Monday Issue Two | Winter/Spring 2015 | Free
Issue Two: Work In Production. Your career | Your culture | Start today
EDITOR'S LETTER dentity is a funny thing. Sometimes it can feel like your identity is set in stone. You can be absolutely sure of who you are and how you think you should act and what you aspire to. Other times it can be fluid, like you have no real understanding of who you are, what you think and why you even exist. In this issue we explore the themes of identity through articles, which question sexual identity, online identity and false identity. Illustrator Max Johnson has created fantastic imagery focusing on masks and mistaken identity; and in collaboration with up-andcoming photographer Charlotte Cooper they challenge the a-typical woman’s identity portrayed in glossy magazines. Whatever your thoughts on identity and what it means to you, one thing we do know for certain at Monday magazine is that identity is really important. But perhaps what isn’t so important is to have it all worked out at once. Maybe it’s ok to doubt your identity from time to time, or to recreate yourself. Reinvention and evolution of who you are and what you want to do is a natural process. Take learning a new skill for example, or meeting new people. These things can have a real impact on what you identify with, what you enjoy and ultimately what becomes important to you. So, don’t fear not knowing; enjoy that you have the time to experience what’s new and exciting – like reading the current issue of Monday. Take at least 20 minutes out of your busy day to relax and enjoy!
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Contributors Find out more about the team behind Monday.
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Polar Collective Perfecto gubergren adipiscing eam te, latine dolores an cum. Sea verear fabulas.
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Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Transgender Id pri dicant option salutandi. Ea dicam tincidunt his, aliquam insolens.
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Max Johnstone Ex audire accusam dissentias pro, eos minim civibus no, quando reprimique. Adhuc sapientem at nam, sit alia.
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Charlotte Cooper Sea id error saperet constituto, ne laudem soleat usu. Pro ne platonem persequeris, velit assum perfecto id per.
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Video Game Carnage Ut everti volumus molestie sea, mea stet senserit no, modo purto impedit ex mea. Nam soleat tacimates ex.
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So You Wanna Work In... Clothing Design? Te usu autem utinam nonumes, ei duo regione sanctus appareat.
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Faces Of The Internet Vis no veniam vivendo, pri propriae vituperata theophrastus eu, civibus molestiae moderatius eum et.
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Vintage Photography Shoot Dico iusto omnes an pri, ea ius melius nominavi. Reque noluisse ne pri, vim.
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STANDING out from the crowd
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ith more than half a million UCAS applications last year alone, as well as an ultra-competitive job market, it can be difficult to stand out from the crowd. Suffolk teens Jemima Hindmarch and Natasha Graves have each taken a different approach, swapping daily teenage rituals for edible enterprise in their local community. The entrepreneurial pair were given the chance to be proactive and embark on a four week opportunity with National Citizen Service (NCS).
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Completing NCS is an achievement increasingly acknowledged by employers across the country; what’s more – it receives official recognition from UCAS, so gives a real boost to university applications. Thanks to government investment of over £1,000 per placement, NCS is something that a growing number of teens in Suffolk and across the UK are partaking in. 16 and 17 year olds
are given the chance to tick some of the vital boxes that employers and universities ask for. Teens take part in exciting outwardbound activities, attend exclusive workshops to develop key skills, and deliver a project designed to positively impact the local community. NCS aims to provide an opportunity for all: the quiet or confident (or quietly confident), sporty or creative, a natural leader or someone who prefers to hold back a little; NCS is about getting the best out of each individual – all while having the best time and making some amazing new friends. Jemima and Natasha’s experience had a lasting effect on their local community, putting a green fingered imprint on Ipswich’s soil. The pair are still running their community project – Edible Ipswich. Monday caught up with them to find out what they got out of NCS:
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What made you decide to do NCS? J ● When we heard about NCS during a school assembly, we struggled to find reasons not to do it. For me, it seemed like a fun way to spend the summer, as well as something really positive to put on my CV.
"The community really came together and there were so many people who wanted to help."
N ● Me too – it sounded really fun, and I wanted to gain the extra skills and independence that it promised. I also liked the sound of the social action projects as a way of giving back to my community. Were you nervous? J ● I was definitely more excited than I was nervous! But I suppose I was a little apprehensive in the days leading up to it because I knew I’d be meeting loads of new people.
"It seemed like a fun way to spend the summer, as well as something really positive to put on my CV."
J ● Basically we look for areas in Ipswich that are unused and going to waste, and we use them as plots to plant herbs and vegetables; it’s free, healthy food for the community. What did you learn? J ● That it’s amazing how much you can achieve and get for free if you simply just ask. The community really came together and there were so many people who wanted to help.
N ● It’s a new experience and it gets built up a lot, so when the day finally comes it can feel quite scary!
N ● As Project Manager, sometimes it could be quite difficult to get everyone to focus on the task. There was definitely a lot of responsibility, especially as we were working with members of the public. But that was also the best bit – the response from the public was just brilliant.
J ● But there’s actually no need to be nervous – everyone was friendly and you’re all in the same boat.
J ● So were the organisations we approached. The council have very generously donated a local plot of land for us to grow on.
What was your favourite part of NCS? J ● The outward-bound activities at the beginning of the programme were brilliant! We did all sorts – my favourite was definitely the high ropes. You really had to work together throughout all the activities and it’s a great way to get to know each other.
What are the main things you’ve taken from NCS? N ● Definitely confidence. Before NCS, I was intimidated by the thought of contacting businesses and councils, but I’ve learnt how to deal with them now. I’ve learnt lots of vital networking and management skills too.
N ● Yeah, that was a highlight for me too; getting to know new people and becoming part of a team. It’s strange how quickly you go from not knowing someone to being friends and supporting them.
J ● I really, really enjoyed NCS, and it’s going to look great on my CV – I think it’ll set me apart from other candidates.
J ● Especially during the first residential. Lots of people have to face their fears and you end up egging them on and encouraging them.
"Throw yourself into it properly and you’ll get so much out of it."
We decided to bring Incredible Edible to Ipswich as we thought it was a great way to give back and get the community bonding.
What would you say to anyone thinking about going on NCS? J ● Definitely do it! Be brave, jump right in and enjoy yourself.
N ● I also really liked the second residential where you learn new skills. We all stayed in a caravan park and for me that was when the main friendships were formed and where we were given the most independence.
N ● If you want to give back to your community, learn new skills and make some great friends, then do it – throw yourself into it properly and you’ll get so much out of it.
Your team had a really unusual social action project – can you tell us a little more about it? N ● Our team wanted to create a project that’d continue to make an impact after NCS finished. Incredible Edible is this great organisation that promotes healthy eating by growing and campaigning for local food.
NCS costs just £50, or nothing at all if you receive free school dinners. If you’d like to know more about your local programme, visit www.ncseast.co.uk, email ncs.east@reed.co.uk, or call the NCS East Team on 0845 460 7410.
POLARCOLL Polar Collective, who originate from Ipswich, Suffolk are a group of tightly knitted, musically minded friends. The group have already performed to neighbouring regions including a school tour, promoting song writing, musical workshops and careers in the music industry.Â
Jake (lead vocals), Adam (guitar and vocals), Gryph (drums and vocals), and Ally (tenor sax, guitar, piano and vocals) have mixed their talents together to boast a refreshing melody of pop and hip-hop. In 2014, the band will be galloped up and down the UK, performing to the Polaroids, their dedicated fan base. September will was a big month for Polar Collective with the release of their debut album.
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How did Polar Collective Form? JAKE ● We were all best friends at college and were all heavily into music and performance. We decided we’d get together most lunchtimes and jam some stuff out as well as writing our own songs. It went on “Being able to from there.
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can relate to us as we’re always pranking each other and having a laugh in general.
Tell us about your past live shows. JAKE ● We had a few great festivals over the summer including play sell out Jimmy’s Farm, Osfest, Gig In The Garden and shows all over the world Carnival. GRYPH ● Jake and would be the best feeling. " Stowmarket Since last year, Adam used to jam and we’d been writing a write songs acoustically completely new set which we were itching to and decided they wanted to take it further and perform and show everyone. It was great! add more instruments. They asked me and Ally to join them to practise at college and it ALLY ● The new live show we’ve been all grew organically from that; we worked on a working on is our most exiting to date, with few covers and started writing and performing brand new tunes in there and some surprises songs together. too! We’re really happy with how its sounding and can’t wait to get out there and show Where did the name Polar Collective everyone! come from? JAKE ● When we formed as a band, we all Where do you see yourselves in the future? had (and still have) varying musical influences ADAM ● Being able to play sell out shows all which we embraced when creating our sound. over the world would Henceforth ‘Polar’ be the best feeling. (Opposite), ‘Collective’ “My advice is to never give For people to hear (Bringing it all together)! up on an idea. No matter how our music and enjoy What do your songs rubbish it may seem to you.” it on a global scale would be pretty cool mean to you? as well! JAKE ● Bouncy - it seems to nearly always hold this upbeat and ALLY ● Touring the world with a hugely jumpy vibe which gets your head bouncing. dedicated and loyal fan base, playing the music we love! And inspiring people GRYPH ● To me, our songs are all about everywhere to start a career in music. having fun. A lot of the lyrics do hold personal meanings to each of us, but when playing live Do you have a song writing process and do we just try to push the FUN. you have any advice for people looking to write their own music? What inspires your music? JAKE ● There’s no set formula when it comes ADAM ● I like to write about things I’ve to when we write our music. It can either experienced or felt, I think in this way we find it start with a vocal hook/melody, set chords, flows more naturally, and creates a better song or sometimes just lyrics alone. My advice is at the end. to never give up on an idea. No matter how rubbish it may seem to you, it could have the ALLY ● We try and keep a very open potential to grow into something perspective on music in general and the ever incredible. Persevere! changing market out there, meaning we’re always trying something new or listening to GRYPH ● All our songs form differently, a different genre. This keeps the ideas fresh, sometimes Adam will just come up with a we’re all about making our songs sound natural chord sequence and we’ll all hum melodies and try not to force the direction of a track. over it, other times we’ll literally come up with a song name or theme and build it from there. Do you have a fan club and what are I’d say just have fun when writing songs, they called? don’t try and force anything or stick to any JAKE ● The fanbase, The Polaroids, is starting formula; experiment and enjoy it! Also, never to grow more than we could ever imagine. It’s discard anything, even if it seems like a bad incredibly humbling to read tweets, look at idea, it will make more sense when the whole photos where our fans are supporting us as a song comes together. band and as people. We hope people feel they
LECTIVE If you are interested in Polar Collective, you can find them on Twitter: @PolarCollective Facebook: facebook.com/PolarCollective YouTube: youtube.com/user/PolarCollective For more information, visit their website: polarcollectivemusic.com
MAX JOHNSTON From age 6, Max had a keen interest in drawing. He became more involved with his artistic side during later years, particularly during his school years where he found himself becoming disengaged with the academic subjects. Despite not starting out with a wealth of artistic talent, Max found drawing to be an effective outlet, and with time became increasingly skilled in his ability. At age 15, combining his years of practice and interests, Max began to develop his own distinct style, a style with which he could begin to make a name. nspired from an early age by Halloween: the surreal costumes and underlying ideas behind it, Max's early pieces carried a clear horror theme, focusing on the characters that could be found on a Halloween night, zombies picked out as an early favourite. Max also took inspiration from well-known artists and their styles. With surrealism being an early interest, the works of Francis Bacon provided a starting point with which to find a style to expand on. The work of Alex Pardee, in particular his focus on individual characters and figures in his work also influenced Max's pieces, a combination of the two resulting in the unique style of his work. The appeal of illustration as opposed to realistic art is in the limits. Deciding that more realistic subjects were simply not an area that he was interested in, Max moved towards more surreal areas, his work finding greater room to grow and improve with topics further from reality. Max cites McBess as an inspiration for his more recent pieces of artwork, combining this style with that of old-school Disney animations to create a unique style which is visible in a number of his pieces. As well as traditional artwork, Max also has a hand in a clothing line ‘BAMF’, which draws artistic inspiration from the hardcore punk scene. Listing Black Flag, Suicidal Tendencies, Minor Threat and Your
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Demise to name but a few, the DIY ethic that revolves around punk culture is clearly reflected in Max’s work. Max wanted to unearth the reality of how women are commonly portrayed in magazines and the media today, stylising his artwork around the theme of DIY punk ‘zines’. Using this goal as the basis for a Mopshop project and with the aid of nothing but a black marker, Max defaced the pages of glossy magazines, changing the over-styled models into skeletons, emphasising his initial message that “we’re all the same underneath”. Since his childhood, Max has indulged in a variety of cartoons, which he believes to have been definitive in shaping his imagination. As he grew up, Max was also influenced by a number of films, names Robert Rodriguez, Quentin Tarantino and Guillermo Del Toro in particular as influential directors. The surreal and stylised worlds of Pan’s Labyrinth and Sin City are clear influences when looking at Max’s work. Inspired from an early age by Halloween: the surreal costumes and underlying ideas behind it, Max's early pieces carried a clear horror theme, focusing on the characters that could be found on a Halloween night, zombies picked out as an early favourite. During his early illustrating career, Max has taken inspiration from a number of sources. He attributes much of this to interests in his early life, such as the viewing of cartoons at a young age, and a lifelong interest in Halloween and the culture surrounding it, both of which he believes to have shaped his imagination, and play a big part in his artwork to this day. He also mentions influences later in his life, exposure to the stylized worlds of Robert Rodriquez, Quentin Tarantino and Guillermo Del Toro strongly influencing his imagination, and in turn his artwork. In order to stay current, Max maintains a steady workflow of self-initiated projects, through which he can remain known and up-to-date with the changing world of illustration. As well as his own influence, Max believes that sharing his work on social media platforms like Facebook is beneficial, as the feedback and exposure keeps his work current in terms of content, and helps to keep himself grounded as an illustrator, the response encouraging him to continue creating new pieces.
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underneath but it takes a true "We're all skeletons underneath personality to show who you really are." personality The reasons behind this project are split between two things: one being Max's usual way of making normal life more interesting by mixing reality with a bizarre and surreal imagination. The other reason is from his dislike of modern day fakery, with people trying their hardest to cover their true selves up, and to show off a creation which they think people want see. They usually get these brainwashed idea's from the media (such as magazines), Max points out. By Max drawing skeletons over the top of these 'shopped' models, washing them down like a mop in a sense, shows how everyone is the same. We're all skeletons underneath, but it takes a true personality to show who you really are.
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harlotte Cooper is a Suffolk based photographer with a passion for feminism, and fashion. She is also a fashion designer and displays much of her creations in her own photographic work. After pursuing a qualification in photography at West Suffolk College, Charlotte currently studies at degree level at University. Monday caught up with Charlotte to find out more about what drives and inspires her work.
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/Right Balloons in flight
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First and foremost, what are your biggest or most exciting projects to date that you’ll want people to know about? One of my favorite projects I have been working on has to be my surrealism photography, its something I had never done before and am completely in love with it. For weeks I had studied different types of photographers, when I eventually picked up my camera I set off on a journey of self portraiture, which soon evolved to working with models on new and exciting shoots. When did your interest in photography begin, and why? When I was little my grandfather used to have an old film camera he took everywhere with him, one thing I clearly remember is he went to photograph the queen he was so happy he managed to snap a phew photos of her coming out of the Buckingham place but when he came to develop his film he realized he had been overwhelmed with excitement he never put any film in the camera, but this never put him of photography one bit it was this that inspired me to never give up on what you believe in and to follow in his footsteps. Was it from a young age that you knew you wanted to be a photographer or did you use the camera as a creative output later in life? At the age of 7 one of my best friends dragged me along to her camera clubs, I
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When I eventually picked up my camera I set off on a journey of self portraiture, which soon evolved to working with models on new and exciting shoots.
soon got the hang of it and science then have never put my camera down again, then at the age of 13 I had my first exhibition in the museum of Anglia life. I found freedom in photography and it was the best way to express my self, which soon developed in to the work I was sharing with the public. Where do you get your inspiration for your work now? My biggest inspiration has to be Vouge, one of the biggest fashion magazines out there, but when you sit and look through the magazine you will notice there is a lot more photography than you will find in most magazines, each image completely different from another, I have probably got a whole years worth of magazines stacked up in my draws, how ever as great as it is to look at other peoples work one thing you must never do is copy, so I look for more inspiration in you! When it comes to the public you will be surprised what you can catch people doing in a slight second that can give you a million ideas Do you think you have a particular style, or sub genre of photography that you like to work in? Not at all, I love it all. I feel no need to stick to one type of photography I like to bounce around and find new ways of shooting subjects, meet new people and go to new places. Bare in mind that with a camera around your neck, you should never be shy
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to miss a moment. You may get told off for doing it, but it will sure be worth it. Who inspires you? Feminism is a great inspiration to me, and is to a lot of photographers out there. I will soon be realising a new collection of my work based around feminism and fashion., which I am currently working on. Do you have a process in the way you create your work? If you’ve got a pen and paper, ive got an idea! Every idea I have whether silly or full of potential I will right it down so I don’t forget when it comes to planning a shoot a lot of the time I don’t I go with the idea and just like to see what happens. How ever it is best to plan ahead make alist of all your props, lighting, and location this will help you get through any photo shoot. How do you come up with your idea and how do you capture emotion and movement in your work? All of my ideas come from the heart, so emotion is one of the most important things, when looking for a model I know exactly what look I want for what idea, I tend to set out a story I tell this to each person and then get them to act it out, or sometimes its just best to get to know your client and direct them in the way you want your finial image to look, each shoot is about that one perfect image.
" " All of my ideas come from the heart, so emotion is one of the most important things.
Is there any particular medium or way of working that you prefer to work in? Im a cannon fan my self, I experiment from time to time using SLRS on shoots but my go to, is my cannon 60D and instant Polaroid camera, these two are my favorite cameras among the bunch I own, but I would never stray away from trying something new. How do you stay current? I keep in touch with my audience as much as I can, I like my work to reflect off the environment that surrounds us today, the fashion, the weather and the emotion, this seems to get a lot of attention and interest more people in the work I do out side of family portraits. What are you currently working on? I am currently working on a serious of ‘’Before & After’’ images I am working with women and men, to show the affects society has on peoples appearances, the way fashion and make up affect everyone everyday, media tells us its better to be a size 6 than a size 14. but most the women in the uk vary from a size 8 to a 16, in this project I want to show through my images that this is not ok, and everyone is perfect the way they are.
VIDEO GAME CARNAGE rawing a line between fame and anonymity is hard. It’s easy to speculate on the good and bad of each side, but without experience in the fray, it is not easy to give a complete judgement. So, taking this on board, we found someone with such experience. And for £3.20, a Curly Wurly, and the promise of the title ‘Your Excellency’ throughout the interview, we sat down with Mark, better known to his 10,000 or so subscribers by his alias ‘Carnage’, and asked a few questions on just what it was like to be ‘internet famous’.
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Has gaining a following had any impact on how you act and speak? Definitely not. It’s all part and parcel of who I am. I’m just my usual foul-mouthed, offensive self. If people want to watch it, then good luck to them. If not, then there are thousands of other channels. They’re bound to find something they like sooner or later.
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Do you feel the need to be more private, or are you not concerned? Alter your mannerisms? I’m already a private person, in real life and on the internet. I don’t advertise my channel. I’d rather people found my channel on their own, and make a decision based on their personal experiences, as opposed to having it forced down their throats. This is just a hobby for me. When people start thinking of this as a full-time job, that’s when it gets messy. They tend to dumb down to appeal to the lowest common denominator. They spew out memes like they’re going out of fashion, and play the flavour of the week games, despite how terrible they are. Yes, Goat Simulator, I’m looking at you. Everything revolves around views and revenue, as opposed to enjoying playing games. Ultimately, it’ll become routine, like every other job.
My subscribers are great people, for the most part. I get regular offers of cash, games consoles, computers, etc, but I always decline. Other people shouldn’t fund my hobby. Do you have any stories about over-the-top fans? I have a good number of good fans. I don’t really like the term ‘fans’, it makes me seem like Justin Bieber. My subscribers are great people, for the most part. I get regular offers of cash, games consoles, computers, etc, but I always decline. Other people shouldn’t fund my hobby. The only thing I do get are Steam games from people on my friends list. I try to return the favour with a game of equal or higher value than the one that was bought for me. So, like you said in a previous answer, lots of people have found full-time jobs and recognition through means like YouTube, do you think this is necessarily a good thing? It depends. As a viewer, you’ve got access to thousands of personalities you’d never have known about. As a YouTuber, I’m sure the ones who’ve maintained their own identity are really enjoying it. As far as the people who’ve invented characters, I’m sure the money helps get them through the boredom of the daily tedious repetition. As a new YouTuber, you’ve got this false impression that you’re going to upload a few Minecraft/Call of Duty/Fifa videos and get millions of subscribers. So the whole scene gets saturated with clones of the more popular channels, which ruins it for channels who actually deserve some recognition. On the other end of the spectrum, there are people who get rid of their identities entirely, the most popular example of which is probably Anonymous, thoughts on that group? Truthfully, I don’t pay much attention to stuff like that. It doesn’t interest me. I know they’ve hacked into a few websites. That’s about it. I’m not going to say anything bad about them in case one of them is watching. Actually, you know what?... I love Anonymous! I think everything their doing (or not doing) is amazing, and there should be loads more (or none) of it! Would you advise people to follow a similar path? Any tips? There’s no point in doing something unless you enjoy it… Either that, or if the money is too good to pass up. If you have no problem with talking to a screen, then dive right in there. Having a unique personality and a sense of humour helps immensely. When I watch videos, I want to hear genuine reactions from the commentator, not just a barrage of ‘LOL EPIC FAIL GANGNAM TWERK SWAG YOLO’ type comments. Play the games you want to, instead of the latest, popular, instantly forgettable titles. You’ll be more comfortable with them, which will make you more relaxed. You’ll find a rhythm and your own commentating style. Carry it on from there.
Carnage can be found on YouTube at the channel ‘VideoGameCarnage’ or on Twitch under the same name. He regularly uploads, plays a variety of games and has an amusing accent. What are you waiting for?
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VINTAGE PHOTOGRAPHY SHOOT Monday caught up with the girls at The Mix's photography shoot to see how they got on.
As the photographer, how was the overall experience, and what do you learn, was their any barriers you came across? Jorja It was really fun and different as the only photos of people I usually take are of my family. Annalise I really enjoyed the shoot, I learnt how to pose the models and what they needed to wear. Katelyn: It helped develop my photography skills, as we had covered areas in previous sessions that helped prepare me for the day. As the model, how was the overall experience, and what do you learn, was their any barriers you came across? Florence I really enjoyed the afternoon and I really felt in character although it was really weird shooting on the streets of Stowmarket! It was so much fun getting Annalise to tell me what poses to do and I’m glad the shots are good!
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As the stylist, how was the overall experience, and what do you learn, was their any barriers you came across? Della (stylist and volunteer) Working with the Photography Group at The Mix was a highly enjoyable and engaging experience. We chose a Vintage theme for the photo shoot and then got everybody in the group to chip in with their suggestions. This led to a terrific set of ideas about what location to use, how to style the shoot and dress the models, what sort of mood the photos should have, even the make-up on the models. Using all of these ideas, we put together three different looks for the two models, using vintage clothes and props to emphasise the nostalgic feel. We then went to our  locations to put it all into effect. The members of the group came up with lots of good ideas and went away with some great photos of their own, as well as a valuable insight into just what is involved in putting together a fashion shoot. It's exactly the sort of fun, but practical experience which I think The Mix does so well."
How do you feel working together as a team? Jorja We worked well as a team as we all had similar ideas on how to pose the models and what photographs to take. Annalise We worked really well together as a team. Katelyn No issues - we all worked together really well!
"The members of the group came up with lots of good ideas and went away with some great photos of their own, as well as a valuable insight into just what is involved in putting together a fashion shoot."
/Above The masked face of the group 'Anonymous'.
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Faces of the Internet by Darren Scott
Everyone, at some stage in their life, wants to be famous. Whether it’s a young girl singing into a hairbrush in front of a mirror dreaming of the big stage, or a twenty-something with a guitar trying to get noticed by the big-name music stars, everyone has dreamed of success. And with the internet becoming such a big phenomenon, it has become easier and easier for people to become noticed and garner fame. op star Justin Bieber was first discovered on YouTube, and the website has given already big stars new ways to distribute their music. In fact, YouTube itself has become a career, with advertisements allowing for easy revenue. From these examples, the life of an ‘internet personality’ appears to be a desirable one. But there is another side that needs to be addressed. It may look easy to be in the eyes of the world, but all it takes are a few issues to bring it all crashing down. While this is usually down to the fans rather than the person themselves, it is still something that should be expected.
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“Many people have a new-found ability to be more open when they are not acting under their own identity” A big problem with internet fame is privacy. While it could also be argued that real fame brings the same worries, it is much easier to track someone down when they have little to no human security backing them, and the details to find them are basically free for the taking. While, with the vast majority of fans, privacy is a respected and understood barrier between them and their fans, the small number that don’t understand this often are the ones that take it a little too far. It may seem that the only way to be safe on the internet is to abandon all identity and stay completely private. This has its benefits. Many people have a new-found ability to be more open when they are not acting under their own identity, allowing them to overcome issues they may not be willing to share if the answer could
be tracked back to them as a person. While this may seem safe, it does come with its problems as well. Cyber bullying, a major problem born alongside social networking, is mainly possible through the ability to operate with no identity, making it very difficult for those affected to track down the person causing their pain. With this knowledge, a significant group of people have taken this possibility to new extremes. The most popular example is ‘Anonymous’, an identity as opposed to a group, operating under a unified name and image, for good and bad. While the group has been seen combatting organisations associated with homophobia and child pornography, they have also played a part in more negative actions. Through their common method of DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks, Anonymous have attacked the Church of Scientology, Paypal and Sony, mostly for their own twisted idea of entertainment. Even when working for a good cause, namely protesting against the Stop Online Piracy Act’s potential infringement of online freedom of speech, many have argued that they only damaged the movement. With the comment that Anonymous were ‘the car-burning hooligans’ compared to the ‘inspiring, non-violent, hand-holding civil disobedience’ of bigger websites like Reddit and Wikipedia, a larger portion of the internet views them as unruly pests as opposed to the vigilante image they may have originally intended. Internet anonymity is very much twosided, asking the people of Reddit gave both sides, one response praising it for their ability to open up and overcome their issues, while the other highlighted the fact that they could
do anything since it was not their own identity. Much like all issues, the results very much depend on who holds the power.
“The power that comes with having no identity can lead to dangerous consequences” So all in all, is internet fame a bad thing? Is being a personality known on the internet all it’s made out to be? Really, it depends. A large number of problems with being an internet personality lie with the fans, so it can be argued that luck is the biggest factor. Then again, these issues are also down to your own tolerance of the fans and their potentially crazy actions, a simple issue of learning to live with things. But for the majority, it is likely that this would be too great an issue to deal with. While fame may be the dream, out-of-control fans are likely to be more of an unwanted nightmare. Then again, going too far the other way is not without its issues. While it may allow for some to open up and find help for what they’re too scared to apply to themselves, the power that comes with having no identity can lead to dangerous consequences. So if you want to be internet famous, just consider what can happen if you let people see further into your life. Then again, if you achieve your goal, don’t let your new levels of power corrupt you. The internet is a wondrous place, but it’s by no means perfect. Use with caution, and keep these things in mind, and you’ll be just fine. Maybe you’ll be the next big thing, if the fans don’t bother you, the future is yours. Have fun with it.
monday
So You
winter / spring 2015
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Wanna
Wo r k I n . . .
Clothing Design? Formed in 2011, Disco Leg is a clothing company with a simple aim of creating clothing for climbing enthusiasts. We chatted with Andrew Emms, the boss at Disco Leg, to ask him about his life and his brand. What is your creative process? I collect inspiration and ideas as I go along with daily life, which then become sketches, and then generally move to Photoshop and Illustrator to finalise the designs. Not everything makes it to production and there’s always ideas that I’m working on to try and get right or polish. What is a typical day for you? I work as a graphic designer, so I get to drink a lot of coffee while designing and building websites and apps How did you get started in your line of creative business? After high school I did A-levels, knew I loved painting, so followed A-levels with the Art Foundation course at Suffolk College and it was there that the tutors realised that I was well suited to being a designer. I went to Kingston for a degree in Graphic Design, and almost a year after graduating I got my first design job. Where does your inspiration come from? For styles and application of the designs everywhere really. I’m always looking around for fresh ways to create a new design. For the content, it comes from being a climber. The things people say, the ‘in’ jokes, and generally the experiences you have.
What kind of subjects do you like to cover in your work? Some of it is climbing banter - some of it is just creating graphics based around the aesthetics of climbing. How would you describe your work? Can’t say I’ve ever had to describe it before. Quite graphical I guess? More based around vector illustration than imagery. What is the most difficult thing about your line of work? Definitely hectic. There’s a lot more to running a business like this than just creating the graphics for the tees. The biggest task is figuring out how much time to spend on various areas, and finding the time to spend on these various areas. For those entering university – what kind of degree will help them get on track to be in your lone of business? Well design or illustration would be perfect for the creation of the graphics. But also some level of business studies would definitely help. Do you find yourself influenced by any specific cultures? There is a definite kind of culture that
surrounds climbing and climbers. It’s a big influence. Does your work or brand live up to your expectations? I’m not entirely certain what my expectations were when I started the business. I guess that I really want to take the idea and the business as far as I can, so my expectations are always evolving and probably will never quite be met. How did you get started with Disco Leg? I was looking around for a climbing t-shirt to buy and couldn’t find anything that wasn’t boring, or the logo of a brand. There and then I decided to do something about it. For those who don’t know, where did Disco Leg get its name? Disco Leg is a term that describes an uncontrollable shaking of one or both legs, when you’re essentially bricking it on a climb. It seemed appropriate. What does the logo of Disco Leg represent? It’s a D and an L turned on it’s side and heavily stylised. The typography is in a custom font which really is designed to give the brand it’s light hearted edge.
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themixstowmarket.com
What have been the biggest barriers to cross during working on Disco Leg? Time and money. When starting up, unless you get a start-up loan, you’re going to have to do a lot to earn money and run the business. Where do you see your brand in 10 years, what do you hope to be doing? I’d hope that it might be an internationally recognised brand amongst the community, selling more than just tees, and actually manufacturing our own items. I’ll hopefully still be the creative director, but with someone else running the business side of things.
with layouts and colours etc. How would you describe your brand? It’s definitely light hearted. Do you have an important ethic to your work? The only ethic really is to produce designs that are for climbers, and at a cost which isn’t through the roof.
What do you do to make your clothing unique? I always endeavour to make the designs something that climbers can relate to. Quite often there’s always a little bit of humour in it too.
Is it necessary to have any experience in the industry before starting out? In graphic design, yes, gain experience wherever you can. For designing t-shirts, anyone can do it. Just have a look at what’s out there, and if you think you can do better, do it! Definitely gain as much knowledge as you can from others about printing techniques and materials first though, as it does have an affect on the design itself.
How do you conjure up your designs? Do you have a process? For styles and application of the designs everywhere really. I’m always looking around for fresh ways to create a new design. For the content, it comes from being a climber. The things people say, the ‘in’ jokes, and generally the experiences you have.
Is promoting your brand ever a problem? How do you reach people? Yes, it can be. Advertising online is obviously the easiest way to reach a lot of people, but it’s quite difficult because of the inherit costs these days. Social Media has been the most successful for engaging customers.
How do your designs go from concept to the finished clothing product? Sketches, lots of sketches. Then I get into Illustrator and Photoshop and start playing around
If you could have a celebrity spokesperson for your brand – who would it be and why?
Haha, Chris Sharma. All climbers know of him and all of them have some respect for him. Of course to nonclimbers he’s not a celebrity at all… What would you say to someone who is interested in becoming involved in the clothing industry? Do your research, get as much information as you can about owning and running a business as well as finding a reliable, cost effective printer etc. Disco Leg has been, and continues to be a steep learning curve for me. What tips could you recommend to promoting a clothing brand and building a story behind the brand? The best thing to do is to identify your audience, like be really specific about who you want to know about your brand. Then figure out where they are, what they read, and get your brand in front of them. The story really is something that comes from the journey you go on with the brand. You can find Disco Leg clothing online at www.discoleg.co.uk, or at Highball Climbing Wall in Norwich. Or, if you’re at the Cragg in Stowmarket, you can usually find Andrew swearing and falling off stuff, but he'll always be happy to help.
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