Blank Space TYIOF Issue 2 Let there be fireworks by Gabbi Seva, p. 4 Little Poet by Patricia Manarang, p.6 Anicca by Rhich Lars Vladimer Albay, p.8 1, 2, 1534 by Maine Manalansan, p. 10 A Graveyard for Fireflies, p. 16 Getting Serious with Serious Studio by Isabelle Toledo, p. 20 Countdown by Janice Militar, p. 24 It’s one of Those days by Bronte Lacsamana, p. 26
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hen everything builds up to be too much for you, it can sometimes be discouraging to continue on the path that you’re used to taking. Many of us ended the previous year on a glum note, no thanks to all of the political issues that plagued the world and everyone taken from us. It’s times like these when it’s a struggle to even just exist in this world. Seeing difficult events unfold before us is painful. There are times when we can’t help but think “are we in a point of no turning back?” While we can’t retrace our steps and undo the past, you have to remember that there is still something to be done. A do-over is possible, as long as you start now. This month’s theme, blank space, represents endless possibilities and an undoing of all the things in the past. It either calls to be filled up or to be left as is — positive and negatives, noise and solitude. It’s all a matter of perspective. This issue of TYIOF is a testament to the new year and to all the emerging ideas that you, the youth, bring to the table. Everything you see in this zine shows that while we may just be beginning, there’s still so much more to look forward to. Enjoy!
Cover photo by Emerald Bartolome 2
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ew beginnings aren’t always about clean slates and blank spaces. To most people, I understand that these signify a sense of optimism, of moving on towards a new chapter yet to be written. However, a blank space — or a blank page, rather, has always intimidated me, and stirred, if anything, pessimism and dread. A blank page is exactly what’s staring at me right now as I try to find the courage to tell you why it’s taken me this long to write about trying. You see, my life has always been a blank page: seemingly perfect, but actually unsubstantial and empty. I’ve always been afraid to disrupt such a tranquil space of white, tainting it with unabashed fervor and creating disarray with my clumsy words. I’ve been afraid of creating something I’m proud of, and having my words taken away by red ink. I’ve been afraid of other words on other pages that were once blank like mine, with words that hurt but aren’t false.
“‘Anyone could do that,’ I said to my friend. ‘I could do that, and I don’t even paint.’ She turned to me, smiled, and said, ‘but you didn’t.’”
Let there be fireworks by Gabbi Seva Art by Marian Hukom
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Since then, I’ve kept my page the same way. It’s been seven years since I stopped writing, and I’ve always thought that it was better to keep it that way: unblemished and pristine. I’ve always had so much to say, but this started slipping away when the magnitude of words became too overwhelming for me to hold onto. I had become less of a writer, and more of someone who liked to write. Over the years that I had stopped writing, I still immersed myself in visual art, trying to convince myself that I hadn’t fully shied away from my creative side when I decided to take up engineering and abandon my writing. Still, abstract art was never something I could fully grasp. One day, I found one particular artwork that struck me. It was a painting of one heavy brush stroke: black and dense, the ripping of the canvas audible within the stark white walls of the exhibit. “Anyone could do that,” I said to my friend. “I could do that, and I don’t even paint.” She turned to me, smiled, and said, “but you didn’t.” And so this is my brushstroke: heavy and unsettling. This is my war cry; the noise within the peace, and funnily enough, my fresh start. After all, stars are beautiful in the night sky, but it’s the fireworks that kick off the year with a bang. 5
Little poet by Patricia Manarang Art by Elizabern Garcia
on my 16th birthday, i took all of my old poetry and burned them like tossing suicide notes into the flames i wonder if i am reborn every year, if this skin stays the same but this heart sees the world in a new light. i used to write about things that I did not understand things that my naive soul could not yet comprehend i wrote about loving and hurting and dying i guess i had a penchant for the beautiful because in those years i did not dare look into the mirror. its okay to not know where you’re going because the first steps to recovery are always so shaky and sometimes my demons come back to steal the parts i wanted gone but this time i will guard every inch of me because i didn’t come this far to let myself look back again. 6
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Anicca by Rhick Lars Vladimer Albay Art by Marian Hukom
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here do the things we lose end up? Our old toys, loose change, half-used pens; the bruises from our first fall, the memories we’ve suppressed, our childhood friends whose names and faces we’ve forgotten, poems and stories that have never made it to paper, the people who’ve left and never returned. I imagine a place where all of the things we’ve lost have gathered. Where we can go through piles of clothes that no longer fit us, pages of journals we’ve burned, and forgotten memories seen from the eyes of our three year-old selves to find something that will retell a moment that truly spun our lives around, or answer a question we’ve long harbored, or reveal something we’ve tried to bury in us for such a long time. May it be a faded photograph, shards of a long lost emotion, or the echo of a familiar voice, we’ll spin it around our fingers, hold it in our palms, and feel its weight, never wanting to let it go, never wanting to lose it again. Maybe a small voice inside us will surface, saying: “This is where I belong. In the place where everything that has been taken from me, everything that has just slipped away can be found, I will stay. I feel complete here.”
“‘This is where I belong. In the place where everything that has been taken from me, everything that has just slipped away can be found, I will stay. I feel complete here.’” 8
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1, 2, 1534 Design collective 1534 takes inspiration from K-pop groups for their projects. by Maine Manalansan
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here is something magical about working with your friends, especially when you’re not just doing it for fun. Some might even say that it’s the ultimate dream. This is exactly what 1534 is doing. The design collective is composed of Albert Cinco Jr., 21; Saira Lo, 21; Ken Logro, 20; and Charm Meridores, 21. The four are design graduates of De La Salle College of Saint Benilde’s School of Design and Arts. Their shared passion for K-pop influenced their eye for design and the humor they sprinkle here and there. Despite being graduates of the same course, they pretty much wear different hats in each project that they do. They do web, motion, and editorial design, illustration, painting, 3D modeling, and photography among others. With their extensive skill set, they make up this collective that can pretty much take on whatever is thrown their way. But what they really want to work ties back to their roots. “Truth be told, all we want is to assume creative control of a K-pop group’s promo cycle. Please give us lots of love and help us reach that dream,” they said. And it’s honestly not that far-fetched. With their catchy designs and unconventional take on content creation, only time — and maybe more exciting projects — can take them there. We chatted with 1534 to talk about their future plans, good design, and tips for beginners.
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Why 1534? We were sitting in a Korean café somewhere along Taft Avenue and there was an unspoken agreement among us that the name had to be snappy and minimal. Our list of names was hilarious. In the end, at a strike of curious epiphany, we realized that our office number could serve as our name. If for some reason we had to work away from the office, we would always be in the office in spirit because we carry its name. As in, “Come visit us at 1534; let’s work together. You’re welcome anytime.” We’d be sitting there in all-black ensembles facing a wall with this one Korean show Unpretty Rapstar projected onto it. That sort of thing. What made you decide to form this collective? While we all had gone to the same college, not all of us had actually known each other personally until early last year when we all ended up interning at local design agency Vgrafiks. It was only after the internship that we really came together as a team. Our boss pitched this idea of forming a collective and encouraged us to set ourselves apart from established agencies and studios by aiming towards content development. It has yet to be a lucrative pursuit — as with all beginnings — but we’ve had our share of good work all together and it’s been interesting thus far. Right now
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we’re focusing on getting our name out there with some self-initiated projects every now and then. What is good design for you? Design is a tool for communication more than anything. For it to be considered good, it has to be effective and purposeful. Anything else is usually just secondary. Although, sometimes it helps if you’re trendy and keen on working with aesthetic appeal. It also makes the design process a lot more fun, too. Other times, you have to go as far as selling your soul and giving up a bit — if not most — of your identity to achieve good design. That aspect of it is a bit lamentable, but as a double-edged sword, it’s proved to be very rewarding at times. If you’re a designer, you better know what you signed up for. With the political and social climate now, how can we use art to affect positive change? Art has mobilized a lot of movements and events that spurred humanity into a better, more progressive future. That sentiment feels a lot more relevant now, especially since information disperses so frighteningly fast and easily. Art resonates with people more than we can imagine, and as creatives we are more than capable of adding something that pushes ourselves as a society towards positive change. Our art reflects our very being,
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and that includes our identity and what we stand for. Right now, the challenge is in the weight of the message and its potential to grow and cause conversation. Every little nuance can’t be shrugged off; it’s exactly what every political meme owes much of its success to. Also, context matters a lot. What are your dream projects? The dream would be to direct and produce an entire promotion for a K-pop group or any music act that reflects our own sensibilities, really. Working in the music industry is probably the most thrilling prospect to us right now because of how taking charge of a musician’s marketing makes use of our entire skillset. The thing about working with pop acts is that it’s immensely fascinating to find out how our more unpopular inclinations towards design can be translated into something that can be consumed by a mass audience. The idea of somewhat manipulating the ordinary person into liking something we like (that they otherwise wouldn’t be a fan of) through good design is just exciting to us. Any tips for those starting out? Before anything else, it’s basically imperative that we actively expand our visual libraries; that mental index of what we have seen completely determines the creative decisions we make. We cannot stress how much being critical and selfaware help you with your craft. But honestly, just do stuff. If not now, when, right? Put it out there and don’t be scared. Learn to love your work and know its worth! Oh and sis, watch out for when Mercury retrograde comes along this year from April 9th to May 3rd, then again from December 3rd to 22nd. Stay woke. 14
“Art resonates with people more than we can imagine, and as creatives we are more than capable of adding something that pushes ourselves as a society towards positive change. “
Check more of their stuff at: instagram.com/1534.studio
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A Graveyard for Fireflies by Ciara Mendoza Art by Myla Rodrigo
This is not a poem about love. But well, here you are and here I am so I might as well talk about how we are at about an arm’s length of distance, and it’s frightening because a fraction of a second feels like leaves in winter wilting and eternity melting as a lighted candle would when you are breathing. And that should not be the case. In this silence I could hear your heart thump as loud as thunder— but not as loud as mine. I look at your hands and see third degree burns; your fingers are tinderboxes waiting to burst into a forest fire even when the sky is mourning. And suddenly it rains all around us and I almost nudge you with my elbow for a hackneyed joke about crying deities and weeping willows, but I do not utter a word and silence ensues between us. 16
I gasp for air— before I steal a glance at you because that’s how it’s always been, and perhaps that’s how it will always be, as if looking at you were a sin and maybe it is— maybe it’s a crime to look at beautiful things. Maybe it’s a crime to want to be near them even when they burn our wings. Here you are, and you are as close as you could ever be— but also the farthest. And here i am with my veins throbbing, stretching out like the shadows of trees chasing for the last ray of light, dying, dying to intertwine with yours like words perfectly stitched together into a pathetic mess of a poem. And I think to myself: if only I could talk to you. If only you could read between the bones that make up my spine the same way you would read your favorite novel from cover to cover by faint starlight— if only I could tell you, you are my favorite metaphor scribbled clumsily with ink on a paper moon.
If only there were an easier way to navigate through your chest without having to pass through those deaf ears of yours, maybe then it would have been easier. Maybe then I could tell you— “Here I am,like I’ve always been.” —without screaming my lungs out for every syllable. I’ve always thought your eyes were a graveyard for fireflies, and I can’t help but wonder: do fireflies die when their lights burn out, or do they die when they have nothing to devote their lights to? It’s a silly question. Someday, maybe I’ll have the guts to ask you. For now, here you are and here I am— and the silence between us ensues. For now, it will have to suffice.
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Art by Mika Manikan
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What are the most important questions to ask when you start building a brand? What makes the brand different, who is it for and how can the brand connect with them? It is important to identify who you are as a brand, unique. Along with this, you must also have a thorough understanding of who your audience is, and what problem of theirs you are solving.
Getting Serious with Serious Studio Three words: Branding done right. by Isabelle Toledo
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reating a brand is no easy task, but Serious Studio makes it look like it. As a strategically grounded branding agency, they’re never purely about being easy on the eyes. They make it a point for the message to shine through their projects. And when they get the chance, they inject their wit and humour into 20
their work as well. Remember all the 90’s birthday party photos during last year’s YS Prom? We’ve got them to thank for the production design. Young STAR had the chance to chat with Deane Miguel, #kween of Serious Studio, to give us the lowdown on their inspiration, YS Prom and what exactly the Serious Studio style is.
Since you work with a vast array of clients, how do you maintain your style without compromising the message/ branding you want to embody in a certain brand? Our style isn’t really so much to do with aesthetic and all to do with what we think the brand needs. Sometimes the techniques and visuals overlap, but that’s more to do with our capacity as artists than us imposing a certain style. The Serious Studio style, in the ideal, is that there’s a voice and visuals speak to you on a level you can’t quite articulate but you know you appreciate.
“The Serious Studio style, in the ideal, is that there’s a voice and visuals speak to you on a level you can’t quite articulate but you know you appreciate.”
Could you guide us through your creative process? One thing’s certain: the bulk of the work that we do is research. We make sure to do our homework before designing anything. From outlining business goals and objectives, studying and pinning down target markets, drafting competitive analyses, and so on. We root everything we do in strategy, which I think makes us a really effective branding agency.
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You’ve worked with us during our 20th anniversary party. How did you plan YS Prom’s visual identity? Starting out the planning of the YS Prom layout was kind of challenging. It was to be an outdoor event and we had to make sure that everything we were planning out endured factors like wind and rain. Set design was also something relatively new to the team, and sometimes you just have to be confident enough to know that you can do it. We called it “that cool party we never threw when we were kids”. With the Young STAR team, we started brainstorming what we loved when we were kids. Ball pits, bouncy castles, Saturday morning cartoons, celebrity crushes and everything else you kind of look back on and cringe over. We ended up taking on an uncool kind of coolness by embracing all the things that we loved then but are tacky to love now. You’ve worked with us during our 20th anniversary party. How did you plan YS Prom’s visual identity? Starting out the planning of the YS Prom layout was kind of challenging. It was to be an outdoor event and we had to make sure that everything we were planning out endured factors like wind and rain. Set design was also something relatively new to the team, and sometimes you just have to be confident enough to know that you can do it. We called it “that cool party we never threw when we were kids”. With the Young STAR team, we started brainstorming what we loved when we were kids. Ball pits, bouncy castles, Saturday morning cartoons, celebrity crushes and everything else you kind of look back on and cringe over. We ended
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up taking on an uncool kind of coolness by embracing all the things that we loved then but are tacky to love now. The big idea was to embrace the kind of over-the-top stuff that people used to love in the 90s. Things 90s kids would look back at now both in fondness and mild embarrassment, like Lisa Frank animals and butterfly clips. All of the “only 90s kids get it” stuff. A lot of it was basically us playing a word association game with the word bagets and churning out whatever fit the oxymoronic embarrassing nostalgia items people loved in the 90s but have grown out of, or at least pretend to. There are also a lot of references to Young STAR’s history in between all of the kitschy stuff. You’ve probably had a creative’s version of a “writer’s block” at some point, especially since you’re churning out ideas constantly. Could you give us any tips on how to get out of that creative slump? Take a long walk or work out. It sounds like a cop-out but those are the best fixes for a creative block. For some of us, if we’re running dry on inspiration, we take on something else. We immerse ourselves in writing, music or film. You can find inspiration in places where you least expect it.
Check more of their stuff at: serious-studio.com facebook.com/seriousstudio behance.net/seriousstudio instagram.com/seriousstudio
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Countdown by Janice Militar Art by Sofia Onte
ten ten words raise a question so this is it, this is where it all ends? nine nine words offer negativity people come and people go. that’s how life works. eight eight words render optimism people enter our lives for a purpose, right? seven seven words spark hope yes, some leaving handprints on our hearts. six six words keep me going at some point, they brought happiness. five five words ignite an idea there’s a good in goodbye. four four words prompt a reminder I’ll be forever grateful. three three words make up the truth this is it. two two words summarize my thoughts thank you. one one word I could string up: goodbye.
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It’s one of Those days by Brontë Lacsamana Art by Micah Domingo
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t’s one of Those days. The futility of life is keeping you paralyzed in your bed, wave after wave of hopelessly blue calm crashing down until you decide to either sleep it off or get up to do something mundane. The blank word document on your laptop screen mocks you every time you end up looking at it between your scrolling through social media and your limited attention to some TV series or Youtube video. To an outsider, the word “chill” may be used to describe your current state. If you take a step back though and look, really look into the chambers of your soul, you will see that the calm you feel is no longer neutral and blue, but now a more hopeless color of gray -- very empty and blank. A small voice in the back of your head taunts you over the music playing in your room. “What are you doing right now, friend? Why are you even doing it? Tell me, where will it get you?” You are indignant. You object that it’s only for an hour (or a few) and that you’ll do something more productive later on. The voice is adamant, however. “What is productive? Does it make you a better person, help you achieve a long-term goal, support a large-scale cause? You’re just a single human! Anything you do ever won’t matter after a certain period of time!” You ignore the voice and keep doing what you’re doing (which isn’t really much, to be honest, the voice whispers),
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but deep down you know that time is the true winner here. You chase it but never reach it (at least, not consistently, the voice adds). It supplies the never-ending, continuous beat that we all have to dance to and sing to and play music to until we cease to exist, replaced by the succeeding generations of people who will sing and dance and play music and then, like us, cease to exist as well. The cycle, the chase goes on. If you think you control time, you are wrong. Whether you waste your pleasant time on earth, cherish it amidst your miserable circumstances, or use it to elevate yourself to a certain standard, we are time’s slaves. Unfortunately, time is a cruel master. It fools us, again and again, into thinking that we are immortal, that we are important, that the little things we do and the blank spaces we fill may lead to something bigger. Then it pulls the rug from underneath us and reveals that our actions and lives can only mean something, but only against ridiculous odds. You can cry foul and rebel by using your time as best as you can, but the voice in the back of your head says it’s futile. So you spend a few hours in your bed, not really sleeping, not really doing nothing, but not really doing anything either. The word document on your laptop screen remains blank. It’s one of Those days.
“Whether you waste your pleasant time on earth, cherish it amidst your miserable circumstances, or use it to elevate yourself to a certain standard, we are time’s slaves.“
It’s one of Those days you lose against time. The small voice in the back of your head is now protesting. “I didn’t mean to incapacitate you! You were supposed to crush the seeds of doubt and hopelessness that I planted in your head, then accomplish something that would give you temporary satisfaction, which would then leave you wanting more satisfaction, which you would eventually gain but continue seeking for weeks until you set more goals after achieving the previous ones, until months pass, and then years pass, and your life passes and --” You don’t know how, but you’ve managed to block the voice out. However, despite not hearing the scathing words, there is still the familiar, hopeless emptiness which remains inside you. You spend the rest of the day in the gray area between not doing nothing and not doing anything at all. The voice makes a brief comeback to whisper in your ear, “Quitter.” If you strain your ears hard enough, you can hear time laughing in 27 the distance.
Contributors
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Art by Christopher Jed Olaes
Gabbi Seva Rhick Lars Vladimer Albay BrontĂŤ Lacsamana Janice Militar Patricia Manarang Ciara Mendoza Micah Domingo Emerald Bartolome Cholo Dela Cruz Micah Domingo Elizabern Garcia Marian Hukom Patricia Lee Mika Manikan Christopher Jed Olaes Sofia Onte Myla Rodrigo
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This Youth is on Fire is the monthly online of
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