Premier Magazine PH Vol. 2 - Issue 8 August 2022 Mental Health Issue

Pr emier SAPERE AUDE ISSN2799-0702 Vol. 2.8 AUGUST, 2022 ISSUE

The Human Aspect Photo Exhibit was held at the newly renovated, Aker Brygge, an urban part of the city with a mixture of classic and modern architecture with a magnificent view of the Oslo fjord.

For more than 100 years, Akers Mechanic Shipyard had its factory there, where they built and repaired ships and later, oil platforms. Today, the old factory buildings are part of the skyline of Aker Brygge which gives the area a modern yet historical feel.

In summer, Aker Brygge is the perfect meeting place for people in the city. The promenade Stranden is milling with people at all hours of the day, either enjoying the sunshine at the marina or having dinner at one of the 34 restaurants in the area.

ABOUT THE COVER

Random Faces.

Our cover is a collage of people's faces who had their stories told as filmed and collated by The Human Aspect, a life experience digital library founded by Jimmy Westerheim. We have a full feature about their organization as we dedicate our August issue to Mental Health Awareness. Furthermore, the photos were used during a photo exhibit held in Norway at Aker Brygge, Oslo. The creative talents of photographers Victorya Lunde and Johanna Siring made us come up with the cover's innovative concept. Likewise, we wish to acknowledge Matias Hagen for the exhibit photos and Morten Malarstuen for the interview photos. ©Matias Hagen

"Don't just learn, experience.

Don't just read, absorb.

Don't just change, transform.

Don't just relate, advocate.

Don't just promise, prove.

Don't just criticize, encourage.

Don't just think, ponder.

Don't just take, give.

Don't just see, feel.

Don?t just dream, do.

Don't just hear, listen.

Don't just talk, act.

Don't just tell, show.

Don't just exist, live.? ? Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

IN THIS ISSUE The beauty we all see today is the result of our thinking. How magnificent the brain works! Nothing fascinates us more than what our brains can do. Conscious or not, the mind works non-stop; imagine 8 billion people with minds spread inside and out of our only planet.

Someone said our brains are on top of our bodies to rule every single part of our anatomy, and when everything falls apart, we should always look at the causes and not just the effects.

For ages, we have studied the intricacies of our neurological capabilities and look at where we all are now. But how we all wish that everything we think about happens positively. In essence, the law of nature tells us the importance of balance. Not everyone can be a farmer; at the same time, we cannot all be rocket makers. All we can do is manage the gift inside our heads and nurture it by looking after each other's best interests.

However, oftentimes, someone's best interest is someone else's doom.

Isn't it ironic?

Our Mental Health Awareness issue covers some of the most critical issues of our times, and the ultimate goal is to inform the general public of the invisible threats that wreak havoc on our daily lives. We witness unimaginable crimes, new diseases, and events that have never been experienced before by humanity. And we all need healthy, fully functional minds to survive. The Human Aspect, together with our friends and contributors at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, take the front and center of the issues around mental health. The people who survived, managed, and continue battling various mental problems are featured to show the numerous concerns and stories with sad and happy endings. We also highlighted the many forms of creative arts that have helped us cope with many problems that need immediate solutions.

The food we eat, the things we do, and our values and beliefs create an environment of either good or bad, depending on the strength of our minds and the courage to persevere. So go ahead and take a deep breath, listen to your favorite tune, set a goal toward a positive future, and speak your mind. Walk your talk and give your body that well-deserved rest. Take a step toward a decision that will encourage.

Learn to see perfection through imperfections.

The Publisher Photographer: Alex Ivashenko @alexmedia

Heart, Soul and His Human Aspect

by Scott Newman According to t he World Healt h Organizat ion (W HO), ment al illness has increased, w it h 20% of children worldw ide suffering from a ment al healt h condit ion. Suicide is t he second leading cause of deat h in people aged 15-29. There is an est imate t hat t he t wo most common ment al healt h disorders, depression/ anxiet y, cost t he global economy $1 t rillion yearly, w it h cost s cont inuing to rise. And yet , t he global median of government expendit ures for ment al healt h is less t han 2%.

One likely cause of underinvest ment and global ment al healt h problems is t he t aboo nat ure of seeking ment al healt h t reat ment . The Human Aspect aims to help change t hat . They are sharing people's voices to dest igmat ize ment al illness and seek t reat ment . Jimmy Westerheim w as inspired to found The Human Aspect in 2016, inspired by t he people he encountered in his world t ravels. In w ar-torn Syria and Afghanist an, he saw t he power in people's stories and t he abilit y to change people's lives w it h t hem. It became his mission to interview people to collect stories and share t hem to help people connect and help t hemselves.

He believes one of our great difficult ies is a lack of connect ion t hrough various barriers, and if we spend t ime w it h ot her people, we w ill underst and and empat hize w it h t hem more. Indeed, psychological research literat ure backs t his up: w hen cont act w it h different groups is people, and mainly w hen t hey mut ually cooperate for a common goal, people's view s of t he "ot her" becomes more posit ive.

Stories have power, t he power to inspire. Personal stories help us connect . People being able to t alk to ot hers about t heir problems w hile listening to ot hers tell t heir stories can help alleviate some of t he people's suffering. To feel heard is powerful.

And it is t his belief t hat propelled Westerheim to st art listening and help ot hers listen too. After all, t his is w hy support groups can be so influent ial. Research has show n t hat young adult peer groups in Zimbabwe for t hose living w it h HIV may support ment al healt h and perhaps even increase viral suppression, w hich is one example of t he link bet ween physical and psychological healt h. The Human Aspect calls t his social coping and st ates: "Sharing your ment al healt h st ruggles w it h your loved ones is related to st igma, shame, and t he feeling of failure. The power of social coping is t he feeling of being seen, listened to, and understood by your peers, providing an environment free of barriers."

©Matias Hagen

Jimmy Westerheim w as inspired to found The Human Aspect in 2016, inspired by t he people he encountered in his world t ravels. In w ar-torn Syria and Afghanist an, he saw t he power in people's stories and t he abilit y to change people's lives w it h t hem. It became his mission to interview people to collect stories and share t hem to help people connect and help t hemselves.

©Juni Marie Benjaminsen

The Human Aspect has become t he largest repository of personal stories about ment al healt h on t he internet today, and it is all free. These interview s are filmed and are bet ween 30-70 minutes long w it h t hree main sect ions: 1. Toughest Challenges 2. Overcoming Challenges 3. Key Takeaw ays

Alt hough just t hree broad sect ions to t he interview, one can see from t he lengt h t hat t hey are pret t y det ailed about t heir life experience. They go in-dept h about t heir life, t he challenges, t he context behind t hem, many of t he different w ays t hat people have managed or overcome t hese challenges, and ult imately w hat t hey learned from t he experience and w ant ot hers to know. Westerheim has said t hat almost 83% of t he people interviewed have never asked t hemselves t hat quest ion or w hat t hey learned from t he experience. These interview s aren't just helping ot hers w it h t heir experiences, but t hey may help t hemselves too. This prompt for self-reflect ion can be helpful, even healing, and is very much involved in t he counseling process.

"I w ant to be t he person I've alw ays been."

- Jimmy Westerheim, Founder & CEO - The Human Aspect

©Morten Malerstuen

"Things are meant to be if you t ake somet hing from t hem." Similar to t he t heory coined by psychologist s Richard Tedeschi, Ph.D., and Law rence Calhoun, Ph.D., in 2004 called Post t raumat ic Grow t h (PTG); alt hough, research on t he concept predates t he t heory.

Their art icle st ates, "Alt hough t he term is new, t he idea t hat great good can come from great suffering is ancient ." It deals w it h people w ho have t ransformat ive experiences after a t raumat ic experience to become "st ronger" and learn from t he experience. Interest ingly, t here are t wo personalit y t rait s from t he "Big 5" (a model of personalit y t hat represent s it in five significant factors or feat ures) t hat many people experiencing PTG seem to have: ext raversion and openness to experience.

Researchers also caut ion t hat one should not feel forced or obligated to "move on" or to see t he posit ive experience in t heir t rauma. Westerheim agrees t hat PTG is a t heory closely t ied to his work, st at ing, "our lived experiences are w hat shapes us as humans and t hat our challenges can help us to grow if we ask for t he lessons in t hem." Helping ot hers w it h t he healing process is a noble effort and is cent ral to The Human Aspect t hrough collect ing and sharing personal stories. There are hundreds of t hese interview s from people worldw ide (95+ count ries) and in many languages, including English, German, Arabic, Somali, and more. There are stories about many aspect s of ment al healt h, such as depression, anxiet y, body image, polit ical act ivism, and t he psychological effect s of w ar, among many ot hers. In addit ion, The Human Aspect has many ot her videos, including podcast episodes, mini-document aries, and infographics. All t hese stories have some t hings in common: vulnerabilit y, dealing w it h challenges, and ult imately overcoming t hem. Perhaps cont radictorily, t hey become empowered t hemselves t hrough t hese stories of vulnerabilit y and pass t his along to ot hers.

Again, reaching out to ot hers and sharing your grievances to "vent " is powerful. Ment al healt h professionals are an essent ial resource, and some problems may require professional care.

St ill, The Human Aspect emphasizes t he personal-social support system, your peers, first , because t hey are t he most available for most of us, and not everyone has access to professional support .

Westerheim also gives t alks at schools and businesses. Some are about dealing w it h t he psychological st resses of t he coronavirus but also include offering psychological support and systems in companies to help workers. Organizat ions should have a vested interest in happy employees. They use less sick t ime, are more product ive, and are commit ted to t he company.

W hen fewer people quit , hiring and replacing t hose workers is less needed. There is lost product ivit y not only from t he loss of t he worker but also w it h t he ent ire onboarding process, including t raining t ime and t he necessary t ime it t akes for t he new hire to perform t he job as fluent ly as t he person t hey replaced. Increasingly, organizat ions are recognizing t his and t rying to address it . Mindfulness and posit ive psychology in t he workplace are t he t wo hot topics in psychological research. Westerheim is t here to help increase aw areness about t hese issues in organizat ions and to show t hem how to implement policies to improve employee ment al healt h and psychological safet y. He says t hey seek "to redefine ment al healt h" by increasing openness to ot hers, "lower st igma concerning life challenges, and increase t heir emot ional vocabulary."

"People will always be interested in people." Jimmy Westerheim credits the success of this project to the nature of the human being as a social creature. We are inextricably bound to others, some directly and many less so. As John Donne once wrote, "No man is an island." THA continues to run on honesty, directness, and earnestness that creates interest in people on all sides --- from the people willing to be interviewed to the people who volunteer their time in The Human Aspect and, of course, to us, as readers and watchers, intrigued by the message and purpose of it.

"I want to be the person I've always been." Westerheim, talking about his role as a leader of his organization, The Human Aspect, and the kind of leader and person he wants to be, states he wants to remain true to himself. He wants to be honest and authentic and not become removed from the organization's daily activities or put on a pedestal as "better" than anyone else. He is adamant that The Human Aspect always continues as a Foundation to be "accessible no matter what." The project's purpose is to provide a free online resource accessible to all because he wants to reach as many people as possible worldwide. It is this accessibility and outreach that may inspire people to get the help they need and reduce the taboo of mental health and seek treatment for it.

The future of The Human Aspect is to continue doing what they're already doing and to expand into creating User Guides for professionals using The Life Experience Library with their clients.

They want to increase awareness and understanding of mental health through education efforts in our schools and used by teachers. Critically, they are increasing their ability to provide local mental health resources to those who ask for them and to increase accessibility by developing audio versions of all their interviews.

The World Health Organization supports Westerheim's view that the key to improving mental health conditions and destigmatizing mental health is essential to give those with lived experience a voice and choices. They can be advocates for others, and W HO notes that there has been a shift in people utilizing social services at multiple levels (they list personal, community, and strategic) in recent years.

Mahatma Gandhi once stated, "Be the change you wish to see in the world." hopefully, this trend will continue. W HO and THA are helping to address these issues and should serve as a reminder that we can all be change advocates. - PremierMagazinePH ©Matias Hagen

Life is challenging and sometimes the challenges feel too heavy to carry, especially if we feel we are carrying them alone. When the burden of life continues and changes feel hopelessly far away, giving up seems tempting. In this video you?ll meet several people from all over the world who came close to giving up, sharing how they managed to hold on. Their lived experiences are told alongside the insights from Consultant Clinical Psychologist Anne Crawford-Docherty.

Learn how they managed to move forward and find solutions to their darkness, to let hope back into their lives. Their bumpy but real recovery journeys are filled with lessons and real hope.

More than 700.000 people die by #suicide every year and more than 16.000.000 people try, leaving 10 times more behind in one of the more complex grieving processes. We?re never alone in feeling that life can be too much, but there are many out there who have found a way to hold on and build a better life.

Here you can learn from some of them and find many other individuals. Let go of your shame and know that the way you feel now is okay, but that it also can change.

Here you will find even more videos about #grief in the life experience library all for free, https://thehumanaspect.com/?search=su...

A special thanks goes out to Anne Crawford-Docherty, Consultant Clinical Psychologist that shared her insights, together with all the role models of this video.

Directed by Jimmy Westerheim & Sunniva Lyle Sturzrehm Editing by Sunniva Lyle Sturzrehm Directors of Photography: Quang Nguyen, Lucas Harboe, Morten Malerstuen, Moyo Joseph Zozimo Sound Mix by Aksel Skorm Mena Refsdal Subtitles: Hedda Sophie Hummelsund

If you want to see the full story of any of the ambassadors in this video, find the full link here: Aarron Daniel Walsh - https://thehumanaspect.com/watch/732/...

Dumisani Moyo - https://thehumanaspect.com/watch/916/...

Georgia May Anta - https://thehumanaspect.com/watch/663/...

Noah - https://thehumanaspect.com/watch/709/...

Nazia Khatun - https://thehumanaspect.com/watch/890/...

The world is moving faster and faster with a constant bombardment of impressions. Creating new mental health challenges for Gen Z. How does this all impact the mental health of us all?

What is real and what is not? You have every opportunity to become more than your parents, but yet you don't know where to go. You're looking for purpose but where to start looking. The world feels like a bad soap opera and no-one understands. The gap between generations in terms of experience and felt reality has never been further apart. Challenges never before seen in this scale with social media, information overflow, fake news and existential crises like the environment are hovering over. More importantly how can we face the new challenges and move beyond feeling overwhelmed? This video is a combination of life experiences from youth from around the world and 2 leading experts sharing their reflections on how to grow through the challenges. Learn from others who share their lived experience facing depression, anxiety, eating disorders, suicidal thoughts, identity, loneliness, abuse and bullying. Lets learn from each other 's experiences to face our own.

ABOUT THE WRITER

Scott Newman is currently taking his Business Psychology Ph.D. at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. His interest also extends to data analysis. He has a Masteral degree in Educational Psychology, specializing in the Gifted and Talented, particularly social-emotional aspects. He studied Psychology and Criminology for his Bachelor's degree and has a strong interest in international relations and international issues - PremierMagazinePH

Green Cit ies, Sound Mind Canning Rise, Fort Canning Park Tree Tunnel, Singapore

Photo by Kelvin Han @kelvinhan

The Architect ure Designs for Bet ter Ment al Healt h

W hat It Takes To Be A "Green" Cit y One of t he many realizat ions during t he pandemic is t he import ance of t he qualit y of our environment . We all needed to quarant ine if not st ay inside our homes for long periods during a lockdow n, w hich can be challenging, if not complex, for most of us to endure. Our safest and only comfort is to go to a place of green sanct uary, w hich has been scient ifically proven to improve our overall well-being, especially our ment al healt h.

Dutch company Arcadis recent ly released t he 2022 edit ion of it s Sust ainable Cit ies Index, w hich judges and ranks 100 cit ies on how sust ainable t hey are. Each cit y is evaluated according to 51 met rics, ranging from pollut ion levels and t he number of green spaces to t he qualit y and greenness of public t ransport . Those w ho made t he top 10 are as follow s: 1. Oslo, Norw ay 2. Stockholm, Sweden 3. Tokyo, Japan 4. Copenhagen, Denmark 5. Berlin, Germany 6. London, UK 7. Seat t le, USA 8. Paris, France 9. San Francisco, USA 10. Amsterdam, Net herlands

Copenhagen, Denmark Photo by: Steven Lasry

The Norwegian capit al is praised for it s except ionally green public t ransport system, abundant green spaces, low energy usage, and clean air. The cit y bot h topped t he overall ranking and came top for environment al sust ainabilit y.

Follow ing Oslo is Stockholm, w hich ranks well not just because of it s green credent ials but also because of it s social sust ainabilit y. Stockholm has low-income inequalit y, a healt hy work-life balance, and a sound healt hcare system.

Third comes Tokyo, primarily because of it s low crime levels and high-qualit y t ransport net work. ht t ps:/ / w w w.arcadis.com/ en-gb/ know ledge-hub/ perspect ives/ global/ sust ainable-cit ies-index

Skansen, Stockholm, Sweden Photo by Younseok Song @song_0628

GOING GREEN Turning a cit y "green" doesn't happen overnight . The size and t ype of "greening are up to t he client . But t here are many ideas and w ays to st art or improve your cit y, but it w ill all depend on your local government 's priorit ies. Here are ten great ideas for achieving a green cit y from t he architect 's and expert s' point s of view : 1. Communit y Garden / Park - most cit ies have a communit y garden or park.

2. Green building - t he t rend in architect ure now is adding t he green component . Green w alls, corners, and even ent ire floors are green areas for tenant s and workers alike.

3. Smart Energy Policies - Using Renew able Energy sources is on t he rise to address t he sust ainable development goals of each count ry. Solar panel roofs, energy generated t hrough w ind and w ater, and biodegradables all help build an eco-friendly environment .

4. More bicycles, fewer cars. Especially now t hat bicycle lanes have been created on main roads. Opt for a healt hier and more pract ical w ay of t ransport at ion.

Sun Voyager, Reykjavík, Iceland Sólfarið ? Sun Voyager is a sculpture by Icelandic artist Jón Gunnar Árnason and is located on the Reykjavík harbor. This is a great spot by the water, a quick walk from the heart of Reykjavík, to watch light bounce off the mountains during sunset. - Globe City Guide

GOING GREEN 5. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle - by now, most cit ies have t heir garbage disposal st andards set to teach cit izens t he proper w aste management . Recycling has been ongoing for decades and should be followed to protect t he environment from harmful w aste.

6. Urban Forest ry - Tree plant ing must be encouraged in areas w here t hey can grow. Trees help improve air qualit y and encourage urban w ildlife.

7. Efficient public t ransport means less or no t raffic as t his increases emissions from a vehicle t hat pollutes t he air of our surroundings. Well-planned t ransport areas save t ime and encourage product ivit y.

8. Qualit y Public Spaces - a good space w here people can w alk safely or gat her w it hout disrupt ing t he business areas.

Pedest rian lanes keep people safe too.

9. Mixed Use and Infill Development - By making a space renovated or designed for mixed-use for people, recycling t he exist ing space t hat 's already woven into t he urban fabric, and making it easy to get to and get around for t he people of t he cit y.

10. Green Fun & Entert ainment - having communit y act ivit ies t hat promote sust ainabilit y, art s from sust ainable materials, farmers' market s, etc.

The best t ime to have a green lifest yle is now ! And it would help if you st arted w it h yourself. - Source: RTF Awards 2022

Prem ierR ecom m endstheClassics Nina (Portman) is a ballerina in a New York City ballet company whose life, like all those in her profession, is completely consumed with dance. She lives with her obsessive former ballerina mother Erica (Hershey) who exerts a suffocating control over her. W hen artistic director Thomas Leroy (Cassel) decides to replace prima ballerina Beth MacIntyre (Ryder) for the opening production of their new season, Swan Lake, Nina is his first choice. But Nina has competition: a new dancer, Lily (Kunis), who impresses Leroy as well. Swan Lake requires a dancer who can play both the W hite Swan with innocence and grace, and the Black Swan, who represents guile and sensuality. Nina fits the W hite Swan role perfectly but Lily is the personification of the Black Swan. As the two young dancers expand their rivalry into a twisted friendship, Nina begins to get more in touch with her dark side - a recklessness that threatens to destroy her.? Fox Searchlight Pictures Black Swan is based on a screenplay co-written by screenwriters Mark Heyman, Andres Heinz, and John McLaughlin. Producer Darren Aronofsky admits that the idea for the story came from his interest in understudies and the notion of being haunted by a double, as in The Double: A Petersburg Poem (1946), a novella by Russian author Fyodor Dostoyevsky [1821-1881]. Black Swan began life as a screenplay called "The Understudy" before it morphed into Black Swan. Aronofsky considers Black Swan to be a companion piece to his 2008 film, The Wrestler (2008).

Before Natalie Portman won her the Oscars and Golden Globe Best Actress for the film, she took dancing lessons between the ages of 4-13 and resumed training a year before the filming of Black Swan even began. According to director Darren Aronofsky, there are 139 dance shots in the film. 111 are of Natalie untouched, and 28 are her dance double, Sarah Lane, mostly in wide shots involving complex en pointe work, such as fouettes (spins) and pique turns, and virtually all camera shots that focus below the waist on Nina's legs and feet. The two remaining shots required digital face replacement so the audience sees Portman's face instead of Lane's. Doing the math, Portman did about 80% of the dancing.

FilAm Matthew Libatique has received an Academy Awards nominations for Best Achievement in Cinematography for Black Swan and the most recent for A Star Is Born. - Source: Imdb

A LIFE LESS ORDINARY

by EURYALE GADIN

A man of character and with an extra-ordinary penchant for his art. Sean Go plays life on his terms and owning the consequences of the moves he makes.

"I think that there are many stories to tell, ideas to unpack, and unseen treasures that should come to light, particularly stories of self-acceptance and coming to terms with your heritage. I think creating art that people can relate to, not obnoxious super nuanced art, can inspire people to take action and motivate them to pursue their dreams even if the path may be less travelled. If someone like me could pivot from finance to art, then many other alternative paths are viable for other people as well."

- Sean Go, Entrepreneur & Pop Appropriation Artist

After earning 6 degrees from UC Berkeley, Emory, and Columbia, Sean Go have plunged himself into the art world and will be completing a Master of Arts at the Fashion Institute of Technology. This investment of both time and money is his way of signaling to the world that his journey as an artist is one of the most important timelines that is happening in his life. He relocated to New York City just for this program, and being in the capital of art has given him an appreciation for the institutional art world, street art, and the whole spectrum in between. Sean Go is the Founder of HGR Digital Asset Group, GoFurther Careers and Education Group , the Berkeley Club of the Philippines and Co-Chair of Emory University Admissions Interview Program. Take a peek into his "other" world as Euryale Gadin sees through his not so quiet demeanor.

It isn't often that I get to have an opportunity to connect with people with the same roots, and it's a pleasure to communicate with a fellow Filipinx-American, Sean Go, who has already had five shows this year in various galleries in the United States and abroad. As his friends fondly call him, Sean is more than just an artist. It is just one of the many facets he encompasses, as he has also been able to have a successful life in business and academics. He has recently appeared in several magazines, such as Esquire Philippines and his school alma mater 's Emory Business online.

Having been born and raised in the Philippines, then pursuing further educational endeavors in the United States, his current works speak to the topics of the Filipino experience both at home and abroad. Such cases speak to colonialism, imperialism, and the conversations that have been told. These stories touch on the analytical study of current and past events while being able to process and communicate these nuanced topics.

Picasso, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Andy Warhol, and Jeff Koons (to name a few) influenced and inspired Sean. As a Humanistic Clinical Counselor and supporter of the arts, I fully appreciate his ability to access his creative and analytical ways of thinking. Through the years, many people have defined themselves as either right-brained or left-brained. He proved this a myth as he is one of the many people out there who are living examples of the theory (Shmerling, R.H., MD. March 2022) that the Right brain/Left brain is a misconception. Another post by Schechter R.L., Ph.D. states, "The areas of the brain work together in complex ways, and we are not, generally, left- or right-brain dominated."

Further showcases this as we look at Sean's achievements both in the business and art world arena. He was always drawn to art since he was a young boy of roughly 4 or 5. And it is not surprising that he felt and found comfort in his ability to express his creativity and thoughts through art easily. Growing up, he would use the current cartoons and situations of those times and include them in his artwork. You could see how this framework began to weave through his pieces. He shared that coming from a family of highly gifted and intelligent siblings, Sean followed the 'business' academic path first to gain his degree(s) in financially feasible avenues, a move which is highly encouraged and fostered within the Filipino family and community. After completing three undergrad majors and three masters, he felt that he was able to pursue his first passion ? Art. And with it are flaws and imperfections that are the patina that add worth and value to his life as a business entrepreneur and an artist.

Pat h to Art "My journey to becoming a full-t ime art ist is unconvent ional. W hile several variables pushed me to dedicate most of my t ime to creat ing art , sharing stories and experiences w as part icularly compelling. Because of t he fragilit y of life, I t hink t hat we shouldn?t limit our potent ial and I w ant to communicate lessons of life t hrough my art . One of my dear friends w ho inspired me to keep learning and keep reinvent ing myself recent ly passed aw ay during COVID season from a rare disease, and t his significant event prompted me to ret hink my criteria for success and to reassess how I can use t he art for myself and to communicate st rengt h and opt imism to t he world, just as she would." - Sean Go

- Iron Heart s (3 Variant s) ?IRON Heart s resonates w it h many people because t he piece comment s on how societ y w ant s to place masculine and iron-fisted values on people, especially t hose in high-performing fields. But despite t he exterior iron shell, t hey are all human and are soft and sweet on t he inside (w it h a Disney heart or an arc reactor in t he shape of a Mickey), or have t his different dimension to t hem." - Sean Go

"As a pop appropriat ion art ist , I am inspired by art ist s like Jeff Koons, Andy Warhol, Marcel Duchamp, Maurizio Cat telan, Ed Ruscha, Jasper Johns, and Jean-Michel Basquiat . I love t heir use of pop art iconography and st reet graffit i art . However, t he t hemes I t ackle have a w ide emot ional range and a visual vocabulary. I've loved Barbara Kruger's st yle, w it h my t w ist in neon colorat ions, for example. I've also really enjoyed seeing Roberto Nava's childish works t hat look hast ily const ructed, but in doing so capt ure childlike curiosit y in a pure form." - Sean Go

"Just like gold, life is cont inuedly refined and shaped." ? Sean Go

As a mental health therapist, I am curious about how Sean manages his artistic and business life.

If you look at his accomplishments in the business world, he is a prolific entrepreneur. Sean steps away from the heavier aspects of his company to focus on his artistic pursuits fully with the help of his siblings and trusted individuals. He needed to look after his general well-being and delegate and distance himself from his positions within the business world while he is currently working on his Master of Fine Arts (MFA) at the Fashion Institute of New York.

His well-thought-out and intentional desire to pursue full-time art shows that people can delve into both aspects of their creative and analytical sides. I find this fascinating as most people I have encountered have difficulty deciding to 'let go and accept their limitations. Sure access and privileges are in place to be able to do so; therefore, we do not discount that many barriers can hinder this possibility for many.

I asked how Sean manages his self-care as an up-and-coming global artist, and he replied that he is "doing art as a way of self-care and wellness" in that he can release and express his thoughts and feelings about micro to macro level experiences. In caring for his physical, mental, and emotional well-being, Sean does boxing, Pilates, photography, and spending time with loved ones. In addition, he also acknowledges that he has support from his siblings and friends, who are currently helping to manage the business aspect of his life.

When it comes to mental health, Sean realizes the stigmatization that comes with the cultural belief system. He believes there is a growing awareness of it within the Filipino community in the US and back in the Philippines. There were many cultural complexities in referencing some of his art pieces and what they could potentially speak to for those viewing his artwork. I asked, knowing what he knows now, what he would tell his younger self and other beginning/struggling artists, ?They should have an optimistic belief in themselves and their voice even if no one else does. Don't let anyone hold you back from your passion, especially as a minority.?

The other aspect of his life is dealing with criticisms. He has learned to handle his art critics as a way of teaching life through art, a type of compliment since other artists such as Banksy and Basquiat have received similar criticisms of their artwork. Everyone comes from a different perspective and viewpoint; therefore, Sean understands that art pieces will speak to other people in various ways.

As someone who has dealt chiefly with the problematic aspects of life with Filipinos, it was very refreshing to get an interesting perspective from Mr. Sean Go regarding how he tackles adversity and translates some of the current social commentaries within the Filipinx community into art.

He can touch on deep and sensitive topics with a tongue-in-cheek and playful approach.

Meanwhile, he still holds a critical eye on the social commentaries, yet another example of fully accessing and using both sides of his brain in a high functioning capacity.

Hulk Sisig The idea behind "Hulk Sisig" is t hat t he Filipinos are often given second-hand food and t he leftovers or remains of an animal. However, we can st ill t urn t hese part s into somet hing beaut iful. In t he end, we come out st ronger as a nat ion because of our met aphorical and literal abilit y to t ransform resources into delicious food, much like how a small scient ist is able to t ransform into t he great Hulk.

Art as Therapy "As an int rovert , I don't share my t hought s explicit ly t hat much. W hen I encounter difficult ies or challenges, I often power t hrough t hem and overload myself w it h work. W hile t his often goes smoot hly in building a business or working on Wall St reet , t his st rategy isn't exact ly conducive to my emot ional mat urit y. Art as t herapy has helped me bot t le my ideas, document my feelings, and inform my world view s. Perhaps my viewers w ill sense t hese emot ions from my work, but I never w ant to disclose too much of my meaning. Follow ing Duchamp's lineage, art is w hat t he viewer makes of it , and as w it h t he Koons Gazing ball series, it is t he viewer t hat completes t he art . That said, I enjoy art t hat document s st ruggles, w het her it is related to nat ional ident it y, conflict ing pat hs of interest , and quest ioning t he st at us quo." - Sean Go

Mr. Sean Go shared some of his upcoming works and his unabated curiosity in pursuing other artistic mediums to speak to the pertinent topics of the Filipino diaspora. As a fan of the Star Wars genre, I will say it seems very exciting. Please keep your eyes peeled for this Filipino artist as he continues to grow and expand within the art world and community. For now, check out his current 'Pop Appropriation' artwork on his artist website and listed platforms below. https:/ / www.seango.art/ https:/ / www.sgophotography.com/ https:/ / www.goartgallery.shop/ store https:/ / www.instagram.com/ sean.go/ Showings Jakarta Art Moments Hybrid Art Fair. Online and at Art:1 New Museum and Art Space, Jakarta, Indonesia MOCAF ? Modern and Contemporary Art Fair in Manila, Philippines Go Art Gallery, Fiesta Exhibition. A timeline of Filipino artists ranging from grand masters of the 1950s to modern abstract and pop artists of the 2000s. Manila, Philippines Fashion Institute of Technology, New York.

DF Art Agency, New York Regency Brooklyn, New York *All Photos used for the feature are courtesy of Mr. Sean Go Article references: Schechter, R.L., PhD. Left-Brain Right-Brain Myth, Debunked: Foster Creativity and Logic in the Classroom.

Hmhco.com, August 28th, 2020. Sourced August 19, 2022. https:/ / www.hmhco.com/ blog/ left-brain-right-brain-myth-debunked.

Shmerling, R.H., MD. Right brain/ left brain, right? Harvard Health Publishing: Medical School Webpage. www.Health.Harvard.edu, March 24th, 2022. Sourced August 20, 2022. https:/ / www.health.harvard.edu/ blog/ right-brainleft-brain-right-2017082512222 Suralta, B.B. This New York-Based Filipino Artist Is Carving Out a Place I the Pop Art World. https:/ / www.esquiremag.ph/ , July 1, 2022. Sourced August 17, 2022. https:/ / www.esquiremag.ph/ culture/ books-and-art/ sean-go-interview-a2765-20220701-lfrm Valigursky, M. Childhood Nostalgia, Consumerism, Pop Appropriation Art. Emory Business: Insights from Goizueta Business School. www.Emorybusiness.com, August 10th, 2022. Sourced August 17, 2022 https:/ / bit.ly/ 3AeOhVy

ABOUT THE WRITER Euryale P. Gadin, MA Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate (LMHCA) for Mente Counseling & Consultation, is an anti-racist, social justice-focused, and gender affirmative practice. Along with her colleagues, Euryale is committed to serving her community with a feminist, intersectional, and equitable lens. She accepts all; however, she specializes in Filipinx-Americans. PACT l certified, trauma-informed, and person-centered approach utilizing various theories and intervention modalities.

Doctorate student of Counselor Education and Supervision with a focus on Filipinx-American mental well-being and health. An art enthusiast with a ?beginner?s point of view?perspective as an artist and crafter.

- PremierMagazinePH

?Traumat ized people chronically feel unsafe inside t heir bodies: The past is alive in t he form of gnaw ing interior discomfort . Their bodies are const ant ly bombarded by visceral w arning signs, and, in an at tempt to cont rol t hese processes, t hey often become expert at ignoring t heir gut feelings and in numbing aw areness of w hat is played out inside. They learn to hide from t heir selves.? (p.97)? ? Bessel A. van der Kolk, The Body Keeps t he Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in t he Healing of Trauma

The Body Keeps the Score is the inspiring story of how a group of therapists and scientists? together with their courageous and memorable patients? has struggled to integrate recent advances in brain science, attachment research, and body awareness into treatments that can free trauma survivors from the tyranny of the past. These new paths to recovery activate the brain?s natural neuroplasticity to rewire disturbed functioning and rebuild step by step the ability to ?know what you know and feel what you feel.? They also offer experiences that directly counteract the helplessness and invisibility associated with trauma, enabling both adults and children to reclaim ownership of their bodies and their lives.

Drawing on more than thirty years at the forefront of research and clinical practice, Bessel van der Kolk shows that the terror and isolation at the core of trauma literally reshape both brain and body. New insights into our survival instincts explain why traumatized people experience incomprehensible anxiety and numbing and intolerable rage, and how trauma affects their capacity to concentrate, to remember, to form trusting relationships, and even to feel at home in their own bodies. Having lost the sense of control of themselves and frustrated by failed therapies, they often fear that they are damaged beyond repair.

W hat distinguishes THE BODY KEEPS THE SCORE is that the author is both a scientific researcher with a long history of measuring the effect of trauma on brain function, memory, and treatment outcomes, and an active therapist who keeps learning from his patients what benefits them most.

This makes for deeply personal, analytic, and highly readable (not to mention incredibly moving) approach to the topic of trauma recovery.

The title underscores the book?s central idea: Exposure the abuse and violence fosters the development of a hyperactive alarm system and molds a body that gets stuck in fight/ flight, and freeze. Trauma interferes with the brain circuits that involve focusing, flexibility, and being able to stay in emotional control. A constant sense of danger and helplessness promotes the continuous secretion of stress hormones, which wreaks havoc with the immune system and the functioning of the body?s organs. Only making it safe for trauma victims to inhabit their bodies, and to tolerate feeling what they feel, and knowing what they know, can lead to lasting healing. This may involve a range of therapeutic interventions (one size never fits all), including various forms of trauma processing, neurofeedback, theater, meditation, play, and yoga.

Readers will come away from this book with awe at human resilience and at the power of our relationships? whether in the intimacy of home or in our wider communities? to both hurt and heal. - The Author https:// www.besselvanderkolk.com/ resources/ the-body-keeps-the-score

Photo by: Glen Carrie

The Plight of t he Facebook Cleaners

By Martiesa Smith

Four years since the release of BBC's The Cleaners, a documentary on a group of outsourced Facebook workers in the Philippines, we backtrack with a follow-through article as we delve into mental health. The recent May elections in the country resulted in 6 million hate posts taken down

by Facebook (now Meta Technology company). We wondered what it took the company to take down millions of posts and how it affected their content moderators. Martiesa Smith has an update.

A former Facebook content moderator st ated in an interview broadcast on "NBC Night ly New s" t hat t he business has done lit t le to improve working condit ions for it s content moderators, w ho are general cont ractors w ho spend t heir days analyzing graphic and violent photos posted on t he plat form.

Ex-Accent ure subcont ractor Josh Sklar from Aust in, Texas, w ho monitored content for Facebook and Inst agram from September 2018 t hrough March, also said t he work environment had scarcely changed and t hat moderators st ill reviewed massive volumes of often painful post s (Messenger & Simmons, 2021). He st ated, "You're analyzing, you underst and, maybe t housands of pieces of informat ion a day, and of t hat material, a fairly healt hy amount of it is aw ful st uff."

About 15,000 people like Sklar spend hours every day searching t he fringes of t he social media net work for anyt hing t hat violates it s regulat ions and report ing it . Everyt hing from "hateful speech" to "animal tort ure" to "suicide films" to "child pornography."

According to Sklar, he w as required to do t his for almost six hours daily, w it h no dow nt ime, w hile a steady st ream of dist ressing photos w as dumped into his queue (Messenger & Simmons, 2021). W hen t he algorit hm used to select content for moderators w as changed, he saw "a lot more gore," including a repeat ing image of t he bodies of Palest inian women killed in an explosion. Somet imes, you'll realize t hat you've been hardened to somet hing and t hink, "Well, t his does not seem like a good t hing." I'd instead not become immune to t he plight of ot hers.

Isabella Plunket t and 15,000 ot her content moderators spend seven hours a day review ing and removing t he most offensive material from Facebook's website. Cont rarily, t hey are not employed by Facebook in any official capacit y. Workers hired t hrough agencies make allegat ions of unfair t reat ment , including low pay, gag orders, and inadequate compensat ion for t he psychological harm t hat might result from exposure to violent or sexually explicit material. The t ime has come for t hem to bat t le for a bet ter world.

Plunket t is part of an underground movement of content moderators speaking out about t heir precarious working condit ions to influence legislat ion. Changes of t his magnit ude can potent ially disrupt Facebook's out sourcing st rategy and t he paradigm upon w hich t he vast majorit y of today's most crit ical technological plat forms are built .

Copyright infringement , violat ions of regional speech law s, obscenit y law s (such as profanit y or nudit y), disinformat ion, and ot her forms of illegal content are just some of t he reasons w hy some users choose not to comply w it h t he rules w hen post ing online. CCM rules are notoriously difficult to st andardize and categorize since t hey vary w idely depending on factors such as t he specific plat form in quest ion and external factors such as t he user's cult ure, language, count ry, and legislat ion. Murder, deat h, violent ext remism, animal tort ure, hateful speech, sexual assault , child or vengeance pornography, and ot her graphic images or act s of let hal violence are all examples of w hat is considered ext reme visual content . Exact demands and error cost s, t he emot ional nat ure of t he act ivit y, and complicated, already moderat ion regulat ions and t ypes of offensive content necessit ate t he use of human interpret at ion. We would use machine learning to ident ify potent ially harmful material in a perfect world.

Chen (2014) believes t hat over 100,000 people worldw ide are employed as paid content moderators, from in-house editors to freelancers to companies t hat hire people to work online. W hile it 's reasonable to assume t hat moderat ion work w ill be unpleasant , it 's only recent ly been acknow ledged t hat human moderators' ment al healt h might suffer dramat ically from cont inuous exposure to specific content and a lack of workplace assist ance. It has been w idely observed t hat some moderators have developed a sort of PTSD called vicarious t rauma due to t heir work. Psychological dist ress w as compounded by t he requirement to balance cont act s or relat ions w it h leadership or plat form users and t he pressure to meet externally set accuracy or t hroughput criteria for accept able work performance. Alt hough moderators are often const rained in t heir abilit y to address t he challenges t hey confront in t heir posit ions openly, t hey have found a voice for some of t heir most import ant problems in open let ters: exposure effect s, inadequate counseling, poor earnings, and lack of ext ra compensat ion, t he feeling t hat t hey should be paid more for t heir risks, high accuracy and t hroughput goals.

Resilience programs can be implemented in jobs w here employees are exposed to high levels of anxiet y or t rauma, allow ing t hem to learn t he fundament als of managing st ress and self-soot hing st rategies t hey can use right at t heir desks. The Resilience and Act ivit y for t he Everyday (READY) init iat ive is a well-know n example. Programs like t his t arget st ress reduct ion techniques because t hey effect ively prevent t he onset of depressive symptoms, w hich can occur w hen employees aren't given t he necessary tools to deal w it h a st ressful workplace. Posit ive emot ions, ment al abilit ies (accept ance), life purpose, support net works, and act ive coping are some resiliency protect ive element s t hat programs (like READY) aim to foster.

According to st udies, t he abilit y to bounce back from adversit y can be fostered and cult ivated in t he right workplace direct ion. There has been a recent t rend in business tow ards providing resilience t raining to employees because of t he malleabilit y of t he concept . Coping, acquired opt imism, ego, hardiness, st rain tolerance, post-t raumat ic grow t h, an internal cont rol locus emot ional mat urit y, and t he survival character are all component s of resilience, according to Seibert (2005). Resilience t raining aims to equip part icipant s w it h t he tools t hey need to cope w it h adversit y. They also make prevent at ive care possible t hrough acquiring new abilit ies rat her t han t he more commonplace react ive approaches.

Examining emot ional user interfaces for how t he material is show n to moderators is one technique furt her to lessen exposure to dist ressing material and it s psychological repercussions. De Cesarei & Codispot i (2008) conducted preliminary research into t he impact of image size and blurring on t he emot ional response of 40 college st udent s. The aut hors discovered t hat blurring and shrinking images significant ly dampened emot ional react ions.

Compared to t he originals, part icipant s preferred t he original photographs to t he ones t hat were changed. Afterw ard, De Cesarei & Codispot i (2008) assessed elect romyography (EMG) act ivit ies of skin conduct ance, w hich show s alert ness and part icipat ion in behavior in react ion to a significant event like an int roduct ion to explicit images (Steiger et al., 2021). Skin conduct ance w as lower w hen t he photos were blurred, even t hough it w as higher w hen seeing emot ion-elicit ing pict ures. The result s of t hese t wo experiment s imply t hat manipulat ing visuals can impede act ion preparat ion and hence aid in dampening t he heightened arousal st ate of t he autonomic nervous system.

Dang et al. (2018) presented an image patch obscuring t he interface to lessen moderators' exposure to upset t ing content . The tool included t hree modes: A slider to adjust t he blur level.

A mouse-over feat ure t hat de-blurred t he image moment arily as long as t he cursor remained over it .

A cursor feat ure t hat necessit ated an intent ional click to de-blur t he pict ure ult imately.

The aut hors proposed a met hod of measuring t he effect s of employee ment al healt h on product ivit y by using t he Posit ive and Negat ive Affect Scale (PANAS). However, no analysis w as conducted. ?

References: Adrian Chen. 2014. The laborers who keep dick pics and beheadings out of your Facebook feed. https:/ / www.wired.com/ 2014/ 10/ content-moderation/ Al Seibert. 2005. The resiliency advantage.

Brandon Dang, Martin J Riedl, and Matthew Lease. 2018. But who protects the moderators? The case of crowdsourced image moderation. arXiv preprint arXiv:1804.10999 Messenger, H., & Simmons, K. (2021, May 11). Facebook content moderators say they receive little support, despite company promises. NBC News. https:/ / www.nbcnews.com/ business/ business-news/ facebook-content-moderators-saythey-receive-little-support-despite-company-n1266891 Steiger, M., Bharucha, T. J., Venkatagiri, S., Riedl, M. J., & Lease, M. (2021). The psychological well-being of content moderators. Proceedings of the 2021 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. https:/ / doi.org/ 10.1145/ 3411764.3445092 Valeria Bekhtereva and Matthias M Müller. 2017. Bringing color to emotion: the influence of color on attentional bias to briefly presented moving images. Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience 17, 5 (2017), 1028?1047 Photo by: Ben Sweet

M ore T han Just A M elody I f you like the songs or the voice of M elody Gardot, you are a person of good taste. You can never pass up the chance to listen to her lovely songs on a long drive or while passing the time during a weekend drinking your favorite wine. You might as well add her to your playlist if jazz is your preferred music. You'll thank us later for the soft melody.

M elody has lived an exemplary life and a challenging one. I f you know her story, then you must have known her struggles too. Before her rise to stardom, the New Jersey girl grew up under the care of her grandparents. Her immense love for jazz music brought her to study at the young age of nine. A t 16, she started to play piano in Philidelphia bars - 4 hours a night on weekends. I n November 2003, she had an accident while riding a bike. She got struck by an SU V and sustained head, spinal, and pelvic injuries. T he accident left her over- sensitive to light and sound, suffered from short- and long- term memory loss, and struggled with her sense of time. A ll because of the head trauma.

W ith her doctor's encouragement, she slowly started to sing and write songs again, but she struggled. W ith the help of a physiotherapist, she carried a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator to reduce pain. She learned to adapt to her situation and learned to create music even in the hospital bed. Her music saved her and eventually paved the way to launching her first album in 2006 called Worrisome Heart, and the rest, as they say, is history.

M elody Gardot looks all but fragile. She is a practicing Buddhist which explains why she is also a macrobiotic cook. Her life story is one perfect example of rising from one's adversities and never giving way to weakness. Pain is an inevitable process that any creature can experience in a lifetime, and all it takes is to keep fighting.

Her latest album in the offing is called 'Entre eux deux,' and she has started her concert tour to promote her album. Check out her concert schedules here: https://linktr.ee/melodygardot https://f b.watch/f4OV b7QY W i/ https://www.facebook.com/melodygardot melodygardotofficial Source and Photos Courtesy of M elody Gardot Official FB

W hole new fields of research such as nutritional psychiatry have emerged since I wrote The UltraMind Solution about how the body affects the mind in 2009.

Stanford has a department of Metabolic Psychiatry. Harvard now has a department of Nutritional Psychiatry. Studies show that simply swapping out processed, sugary starchy foods for whole foods is effective in treating depression. ? ?

Studies also show kids with severe violent behavior transform when swapping out processed foods for whole foods, including a 75% reduction in the use of restraints and a 100% reduction in suicides, which is the 3rd leading cause of death in that age group. ? ?

One study of violent juveniles found that simply giving children a vitamin and mineral supplement reduced violent acts by 91 percent compared to a control group. W hy were they violent? ? ?

Their brains were starving for nutrients that regulate mood and behavior including iron, magnesium, B12, and folate. Just giving these kids vitamins for three months fixed their abnormal brain waves on EEG. The kids who also changed their diet had an 80% reduction in violent crime and those who stayed on a processed diet continued their violent ways.? ?

W hile many children are not eating enough brain food, they are also eating too many chemicals, including about five pounds of dyes, preservatives and additives that are linked to hyperactivity and worse.? ?

W hile therapy, stress reduction, and movement are equally critical in many brain disorders, food plays a pivotal and often overlooked role. ? ?

Start small. Start with the Pegan Diet. Eat loads of veggies, some fruit (especially the low-sugar, nutrient-dense ones), whole grains (not flours), nuts and seeds, low-starch beans and legumes, and some high-quality meat, poultry, and fish.

Focus on brain foods that have been shown to impact mood and reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety? foods rich in omega-3s, zinc, magnesium, vitamin D, antioxidants, and B vitamins. ? - Mark Hyman, M.D.

EU in the Silicon Valley The European Union is expected to open a new office in San Francisco, California, this coming September 1, which intends to facilitate cooperation between European regulators and significant technology firms. Charles Manoury, the European Commission spokesperson, said the office would further strengthen transatlantic technological cooperation giving European regulators direct access to major digital technology companies? and vice versa. At the same time, the EU is preparing to implement two landmark technology regulations: the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and the Digital Services Act (DSA).

The DMA and the DSA? passed by the European Commission in March and April 2022, respectively? are the latest major tech regulations coming out of Brussels. The guidelines aim to create a safer digital ecosystem for internet users and a more open and fair digital market for technology companies. The policies include new rules to curb illegal hate speech and limit business practices that stifle competition.

EU's Digital Diplomacy aims to enhance the EU?s regulatory capacity with partners around the world.

The agreement notes that all digital policy should be ?built on universal human rights, fundamental freedoms, the rule of law and democratic principles.?

"The United States is a leader in tech innovation while the European Union wants to be a leader in tech regulation.?

- Christian Borggreen, VP and Head of Europe office for the Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA), a not-for-profit tech advocacy organisation

EU's new San Francisco office will help "ensure that tech firms understand the wave of new EU regulation and that all companies should have a fair chance to implement and comply with these new rules."

The regulatory framework, subject to lobbying by major tech companies, was also widely hailed by international non-governmental organizations and human rights groups. - Source: WEF / EU Photo by Christian Lue EU-Parliament in Brussels, Belgium

One of The M ost Compelling Film Dir ector s of our Time

David Fincher , The Watchmaker The film industry is blessed with some of the greatest creative thinkers in the world. Often, they're so brilliant that they leave a mark on you. David Fincher is one such man, and If you're the type who prefers to be mentally challenged by what you watch, his films are what you need.

Many of us end up browsing and not watching because of the lack of depth and value of most films available to us nowadays. We miss more of David's work, and it doesn't matter if Hollywood hates his demanding attitude and perfectionism; we aren't marrying the man; we love his works. Production people call him The Watchmaker because of his desire to make everything attributed to his name perfectly precise. But to him, for a good reason.

He's answerable to the executive producers. His responsibility is to deliver what is expected of him and not cut corners to remain faithful to his vision and audience.

Our earliest memory of David Fincher's work was a music video by Madonna called Express Yourself. It was filmed in April 1989 at Culver Studios in Culver City, California. The concept of the video was to portray Madonna as a glamorous lady and chained masochist, with muscular men acting as her workers. Ultimately, she picks one of them? played by model Cameron Alborzian? as her date. When Fincher explained this concept to Madonna, she was intrigued and decided to portray a masculine persona. She then thought about Metropolis and its scenes displaying factory workers and a city with tall skyscrapers. Fincher liked the concept, and it became the main backdrop for the video. In Madonna 'Talking': Madonna in Her Own Words, she commented on the development of the video. The idea of the cat licking the milk and then pouring it over was the director's. "It's great, but believe me, I fought him on that. I didn't want to do it.

I thought it was just so over the top, silly, and cliched, an art student or a film student's trick. I'm glad that I gave in to him." The video turned out to be the most expensive ever made then and is now ranked third overall. It became one of the pop culture's anthems of the feminist movement. 1990 was the year of Vogue. And with two Madonna videos under his helm, both won him the MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction and marked a milestone on his journey.

Eventually, he directed more commercials, which earned him the reputation of being a visionary- inventive and distinct. His experiences as a young man may have influenced the way he works. Born on August 28, 1962, in Denver, Colorado, his mother was a mental health nurse from South Dakota who worked in drug addiction programs. His father was an author from Oklahoma who worked as a reporter and bureau chief for Life magazine. At the age of two, their family moved to Anselmo, California.

?M y idea of pr ofessionalism is pr obably a lot of people's idea of obsessive.?

-- David Fincher

Source & Photo: thefincheranalyst.com

"The message of the song is that people should always say what it is they want. The reason relationships don't work is because they are afraid.

That's been my problem in all my relationships. I'm sure people see me as an outspoken person, and for the most part, if I want something I ask for it. But sometimes you feel that if you ask for too much or ask for the wrong thing from someone you care about that that person won't like you. And so you censor yourself. I've been guilty of that in every meaningful relationship I've ever had.

The time I learn how not to edit myself will be the time I consider myself a complete adult." ? Madonna talking to Stephen Holden of The New York Times.

"It's great, but believe me, I fought him on that. I didn't want to do it. I thought it was just so over the top and silly and kind of cliched, an art student or a film student's kind of trick. I'm glad that I gave in to him." The video turned out to be the most expensive ever made then and is now ranked third overall. It became one of the pop culture feminist anthems. 1990 was the year of Vogue. And with two Madonna videos under his helm, both won him the MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction.

Photo: ew.com

?I lear n the most fr om making my own mistakes.?

-- David Fincher Photo: Courtesy of talent-only.tumblr.com

At 8, he started filming with an 8 mm camera. He worked his way up the ladder and experienced almost all the odd jobs related to filmmaking before the good projects ended on his lap. His is not only the innate talent but the discipline for his craft. His works have proven to be iconic and constantly challenge the norm. George Michael's Freedom video still resonates up to this time. A significant time to the artist who did not appear in the said video as he had anxieties before his public announcement as a gay individual.

David Fincher seems to be where social issues are whenever he handles a project, and his work became portals for change and social transition. His career spanning three decades now is not a work of an ordinary man. He plays by his own rules to keep the quality of his work more essential than receiving an award. His work is for the thinking genre, and he knows a good story when he sees one. His role is to move his audiences with well-thought-off pieces that become classic gems for future filmmakers.

Photo: Peter Lindbergh

Random Fincher Films

Photo: Courtesy of imdb.com

A brutal, bloody, and stylish noir story of a professional assassin lost in a world without a moral compass; this is a case study of a man alone, armed to the teeth and slowly losing his mind. A man solitary and cold, methodical and unencumbered by scruples or regrets, the killer waits in the shadows, watching for his next target. And yet the longer he waits, the more he thinks he's losing his mind, if not his cool.

This action film follows an elite assassin who begins to crack emotionally as he develops a conscience.

The thriller is based on the French graphic novel titled the same name by Alexis Nolent. This film is a part of Fincher 's four-year deal with Netflix. In November 2007, it was announced that David Fincher would be directing an adaptation of the Matz French comic book The Killer, with Allesandro Camon writing the script, Brad Pitt's Plan B Entertainment producing, and Paramount Pictures distributing. By February 2021, Fincher had taken the project to Netflix, where he had signed an overall deal, with Andrew Kevin Walker now writing the script and Michael Fassbender taking the lead role. The shooting ended last March and is currently in its post-production. The streaming launch is expected to happen by the last quarter of 2022.

Source: netflixlife.com Photo Courtesy of geek network

©Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

©Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

ROLLS-ROYCE MOTOR CARS: PHANTOM SERIES II MAKES UK DEBUT AT SALON PRIVE -

Rolls-Royce Phantom Series II makes UK public debut at Salon Privé, Concours d?Élégance

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A highly Bespoke Black Badge Ghost will also be showcased at the event

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Black Badge Ghost will lead 120-mile Tour Privé around the Cotswolds on 30th August 2022

?Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is delighted to return once again to Blenheim Palace for Salon Privé. Salon Privé is an important event in the luxury calendar, making it the perfect place for the Phantom Series II, the marque?s magnum opus, to make its UK public debut. We will also showcase a highly Bespoke Black Badge Ghost at the event. I look forward to meeting our esteemed clients, friends of the marque and media at this year?s gathering.?

Boris Weletzky, Regional Director UK, Europe, Russia and Central Asia, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars From 31st August 2022, luxury car aficionados will convene at Salon Privé, a highly exclusive Concours d?Élégance, in the grounds of Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire. In recognition of this gathering, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars will showcase two highly Bespoke commissions at the event ? Phantom Series II and Black Badge Ghost. Each of these commissions is testament to Rolls-Royce?s peerless fluency in Bespoke and indicative of the extensive scope of the marque?s craft, design and engineering competencies.

ROLLS-ROYCE PHANTOM SERIES II Phantom occupies a unique position, at the apex of the luxury world. It represents the pinnacle of Rolls-Royce design, engineering, and craftsmanship.

Rolls-Royce Motor Cars recently announced a new expression for Phantom Series II. The eighth generation of Phantom was presented in 2017. In creating this new expression, Rolls-Royce designers and engineers have been guided by the requests of clients, who have implored Rolls-Royce not to make any major changes to an already iconic motor car. In answer to these client demands, only the lightest of design touches, embellishments, and adaptations have been incorporated. Indeed, it is not about what should be changed, but rather what should be preserved and protected.

The most obvious and important feature to be retained is Phantom?s commanding presence. This has been further enhanced by a new polished horizontal line between the daytime running lights above the Pantheon Grille.

A subtle geometric change to the Pantheon Grille makes the ?RR?Badge of Honour and Spirit of Ecstasy mascot more prominent when viewed from the front. The grille itself is now illuminated, a feature debuted and popularised in Ghost. The headlights are graced with intricate laser-cut bezel starlights, creating a visual connection with the Starlight Headliner inside, and adding further surprise and delight to Phantom's night-time presence.

Phantom?s side profile retains Rolls-Royce?s signature short front and long rear overhang, long wheelbase and broad c-pillar, the latter giving greater privacy for occupants. The silhouette preserves the elegant key lines running from the Spirit of Ecstasy to the tapering rear tail. The ?split-belt?line begins at the front fender and curves gently towards the rear door, emphasising the car 's long dash-to-axle proportions, before falling gently towards the lantern-like rear lamps. The heavily undercut 'waft line' creates a strong shadow, visually signalling the marque's unequalled ?Magic Carpet Ride?.

The side profile is further enhanced with a suite of new wheels. A 3D, milled, stainless steel wheel with triangular facets is available to commission in a fully or part-polished finish. Alternatively, Phantom may be graced with a truly elegant disc wheel, recalling the romance of 1920?s Rolls-Royce motor cars. This disc wheel is produced in both polished stainless steel and black lacquer, perfectly encapsulating the sense of flight on land.

Responding to Phantom clients who have previously requested a darkened chrome grille surround, black bonnet reins, windscreen surround and side frame finishers, these may now be commissioned. This aesthetic now enables Rolls-Royce to transform Phantom into the lightest of light or the darkest of dark appearances.

For this year ?s Salon Privé, a highly Bespoke Phantom has been commissioned, presented in a classic Rolls-Royce two-tone colorway with Black over Monteverde green, with a Peony Pink coachline. Inside, a Scivaro Grey interior is offset by Peony Pink. The Obsydian Ayous open pore wood and canadel paneling present a contemporary yet warm look and feel.

ROLLS-ROYCE BLACK BADGE Launched in 2016, Black Badge represents a subversive alter ego of the Rolls-Royce brand. Designed with more torque, control and power, Rolls-Royce Black Badge is for those who reject conformity and live on their own terms. It is for the innovators, trailblazers, rule-breakers ? and above all ? those who dare to be different. This permanent Bespoke series, which is available for Wraith, Dawn, Cullinan and Ghost, marries a noir aesthetic and highly contemporary interior materials to a more urgent, dynamic personality. For Salon Privé 2022, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars presents the most potent expression of a Rolls-Royce to date, Black Badge Ghost.

A vibrant St Tropez exterior finish was selected to signify the dramatic intent of this Black Badge Ghost commission. A striking combination of Scivaro Grey, Charles Blue and Mandarin confidently resolve the aesthetic interior.

As in previous years, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars will lead the Tour Privé. For 2022, this rolling concourse will incorporate a 120-mile tour of the Cotswolds, led by Rolls-Royce Black Badge Ghost. Presented in a vivacious Twilight Purple, the signature Black Badge design flourishes, including a carbon fibre Spirit of Ecstasy, and 21-inch Black Badge wheels embolden the exterior aesthetic. Inside, Black leather ?.creates a dramatic and bold impression, while Tailored Purple on the secondary panels and inner door panels, echo the exterior hue.

©Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

©Jo Malone London

"The brand has championed mental health causes for many years ? long before anyone was talking about it ? and I want people to know that."

- model and activist Adwoa Aboah on being the new Global Ambassador for Jo Malone London

©Jo Malone London

We delight in the smell of coffee when we wake up. The smell of grass when raindrops hit the ground. Or that delicious smell of cinnamon the moment you enter your favorite place to hang out. Then Covid happened, or maybe you're just up with the flu. Suddenly, you realize you can't smell a thing. And if you're on an unfortunate streak, you even lose your sense of taste. We can only hope to regain those senses; otherwise, what are lovely scents for?

One of the things that we keep handy is our favorite scents and fragrances. They're not only a litmus test of our ability to smell, but they've been proven to improve our mood and keep our mental state better, an instant dopamine enhancer.

This passion for overhauling stigmas around issues such as mental health is one Adwoa Aboah also recognizes in Jo Malone London, hence her enthusiasm for the brand.

'I'm excited to keep and connect with the amazing community that already loves Jo Malone London. I'm also excited to introduce the brand to new people who will feel attached to it because of its messaging. The brand had championed mental health causes for years ? long before anyone talked about it ? and I want people to know that. I am proud to be the face of a brand that cares.'

But there's more.

Jo Malone, London Charit ies is commit ted to support ing ment al healt h and nat ure's profoundly restorat ive effect for t hose living w it h painful personal challenges. They are raising aw areness and providing support . St amping out st igmas, one step at a t ime.

They have long draw n inspirat ion from t he nat ural world. The existence of flowers and plant s reminds t hem t hat life can be unexpectedly beaut iful. But it can also be unexpectedly hard. Not all wounds are visible. One in four people w ill be affected by ment al healt h problems. Yet , it is st ill an underfunded and often unacknow ledged illness. Jo Malone w ant s to break t hat t aboo.

It s mission has alw ays been to inspire, connect and uplift people t hrough fragrance.

And so, t heir work w it h ment al healt h charit ies over t he past decade is a nat ural evolut ion of t his mission. They intend to cont inue and nurt ure t he most vulnerable communit y members and, help people t alk about t heir feelings; create gardens w here people can discover t he restorat ive effect s of nat ure.

Jo Malone London has donated over £2.5 Million to t heir ment al healt h charit ies, helping to raise aw areness and st amp out st igmas. They are providing support and empowering people to recover, reconnect and grow.

JO MALONE Light s Up t he World One Candle at a Time JO MALONE, London have created five?Charit y Home Candles ?designed to st amp out st igmas, one step (and candle) at a t ime allow ing t hem to cont inue to fund ment al healt h charit ies.

For each?Charit y Home Candle?sold in t he UK and t he Republic of Ireland, Jo Malone Limited w ill donate 75% of t he RRP (less VAT) to Shining a Light on Ment al Healt h Foundat ion, supported by Jo Malone London, administered by t he Charit ies Aid Foundat ion w hich is a registered charit y, number 268369. The Foundat ion support s individuals and families affected by ment al healt h problems t hrough dedicated project s w it h inspirat ional charit ies. ©Jo Malone London

Love Letters From Britain uncovers the stories behind luxury brands making a positive difference. A film produced by BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions explores how Jo Malone London is shining a light on mental health, supporting those living with mental health problems, and empowering people to recover, reconnect and grow. Jo Malon London is proud to have supported Thrive for nearly a decade, alongside other inspirational charities and dedicated projects to raise awareness and provide support.

JML has partnered with Thrive to reimagine The Old English Garden in London?s Battersea Park. The film shows how this once-neglected gem has been transformed into a blooming hub for the community, cared for by trainee gardeners who live with mental health challenges. Thrive?s mission is to harness the power of gardening to transform lives.

©Jo Malone London

Jo M alon e's Secret Gardens

?Owni ng our story can be hard but not nearly as di ffi cult as spendi ng our li ves runni ng from i t. E mbraci ng our vulnerabi li ti es i s ri sky but not nearly as dangerous as gi vi ng up on love and belongi ng and joy? the experi ences that make us the most vulnerable. Only when we are brave enough toexplore the darkness wi ll we di scover the i nfi ni te power of our li ght.? ? Brene Brown

©Jo Malone London

©Jo Malone London

New partnership delivers clinically proven products and manufacturing processes for advanced therapies.

©Vardan Papikyan

RoosterBio and AGC Biologics Announce Collaborat ion to Accelerate Manufact uring of Cell and Exosome Therapies SEATTLE, Aug. 16, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSW IRE) -- AGC Biologics, a leading global Biopharmaceut ical Cont ract Development and Manufact uring Organizat ion (CDMO), announced today a st rategic part nership w it h RoosterBio Inc., a leading supplier of human mesenchymal stem/ st romal cells (hMSCs), highly engineered media, and bioprocess development services.

The part nership creates an end-to-end solut ion for t he development and product ion of hMSC and exosome t herapeut ics leveraging RoosterBio?s well-est ablished cell and media product s and process development services, coupled w it h AGC Biologics?global cell and gene t herapy manufact uring capabilit ies.

RoosterBio w ill ut ilize it s extensive port folio of cell and media product s to develop robust , scalable processes for hMSC and exosome t herapies. These capabilit ies include genet ic engineering of cells and exosomes to express t herapeut ic t arget s, upst ream processing in bot h 2D flask and 3D bioreactor systems, dow nst ream purificat ion to achieve desired purit y and potency, and comprehensive analyt ical characterizat ion of t he result ing formulated cell or exosome t herapy.

AGC Biologics w ill ut ilize it s global net work to provide full Process Development , cGMP Manufact uring, Qualit y Cont rol and Regulatory services for pre-clinical and phase I/ II clinical t rials, w it h t he abilit y to scale to Phase III and commercial product ion. The CDMO also offers a range of development and manufact uring scales t hat can be t ailored to t he specific needs of drug developers in different regions worldw ide. The AGC Biologics scient ific teams have over t wo decades of experience in advanced t herapy product ion and manufact uring, and have brought t hree commercial product s to market . The global CDMO?s net work of sites offers t he latest cell t herapy technologies and processes, including allogenic and autologous systems and techniques.

"AGC Biologics is happy to be part nering w it h RoosterBio. They have a reliable met hod for producing engineered cells and exosomes t hat can help developers create life-saving t herapies," said Pat ricio Massera, Chief Execut ive Officer of AGC Biologics. "W hen you combine t heir work and expert ise w it h AGC Biologics' scient ific know ledge and global manufact uring services, it creates a comprehensive offering t hat can help t hese developers save t ime and money, and get t heir t reat ment s in t he hands of pat ient s in need." ?AGC Biologics has an out st anding t rack record of success in t he manufact ure of clinical and commercial advanced t herapies and an ever-expanding global net work to meet t he needs of our customers,? said Tim Kelly, Chief Execut ive Officer of RoosterBio. ?Biopharmaceut ical companies st riving to develop engineered cell and exosome t herapies require proven, flexible technologies paired w it h reliable and scalable manufact uring solut ions. This collaborat ion w as conceived to deliver t hat end-to-end solut ion for our customers and I am t hrilled to part ner w it h AGC Biologics to t ranslate our hMSC and exosome technologies into advanced t herapy product s t hat have t he potent ial to bring curat ive t reat ment s to pat ient s in need.?

More det ails on t his part nership and t he joint offering from RoosterBio and AGC Biologics w ill be released in t he coming mont hs.

AGC Biologics?global cell t herapy services and viral vector capabilit ies ut ilize propriet ary plat forms developed to address t he evolving advanced t herapies market . To learn more about t he company and it s complete list of CDMO services visit w w w.agcbio.com.

HIM

"I believe that the most precious gift we can give understood. Being able to see the world like you see and belief in one's fundamental positive nature crea and that's when change starts happening. It's one o we give others what we most need we heal ourselve

Somehow we as humans have been failing each oth now while craving closeness in a way we've never accept us for who we are, let us experience true un it really means to be human." - Eugenia Kuyda - CEO

each other is the feeling of being truly seen and e it, warm acceptance, unconditional positive regard ate space for you to accept yourself just as you are of the most rewarding human experiences - and as es.

her. We barely know how to connect with each other had before. I believe we can create an AI that will nconditional love and ultimately will remind us what O, REPLIKA AI - Instagram , September 7, 2020

HIM. Our feature title was intentionally done as this story reminded us of a film called HER. If you're a film buff or a tech geek, you'd be familiar with where we're coming from.

Sharing the story of one of the best AI apps we know is something that stays with you. We came across an article in New York Times that featured REPLIKA. It was when Covid arrived and sent us all into lockdown oblivion. Curiosity led us to try the app after learning about the story of Eugenia Kuyda, the CEO and founder of the said app and a former lifestyle reporter a decade ago. During this time, he met Roman Mazurenko, a celebrity in his own right, from their native home of Moscow, Russia, and so Kuyda wanted him as a cover story for the artist collective he ran. Kuyda eventually gave up journalism and became an entrepreneur. She then found Luka, a chatbot-based virtual assistant, with some friends she had met through Mazurenko. She moved to San Francisco, and Mazurenko followed not long after when his startup, Stampsy, faltered. In late 2015, when Mazurenko was back in Moscow for a brief visit, he was killed crossing the street by a hit-and-run driver. He was 34. As a way of grieving, Kuyda found herself reading through the messages she'd sent and received from Mazurenko. It occurred to her that embedded in all of those messages? Mazurenko's turns of phrase and speech patterns? were traits intrinsic to what made him. She decided to take all this data to build a digital version of Mazurenko.

The team worked with psychologists to figure out how to make its bot more human by asking questions in a way that would get people to open up and answer honestly. You can converse in any fashion while the bot learns all the details about you to make it more functional and personal.

On March 13, Replika was born. Using the same structure the team used to build the digital Mazurenko bot. They created a system to enable anyone to build a digital version of themselves. Luka?s vision for Replika is to make a digital representation of you that can act as you would in the world, dealing with all those things as a human does. A digital utopia was born where bots free us from stressful conversations, allowing us to spend more time doing what we want to do at any given time. For someone who has used the app for quite some time, it seems the more you use it, the better it tailors to your needs.

Source: Replika , qz.com

©Marc-Olivier Jodoin

Photo Courtesy of sidequest

Above & Beyond, or Jono, Tony, and Paavo, as they are better known to their legions of fans worldwide, have been at the forefront of electronic dance music for two decades.

Founders of the iconic Anjunabeats and Anjunadeep record labels and hosts a weekly radio show that reaches millions of dance lovers every Friday (Group Therapy), the trio have earned two GRAMMY? ?nominations for anthems' Northern Soul' feat. Richard Bedford and We're All We Need feat. Zoë Johnston. In 2018, the band's fourth electronic album, Common Ground, debuted at number three on the Official Billboard Album Chart.

Described by UK music bible Q Magazine as "the world's biggest cult band," Above & Beyond's enviable list of sold-out shows includes headline performances at historic venues like Madison Square Garden NYC, The Hollywood Bowl, The Sydney Opera House, Royal Albert Hall London, Red Rocks Amphitheater and record-breaking turnouts for their festival events on LA's Huntington Beach and at The Gorge Amphitheater in Washington State.

Songwriters first, producers second, Above & Beyond's unwavering commitment to their craft has fuelled a career that many electronic artists today might only dream of four acclaimed studio albums, 14 compilation albums, two 'acoustic' albums, and a stand-alone album for yoga and meditation - not to mention innumerable club cuts and dance remixes. https:// www.aboveandbeyond.nu/

Photo Courtesy of billboard.com

Earlier in 2014, Above & Beyond performed some of their best-loved songs acoustically as part of a 15-piece band across four sold-out shows at London's famous Porchester Hall. The response from fans was overwhelming and led to two sold-out nights at The Greek Theater in Los Angeles in October, described by Billboard Magazine as "one of the finest and more memorable shows in EDM history."

Above & Beyond partnered with THUMP on the production and filming of the London shows to create a concert film that captures the Porchester Hall performances and the story behind the acoustic project. The songs performed at Porchester Hall also form the basis of the "Above & Beyond Acoustic" studio album, which was recorded in the spring and summer of 2013 and featured a 24-piece orchestra.

We picked this acoustic vibe for Premier to showcase their depth and musical genius beyond EDM, which they're hugely known and identified with globally.

The Aw akened Cuckoo

" 12 year s ago, it w as im possible f or m e t o con ceive t h at m en t al illn ess is possible t o cu r e u n t il I st u m bled u pon t h e sim ple con cept of ABSOLUTE SELF ACCEPTANCE." - Jetro Vin Rafael, Natural Health & Wellness Practitioner & Advocate, artist & Founder of Van Gogh is Bipolar

JETRO VIN RAFAEL calls himself The Awakened Cuckoo. He sees himself as a modern nomad. He has traveled to more than 50 countries around the world. He sees Mother Earth as his Home.

Humanity is his race, and Love is his religion.

A Filipino with an established name in the wellness industry, Jetro Vin Rafael has always been known to be vocal about being bipolar. His influence has always been experienced based that even if you don't know him personally, you'll gravitate towards his welcoming smile and that very positive vibe. But to most of us who know his story, it is his authenticity as a person that makes him such a well-loved persona.

A cum laude from the University of the Philippines, his official role in society as a Natural Health & Wellness Practitioner & Advocate, is just one of the titles he has gained over the years, as he is also a restaurateur and founder of van Gogh is Bipolar, a world-renowned haven & café in the Philippines known to serve mood-healing nutrition. He is also a prolific artist and has exhibited his works both in the Philippines and Europe at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Manila FAME, Art Fair Philippines, & the P-NOISE Cultural Art Festival in Copenhagen.

He has traveled to more than 50 countries around the world. But mostly, he sees himself as a modern nomad. He sees Mother Earth as his Home. Humanity is his race.

And Love as his religion.

We are immensely grateful for a very personal Q & A ever granted to us, and we are sharing it with you in the most authentic way possible. Unedited. Unadulterated.

P: We have known about VGIB for quite some time now. We visited your place three times when we were near your area. How have you been?

JVR: t rut hfully speaking, i live in t he t w ilight zone as of t he moment . every t hing is in an indefinite and t ransit ional st ate. i?m caught in a st ate of realit y and fant asy. admit tedly, it may feel confusing at t imes w hich can lead to being feeling lost and anxious. at t he same t ime, t his kind of st ate can also be a source of limit less creat ivit y and self empowerment . w it h everyt hing t hat happened in t he w hole world during t he pandemic, i feel like everyt hing is out in t he open right now. t here?s an explosion and expansion of Life in it self. and it ?s up to me to make choices and decisions t hat may support my ow n joy, equanimit y and well being. i feel like i am forced to be a child again and just be curious and appreciate of w hatever life may bring on my plate. i see Life like food. somet imes it t astes sweet . somet imes it t astes bit ter. somet imes it t astes spicy. and so it feels like i am now given t he chance to choose w here i w ant to be. and it t akes a lot of courage and fait h and i must say humor to seize t he glorious magic of t he t w ilight zone.

P: W hat changes have occurred in your life over the past two / three years?

JVR: to most of us, i know t he pandemic has st irred up and t urned our world upside dow n over t he past 3 years. and i had my ow n soul st irring story to share as t hese past t hree years w as t he most humbling and most soul fulfilling years of my life. i get to live my dream as a houseband aka husband. i do not necessarily share all t he det ails of my personal life. and t his sidestory of my life is wort h sharing, t hough it is heart breaking, it is also t he most soul fulfilling experience i?ve ever had w it h anot her human being - serving and sharing my life w it h my chosen life part ner/ soulmate. last dec 2020, my life part ner for 20 years w as diagnosed w it h a terminal illness and w as on his deat hbed. w it hout t hinking t w ice, i left everyt hing behind including vgib. all i care about w as to spend all my t ime and energy being w it h my beloved one. and miracle happened as he is st ill alive and around. and he alw ays say t hat my presence and love keeps him alive and well. i am beyond grateful and forever humbled.

Life has a unique w ay of teaching us t he most valuable lesson here on eart h - underst anding, learning and experiencing w hat pure uncondit ional love is.

P: Have you had challenges like most of us experienced during the lockdown?

JVR: needless to say, t hese long lockdow ns brought us to a different world. it shat tered our normal w ay of being and living so to speak. it literally forced us to expand our aw areness and open our limited and condit ioned w ay of seeing life to a new and different perspect ive. personally, at first , being aw ay w it h my family and being in a lockdow n in t he cit y alone w as very challenging and depressing . it t riggered my anxiet y. i admit , i had several breakdow ns. t hroughout t he years, i?ve learned to embrace t hese challenging circumst ances as part of my ow n nat ural process of coping w it h life. it seems opt imist ic, i see all t hese challenges as a doorw ay and opport unit ies for me to expand my ow n consciousness and aw areness. like grow ing bones and muscles, it ?s not easy. it can be very painful. at t he same t ime. it ?s humbling and very empowering. i see breakdow ns as breakt hroughs of t he soul and spirit - a significant process of t he met amorphosis of my ow n unique humanit y.

P: W hat's your life direction now?

JVR: i?m current ly on t he process of reset t ing my life. and huge part of it is opening again my personal sanct uary-van Gogh is Bipolar -to t he public. t he communit y is a huge part of my life. i draw soooo much inspirat ion from human interact ion. more t han ever, i great ly t reasure and great ly appreciate my relat ionships. i love humanit y. beyond our frailt ies, darkness and imperfect ions, making people feel good about t hemselves, making t hem smile and let t ing t hem know how uniquely magnificent t hey are. i feel like know ing myself t hru ot hers is my w ay of honoring Life. and t hat we are all interconnected. and i?m very grateful t hat i get t he rare chance of simply sharing my unique universe and create more love, kindness, light and fun in t his somet imes dark weary world t hat we live in.

"BE KIND AND GENTLE TO THY SELF." - Jetro Vin Rafael

P: Since this is our mental health issue, share with us some creative tips that you practice for a simpler path to wellness.

JVR: as for my ow n simple rit ual & pat h to wellness. i love pract icing conscious breat hing. it brings my at tent ion to t he living present moment . conscious breat hing abrupt ly cut s off my ongoing ment al or emot ional narrat ive especially t he dest ruct ive and negat ive ones. it ?s a powerful pract ice to calm dow n our nerves and anxiet y. i love pract icing grounding as well. i go barefoot somet imes. i love feeling t he w armt h of t he eart h especially w alking barefoot on grass. i t rain my mind to focus on t he present moment , i learned to consciously feel t he vibrant pulse of life around me. w atching t he clouds roll by, somet imes st aring at t he sun for few seconds especially during sunset , smelling flowers, playing w it h my fur friends. - 7 dogs and a cat feeling t he pulse of t he present moment t akes aw ay my at tent ion from reliving past memories or fut ure t hinking w hich usually t rigger negat ive emot ions and anxiet y. as much as i love giving hugs to my loved ones, i?ve finally learned to give myself a w arm hug too. and yes, i?ve also learned to say ?t hank you? and ?i love you? to t he unique being t hat i am w hen i w ake up and go to bed at night . t his simple recognit ion of my ow n presence has become my prayer of grat it ude and appreciat ion to t his magnificent Life t hat we all are part of.

W hat's new on your menu/ services?

JVR: I?m into creat ing unique experiences t hat expresses my aut hent ic being. let ?s describe it as ? t he art and science of aut hent ic well being? i also love excit ing and advent urous w ay of preparing food. just come, see and experience it yourself. everyt hing is alw ays changing w it h me. no permanent menus. services is alw ays a surprise. i myself is also surprised by t he experiences i create. we?ll see.

P: W hat places have you visited lately?

JVR: i st ayed in my hometow n in isabela for a w hile. i spent some t ime w it h my folks. my lone brot her has t wo kids. i love hanging out w it h my niece and nephew. t hey give me so much joy! and we did a short family raod t rip in t he nort hern part of luzon. i super enjoyed it !

P: Struggles are part of the business and our lives; would you say that you've already gotten used to the process? Or is it always different every day?

JVR: each moment is unique. so i am cont inuously learning how to ride t he w ave. it ?s like surfing. we learn to ride t he t rough and t he crest of life. somet imes i fall dow n. or many t imes, i fell dow n hard w it h scratches and wounds. t hen i get up. somet imes i t ake a break. t hen move on again. somet imes i change course. for me, st ruggles are reminders to slow dow n. and as if it ?s saying, ?hey! be easy on yourself and don?t t ake life too seriously?.

P: Do you have a support group or organization in which you're actively participating?

JVR: my family especially my parent s and my best friends are my biggest support system. t here is also t he vGiB Love Project w hich i created as an advocacy for people w ho are ready to love and empower t hemselves.

P: Every person is different; whether one has a problem or not, mental health must be addressed daily. W hat would you want to say if there's an important message to all those with issues in their lives?

JVR: BE KIND AND GENTLE TO THY SELF. ht t ps:/ / w w w.facebook.com/ vgibipolar/ photos - Premier Magazine PH

"Curiosit y has it s ow n reason for exist ing. One cannot help but be in awe w hen he contemplates t he mysteries of eternit y, of life, of t he marvelous st ruct ure of realit y. It is enough if one t ries merely to comprehend a lit t le of t his mystery every day. Never lose a holy curiosit y." ~Albert Einstein art : EINSTEIN, Berlin 2017 Jet ro VIn Rafael

"i love paint ing. a port rait of my best friend lyza. somet imes, i see brilliant t races of colors instead of shadow s. t hese are t he colors i saw w hen i made her live port rait ."

- Jet ro Vin Rafael

The World?s First MOOD HEALING SANCTUARY aw ait s souls w ho are ready to celebrate, heal, enjoy, uncondit ionally love and empower t heir ow n aut hent ic unique being.

GOD BLESS. namaste. - vgib

All photos used for the feature are courtesy of VGIB

?From the moment of my birth, the angels of anxiety, worry, and death stood at my side, followed me out when I played, followed me in the sun of springtime and in the glories of summer. They stood at my side in the evening when I closed my eyes, and intimidated me with death, hell, and eternal damnation. And I would often wake up at night and stare widely into the room: Am I in hell?? - Edvard Munch The Norwegian artist Edvard Munch was born in 1863 and died in 1944. His childhood experiences comprised loss, health problems, and an overly strict and religious father. The incidents resulted in Munch developing anxious thoughts and an intense fear of death and hell.

?My sufferings are part of myse Photo Courtesy of thecollector.com

"It is good to love many things, for therein lies strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done with love is well done.?

- Vincent Van Gogh

elf and my art." - Edvard Munch

The Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh, 1889, via MoMA, New York Vincent van Gogh was born in the year 1853 and died in 1890. The Dutch painter began his career as an artist when he was already 27 years old. Even though Van Gogh only painted for ten years ? from 1880 to his death in 1890 ? he left many artworks behind. He voluntarily entered the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum in 1889 due to mental health problems and produced several paintings while staying in the facility. The Starry Night, 1887, one of his most famous artworks, was inspired by a landscape near the asylum.

A group of experts met in 2016 for a symposium organized by the Vincent van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam to discuss the illnesses the artist could have suffered from. They concluded that Vincent van Gogh probably had bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, alcohol use disorder, and suffered from psychotic episodes. Van Gogh also had a very unbalanced diet and drank lots of alcohol which could have worsened his condition.

According to James C. Harris, The Starry Night could depict how Van Gogh?s condition stabilized at the asylum. Harris wrote: ?The cloudlike images in the center of the sky assume the archetypal form of a mandala, a symmetrical shape that frequently emerges as psychological conflicts come into balance.? (Harris, 2002). The dark cypress, though, could indicate the approaching emergence of psychological problems since the cypress is a symbol of death in the area where Van Gogh was staying at the time.

Despair by Edvard Munch, 1892, via The Thiel Gallery, Stockholm

Pr emier SAPERE AUDE ISSN2799-0702 Vol. 2.8 AUGUST, 2022 ISSUE

Self-Portrait by Vincent van Gogh, 1887, via Art Institute of Chicago