Issue 1: Staycation

CONTINUE Issue 1, Staycation 25/10/20

THE VOICE

Y A T S I T A C 2

Cover Shot: Photographer- Millie Saunders Model - Manon Marrum- Sauvageot

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A Note From The Head Editor On a surprisingly warm day in a small village in Scotland, I had an idea.

Perhaps one of my best yet. I was going to change my personal blog to a creative collective. This decision came to me as I felt the world was in need of community more than ever, and so ‘Continue The Voice’ was born. Fast forward quite a few months, and here we are with our first ever digital zine! As a writer this is exciting, and as a Head Editor it all feels a little unbelievable. We have been so lucky to have been sent some wonderful pieces of creative work from all different forms and from people all over the globe. I cannot wait for you to flick through the pages and read them all.

But first, a little about our theme so for our first issue I chose the theme of Staycation as I felt we were all in need of a little pick me up and also of a reminder as to how wonderfully exquisite the place we live in can truly be! As with all of our issues the unspoken theme throughout every zine will be the idea of continuing the voice and one of my personal favourite pieces in this zine that has such an important perspective on sustainability is sustainable textiles designers, Emily Hopkins, piece on how we can shop more sustainably whilst still looking good (on page 40). I hope you love our first issue and come back next month to read the next!

Kirsty Taylor She/Her

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CONTENTS

Adusting To A Slower Pace- Article - 6 Sunset Over Waverly- Painting - 8 10 Budget friendly Staycation Ideas ft Illustration- 10 An Aberdeenshire Staycation- 12 Slaycation & Sunny Disposition- Make up Looks -14 Poetry Corner - 18 Our Highlighted Author: Euan McBride- 20 The Gallery: Ft Photography by Bill Young- 22 Short Story: Once Upon A Time, There Lived A Girl Who Wanted to Die- 26 Interview with a Musician: Cameron Aerts - 30 Our Staycation Music Playlist- 32 Sustainable Art- Belle Terrae- 33 Staycation: The New Rich Man’s Holiday- Article -34 Small Buisness Spotlight: Leigh Elizabeth Studios - 36 Sustainable Fashion: Shop Local, Second Hand or Make your Own- Article - 40 Jordan Graber- Interview- 42 Staycation Outfit Inspiration -44 Coorie Moments -46 Our Voices -48

Illustrations by Sophie Freestone

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Adjusting to a Slower Pace One of my earliest memories is in an airport and trying new foods in places far away from my home. It would be more than fair to say that I had a childhood full of privilege when it came to travelling. My parents worked hard to be able to afford to take their family abroad, and as a result I have taken on their love for travelling. Every penny I have saved from my first job at the age of 16 has typically gone to travelling somewhere new and exciting. My countdown app was always pinging my phone, counting down the days to the next trip and now it sits there untouched.

Lockdown taught me a lot of things, but one thing I did not see coming was the love I truly have for the country I am from.

We actually took Staycations every summer growing up which I have fond memories from. Just for context a Staycation is where you take a holiday, or if you are American a vacation, to somewhere within your own country or even create a holiday experience within your own home.

However, for some reason as soon as I hit 18, I grabbed my passport and my bags and was off. Ever since then, I have taken any and all opportunities to travel. Italy

to visit a friend for reading week? Yes please.

Ten-hour layover in Paris on the way home from living in Canada? What an opportunity.

One week of solo travelling in Copenhagen for my birthday? What a dream. As much as I love travelling and can’t wait to do it again, I have come to realise that perhaps it is not the be all and end all that I used to believe it was.

Throughout lockdown, I found myself not just adjusting but enjoying a slower pace of life. Living life slowly and focusing on the present has always been something I have struggled with. I used to think I thrived off of being constantly busy, especially when travelling and then not understand why I was burnt out. When you travel somewhere completely different to where you are from there is a lot to process. Whether that is the culture, the language, the food or even just the different water and air. It can take its toll on our bodies. As someone known for going hard or going home, I tended to jam pack my schedule full of things to do in this new place. Trying to cram as much into whatever days I had. My solo trip to New York resulted in me leaving my hotel room at 6am and not returning until 10pm.

As a postgraduate teaching student, I have yet to be in a position where I can travel without budgeting intensely. Most of my trips consist of hostels, pot noodles and whatever

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free excursions exist. Now, this is an excellent way to get to know places more locally as you have plenty of time to walk around but living off pot noodles whilst running around a city is not the best idea. In lockdown, I found myself craving some time away from my home, my desk and most importantly my screen. After working from home was forced into many of our lives (for good reason of course) I, like others, struggled to draw the line between my personal life and work life. Some days doing work until unsightly hours and working far longer hours than I would have in normal circumstances.

When it was time to finally go on a Staycation, I did my research and decided on Loch Ness.

I wanted to go to a location that I hadn’t been to before but also somewhere with plenty of opportunities for being outdoors. My main goal in Loch Ness was to live as screen free and itinerary free as possible. My choice of accommodation made the first option easy as I stayed at Loch Ness Glamping (I highly recommend) and the Wi-Fi did not reach my cabin as it was the furthest away. I spent my whole week mostly with a few essential items: a notebook, a pen, a wetsuit, and some trainers. Living an alarm clock free week was complete bliss as I just woke up with the natural light entering my pod. I enjoyed long walks, multiple open water swims, a little sightseeing and a whole lot of writing. If you are looking for a break from your hectic world (and I mean

a real break, not a break you need a break after from) then I highly recommend going on a staycation. I am already planning my next trip, and honestly Nessie I might be coming back for you because there were some stunning and calming views as well as some wonderful local cafes.

Words by Kirsty Taylor, Kirsty is a 23 year old student teacher and the founder of Continue The Voice. When she is not teaching or competing in triathlons. She is drinking wine, writing poetry or podcasting. You can check out her podcast here, and her poetry here. You will see her featured on quite a few pieces of work as she likes to get stuck in.

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Sunset Over Waverley

Home to an extinct volcano, a castle which moonlights as a concert venue, and the biggest arts & culture festival in the world, Edinburgh never ceases to amaze. I have never complained about a staycation in the Scottish capital, and after living there for seven years I am still discovering new places. Even during lockdown, the architecture offers a kind of outdoor museum, and a walk around Old Town can take you back to Edinburgh of old.

For me, this piece is a juxtaposition of medieval and modern. It depicts the exact point where Old Town transitions into New Town. By contrasting vibrant colours and lights, with a more, gothic, grungy portrayal of the buildings, I have tried to symbolize the contemporary spirit of Edinburgh while paying tribute to its darker past.

Piece by Kirsten Warrender, who is a self-taught oil painter currently living in Edinburgh. You can find her on Instagram (@kirstenwarrender.art). She started her Instagram account during lockdown simply as a way to showcase her art work and connect with people. Since then, it has transcended and now she offers personal commissions while still creating original work and prints.

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10 Thrilling Budget-Fri

Home Spa with Friends: Salons can often be quite expensive, but you can create your own luxurious spa at home.

Grab some affordable mani-pedi kits, face masks, and any hair treatment you fancy from your local market. Then invite your friends over and 2 enjoy the pamperNo ing!

Plans Day: Have a day itinerary free! This is great for your mental health and perfect for calming your nerves. Wear comfy clothes and just eat, drink, read a book, and chill, and watch as the stress floats away. Mani-pedi kits, face masks, and any hair treatment you fancy from your Day at 3 local market. Then invite a Local Park: Have you your friends over and always dreamed of a Pinterest picenjoy together! nic? Well there is no time like the present. On any pleasant day go to a national park and enjoy the fresh air and if you are lucky sunshine. Make your favorite desserts or simple chicken sandwiches and put them into a beautiful picnic basket (don’t forget to pack a blanket to sit on). You can also grab a takeaway or subways.

Once you are done basking in the sun or watching the world go by, you could also crack out a frisbee or a football and play Book 4 some outdoor games. a Room at a Luxurious

Hotel: Did you know, you can book a hotel room in your own city for as little as one night? If you are in need of an escape from your whole home life this could be the answer for you. Pack those bags and head to the hotel where you can: enjoy a swim in a hotel pool, order some room service, or grab a drink at the hotel bar and 5 relax. This is a great way to get the Board luxurious experience withGame Competition: out going far.

Board games are loved by many so why not throw yourself a games night? There are so many different board games you can choose from such as Ordinary, Scrabble, Monopoly, puzzles’, or cards. Or you can buy a new collection of the latest board games like Kemet, Agricola, The Game of Thrones, Small World, and many more. Hold a competition at home or online and invite your friends to play.

You can even give small gifts to the winners to enhance the interest and double the fun.

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Holidays are often key to having good me booking costly plane tickets, or hotel roo bigger or just out of funds? Well do not tion! We are sharing 10 amazing yet bu some of which are even free.

Words by Ifrah Aftab. Ifrah is from P writing is the most effective form of nature and everything around him. Illustra gram at @janessillustrationss

iendly Staycation Ideas

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ental and physical health. However, are you oms when you are saving up for something worry, I have the answer for you. A Staycaudget-friendly staycation ideas just for you,

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Learn a New Skill Online: Not sure what to do with your free time? Why not learn a new skill?

Learn any skill that you find interesting or simply improve on one you already have.

Who knows maybe it’ll end up becoming your side hustle. The best place to start is on the internet, which is full of free video’s & tutorials. Take some time out daily to work on the skill and before you know it you’ll be a pro.

Outdoor Games Day: This is perfect for if you have kids or if you are just a big kid at heart! You can spend time with your kids which you may have lost recently due to a hectic schedule. Take one day out of your holiday and name it “Outdoor Games Day”. Play of you, your family, and friends favourite games.

This is the perfect way to spend quality time together and create memories. There are so many outdoor games you can play such as 8 football, cricket, volleyball, frisbee and many more.

Treasure Hunt at

Home: Going on treasure hunt is so entertaining for kids and elders alike. You can make small gifts or buy packs of chocolates and candies as a prize. Hide them around 9 your house and make funny riddles Make and clues for finding them. You a New Exercise and your family will enjoy Routine: Our hectic routines this activity and have and busy lives have deprived us loads of fun. of any form of physical activity. Some of us sit in offices in front of a laptop for hours without realising the damage being caused. Why not use this time to start a new exercise routine? You can start with light 10 walks, and then move onto looking Cinema Night at for yoga or exercise tutorials Home: If you don’t feel like on the internet and follow going to the cinema, or you can’t along with them. But buy expensive cinema tickets-here is be careful not to the trick! You can create a cinema like injure yourfeeling at home on your balcony or in your self. backyard. You can borrow or buy a projector, connect your laptop, and watch your favorite movies or some Netflix. Make popcorn or your favorite snacks and sit back and relax. Games you can play such as Pakistan and a passionate writer. Ifrah believes football, cricket, volleyball, f communication. He loves to write about his life, frisbee and many more. ation by Jane Cabalceta, You can find Jane on Insta-

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An Aberdeenshire Staycation Funnily enough, I’ve had more free time than usual these days. Usually my year would be punctuated by fun trips travelling to new places but that’s not really possible right now, so what better time to be making the most of the places we have here on our doorstep? It can be so easy to become complacent about the place where you live but there’s probably a lot more beauty around you than you give it credit for.

At the moment I’m staying with my parents up in Peterhead which is a small fishing town on the most north easterly corner of Scotland. Over the last few months, having to make outdoor plans in order to hang out with people I’ve been exploring a lot of walking spots along the coast. Aberdeenshire has so many great places to visit, so I’m going to tell you about my favourite spots along the north coast of Aberdeenshire. Each of these spots are within at most an hour from one another so it could be a single day trip if you were coming from farther away and wanted to see them all.

Bow Fiddle Rock – between Portknockie and Cullen. I would recommend parking in Cullen then walking towards Portknockie over the top of the viaduct, then walking back over Cullen beach. Then when you get back you can treat yourself to an ice cream from the famous The Ice Cream Shop in Cullen.

Findlater Castle – between Cullen and Sandend There’s a car park that you can navigate to then it’s a short walk along the path until you can see it from above. There are a couple of paths down and it can be a bit steep, so I’d recommend you wear some decent shoes and be prepared to take your time going down.

The castle structure is partially visible and some of it has become one with the hill but there’s a couple of rooms you can get into and imagine yourself as Merida looking out over the sea.

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Pitfour Lake – near Mintlaw Just outside Mintlaw and across the road from Aden Country Park is the beautiful Pitfour Lake. It makes for a great wee walk as you can loop around the lake, seeing the swans, ducks and the boathouse as you go.

Talair Swimming Pool – in Macduff

At this spot there is an old abandoned outdoor swimming pool right next to the sea. You still can’t swim there but it’s quite cool to have a look at. The beach beside it is also pretty cool and I’m in love with this rock archway that makes for a great pic with friends. There’s also loads to enjoy in Macduff so that’s worth checking out while you’re there.

Slains Castle – near Cruden Bay. Just up from the Bullers of Buchan is the ruins of Slains Castle, widely considered to be the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula. I’d recommend using the car park just as you turn off the A975 because the path up to the castle is full of potholes and the walk up from there isn’t too long.

Again, take caution as you’re very close to the cliffs but it’s a great place to explore!

Bullers of Buchan – between Boddam and Cruden Bay I cannot believe I went 22 years of my life before actually going here, it is so cool. The Bullers is basically a walking path that follows along the cliff edge between Boddam and Curden Bay, you could get there from any point along the way but there is a car park near the middle that starts you off in a great spot. Be sure to take care and stick to the paths as you are obviously close to the cliff’s edge and I wouldn’t go if it was wet or super windy. It is a great spot to watch the sunrise. You can also see puffins here during the summer season (roughly April - July) if seabirds are your jam, but the seagulls are there year-round!

If you decide to head out on any of these adventures, I hope you have a great time, breathe in the sea air, be safe and enjoy the beauty of this wee corner of Scotland. I have my fingers crossed that the elusive Scottish sun shines for you.

Words by Katie Daniel. Katie keeps herself busy with as many creative projects as possible. Her main role is working in marketing for theatre and dance but she also writes, runs her own blog, practises photography, works on a podcast and loves to cook new things! You can check out more of her writing on her blog by clicking here.

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SLAYCATION

One of my favorite things to do when travelling is watch the sunset. I feel like wherever you are in the world the sunset is the one constant that you can always look forward to yet they are always so different and beautiful everytime. But, as the theme for this look is staycations I had to add something to represent the UK- hence the rain!

Piece by Naomi Howell, Naomi occupies most of her spare time creating content for her social media platforms, which you can follow here. She manages the makeup department at a popular alternative clothing store in London as well as doing freelance work in the education sector. On top of this Naomi loves to dance, sing, cook and co-hosts not 1 but 2 podcasts which you can listen to here or here!

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This look was inspired by my own staycation experience. Sunny spring days spent in grassy meadows with patches of flowers having picnics and making flower chains. Walking through the sand dunes as tall as my house towards the large sparkling lake that my island sits on. Laying in the sand watching the sunset play across the puffy clouds while the stars slowly poke holes in the sky. My staycation is always at my family’s camp where the beauty of the Canadian wilderness remains an untouched wonder of my world.

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SUNny DisposIt

tion Piece by Alexa Gordon, Lex Gordon is an aries and also a Canadian university student. She grew up near the city but on a farm. This means that her personality is a wonderful mix of pretentious city slicker and down to earth farm girl. The best description she has ever heard for who she is was from Dolly Parton, a Backwoods Barbie.

She is obsessed with the art of makeup as it provides a new and fun medium to create and tell stories with. You can find more of her work on her Instagram (@commish_gordo)

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Poetry Corner Staycation

Let’s stay cl ose by, but drift a li ttle before our bo nes are old and brittle.

A new space to fill with our time, to fill with our laughter, an d sweet, sim ple rhymes.

Your presen ce alone ma kes my spir soar; how co it uld I ever w a n t for anythin more? g

Words by Noelle Darilek, Noelle is a graduate of the University of Texas where she studied Journalism. She’s loved creating and telling stories from a very young age and has two published poetry collections. She enjoys reading, writing, and traveling the world in her free time. Check out her Instagram for more (@noellewritespoetry).

f Walk O

Words by Pooja Sharma. Pooja is from India and discovered she could write two and a half years ago, and her passion for writing has only increased since that time. She is a spiritual and musical person who is learning to take life happenings in her stride and stay happy because that’s what matters. You can find more of her work on Instagram.

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Life

times rk, dingy imes. a d e Th pr s to the u d a e l Will ads The ro one, eaded al r t e r e ew her. that onc led toget g n i e b a world are now n i g n i v i were l ver.

For we pelt fore s y l e r a am, That r as a dre w y t i l t.

Equa s distan a w y n ma that for But look to brought n e e b e e’v What w stant. in an in

Frances Ha I’ve had trips like that – when before I’ve dreamt of

silent cathedrals

mountains holding clarity an oasis, balconies

somewhere safe – forgetting I’m there

for the weekend

exhausted sleep feels so

good even with the Eiffel

Tower outside.

Words by Thomas Stewart, Thomas Stewart is a welsh writer based in Edinburgh, empire of dirt, his debut poetry pamphlet, was published by Red Squirrel Press in 2019. His work has been featured at Best Scottish Poems 2019, We’ve Done Nothing Wrong, We’ve Nothing To Hide (Verve Poetry Press, 2020), The Amsterdam Quarterly, fourteen poems, The Glasgow Review of Books, among others. You can find Thomas on Twitter and Instagram or on his own website!

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INTERview with aN AUthor

Every month we are going to highlight an author who we, as a team, particularly enjoy and think our readers will enjoy too. So the first ever author we are highlighting is Euan McBride. He is an Edinburgh born and bred author and creative writer. His work includes satirical columns and screenwriting, as well as his published fiction writing. His first novella with Lothian-based independent publishing house, Malki Press, is ‘A Girl in a Pool’ - a harrowingly hopeful story about siblings during the end of times. the most sincere and direct So first of all, how did you first get into writing, holding onto learned prejudice where I can. In that and find your love for it? regard, when considering my writing, I do try and interact with concepts of contemporary masculiniI was an absolutely appalling student in school and ty, in all its ego and fragility. I feel that’s the most the only subject I really responded to was English, sincere and direct way I can address my personal specifically, any opportunity to do a wee bit creative issues with contemporary life from my own learned writing. After a spectacular departure from school to experience. focus on an illustrious career in McDonalds I found I always had a compulsion to continue writing, all of it This month’s issue is all about Staycations, what shockingly bad, but over the years of tinkering away is your favourite thing to do on a staycation?

I found I was slowly developing my own voice, and afer moving to Glasgow for a few years I found myself I recently moved to the Scottish borders so am thorcontributing regularly to a literary journal and started oughly enjoying exploring the area in my downto take my own writing a little more seriously rather time. The Tweed valley is beautiful and there’s a lot than viewing it just as a hobby. to explore on walks. That’s the afternoons, in the evenings I love to pour a glass of wine and spend ‘A Girl in a Pool’, whilst apocalyptic, has themes a lot of time cooking. I recently worked in a kitchen that aren’t dissimilar to staycations in pandemic so I really like to take all I learned there home with lockdown. What inspired the story setting for ‘A me. Also, my girlfriend has really got me into some Girl in a Pool’? reality TV of late so I’m gradually becoming a bit of a couch potato, and doing my best to control my I’d say the central theme to the book is isolation. growing crush on Fred Sirieix.

That kind of emotional wasteland where through a bit of personal loss, whether it be a particularly po- Where has your best holiday to date been? tent break-up, or a bereavement or the like, you can find yourself feeling entirely alone. I felt an apoca- I spent a winter renovating a house in Bavaria in the lyptic setting expressed that in quite a literal sense, South of Germany a few years ago, and when I say everything is gone, the familiar and those you love, winter, I mean WINTER! It was very much an idyllic and how do you find your way back from that when Christmas card come to life. Wooden cabins, thick looking at a world you don’t recognise? It sounds very snow, dense forests, chopping wood and drinking a bleak, but I tried to inject a bit of hope into the book lot of amazing Bavarian beer. Ich leibst Bavaria. too! I wouldn’t recommend a staycation in an entirely dystopic end of the world scenario.

What’s next for you and your work?

Writing is a powerful tool to continue sharing important messages, With so much going on in 2020 but really all the time in the world, is there anything going on right now that you are particularly keen to continue the voice on?

This year has been rather spectacular in regard to unveiling some serious political and social issues, and it’s becoming very apparent that cracks are beginning to show in the societal structures that have been the foundation of inequity in contemporary life. I’m a white, straight, cis-gendered man so I have the benefit of traversing the world with a fully stamped card in privilege bingo, so don’t want to stand on the soapbox I’m afforded by such and cite all the issues I have personally with racial, sexual and gendered prejudice.

I can only continue to advocate for social change and throw what weight I have behind the movements, and challenge other white, straight, cis-gendered men

I’m currently working on my first novel which I hope to have a draft finished by the end of the year. It seems to be going well so far! Though it is the longest form of writing I have attempted so far so I’m potentially losing a bit of objectivity, it may be nonsense, time will tell.

Where can our readers find you and your work?

My novella ‘A Girl in a Pool’ and my short story collection ‘Detritus & Brux’ are both published by Malki Press, a small independent publishing house from Edinburgh. They can be purchased from their website at www.malkipress.weebly.com , or, I tend to always have spare copies and have a tendency to just give them away so if you ever bump into me just ask and I’ll gladly give you one (don’t tell my publisher).

Interwiew by Manon Marrum-Sauvageot, Find her on Instagram.

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The

Gallery FT Photography by Bill Young

Each month we will be displaying the work on a visual artist. It could be a photographer, Illustrator or painter but the most important factor is that they are creating something we think should be shared! For this first issue we are displaying the work of Photographer Bill Young.

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Basically I am an Instagrammer not a pro photographer and like to capture a whole array of different subjects that I find interesting.

I decided to take my toy robot Gilbert, who comes from Copenhagen incidentally, to famous landmarks in Scotland during lockdown. This was his first outing to North Queensferry to view the bridges from a different perspective just to make it more interesting, instead of the South Queensferry angle. I am happy to have anything to extract us from the news and total negativity in the world at this moment in time so for me the adventures of Gilbert is a breath of fresh air.

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Words and Photography by Bill Young. Bill is a competitive cyclist, art lover and enjoys taking the odd photo or two. You can find Bill and more of his work on Instagram.

 

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SHORT STORY

ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE LIVED A GIRL WHO WANTED TO DIE

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TRIGGER WARNING

This piece contains references to suicide and depression which some readers may wish to avoid.

The girl tells her mother she’s going to the cabin to work on her novel, she tells her friends she’s going to clear her head, but the girl is really going because she knows what happens in cabins. Cabins in the woods, at night, when it rains. Cabins alone, no-one around for miles, just sounds in the woods.

She knows people die in the cabins, people are butchered. And that’s precisely why she goes.

She goes in January, when she has suffered through the winter blues. The snow has mainly turned to slush and her car grinds up the path. The sun is falling. She looks up at the cabin through the wind-screen and rubs her hands together. She nestles in her long, baggy scarf and coat, her brown hair curling over her ears. She gets out of the car and lugs her bag from the passenger seat. Walking to the cabin she remembers the summers she spent there as a child. Good times, she thinks, well, maybe. She goes inside.

The cabin is wooden. A staircase climbs up to another level, shielded only by a plank of wood – she remembers how she used to sneak out of her downstairs bedroom to get some water and would hear her parents having sex – the bed rattling, the soft moans. She looks up at her parent’s room with no emotion. She looks down – three doors around her – her bedroom, bathroom and back door. She moves over to her bedroom and throws her bag inside, pulling out a few objects. She hasn’t brought any clothes; she knows there’s no need. All that is laid on the bed is her journal – the ninth and final volume, a bottle of gin, her iPod with its docking station – music is needed – a battered copy of Alice in Wonderland, a golden necklace that her father bought her for her eighteenth birthday and her purse.

She spreads the objects on the bed and peers one more time into the bag to see a few towels and toiletries – just in case she wants a shower. Then she moves into the living room, ponders over the sofa and, with the gin in her hand, plants it on the table in the kitchen. It’s nearly seven. She pours herself a drink. She walks over to the window and looks out – it’s dark now. The lake and trees are disgustingly beautiful but sinister and that’s what she likes, or more what she needs.

She sips the gin, and moves away from the window.

It’s nearly eight and she’s thinking about Dylan. He’s seeing someone. Happy. Gone.

She doesn’t want him back. Looking at his photo in her journal doesn’t make her heart ache it reminds her of all the time she wasted, it fills her with anger. She’s angry because she wasted her time opening herself up to a man who would fall in love with somebody else. She’s angry because she foolishly believed that he was ‘the one’, her Romeo – that all the pain was for something because they were truly in love, they had the kind of love that people dreamed of having. And she’s angry because she became that girl – the girl that couldn’t get out of bed in the morning, the girl that felt sick when she saw him or heard his name, she was that girl. She sips the gin and closes the journal.

Save it for another day, she thinks. Just not my other day.

She pulls out the Ouija board from the cupboard in the cellar. As she climbs through the darkness, she throws the board on the coffee table and drinks her gin. She remembers being a girl and messing around with the board, alone, at night. But nothing worked because she didn’t have time to fully use it. Her mother had yelled, snatched it from her, sent her to bed. Now, she’s ready to raise some demons.

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She puts her finger on the pointer and waits for it to move. She thinks about the demons that could possess her – make her back break, her fingers crack. She thinks about the demons that will bewitch her, break apart everything she thought was reality. Suddenly, the pointer moves, edging between an N and an O. Her heart pounds but nothing happens, not for the whole night. She thinks that maybe she wanted it to happen so bad that it was her that pushed it.

No demons come.

No Devil.

Just her.

She thinks about Alice. Alice had it right. She wonders where her Wonderland is. She knows her parents – the well-to-do literature professors – named her Alice because of their love of the book, it was a choice between that, Daisy and April. They chose right, she thinks.

She wishes, in a naive way, that she had a Wonderland to visit. She knows it’s a cliché – the tragic girl wanting to run away – but she needs that thought, if it weren’t for that thought she truly wouldn’t get out of bed in the morning.

She thinks of the last conversation she had with Dylan. Sitting in the bar, his girl waiting at home, dressed in his stupid suit. She sat on the other side of the table, looking at him.

You’re not mine anymore, she thought. You’re no longer the man I loved but I can’t stop loving you. He was busy on his phone, he always looked busy, too busy for her. He never loved books. We didn’t have much in common, she thought, so why do I love you?

After seven gins she let it out. “I don’t know why we didn’t work, Dylan. I do blame myself, but I don’t think I should. You’re the one who fell in love with someone else, not me. But you told me that I wasn’t who I was when we were together. Not my Alice, you said. I hate that I gave myself to you – all of myself – and now I feel...broken.” And in that moment, she knew she should leave. “Can’t go, can’t stay, no damn use to anyone,” she said.

She left, and two weeks later she ended up at the cabin.

She walks through the woods, at night, expecting noise. She only hears her own footsteps. At first anyway. She walks past shadows and gloomy lit bushes. She ventures over mud-paths and cobbled lanes, littered with leaves. She looks around, only her phone for protection, hoping to see a figure – or not, maybe it would climb up behind her. She sees nothing. She thinks about girls in the woods – running, scared, broken bra straps, unknown blood on their face, falling over flat ground, the man chasing them. Where’s my man with a machete? she thinks. Where’s my coven?

She walks for an hour, thinking about Dylan and demons and death. But none come.

She goes back to the cabin.

She pours herself another gin and hears the wind outside, rattling the door. Tap that chamber door, she thinks. She starts to pace around, thinking maybe she should write but then she hears a knock, a loud dunk dunk dunk. She goes forward, excitement and adrenaline wrapped in one, she considers saying “who’s there?” but doesn’t, instead she walks forward, gently, and opens the door.

Nobody is outside.

She closes it and her heart pants with excitement.

This is it, she thinks.

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She looks around at the windows, tries to see someone skulking in the shadows, a man with an axe, a ghost woman, but she sees nothing. She sits in the middle of the room, vulnerable, for an hour but there is no knock at the door, no other noises, just the sound of her own breath.

She staggers from the living room to the bathroom and looks at herself in the mirror.

She sees her pale face and thinks about hacking it with a piece of glass like that film she watched a few months ago. She thinks that maybe it would be easy if she did drive the shard of glass into her heart or slash her throat or do anything to die, maybe the dream of it happening was foolish, she thinks. She looks through drunken eyes and sees herself – fragile, a fly with broken wings – and doesn’t know what to do. The sun is coming, the night is almost over.

And, when the first strands of sunlight come through the window she walks around the cabin and stands outside. It’s cold. Snow still curls up near her car. She stands on the patio, blinking into the morning and walks near the trees. She looks at them, doesn’t go inside, unsure if she will die the way she expected.

And then, she sucks in some air and screams. She falls to her knees and drops her head down by her chest. Tears come from drunken eyes. Lip trembles like a leaf. Then she looks up to the sun. “Please,” she whispers, “please make the feeling go away.”

Words by Thomas Stewart, Thomas Stewart is a welsh writer based in Edinburgh, empire of dirt, his debut poetry pamphlet, was published by Red Squirrel Press in 2019. His work has been featured at Best Scottish Poems 2019, We’ve Done Nothing Wrong, We’ve Nothing To Hide (Verve Poetry Press, 2020), The Amsterdam Quarterly, fourteen poems, The Glasgow Review of Books, among others. You can find Thomas on Twitter and Instagram or on his own website!

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Interview With a Musician: CAmeron AErts

Every month we are going to highlight one musician who we as a team particularly enjoy listening to and think our readers will enjoy too. So the first ever musician we are highlighting is Canadian singer-songwriter extraordinaire.

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How did you first get into music?

When I was very young, four or five, I was all about a great Canadian band called Great Big Sea. That got me interested in music, but it wasn’t until I was ten that I decided I should get an electric guitar and start taking lessons. I was very into Rush at that point (like all ten-year olds, I’m sure), so that catalyzed the finally getting lessons! For a few years, I stuck to just learning guitar, bass, and drums. I would learn the parts of different songs that I liked every week.

By the time I was thirteen, my teacher was becoming very insistent that I start singing, but I was very hesitant…singing seemed like it was “uncool” for a thirteen-year-old dude, imagine that. But one day, before we got in the car to head to lessons, I basically said to my older brother (who was also taking lessons and was nervous to sing), “I’ll sing if you sing”. And so, I started to learn to sing, singing lots of folk-rock songs by bands I liked. Then a few years after that, my teacher thought he would try to push me a little further. He insisted that I start writing my own songs…but that seemed “uncool” too! What cool sixteen-year olds spend their evenings writing poetry?! Eventually I caved, and realized that if I really want to be a musician, I need to write my own songs.

What inspired your song ‘And All the People Said’?

I wrote and recorded this song back in the spring [of 2020]. Early in the spring, most of my writing had been rather subdued singer-songwriter-style songs.

And there’s nothing wrong with that, but I typically like to have a good amount of upbeat songs in the mix. So, when I sat down to write this song, I was consciously trying to write an upbeat folk-rock song. The first part of the song that came to me was the title phrase at the end of the chorus, “And All the People Said, ‘Eh, I just wanna rock n’ roll’”. I was playing with the phrase, “And all the people said Amen”. This is definitely not an anti-religion song in any sense, but I thought (with my terribly dry sense of humour) wouldn’t it be funny if it sounded like I was going to sing “amen”, but actually sing, “Eh…I just wanna rock n’ roll”. And that set the tone for the rest of the song; it wasn’t about something specific, but it was all about conveying that attitude of ‘I just wanna rock n’ roll’. So, I wanted the verse lyrics to display a certain about of swagger, in lyrics like, “I’ll take a moment for the fascination, then let me simplify / If the devil’s gonna try to take me down I’ll bring the devil down with me / ‘Cause I’m fool that’s free to fly,” and the tongue in cheek word play of, “It’s a good thing looks can’t kill, ‘cause I’m dying to get just one good look at you”. Then, of course, I wanted the music to allow that swagger to come through. I had a lot of fun recording the different guitar and harmony tracks on this one.

Is there anything going on right now that you are particularly keen to continue the voice on? (eg.

Sustainability, music artist rights, equal education etc) I am definitely one to advocate for the rights and compensation of musicians. The development of streaming platforms has been great for the consumer, but not so great for the artist. Musicians receive such a small amount of money compared to what they used to just from people listening to and buying their music. This has created a very top-heavy industry. It is becoming harder and harder to be a successful, young musician with a small to medium sized fanbase…in ways it never has before. Music streaming is great, but I think that we need to find a better way to compensate musicians, or this industry won’t be sustainable long-term.

‘And All the People Said’ is a song so perfect for a road trip, what are you go to listens when on a road trip?

I have a huge playlist of well over 100 hours of my favourite songs that I’ll put on shuffle in the car. The beautiful thing about it is its diversity: I can happily go from listening to Bruce Springsteen to Barenaked Ladies to Arkells to Stevie Wonder to Rush to Joni Mitchell to Walk Off the Earth, all in a half hour. This summer I also found myself listening to a lot of live albums (maybe because concerts couldn’t be happening). It can be great to liven up a road trip by listening through an entire live album!

This month’s issue is all about Staycations, what is your favourite thing to do on a staycation?

I really enjoy a nice hike through conservation areas or provincial parks, then maybe a good game of cards.

Where has your best staycation to date been?

I have done some nice camping up in the Tobermory area of Ontario in recent years which is always great, that’s a beautiful part of Canada. And growing up on a farm, I enjoy a good visit to the smaller towns of Ontario for a meal and a walk about; towns like Kingston, Goderich, or Ailsa Craig.

Where can our readers find you and your work?

You can find me on Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music, Google Play, Amazon…the whole deal. I release a new song, typically, every few weeks. Then I’m also on Instagram (@cameronaerts) and Twitter (@CamAerts), that’s where you can stay up to date on what I get up to with music.

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PLAYLIST And All The People Said- Cameron Aerts

Getaway- Saint Motel

Go All The Way- Raspberries

Runaway Girl- Kakkmaddafakka

A La Plage- Juniore

Broken Coastline- Down Like Silver

Man on the Moon- Zella Day

Backyard Boy- Claire Rosinkranz

Blues Run The Game- Jackson C. Frank

Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride- Mark Keali’i Ho’omalu + Kamehameha Schools Children’s Choir

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Sustainable Art: Belle Terrae You can find Belle Terrae’s work on Instagram and also dm them for custom orders!

I started Belle Terrae (quite truthfully) so that I could have an excuse to keep making upcycled things when I had run out of room to keep them all in my house! I quickly realised that there might be more to the business when people started giving me such encouraging feedback after receiving their orders.

The name Belle Terrae means beauty (French) of the earth (latin) – it was super important to me to have a name that reflects how important sustainability is to my business as everything I make is upcycled. One theme that always seems to crop up in my work is bright, bold colour. If you’d asked me my favourite colour as a child, it was always rainbow (Hands down) – something that hasn’t changed as I’ve gotten older! I’d like to think that people buy my work to have a little piece of something tropical and fun to add to their homes, especially now we’re all spending more time in them – like a little tropical retreat from the comfort of your sofa! The most important thing for me though is making sure that my work makes people happy and as long as it does then that’s enough for me.

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Staycations: The New 2020 could be described as the year of many things, but for anyone interested in travelling, it has become known as the year of Staycations. But are Staycations elitist?

Now, you may wonder if this is a large conclusion to jump to. And perhaps you are correct. Afterall, Staycations may be the reason that hundreds of travel companies in Scotland and the wider UK are currently surviving. However, in a time when we’re facing potentially the worst recession in history and sky-high unemployment rates, the question has to be asked – who can actually afford a Staycation in the UK? There was once a time when ‘staycations’ were just vacations – or holidays if you’re not American. Before the likes of Spain or Greece became go-to holiday destinations, people would flock to caravan parks or beach side towns such as Blackpool for their summer holidays. And the simple reason for that is because they were cheap.

However, nowadays, most seaside towns are dead (partly due to the lack of tourism) and the new ‘staycations’ are marketed as luxury glamping pods or remote bouji cottages on Airbnb.

Now you may be wondering why a 23-year-old is busying themselves talking about the ‘good old days’ of holidaying down the beach park, as if this type of holiday destination is a place I frequent. It’s not.

Whilst all my family holidays as a young kid involved camping in the UK, by the time I’d reached 10 years old we had moved on to Euro-camps in France and now, as an adult, I have travelled all over Europe and visited other places in South East Asia and America – but not once have I booked a holiday in the UK. In fact, booking a holiday in the UK is not even a thought that had entered my mind until recently.

However, given the uncertainty of 2020 and the constantly evolving lockdown and quarantine restrictions, I decided to explore the current Staycation hype. Unfortunately, I soon discovered it’s not a holiday that’s in mine, or a lot of people’s price bracket.

Take a 5-day holiday my partner and myself took to Prague a few years ago. Our plane tickets were

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w Rich Man’s Holiday roughly £50 each return and our very central Airbnb cost just under £150. Meaning we paid roughly £125 each for a 5-day holiday. Compare that to an Airbnb of a similar size, with the same amenities, in the Scottish Highlands for 5 days - it would cost just over £500.

That’s double the price and I haven’t even factored in the cost of travel yet.

And it seems that this is not just a one off as a study by On the Beach in 2019 found that a European beach holiday is up to 66% cheaper than a staycation in the UK. Of course, this is in no way to criticise the Airbnb I’ve listed, or any other travel company within the UK. There are many reasons why it’s not completely fair to directly compare Airbnb’s in Prague to Airbnb’s in Scotland, especially given the difference in the cost of living in the two countries.

However, in amongst the Staycation ‘craze’ and the government and media’s push to ‘help out’ local businesses, the ramifications of those price differences in terms of who can afford to book these types of holidays, should be acknowledged.

Of course, there are also many benefits to Staycations such as the boost to local and national economies and the unquestionable environmental advantages. So, this article is in no way arguing that people should boycott Staycations. Please, if you can afford to, book the luxury treehouse cabin in the woods. Treat yourself!

At the end of the day, the conversation of holiday price tags is not a new one. Unquestionably, a holiday of any kind is a massive luxury that only those with a certain level of privilege can afford. Nevertheless, if the current price tags remain, UK staycations will continue to belong only to those with big enough wallets to afford them.

Photo Credit: Annie Spratt Words by Robyn Hannah, she is a content and copywriter from the West Coast of Scotland. An avid traveller and a massive foodie, find her on Hoping for Hammocks and @_robynhannah

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Small Business Spotlight: Leigh Elizabeth Studio For This month’s issue our head editor, Kirsty, was lucky enough to interview the wonderfully creative and talented Leigh Elizabeth of Leigh Elizabeth Studios.

KT- So we’ll start off with quite a simple question.

I’m sure you’ve been asked this question many times. What made you decide to start Leigh Elizabeth Studios? Where did the idea come from?

LE- So I started just after I finished uni, about two years ago, and so I’d gone down to London to do New Designers. So it is where all graduates from that year going into their final degree shows, and I had this bag on display. That loads of people wanted to buy and they kept asking me the price and everything, and I had no idea. So, that kind of started the idea that I could make something out of it, as in start a business. I’d been working freelance throughout uni for a fast fashion print company, and I had planned to start doing that full time after I graduated. However, I was getting a little bit kind of fed up with turning out fast fashion prints, all the time, so just kind of wanted something I could throw myself into creatively. So I just sort of started my website. And then here we are.

KT- I love that. So, we at Continue the Voice love how eco conscious your company is that something that’s super important to us. So through using natural recycled materials, and only making your products when ordered are some of the things that you do to be eco conscious, which is amazing. And I definitely think a lot of other companies could take a leaf out of your book.

Why is this something that’s important to you why it’s important that you’re eco conscious in your business?

LE- I think working in fashion makes me a lot more aware of the problems that are going on.

And I think just seeing how quickly High Street brands turnover new collections, and they’re just throwing new stuff out there constantly. I think it’s just so wasteful. And I think as a small brand, I’m able to keep a cap on it and just be able to be sustainable. And I think if people know, the origins of where everything comes from, and 36

they know it’s made to order just for them. It’s a lot more special that they’ll want to hold on to, and it’s even something that they might want to save up for. It’s something they’re going to love and not want to throw away.

KT- That’s amazing. Where are some of your favuorite eco conscious places that you like to shop?

LE- I don’t know, I just love to find new ones on Instagram all the time. I think that’s a really good place to find new brands and it’s fairly easy to find out what they’re all about. So I think if they’ve got sustainability behind them, that definitely makes me want to shop with them. I think one of my favorite places to get clothes is Megan Crosby. She is based on Instagram, and makes everything to order. Some amazing stuff.

And the brand called House of Sunny as well, I really like them. Then I think I just kind of like supporting smaller creatives anyway, because the way that they work is going to be more sustainable. So definitely try and shop that way over the high street where I can, because it’s nice as well.

KT- Nice, Perfect. So I guess leading on from that question, outside of your work. Do you have any other eco conscious routines or habits that you try and implement into your daily life? Not necessarily your daily life? Maybe something that you do more annually? Maybe there’s a way that you do Christmas presents that is more sustainable? Even if there is even a tip you could give for people that are trying to be more sustainable?

LE- I try my best, I know it’s hard, but I think I just try and recycle where I can and I will take a reusable bag when I go shopping. Even using Lidl’s reusable produce bags. Coffee cups if I’m getting a takeaway coffee I’ll try and take my own, I know that’s not as easy just now or just

os try and go somewhere where they use biodegradable packaging. I’m trying to be more mindful of that. I think for Christmas last year, I probably did a bit of half and half like okay, I did a bit of shopping on the high street and then some smaller, independent boutiques.

But I think this year, I’m just going to try and do fully independent, because I know how important it is.

KT- I love that plan! So as a local small business, who also works with other small businesses. What would you say are the advantages of shopping small and locally versus shopping with bigger brands/on the high street?

LE- I think, like I said before, with shopping at small businesses, you know where things have come from. And I think that’s really important. A lot of people have full transparency as a small business, which you don’t get on the high street, you don’t know where their materials come from originally. And I think, yeah, you do know more so with small businesses, and I think they work with other small businesses, to get their materials and things.

So I think it’s just supporting loads of people in lots of different ways. And I think as well, the packaging can be so nice and little, such as handwritten notes etc. I just think that’s a really nice touch, which you’re not gonna get anywhere else. And it’s just more personal.

KT- Yeah, nice. I think, yeah, that’s a good way to describe it. It’s definitely more of a personal experience and more unique as well. So what are some of your top I know, you mentioned a couple of businesses earlier, but do you have any other small businesses that you can always go back to and you find that you’d like to let our readers know about? Are there any kind key ones?

LE- God, there’s just so many. Miss Vivian, she creates made to order lingerie and everything like that. I think it’s just amazing what she does. Also, there is a made to order 37

clothing brand called Grey Milk. They’re quite new, who I love too. I think there’s just so many I think there’s more and more coming up all the time. Especially with Instagram, there are just new shops all the time but it is really nice to find new places to shop.

KT- Yeah, no, that’s sweet. And it’s nice, because then you can find new niches if you like, if you’re looking for something quite specific. So, what advice would you give to somebody who is trying to make that transition from shopping on the high street to shopping locally? Most of us don’t tend to begin our life shopping locally, it’s something that we’ve had to adjust to, I’d say in the more recent decade or so. Is there any kind of top tips or a piece of advice you’d give them?

Or where to start?

LE- I think starting slowly is good. At least, like if you’re doing something that’s a step in the right direction, I think I mean, sometimes there’s still something from h&m or Zara that I really really like, and I can’t find anywhere else. So, if I really really like it, and I know I’m going to wear it a lot I will probably still buy it. Or I would try and get it second hand first. But I think even just making conscious choices, if you could get something similar locally. Could you make that choice instead? Or even if it is just a couple of things from independent businesses. I think just small steps in the right direction are really good, and even just looking into the backgrounds of high street brands and see if it is still something you want to put your money to. Yeah, just little steps will make a big difference for sure.

KT- Nice perfect. What is your favorite piece that you’ve made to date for Leigh Elizabeth 38

Studios? (If you had to pick one) Have you got a piece that you really just love making? A hard question I know.

LE- I know. I love my Gigha bag in coral. That is the one on my website which has the scalloped edges, and the gold fleck handles. I just love that one so much. I’ve kept that sample for myself.

KT- I love it, yeah they are absolutely stunning.

Definitely saving up for one myself. So our theme for this month’s issue. So every issue we have a different theme, an overarching theme. And our theme for this month is staycation.

So do you like having a staycation? Is that some-

thing you enjoy doing from time to time? Or are you more of a travel the world or do you like a good balance?

LE- Definitely a bit of both. I used to just want to travel everywhere else until maybe a few years ago. We did the North Coast 500 last year. It’d be just over a year ago now, and I just thought it was sensational. So, we’ve definitely tried to do more staycations because it’s just amazing places you don’t even know exist in your own country. There’s beaches that you couldn’t even get if you go abroad.

And it can be so cool, I think the Cairngorms as well, is one of my favorite places to go.

Just for a little weekend away, definitely one of my favorites.

KT- I guess as well for you it might be a good way or for others, it might be a good way to try and find new business, small businesses too, because I suppose if somewhere is maybe not up to the trends of being on Instagram and stuff and just like a little local boutique or something like that. That’s a good way to shop locally, but still have a little bit of a more holiday experience, but it’s still local per se.

Nice, perfect. So you said that Cairngorms is one of your favorite places to travel. Would you say that is your favourite staycation or was somewhere else your no 1 spot?

LE-I think, so far the Cairngorms. There’s so many more places I want to go and see so I made a little Pinterest board with everywhere I want to go but I definitely want to see more of the islands as well (when we can). That would be something amazing.

KT- Where is your next place that you’d like to staycation to what’s top of your list where the next when possible obviously, what’s the top of your list at the moment, do you know?

LE- Oh, I don’t know there’s so many I would love to go and do the North Coast 500 again. Maybe spend more time doing it because last time we did it, we probably only had three or four days so I think it would be nice to have longer.

You can find Leigh’s work on her website, or on her Instagram (@leighelizabethstudio)

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Sustainable Fashion: Shop Local, Shop Second-H Fashion and Textiles have now become the third most polluting industry in the world. The effect our constant fashion consumption has on the planet is something that many have only become aware of in the last few years. The water wasted in the production of most fabrics is incredibly huge. The British clothing and textiles sector alone creates a staggering 70 million tonnes of water waste per annum. Not to mention the wastage of the finished products, sold or unsold. It is estimated that 85% of all textiles go to the dump each year, many of these in perfect condition. Sustainability is perhaps the defining theme of this century and it presents broad issues to the fashion industry, which is under more and more pressure to become more eco-friendly.

Consumption and fashion dominate the modern psyche and are a central component of almost all daily events, particularly in terms of our social and cultural decisions. This gives such importance to our clothes but with little regard to the devastation this fashion addiction has on the natural environment. The public have become disassociated with the making and production of garments, a recent global campaign by Fashion Revolution is called ‘Who Made my Clothes?”

This movement is a call for a more transparent and fairer fashion industry precipitated by the devastating collapse of the Rana Plaza building in 2013. Knowing where our clothes come from can also create more ethical fashion, giving those who make the products a fair wage and safe working environments. However, huge companies simply cannot be sustainable due to their business models being too large, this is where greenwashing (the use of language to make the brand or company sound a lot more sustainable or environmentally-friendly than they actually are) can become an issue. Shopping local and from smaller designers is a great way to be more ethical and sustainable.

Shopping second-hand is part of the much-needed solution to the over-consumption issues our society and environment faces today. There are over 11,000 charity shops in the UK alone and this is continuing to grow, this is great news for the environment, our wallets, and wardrobes as well as those in need. This also gives almost everyone the opportunity to shop local – an-

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other key factor in fashion sustainability. Online second-hand clothing sites are taking the fashion scene by storm. Thrift+, Re-Fashion and Depop are examples of these sites which are becoming hugely popular. It is estimated that if everyone in the world bought just a single used piece of clothing, rather than something new, it would reduce carbon emissions by the same amount that taking half a million cars off the road would in a year. So, while we are staycationing in these uncertain times, shop local too and help save the planet in even more ways. There is no denying the fact that Coronavirus, and the change in our behaviours that comes with it, has helped lower pollution across the world. When society returns to some ‘normality’, there are some aspects that we should not revert back to as there is definitely no need to travel, buy and waste as much as we did before.

It can be claimed that fashion is the very opposite of the prolonged existence that products require to be deemed as sustainable. But by reusing, swapping, or repurposing items it gives them a new lease of life and prevents as much ending up in a landfill. I have adopted a zero-waste ethos in my sustainable textiles practice. After exploring ethical biomaterials in my Textile design degree, I have moved on to produce a collection of products using recycled fabrics. I cut up and repurpose a range of garments and textiles such as t-shirts, trousers, and duvets to make the backs and linings of bags and pouches using my original printed designs for the fronts. I make reusable, sustainable facemasks too, like so many have during the pandemic. All my pieces are unique and are different sizes so to make the most of the fabrics, any off-cuts that are not usable (too small or have bad marking), I recycle to make pillow stuffing so as to create no wastage at all. Anyone can be creative and sustainable, especially now as most seem to have more time on their hands and are encouraged not to travel far. There is so much you could do to fall back in love with your clothes or turn them into something wonderfully new. There are online tutorials for almost everything these days and plenty of inspiration from so many sustainable creatives. So please, shop local, shop second-hand or make your own and help protect the environment this autumn.

Hand or Make Your Own Piece by Emily Hopkins, she is a sustainable textiles designer. She recently graduated with a first-class honour in Textile Design where she specialised in ethical biomaterials. She also did extensive research into sustainability within the textiles industry, discovering how harmful the sector is to the environment. She plans to be as eco-friendly as she can in her work as well as her way of living. She has continued to create this year, designing, and making on a small scale with natural materials. Some of her work and products can be seen on my Etsy (EmilyMayDesigner) and Instagram (Emily.May.Designs). Images from ‘Fashion Insider Co’.

Some ideas of what to do with old clothes from around the web:

1

2

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Int

Embroidery is a wonderful way to upc with Jordan Graber, the creative mind

How did you get into embroidery?

I’ve always enjoyed trying new skills, s was something that I started one d I grabbed some embroidery floss an internet. It was sloppy in the beginnin better.

Other than embroidery, what are so necessary change?

Sustainable living is something that ta more and more to work towards. Thi amount of packaged products purcha stores /restores and trying to purchas products. I think the main thing is just purchase and how I go about disposin

What is your I think the w favourite piec to make old purchasing ne

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terview: Jordan Graber

cycle your clothes so our head editor (Kirsty) sat down d of Oh Sew What? To learn more about Oh Sew What?

specifically ones that involved creative arts. Embroidery day when I decided my backpack needed an uplift. nd copied some floral designs that I liked off of the ng, but with practice (and a lot of online tutorials) I got

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akes a lot of time, and is something that I’ve been trying ings like buying from local businesses, minimizing the ased, cutting out fast fashion and purchasing from thrift se more environmentally friendly cleaning or bathroom t trying to be more mindful of where I shop, the items I ng of the products I use.

r favourite embroidery you have done to date? work I did on my backpack is probably one of my ces. It was the thing that really got me into finding ways things exciting again, rather than going out and ew.

e would you give to someone who wants to start g and up-cycling their own clothes? sy to be discouraged when something doesn’t turn out d like it to. I think the fun thing about up-cycling is that ngs completely your own, mistakes and all. But if you’re advice would be to grab an old shirt, or some piece of you can practice on. Don’t give up on it, with time and ll get there!

f this issue is staycation, do you enjoy a staycation? m rather obsessed with Ontario and how much there is al areas.

been your favourite place so far to staycation to? rsity in Hamilton, Ont. and I’ve found a lot of hidden he city throughout my time there. Every once in a while with my roommates and explore new waterfalls, trails ally beautiful sites. I think my favourite part about these that they’re so local.

our readers find you and your work? stagram page called Oh Sew What, and it showcases work I’ve done in the past!

You can find Jordan on Instagram (@_jordangraber) and her work on Oh Sew What’s (@ohsew_what).

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Staycation Outfit inspiration: One Outfit, Two Ways

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Wearing a jumper that matches the base colour of the dress can warm the outfit right up! Here, the model has put a belt under the fold of the jumper to give it that ruched cosy look, and put her hair up to show off the high neck and any jewellery you might want to pair with. You can pair this with some bright heels for a pop of colour or boots to amp up the warm factor.

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er you are trying to save space in your suitcase or trying to find a new way to vamp up a er dress, having multiple ways to wear things is a fun and sustainable way to approach your ardrobe! Here we have a summer dress, off the shoulder, designed for garden parties and e! But, as autumn leaves change colour and the cold sets into its permanent form, this dress traditionally be made redundant. Here are two inspirations on how to bring that dress into lder months:

If you are lucky enough to still be somewhere where the wind might be cold, but the sun is still lovely and warm, you can pair the dress with a lighter slouchy denim jacket. A belt and some statement sunglasses make this dress more casual. Pair with a bright low heel or flat shoe as an ode to the last hurrah of summer.

Piece written by and modeled

by Manon MarrumSauvageot.

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Words by Kirsty Taylor, Illustrations by Sophie Freestone.

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Our voices A loving look into the minds and lives of some of the contributors who helped us create this issue.

Kirsty Taylor

Kirsty is our founder and head editor, when she isn’t working on Continue The Voice she is studying, writing poetry or podcasting normally with a cup of peppermint tea or a glass of white.

I tend to live very passionately in everything I do but something particularly close to my heart that I’m keen to continue the voice on is ensuring we have education for our children that is truly inclusive of all history that has existed in this world.

What is your favourite thing to do on a staycation? . I love waking up slowly and enjoying the morning light worry free, and with no alarms set.

Where has been your favourite place you have ever staycationed to? Scotland is such an incredibly stunning place but I’d have to say my favourite place so far was Oban which we cycled to from Inverness.

What are you currently loving?

I am absolutely in love with ‘Women Don’t Owe You Pretty’

by Florence Given at the moment You can find Kirsty on her poetry (@observeabsorbwrite) or her podcast (@fancyablether) Instagrams

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Pooja Sharma

Pooja is from India and discovered she could write two and a half years ago, and her passion for writing has only increased since that time. She is a spiritual, music and dance person who is learning to take life happenings in her stride and stay happy because that’s what matters.

I am developing the passion to serve animals. These voiceless beings are treated cruelly by so many of us. So, I’d like to do something for them. Starting a shelter home is a plan which I hope gets fulfilled with God’s grace.

I like to explore the place, food and people. I’m always interested in finding or discovering something new.

I haven’t travelled a lot and I’m also a sort of stay at home and chill type of person so I’d say my favourite place for staycation would be my home only with my people.

I’m the kind of a person who rarely has any favourites. If I spot something interesting, I have to watch it, read it or listen to it. It can be quotes, stories, books, podcasts or a movie/Tv series.

Katie Daniels

Katie works in marketing for Scotland’s leading contemporary dance company but she also loves to write, read, blog, take photos, watch theatre, listen to podcasts, cook and dance.

I am passionate about reminding others to be kind to themselves. The world is mad and it demands our attention from every direction so we need to protect and care for ourselves so that we have the energy to fight for what’s right.

My favourite thing to do on a staycation is to spend time adventuring with friends and to capture the beauty of the world around us with my camera.

I just love exploring the coastline around my home, up here in Aberdeenshire. The sea is both calming and frightening so it can be pretty epic to look at from all sorts of vantage points.

So even staying at home, I’m able to hop in the car and get somewhere really beautiful (if the weather is on my side, that is!).

I’m currently loving the Magic Lessons podcast from Elizabeth Gilbert, it’s a couple of years old but full of inspiring creative chats.

You can find Katie and her work on her blog.

Kirsten W

Kirsten is a free and oil painter f currently based

I am passionate uing the voice the cathartic qu ing art. Art con world, promotin state of mind an mony. Schools f common core su art in education luxury - I believ is a primal beha should be encou accessible to eve My favourite th staycation is to hidden quirks th fer. For example Edinburgh for se recently discove ‘Wild West’ an tunnel.

I love going to C town between ross. Its an incr with access to b tains making it from the city.

I am currently re sons for the 20th val Noah Harari lot of Sasha Slo hyped about “ back in cinemas niversary.

You can find Kir her work on Ins enwarrender.art)

Warrender

elance marketer from Aberdeen, in Edinburgh.

e about continwith regards to ualities of creatnnects us to the ng a healthier nd an inner harfocus heavily on ubjects whereas is considered a ve that creating aviour and so it uraged and feel eryone. hing to do on a explore all the he city has to ofe, after living in even years I only ered its hidden nd the Colinton

Crieff – a Scottish Perth and Kinredible location beautiful mouna nice escape

eading “21 Lesh century by Yui, listening to a oan and getting “Psycho” being s for its 60th an-

rsten and all of stagram (@kirst)

Thomas Stewart

Thomas is a writer, born in Wales, currently living in Scotland. His debut poetry pamphlet, empire of dirt, was published by Red Squirrel Press in 2019. His work has been featured at Best Scottish Poems 2019, We’ve Done Nothing Wrong, We’ve Nothing To Hide (Verve Poetry Press, 2020), The Amsterdam Quarterly, fourteen poems, The Glasgow Review, Ink, Sweat and Tears, among others.

I’m really interested in exploring characters living with trauma.

I’m trying to have this conversation in my work about the point where trauma can jade a person or enlighten one. I’m intrigued by the point that becomes a choice – do I continue to be jaded forever and ruin everything in my path or do I become enlightened and do something good with this shit?

Read and write. I always take too many books away with me when I go on a staycation, and don’t write as much as planned, I always seem to spend my time walking, and talking, and drinking wine with my pals, but yes, reading and writing are my top favourite things to do. The Lake District. My friend’s parent’s own a house down there and it’s a sanctuary. I’ve recently finished ‘Borgen’ which I absolutely loved. It’s a Danish TV show about the first female prime minister. I wept, I laughed, I sat back in awe, it’s the whole package.

You can find Thomas on Instagram (@tomstewart0808)

Hannah Matheson Hannah is the editor for Continue The Voice and a marketing student in Aberdeen. She loves the simple things in life like a good cup of coffee, spending time with friends and walks with her dog.

I think in general there needs to be a little more kindness in this world. As well as taking time to be kind to ourselves, it’s important especially in 2020 (what a year) to show a little kindness to each other whether that is a stranger, retail workers etc. It’s literally the easiest and most simple thing you can do and it might just make someone’s day.

I like spending time with the people around me, taking in my surroundings and enjoying time without my phone and internet.

I spent a couple of nights at Loch Tay a few years ago and I loved it! I couldn’t believe that such beautiful scenery existed just over an hour from my house.

I’m always looking for new shows to watch on Netflix and after it made history at The Emmys, I decided to start Schitts Creek and it’s absolutely hilarious!

You can find Hannah on Instagram (@hannahmatheson)

Manon MarrumSauvageot Manon is Continue the Voice’s art director and a 21 year old Film and Media student based in Edinburgh, she has a passion for the arts but she sold her soul to good food and good wine.

I am passionate about promoting underrepresented voices in film and media My favourite thing to do on staycation is to learn about local history and explore hidden gems of the area Recently I have been to Felixstowe Ferry, it’s beautiful in the bright sunshine AND in the throngs of winter I am currently loving the Haunting of Bly Manor - It’s really helping me get into spooky season!

You can check Manon out on Instagram (@manon.marrum)

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Sophie Freestone

Anna McFarlane

Sophie’s first children’s book was published soon after she graduated from the Falmouth School of Art in Cornwall. However, she decided to put art on hold and pursue her other life’s passion for a while; skiing. She spent a ski season in the French Alps last winter and will be returning to the mountains next month. However, Sophie really enjoys illustration projects when she has the time, such as getting involved in the first issue of Continue the Voice.

When Anna is not shaking up fancy cocktails in her primary job in hospitality she can be found working as a graphic designer, such as her role here. She is hoping to return to University to study a masters in the not too distant future but has been enjoying putting that off by traveling around as much of the world as possible.

I am currently passionate about saving the arts industry. My favorite thing to do on staycation is to find a random cat. My favourite place I’ve staycationed, was in Cornwall- my friends and I would pile into my housemate’s campervan and explore a new beach or cove that we hadn’t been to before. We found crystal waters on the Helford Passage, saw hundreds of seals at Godrevy, cliff jumped at Fisherman’s Cove, went on the back of our friends’ motor bikes from Falmouth to Zennor to Penzance. One time we hand-made gnocchi on a cliff at Hell’s Mouth in Ellie’s converted van. I am currently loving Audible. I recently finished listening to ‘The Midnight Library’,

by Matt Haig (it was excellent; I would also recommend ‘How to Stop Time’). I subscribed to Audible over lockdown and have got through so many good books as a result, including Little Women

by Louisa May Alcott, 1984 by George Orwell, The Beauty Chorus by Kate Lord Brown and Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro.

It’s great to have on whilst driving or when I’m making art. Find me at @sophiefreestoneillustration.

I am passionate about the fight for equality and more generally about just doing right by people when you can. When I think about staycations, I think about family, as otherwise I’d probably be drawn further afield. My favourite staycations have been getting a cottage in the scottish countryside with my whole family- these have been some of the happiest memories I have. One of the most prominant was in Dollar celebrating my grandparents dimond wedding anniversiery. I am currently loving Sapiens, I’m re-reading and loving it as much as the first time (slightly less highbrow but I am also watching a conciderable amount of below deck- for switching-offto TV it is ideal!).

YOU?

We want your work!

We are looking for creative work of any kind relating to the theme of ‘Save The Arts’, this includes poetry, music, dance, film, photography, short stories but is not limited to these forms of art. We are interested in all forms of art.

Send all work or pitches to continuethevoice@gmail.com or dm us on Instagram. The deadline is November 18th at midnight, please send your work with a short (1 - 2 sentences) ready to print bio.

Max word counts are 800 for articles and 1500 short stories.

Where to Find Us WW W WWW

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