan to solve these issues by combining their individual genius, working together, consulting with experts and it’s fascinating to watch it all unfold! When you bring people together of all different ages, different cultures, different backgrounds, different mindsets it’s truly amazing what can be done when your focus is on using your entrepreneurial spirit for good. It’s truly inspiring.

C: What do you have next in the pipeline?

M: The Social Movement is our flagship series but we have over 30 series currently in Production - all aimed towards the entrepreneurial mindset and human connection.

With everything going on in the world, showcasing inspiring familyfriendly content is so needed and we are motivated more than ever now to bring it to you! If you check out our website www.redknight.tv you can see all the different Series in production and who knows, you could be our next entrepreneurial mind needed on a team! There is an ‘apply’ link on the site or you can go right to www.redknight.tv/title/ socialmovement C: You are incredibly busy and have so much going on, how do you make time for your personal life?

M: As a single working mom of two girls, my free time is rare but very valuable to me. I’m lucky that my job has me traveling often and I work with and meet incredible people just about every day! My kids are with their dad some weekends which allows me the time to rest and regroup and focus on my personal life.

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C: How is quarantine going, and how are you staying sane?

M: I have to say, with the Quarantine, it’s been heartbreaking to watch the toll it has taken on all the small businesses that I know and love, but it’s also been incredible to watch them reinvent themselves to serve the community. I think the businesses that figured out how to be accessible and make some kind of income during this time and offered a way to serve others, deserve a lot of credit and I will be supporting them all!

Personally, the Quarantine has made me re-evaluate what is actually necessary in my life and what is just “noise”. When you are forced to simplify and go back to basics you find out real quick what matters and what doesn’t.

It’s been a wonderful time with my two girls because I’ve had to stay put for three consecutive months and counting... for someone who is always on the go and used to traveling every two-three weeks and running the girls all over the place, the forced calmness and stillness has been the one upside.

his time with my girls although challenging has been really special. When you take out all the “hurry up and go” and just sit and be with one another it creates a softness within the family.

I’m very fortunate that I was already “working from home” so that wasn’t a challenge for me- what was challenging was figuring out how to work from home with two kids who are home and on zooms, so I had to re-adjust my “workday” to start later and end later so my kids could have their school time as well.

C: In 3 words, how would your colleagues describe you, your friends describe you, and how would you describe yourself?

M: My colleagues would describe me as hardworking, creative and determined.

My friends would describe me as loyal, supportive and adventurous. I would describe myself as a mom first, openminded and passionate.

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Sarah Apgar

FEATURE

FROM ARMY VETERAN TO ENTREPRENEUR Edited by Cheryl De Marco www.fitfighter.com www.fitfighterlive.com (live workout platform) Follow on Instagram: @fitfighterfounder (Sarah) @fitfighterfitness (gyms, home fitness, and gift guide) @fitfighterpro (product link for pro coaches, athletes and tactical units)

When Sarah joined her local volunteer fire department after leaving the Army, she soon realized that there were no standardized fitness programs, leaving her team struggling with the weight loads.

Persistence, motivation and knowledge led to the creation of FitFighter which was originally designed for Firefighters, is now available to the public, worldwide.

Photographer: Randi Marie

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FitFighter started as a garage hobby, and now we’re reaching trainers, coaches, athletes, parents, professionals, and living rooms everywhere.

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hen I left the Army, I missed the sense of camaraderie, the lifestyle, even the grind. My husband Ben and I moved to New York after graduate school, and I drove past an Open House at the Halesite Fire Department in Huntington, Long Island. I stopped in, happened to meet the Fire Chief himself, and lingered enough to sense the community for which I had been longing. I joined the following week and trained as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and volunteer firefighter. Fascinated by fire ground training and activities, I noticed there wasn’t standardized fitness in the fire service, and my team struggled with the demands of the job, the weight loads, the conditioning and stamina required. I began filling firehose with unique materials to mimic the feeling of a hose filled with water—which is one of the most unwieldy tools I’ve worked with.

At the beginning this was all organic, without a real “lightbulb” moment of any kind. I was learning new skills in firefighting and rescue, and became known as this high energy young person bopping around the firehouse (exhaustingly for some senior members), committed to fitness and wellness, and trying to generate interest in functional training for the fire ground. My goal was just to infuse energy, help people lose some weight, and bring functional fitness training to our firehouse.

FEATURE

Early photos of my training program show us outside on the lawn at the back of the firehouse, pulling the very first Steelhoses, 10-foot pieces of 1.75-inch hose filled with sand and with eye-hooks taped the end (the earliest grommet!).

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e just kept doing it, and I kept tinkering with my tools. The son of one of my firehouse friends helped me to sew and grommet the first steelhoses into something that resembles our 2020 version. He was a canvas maker for maritime products. That prototype was what I started to show Chiefs and Trainers for feedback and new applications. Members experimented with my hoses as gym weights and resistance attachments, for dragging, lifting, heaving, swinging, and partner and team training activities. We refined the tool and created the first-ever steelhose prototype for commercial sale.

I wanted a premier training outfit to test the concept, and with the support of a colleague, pitched to the Fitness Director at the FDNY Fire Academy on Randall’s Island. Three weeks later, the Academy began using FitFighter hoses for candidate training. We had built something special, and FitFighter was born. When Huntington Fit Body Boot Camps adopted our hoses for their workouts, and ABC News profiled the product and training, we piqued interest outside of the first responder community.

During this entire phase, I had a full-time dream job as the Director of New Stores at Warby Parker, building the company’s first 50 retail stores in 23 US states and Canada.

I had put myself through graduate school, was supporting my husband through Hofstra Medical School, and starting a family — I now have two beautiful little girls. I could not put my full energy into a new company at that time, and I knew FitFighter needed my personal leadership, so I kept the idea warm and continued to dot Long Island Volunteer Fire Departments with hose racks. Three years later, with Ben halfway through his surgical residency, my youngest baby 18 months, and the fitness industry in need of versatile, durable, effective strength & conditioning equipment, I decided I could make a different choice. With my training partners, I launched FitFighter 2.0 for gyms, trainers, coaches, athletes, healthcare, and home fitness in June 2019. I am grateful that we can have an impact on strength and readiness for those at home during our current pandemic. FitFighter exists for this moment right now. (continued on page 122)

Photographer: Zach Sperazzo

FEATURE

I

I think FitFighter has always been dissolved deep in my blood.

grew up in Washington DC and Baltimore, MD, with 2 brothers one older (Clayton) and one younger ( Jamie). I had a pretty standard suburban mid-Atlantic prep school upbringing with a few anomalies: I was a serious gymnast from age 3 on, practicing 20 hours/week through my childhood, meaning I didn’t play any other school or youth sports.

I had a social personality but little social activity outside my family and gym.

My family is everything to me and I adore them. We traveled extensively in Europe and the states as kids, my parents actively imparting on us the importance of seeing other people and places. In a bit of a teenaged identity crisis I quit gymnastics when I started high school, having dreamed of the Olympics my whole childhood.

I remember wanting to seek something new, different, get out of dodge, sustain an independence that ebbed and flowed but was always ribboned with stubbornness and enthusiasm. I made a clean break and went to boarding school in New Jersey, where I was desperately homesick for the first semester, and did a brief stint back in a local gym (maybe grasping for something familiar). With loving parents and teachers at my back, I immersed and came to love my school Blair, and dove headfirst into 3 new sports that I played for the duration of high school. I took an ROTC scholarship to go to Princeton, intrigued by the physical nature of military training and leadership, and decided to stick it out, commissioned in the Army Engineer Corps in 2002.

After my 6-month platoon leader training in Missouri, I moved to my first post, Fort Carson, CO, and was immediately deployed to Mosul, Iraq with the 52nd Engineer Battalion attached to the 101st Airborne division. We did construction and renovations for our fellow units and repaired infrastructure in the northern region of Iraq. I lost my youngest soldier under my Command during that deployment and I’ll spend my entire life working to honor his memory. He was 19.

I met my husband while at Fort Carson and we both chose to leave after our commitment (4 / 5 years respectively) because the deployment cycle was bleak. We moved to Europe together in what I would call a “transition time” for both of us to civilian life, and had a dreamy 2 years teaching in the Swiss Alps and living in a Swiss Village called Lenk, using weekends for alpine ski touring in the high huts. That is our outlet as a couple. We moved back to the states in 2009 for graduate school — me for an MBA and Ben for medical school at Hofstra. This was a major pivot in our lives and marriage, settling back on the east coast, enjoying Vermont for 2 years, and then moving down to Long Island for Ben’s turn. I finally decided at 35 that I was ready to become a parent and have kids. Not sure why that was the clear moment but there was some practicality to feeling for the first time that I was traveling less, more settled, and had gotten myself and Ben through grad school. I still feel like a new mom now, and it’s turned my already wild ride upside down again. I’ve found a deep and rich love I never knew about for my little girls, and it’s the greatest possible blessing to be raising them and creating a new generation.

I love a lot of things, most people, have rose-colored goggles on most of the time, and intrinsically optimistic. That’s one of my superpowers. I have more physical energy than anyone I’ve ever met. People in the grocery store ask me why I’m so happy. Increasingly I’m trying to share that with the world as broadly as possible. I am also an inventor. FitFighter is all about invention, innovation, inspiration, and a celebration of service and community. It’s a simple idea, but it is novel and versatile, and it’s rooted in a story and spirit of what it represents. (continued on page 124)

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Photographer: Randi Marie

FEATURE Our 2020 family is a zoo!

I love that we sort of ebb and flow between average and eclectic on the family front. Ben and I are both generally close with our parents and siblings and grew up in what I would consider lovely safe happy families. He has one sister.

Emory and Arlyn are now 4 and 2 respectively and I’m so happy to have little girls to raise and mold. In some ways we are your typical nuclear family, 2 kids and a dog, in a house on Long Island, making our way through our 30s. But I think because of our life experiences and our past, we also have deeply rooted passions and values that have driven some unusual choices — a commitment to mission-driven work, Ben’s in plastic and reconstructive surgery largely driven by his Army experience, mine in startups with strong founders and social missions, and ultimately my own leap of faith.

I’m sort of a crazy-mom, just in the way I talk with the girls, act with them, go with the flow, the things I’m focused on teaching and training.

I worry a lot but not in the same ways I hear a lot of other moms worrying. We are blessed with good health and a lot of support. We have a fulltime caregiver for the girls. I would not be able to do what I’m doing without that, and I am lucky to have this option as many parents do not. Our caregiver has two kids too, and they are part of our family now also. It takes a village and I treat life that way, especially since I know that others support what I’m trying to do and are willing to help. Accepting help has always been a struggle for me, but I know to be a good leader and to succeed that it is 100% necessary.

FitFighter embodies the spirit of public service.

People who serve others for their career do so for different reasons, but most share a deep sense of something bigger and more important than self, the mission. Without question there are actionjunkies, political-junkies, egos, but more often than not, servicemen and women are looking to make a living doing something important and helping other people, keeping people safe.

They are deeply family-oriented, often religious or spiritual, and passionate members of their multiple communities — their home, their neighborhood, and in their service unit. They know what true sacrifice is and means, and they have felt real failure. They understand what a life or death decision is, and many have to wonder whether they made the right ones, and then live

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with them. They know what it means to work as a team when the individual doesn’t matter because that’s the only way we do things.

They are real neighbors in the old-fashioned sense. You can ask a firefighter or soldier to help you move for a day, borrow a truck, or take your kid for a few hours in a bind and it’s no big thing — if they can, they’ll help. And they’ll know you’ve got their back in return.

They are normal humans, with heroic commitment, effort, willingness, and ability.

FEATURE

To close, my three-part recipe for other entrepreneurs and small business owners is to always raise your hand first even if you don’t feel ready to respond; be the most curious person you know - ask one more question than you thought of, and share your superpowers with others every day, so that you stay fulfilled and motivated. These practices set the hustlers apart from everyone else.

I can’t wait to see you in training.

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Photographer: Vanessa S. Torres Photography

SPOTLIGHT

THEY SAY MOTHERS OF CHILDREN OF COLOR PRAY DIFFERENT COLUMNIST NAZA HOLLIMAN TALKS BEING A MOTHER TO CHILDREN OF COLOR IN THIS EMOTIONAL RECOUNT OF HOW SHE BECAME AWARE OF THE RACISM THAT PEOPLE OF COLOR FACE ON A DAILY BASIS @sweet.p.and.sky sweetpandsky.com Edited by Cheryl De Marco

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SPOTLIGHT

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here are a million stories to hear. Mine is in no way more important or special than any of the others.

But it’s mine, and it’s the only one I can tell. This is the story of how I grew to become aware of the racism that people of color face every single day.

My husband and I met at Dodger Stadium, when a girlfriend of mine fainted from heat exhaustion. He was in charge of Field Level Security and had to oversee the stadium’s medical facility, while she received liquids via IV. He looked so official, so intimidating, and boy was he dressed well. Tall, dark and handsome, and very funny, once he stopped looking so official. Long story short, I soldiered up and asked him for his number. Something I had never done before, and on my drive home, rather than text me like a normal person, he called. There was something there, I liked him. A date was set for the following day. So when I arrived at my house, I sat my mother down and told her about this guy I met “He seems great mom, I’m oddly interested, but… he’s African American”.

After a few fun weeks of dating, he posed a rather disturbing question.

“If this goes somewhere, are you prepared to fight for it?”

Having been together for almost 10 years, looking back at those days seems surreal. Why did I feel the need to explain that I was interested in an African American man? And how my heart broke when he asked me that question. Truth be told, I didn’t know if I would have to fight for our relationship.

I didn’t know how far I could take the fight.

The issue of race was present, I hated the stares the most. The whispers I would sometimes overhear. “Naz, you dating a brotha?”, from a friend I hadn’t seen in a while. “Naza, what do mom and dad think?”. How would we tell my father? What will he say? How will my parents navigate this with their Russian immigrant friends who have never seen one of their own date outside of their race? Not for very long anyway.

Prior to our wedding day, I was asked if I truly knew what I was getting myself into. Was I prepared to have Black children? Was I sure that I could love them? My OWN children!

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We were lucky. My parents saw my husband for the man that he is. They saw that we fit, like they’ve never seen me fit with anyone else, and my mother was sure it was destiny. I say all of this because all these years later, we have built a beautiful family. We have two beautiful boys who we adore to no end.

Yes, I love my mixed babies! And yes, the person who asked me if I could love my Black children, loves our beautiful babies too. But here’s the thing... As a white person, I was never exposed to the everyday, systemic racism, that goes on for people of color. And I am positive, that I would have never truly understood the severity of it, the consistency of it, had I not married a person of color, and witnessed it firsthand. A random stranger at a BBQ feeling quite comfortable telling

SPOTLIGHT my husband that he knew my husband preferred Louisiana BBQ. An oblivious acquaintance explaining to him that her Black nieces didn’t like watermelon.

Could he believe that? Going to a retail store to return an item, only to be asked a million questions, while getting suspicious looks. Meanwhile, the same salesperson gladly accepted a bridesmaid dress I wore once and kept in my closet for 3 years, without so much as an inquisitive look.

The white privilege I grew up with is blatant in so many situations, but I would have never understood it. Not truly.

Along with understanding, comes fear. Parents strive to create a better life for their children. We do not want them to suffer the same struggles we did, and we do everything in our power to make sure that they don’t. In the case of white parents with mixed children, we are faced with the knowledge that our children will have it a lot harder than we ever did.

It is a hard pill to swallow, to know that my children will not benefit from the privilege I take for granted. Until now, I thought that would be our only challenge. I knew we would have to have some very difficult conversations about color and discrimination, I knew that someday we would have to explain why someone’s parents won’t let their daughter date our boys, but I was not prepared to have to teach my boys how to stay alive. I was not prepared to tell them that someone might gun them down while they’re jogging, or that an officer might mistake their toy gun for a real one. A knee to the back of the neck… I can’t breathe.

As a white parent of mixed children, the past few weeks in America have been eye-opening and hair raising. It has taken 10 years of consistent exposure to prejudice and racism for me to come full circle. To fully understand what a large population of our country deals with on a daily basis. The gravity of it all.

They say mothers of children of color pray differently.

Yes, we do.

Photographer: Vanessa S. Torres Photography

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ASTROLOGY

Kyle Thomas

Kyle Thomas is a globally recognized pop culture astrologer who has been featured in Cosmopolitan Magazine, Bustle, Elite Daily, House Beautiful, Marie Claire, YahooNews, MSN, and more. He is also one of the official astrologers for both Astrology.com and Horoscope.com. He is known for his cosmic guidance for celebrities, business executives, and prominent influencers.

His work harnesses the power of the stars in regards to entertainment lifestyle and trends affecting people worldwide.

His writing and horoscopes have been translated into multiple languages. Kyle has been astrologically gifted naturally from a very young age and teaches how to use the Universe to manifest the life you’ve always dreamt of. With over a decade of professional experience and clients all over the world, he currently resides in Los Angeles where he works as a professional astrologer, celebrity life coach, and author. Currently, he is the official astrologer for @Horoscopes + @Horo.ScopesDaily (4.5 million followers). Kyle received two Bachelor of Arts for Psychology and English from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and integrates these degrees into his growing research of psychology, personality, and the human condition.

HOROSCOPES JUNE 2020

HOROSCOPES

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@MrKyleThomas Photography: @DonQ,HannahPhotography Styling: @JRScalzitti Make-Up: @Lizzy_Lawless Hair: @HairByAlexTan Fitness: Body by @FitnessDust

GEMINI MAY 21ST - JUNE 20TH

ith Venus, planet of love and beauty, spinning backward in your zodiac sign, you’re likely feeling as if you have stepped into a vortex of the past. This enigmatic experience will last until the end of the month and you’ll begin to see more clearly in July. During this time, you may be crossing paths with people from the past or reassessing how you’ve encountered love in your relationships previously. You could be attracting new lovers into your life at this time, but be certain not to take everything at face value because with Venus sending smokescreens up all around you, nothing is what it seems.

Your ruler, Mercury, goes retrograde on the 18th, adding further confusion to your mind throughout the month and on into July. By the end of July, as noted before, you’ll be on more solid ground. The reason this is happening is because you must first face confusion in order to claim the trophy of clarity. Also, throughout much of the month, Mars will be igniting your career sector, likely making you very busy. If you are employed, you’ll be hammering away at important projects likely to lift you higher in your industry. If you are looking for work, you are in one of the best positions to find a winning role that will add responsibility and power to your resume. Reach out to previous bosses or people within your network to hopefully get an introduction.

Last, but certainly not least important this month, are the two eclipses. You are beginning pivotal eclipses in your marriage, commitments, and partnership sector now and will watch these echo on into 2021. For some Geminis, you could be partnering up, finding that twin flame, getting engaged, or officially tying the knot during that window in time. Committed Geminis may be growing closer and building important plans that will bind them. However, if you have been in a relationship that has outlived its purpose and is merely holding you down, it is likely these eclipses would signal an ending: a parting of ways, moving out, or even a divorce. If this is to occur, it would mean you have happiness still ahead but it is time for you to evolve and move forward. Last to note is that you may suddenly feel depleted energetically, as if the eclipse is draining you. This will pass, so certainly don’t overexert yourself now. The Solar Eclipse on the 20th/21st will highlight your income, so you could get news of a raise, secure a new job, or pay off a debt. No matter what, money is on your mind then and will continue to be on into July.

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HOROSCOPES JUNE 2020

HOROSCOPES CONTINUED TAURUS APRIL 20TH - MAY 20TH ARIES MARCH 21ST - APRIL 19TH June 2020 will be a very interesting month for you, Aries, particularly because Mars, your ruler, is charging up your sector of privacy throughout much of that time. This may mean that you’ve been lying low, resting, and recharging or are deeply invested in a project behind-the-scenes that isn’t yet ready to debut but likely will later this year. When Mars enters your zodiac sign on the 27th to stay for the coming six months, you’ll be in top shape to conquer everything you have your heart set upon. This is a stellar year for your career, ambitions, and goals, and you’ll surely grab many achievements before the year is done. Keep your list of plans close so you can activate them from July to September, and then again November until January 2021. From September until November, Mars will be retrograde in your sign meaning there will be roadblocks in your way, so hopefully you can use that time to constructively fine-tune your projects. This month may feel like you’re walking through a swamp with Venus retrograde most of the month and Mercury about to be on the 18th. You’ll have more clarity toward the end of July, so if you can hold off to make major decisions or sign contracts until then, that would be preferred. The other major point to notice this month regards the two eclipses. A Lunar Eclipse in your expansion sector occurs on the 5th, so it is likely near that time you could be making an important decision regarding travel, overseas business negotiations, or immigration. Other Aries may notice they’re debuting a publishing, media, or press project and seeing favorable attention because of it. Last, if hoping to focus on higher education or the pursuit of a new spiritual practice, you will see your efforts rewarded. You will continue these eclipses for the next two years, and this is the first chapter hinting of what’s to come—so move your Chess pieces forward carefully. The second eclipse this month will be on the 20th/21st and highlights your home and family sector. This has been a major theme for you since 2018, and this should tie it up quite nicely. You’ve possibly moved or been fixing up your home in the recent two years, or if you’ve still been looking, you could find the best possible place appear. However, this could bring news about a parent or your family, and it may allow you to get closer to your kindred. You’ll likely be feeling more emotional and assessing how stable and secure your life is, so no matter what, listen to what your gut is telling you. This is an opening, dear Aries—so step forward through the door and embrace it.

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With Mars roaring through your social sector throughout much of the month, you could be feeling the need to see or communicate with your friends intensely, dependent on how coronavirus social distancing is being regulated in your location. Some Taurus may experience the fiery vibration by attending events and gatherings, while others may be rapidly building their network through digital means. It’s also very likely you’ll see some heartfelt hopes and dreams within your grasp now, but that will all be dependent on how hard you’ve worked for them up until this point. Throughout most of June, your ruler, Venus, will still be retrograde, meaning that you’ll likely a slower pace to your life. It is possible you could see more momentum pick up for you in July and certainly in August when a jewel achievement is likely to arrive. Some Taurus are feeling very nostalgic or wishing to reconnect with people from the past, and if you’d like to, choose wisely. Your income is also on your mind and you could be hungry to add more wealth to your accounts with so much planetary action in this sector. Early on in the month, a Lunar Eclipse occurring the 5th highlights your partnerships and the balance within them. Some Taurus will be dealing with money matters or receive a grant, loan, or scholarship near this time. Otherwise you’ll be assessing the give-and-take within a relationship.

This is the beginning chapter of a four-part epic over the next two years, so pay attention to what the Universe is bringing to your attention. The next eclipse will take place on the 20th/21st dependent on your time zone and energizes your communications sector. You will see as a new writing, speaking, or advertising project land in your lap or feel called to begin one. However, with Mercury Retrograde confusing the situation until mid-July, it is better to hold off on signing paperwork if you can.

CANCER JUNE 21ST - JULY 22ND Welcome to a pivotal month for many reasons, Cancer.

First to note is that Mars, planet of passion and drive, will be igniting your expansion sector throughout much of the month.

This could affect you in a few different ways depending on where you are in your life. This may mean that you’re highly focused upon an immigration or travelling endeavor. Another possibility is that you’re pursuing higher education or a new

HOROSCOPES JUNE 2020 spiritual initiative or would soon like to. Last, if involved in media, publicity, or publishing, you may be extremely busy with it at this time. No matter what, use this firepower to reach to new horizons whether that is physically or within the mind.

Mercury, planet of logic, will be in your zodiac sign throughout the entire month, making your communication more precise.

However, as you near the 18th, it will slow down and turn retrograde, causing all sorts of confusion and mixed messages.

You experienced a similar cycle last summer, so watch for repetitive patterns now. Your intuition will be strong but your mind will be foggy, so let your gut guide you. Above all, try not to agree to anything in the final weeks or until mid-July.

Venus Retrograde in your privacy sector could be digging up traumas, fears, obsessions, or demons particularly in relation to love and intimacy, and if this is the case, do your best to heal them rather than letting them sink their claws more deeply into your soul. This anxiety should fade by August, so you still have a ways to go. Last to note are the two eclipses. The first, a Lunar Eclipse in your productivity zone, shows that you could be finishing up an important work-related project or making an announcement about it near the 5th. However, this could instead signal an end to your contract and redirect you onto another employer ahead. This cosmic alignment could also bring attention to a health-matter, and if this is the case, it will likely flare up suddenly and intensely, so do everything you can to handle it. On a positive note, it would be forcing you to take on a new diet or fitness regimen which will make you quite strong in the years ahead. The second eclipse will be a Solar Eclipse in your Sun Sign—bringing full circle your life’s evolution since the summer of 2018. This eclipse will open a new door to you to pursue a more fulfilling life, so have your vision board ready. A new voice is calling to you and you must follow it.

LEO JULY 23RD - AUGUST 22ND June 2020 promises to be fiery and fun for you, Leo. Just how you like it! With the Sun and Venus lighting up sparklers in your social sector, you are absolutely ready to bust out and be seen. Depending on how social distancing regulations are where you live, you could be physically attending events and reuniting or else fired up digitally in the group chat! Because Venus is spinning backward in your friendship zone, it’s likely you’ve already reconnected with two significant besties in recent weeks or else you still will in June. If there’s a friend you’d like to reconnect or reconcile with, be sure to reach out now. However, major turning points in your life are signaled by the eclipses. The 5th will bring a tremendous Lunar Eclipse in your fertility, creativity, and romance sector. This means at this time it is likely a new birth will come into your life—whether that is physically, such as a child—or else creatively, such as through an artistic project. If you have children, you could notice one of them drawing extra special attention at this

time. If you’ve hoped to become pregnant, this is a stunning opportunity written in the stars. As this area of the sky also has close ties to passionate love, whether single or committed, you could find your heart lit on fire. Solo Leos may cross paths with a soul mate or realize they’ve fallen hard for someone special, while committed ones could find the spark reignited in their partnership. The second eclipse will be a Solar Eclipse on the 20th/21st, encouraging you to rest, lie low, and recharge.

This is the same sector you have been having eclipses within since 2018, and it appears since then you’ve been either working on something behind-the-scenes that you want to launch higher or else something private has been bubbling up and now may come into the light. Whatever it be, use this time to heal or relax because the rest of your year will be especially busy for you.

VIRGO AUGUST 23RD - SEPTEMBER 22ND June arrives and a major focus for all Virgos will be upon important partnerships. This is because Mars will be heating up your commitment and relationship sector. During this time, you will achieve more as a team—so find the right counterpart now, whether that be in business or personally.

Use this initiative to go after the right kind of partner or seek them out. If someone isn’t interested, move onto the next candidate. Another possibility is that this time could bring renewed passion and sex into your committed relationship, so enjoy the spark and let it unite you more closely. However, if there has been drama bubbling beneath the surface, this may bring conflicts out into the open whether with a competitor, partner, or enemy. Do your best not to exacerbate the situation but approach it with sensitivity. Your career is also rather lit up this month, so utilize Venus Retrograde here to reach back out to old bosses or clients to see if new opportunities could come your way. Mercury will go retrograde from the 18th onward, which could actually be rather delightful for you. It may slow down progress on some initiatives, but it could free up some time for you to reconnect with old pals and friends if you’d like.

How wonderful! Last to note this month are the two major eclipses. The first arrives on the 5th, signaling a crisis or change in relation to your home, domesticity, or family life. This may indicate that you are set to move suddenly or that you realize you need a vital repair. A roommate could suddenly exit your life with the need to find another rapidly if you rent. This may also reveal an important situation with a family member or parent. If this is the case, handle the interaction delicately. The next eclipse takes place on the 20th/21st, which will show that a very special new friend is about to enter your life and play a vital role in the coming months and years ahead. Another way this cosmic shift could affect you is that you realize a friend— or someone in your network—suddenly opens a door to one of your most sacred hopes and dreams. Time of the essence, so be swift and take it as long as you are ready to explore.

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HOROSCOPES JUNE 2020

LIBRA SEPTEMBER 23RD - OCTOBER 22ND You’ll be very busy in June, Libra, as Mars heats up your productivity zone throughout much of the month. This could show that you’re especially active with work and finishing deadlines. If you’re unemployed and looking, the stars above are telling you to buckle down and search under every rock because something will surely pop up. Even if it isn’t your dream job, it may be time to take it just so you have the stability while looking elsewhere. Lucky for you, you have magnificent stars in your career this summer, so you shouldn’t worry. Venus, your ruler, will be back spinning throughout most of the month, as well. This affects you quite significantly, and you could find that you’re pulled into the past whether by nostalgia or reconnecting with old lovers and friends. With her swimming in your sector of expansion, it shows you could reconnect with someone from school, someone overseas, or someone who you knew through your spiritual practice. You could even reminisce about any of your experiences in one of these areas and revisit them independently, as well. The eclipses of June are also crucial to note. The Lunar Eclipse on the 5th will activate your communications sector, encouraging you to debut an important writing, speaking, or marketing project. This could be a big win for you! The second eclipse will likely be far more exciting for you, though, as it highlights achievements and ambitions. A prized new job may come your way in the days following the 20th/21st or else a major promotion. This looks like you’d be taking on an increased level of responsibility. Some Libras will see themselves more famous at this time, as well. However, with Mercury Retrograde beginning the 18th and lasting until mid-July, it does appear that you’ll have a little confusion regarding this new opportunity but power through and you should be fine.

SCORPIO OCTOBER 23RD - NOVEMBER 21ST June will feel especially fertile for you, Scorpio, and you will notice one of the following physical manifestations of it. With Mars powering up this technicolor sector, you may first notice it as a tremendous creative streak. Inspiration may be funneling through you and if artistic, you will deliver some of your most inspired work. If a romantic, you could feel more passionate than usual and notice that your heart is on fire for someone 134 UPLOADER MAGAZINE

new or the one who you are with. This can certainly emerge as hot sex, and you wouldn’t be opposed! Next, if looking to conceive, you’re in an exceptional moment to do so. Last, if you have children, they may be demanding more of your attention or could even be acting out—especially if they are frustrated with the global restrictions that may be put upon them with social distancing. Venus, planet of love, will be backpedaling throughout your intimacy sector in June, revealing that you’re reassessing your sensual needs. If seeking financial aid, you could notice that it is withheld now, but rest assured that you are likely to receive the help later in July. Turning points to note in June will certainly be triggered by the powerful eclipses, though. Get excited because the Lunar Eclipse on the 5th brings mighty news regarding your finances and it would likely appear as a lucrative new job or client or else a raise. With several more eclipses in your wealth sector occurring before the end of 2021, you’ll certainly welcome in more abundance and perhaps even a more prosperous financial life! The second eclipse, taking place on the 20th/21st, will encourage you to set sail into new horizons. This expansive energy will push you to long-distance travel (restrictions permitting) or pursue an immigration matter. Some Scorpios could heed the call of academics and pursue further education or an enlightened new spiritual tradition. Last, if involved in publishing or media—or seeking to be—this is a green light you’ve been looking for.

Since 2018, you’ve been looking to higher skies and you may finally get your wish to soar them now.

SAGITTARIUS NOVEMBER 22ND - DECEMBER 21ST Prepare for a mighty turning point, Sagittarius, because the Universe will be testing your relationships and personal power for the coming year-and-a-half. This is because you are beginning electric eclipses in your Sun Sign here in June that will echo on into 2021. The eclipse taking place on the 5th puts your needs, desires, and demands front-and-center and you could notice a long-held dream comes to fulfillment. This may feel tremendously liberating as you break free from the chains of what was before. This breakthrough could set the course for you to take a bold new direction in your life. However, it is also clear that you’re re-evaluating all of your important relationships at this time, too, because of Venus’s backspin in this sector throughout much of this month. For some Sagittarius, it is showing that you are nostalgic for past lovers and may reconnect with two important people from before— friends, business, or otherwise. This could also mean that you are uncertain about how you feel about a current counterpart and not sure where it’s going. At the best, this may mean that you’re both just not able to spend as much time together suddenly, but at its worst, it could mean that you’re starting to see you may need to fly free once again. For single Sagittarius, you have a blessed opportunity to still seek out someone with LTR-potential, but take it slowly and above all do not commit

HOROSCOPES JUNE 2020 until the end of July when the planets are stronger. The second eclipse this month falls in your intimacy sector, opening a door for you to find that stronger connection you’re craving or set fire to the one you’re in and get out of there. If looking for aid, such as through a loan, scholarship, venture capital, or government stimulus check, it may suddenly come due to this cosmic alignment which occurs on the 20th/21st. However, with Mercury Retrograde also taking place in this sector, you may notice that sudden confusion is also taking place and you don’t have all of the details sorted just yet. Last to note is that Mars, planet of force, will be heating up your home and family sector, showing that you could be very focused on moving or fixing up your house. Sometimes this signals renovations or remodeling. If for some reason it is manifesting as frustrations in your home or with your family—also equally as likely—do everything you can to handle this with a delicate and sensitive touch rather than throwing gasoline atop the flames.

CAPRICORN DECEMBER 22ND - JANUARY 19TH What a year it has been for you, Capricorn. Ups and downs, surely. Many of you felt as if you had been given the golden crown of the Gods, dangled before you. A new life certainly has been calling to you since December 2019, filled with new horizons, opportunities, and growth. This has been because of Jupiter, planet of miracles, in your Sun Sign. Yet, Pluto (rebirth, transformation) and Saturn (challenges) also stirring up obstacles in your Sun Sign has showed that the Universe still wants you to work harder to attain that holy crown. Trust me, as an astrologer, I can see into your years ahead and know that yes, you will reach your happy place and achieve many of the hopes within your heart right. But steel is forged through fire and you need to prove it to the Universe—to the world around you—and to yourself, just how much you want to rise.

Even though Jupiter is currently retrograde, half-asleep, he is like a guardian angel at your side showing that no matter what happens you, above all others, will see these events work out to your greatest advantage no matter how or where the pieces fall.

In June, you will have Mars, planet of drive, lighting up your communications sector. This means that you could be highly focused on an important writing, speaking, or digital project and eager to see it launched. Venus, planet of love, will be retrograde in your employment sector all month, showing that connections with co-workers or bosses may seem sort of “off.”

Of course, as she rules romance and your sector of love, you could cross paths with an ex during this time. If that is the case, reignite the connection if you’re both ready to give it another shot or gain the closure you so dearly need. The eclipses this month will be significant turning points for you, as well—both leading up to the Lunar Eclipse in your zodiac sign on July 4th. That will be your big moment of the year, Capricorn, but we will save that for your July horoscope! Here in June, the Lunar Eclipse on the 5th will bring an overwhelming urge

to rest, recharge, and relax. You’ve been certainly burning yourself out, and the call to step back is here. However, this could be a time when a secret emerges that either surprises or shocks you. This may also manifest that you are now working on a behind-the-scenes project and you’re ready to see it evolve to the next level. Later in the month, though, all of your attention turns to your significant partnership. Single Capricorns will have a major opportunity to find someone with LTR-potential because of the eclipse on the 20th/21st.

Committed Capricorns may decide it’s time to move in, get engaged, or become married. However, with the Mercury Retrograde taking place in your partnership sector from the 18th until mid-July, this may be a time when you are reviewing your partnership and making sure that you’re on the same page.

Because of the Mercury Retrograde, it is best to wait to agree to any serious commitments until later in July—perhaps even the New Moon that takes place on July 20th. Last, with all of this planetary action highlighting the past, you could find that you’re nostalgic regarding an ex or decide to reach out to one then. You, almost more than any other zodiac sign, seem to be thinking of the past quite a bit now so learn what it has taught you.

AQUARIUS JANUARY 20TH - FEBRUARY 18TH Venus Retrograde takes place entirely within your sector of romance, Aquarius, signaling that you, above almost any other sign, are not seeing clearly when it comes to the love department. On one hand, this means that you have a stunning opportunity in June to reconnect with an ex to give it another go or else to find your closure once and for all. If for some reason you have recently begun dating someone or wish to now, be sure to take it especially slowly to make sure that you’re on the same page. The Sun will bring gravity to your romantic life throughout much of the month, so enjoy the extra energy.

This increased focus may actually manifest instead as a surge in creative inspiration, so utilize it now. Otherwise, it could show that you have more attention upon your current child or are experiencing increased fertility. Next to note in this vibrant month, though, are the eclipses. The Lunar Eclipse on the 5th triggers a highly important interaction with a friend— possibly even someone opening a door to one of your heart’s most sacred hopes and dreams. This person clearly believes in you and would want to see you happy. Unfortunately, this could mean that a friend exits your life at this time, but it’s likely a new friend would be entering to replace them, yet in a slightly different way. All connections are unique, but this new acquaintance will better understand where you’re at now rather than holding you to the past. The second eclipse highlights your productivity sector, ensuring that you’re likely to bring on a significant new project in the days following the 20th/21st.

Some Aquarius may find a new job appears or else take on more with their current employer. Last, (continued on page 136) UPLOADER MAGAZINE 135

HOROSCOPES JUNE 2020 this cosmic alignment also highlights your health and fitness. This is a magnificent moment to improve your health—whether that be by a new diet or workout regimen. If you use the time now, you’ll likely grow stronger in the months and years ahead.

PISCES FEBRUARY 19TH - MARCH 20TH June is here and you, Pisces, are fired up!

This is because Mars, the planet of passion and energy, will heat up your Sun Sign until the end of the month. Mars energy is aggressive, sexual, courageous, and magnetic, so this is a time when you must fully utilize its fuel to go after who and what you want. You may make tremendous progress toward your goals, so launch all of your most important endeavors to set the pattern for the coming two years now. If single, this energy will make you bold and hypnotic, and if committed, you can spice up your sex life with explosive results. This energy may make you a bit more angry or anxious, and if this is the case, seek out positive outlets for your heat such as exercise. Almost important to note this month is that you will have two significant eclipses shifting your path before you. The first will be on the 5th, which marks a stunning new achievement on your shoulder. Of course, this is all tied to how hard you have worked before and if you’ve truly invested yourself in your goals and ambitions effectively. More likely than not, this will be the beginning chapter over the coming two years that catapults you ever higher to your next career breakthroughs. Some Pisces may receive a new job offer or promotion they can’t pass up, while others could find themselves suddenly famous and powerful. Utilize this rare moment to your greatest advantage. Next, a Solar Eclipse in your fertility sector takes place on the 20th/21st. This will surely open your heart so deeply, you’ll feel as if you could erupt. Single Pisces may find they swim past a soul mate and link up, while committed ones realize they have fallen ever more deeply in love with their partner. If you’ve been seeking children, you should find that you receive news of a pregnancy or give birth. Pisces who are parents will likely have their attention highly focused on their previous children now. Last, if you are a creative, this eclipse may echo like a trumpet from the Muses, igniting some of your most brilliant work yet. No matter what, enjoy all that June has to give because the stars surely smile for you.

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