Kaleo Journal Issue 003

ISSUE 003 â—? NOVEMBER 2016

Kaleo Journal

the sun will rise environments, self-positivity and overcoming struggles

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This Is Kaleo Journal Kaleo Journal is a collaborative magazine of many talented young people who are looking to make their impact on the world in a positive and expressive way, using their talents to create something amazing. And they have.

Brought together by a team of young people passionate about bringing social issues to light, Kaleo believes in the power of the youth.

Dedicated to giving emerging creative people a platform, our interviews and profiles delve deeper into their talented minds to inspire and excite you.

Released on the first of every other month, each edition is centred around a theme that encapsulates issues that deserve discussion such as equality, wellbeing and identity, in entertaining and engaging ways. With a range of articles, reviews, quick reads and our signature regular columns, we aim to express the diverse issues that matter to young people in a refreshingly clear way.

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Terrific Tunes

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From Me To You Hello friends, As I have worked on Kaleo Journal for over a year now, I have noticed that my environment has completely changed. Both physically and mentally, I have been able to grow within myself and with the people that I come in contact with through this magazine. Members on the Kaleo team range from those who live only ten minutes away from me to those who live ten thousand miles away from me. However, despite the distance or differences, Kaleo Journal has become a healthy environment for each of us that allows us to share our thoughts, dreams, and passions with the world.

In this third issue of Kaleo Journal, you will find pieces that encourage self positivity, share about healthy relationships, and discussions with people from various countries that witness totally different lifestyles than most have endured. I believe that the people and conditions around us are one of the most influential aspects in life, especially as a young adult.

While reading issue three, I hope that you feel motivated to grow within yourself before exerting all of your energy on others.

And when you find yourself slowly making it through one of those days where you don't feel supported or pretty or empowered, I pray that you can remind yourself that tomorrow the sun will rise and you will be able to try all over again.

All the love,

Kamryn Kobal

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What's Inside 004 Playlist 005 Editors Letter

010 The Trip of a Lifetime

020 The Kiss of Life

021 The Golden Age of the Silver Screen

044 Four Letter Words: Grow

046 DIY: Face Masks

Poet Tree:

014 Alexis Robson

022 In The Spotlight: Regina Zehner

048 Lost In The Music

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012 Together Forever

049 Fill In The Blank:

Autumn Hayes

050 Meet May Nichols

of Issue Three

054 Pura Vida

064 Globetrotter: New York

072 Discover Roman Wotjkowski

056 A Letter In Which I Reflect Around Me

070 Fill In The Blank:

Sierra Annaliese

078 Moiety: The Psychology of Music

082 Better Together Photoshoot

058 Charitable: Rakifi Mwema

071 Serendipity

080 I'm Free 094 Sister Projects 095 Contact ENVIRONMENT

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What's Inside

Kamryn Kobal Founder and Editor

Chloe Katopodis Creative Director

Margot Oyuela Photojournalist

I am happiest when I wake up at 1pm, fresh from the shower the night before, in the middle of winter, covered in blankets with no work and no people to see.

I am the happiest when I'm blasting One Direction tunes in the car stereo and screaming out the words so loudly that my throat starts feeling numb.

Alex Colberg Photographer

Bella Lopes Writer

Alex Markey Music Columnist

I am happiest when I am surrounded by those that I love, as a warm campfire glow illuminates our faces and gently cracks against the sound of our laughter.

I am happiest when indulging in the presence of feeling music by completely letting it take over my emotions, and savoring the sensation of Earth. A taco also helps.

I am the happiest when I am driving across an open road with the windows down as the sun is just starting to set, making the entire atmosphere feel cool.

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I am the happiest when pressed up against the venue barricade, heart racing, hands sweaty, and the intro music to my favorite band about to take the stage starts.

of Issue Three Our Incredible Contributors Ashley McNally // Poet ampoems.weebly.com IG: writing.freely Alexis Robson // Photographer, Poet IG: alexisjewellr alexisrobson.vsco.com

Hannah Lozano Writer I am happiest when I’m in a new city lost in the moment at a concert with my best friends, singing, dancing, and holding hands. Or with Cinnamon.

I am happiest when I spend all day doing nothing, which is everyday, and sleeping on people so they can't move, which I also do every day.

Roman Wojtkowski // Photographer IG: kowski_photography

Autumn Hayes // Artist IG: autumnsayshello_

Sierra Annaliese // Musician, Poet, Photographer Band Camp and Flickr: eternallyshrugging.

Brianna Hernandez // Writer YouTube: Brianna Hernandez

Envia Foundation // Charity www.enviafoundation.org

Hannah Ofczarzak // Playlist IG: ofczarzakhannah

Rafiki Mwema // Charity rafikimwema.com Facebook: Rafiki Mwema IG @rafikicastle

Jacqueline La Perna // Photographer IG: jacccq Kay Leonares // Photographer IG: kleonaresphoto

Chilli Team Mascot

IG: affectioms lovehigher.tumblr.com

The Trip // Initiative IG @thetripusa Youtube: thetripusa

The girls featured in the +you photo shoot:

May Nichols // Animator IG: @yourgloart maynichols. tumblr.com, Vimeo and Youtube: May Nichols

Christine Tahan IG: tahahahan

Mclane Stringer // Photographer IG: m.clane

Hailey Tremmel IG: h.trem

Meredith Fite // Writer IG: literallymer literallylipstick.wordpress. com Regina Zehner // Photographer

Emma Horton IG: emmahortonn

Jasmine Quiroz IG: jaasmineee._ Katelyn Arey IG: katelynarey

Shoutout to the readers and our support network. â—?

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The Trip of a Lifetime ALEX COLBERG

I never thought that I would be exactly in the position that I am right now. Seventeen years old and traveling the United States (yes all 50 of them). Throughout each state we are interviewing complete strangers and collectively assembling their stories and our own into a book in which we call 'The Trip'. Truth be told, this is our dream, it’s my dream, and in it there is no better feeling than venturing outside of my comfort zone to chase it.

It’s a rather crazy story actually. Just days ago I fell asleep in my warm bed at home, unknowingly soothed by familiar surroundings and a consistent schedule. Yet because of my over ambitious heart and admitted lack of fear, I jumped into the passenger side of my best friend Hannah’s car, and we hit the freeway, driving by our own will and our own plan, to our own destinations.

The both of us just want to live. We want to really live, not just take any sort of ordinary road trip and stay in our own collective bubbles, but instead, we want to get out into the world and meet other people. After all, isn’t that really what life is about, human interaction? We look forward to the future publication of our book. I mean, Hannah and I think it’s pretty rad and we hope that you do too. ● FOLLOW OUR JOURNEY: IG - @thetripusa YOUTUBE - thetripusa EMAIL - thetripusa@gmail.com

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Together Forever Two friends, inseparable by distance WORDS: BELLA LOPES PHOTOGRAPHY: HANNAH HORNER

There is something so special about a friendship that makes it through all the downfalls and heartbreaks life brings. Long distance is a pain and trying to stay connected with someone with only technology can be difficult and challenging. As I am someone who needs physical touch in order to feel emotionally connected, it is a big challenge to be separated from someone who means so much to me. Although distance might take up a chunk of our relationship, reuniting together makes it all worth in the end. Having a true friend who can endure long distance and still remain strong is an extraordinary feeling. I remember meeting Alex Colberg in the 6th grade, knowing that I would have her friendship for life. 6 years later and that has only been proven to be true.

Finding a true friend is an incomparable, thrilling thing that nobody should take for granted. A true friend is someone who you would trust with any secret and you know they will put effort into understanding your burdens. You can go a few months without talking and catch up like no time has passed at all. You can spend time with them doing absolutely nothing and it will never be dull.

Once in a while, you find those relationships and you must acknowledge it by taking full appreciation. I thank Alex endlessly for being that person for me. Living approximately 1,500 miles from your best friend is a bitter feeling that takes time to get accustomed to. When we first found out Alex was moving to Idaho we were distraught, feeling bummed out on how we would deal from seeing each other every day to not at all. Not being able to call Alex and say “hey, let’s go tanning in your driveway” or “you know that cute boy from the movies?” was a disappointing change. Don’t

get me wrong, I still called her to update her on the little things in life like the color or my nails or how frustrating a certain class was and vice versa. It took time and several teary conversations for us to realize that distance was nothing but a word. In the years that have passed, I have gone up to Idaho to visit Alex twice, and being together again proved that time had passed but we continued to grow in our friendship. Today, I am proud to say that we managed to make it through the hard times and we have not let it affect us.

It was a long 6 years wait, but Alex managed to make her way to Houston to see me.

We only got to spend a very short 21 hours together, but all thanks to @thetripUSA, a road trip across the nation that Alex is embarking on, our little reunion was filled with a few tears, extremely tight hugs, all night laughter, and an active day of us driving around the city of Houston.

Sharing what my life has been with someone who didn’t get a chance to be in it was a surreal thing. The whole time I really I didn’t even think it was real, that it was all a dream.

I still have my doubts, but I guess the pictures prove it actually happened. If those pictures don’t represent complete bliss, WHAT DOES? Long distance relationships might be hard to deal with, but when you come together and are filled with extreme joy, you realize all the worry was for nothing and it was all worth it. Friendships are meant to be a little challenging and exciting. All of that helps you see who the good ones are. If they’re still there after all the insanity, you can surely say they are a true friend (cue Hannah Montana song and shed a few tears). ●

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Alexis Robson Writer Photographer BANGS Shoes Ambassador

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Discover Tell the world a bit about you.

Hi! My name is Alexis Robson and I live in Austin, Texas. I am currently a senior in high school and will be attending the University of Arkansas next year to study nursing!

When I’m not working on school-related tasks, you can usually find me with a camera out adventuring in new areas, writing/reading short stories and poetry, or at a Young Life event!

What is it about writing that interests you?

Writing has always intrigued my interest because it has no rules and is completely open to interpretation. I admire how free writing is, and how it can be an outlet for people who have no way to express themselves, or are too afraid to. Personally, I find writing incredibly artistic; It has no limits as it can be raw and organic or soft and beautiful.

Poetry is a perfect example of artistic writing, as it allows poets to expose their heart, soul, and passion and portray the power of language.

How do you feel poetry differs to prose?

In my opinion, the notable difference between poetry and prose is that prose is typically used in everyday writing and tends to be straight-forward, while poetry can be described as the artistic expression that uses qualities of language to invoke additional, or new, meaning to prosaic ostensible meaning. The two types of writing are also structurally

different, as prose is usually written in paragraphs with no line breaks, and poetry varies in shapes and typically has line breaks that divides the work into stanzas.

attempting to recreate this image in my head, I’m usually less satisfied than when I just go with the flow of things and take unplanned candid photographs.

What inspires you to write? Does it differ with photography?

I typically find myself inclined myself to write when I come across something that grabs my attention in unique ways and changes the way I feel about or interpret an issue/ the world around me. For example, societal issues is commonly something I can find myself inspired to write and express my opinion about.

To me, I feel as though people are more inclined to listen to your view on the world when it is expressed in an unique and artistic perspective versus an argumentative or adamant way. This differs from my photography, as I tend to take photos of things that give an aesthetic pleasure and have a story behind the picture.

How do you feel you can reflect your environment through photography?

I believe I can reflect my environment through my photography because in essence I am creating an image that is able to save a moment for all of time. I am able to reflect my environment for a single moment through my photography, but photographs are often reversed and things change with time, leaving an almost skewed view of the subject as the moment doesn't physically last in the environment forever.

I believe the poem, “This Is A Photograph Of Me”, by Margaret Atwood, explains this concept extremely well.

Much of your photography is of your surroundings, such as camps you’ve been on, reflecting the life of an American teenager. With your photographs, do you set out to capture this or any particular narrative?

When I usually set out for a photo shoot, or just an adventure to find new things to take photographs of, I try to go open-minded and see where the day takes me. I have found that when I have a vision and spend all my energy

How have circumstances or events in your life drawn you to these creative ventures?

My high school journey has had many ups and downs that have led me to pursue expressing myself through writing and photography. My sophomore year of high school my Mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. As an only child, this meant I was responsible for taking care of my mom during her surgery, maintaining my academic goals and grades, and working a job. Since life seemed out of my control I turned to writing as a way for me to find stability and take

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Alexis Robson

little do you know little do you know, that my heart is breaking, as you're sound asleep. little do you know, my thoughts are drowning, in our memories. little do you know i stay up late at night, wondering why you did this to me. little do you know, i'm trying to put myself back together, piece by piece. little do you know, i forgive you, but forgetting, is a different thing. little do you know, that I love you, but the pain is killing me. little do you know.

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Discover control of my life. Luckily, my mom’s surgery resulted in her becoming cancer free, which was an immense relief.

However, shortly after this experience I was diagnosed with severe scoliosis. Since my curvature had gone unnoticed for so long, the only option for correcting it and reducing my pain was to undergo a lumbar spinal fusion surgery. Along with feeling imperfect and defective because of how my body looked for sixteen years as a result of my deformity, uncertainty and anxiety began to consume my life. I couldn't comprehend how much pain I’d be in when my body shifted after sitting and working incorrectly for so long. My surgery date came and went, and I ended up spending my seventeenth birthday in the intensive care unit as a result of a complication that arose during my operation.

However, after a week in the hospital, months of physical therapy, and an abundance of doctors’ appointments I have finally been able to return to everyday life.

During these times writing was essential to me, as I have never been one to express myself through talking. These simple words typed or printed in black and white were the most natural and raw expression of how I was feeling during these rollercoasters of emotion. I wholeheartedly believe my artistic outlets are what helped me get through

these experiences and come out successful.

Do you plan to continue with these pursuits in the future? If not, what are your plans?

As a result of my mother’s cancer battle, and my own scoliosis journey, I have decided to follow in the footsteps of my grandmother and become a nurse (practitioner hopefully) in the future. As a result, I will be a pre-nursing major at the University of Arkansas next year. Although my major will not be in literature or journalism, I do plan on taking a couple of writing-focused courses to improve my skills and expand my understanding of literature in the future.

You are a lead brand ambassador for BANGS shoes; can you tell us more about how you became involved with this? When did you first become aware of them?

I first became aware of BANGS Shoes when I noticed a camper at the Young Life camp I attended wearing some unique shoes. After camp, I immediately went home and began researching the shoes, as it was vital I had a pair of these kicks. When I was playing around on the BANGS Shoes website, I found out they were looking for Lead BA’s for the fall, and immediately filled out the application.

Thankfully, Hannah allowed me to join the BANGS team and it honestly has been such a blessing. Besides providing me with a family of people

who love being adventurous and supporting others like I do, BANGS also helps other people by donating 20% of its net profits to fund entrepreneurs.

BANGS Brand Ambassador’s themselves get to have a say in who receives these funds!

Why did you want to be part of the team?

I wanted to join the BANGs team because I wanted to have the opportunity to help other people by raising awareness for this brand. Their slogan, “Your adventure helps others find theirs”, is absolutely true because by buying a pair of shoes, I can help others pursue their dreams. Besides helping others, I admire how BANGS promotes living life to the fullest and focusing on the beauty of the world and people around us through their hashtag #liveBANGS. Each lead BA promises to live BANGS by spreading positivity and loving others.

What do you do as a brand ambassador?

As a lead brand ambassador for BANGS Shoes, the first thing you do is purchase a pair of the shoes. After this, you’ll most likely get numerous questions on where you got your shoes from, and then we usually explain why BANGS is unique in comparison to other shoe brands. Aside from spreading word about their mission, we all also participate in one blitz day a month. A blitz day is when every member of the BANGS community, lead BA’s, BA’s,

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Alexis Robson

small talk i hate small talk. i want to hear about your childhood, your favorite music, your favorite memory, your darkest secret, your worst fears, the little things that make you smile, what keeps you up at night. i want to talk about your life. sex, drugs, love, alcohol, i want to know it all. i want to know what you think about, late at night at 2 a.m., when the darkest thoughts start to creep in. i want to know your goals, your future plans. i want to know your flaws, what makes you insecure. i want to know you. i don't want small talk. i want you.

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Discover and team members, all post a photo of their shoes on social media on the same day.

BANGS basically takes over the internet with their themed blitz days! We also get the opportunity to participate in campaigns, such as have a pen pal, in this program, which personally is one of my favorite parts.

How do you believe initiatives like this for young people can make an impact in the world?

I think initiatives, like BANGS Shoes, can help young people make an impact on the world by proving to them that they can make an impact. With a world as busy and enormous as the one we live in, it’s easy to follow the assumption that a single person cannot having an impact on the thousands of people around them, when this

is not the case. These types of initiatives teach young people that we can change things and help people, we just have to be willing to jump at the opportunities and put hardwork into the ones we find.

Why do you feel that it is important to empower young people?

In my opinion, it is important to empower young people because we are the generation that is shaping the future. If we want to make an impact and see change in the world around us, we have to be empowered to take the necessary steps to do so.

By teaching young people that their opinions are important and have value, we teach them they can contribute value to society as a whole and have an impact. â—?

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Poet Tree

The Kiss of Life

Death dances around the inside of my head as if it were a jar of marbles ready to break. He's there even on my brightest of

days, crouching in the corners of my crowded mind trying to find a place to call home. Turns out he is most comfortable when I am not, and chuckles at the misery that is put upon me. I watch him as he points his long, inky finger at me and laughs, voice deep and shallow, like a hollow tree.

Death cries when I laugh and laughs when I cry, simply because

Ashley McNally

he enjoys it. His rotting teeth curl into a smile so wide you'd think they'd shatter, and at that moment in time, I almost give in to death. His snickering and torment is almost too much for

me, and as he waltzes around my head like a loose screw, entices me to come to him with grinch-like hands, I almost do.

But...

I...

don't.

I don't because I see life sitting in the back of my eyes,

barely noticeable but still there, still able to be seen if

you look close enough. And my god, life laughs when I laugh and cries when I cry, and her voice is the sound of angels singing and it drowns out every thought, every sound, every piece of

death, like thick honey dripping down your throat. And at that

moment life is more beautiful and more enticing than death ever was or ever will be.

I choose to stick with life because I have found I am stronger, better, brighter than death. I have found my home, and it is

with a woman called life, a woman who kisses me and supernovas

explode on the tip of my tongue, a woman who wants to see growth and change within me.

In that point in time, I become a person I never thought I could be. And simply choose life, over death.

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The Golden Age of the Silver Screen BRIANNA HERNANDEZ

It is currently 3 o’clock in the morning and the local movie theater is playing the classic film, “The Outsiders”. Main characters, Ponyboy and Cherry, appear on the screen, talking under the sunset about Johnny and their clashing cultures. “When I was in high school, this movie changed my life,” my father says, smiling at the Curtis boys as they fill the frame. As the movie plays, I slowly fall asleep in my father’s, but wake up just in time to hear Ponyboy say goodbye to Johnny.

“Stay gold, Ponyboy”, resonates through me as Dallas and Ponyboy cry over Johnny’s dead body. When the movie ends, my father turns off the television and as we both head to our beds, he mutters just loud enough for me to hear, “That is one good movie.”

And just like that, movies became a central point in my life. My well-being was soon dependent on Friday night trips to Redbox where I scanned the screen for unseen gems and classic beauties making bold returns.

My father taught me everything I needed to know: pointing out directors, many of whom he claimed were close friends of his (they are, in fact, not close friends of his), year of release, and how special effects were created.

It wasn’t long before my dad got me fully invested in the world of cinema, working our way through PG-13 and parent supervised R-Rated movies to dissect everything from shot design to screenplay. Religiously spending hours watching film trailers and staying up late to watch the Oscars, film has brought us together like nothing else before.

As I got older, my world expanded once I found a community where I bonded with others who, like me, loved films for everything they are and everything they could be.

Introducing new films and directors to each other brought me and my friends closer than before and it is because of these friends that

I was pushed to do what I never knew I could do: make my own film. I had a script that I felt was perfect, a boy who knew “everything” there was to know about film, and a cast of sure fire friends who were willing to make it work. I sent out the script to my cast and that summer we decided to make the best short film ever made.

It was not long before we realized the film was a colossal failure. The script had a high production value no thirteen year olds in suburbia could do justice and we all lived too far apart to actually find time to film.

Years passed before I was finally able to make my own film, one that was met with harsh critique that pointed out styles that resembled John Hughes and Wes Anderson (both close friends of my father, of course) hidden beneath color schemes and camera angles. Despite this, my friends and family encouraged me to keep working, supporting me at every turn and reading every draft I asked them to, despite its roughness. I wrote of monsters and sunsets, trying to create real stories people could emphasize with as I fought my own demons. Putting my work into the world prompted new fears never felt before; the fear of failure, unoriginality, and bad sound quality all haunted me.

However, the culture my father immersed me in as a child and the support my friends gave me as I grew as a creator helped me realize that making films is what I want to do with my life regardless of my insecurities.

My desire to create things that make people feel a certain way or show them they aren’t alone helps me become a stronger writer, director, and friend. Film has guided me to the most important people in my life who helped shape me into who I am today and because of it I have been blessed with moments I know will always stay gold. ●

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In The Spotlight: Regina Zehner

The vivid visual artist communicating in the digital age INTERVIEW: CHLOE KATOPODIS ART: REGINA ZEHNER

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In The Spotlight I have formulated with the people around me.

Hey Regina, how are you today?

I’m doing really well! I think I’m finally adjusted to college and the space I have created for myself.

How do you start a series?

What is the artistic process that works for you in incorporating inspirations and wanting to communicate a concept?

I start a series by just doing.

Most of the times, I don’t really know it’s a series until it’s about the third piece. By then, the concept and the structure I made is solid enough for me to create a whole image of the series kind of like a putting a puzzle together except you don’t know what you’re working with until you’re halfway done. The process of actually making the pieces I do comes from writing down whatever is floating in my mind at the time, and recording the experiences

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The ideas of relationships, family and self-reflection are evident in your works, particularly through the sole use of text which confronts the viewer with intimate thoughts. Why are these themes so prevalent and important to you?

These themes are always popping up because I think the pieces I make, I feel, aren’t just pieces; they’re conversations I’m having with myself. That way, it comes off of as intimate because I am not referring to the viewer as a stranger, and because I am so comfortable with myself. The themes are just what I feel and what I am expressing.

Your series ‘Tell My Mom’ is so powerful and open, even through its simplistic text narratives. Can you expand on the thoughts behind the series, and what prompted you to create it?

The series started from my little writing journal I carry.

It was only a couple of sentences and at the time, it wasn’t fragmented so when I tried to translate it into text format, I was trying to make one and not two spaces for the sentences. I don’t know where the idea of breaking up the sentences onto two different blocks came from it sort of just happened. The way I placed the texts, with one in a higher corner and one in the opposite, lower corner, I thought would best

Regina Zehner represent a conversation.

After the first, I wanted to see what it looked like if I continued to experiment. With the second “Tell My Mom” piece I didn’t like the format of the smallness of the first so I enlarged the piece and also organized them [on Tumblr] not besides each other, but on top so the person would have to scroll down to read the rest of it. The series speaks about a relationship with a person and their mother. All of them are personal to me, but then again, I didn’t make them too personal, so that way people could connect and relate with them. The response to the series was amazing and I didn’t think it would have such an impact until I finished the last one.

How does working digitally with stark, vibrant colours and distinct typefaces communicate the messages you want to convey?

Digitally, I can say it communicates really well the messages I want to convey to my audiences. Some of the pieces I make focus on dark, negative thoughts that are contrasted with bright, vibrant colors.

my art offends or is disliked by anyone, it is just for me.

I find my work to be very therapeutic and helpful when my stress rises. I find that when my stress boils up my art becomes more organic and flows better.

When I first saw your works and this series it struck me as having a very millennial vibe; [it’s] quite internet/technology central (in terms of the use of medium) and [the style] is relatively individual to how artists in this generation or rather, period of time where platforms like Tumblr are main ways in being noticed. Similar approaches or styles are around the web which raises questions not only about how artistic styles are developing in this modern world with an influx of technological advancements, but how this style in particular can resonate with so many, and why people choose to work like this.

Do you find it easier to express your thoughts like this, like a modern day journal?

Yes, I think it is easier to express my thoughts in a entry type fashion. I am not afraid of expressing my thoughts mainly because I like to do what is natural to me. I don't particularly care if

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In The Spotlight

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Regina Zehner What do you think about it becoming this trendy, representative entity?

I like to think it stands for a good cause. Most of the time, I find that people are often alone, lost and feeling down on their luck. But when you have a representation of something that says “me too”, or just expresses the same sort of ideas, then you don’t feel as alone. I think this art is how we connect now. I understand it’s important to appreciate traditional art, but there are artists in the now who we must support. These artists are shining a light on what is truly important in the modern world. Innovative media and internet art is crucial for connecting this generation and will continue to grow ultimately connecting future generations to come.

We feature your series ‘Nightlife’ in this edition, tell us more about this.

'Nightlife' is a photographic and text art series. The series depicts the urban, night setting of a city and despite how large a city may feel, I use text to bring the narrative of intimacy and personal/internal struggles one can feel.

How did you work with the environments?

The environments were just there and I wanted to capture the feeling of existing there in that moment. Some of the pictures are shot at weird angles to invoke a feeling of uneasiness. I set out to create something that captured my

stream of consciousness, I wanted the viewer to imagine themselves co-existing with me at that very moment.

Did you choose them specifically or go exploring and see what you found?

My approach is an interesting one, I was mainly a companion with my friend (who is a cinematography major), who needed some shots for her five by five and at the time, I had nothing to do and just wanted an adventure. While I was with her, I started seeing places not as places, but as something I could breathe life into. So then, I started taking pictures and we went out maybe a total of three times, which by then, I still was just exploring/taking whatever pictures of places I thought would look interesting.

Was there a memorable one in particular?

My favorite one has to be the bus text. Mainly because my friend and I were walking downtown, looking for something - then all of a sudden there was a bus and basically she suddenly had an idea for her five by five. So then, we had to run across the street and ended up riding for a bit. I took a picture really fast before we got off, but it was rather interesting that no one bothered to pay my friend and I any attention while capturing stuff.

What environments do you find yourself working in?

I mostly work in spaces I create for myself. Mainly in my

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In The Spotlight person coming from barely any resources to work with, to where i am at currently has really given me inspiration and drive to do the things I choose do. I also found the people in my courses are really supportive and creative, which gives me new perspectives.

What are your aims when you finish the course?

My aim is to experiment with as much as I can and get the experience of trying different mediums so I can see what are my strengths/weaknesses. dorm because I don’t have a studio and I feel the most at peace with myself and I could work without distraction/ people staring at me while I work.

You are studying Fine Arts in college at the moment; how do you feel being in a structured school environment affects your work, creativity, learning and sense of self?

I feel school has helped a lot. I have so many people supporting me and giving me constructive feedback that has really shaped my art a lot in the short amount of time I’ve been here. My creativity hasn’t dimmed at all. I feel like I can experiment and push myself in school. I also just feel comfortable in this space and it is just a good feeling here.

What have you found most impacting about the course?

I found the resources as the most beneficial aspect. As a

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What mediums would you like to work with in the future and why?

I would want to work with neon in the future. Even though I don’t have any clue how to work it (yet), I like the aesthetics of it and also I believe it will be a great medium for me especially since I work with communication/language a lot.

What are some words of wisdom that you would tell your younger self?

I would tell myself to stop worrying - you’re going to make really great art and you’re going to meet really great people. Even though things aren’t working out, you’re going to end up just fine. ____________________________

The 'Nightlife' series continues over the next pages. To find the full series of 'Tell My Mom' and more works, go to lovehigher.tumblr.com ●

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Four Letter Words A COLUMN BY KAMRYN KOBAL Typically, the phrase “Four Letter Words� refers to short slang words that have negative connotation. Whether the word is vulgar or dull, four letter words never really care a good reputation. This issue is centered around the word 'grow', and how we struggle to dedicate time to developing ourselves in such a fast paced world.

If I'm being completely honest, as I first sat down to write this column, I was running off of two hours of sleep and my hair was in the messiest bun the world has ever seen. For weeks I struggled to find time to write, which is something that often serves as a form of therapy for me. But as I took on more responsibilities and allowed myself to prioritize other things, my journal found itself kicked under my bed with empty pages longing to be filled.

It's rare to come in contact with someone that says they are currently working on themselves solely.

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It was after I had a talk with a friend that made me realize just how out of balance my life was. A problem I tend to struggle with is finding the time to focus on myself rather than focusing on others and their needs.

This is why I willingly spent an entire afternoon helping a friend with her college essays, while my application remained a blank space. While my work began to pile up, I felt a sliver of peace knowing that I assisted someone I care for in their needs, despite my To-Do list not having any checked boxes. However, as I sit at my laptop, days later, with printed versions of Kaleo Journal scattered around me and a warm cup of tea on my night stand, I take a deep breath and easily begin to type away.

The word "grow" is defined as "to become larger, to increase in size, amount, etc." Most people would agree that they are attempting to grow in some area of their life, whether that is in the career, in their health, in their relationships, or in their spirituality. It is very common to speak about wanting to eat healthier or trying to put in more hours at the office, hoping to be noticed by a bystander. But I have found that it is rare to come in contact with someone that says they are currently working on themselves solely. In a way, wanting to make more money and live a healthier lifestyle is rewarding yourself but I think it is only

Grow rewarding because society has told us that the effects that stem from those areas will always bring us happiness.

There is a test called the 5 Love Language Test which is a survey of questions that helps decipher how certain people prefer to be shown affection. Categories range from feeling loved when being given gifts to appreciating words of affirmation. The specific love language that I value the most is quality time. This means that I feel the most loved and appreciated when I am given the opportunity to sit down and fully engage with my friends and family. However, as someone who also fears of being left out of the fun, I have found that wanting to spend time with all of the people in my life has also been a struggle for me.

Just last week I opened my planner and saw that every single day of the week I had something planned. Between family obligations, schoolwork, and strengthening my friendships, I had absolutely no time to fully even appreciate the people around me. After rushing through that week and looking back on everything I accomplished, I began to feel convicted.

While I was able fit a coffee date, tutoring session, and bible study into one night, I realized that I was not fully connected during those events because I was always thinking about the next task. During that week, even though I felt like I was engaging in quality time, I later understood that I was not growing in my relationships at all. In fact, a thirty minute time slot for a coffee date with a friend caused me to have to leave in the middle of an important conversation. Later, I was able to apologize to that friend and she actually talked me through my situation. She explained that sometimes it is okay to say "no" to a friend, that taking time to focus on yourself and what you need to get done is healthy.

Since that conversation, I have focused more time on allowing myself to grow because I know that when I am happy and at peace within my own soul, I will able to better grow in my relationships with others. Hours before I wrote this, I treated myself to lunch with just my notebook accompanying me, which allowed me to write all of my thoughts and ideas. One the way home, I rolled down my windows and let me hair blow all over the place. When I finally went to bed, I felt more accomplished by spending time with myself than I did after an entire week of running around.

Sometimes it is okay to say "no" to a friend, that taking time to focus on yourself and what you need to get done is healthy.

Especially in today's society, there is now even more of an obligation to always be in the mix of the chaos. Social media allows us to see what others are doing constantly and when you do not find yourself in those pictures posted online, it can be disappointing. But sometimes, it is okay to not be part of the madness. There will be times when you get more out of an afternoon nap than you would have from a lunch date with tons of friends. I encourage you to find a balance between allowing yourself to grow and growing with those around you because I believe that when your heart is steady and reliable, your relationships with others will be the best that they can be. â—?

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DIY The environment around us serves a purpose. It reaches out to us when we don’t expect it, wanting us to participate in the beauty of nature that fills our planet. Why waste such beauty on chemicals and products our bodies clearly aren’t made to have? My obsession with skin care might be bigger than any other at the moment. Natural products create freshness with our bodies so we can literally become one with our world. Organic products are beneficial in hundreds of ways, the main one being the small effect it leaves on our skin. When using natural products, our bodies take no time to adjust because they are being given what is naturally expected. Preserve yourself and treat your body like a flower. Take advantage of what is given because our bodies need only the best of the best. Instead of spending hundreds of dollars on face wash, masks and moisturizers, use resources such as the natural products around you. An alternative to buying a new package of makeup wipes every 2 weeks is using coconut oil to rub off the makeup. Benefits that Coconut Oil brings range from hydrating the skin with its oils to delaying wrinkles and saggy skin with its antioxidant properties. Not only is it extremely hydrating and healthy, but it smells refreshing too.

The Hydrator This mask is my absolute favorite, especially on those mornings where waking up to face the day seems impossible. Green tea is beneficial in every way imaginable. It is filled with amino acids (which are extremely helpful with wrinkles), enzymes, vitamin B, potassium, the list goes on... The herbs will hydrate and awaken the cells on your face while illuminating your skin to the max. This mask makes me feel like I am the healthiest gal on earth or at least my skin is.

What you will need: One tea bag of organic green tea herbs (soaked and dried)

1 tsp honey (depending on how dry the herbs)

½ tsp coconut oil

I usually drink green tea in the morning because of the caffeine so if you are like me and need that extra encouragement at the beginning of your day, then after drinking a warm cup, simply leave the teabags soaking on a plate for a few minutes. Then remove the herbs from the bags and combine with a honey coconut mix. Leave it on your face for as long as you want, depending on how much time you have and how tired you are.

After wiping the mask off, I guarantee that you will be able to physically feel your pores giving you a high five for the rejuvenation you gave them.

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Face Masks I have found myself on random nights, frustrated with life, ready for a bubble bath and that specific bath playlist I knew would come in handy one day. My skin, ready to be energized, cried for a DIY face mask.

After years of obsessing over skin care and being a Pinterest addict, I have found two homemade face mask recipes that will make you want to scream of joy (and hydration). Maybe not literally but I totally recommend you doing so, because they are the absolute best. If I haven’t won you over with all my hippie talk then I guarantee you that I will after you try these all natural treatments. Facemasks are so simple to make and they are typically made from ingredients you have at home. Test the products on your hand before fully applying on your face in case of irritation and allergies. Be creative with them and adjust them based on your skin type.

WRITTEN BY BELLA LOPES

The Revitalizer All the ingredients below are good for moisturizing and creating a glow on the skin for hours. Beets contain a high level of Vitamin C which reduces blemishes and brighten the skin. Turmeric helps get rid of dark spots, inflammation and acne scars. Honey puts it all together in order to stick to your face and also helps moisturize.

What you will need:

1 beetroot

1 tsp honey (depending on how sticky you want it to be)

½ tsp tumeric

Peel the beet and squish it until it becomes creamy (not fully a liquid).

Add the honey and the turmeric (depending on your acne scars, blemishes, etc.) Leave on for 25-30 minutes and have a dance party.

Wash off and hydrate with coconut oil and prepare to glow. ●

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Lost In The Music WORDS: ALEX MARKEY PHOTOGRAPHY:JACQUELINE LA PERNA A healthy environment is completely essential to promote good feelings. Recently, I went to Austin City Limits (ACL) Music Festival with my 3 best friends where we experienced the weekend of a lifetime. I believe that literally anyone who enjoys music in the slightest way should find the opportunity to go to a music festival and be able to take part in the environment there.

During the two weekends that ACL is up and running, 80,000 people of every race, culture, and background meet in a park in the middle of downtown Austin to make it their home for the weekend. Passionate, excited fans sprint through the park, trying to catch the next show on their busy schedule for the weekend.

Little kids dance with their parents to the music they are being raised by.

An actual rainbow appears in the sky as a very important song dances from the stage

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speakers to the clouds (yes that actually happened). These individual moments and aspects of your life morph together to create an environment, which will hopefully allow you to live out through some of the best days of your life. Personally, a simple, yet cinematic moment that always proves to be the most comforting environment for me is when I am driving through city streets with my best friends in the middle of night, listening to our favorite bands that allow us to remember that this music is the very reason we are here. Or grasping the hands of my friends next to me as we are frantically waiting for one of our many favorite bands to come on stage and put on the reoccurring “best-concert-I’ve-ever-been-to.” While running through these moments in life, I have realized that these environments that present themselves in these types of situations are a big part of what makes me the happiest. ●

Fill in The Blanks Autumn Hayes Artist and Graphic Designer Hello my name is Autumn and I express myself through my artwork. My current workspace is normally filled with artwork, pictures of the people I love, video games and Batman memorabilia.

I wish it had more structure and less clutter. A loft style studio in the city or a place where I can be surrounded by the things that inspire me is what my ideal creating environment would be like. I feel most conformable when I am drawing, playing video games, watching anime, or relaxing with friends and family. I don’t like to surround myself with a lot of drama and negative people. Hanging with friends and family always uplifts me, while negative energy tends to bring me down. One thing most people don’t know about me is that I’m very shy, but I like to be adventurous. I get through tough situations by thinking of memories of my dad and what he would say to me if he was still alive. The one song that always pumps me up is “Dark Skin Women” by Goldlink. The movie I would love to live in would be Back To The Future for it’s time travelling Delorean and of course, Doc and Marty! A story that always transports me to its world is Harry Potter. I love the magic and Hogwarts! If I could collaborate with anyone, past or present, it would be Prince because he was an unapologetic artist and was creative beyond measure.

I would love to bring back classic Nickelodeon game shows from the past, but I am excited for them to possibly come back in the future. *crosses fingers* My plans for the future involve experimenting, trying different mediums, collaborating with other artists, setting up an online store, and hosting an art show. ●

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Meet May Nichols Avid animation student INTERVIEW: CHLOE KATOPODIS ART: MAY NICHOLS Introduce yourself to us.

I'm May Nichols, I’m a seventeen-year-old artist and animator in my first year of a Bachelor of Design (Animation and Interactive Media) at RMIT. I’m based in Melbourne, Australia and I have a passion for all things animation.

How did you first start animating? Was it a technique you started playing with when you were younger or something you first started in university?

I suppose, in retrospect, I animated from a young age.

Experimenting with art and sequential imagery early in my high school years led to some alternative or unconventional animation, sequences of figures in motion or stages of morphing.

At the time I don’t think I knew what I was doing but I was building a foundation for a fascination with the moving image and a career choice.

What is it about animation and interactive media that you’re so passionate about?

A great animator, Glen Keane, once said, “An animator is an actor with a pencil.” I enjoy not only creating the illusion of life in characters but embodying the characters myself, being able to step into the shoes of a character behind the comfort of your screen is a luxury. I catch myself making the expressions of the characters I’m drawing, much to the amusement of my friends and family. Perhaps I would’ve been an actor in another life, but for now I will animate.

If you had to recommend three animated films for someone who claims to not be interested in them, what would they be?

It may get monotonous if I recommend three Studio Ghibli films, trust that if I could I would, so instead I will recommend Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away, Walt Disney’s Fantasia and Makoto

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May Nichols Shinkai’s 5 Centimetres Per Second. These films will change your life, and if they don’t I’m afraid we cannot be friends.

There are so many advancements in technology happening so fast; think of those goggles that take film or gaming up to a whole new level. I saw a video of Glenn Keane using similar technology to draw the Beast (from Beauty and the Beast), which allowed him to use his whole body and being to create an expressive form. I’ve also seen similar things for gaming and was talking about how that might be the next step for films, especially animated ones, to give a whole body experience.

Where do you see the future of interactive media and animation heading, and the industry as a whole?

This video made me positively giddy, it truly warmed and excited my heart at the prospect of one day being able to experience art in this entirely new way. I definitely see the future of animation and media becoming this immersive and personal, with the advent of virtual reality and augmented reality so many new avenues manifest for media and the arts, especially animation.

Perhaps what I find the most interesting is where 2D animation, which is my medium of choice, fits into the picture. I am personally involved in a 360 degree 2D animation project that merges the seemingly ‘flat’ 2D world with 360 degree virtual reality and is a very new and interesting technique, I urge all the readers to check out other 360 degree 2D animation projects on YouTube for a truly fascinating and exciting experience!

How long do you usually spend on works?

I spend anywhere from 15 minutes to 15 hours on works. I’m also notorious for leaving art pieces half finished, if I was a traditional artist I imagine I would need a storage unit for all of my unfinished paintings! Luckily with digital art they are easier to hide away, to be finished or forgotten forever.

What is your process for your more detailed pieces?

I start with a sketch as I do any of my pieces, but one of my favourite techniques I like to use when developing a detailed painted piece is creating colour schemes based on photography I find inspiring. I guess all I can say for the rest of my progress on these pieces is that I paint it, it’s eerily similar to painting on a canvas with oil or acrylic considering the sterile nature of a digital drawing tablet.

Who inspires you?

My biggest inspiration is Rebecca Sugar, not only is she an astronomically talented animator but she is the first woman to create an animated TV series for Cartoon Network! Sugar’s Steven Universe tackles confrontational topics such as samesex relationships and death with such ease and does so while

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Meet maintaining outstanding animation and art direction. My biggest dream as an animator is to work beside Sugar at CN on a program as progressive and objectively beautiful as Steven Universe.

What do you do when you find yourself falling into an art block?

Despite my ambitious nature that urges me to keep working, to not waste any time lest I miss an opportunity, I encourage myself to take a break from art. Sometimes I will spend two or three days away from art entirely, trying my best not to think about it at all, and come back fresh once I’ve smoothed out my frustration. During this time, I try to switch positions and consume media rather than create, even mindless television watching can do wonders for inspiration when allowed to stew. This is a cure-all and I would recommend it to anybody suffering art block.

How have you noticed your environment or circumstances influencing your work?

Absolutely. I am a highly emotion-driven person, so I rely heavily on how I feel in my environment for me to create good work. External stress absolutely takes a toll on my creativity and, sadly, sometimes I do have to take a break from political opinions and global news for a while in order to keep myself healthy enough to work.

I always love looking through artists’ workspaces on Instagram and Tumblr with shelves and plants and notebooks, and how everyone has things that make it individual for them and their styles. What would be your ideal work set up?

My ideal work set up definitely includes a fancy Wacom 22” Cintiq tablet, I currently work on one of the more affordable tablets but I aim to purchase one eventually! I also like to keep a very clean and minimal workspace, which is usually easy since majority of my work is digital, and perhaps a couple plants! I also like to light incense when I work so a nice incense holder is a must!

How have you found the university environment compared to high school? Have you noticed a change in yourself from it?

University is an entirely different world to high school, as any uni student could attest to. I didn’t really fit in at high school, I was very hard-working and didn’t spare a lot of time for socialising which doesn’t earn you very many friends; however, at university I find it much easier to fit in. University, I find, is far more informal and, despite the larger workload, is a lot more enjoyable! Being involved in a group of people who have exactly the same interests as you are enormously beneficial as an artist and as a person, I’ve found I’ve become so much more confident

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May Nichols in myself and in making friends and sharing my art ever since starting university.

The art culture attitude in Australia is different to the world, such as France, in terms of not really appreciating or respecting art as a fundamental pillar to a nation and important in enriching people’s lives. Even though we are still a relatively new nation (as we now know it) and are still building ourselves up, I just feel that this area has just been pushed aside and not really understood. I know that Melbourne is a more liberal place than Adelaide in terms of art but what has been your experience with this and sometimes being in an environment where your passion isn’t really valued?

I entirely agree, where art has been seen as the avant garde in other parts of the world Australia seems to neglect its value in society and people’s lives. I am lucky enough to live in Melbourne which has a fair appreciation for the arts but, living rurally, I was met with a lot of skepticism in high school when I decided I wanted a career in art.

So where do you see the future of Australia in that sense, and what actions do you think we need to do to achieve that or make progress?

I hope I can see a future in Australia where art is as valued as science or business, the first step is abolishing the ‘starving artist’ and actually supporting and paying artists what their art is truly worthwhile they’re still alive. I’ve encountered too many people who feel entitled to my art without paying me what it’s worth and it’s a dangerous ideology that a lot of people subscribe to.

What are your future career aspirations and why?

In the future I would like to relocate to California and work for one the top studios in Burbank as a character animator or storyboard artist! My dream studios are Cartoon Network, Frederator or Adult Swim.

Any plans for the end of uni year break?

I’m going to work my butt off with commissions and try to save up some money for the eventual move-to-America fund!

Final words of wisdom?

Make more mistakes. ___________________________________________________________

To find the video mentioned, search Glen Keane – Step into the Page or head to directly to https://vimeo.com/138790270.

Find more of May's works on her Instagram @yourgloart or at maynichols.tumblr.com, and check out her Vimeo May Nichols ●

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Pura Vida Simple, pure life WORDS: KAMRYN KOBAL PHOTOGRAPHY: RUSSELL McCARTHY Every place in the world has some type of difference from another. Whether you are in the humble abode of your bedroom where pictures of your favorite band hang from the walls or you are pushing through the crowded city streets on a busy Saturday morning, each environment holds an expectation for how one should act in that moment. While in your bedroom, you can dance in your underwear with a hairbrush microphone, singing to the portrait of the British singer beside your door. And while shuffling against complete strangers, it is best to keep your headphones in and your eyes down to avoid any basic human interaction. Living in more developed societies such as the middle class suburbs, most of us have experienced living in environments where the circumstances aren’t too harsh. However, in other places in the world, life is not always this simple.

Over the past two summers I have been given the incredible opportunity to travel to a small village in Nicoya, Costa Rica. While working with a non-profit mission organization called Envia, my church has worked in Nicoya for years to help improve the ministry that we partner with. Through intense neighborhood soccer matches, mixing concrete by hand, and sitting through sermons in a church with no air conditioning, I have met some of the most beautiful souls.

A specific woman named Sonya is someone who specifically touches the hearts of everyone that she comes in contact with.

Sonya lives in Nicoya, only a few gravel roads over from the church. Years ago, Sonya attended the weekly feeding center sponsored by the church, which provides a full meal to anyone who shows up with an empty plate.

For months, every Saturday Sonya brought her children to eat a plate of rice and beans, then

quickly left without socializing with any of the other mothers. A physical attribute of Sonya’s is that her upper lip is smaller due to a clef lip surgery. Speaking with one of the Envia members, I was told that when Sonya first started coming to church, she rarely smiled and when she did, she moved her hand to cover her toothy grin. However, after working in the church’s kitchen for years, Sonya now greets everyone she comes in contact with open arms and a kiss on the cheek.

While serving in Costa Rica this past summer, I sat down with Sonya to learn about the difficulties that women face in that specific environment. In a village with a high unemployment rate, Sonya shared that “women are expected to work”. It is uncommon for young girls in this neighborhood to pursue a secondary education because many feel that it is their job to begin raising a family.

“When I was growing up, I wanted to study,” Sonya said. Although she was not given the opportunity that almost every reader of Kaleo Journal could easily obtain, Sonya continued to grow in her knowledge and mental strength. After experiencing a traumatic event as a child, she shared that she still feels the effects today. Sonya worked “to leave that fear behind or else [she believes that she] could not keep going.”

Now, as a mother, friend, and woman of God, Sonya has dedicated her entire life through “following the ways of this church to serve through whatever God puts in front of me.”

As someone who has endured struggles that I could never even imagine of going through, spending a couple of weeks with Sonya during the summer reminds me of many lessons.

First, I am shown how the environments around us can easily affect us. ●

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A Letter In Which I Reflect Around Me Why do I exist here and now?

CHLOE KATOPODIS Dear Danielle, I'm just so Frustrated.

I am so angry, I am so fed up, I am so determined, but boy, am I Frustrated.

I am determined to make a change but I am angry infuriated that it's not happening and that I don't know how to make a change. And then I worry that if I do start to push, that if I do know how, there are to many Systems in place that would stop positive changes from happening and am infuriated so livid that I am on fire that I live in such a developed country like Australia that has so much potential but doesn't live up to it. I am just so overwhelmed by so much negativity.

It seems the more I know and the more I find out, like about Climate Change, the deeper I fall into a pit of despair about the future of the Planet and the People and just the Lifeforce in general. I sit in my house safe at night watching television shows about the most expensive houses, with 80 meter pools that the 80 year old owners can't even swim in, and the replica Chicago cities in their basements and am filled with disgust that right outside, only blocks away, are homeless men sleeping on the streets. I am disgusted in the fact that these people are self absorbed that they have such ridiculous items and seem to live so carefree when there are so many issues in the world - SO MANY ISSUES - that are more pressing and they sit there in their ninth living room looking all carefree and millions of children are displaced in Syria and thousands of children in my own country might not know where their next meal is coming from. How can this be?

Look, I understand, I Get It, that when people work hard they reap their rewards. And I don't want to deny people of that or say that

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nobody should have Nice Things, because I want Nice Things and I want you to have Nice Things and others to have Nice Things. But some things aren't Nice, they're Excessive and some people aren't that hard workers, they benefit from their Social Status. As a society, we have such an issue with Consumerism, it's just More, More, More and it feels like the people with More aren't giving to the people with Less, or at least using their position to influence the System to give them opportunities. How can we navigate this?

I honestly do not understand why certain things are the way they are and one of those certain things that I certainly don't understand is Politics. What the hell do they do up there in the Land of the Law? Why the hell is our Great Barrier Reef still dying? Why the hell don't we have renewable energy when we have some of the most extreme weather in the world that would suit it. Some days I am sure there is enough wind force on North Terrace alone to give the city power. And how about in the Outback? Some parts are so hot they're uninhabitable and we aren't chucking solar panels there why? I don't understand why there isn't more action by the Rats in Suits running our country and I don't understand how we are going to navigate the future. I don't understand how I am going to tell my grandchildren that panda bears used to exist and we weren't flooded over. How can things seem so helpless?

There are times where I sit and think to myself about my situation, and think why me? Why am I who I am? Why have I had the circumstances that I've had? Why aren't I one of the 50% of children in El Salvador who live in extreme poverty? Why aren't I the child down the road with parents I can't connect to? What would my life be like if my grandparents didn't change their entire lives to move to Australia for a better future? Would I

still be who I am? How is it that I am me, and that you are you?

I am a big believer that we are influenced by every single thing around us and that our circumstances shape who we are. But my sister and I were raised basically the same and look how different we are - she's a fireball and I'm getting burnt most of the time. So within us there is a unique person, but the environment we surround ourselves in deeply affect us. I never realized more than last year, when our lives were uprooted and we moved to a different area while renting out our house and when The Hurricane That Was Year 12 hit.

and women literally fighting the system just to learn. And here I am, letting it slip by. No. Here we are, in an environment where we don't understand the power of education. How is it that we just don't seem to grasp how Lucky we have it? And how is it that the system we are in is failing us and we don't do anything about it? How do we have an education system that so many hate, that teaches so ineffectively? How is it that we, as students, are suffering in the long term yet can't revolt against it? How are we being turned into puppets? How did it take me this long to wake up and realise all this?

My final few years of school were a Sludge to live through and there were genuinely times where I was broken, on my knees praying for Help, texting you about how depressed we both were and how stressed school was making us and how we didn't even know ourselves. Last year I was just floating through life, not even absorbing anything that happened to me and just working on Autopilot. I lost all sense of identity. I understand that our environments shape us, but how was I destroyed?

How am I going to change it?

But now I'm back, I'm out of that situation and I'm breathing. I'm a Sponge - I'm absorbing and am alive again. But it's hard. I am a $2 sponge when I want to be a ShamWow. I feel like time is going by so fast and I'm not fully experiencing things. It is so easy to slip into complacency, to not even take a moment to breathe. I feel like I'm riding a current, I'm going Through The Motions and I don't like it, not one bit. I live in a place where I have security and opportunities and the ability to do so many things, but time after time, I'm letting it all slip by.

I may be Frustrated, it may last forever, but there is no Chance, absolutely none, that I will stand by idly and not use the powers and privilege I have to impact the world in a positive way. For me, for my family, for my future generations. For the children across the street, on the street, and in a street across the world. For my country, my religion, my gender, for all I represent. Above all, for the fact that it's the just thing to do.

And I hate that. I hate it so much.

When I find myself lacking this motivation and falling into a pit of despair, I am now trying to ground myself - this is who you are, this is what you've got, this is what somebody is wishing for. How can I idle by in school and take it for granted when there are others fighting for their education. There are children

It's still taking time but I am motivated to experience more. I am motivated to go to the university library, to use the resources I have in my environment. I am motivated to make changes in my life to have less of a Negative Impact. I am motivated to share knowledge with others and work as a group, uplifting each other. I am motivated to work within my environment to create better opportunities that I wish I had. How can I not?

I have been given the power of thought and am able to creatively express that. There is a strong social conscious within me that I am determined to never quell. This isn't somebody else's problem - this is ours and we have to work collectively as an entire global population to create a Shift, a Wave of Change.

Our environment is around us and within us it will not be destroyed. I am determined.

All the love from my screaming heart, Chloe â—?

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Rafiki Mwema INTERVIEW WITH SARAH ROSBORG BY CHLOE KATOPODIS Rafiki Mwema means 'Loyal Friend' in Swahili and that is exactly what this organization is to young children in Kenya who have been impacted by horrific abuse and lack of support or care.

Living as a family, the children are therapeutically parented and receive regular therapy individually and in groups while working to establish safe contact with their families. Above all, they are loved. There is such stigma attached to a child who has been raped, in a culture that places blame on those who have suffered and ignores the perpetrators of these heinous crimes. Housing children as young as two years old to teenagers in school, giving them a home to therapeutically support them, the girls are given safe spaces away from this.

Aware of the initial problems, they took their same approach to working with local street boys to educate them to respect themselves and others. They give them the values to become safe brothers, husbands, uncles and fathers, as well as with communities to break this cycle of abuse and let children live as children should.

Have you always been passionate about these causes or was this a realization you had later in life?

I have always had a need to help, growing up with a mother who is always giving, it would be surprising if it didn’t rub off on me somehow. It escalated after my car accident; it set something off inside of me that won’t allow me to switch off. Maybe I found my calling and I would have gone down this road anyway. Who knows, but I couldn’t think of living my life any other way now.

I have been given a wonderful

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life and am lucky enough to live in a country where I am able to support my own family and help others. I couldn’t imagine living my life just to support myself and my family, don’t get me wrong, there is nothing I love more than my husband and daughter but I believe I should honour the life I have been given by helping those who are not so lucky.

My life would feel empty without my Rafiki family; the sadness the stories bring me are always lost in the stories of hope I have seen from the wonderful progress we

Charitable have had made at Rafiki. The feeling of overwhelm is also calmed when I meet all the wonderful, kind people on my OFJ (obsessive fundraising journey). People who want to help me help. Sometimes you just have to make it easy for people to help and they will come. Especially if you never ever shut up about it. Sorry to all of my friends and family for the past 10 years ;)

web design and I started my business. I donated my services to Anne Marie for Play Kenya, building her website and doing all of the graphic design she needed. We stayed in touch for years and then one day, about 3 years ago, she told me that they had run out of funds for Rafiki Mwema.

They had poured all of their own funds into their charity and had no one donating.

What was a pivotal moment that inspired the creation of this charity, that made you determined to turn it from an idea to a reality?

I worked in Kenya for many years (with another home) and I watched Anne Marie (from Play Kenya) do play therapy with some of the homes most abused children.

To be honest, I thought it was nonsense...therapy for a small child? and PLAY therapy?

Really? The child that I saw most change in was a small girl who had been raped by her father when she was 9 months old. She breaks my heart whenever I think of her but what I witnessed Anne Marie and Play Kenya achieve with their therapy changed my mind and from that day on I had the utmost respect and admiration for what they were doing. Then I wanted to become a Play Therapist! But that would require years of study and I don’t think that my concentration levels would allow me to complete such a thing!

I knew what closing down this home meant. These girls who needed this therapeutic house so much would have to go into other homes or back to their communities. Most filled with huge violence and abuse. I decided to hold an online auction via my business page to raise some funds for them. My aim was to raise 2 months running costs ($10K) to get them out of trouble. I asked for people in my online community to donate items that I could auction off. I had a wonderful response and was able to raise $17K!

So instead, I taught myself

This was great and it would keep them out of trouble for 3 months but what would happen then? I had fallen for the girls while pouring myself into this auction and couldn’t get them out of my head. I spoke with a couple of my girlfriends (alcohol was involved) and I talked to them about the possibility of starting a charity for Rafiki Mwema in Australia to help keep them open. I had done this before for another organization, so I knew how to do it, but now I

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Rafiki Mwema have a web design company, a family, a body full of pain and fatigue. I thought, ‘I don’t have the time! But I don’t have a choice!’. I started Rafiki Mwema and within 3 months’ form starting we had all of the girls fully sponsored. The World Wide Web is an amazing thing most of the time!

The plan was to originally work with girls; what prompted the move to work with boys and why is it so important?

We don’t want to work only with the girls, who are with us as the product of abuse, but also with our boys who have lived tougher lives than you could ever imagine. We want to help them to know they are loveable and wanted members of their community, rather than human vermin that are seen to infect and pollute the very streets they live on to survive. They are the faceless victims of unspeakable abuse and torture. Surviving beatings, burning and sexual abuse on a scale to huge to imagine and then to turn to the streets as tiny children, because they are safer there than in their own homes. How come they are seen as ‘street boys’ and not abused children. Why does the world ignore their story and look away from their needs?

We need to stop them from moving from abused to abuser. There is a big picture behind every abuse that happens and we are all about the bigger picture.

By doing that we will help them to love and respect

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themselves and their Rafiki sisters and grow into the loving kind men they have the potential to be. They will be the very husbands and fathers that love and protect their partners and children and break the cycle of abuse that they have been subjected to.

With the technology we have today, it makes the world a smaller place that we are able to know more about and it can help educate us on issues, such as poverty and child abuse, that otherwise wouldn't receive as much awareness. The story of Constance Hall, the lifestyle/ parent blogger who drew attention to the fundraising effort to build new spaces to support the growing girls and made it viral to raise $200,000 was just sensational. Can you expand on this more and what it is like to operate as a charity in this modern age?

Technology is amazing. We can reach anyone - and we did! I mean, Constance Hall found us and now Celeste Barber. They have both fallen in love with us and will now continue to speak for Rafiki.

There are many, many wonderful charities out there and sometime it seems overwhelming with everything you see in your Facebook feed. But I just continue to show them my passion, I show them this is not a flash in the pan, I will fight for these kids every day. I will speak up. I will work my arse off. This gives people inspiration to help

Charitable us or someone else (I am all for helping! Not just us! Help ANYONE!) The downside is trolls. I am learning to deal with them more each time I encounter them but it’s hard when I feel so deeply about something and they question that or argue. Block and ignore!

It seems the world has so many issues that are being brought front and center to people, such as through television advertisements, awareness days and news stories. What efforts or initiatives do you think we need to make on a global, national and local scale to make more positive impacts on the world?

A simple answer for this one: if everyone did a little then it would change a lot. So many people do not do anything to help because they think they cannot make a change. It’s not true! ONE person can make so much change. But don’t do NOTHING because the issues seem to big.

I feel like this generation has a lot of passion and are more concerned with social issues and making a difference, especially with the help of social media and the Internet.

What are your thoughts on them making progress?

Yes, I do hope so. Young people are asking more questions and seem to be more willing to lend a helping hand. I really hope the generations to come learn to fight for change and

speak up for those who need us.

How do you stay inspired in the times when it's really difficult?

I look at the bigger picture.

I have seen first-hand the traumas of our children. It is not something I can forget about, or not find the time to help. My life would not mean much to me if I wasn't helping someone, anyone.

What do you feel needs to be done to change the source of the issues, i.e. the abuse?

How do you think the average person can contribute to this?

This question is a hard one to answer. We work hard with our children to stop the cycle of abuse (often they can go on to be abusers) but the average person can speak up, help those who are scared or unable to speak up for themselves. Like I always say, I will never stay silent just so you can remain comfortable.

Speak up even when it makes people squirm.

One of the things that stand out to me about this organization is the ongoing support. So many efforts are made to take care of the children while they are in your care and when they are out.

How significant is to involve communities and officials in solving the core issues that lead children to Rafiki?

Our main priority is to involve the communities. We are not Kenyan and we are not looking to change the way they live,

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Rafiki Mwema ever. We want to help educate the communities about how they can help their child after the abuse. We want to try and stop this cycle and empower them to help others and their own.

Anne Marie out to Australia to hold conferences on the type of therapy that she is trained and trains in. I believe she could bring so much knowledge to those who need us here.

Can you explain the importance of the environment a person, especially a child, is surrounded in? How much of a difference can it make to be in a safe space?

It makes all the difference. If I went to live on the streets where our boys live, there is no doubt I would be abused in the first week.

We dream of having a therapeutic school to educate the children who need us so much. We dream that we can build ‘foster homes’ on our farm that would house siblings that are unable to leave us. We would house them with their own key worker/mum and give them more of a home environment.

We dream of having all of our buildings on our land at Doyle Farm so we can have our family all together.

Sometimes I feel like so many people want to help but don't know how. What can people do in their everyday lives to support Rafiki Mwema and the causes they stand for?

There are so many things you can do. Share our stories on your social media channels.

Speak up about the awful stories so people know this goes on. You can sponsor a child for $50 a month or sponsor our community outreach for $5 a month.

You can hold raffles, BBQ’s, auctions, markets to raise funds. You could buy some of our merchandise and wear it with pride, NEVER STAYING SILENT. Where do you see the organization going in the future?

Our dreams are that we would be able to extend our training to those in need in Australia.

We are working on bringing

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Cast your mind back to your seventeen-year-old self; what are some words of wisdom she would need to hear?

Oh man, if you could only meet my seventeen-year-old self; I think most people would die of shock. I would tell her to cheer up and be a lot kinder to herself, and to stay away from dickheads. I would assure her that there are many loving men in the world who can treat you the way you deserve.

Continue to care and you are not too sensitive - you are just compassionate. ___________________________ To find out more about the Rafiki Mwema charity, go to their official website at rafikimwema.com, their Facebook page for regular updates and their Instagram @ rafikicastle to show support. ●

Charitable

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Globetrotter: New York A COLUMN BY MARGOT OYUELA

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Our environments practically shape us into the people we are. If you ever find yourself surrounded by the atmosphere in New York City, consider yourself lucky. NYC is one of those magical places that can push you to be the person you’ve always wanted to be. Whether you’re making a quick visit or planning a big move, I’m here to help you prepare for a life-changing scene.

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Globetrotter

Food As an extreme lover of food, I like to take advantage of NYC’s incredible diversity. You’re in a city that has thousands of restaurants with hundreds of specialties. If you’re in the mood for authentic pasta, head over to any of the familyowned restaurants in Little Italy.

Conveniently, you could also walk a block over from there and devour Chinese takeout in Chinatown. You also have the privilege of being in the deli capital of the world, so for a quick bite, grab a sandwich or a pierogie.

Like every city, NYC has it’s crazy 5 star restaurants that will make you go bankrupt by ordering a peanut, so be careful in areas that attract tourists (or as I like to call them, suckers.)

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New York

To Do List The High Line Though it has recently attracted tourists, the High Line is still considered a hidden gem. This park is built on an old railroad that overlooks the Chelsea streets. It’s a different view of the classic NYC buildings and gives you a chance to scope out new things in Chelsea and makes a killer photo op.

Stonewall Inn Not only is this just a great bar in general but it’s a huge landmark for the LGBT community.

It’s the birthplace of the modern Gay Rights Movement, making it a place of remembrance and pride. It also usually has tributes outside to victims of hate and discrimination.

Chelsea Market If you want an alternative to going shopping in Soho, Chelsea Market has some of the best food vendors and local shops in the city.

If you go during the holidays you can catch the lights that make the market such a huge staple.

Go Museum Hopping The art scene in New York is personally one of my absolute favorite things.

Between the small art galleries in Chelsea and the 80 museums in NYC, you should be able to satisfy your artistic cravings.

Go Shopping I have never experienced a shopping experience like one in New York. Of course you can hit up 5th Avenue if you want to spend a fortune, however there’s a variety of mainstream and vintage stores in Soho and The Village. If you’re looking for unique pieces and a cheaper option, check out the Brooklyn Flea Market.

Dream House

Brooklyn

Be a tourist

This installation in Tribeca was created by a couple of artists who wanted to give people an experience with sound waves and visual effects. It’s a very obscure thing that not many people know about and it definitely deserves a visit.

You can check crossing Brooklyn Bridge off your bucket list and truly get the best pictures of the Manhattan skyline. Not to mention Dumbo and Williamsburg have some of the coolest places to see in all of NYC, including my favorite coffee shop, Blue Bottle Coffee, in Williamsburg.

Go stare at the billboards in Times Square, see the Statue of Liberty, and walk around Central Park. Though I try to give alternatives, you can’t really skip these while you’re in New York. I’m not gonna lie and say you won’t get judged by the locals, but at least you get to see the things that make NYC so popular.

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Tips & Tricks Five Essentials 1. Try your best not to act like a tourist.

NYC is a busy city filled with locals who despise having to deal with huge crowds of imbeciles blocking the streets. Take your pictures quickly and don’t stand in the middle of a pathway unless you want to get pushed by someone who’s running late to work. Enjoy yourself, but just be conscious.

2. Take the Staten Island Ferry instead of a boat tour to the Statue of Liberty.

The ferry is free and you can laugh at the clueless tourists that are paying for the same thing.

3. Find a building other than the Empire State.

There’s tons of buildings for great above ground pictures of the city. Paying $30 and waiting in a two-hour line and the Empire State is not the brightest idea.

5. TAKE. THE. SUBWAY. I’m begging you. Don’t be that idiot that pays $20 for each cab ride. NYC has one of the best public transportation systems in the entire world!! Don’t take that luxury for granted.

Plus, it gives you the opportunity to see all the interesting people.

6. Find the environment that will help you grow and thrive.

If you ever plan on living in such an eccentric city like New York, find your home. Things like the food, the people and the overall aesthetic of an area can really shape the way you feel.

Always settle down in an atmosphere that makes you feel at home. ●

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New York

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Fill In The Blanks Sierra Annaliese Musician, Poet and Photographer Hello my name is Sierra and I express myself through music, poetry, and photography. My current workspace is normally filled with candles, notebooks, coffee mugs, and house plants. I wish it had more organization and less clutter, though sometimes it feels as if I can create more while surrounded in chaos.

A cluttered home office is what my ideal creating environment would be like. I feel most conformable when creating alone or in safe spaces, and don’t like to surround myself with too much to do at once. The calm, 5pm sunset on a windy fall day always uplifts me, while thunderstorms tend to bring me down.

I can't create much when it storms or rains violently. One thing most people don’t know about me is I've published a short novel in verse, titled Dragon Bones, about a year or so ago. I get through tough situations by thinking of the coffee I haven't yet had to drink, holding hands with my love, looking through old and new pictures of friends, and reading. The one song that always pumps me up is 'Banana Bread' by Cavetown. The movie I would love to live in would be Harry Potter for it’s... well, everything! The Harry Potter universe is lovely and it seems a fanciful place to live. A story that always transports me to it's world is The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater. If I could collaborate with anyone, past or present, it would be Yoko Ono because her book of poetry (Grapefruit) is one of my absolute favorite pieces. Her word choice and imagery is ethereal, and it's simply quite inspiring. I would love to bring back the enthusiasm for poetry, and how it was romanticized in the past, but am excited for modern poetry and how it correlates to contemporary art in the future. My plans for the future involve coffee (what else?), ukuleles, several more EPs, and a lot of poetry-filled notebooks. ●

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Serendipity A COLUMN BY BELLA LOPES

The day is complete and all we have to look forward to is the sun whispering adieu.

The sun set appears as a reward each day, the world thanking us for our existence.

We awake, taking on the world and hoping to see the day’s end.

All the struggles, stress, and anxiety is gone knowing that the sun made it through the day as well. We admire its beauty, radiating with the vitamins it gives us.

We take steps under the sky, and watch the falling sun as the rays disappear. We all know a sunset is only a mere see you soon - until tomorrow morning.

There are no disappointments, no surprises. In a world where the only constant is change, it’s valuable having something rewarding to look to each nightfall. The vibrant colors infest the evening sky, cheering us on and enthusiastically letting us know our minds will soon be given the rest it deserves.

It rises each morning proving that we are strong enough to create our light, encouraging us to move forward. The sun will come up, as it always does.

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Roman Wotjkowski INTERVIEW: CHLOE KATOPODIS

Introduce yourself to us.

Hi, I’m Roman and I’m a soon-to-be graduating high school student from Adelaide, South Australia. Ever since I was young, I’ve always had some sort of interest in taking photos.

My interest in photography developed the same time I started skateboarding, which was when I was around 15. I noticed a lot of skateboarders in the skate parks had these really cool cameras and I was like, “I want one.”

I remember constantly nagging mum whenever the catalogue came out and drew circles around the cameras on sale. It wasn’t until two years ago that I received my first DLSR camera for Christmas, and that’s when I understood why mum was wary of buying this new toy for me; first of all, it was expensive, but more importantly, I had no idea how to use it.

What are your favourite subjects to capture?

I shoot anything that interests me or has potential to create an image; I’m way too eclectic to be able to focus on one particular subject. If I had to pick one thing, it would

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definitely have to be people; like, just regular, living human beings. I’ve been shooting a lot of engagement parties and 21st birthday parties, just something to get some extra cash, but what I really enjoy about them is being able to meet new people. It’s interesting seeing how people from different places interact with their friends and family and I love being able to capture this through my photography. Seeing and comparing these interactions with my own friends and family really shows how similar we all are as unique individuals.

You’ve expressed interest in skateboarding, which has a unique and intriguing culture about it. How do you try and translate such a moving, dynamic and unpredictable subject and intense atmosphere in a still shot?

Skateboarding photography is hard! You always need to keep a keen eye and get ready for anything. I used to skateboard myself (I really should get back into it) and we usually announce what trick we’re going for, which is what most photographers want to hear

Telescope otherwise we wouldn’t know where to go or what to look for. For me, when I’m shooting skateboarders, I try to include the whole environment that the subject (skateboarder) is in and work with an angle that encapsulates the two together. So, like, if a skateboarder is trying to perform a grind on a ledge or maybe a trick down a stair set, I try to capture all of the ledge or the entire stair set, but also include a bit more of the environment that they’re in. It’s just my style I guess.

What interests you about photography?

What interests me about photography is the effect it brings on people. Earlier this year, I hosted a photographic exhibition at my school for my major assignment; it was interesting, almost encouraging, to see how people interacted with my photos. There were some similar reactions but there were also some people that related to a couple of the images differently.

I also love showing people previews of my photos at parties and seeing the reactions on their faces. I think I just really like talking to people about my interests and sharing it with them, and photography is such an accessible medium that provides a reason to share this with all kinds of people.

To you, what makes a photo successful?

The ‘success’ of an image or any art piece for that instance is such a subjective topic.

Any piece can be deemed successful in one way or another, but for me I guess I find success in an image when I know the purpose of the image. It doesn’t need to be a deep, philosophical explanation as to why someone did this or did that, but once I can see a reasoning behind the image, everything just makes sense for me. A lot of the time, I centre my subjects in the centre of the composition, simply because I want my viewer to focus on the subject, and that’s the purpose behind that image. Honestly, some photos I look at on Instagram just look cool, and that’s a good enough reason for me to decide, “yep that’s a winner.” Maybe the purpose behind that image was for it to look cool, but that’s when the ‘subjective’ side of judging ones’ image comes to play.

There aren’t really any right or wrong answers, I’d be happy for anyone to make their own story as to why I shot a particular photo a certain way.

Photography isn’t a ‘creative art’ for nothing, you know?

What is one thing that you wish people knew or understood about photography?

I just wish that some people knew that photography is still an art. There is a general lack of appreciation for the art. I remember a while ago, there was this kid at school who was looking at my photos, and he asked my art teacher, “How do teachers give grades for photography? Can’t anyone take photos?” The question made me a little angry, but it’s true, and it’s no big secret. Everyone nowadays can

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Roman Wotjkowski take photos, it’s kind of scary. The iPhone 7 and I think the Samsung Galaxy S7 has a new lens that has an f/1.8 aperture, which is what allows photos to have that really blurry background with the foreground still in focus. I have to admit that’s pretty cool for a smartphone, but the fact that everyone can do what previously only DSLR cameras could do kind of loses its value. I could go on and on about what makes a photographer, but from what I have gained from personal experience and interacting with other photographers, is that there’s a certain style that each photographer carries. I don’t know, there’s just something about particular photographers that are personal and stylistic. There’s this quote from American photographer, Ken Van Sickle, that says, “What a great photographer does is, they are consistently able to make something in a style that’s personal to themselves.”

And that’s what I believe differentiates photographers from everyone else.

What has been a memorable moment in your photography journey?

There was this one crazy time last year where I took a bus to Mount Lofty. It was an hour long bus ride and a 40-minute walk just to get to the summit. When I got off the bus stop I didn’t have much clue which direction the mountain was, but there was this group of foreign exchange students who were going a similar route, so I asked if I could join them.

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They were a genuinely lovely group of people, and they knew enough English to be able to carry a conversation. But we went our separate ways when I reached Mount Lofty. By the time I finished the trek hiking down and back up the mountain, it started to get dark and I was panicking because I had no idea where the bus stop back to the city was. As I was walking around aimlessly, I noticed this huge highway that gazed before me. I took a break from looking for my bus stop, and I took some long exposure photos of the highway instead.

I eventually found my bus stop and while I was waiting there, I heard these two men yelling ‘Hey!’ at me. It took me a moment to realise that they were the same people from the group of foreign exchange students I walked with. We took the bus back to the city together. When I look back at that picture of the highway, I’m reminded of that story.

What has been something that has surprised you?

Something that has surprised me is that there are a lot of photographers I know of that also share similar interests with me.

Skateboarding is something I already previously mentioned, but I have a lot of skateboarding friends who are also photographers. An interest I haven’t mentioned however, is music. I’m deeply passionate for playing the drums and also listening to and discovering new music. My playlists on Spotify are a representation of my personality: a mess. I listen to a lot of metal

Telescope subgenres, but have been listening to a lot of dream-pop and hardcore pop-punk music as well. Anyway, there are a couple musicians that I know of who are also really excellent photographers. I even know a few people who are into all three. I feel like this is because skateboarding, photography and music all involve the act of creatively expressing yourself in some way. That’s really important to me.

Who have been some people that inspire you and why?

There was this period in my life where I started getting really existential and started stressing about what I was going to do with my life after school. This year is my final year of high school, so the question about University has been bouncing around in my head for quite some time. When I talked to my mum about maybe not going to Uni next, she instantly reacted and said I had to apply for a university next year. I don’t know, something about doing something that I wasn’t sure about for another four/five years really struck me and made me sink into a whirl of depression. I talked to my skateboarding friends about it, and the community of support I had from them was so overwhelming. One of the guys told me about how his parents wanted him to become a lawyer, but he never pursued that career.

Another one told me about how his parents wanted him to become a doctor, but he stood his ground and applied for a science degree

instead. I’m so used to just going ahead with whatever my mum wants me to do, I never really had the voice to express to her what I wanted for myself. My skateboarding friends inspired me to be a little more selfish, a little more rebellious and take a stand for what I want for myself.

How do you move forward from creative ruts and lack of motivation?

I’m a victim of both right now to be honest (laughs); it’s why I haven’t posted anything on my Instagram for a while. With that being said, my style of photography involves going out and exploring; my photos are simply the result of that. I think for me, whenever I’m walking around looking for something to shoot, I just really need to pay close attention to what’s around me.

Sometimes a photo opportunity will be right in front of my face, but sometimes photo opportunities can only be seen if I look through my lens.

Another thing I could/ should do is use objects around me and create a composition with what I got; I’ve only done that once when I placed a snail shell on the top of this picket fence, but I thought it was really cool. As for lack of motivation, it’s kind of like getting out of bed in the morning; You just have to do it! There’s not really any secret technique, all it takes is to take your camera and just get out there. Oh, also maybe have a friend with you when you’re going out. Whether they do photography or not, everything’s always

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Roman Wotjkowski a lot more fun with friends.

Why do you think there are stigmas about creative pathways, especially in more traditional, ethnic communities?

My mum’s from the Philippines so I can relate to this question easily. I guess because she lived in a third-world country with such little opportunities to pursue a creative career for such a long time, this mindset kind of stuck to her even when she moved to Australia. I guess that’s why my mum, who came from a somewhat traditional, ethnic community doesn’t support creative pathways. It’s infuriating but understandable to some sort of extent; making a living in the Philippines is tough and to pursue a creative career in that environment is so precarious. Parents just want what’s best for you, which is what any good parent should want, but I do wish they adapted their mindset to the current career opportunities available in the creative industry.

Literally every single thing in the world needs a system of design and the way art can enrich our lives is sensational but yet they’re still not as respected or understood. I feel like as soon as people begin to realise how significant these lifestyles are, like through explaining the possibilities and job prospects to them, they become more open about it. We also know that art therapy can be helpful for PTSD and that tackling issues with creative thinking leads to new innovations, especially in medicine. What steps do you feel we need to make to build a better, more respectful future for creative industries?

It’s really difficult, even here in Australia, there still isn’t a huge window of opportunity for artsy careers. Skateboarding has a had a really bad rap ever since it started, but it’s slowly (when I mean slowly I mean like snail-pace slowly) being moulded and accepted into our urban city scene. The thing that’s somewhat helping the skateboarding scene is that there is so much exposure to it now. In the city, you can’t go 5 minutes without hearing or seeing a skateboarder whiz past you. I’m also seeing the same thing for street art, which is pretty

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cool. there’s an increase of street wall art that I’ve noticed around the Adelaide CBD which is pretty cool to look at. I feel the continuation of these sorts of things could definitely be a way to help people understand creative industries.

Another step is communication. It’s a simple answer, but there are so many different forms of communication and on top of that, there are so many ways in which communication can be effective, and not so effective. But anyway, these two things I feel are integral for the future of creative businesses. Exposure and talking, posting, sharing to people about art is a surefire way to reach out to a larger audience.

There is such an increase in technology available now, and artists are collaborating more with scientists and developers to create new, unexpected creations. What technology, possibilities or breakthroughs are you excited about or hope to see in the future?

Hover boards obviously. Not those falseadvertising Segway things, I mean real ones that let you fly and stuff like in Back to the Future.

That would be sick. Jet packs would be cool as well but I feel hover boards would be more convenient. If we’re talking about photography, I would really hope to see real moving photos, similar to the ones shown in the Harry Potter films. I’m not even a massive fan of Harry Potter (apologies everyone reading this), but I remember watching the first few films and just being amazed seeing the live mugshots on the newspapers. There’s this new photo feature on smartphones called Live Photos or Motion Photos; they sort of emulate this concept which is cool, but to see actual printed, moving photos would be the dream.

What do you hope to explore in the future?

The main crux of my photography is telling stories. I love telling stories to my friends and just talking to people in general. In the future, I’m hoping to explore new, innovative ways to communicate these stories to my audience; I’m not really sure how though, but I will think of something! I also want to be able to realise my style of photography. Like I said earlier, I just shoot whatever interests me in

Telescope the present moment, but I want to make a more conscientious thinking process when I’m shooting, so that I can develop a more defined style. At the moment, I’m not really working on anything new with photography, but I’m planning to make more time to explore, capture more images and hopefully start posting more on Instagram again.

You are currently in your final year of high school – nearly finished! – so have you thought about plans for the next year for study and if you will be pursuing photography in them?

I actually have decided to apply for Uni next year. I’m hoping to study a Bachelor of Teaching and Bachelor of Arts. As for photography, I have considered completing my Certificate IV, but I’m not sure. I’m pretty nervous about studying photography again, because last time I applied for a course, I got extremely stressed out by it.

I’m holding it off for now, but if I feel like I’m ready and a little more mature, hopefully I’ll

apply for it and study photography alongside with Uni. The thing is, plans don’t always work out, so I don’t want to be too fixated on anything yet. It’s like the cliché goes; ‘take everything one step at a time.’

Any parting words of advice?

If you have an interest in something, but don’t know where to start; talk to people. Talk to a lot of people. Go explore some venues that might be useful for your interest. If you’re shy, maybe take a friend with you, otherwise you really have to make an effort to push yourself out of your shell. It’s scary and it’s difficult, and I know this because I’ve well and truly been in that sinking hole of anxiety, but there’s going to be a time where you’ll need to put yourself out of your comfort zone. Don’t be scared; embrace it, tackle it, enjoy it, and if you are struggling with something, there is a community of support out there that is willing to listen to you if you are willing to talk. But most of all, smile more. ●

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Moiety The Psychology of Music WORDS: HANNAH LOZANO

In our last issue, I talked about Csikszentmihalyi’s theory of flow, and how it transforms live music from a clamor of auditory perceptions to a euphony of instruments, cheers, and singing to create a communion within the audience and between the viewers and the performers.

Now, we will look at how we listen to music in solitary.

What is it that churns in the brain as we hear music? Why do the levels of ecstasy vary between listeners? How do we discriminate these sounds from any others?

Relative pitch is how we distinguish certain pitches in music to identify songs hear music the way we do.

Thanks to relative pitch, we can recognize melodies and the intervals they come in, appreciating the tones and pitches as our brains build these perceptions into what we call music. It is a unique skill in humans, found at varying levels, which determines how well our may be at playing an instrument.

Like I mentioned last month, music activates the reward circuit in the brain. After hearing the delightful sounds,

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the brain sends out dopamine, neurotransmitters that cause us to feel good, releasing the chemical in greater quantities when more joy is felt. In a way, the chemical makeup of our brain is rewarding us for listening to music. This feeling of being rewarded conditions us to want to take whatever action we did before in order to feel that way again. That’s probably why some people feel the need to play the same songs over and over.

You can’t blame, them they're just responding to the natural messages their brains are sending them.

Our brains react to music in very interesting ways.

For example, many people suffer from a disorder called congenital amusia. These individuals hear music as the horrible sounds of clatter or nails on a chalkboard. They cannot distinguish between different pitches or tones.

Others are awoken in the middle of the night from violent cacophonies which seem to be blaring in their ears which have no physical origin.

These musical hallucinations can be extremely disturbing and must be suppressed

by medications. In other instances, individuals can go about their day with a single song echoing in their brains, uninterrupted. The latter may seem a bit more familiar.

Our brains seem to be very fond of the notes with small pitch intervals and slightly longer durations. These pieces tend to attach to our train of thought wherever it goes whenever its moving slow or not at all. So basically, when we aren’t actively using our brains, they just fill the void with music. Most of the time we don't even notice that these songs are playing, but they can keep our moods stable, especially if the songs that play or on the uplifting side. This sensation is thought to occur in the prefrontal cortex, predominately in individuals who tend to get lost in music when it’s actually playing.

Hearing music can be a idle act for many. For others, it can be an emotional experience, whether through headphones on a walk, driving in the car, or through the speaker in a bedroom with feet kicked up, curtains open. It can be a trance. For these brains, there is no such thing as idle hearing. There is only listening- not just perceiving, but encoding, feeling, and changing. Musical stimuli are encoded into the brain through the auditory cortex in the temporal lobe. While the brain produces many physiological responses to music in the nucleus accumbens, hypothalamus, insula, and orbitofrontal cortex, perhaps

the most remarkable physical reaction to music happens in the corpus collosum, the wide, thick tissue that splits the right brain from the left.

Phenomenally, according to brain scans, in individuals who have the ability to play and produce music, the tissue in their corpus collosum is thicker, the entire substance being larger than in those who lack the ability to play music.

The contrasts in the sizes of these hemispherical structures could be due to the increased amount of neural connections within the corpus collosum, specifically in the neocortical sensorimotor areas the spots in our brains for perceiving sound, causing the overall structure to increase in volume. Many believe that this is due to the inclination of precision skills in the fingers and hands. Whichever conclusion it may be, it is amazing that such an ability can cause the physical structure of our brains to be completely transformed.

Further, since the corpus collosum is the binding the left and right hemispheres of our brains, allowing communication between the two sides, these additional connections through the increased cytoarchitectonic volume allows more communication to cross from one side to another, if not with more speed, than in nonmusic playing individuals.

When you play music, an adventure is occurring in your brain. Your auditory cortex translates those changing levels of pitch and tone into

a coherent string of melody.

If the song has words, the Wernicke’s area of your temporal lobe is working to comprehend those words.

Your autonomic nervous system is contacted by vestibular brain nuclei, where sounds transfer into stimuli in the brain, thus causing feelings of awakeness, arousing the body, and perhaps initiating subconscious physical reactions, also referred to as dancing. The brain structure that I have noticed being most at work in my experiences with music is the amygdala.

This area, responsible for emotions, is where most sound information transfers into the brain as stimuli. This could act like a filter, encoding these musical stimuli into the brain with emotional ties, which may be why we have emotional connections to experiences associated with music. In conjunction with the hippocamus, the center for memory, moments can be strongly affected with the input of music. This association could explain why hearing certain songs seems to “take us back” to a certain place and time.

The amygdala also makes connections with the nucleus accumbens, also referred to as the addiction area. Heavy activity between this center and the auditory cortex has been shown to indicate the desire to listen to a song over and over again. All the while, our only voluntary task is to accept the miraculous existence of music and let it take us over with each passing song. ●

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I'm Free WORDS: MEREDITH FITE PHOTOGRAPHY: JACQUELINE LA PERNA I find it hard to look back upon times of difficulty. For many reasons. One of them being, I fear going back to that same place and getting stuck there.

And another reason is that I do not want to feel that pain again. It's often hard to think about a time you felt at your worst, because then it's raw and it's real and the wound is open again.

I can remember the first time somebody told me that I was fat. I can remember where I was, and I can remember what it felt like. I also remember tattling on the person and hoping that it would never happen again. I was so young that I believed that tattling on that one person would save me from ever being body shamed again. I was naive and I was wrong.

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I can remember the names that I was called. "Big Fat Cheeseburger" is funny to me now, because it is such an elaborate name. Why call a third-grade girl fat when we can call her, "Big Fat Cheeseburger" instead? I would have rather been called fat.

I can remember the words that hurt me the most. I can remember the exact place I was at. I can remember wearing my favorite outfit that day and vowing to never wear it again, after what was said. "You should suck your stomach in harder."

I can remember my love for shopping fade into a hatred of shopping. The dressing room became my enemy. Nothing would fit right, nothing would

look right, and nothing made me feel good about my body.

I can remember the shedding of tears in dressing rooms.

I can remember feeling so much pressure from everybody to lose weight, and to not be fat anymore. I can remember hating what I saw in the mirror.

I can remember a little girl who wanted nothing more than to be just that. I can remember not understanding why I was called these names, and what was so wrong with the way I looked. I can remember hating eating in front of people, out of fear that they would judge how much I would eat.

I can remember not wanting to take swim team pictures, because I didn't want pictures of me sent out in my swim suit. I can remember making the decision to quit something

that I loved, because all of the pressure and the shame that surrounded my body image. I was in the fifth grade when I quit swim team, because I didn't want people to see my body.

I can remember nobody understanding how I felt, and not wanting to talk about it. I don't remember why I never wanted to talk about what I was going through, maybe it was the shame I felt, who knows. To this day, I have rarely talked about these things. And I cannot remember why.

I'm here to talk about these things now, in hopes that it will reach people who are struggling with their body image.

I've slowly started to love and cherish my body as it is, for the past few years.

Shopping became a positive thing again (that's not what my wallet would say though), eating in front of people became less difficult, and what had once haunted me stopped terrorizing me. I have reclaimed my body as my own, and base my opinions of it solely on how I feel about it. I reclaimed my body and decided to eliminate the negativity that I associated with it, and to replace it with positivity. No longer would what people said about my body hurt me, because they are not how I feel about my body. No longer would I hate eating in front of people, because I am nourishing my body and it doesn't matter what anybody thinks about

it. No longer would I cry in dressing rooms, because it is not worth my time to shop in places that don't sell my size.

I realized that I had spent so much time focusing on how others viewed my body that I didn't even know how I truly felt about my own body.

A few weeks ago, I can remember going into a store and deciding to try on a bikini for fun. I can remember telling myself that it was just for fun, because I had a feeling that it would end like every other time I tried on a bikini.

The moment I tried on this bikini, so many things had changed. For once in my life, I felt confident in a bikini. For once in my life, I would finally own a bikini and it wouldn't have power over me. Every time I wear that bikini I feel like I am free. Free from all the pain that I felt, free from the memories that had haunted me. Free.

nobody had said anything negative about it. This realization is something that changed how I saw the world.

I was in elementary school when I was first body shamed.

I was a child. The standards that society holds for bodies are standards that should be destroyed. Society pushed these standards onto people, onto children, so much that they decided to shame what wasn't up to standards. This is not something that we need to be teaching our children.

We need to be teaching our children to love themselves and others.

We need to be teaching our children to support and accept the children around them. If we teach kindness and acceptance and love, then maybe we can prevent children growing up with negative body images.

Reclaiming my body and realizing how beautiful it truly is to me, has been a hard and amazing journey. There are days when I feel the way I had felt, but those days aren't forever. We all have days where we struggle with who we are and with everything in our lives, but those days aren't forever. Days do not last forever, months do not last forever, pain does not last forever. What lasts forever is your body and it's the only one that you have.

The message that I want to spread is that your body is beautiful. Your body is yours and yours only. Do not let what anybody else has said about it dictate the way you feel about your body. Reclaim your body as your own and treat yourself kindly, be patient with yourself in this journey. Teach children to love each other as they are, and to spread love instead of negativity. Shatter the image that there is a perfect body.

There is no perfect body other than the one you have. You are beautiful. I believe in you. I am proud of you.

As I've gone through the journey of reclaiming my body, I realized that I would have loved my body as it was, if

One day we will all be free. â—?

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Better Together WORDS: KAMRYN KOBAL | PHOTOGRAPHY: MCLANE STRINGER One of the purest feelings in the entire world is being able to look in the mirror at yourself and feeling completely satisfied with the image staring through the glass. Most of us spend way too much time checking our hair, teeth, and make up almost every day, but how often do we actually walk away from the mirror feeling content with our bodies?

With pressure from social media, television, music, and almost every other form of modern communication, there is constantly a physical expectation that is exerted on us. Men are built to be tall and muscular, but not too tall and not too muscular. Girls are meant to have a small waist and a few curves, but not too small of a waist and not too many curves.

As the pressure continues to build up, the importance of appreciating your own body seems to be pushed out.

Our bodies are our first physical environment that we live through every single day of our lives. Even when we roll out of bed with mascara still on from the night before or stare at our tummies after we first wake up, our bodies are the same skin that we have been in all of our life. Our body is an actual gift to us, sculpted from the Mightiest hands and most Loving heart. We are given toes that allow us to feel every strand of soft grass that sways in the wind. We are given eyes that witness miracles, no matter how big those impossibilities seemed in the beginning. We are given stomachs that are covered in soft peach fuzz and can poke out after shamelessly having too many scoops of ice cream. We are given hands that serve as leverage when we fall down. Those same hands are even stronger when helping up those around you.

There is an old saying: “There is strength in numbers”. A greater change is seen when there are more people working towards the

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cause. Imagine if all the women in the world were able to bond together for their sisters across the nations. Women despite their color, sexuality, background, or lifestyle could join hands as one team and work to spread love and passion to all women. So while picturing a girl from every country, meeting together in one place is an incredible image to visualize, that is simply unattainable. However, with the power of the Internet, women can easily make their voices heard virtually. Posting a selfie with your bare face and your blemishes out in the open can serve as encouragement to your followers that no one should ever feel like they need to cover their imperfections. Posting another selfie with your face completely covered in make-up can remind those same people that you are allowed to find selfpositivity in adding an extra rosy shade to your cheeks.

Towards the end of October, we set up our first photo shoot to mark the start of an initiative we are beginning with this issue called +you. This photo shoot was centered around body positivity and selflove. Girls from all different shapes and sizes participated in the shoot to prove that no matter how someone looks on the outside, women are women and we are made to support each other. In this shoot, girls who met only minutes before taking photos were joking as if they have known each other their whole lives. The models that joined stopped frequently to dance to Beyoncé and munch on cream filled donuts. Laughter, music, and positive chaos filled the make shift studio in my house to serve as an environment where my friends could be reminded that they are fearfully and wonderfully made. Photographs taken by Mclane Stringer proved that we are happier when surrounded by other girls who are loving themselves and those around them.

We are better together, my girlfriends. ●

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Vent is a project we manage through Tumblr. The blog is a place where people can anonymously send in any thoughts playing through their mind or stressing them out. It is based on the idea that just telling your thoughts or feelings to someone, anyone, can make you feel better because it’s not pent up inside. Our goal is to create a safe space and promote mental wellbeing through communication and expression.

The submissions can be anything, serious or minor, ranging from: ‘I accidentally closed the door on my cat’s tail’ to ‘I recently came to terms with my asexuality and don’t know how to feel about it’.

We look to make it a column in the magazine, so people can connect to their plights and we can raise awareness of the importance of mental health. We are also looking to compile a list for mental health resources around the world, so if you know of an organization or want to partner with us, please send us a message to help expand this list. kaleovent.tumblr.com

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As featured in this issue, +you is a body positivity initiative we started to help promote physical wellbeing through showcasing beauty in all forms. We are looking to expand on what we started in this issue, including more features with people of all diversities to reflect the beauty that can be found everywhere.

From nature comparisons to skin care - we're building a body of work.

For more information to submit, partner and support this venture, head to our +you site page. kaleojournal.com/+you

Submissions Do you know someone who would really suit our style? Let them know of Kaleo OR send us their profile of work (Tumblr, website, Soundcloud, Instagram, etc) and their email address so we can contact them ourselves if we think we’d make a merry match.

Or how about you! Do you have something that you would love to express in Kaleo? Well then let us know! We would absolutely love to include you in our publication! Head to our website for all the guideline detailas and then email away! kaleojournal.com/submissions submit@kaleojournal.com

Let's Connect In the vast abyss of our planet Earth, we can sometimes slip apart. Let’s never let this happen. Let’s Connect.

PHOTO: JACQUELINE LA PERNA Find all things related to our magazine, including extended interviews and extra content at www.kaleojournal.com

To send us a hello, share your enjoyment or for serious enquires send us an email at info@kaleojournal.com

For updates on the magazine, sneak peaks into articles and feature people, like and follow facebook.com/kaleojournal

To order your very own copy of the magazine or a nifty subscription deal, head to kaleojournal.bigcartel.com

To see all the work behind the closed curtains and the antics that go with it, follow us at instagram/kaleojournal

To read a free copy of this magazine or other editions any where at any time head to issuu.com/kaleojournal

Check out our inspirations, take a glimpse at the things we love and see our Tumblr feature at kaleojournal.tumblr.com

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