PA P E R A R T SCRAPBOOKING T R AV E L MUSIC WELLBEING

EXTRAS
SELF-KEEPING ZINE
RANDOM ACTS OF
KINDNESS CARDS
MATCHBOX MESSAGES
COLLAGE PAPERS
FORTUNE TELLERS

Experience the world afresh, make

time for play, rewrite the ending,
start your own library, journal
and sketch your travels

W E LO V E C R A F T
Cover illustration by Svabhu Kohli
 014

E XT RAS I N
T HI S ISSUE
Enjoy all this paper goodness! Our
exc l u s i ve p r i n ts a n d p ro j e c ts
c e l e b ra t e t h e e d i t i o n ’s t h e m e s .

056

4 Enjoy our self- Spread kindness

076 080
003 018
keeping booklet with our cards

Display our Create a special

018 108
gratitude prints travel scrapbook

048

Make matchbox Fold your own

050 032 120
messages for pals fortune tellers
 006

CO NTE NTS
06 Profile: cover artist
Svabhu Kohli

08 MIND & BODY

10 Wellbeing news
14 Above all, be kind
18 Give out kindness cards
20 Profile: illustrator,
Vanessa Lovegrove
22 Be a gentlewoman
24 Compassion and creativity
28 Rediscover play
32 Create nostalgic paper
010 fortune tellers 5
38 NATURE
40 Nature news
44 Our fascination with fire
48 Inspired by fire
50 Make your own
matchbox messages
52 Matchbox artwork
56 Gather round
the campfire
60 Finding awe

66 HOME
68 Home news

068
72 Secret life of books
76 My bookshelf

052 80 Start a little library

84 Rewrite the story
89 Find meaning through
literature
93 Play with your home
décor
97 Style up your fireplace

102 TRAVEL
104 Travel news
108 Create your own travel
scrapbook with our
pull-out papers
118 Explore: writing retreats
120 Try urban sketching
124 Inspired by: sketching
126 Listen to our playlist
127 Susannah Conway’s
097 column
 6
Illustration: Svabhu Kohli
 7

COV ER A RTI ST: SVAB HU KOH LI

Indian illustrator and visual storyteller Svabhu Kohli, shares his love
of capturing the beauty of the natural world in intricate dreamscapes

When did you realise you wanted to be an artist? What have been your favourite projects to work on?
Quoting a dear friend of mine, it’s not a realisation you I’ve thoroughly enjoyed creating work for the singer/
have but it’s something you work towards every day. songwriter Ziggy Alberts’ series of stories of the ocean, and
creating illustrated cartographic maps for Mumbai.
Where does your love of the natural world and
fantasy come from? Where are your favourite places to enjoy nature?
I think it stems from my childhood, we grew up in an ecosystem If you train yourself to search for the natural world,
thriving with insects, birds, flora and fauna of the native Aravali it’s always around you. From the heart of concrete jungles to
biodiversity in the heart of Gurgaon city in northern India. We ancient sacred forests – nature has found ways to adapt and
also farmed on the outskirts and grew up with stories that tied thrive in spaces we would never imagine.
us to the natural world. Over time, we lost all this to a rapidly
growing city. My artwork stems from a space of nostalgia and How do you feel most calm?
wonder – of the relationships we once shared with the natural Through drawing and taking long runs in the outdoors.
world, the magic it offered to our lives and the sense of identity
it brought to the world we inhabit. What are your hopes for the future?
To collaborate with marine scientists and researchers and
What is the best creative advice you’ve received? develop visual narratives from our conversations.
Trust your instinct, everything stems from it. svabhukohli.com

Left: Svabhu’s
studio. Right:
“My drawing is
spontaneous – it
usually stems from
a mood or feeling
I wish to recreate.
I fill my artworks
with detail and
stories for viewers
to find.”
 U n e x p e c t e d k i n d n e s s i s
8
t h e m o s t p o w e r f u l , l e a s t
c o s t l y , a n d m o s t u n d e r - r a t e d
a g e n t o f h u m a n c h a n g e .

MIND & BODY

Pay it forward, random acts of kindness…
thoughtful gestures are so rare in today’s
world that social movements are started just to
remind us to take the time. If you’ve been on
the receiving end of this kind of compassion,
you’ll know how much it can lift your mood. So
this issue we’re looking at all the ways we can be
kinder, on- and off-line, to ourselves and others.
Psychotherapist Sheri Bateren writes that being
kinder to yourself makes for enhanced creativity.
A sense of silliness does too, as professional
clown Ash Perrin shares with us in his piece
about the importance of play. We round off the
section by playing with some paper, of course,
to make nostalgic fortune tellers.
Illustration: Beastfromeast/Getty Images; quote: Bob Kerrey

9
 1

10 2

M I N D
1

& B O D Y
N O T E S
Nurture a little kindness,
engage in quiet activism,
and love our bodies…
Compiled by Lara Watson and Cecilia Forfitt

5 6

4 7
 A LITT LE W EAR A P IEC E Katya Bovykina created this
1 K IN DN ESS
3 O F FROZ E N FI RE collection of purposeful
Filled with pride at their The ancient Inuits believed pins through a Kickstarter
children’s unprompted acts that labradorite was frozen campaign, inspired by the
of kindness, friends Lucie fire that had fallen to Earth power of visual aids and
Carr and Charlie Williams, from the Aurora Borealis. It’s talismans. “I found myself
decided to launch the easy to see why – when the looking for mindfulness
Kindness Co-Op, a socially- light hits its moody hues at cues in situations when
responsible apparel and the perfect angle it shimmers emotions took over and I
accessories brand aimed with iridescent electric blues was finding it impossible to
at fostering compassion and flashes of vivid green. stay present and to focus,”
(especially amongst children) Whether you believe in the explains Katya. “That’s why
towards ourselves, others folklore or not, the Inuits were I created Mindfulness Pins.
and the environment. The at least half right – labradorite It’s something that looks like
collection includes ‘Be Kind is a feldspar mineral, an accessory for others, but
3
2 to Your Mind’ and ‘Be Kind to crystallised from magma acts like a mental anchor for
Our Planet’ notebooks, and beneath the Earth’s surface. you.” Looking at or touching
organic cotton ‘One of a Kind Each teardrop-shaped stone the pin can help ground you.
2 Generation’ totes and tees. is unique, and strung on a Choose from ‘In the moment’, 11
A donation to YoungMinds copper chain so you can wear ‘I’m at peace’, ‘Breathe’, ‘I’m
is made with every item sold, it around your neck. on the right path’ and ‘I am
which funds projects that Labradorite teardrop grateful’. Or get the full set!
support mental health and necklace, £69, shop.30todays.com
emotional wellbeing for kids thefuturekept.com
and adolescents. U NEX PECT E D
thekindnessco-op.com S E EKI NG A
6 F LORA L ART
4 S I MPL ER LI FE Seeing things a little
LOVE YOUR BODY Project Calm contributor, differently is good for the
2 RI GH T N OW photographer and founder soul. So here is Harriet Parry,
Diet culture, mainstream of lifestyle blog, Geoffrey creator of compelling art-
media, social conditioning, and Grace, Melanie Barnes inspired floral arrangements.
prejudices of disability, has a new book out “My flower interpretations
sexuality, race or gender dedicated to slow living. are art, film and fashion
identity – all these things Her beautiful aesthetic playfully re-invented,” she
create a structure in which and soothing words make says. “I like to think of my
we may not show our bodies wonderful companions pieces as collaborations
the love they deserve. on pages full of inspiring with inspirational artists,
Add to that all the ways in yet practical advice for filmmakers and designers,
7 which our bodies change simplifying life and finding some of whom are
throughout our lives and a greater sense of calm contemporary and others
many of us struggle from and happiness. She looks from another point in our
time to time to truly, joyfully, at ways to better manage cultural history.” Harriet
inhabit our frankly rather your time, nurture yourself, feels great joy in introducing
miraculous soul cases. Here listen to your body, make herself and her viewers
to counter this and remind a slow home and live to perhaps undiscovered
us that we’re already all sustainably. She also shares or forgotten works of art
we need to be, are writer some mindful meditations and design, and creating a
and regular Project Calm and rituals to try. community of appreciation
contributor, Lottie Storey, Seeking Slow, £9.99, through flowers.
and body image influencer quarto.com, harrietparryflowers.com
and Naked Beach star, Molly geoffreyandgrace.com
Forbes. Their podcast, Body B I G DR EAM S,
Cons, hosts a collection A SMALL
7 DAILY JOYS
of kind and inclusive
5 RE M IN DER If there’s a woman who knows
conversations about bodies, Enamel pins are having a how to get stuff done, it’s
from fashion for everyone heyday and though the Elise Blaha Cripe. As founder
and radical compassion love for the slogan variety of creative blog, Elise Joy,
to self-doubt and post- is strong, there’s something and the popular Get To Work
pregnancy image. wonderful about these Book, her goal-setting brand
bodyconspodcast.com quiet, considered designs. of organising tools, she is
 8
passionate about breaking big spearmint and lavender, it’s
ideas down into achievable a naturally caffeine-free,
actions. She’s also living proof ethically sourced and 100 per
of the power of planning; a cent organic drink: a virtuous
creative entrepreneur who is cup of calm, totally delicious
making her dreams a reality. and excellent before bed.
So, take a leaf from her new Box of 20 sachets, £3,
book! It’s an inspiring guide pukkaherbs.com
to making your to-do list
do-able. FEEL G O OD
Big Dreams, Daily Joys,
10 IN YOU R SK I N
9 £16.99, chroniclebooks.com, Model and influencer Irene
elisejoy.com Noren thought it was about
time we wore clothing that
TOTA LLY celebrates our skin rather
8 RE LATA BL E than conceals it. IN is her
Fresh out of Australia comes ethical clothing brand,
Relatable, a news, lifestyle exclusively for nude-coloured
12 and resource platform for clothing, created sustainably
women who are typically with fabrics sourced
underrepresented by exclusively from vegan
mainstream media. Its suppliers, with an ethos of
content (and soon, workshop buying key pieces rather than
programme) encourages in bulk. The collection was
every woman to share her heavily influenced by the
story and perspectives in cherished nudity of the Italian
a community atmosphere. Renaissance, and Irene’s own
The focus is specifically on admiration of the naked
body acceptance and size body. “IN was born out of the
11 10 inclusion, identity (including longing to feel comfortable in
race, sexuality and gender), our own skin and confident in
mental health, women’s our skin colour,” says Irene.
rights issues and everyday Her hope is that the wearer is
state of mind. Visit and encouraged to “love their
share your experiences body and accept who they
with a community of are inside and out.”
supportive women. inthelabel.com
relatableproject.com
11 QUIET AND
A P EAC EFU L
11 GE NTLE P ROTEST
9 CUP O F T E A The inspirational Sarah
For this true ‘aaaah’ moment Corbett of Craftivist
cuppa, organic tea brand Collective, has just launched a
Pukka has brought together larger paperback version of
three jewels of natural peace: her 2018 bestseller, How to be
chamomile flowers, hemp and a Craftivist: the art of gentle
ashwangandha. Chamomile protest. It’s all about quiet,
reduces irritability, hemp leaf kind and beautiful activism,
is a variety of the Cannabis and it’s a brilliant read,
sativa plant species, without especially for introverts,
psychoactive properties. anxious or shy people who
It naturally contains feel passionately and want to
cannabinoids such as CBD be changemakers, but are
and essential oils and has unsure how to go about it.
been revered in traditional Sarah personally puts
cultures for centuries. together lots of kits
Ashwangandha, a tonic from encouraging creative activism
India, is known for its too, made in her London flat
strengthening yet calming and available worldwide.
11 properties. All blended with craftivist-collective.com
 13

11
Wise words on
clothing labels.
Part of the ‘Ten
Gentle Nudges’
from Craftivist
Collective.
 14
Illustrations: Vanessa Lovegrove
 In the fast-paced world we live in, it can often be difficult
to connect with compassion. Elizabeth Sulis Kim finds out
how we can be kinder to ourselves and others.

When people are kind, it can make us feel when we’re tired, stressed, or too overwhelmed
good. Sometimes it can be a small gesture, to take on another perspective. “Being caught
such as an exchanged smile between strangers, up in our own lives is a key issue,” says Dr
or something bigger like doing a favour Oliver. “The busy, fast pace of modern society
for a neighbour. Knowing we’ve lightened also means we less regularly stop to make 15
someone’s burden lightens our own burden genuine connections with people. In this kind
too. Kindness is reciprocal. If we are kind, we of society, it is much easier to disregard other
improve other people’s lives, and we, in return, people’s needs and put our own first.”
reap the benefits. People who have
According to clinical “The busy, fast pace experienced trauma,
psychologist Joe Oliver, abuse or limited
being kind to other people
of modern society... parenting in their life
is beneficial to our own makes it much easier may also unintentionally
wellbeing, mental health to disregard other struggle to empathise
and relationships. “As these people’s needs and put with others. Awareness
flourish, other benefits our own first.” is key here. If we become
for creativity and broader Psychologist Joe Oliver conscious of those
physical and mental times we’re not always
health manifest,” he says. as kind as we could be,
It sounds simple, but it can also be one of the we can learn to become kinder. “Unkindness
hardest things. Despite our best intentions, a that is intentional,” explains Dr Oliver, “can be
study led by Jonathan Freeman, psychology a method for managing low self-esteem. The
professor at Goldsmiths, suggests we’re not logic says ‘if you feel bad, I feel better’. It can
always as kind as we think we are. In this also be a calculated effort to achieve a goal, or
current age of political divisiveness, and with a prioritisation of needs.”
the anonymity that comes from being behind a But intentional unkindness is a vicious cycle.
computer screen, it’s becoming more difficult While it may temporarily boost self-esteem
to extend empathy to other people. Sometimes and bring short-term gains, the long-term
it’s hard enough to make time for ourselves, but losses are far greater. The long-term fix is
being kinder might be the easiest form of self- kindness, a virtue integral for fostering the social
care – and we’re not the only ones who benefit. connections that make us happy.
However, the challenge can be identifying in We can probably all remember at least one
which areas we could be kinder. occasion when someone said something that
It can mean looking after ourselves more, so didn’t make us feel good about ourselves.
we have the capacity to think beyond our own Perhaps the intent wasn’t there – it could be
needs. Unkindness is often unintentional – most be the flippant comment a stranger
of us occasionally experience lapses in empathy, made in a crowd, when they
 Eating well, sleeping well
and reducing overall stress
levels can all help with our
capacity for kindness, too.
‘Hangry’ is a real thing.

were hurriedly trying to get from A to B and saw you as an

obstacle, or the snappy answer from someone close to us when
we ask questions and they are tired. The reverse situation is
easy to imagine – when we’re stressed we sometimes feel more
impatient when others slow us down. We don’t like feeling
overwhelmed. It’s hard in the heat of the moment, but if we
can try to imagine how we’d feel in the other person’s shoes,
we usually realise they deserve kinder treatment. What we put
out into the world usually reflects how we’re feeling.
There are a few things we can do to try and stay connected
with our empathy, even in those stressful moments. When we
16 read novels, for instance, we are trying on another person’s
shoes, reminding ourselves that other people, like ourselves,
also view themselves as the heroes of their own stories.
Volunteering to help others is another great way to
stay connected with our empathy. An NCVO survey
found that volunteers report feeling more socially
connected and less lonely. Donating our time to
helping others helps us think outside ourselves and
not to always prioritise our needs over other people’s.
Eating well, sleeping well and reducing
overall stress levels can all help with our
capacity for kindness, too. ‘Hangry’ is
a real thing, according to researchers
at the University of Guelph, who found
that having low blood sugar can put you
in a bad mood and bring out negative
emotions, such as anger, stress or disgust.
Stress is often situational – resolving
personal or work-related stresses can
help, as can finding healthy coping
mechanisms. Stress-busting also
contributes to sleeping better. Better
sleep, in turn, puts people in a better
mood according to a study by the
University of Pennsylvania.
Mindfulness doesn’t end with
self-care. To truly live in the
present and feel good about it, we
need to feel like we’re connecting
with others and lessening their
burden. We all know how good
kindness makes us feel, how it can
boost our sense of self-esteem and
self-worth. It makes us more confident,
can turn a bad day into a good day, and
improves our relationships. If we can imagine for
a moment what it’s like to be in another’s shoes, perhaps
we’ll stay connected with our empathy. Kindness is a virtuous
Illustrations: Vanessa Lovegrove

cycle. When we are kind, we improve our little corner of the

world, and that kindness comes back to us.
 Sometimes it feels like life ought to come with an instruction
manual. Clinical psychologist Joe Oliver offers some advice.

WHEN YOU STRONGLY DISAGREE making personal comments in response. You’ll

1 It’s important not to rush in and criticise. only regret it. Pausing, taking a deep breath and
Instead, ask: “Is this issue important to me? How will reiterating your point is usually the most helpful
I feel if I let this go? Is there anything to be gained action to take. It may also be time to end the
by arguing? Does viewing the argument from their conversation and move on.
perspective help me at all?” If the answer is yes,
and you want to respond, then remembering that WHEN A STRANGER IS UNKIND
the other person may feel strongly too, will help you
5 In nearly all situations when a person is
be kind and respectful as you disagree with them. unkind, it reflects on their own state of mind or
emotional state. It’s important not to take their 17
WHEN SOMEONE CALLS YOU OUT behaviour personally. Of course, there’s no
2 Consider if what has been said is valid. It may right way to respond when someone is unkind.
be a useful perspective or they may see something Some people are comfortable with letting things
about what you’ve said or done that you haven’t go. Others will want to say something to draw
thought about. You could consider apologising and the person’s attention to their behaviour. But
look for ways to make amends. If you feel that you remembering to be mindful in those moments
haven’t done anything wrong it can be useful to and responding on the basis of the type of
acknowledge the feedback and calmly state person you want to be, is likely to help you
your case and why you disagree. For example, respond most effectively.
“Thanks for your feedback. I have a different
point of view, but I’d be happy to talk it through WHEN SOMEONE IS BEING PASSIVE-
with you”.
6 AGGRESSIVE OR CONDESCENDING
A calm and assertive response is often most
WHEN YOU NEED TO APOLOGISE helpful. This means you can choose your
3 Most people find apologising hard to do – it responses thoughtfully, rather than being
makes us vulnerable and opens us up for further pushed into responding in a way that is not
criticism. However, an apology is a way to signal your choosing.
that the relationship is important to you.
It’s also a way to help you learn from the WHEN YOU FEEL OVERWHELMED
experience and build in more helpful
7 It’s important to draw the person’s
behaviours in future. A good apology attention to their behaviour and let them know
should include: a statement of regret the impact they are having. It’s possible they
for harm or inconvenience caused; an may not be aware of what they are doing or how
acceptance for responsibility for your it is affecting you. Saying something like, “Can
actions (without an attempt to minimise); I interrupt for a moment? I need you to slow
and a statement of willingness to make down or pause”. Using non-verbal gestures,
reparation. For example, “I’m really sorry that I’ve such as a raised hand can be a useful way to
hurt you. I feel terrible for what I’ve done. I’ll make slow someone down. If the person
sure I don’t do that again in the future and I’d like struggles to respond to your
to find a way to make it up to you”. interventions, then simply
repeat your request again.
IF SOMEONE MAKES IT PERSONAL
4 Usually when someone says something
personal, it means they’re feeling threatened.
It’s almost never worth stooping to their level and
18

K I N DN ESS CAR DS

TAP TO
DOWNLOAD
Find perfect gift ideas for your loved ones as well as decorative inspiration
for the most beautiful time of the year in the Posterlounge online shop.

www.posterlounge.co.uk
 Bristol-based illustrator
Vanessa Lovegrove
is passionate about
capturing characters and
narrative through texture
and mark-making.

20
Illustration: Vanessa Lovegrove
 21

CAPTURIN G A CONC EPT

I l l u s t r a t o r Va n e s s a L o v e g r o v e d e s i g n e d o u r k i n d n e s s c a r d s , a n d k i n d l y g a v e
us a moment of her time to chat personal projects and inspiring podcasts.

When did you realise you wanted to be an artist? What is the best creative advice you’ve received?
I can’t remember a time when I didn’t draw, but it wasn’t Always take the time to make work for yourself.
until I was in sixth form that I realised it could be a career! I
started as a children’s book designer, then became an illustrator. How do you relax?
Walking with friends, reading and trying new restaurants!
Can you describe your creative process?
Coming up with a strong concept is important, so I What are you listening to and reading?
typically focus on how best to express it first – be it through Anna Meredith is my current musical favourite, and I
composition, mood or colour. enjoy listening to Reply All and Song Exploder, where musicians
break down the creative process behind their songs. I’m
What have been your favourite projects to work on? re-reading The Amber Spyglass from His Dark Materials trilogy.
Recently I’ve really enjoyed making simple little I loved the books when I first read them as a child, and it’s been
animations of quiet moments – I’d love to explore this further. a real pleasure to dip into the adventures of Lyra’s world again.

Where are your favourite places to enjoy nature? What are your hopes for the future?
I love walking in forests as I always find it so peaceful and To be able to continue creating in all shapes and sizes,
restorative. I’ve also recently been away to Snowdonia and loved maybe being able to travel the world whilst I do it!
exploring the dramatic and wild landscapes. instagram.com/vloveg

“Music is a big
inspiration for me,
be it something
energetic and
lively or something
soft and emotive
– it drives me to
depict a certain
atmosphere that
I want to share.”
22
B E K I N D O N L I N E
B e i n g a ‘ ge n t l ewo m a n ’ i s esse n t i a l i n t o d a y ’s fa s t- p a c e d wo r l d
says writer and creative consultant Lotte Jeffs

Being a gentlewoman involves learning to pay attention We are both our online and our offline selves. Taking
to the world around you. Just look up once in a while, take the same qualities that make you a gentlewoman in the
off your headphones, switch off push notifications. If you real world, and using them in your online endeavours makes
consciously side-step instant gratification for something it more possible to act with authenticity in this space. Of
more meaningful, you will notice people and their moods, course, we may edit our online self as we construct it, posting
places and their beauty, and you’ll notice something new only the most flattering selfies, sharing only the good news,
about yourself in the process. Start asking questions, listening but it is the manner in which we do this that matters. You
to and being interested in people. We need to seek out can control how you show up on social media, and approach
real-life connections not double taps and your presence with gentleness. Don’t
follows, allowing ourselves time and space Taking the same ever feel that you can’t revel in your own
to be empathetic and emotionally astute. qualities that make happiness or success as you are worried
Being a gentlewoman today has nothing
you a gentlewoman in it’ll make other people feel ‘less than’.
to do with social class, background, money All you can do is be conscious of your
or professional standing. It has everything
the real world, and tone and of the social context of your
to do with a woman knowing herself and using them in your words or images and act with authenticity.
using her stability to lift up or support online endeavours Gentlewomen appreciate aesthetics
the people around her. A gentlewoman makes it more and take care over the words and pictures
should put as much care into the way possible to act they post, so that they exude the same
she communicates online as she does with authenticity quality and sophistication for all aspects
offline, because a slapdash, speak-now- of their life. This means Instagram posts
in this space.
think-later approach to engaging with the have some visual value and that captions
conversations, both personal and political, and tweets are written well and spelled
which constantly spin around us will breed stress, anxiety, correctly. But this is not about seeking perfection, rather
aggression and unkindness. I’m not saying we shouldn’t keeping one’s social media output in line with how you want
engage with the necessary debates and discussions of our to present your view of the world.
time, but I advocate that we all need to take a breath and You have the power to redefine what is meant by ‘influence’
think before we type. Key to your decision about how to in the digital world. By acting with kindness, care and
respond to a person or issue that affects you on social media empathy, taking time to think and to craft your online self so
is giving yourself the time you need to think. Compose a that it is an extension of the real you, there is an opportunity
response, but save it and come back to it after an hour or so. to truly influence.
Gentlewoman ( N o u n ) .
A woman who meets
the harsh pressures
of modern life with
thoughtfulness, care
and kindness.

A G EN T L EWO M AN ’S
RU LES O F
EN GAG EM E N T
23
1
2
Support people
doing positive
things for causes Be aware you
you believe in. leave a trace
and a record.

3
Don’t say anything 4
to anyone online Don’t lie or
that you wouldn’t exaggerate.
say if you met

5
them in person.
Getty: both on this page Tim Robberts. On left page Getty: 10’000 Hours , Getty: Tolgart, Unsplash: Joseph Pearson

6
Remember not
all thoughts
Don’t follow the need to be said.
flock. Be your own

7
inpsiration.

Be kind, be
thoughtful.

This is an edited extract from How To Be A

Gentlewoman: The Art of Soft Power in Hard
Times, by Lotte Jeffs, published by Cassell,
£15. Previously deputy editor of UK ELLE
magazine and Creative Director of Ogilvy,
Lotte is currently a freelance writer and
creative consultant. lottejeffs.com
 24
Getty: Westend61
 25

Compassion
and creativity
Approaching your art with kindness and an
open mind is the most productive way to
create, says psychotherapist and founder
of Mind Canvas, Sheri Bateren.

Creativity allows us to bring ingenuity into our lives, which is essential for
solving everyday problems. For example, when we suggest a new process at
work we are being creative. And the process of being creative is an exciting
one that can make us feel alive. Not only is creativity enjoyable, it can be
helpful in so many ways. It allows us to experience that childlike freedom
of playfulness and silliness. There is no right or wrong way of doing things,
there are no rules, you are able to create whatever you like.
Creativity has many benefits, however I believe very few of us take
advantage of this by regularly creating. I wonder whether this is due to many
people thinking they are not creative individuals. We may think to ourselves
‘my work is not good enough’ or ‘I’m going to fail’. This sort of negative
 self-talk is an indicator of a lack of compassion and it can often be a barrier to
creative flow.
I have recently wondered why negative self-talk and a lack of compassion
pose such barriers and thought I would explore some possible explanations.
STA RT TH E I believe the most obvious reason a lack of compassion can be a barrier to
C RE ATIVE PROC ESS creativity is that it can be demoralising, which discourages us from engaging
( A N D A D DRESS TH E in creative acts. In Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, we look at the role our
thoughts play and they can be a key factor in maintaining avoidance and
L ACK OF COM PASS I O N)
disengagement in activities.
We will often approach creativity with critical thinking instead of the
MEDITATE… creative kind, which will then facilitate negative self-talk and a lack of
Try a mindfulness exercise to get you in a compassion. But what is the difference between critical thinking and creative
meditative state. Afterwards, jot down the thinking? In his book on the subject, Barry Beyer argued that ‘Creative
ideas that come to mind. Try not to censor. thinking tries to create something new, while critical thinking seeks to assess
worth or validity of something that already exists’. For example, we may find
26 MOVE… when taking up something creative, instead of doing something different we
Go for a walk in a park or by the sea. Allow compare it to something that already exists. Beyer then explains that creative
yourself to focus on your surroundings. thinking is divergent, while critical thinking is convergent. This mindset
Write down the creative ideas that feel risky, can make us think that we must imitate or compete with someone else’s
prohibited or ‘out there’. creativity, instead of doing something out of the ordinary.
I believe if we engage in more creative thinking this will allow us to be
CHANGE THE SCENE more compassionate, as we realise there is no one way, no one standard or
Book a short break and take a journal with one principle that we have to adhere to. Instead of thinking it is not good
you. Speed-write ideas for creative projects enough, or that we have failed in some way, thinking creatively allows us to
so your inner critic doesn’t interfere. think ‘there is no right or wrong’, ‘there is no failure or success’ and ‘ I am
bringing something new to the table’.
BE INSPIRED To build on this point, the cognitive neuroscientist Vincent Walsh argues
Immerse yourself in the creativity of others, that people are more likely to get solutions to their problems when they are in
whether it’s listening to music or going to a meditative and relaxed place (creative state) rather than a logical/analytical
a gallery. Suspend judgement and focus state. He explains that when using logic to approach a problem, you are not
on sounds, sights and any feelings that are allowing yourself to enter the reverie state in which your brain is making new
evoked. Create something to make sense of connections. When our brain makes new connections it creates new ideas.
those feelings. This further supports the idea that a relaxed and less analytical approach
boosts creativity.
FACE YOUR INNER CRITIC As a therapist I believe we can use creativity as a kind of exorcism for
If you find it difficult to disengage from the some of the negative thoughts that actually hinder the creative process.
inner critic, jot these thoughts down, or create Creativity can be a way of making sense of unhelpful thoughts and provide
an image that represents these thoughts. an opportunity for an emotional release.
Then ask yourself what is it you need to hear Leading trauma researcher Nick Grey explains there are many ways of
to reassure yourself – draw this image or write accessing and modifying different thoughts people have about themselves
down these thoughts next to it. after trauma. He spoke of a client he worked with and how drawing images
of her traumatic experiences allowed her to access a well of difficult emotions
and feelings she had buried away. Once they were brought to the fore, she
used painting as a way of seeing herself as a good person. This therapeutic
process is not exclusive to trauma victims, it’s helpful for us all. For
instance, we can use creative writing, painting or singing as a
way to release pent-up anger or process recent losses we
have been through.
All Getty: Writing- Hero Images; Chair – Dougal Waters; Painty Keetawan/Sandusit/EyeEm; Banjo – Lauren Devon
27
28

Pro fe s s i o n a l c l ow n a n d a u t h o r A s h Pe r r i n ex p l o re s t h e
b e n ef i ts of l o ose n i n g u p a n d b e i n g s i l l y.

Play shapes us as human beings. Yet, as we get older, it can be burbles that a baby makes are playful copies of sounds they’ve
tempting to write off play as something flippant that we either heard. In the same way, if you watch a baby learn to walk,
ought to leave behind us in childhood, or turn into a deadly it looks at first like the baby is trying out a new game rather
serious business instead. In the world of work, for instance, play than mastering a life skill. This is because play is how children
often becomes linked to competitiveness and to winning, rather research and learn about the world in order to equip themselves
than to growth and happiness: “He’s back in the game”, “She’s with the tools needed for life. If it wasn’t, the potential dangers
a key player”, “They smashed it out of the park” – you get the involved in, for example, learning how to stand upright would
idea! The danger is that if we simply write off play as irreverent probably impede their progress or leave a negative impact on
and superfluous, or as something that entails hard graft and them in the long term. The joy of play provides a safety net
competition, we are potentially dismissing the first decade of for learning.
development that takes place in our lives. Over the years, I’ve been lucky enough to work with many
Nearly everything that forms the foundation of who we are influential people and practitioners within the world of
and how we understand and interact with the world is based in play, such the highly acclaimed Professor Deborah Youdell,
childhood play and experimentation. The very first gurgles and who looks at compelling evidence from the social sciences,
 WHY
IT’S NOT 29

JUST FOR
KIDS

neuroscience and biochemistry about the importance of

laughter and collective physical play. She notes: “Our intuition
and experience tell us that laughing is a good thing, and social
research confirms the role that laughter plays in creating and
sustaining social bonds as well as social boundaries and in
making us feel good… In psychoanalysis the idea of jouissance
suggests the possibility of re-experiencing the joy that we
experienced as infants before we understood ourselves and the
rules and troubles of the social world. The uncontrollable belly
laugh or the moment of forgetting ourselves as we are caught up
in play can be seen as ways of reconnecting with this joy.”
It is clear, then, that vitality, joy and laughter experienced
in the present have beneficial effects that persist well into the
future. They make important contributions to our capacity to
make and maintain bonds, to develop sustained relationships,
relieve stress and resolve conflict, and to social cohesion more
widely. They are a significant part of our neural networks and
the biochemistry of our brains. In short, they are essential
30

ingredients of personal, community and societal wellbeing.” dance routine, whispering down a walking stick. These are the
Playing and laughing together is one of the most therapeutic, moments that shape you; it’s the comedy and the playfulness
exciting, connecting and loving experiences we can hope for. that make you see that life can be fun as well as serious and
When we laugh, all the things that have been bothering us or tough.
pulling us apart disappear, and just because of a wide-mouth, The power of real play is that everybody can take part – and
toothy grin everything’s okay again – at least in the ways that in fact I believe deep down in my bones that the truest human
matter. Yet sometimes the last thing we want to do when we get state is playful. From romance to family life, in work and in
home is laugh. Working all hours of the day, worrying about study, I think one of the most genuine ways of being ourselves is
finding the money for the rent or the mortgage, trying to keep through play, and rather than being something we have to learn,
the house running and giving the children what we think they it is more an instinct we need to remember.
need for a happy, stable and well-adjusted childhood, it can be
near impossible to find the energy and the peace of heart and
mind we need to come home and join in the fun that’s waiting
for us behind the front door. The Real Play
Revolution by Ash
We remember the people who believed in us or took time out Perrin is available at
to make us feel special. For me, it’s the funny stuff I remember all good bookshops,
priced £12.99.
most – my godfather Jeff pretending that his legs were tied in a Published by
knot and he couldn’t get up, or my mum and dad’s Black Magic Watkins.
 31

DON’ T LO OK DOW N
SP EE D DRAWI N G

One of my favourite activities is the ‘don't look down’ drawing game, traditionally this
game is played with two participants, but can also can be thoroughly enjoyed on your
own. The idea behind it is not limited to group interaction and social bonding, it is also
an exciting landscape for personal exploration and the building of self-confidence even
when you feel you look silly!
You don’t always have to look daft of course, but whenever
you try anything new there is the risk that you may stick out,
which is, for most of us, a slightly uncomfortable feeling the
first time.
Don't look down high-speed drawing of your own face
takes even more of the pressure off, as there doesn’t have
to be a final audience. This means that even if your scribble
is so utterly illegible as to be too bad to be funny, you can
simply screw it up and chuck it in the bin and enjoy the
process for what it is.
How to play: Take a mirror and put it in front of you. Look
at your face, then grab a pen and without looking down try
to replicate your face on the page below. The one rule is you
can't look down, but for even more fun, increase
the pace until you're combining it with
a lightning scribble session.
The quicker you go, the sillier
the result. The main thing is you
become accepting of your more
wild side in a way that is playful and
without the need for such a successful
result. Plus if you look for long enough
you’ll no doubt see just how beautifully
wonderful your face is when laughing.
 make your
own fun
Le t fa te d e c i d e w i t h Est h e r C u r t i s ’ fo r t u n e te l l e rs, o n e to st i r
u p yo u r c re a t i v i ty, a n d o n e t o g i ve yo u a m o m e n t o f c a l m

32
 M AKI NG A FO RTU NE T ELL ER

Remember these? Our favourite paper games from childhood make

e x c e l l e n t c r e a t i v e p r o m p t s . H e r e ’s a r e f r e s h e r h o w - t o …

37

Step 1 Step 2 Step 3

Carefully cut out your fortune With the writing side up, fold Rotate 45 degrees, then fold
teller with a sharp blade and the square in half vertically, the square diagonally from
metal ruler. The piece will edge to edge. Open out the corner to corner. Open the
need to be perfectly square square, rotate it 90 degrees and square, rotate 90 degrees then
to ensure the fortune teller fold it in half the other way. fold in half diagonally again.
works properly. Open out the square. Open it out.

Step 4 Step 5 Step 6

Your square has four creases Flip the entire folded square Fold the square in half
that intersect at the centre over, so the writing is facing with the numbers together, then
every 45 degrees. With the you and, again, take each pinch your fingers into the
number side down, fold up from corner and fold into the centre spaces and open out as shown.
each corner into the centre to so each corner meets in the It’s all coming back to us now!
form a square, as shown. middle, as shown. Ready to play?

How to use your fortune teller

Choose a colour, then bring the corners in and out as you spell out the name of the colour.
This will reveal four numbers – pick one, then move the corners in and out again this number of times.
Finally, pick another number and lift that flap to reveal the prompt hidden underneath.
 
    
    
 

38
     
  
  
 
   

   
   
  
  

  
     

N AT U R E
Awe: it’s a fast-track to mindfulness. Whether
it’s sighing at the starry sky, studying the
beauty and intricacy of busy little bugs,
or a cosy feeling of deep gratitude for the
warmth of a campfire, a sense of wonder can
be accessed almost anywhere when we’re
out in the fresh air. We look at humankind’s
fascination with fire, too, this issue – its
potential for comfort, sustenance and fresh
starts, a powerful force to be treated with
great respect and care. Matilda Smith’s
beautiful matchbox messages within this
section are a project designed to spark
energy and self-belief.
Quote: Prajakta Mhadnak; illustration: Kitigan/Getty Images

39
 1

40 3 2

N A T U R E
N O T E S
Protect our coast and join
a beach clean, feed the
bats, paint botanicals,
and be awed by cloud
formations.

Compiled by Tiffany Francis

4 5

5
 SAVE OUR secretly dream about… Find to inspire all of us to look
1 OC EA N S the podcast on Apple by up at the sky. A Cloud a Day
Plastic pollution is a searching Parklandia. showcases 365 photos of
problem that affects all of Follow on Instagram amazing cloud formations
us, but there’s nothing more @parklandiapod, or join from the society’s members
rewarding than getting their Facebook group at from around the world. It’s
down to your local beach Parklandia Rangers. the perfect dip-in-and-out
and picking up litter. Beach book for anyone looking to
cleans have taken the world SHA RI NG CLI MAT E de-stress and reconnect with
by storm, with thousands of
3 CO NC ERNS nature to enjoy a moment
groups around the globe Looking for more ways to of calm contemplation. £20,
volunteering their time to help combat climate change? published by Batsford.
help clean up our precious Or are you feeling
coastal habitats. Not sure overwhelmed by the G O WILD
where your nearest beach environmental crisis? You
5 FOR BATS
2 clean takes place? Take might want to take a look at Did you know there are up to
a look at Surfers Against Norwegian activist Marte 1,200 species of bats in the
Sewage (sas.org.uk) for a Skaara’s Instagram-based world? Urban legend claims
2 little inspiration and use the project @ClimateCards. they are vampires in disguise, 41
map to easily find dates of Marte found her own way to but the truth is that bats are
the next beach cleans in your wake people up to the highly intelligent, gentle and
region. Or contact your local climate crisis, while also beautiful creatures. Sadly,
wildlife group to see where opening up conversation their numbers are also in
your help is most needed. around what we can all do decline around the world
And remember – the best about it. Her Climate Cards due to having few places to
way to help reduce plastic project asks people to share roost and a declining number
pollution is to reduce your their climate solutions online of insects to eat – one tiny
usage. Refuse the straw, bring using a simple written card, pipistrelle bat can eat over
your own bags and invest in and she has now gathered 3,000 mosquitoes a night!
a reusable coffee cup! Check over 800 cards from people The team at Seedball have
out greenpeace.org.uk/ all around the world. Some teamed up with the Natural
news/9-ways-reduce-plastic- examples: “You are not just a History Museum in London to
use for more tips. drop in the ocean, we are the help garden bats by creating
wave of change.” “Every a special mix of wildflowers
WIL D AM E RI CAN A action makes a difference. to attract a wide variety of
2 IN YOU R H O ME You matter more thank you insects for bats to feed on.
Ever wanted to explore think”. It’s a great way to feel Simply scatter over the soil in
America’s beautiful national inspired and know there are spring or autumn and watch
6
Photograph: Jose Ignacio Garcia Zajaczkowski

parks? Now you can – so many others who care them grow! £6 a pot from
without leaving the house! about the planet, too. seedball.co.uk.
We love the Parklandia @climatecards.
podcast, hosted by married NEW BOTANICAL
couple Brad and Matt UP I N T HE
6 PA INT I NG
Kirouac and their dog
4 CLOUDS Is there anything more
Finn. The Kirouacs packed No matter where you are frequently captured in
up everything from their around the world, looking art than the universal
Chicago home, bought an up at the clouds is good appreciation of a beautiful
RV and decided to travel for the soul. Ever-changing bloom? Let award-winning
the country full time with and ephemeral, clouds artist and self-confessed
one goal – to visit as many reflect the shifting moods rule breaker, Harriet de
national parks as possible. of the atmosphere and, Winton share all her tips
In these beautiful, larger- like everything in the for capturing the beauty of
than-life places, they share natural world, have inspired flora with you in her new
discoveries about what humanity for thousands watercolour-based painting
makes the parks truly unique, of years. Gavin Pretor- book filled with over 30
including wildlife, folklore, Pinney founded the Cloud step-by-step projects. As
people and history. They also Appreciation Society in 2005 well as painting for fun, she
share what it’s like to live (cloudappreciationsociety. also covers creating art to
in an RV motor vehicle full org) and has now released a frame, making your own
time – something many of us beautifully illustrated book cards and invitations, but all
 8

while encouraging you to let the power of the moon this

loose and play. season with your own pair,
New Botanical Painting, handmade under clear skies
£12.99, octopusbooks.co.uk on the Dorset coast. Each
pair is unique and costs £6
SEASON S with free UK delivery from
7 OF M AGI C their Etsy shop.
Writer, adventurer and studiopickles.etsy.com.
influencer Katy Livesy’s first
collection of 16 pieces of DI P I NTO A
poetry and short fiction
10 NATURE JOURNAL
7
blends the beauty of the If you love nature writing
changing seasons with and visual storytelling,
9 folklore and magic to create a you’ll want to get your
compendium of imagination- hands on Elementum, an
sparking tales. We love Katy’s independent Dorset-based
ethos of exploring nature and journal that brings together
pursuing adventures in art, literature, science and
42 everyday life, and her first ecology. Published twice
collection of writing is the a year, their most recent
perfect read for a quiet issue is themed around
afternoon. Grab a copy of Hearth, and features
10 Seasons of Magic for £5 at stories about oceans, the
katy-who.com, or follow her elements and migrating
on Instagram at @katy_who birds and butterflies. They
for more seasonal magic also publish free pieces on
and inspiration. their website, and if you’re
passing Dorset you can book
TIM E L ESS onto a writing workshop or
8 BLO O MS visit their beautiful gallery.
There’s nothing like a Elementum issues start at
printed drapey dress to £15 with worldwide delivery
feel carefree, and we love at elementumjournal.com.
the dramatic floral print of
this mid-length design from SPAC E AGE
Toast. With its beautiful steel
11 P RI N TS
blue background and bold This year marks the 50th
blooms in mustard yellows anniversary of the Apollo
and deep magenta, its light 11 mission that landed the
swingy skirt and cute collar first humans on the moon,
tie detail – which you can and what better way to
wear in a neat bow or loose commemorate it than with
and open – it’s the perfect graphic artist Oli Knowles’
piece for any occasion. set of moon prints? Featuring
Oh, and did we say? It has two portraits of Earth and
pockets too. Nami floral the moon, and one of the
dress, £160 from toast.uk. shuttle launching from Cape
11 Canaveral, Oli created this
LUN AR trio to mark the Apollo
9 JEWE LLE RY mission and celebrate how
Dorset-based jewellery innovative the human race
company Studio Pickles can be. We love the cool
creates one-of-a-kind pieces colours and sharp design
inspired by nature and their that make these prints a
coastal home. Their latest perfect addition to any home
moon earrings are made – an important reminder
from polymer clay, and were of our place in the wide,
inspired by the night sky and wonderful universe. Prints
the anniversary of the Apollo are A4, £33 for the set from
space missions. Channel oliknowlesdesign.etsy.com.
 BRAND NEW MAGAZINE!
Discover a happier, healthier you with this beautiful journal

Background photography: Julia Sudnitskaya / Getty Images

Order your copy today!

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* EUR price £11.99, ROW price £12.99. All prices include P&P. Please allow up to 28 days for delivery.
 L I GH T A FL A ME
44

Friendly fires
Though our faces are increasingly illuminated by the
light of our phones, Katie Antoniou explores why our
fascination with fire still burns bright.
 to Father Christmas was to burn it in
the fireplace, never questioning how the
smoke carried my message to the North
Pole. In my teens I watched Monica,
Rachel and Phoebe burning photographs
of their old boyfriends in a modern
New York take on ancient cleansing
As technology becomes a governing rituals. And of course, our screens have current digital revolution is changing
force in so many modern lives, it’s been ruled by the fire-proof Mother ours. The jury is out on when Homo 45
not surprising that people are seeking of Dragons in Game of Thrones for erectus first controlled fire, evidence
refuge in the natural world. Leigh the last decade. Are we growing more dates it anywhere from two hundred
Hunt called fire “the most tangible of fascinated by fire as it features less in our thousand to over a million years ago.
visible mysteries,” and anyone who has daily lives? The thriving candle industry It would have changed daily life,
ever tried to start a camp fire without would certainly support that theory, with allowing people to stay awake after
matches will attest to the fact that it is in more and more people buying candles dark, safe from predators and able to
fact, a scientific wonder. Sometimes we not just for their scents and pretty glow, use this extra time to socialise, just as
are bold enough to imagine that we’ve but for their use in meditation and ritual we still do around a bonfire or campfire.
harnessed the power of this “red flower,” too. A candle flame can signify so much; Health would have been radically
as Rudyard Kipling refers to it in The romance, hope, light in the darkness of improved once people learned to boil
Jungle Book; with our matches, lighters winter festivities and new life in spring water and cauterise wounds. Experts also
and gas stoves, but of course nature celebrations. argue that being able to cook food would
regularly steps in to remind us of its We owe our evolution as humans to have changed our diets completely,
awesome power. our ancestors’ discovery of fire. It’s hard leading to development of both our
It’s hard to imagine a part of human to imagine how much this discovery bodies and brains.
culture that doesn’t glorify the mystery changed their lives; as much as our Fast forward to our modern society
of fire. While religions may dominate and cooking food is still something
the fire ritual scene, popular culture is that brings us together. Whether we’re
fascinated by its power, too. I grew up having a barbeque on the beach, toasting
believing the only way to get my letter “A candle flame marshmallows over a fire or baking
can signify so
much; romance,
hope, light in the
darkness of winter
and new life in
spring.”
 fertile in the world. But this mastering of
fire requires the kind of skill, respect and
understanding few of us can imagine.
So how can we embrace the magic of
fire safely? There are many fire rituals
pizza in an old-fashioned clay oven, the around the world that can offer insight
flames add more than just taste to the into how we can celebrate this primitive
experience. It’s the presence of this life force while ultimately respecting its temperature. Sit upright with a candle
force, this source of light and warmth power. But perhaps the most simple at least 50cm away from you, at eye level
that cheers and inspires us. thing you can do, right now, in your or slightly below. Stare at the flame and
46 Wherever human activity can be home, is a candle meditation. let it occupy your mind; clear all other
found, so can fire. It is arguably one of Prepare the space you wish to thoughts. At first your eyes may water
the things that unites all cultures; our meditate in; turn down the lights and ideas will try and distract you, but
celebrations of birth, our grieving for the and make sure you’re a comfortable as with all meditation, if you practise
dead, our use of fire in our domestic lives you will improve your concentration.
as well as our artistic expression. Imagine that you are breathing the
But there is evidence all around us light in and out, purifying your mind
that things are out of balance in the and body. Those who can achieve deep
natural world. Both accidental wild “Fire unites all meditation have described feeling at one
fires and the intentional burning of cultures; our with the flame. Afterwards, lie down for
forests like the Amazon remind us that celebrations of a few minutes and return to reality.
our relationship with fire is key to our birth, our grieving The poet Odell Shepard wrote that
survival. In many parts of the world, for the dead, “one can enjoy a wood fire worthily
‘prescribed burns’ are used to enrich only when he warms his thoughts by
our use of fire
soil and help control invasive plants, it as well as his hands and feet.” And
while volcanic soil is some of the most
in our domestic that is perhaps the great mystery of fire,
lives as well that it not only serves so many physical
as our artistic purposes, but that it also speaks to
expression.” something inside of us too.
 F IRE- INS PI RE D RI T UA LS
We l o o k a t f o u r d i f f e r e n t c e r e m o n i e s w h e r e b r i g h t
flames and burning embers hold centre stage.

1
BU RN I NG MA N
In 1986 Larry Harvey and Jerry James burnt
a wooden figure on a San Francisco beach
on the summer solstice. Burning Man is now
held annually in Nevada desert. The only thing
you can buy is ice, otherwise it’s money-free.
There are two main fire rituals: burning the ‘man’ 47
and the temple, a structure added to by people
remembering loved ones with letters and photos.

2
FI R E WALK I N G
Records of fire-walking date back to Iron
Age India, where Brahmin priests used it
to show spiritual strength. Records show Native
Americans used it as a healing ceremony in the
17th century. In villages in northern Greece it is
part of a celebration of Saint Constantine and
Saint Helen – Christians believe the saints’ power
allows them to remain unburnt.

3
BELTAN E

Photographs from top: Sam Mathews/Unsplash, RuslanKaln/Getty, Akekapol Kamolpachara/EyeEm/Getty, Mongkol Chuewong/Getty
Celtic tribes celebrated the return of
summer with Beltane, between the spring
equinox and the summer solstice. Celts believed
the sun was being released from its winter prison.
The flames, smoke, and ashes of the Beltane
bonfire were believed to have protective powers.
People would leap over the flames or embers to
purify themselves and encourage fertility.

4
Y E E P E N G F ESTI VA L
People release hundreds of brightly lit
lanterns into the sky at the Yee Peng
Festival at Wat Jong Klang temple, in Mae Hong
Son in Thailand. This festival takes place across
Chiang Mai, on the full moon of the twelfth lunar
month. It is believed that when you release the
lantern you let go of the misfortunes of the year,
and wish for good luck for the following year.
 1 2 3
48

I N S P I R E D
B Y F I R E
1. Safety first, and magic. Foscot raw steel
pits keep your fire contained. idyllhome.
co.uk. 2. Fire, check. Marshmallows, check.
Mug of something sweet and decadent,
check! blueberrybookids.co.uk. 3. Firefly fairy
lights for enchanted gardens everywhere,
lights4fun.com. 4. The prettiest match-strikers,
potteryandtile.com. 5. Keep spirits up and your
light burning bright, ectogasm.net. 6. Chunky
candle holders make a sparky statement,
einrichten-design.de. 7. Smoky, warming,
‘Around the Fire’ Oolong tea from hooglytea.
com. 8. Evoke the golden hue of the sun with
this shimmering sconce by Swedish maker
4 Malin Appelgren, theshopfloorproject.com. 5

6 7 8
 49

Ombre shades of orange

and red create a
fiery sunset effect at
oliverbonas.com
50

BU RNIN G BRI GHTLY

Let the messages and bright fires inside

these matchboxes spark energy and self-
belief! The perfect gift for friends
facing the heat, they’re beautiful
vintage-style favours to treasure, and
a reminder of our resolve, resilience
and talents. Make them as gifts or stack
them on your desk and save for yourself
when you need a little pep talk.

TAP TO
DOWNLOAD
 1 2

3 4 51

MAKE YOUR OWN MATCHBOX ES

Create positive reminders to keep your spirit alight and strong

w i t h t h ese b ea u t i f u l m a tc h b oxes. By M a t i l d a S m i t h .

Every time you open your beautifully designed matchbox, 1. Cut out all the elements, then choose a flame or object to have
a positive affirmation is ready and waiting to cheer you on. inside your matchbox.
Maybe your box will become part of a meditation ritual as you 2. Fold the outer sleeve along the dashed lines and glue along the
light a candle and focus on the flame. Or maybe they’ll become tab. Fold the inner box along all the dashed lines.
treasured gifts for friends. 3. Fold the sides of the inner box in and in again, sticking the tabs
to the bottom of the box.
You will need: pull-out matchboxes, craft knife, metal ruler, 4. Glue the base card with the message on to the bottom of the
cutting mat, glue stick or PVA box, and add the flame or object.
52

M u c h l i ke sta m ps o r m i l k b o t t l es, m a tc h b oxes a re

another example of the functional made beautiful.
Lottie Storey delves into the history of their art.

It might surprise you to learn that the most reproduced piece of brief and ran with it, identifying trends that would appeal to the
art in the world was not made by an Old Master or pop artist, whims of consumers. Looking back, matchboxes offer a window
but by the Swedish artist Einar Nerman in 1936. And the into the past via some of the most interesting and illuminating
reason it’s been reproduced so many times is that it features on designs of the past hundred years.
the packaging for Solstickan (‘the sun stick’), Sweden’s best- Around 1900, businesses began to catch on to the advertising
selling matches with more than 10 billion boxes sold. potential of these small but mighty omnipresent boxes. With
Sweden is home to the first match factory, which was each one being struck multiple times, the opportunity to get
established in 1844. This meant that Swedish matchboxes a message across was irresistible and cigarette companies
and their labels went on to become the go-to template copied were the first to promote products on matchboxes. Plenty of
throughout the world. Because competition was fierce, poorer others followed, advertising everything from household goods
quality matches were sold in boxes decorated with designs that to holidays, and even government propaganda across the two
resembled those of higher quality brands, so consumers would World Wars.
be tricked into buying an inferior product. Glasgow-based designer Jane McDevitt owns more than
Initially, the address of the factory was printed on the box, 400 vintage matchboxes from countries such as Czechoslovakia,
alongside the instructions, but as printing technology improved, Poland, Russia and beyond, from the 1950s up to the early
so did the matchbox designs. And once matchstick production 1980s. They appeal “because they were so contemporary to
methods became more uniform and the difference in quality their time: very mid-century modern and colourful,” she says.
was less of an issue, manufacturers shifted their focus and Jane’s book, Matchbloc, includes some beautiful and interesting
sought ways to make their brand stand out. Designers took the examples from her collection, many of which feature slogans,
53
54
 55

as well as advice. She says, “There was a lot of helping people choice, ideally suiting the shape of the box. Historical figures,
do the right thing – they’d have banking advice or how to look characters in national costume, religious deities, and plenty of
after your kids.” children gazed out from their cardboard frames.
Advice and information aside, Jane is just as interested in The eye-catching diversity of the designs means that
the more abstract and design-led matchboxes. One of the most matchboxes have made for cheap and plentiful keepsakes
popular themes for matchbox art is animals. Bringing variety, and souvenirs. But the decline in smoking tobacco since the
novelty and a sense of personality to the boxes, animals offered Seventies means that matches are no longer a necessary daily
a shortcut to creating a strong brand in a time when world travel item for most people.
was rare. Tigers are popular, perhaps because of the “burning Their status as collectors’ items has risen in recent decades,
bright” opening line of William Blake’s poem The Tyger, the though, and plenty of phillumenists (matchbox collectors) trade
flames of a tiger’s fur, or simply because of the exoticism. Birds in vintage and rare designs. And today? Matchboxes fall into
feature heavily on hot, bright yellow backgrounds, particularly two camps: bog standard, utilitarian boxes from supermarkets
Indian brands, expressing the energy of flight, while the swan is and hardware stores with no real design to speak of, and those
obviously a classic British design from a classic British brand. that are aimed squarely at design fans.
Technology, architecture and travel all became big art For interior lovers, The Fine Matchbox Company offers
themes, too, advertising hotels, buildings, airlines and more. screen-printed matchboxes that – unlike lighters – can be
Trains, ships and planes tap into a universal sense of wonder proudly displayed on hearths and in homes. We may not really
and delight, while household objects such as umbrellas, clocks, need matches anymore, but then again, nor do we need candles
telephones and, of course, matches themselves remind us of the or open fires. Our love for these rituals burns as bright as ever,
beauty of the everyday. Images of people were also a natural each beginning with the strike of a match.

If you’d like to see more of

Jane’s matchbox collection,
take a look at Matchbloc
by Jane McDevitt and Neal
Whittington, available to buy
from the Present & Correct
shop, presentandcorrect.
com, £20.
 56

Photograph: Joshua Newton/Unsplash

 Gather around
S i a n Tu c k e r c e l e b r a t e s t h e s e n s e o f
community when we sit round a campfire
we’ve made to share stories and songs.

57

Who isn’t fascinated by fire? The flickering flames, the blaze of heat
and the smouldering, smoking embers as it slowly dies.
Fire is like the heart, it is a beautiful thing, bringing light with its
sparkle and dancing flame. It draws us in around its warmth and
glow, bringing community and conversation, calmly relaxing and
uplifting our spirits, soothing our soul as we watch the fire crackling,
flicking sparks of light that drift up into the night sky, reaching up to
the moon and the stars above.
The whiff of wood smoke wafting in the air heightens our senses,
evoking primal memories and permeating into our clothes and hair.
Take pride and build it with care.
There is a ritual to building a fire. There is a way of doing it that
is about keeping a connection with the place, but we only have one
rule: no firelighters. At least, nothing we can’t scavenge from the
fields and woods.

“The fire is the main comfort of the camp,

whether in summer or winter, and is about as
ample at one season as at another. It is as well
for cheerfulness as for warmth and dryness.”
HENRY DAVID THOREAU
 How to build a fire
Begin by gathering the tinder, not paper if you can avoid
it. The satisfaction lies in building something entirely
natural within its surroundings. Our preference is for
what we call ‘the magic stuff’ – dried seedheads or
stems. Collect more than you need and store them.
Then the twigs: look up into the trees and you will see
branches still attached, but dead and dried out, some
quite fine, some quite big. The larger ones will be easy
to snap off, but take care not to damage the live part of
the tree or bush.
Don’t be tempted by branches on the ground. Even in
a dry summer, these will have absorbed moisture from
the ground and will be impossible to light until the fire is
established. You will need twigs of matchstick thickness,
pencil thickness, and finger thickness.
To start your fire, create a dry base: make a ‘raft’ of
58 the finger-thick twigs laid side by side, about 15–20cm
(6–8in) square. Then lay a mat of your tinder, and on
top of this layer, your matchstick twigs, crossed over
jenga style, working from the outside in and leaving a
5cm (2in) open funnel in the middle. Take your pencil
sticks and build a tipi shape over the jenga stack, with
the feet touching the mat below. Leave a door into the
tipi, facing the wind, then repeat the tipi structure with
some more of the finger-thick twigs.
Take a small ball of tinder, light carefully, sheltered
from any wind. Once the flame has taken, gently push it
through the door of the tipi to the centre of the fire. You
can assist the flame by gently blowing or use an elder
fire stick to direct oxygen to the heart of the fire.
Once the flame is established, build up the tipi
shape by adding larger and larger pieces. When there
is sufficient heat, green or damper wood can be added,
although this will always make your fire smoke more.

Keeping safe
An open campfire provides essential light, wonderful
warmth and a place to cook. However, if not treated with
care, fires can quickly become dangerous and pose a risk
to both people and the environment. Always treat a fire
with respect and obey the following rules:

•• Never burn anything other than wood on the fire.

•• Store extra wood away from the fire.

Indoors or out – never leave your fire unattended.
Keep fires small, they are better for cooking and

•
use less fuel.
If you are having a fire outside, always check you are

•
allowed to have a fire.
Choose a clear area, away from trees and bushes,

••
and from overhanging branches.
Make a circle of stones around it.
Keep a bucket of water or sand to hand in case the

•
fire gets out of control.
Always put your fire out before you leave and, if
you have a fire in the wild, ensure you leave no trace of
having been there.
 “Who has smelled the
woodsmoke at twilight,
who has seen the
campfire burning, who
is quick to read the
noises of the night?”
RUDYARD KIPLING

Photograph: Timothy Meinberg/Unsplash

59

FI RES I D E GA M ES,
WA RM T H AN D TA LKI N G

Fire is a reward. It draws you in, offering light,

warmth, community and conversation. Watching the
flames dance and flicker, soaking up the heat and
the smell of the woodsmoke encourages us to share
stories, talk and exercise our lungs with laughter, to
be warmed by the company of friends, maybe sing
some songs or play some games.
Campfire yells, chants and cheers are a way to let
off steam, to get moving, shaking and singing. Who
doesn’t love a sing-along, and how good it makes
us feel? Singing is so uplifting, it’s something we
should make more time for. It brings fun to the day,
makes us happy, makes us laugh and completely
improves our mood.
Anytime, of course, is good for playing games,
a rainy day inside, or a sunny day outside. Here are
some of our favourites:

• Dictionary game, where players guess the correct

•
definition of a word in amongst lots of made-up ones.
Consequences, where each person takes it in turn

•
to add a sentence or a word to a story structure.
Throw the smile, where everyone keeps a straight
face unless the smile has been ‘thrown’ at them from

•
the previous player.
Forehead detective, where players display a
famous person’s name on their forehead and have
to guess who it is by asking a series of questions.
Photograph: Jonathan Forage/Unsplash

fforest by Sian Tucker

celebrates the life
enhancing effect of
nature. It is published
by Kyle Books, with
photography by
Finn Beales.
www.kylebooks.co.uk
60

The power of being

present to the magic in
your everyday life brings
transformative benefits,
s a y s Ru by D e e voy.
 hen was the last time you found yourself gazing,
open mouthed and wide-eyed at something so
wonderful it made your heart skip a beat? If you
think back to an occasion where you felt truly
wowed, you’ll likely remember the rush that came
with it. The feelings of joy, wonder and perhaps even a little The science behind this might be new, but the revolution
fear that goes hand in hand with witnessing mind-blowing in our understanding of the experience of awe beyond the
magnificence. This unique combination of emotion and religious sphere began in 1757. Philosopher Edmund Burke,
experience is what’s known as awe and, aside from a knee- author of A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our
jerk reaction to exceptional ability, virtue, beauty, threat Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful detailed how we feel awe
and the supernatural, it also just so happens to be one of not just during religious ritual, but in everyday perceptual
the world’s greatest sources of wellness. experiences. In the midst of a mind-blowing concert, or
Until recently, there’s been little research into the flying from the guitar strings of a busker on the street. In
experience and benefits of awe. But over the the presence of a towering cathedral of trees,
last 15 years, studies by UC Berkeley or in the minute and incredible detail of 61
Professor of Psychology Dacher a leaf in your back garden. In seeing
Keltner and his team have someone you love do something
begun to show the profound that leaves you bursting with
advantages for mind, body, pride, or an act of kindness
and social connection. from a stranger.
The awe we find Awe lies all around us,
when immersed in in plain sight, if only we
nature is particularly take the time to look.
powerful. According But what is awe? And
to a UC Berkeley why does experiencing
study that tracked it have all these
psychological benefits? Doctor of
and physiological Philosophy Deanna
changes in war Minich teaches a
veterans and at-risk whole-self approach
inner-city youth to nourishment and
during white-water bridging the gaps between
rafting trips, awe science, spirituality and art
was shown to reduce in medicine. In doing so, she
symptoms of post traumatic often encounters the effects of
stress disorder by an average of awe in her work and the good it
29 per cent and general stress by does for her clients and the world.
21 per cent. Study lead author Craig “Awe is an intense feeling of wonder
Anderson remarked that awe is likely to be when experiencing something that transcends
“the active ingredient that explains why being your comprehension of yourself and the world we live in.
in nature is good for us”. The awareness of the existence of something bigger than
Higher levels of happiness and life satisfaction are the ourselves and the part we play in that can have an enormous
most obvious rewards, but the benefits don’t stop there. impact on emotional wellbeing,” Deanna explains.
From a bolstered immune system to increased generosity, “Research suggests that this perception of vastness
humility and critical thinking, awe might be all you need to diminishes the sense of self and instead, provides a humble
combat a raft of health and wellbeing issues. feeling of connection to others both in our immediate circle
of friends and family and humanity as a whole.”
It’s this feeling of connection that lies at the heart of
many of awe’s rewards, not only for ourselves as individuals,
but for the planet too. Kindness, patience and generosity
Illustrations: Svabhu Kohli
 FAST-T RAC K TO AW E

tend to be in greater supply in those who regularly indulge NOTICE NATURE

in awe-inspiring activities, while materialism is decreased.
1 Shifting your perspective so that you’re tuning
According to the researchers at Professor Dacher Keltner’s in to your surroundings will take a woodland walk
Greater Good Science Centre, this probably comes down to to awesome levels. Explore with all your senses.
the awe-inspired self-transcendence. The researchers write: Go slow, close your eyes and listen. Breathe deeply
“The experience of awe elevates people from their mundane and take time to touch and enjoy the textures of the
concerns, which are bounded by daily experiences such as natural world. Take texture rubbings using charcoal
the desire for money.” or pastels to capture the detail of what you find.
In terms of physical health, research into the
cytokine system (a branch of the immune THE SKY’S THE LIMIT
62 system) performed at Keltner’s UC
2 Open your eyes and look up. A sense of
Berkeley lab suggests that of all vastness gives instant access to awe so take
the positive emotions, only awe in the scale of towering trees above you
predicted reduced levels of and the expanse of the sky. You may
this inflammatory response wish to take a photo, or paint what
to a statistically significant you see, to keep as a reminder.
degree. This could be
due to the fact that TAKE NOTE
stress releases pro-
3 Make a point of identifying
inflammatory cytokines, every time something gives
which can lead to chronic you tingles, or makes you think
illness. Experiencing ‘wow’. Write each moment
awe, on the other hand, down. Actively looking for the
is believed to release the awe that is already occurring
‘love chemical’ oxytocin. in your life will open your mind,
Deanna says, “The body and soul to more!
overall supportive
emotional reaction of EXTRAORDINARY IN
connecting to others, which
4 THE ORDINARY
can stem from experiencing Take time to see the uniqueness of
awe, may have similar effects to everyone and everything. When you find
engaging in charitable behaviour, something that captures your attention,
which has been shown to increase draw it or write about it. This will help you to get
oxytocin, reduce stress and promote faster to appreciate the glory of nature in a new way.
healing time.”
Awe is readily available, wherever you are – but how do AWE TOGETHER NOW
you tap into it? The trick is becoming present. Immersing
5 Researchers at UC Berkeley noted that test
yourself in experience and being with the phenomenon, the subjects who shared an awesome experience also
moment and the overwhelm. Embracing the fear of leaving experienced similar benefits, emotions and hormone
your comfort zone and holding on tight for the ride. But, profiles, which suggests that awe is contagious. So,
in a world where so many of our days begin and end with when seeking awe, why not go with a friend?
screens, and true adventure and social interaction is at an all
time low, this takes practice and action. It’s time to get out FIND AWE INDOORS
there, with a deliberate intent to be awe-struck.
6 Visiting a museum, art galley, planetarium
or aquarium offers a different opportunity for
awe. As do impressive urban settings or just being
somewhere new. Being open to discovery will lead
you to see everything in a whole new light.
63
64

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 B o o k s a r e m y f r i e n d s ,
66
m y c o m p a n i o n s . T h e y
m a k e m e l a u g h a n d
c r y a n d f i n d m e a n i n g
i n l i f e .

HOME
This issue we get cosy in a favourite armchair
and delve into a good book, or ten. From
tomes as treasured objects in themselves,
to how we display them in the home; rewriting
endings, to finding empathy through reading,
books and stories offer so much more than
a temporary escape. They introduce us to
hundreds of new worlds and possibilities,
broadening our horizons. Elsewhere, interiors
blogger Medina Grillo encourages us to think
differently, too, by having a sense of play
with our decor, and we search for the most
striking styling ideas for the heart of the home:
the fireplace.
Quote: Christopher Paolini, Eragon; image: Popmarleo/Getty Images

67
 2

1
68

H O M E
N O T E S
Indulge in the best for
your home from colourful
throws to reading-nook
m u s t - h a v e s , p l u s t h e r e ’s
something cool for kitty too…

Compiled by Cecilia Forfitt

6 7

5
 3

G I FTS FROM SW E ET Mawu are handwoven by

1 TH E WAV ES
3 SA NCTUARY artisans in the Bolgatanga
A beachcombing designer Once upon a time, the cabin area of Northern Ghana.
living in Dorset, England, was a practical solution for Ethically sourced and fair
Hannah Marshall collects a traveller in need of shelter trade, they’re designed
odds and ends she finds – these days camps, huts without the traditional leather
along the coastline and turns and lodges are peaceful handle, so they’re vegan, too.
them into desirable objects. sanctuaries to retreat to, Make a bold statement with
Most of the materials are where we can live with a set of three on your wall.
gathered from West Country less, and be surrounded From £28, lolaandmawu.com
beaches, which she then uses by nature and away from
to create driftwood paintings, technology. This captivating DAVID MEOW- IE
sea-glass pendants and wall book, Cabins: Escape to
6 LI VES HE RE
hangings made from hemp Nature, features tiny houses The Ziggy Stardust cat
combined with fishing nylon. clinging to the edge of cliffs, cave is the purr-fect tribute
She also presses seaweed a mesmerising structure to David Bowie, the ultimate
by hand, transforming it with sliding walls that can cosmic rockstar and coolest
into surprisingly vibrant grow and shrink according cat to strut on stage. With a
botanical prints. “Most to the weather, cabins that pair of pointy ears and the 69
people associate seaweeds float on water, and many a iconic Aladdin Sane lightning
with brown bladderwrack,” breathtaking view to marvel bolt zig-zagging across the
she says, “but when you at. There’s even a human- front in bright red and blue,
look closely there are so sized birdhouse, made from this cosy cat pad is hand-
many beautiful hues, such materials scavenged from the felted from natural wool
as olive, beetroot, fuchsia surrounding Canadian forest, and is available in neutral
and candy floss”. Pressed with 12 integrated birdhouses off-white or grey. Your cat
seaweed prints, from £9, adorning its front! £20, or pup will love snuggling
beachshackproject.co.uk imagespublishing.com down inside, and you can
also breathe a sigh of relief
G EO ME T RY ACC ENT UATE as it’s hypoallergenic,
2 LESSO N S 4 T HE POS I T IVE moisture repellent and, most
A contemporary twist on a These cards take you importantly, odour resistant.
design found in Bronte by through an alphabet of From £110, redcandy.co.uk
Moon’s pattern archives, positive emotions, with
this vintage-style throw is the help of an A to Z of MELODIOUS
guaranteed to bring a splash animal pals. A great way
7
4 S I REN SO NG
of colour to your favourite to encourage mindful In Greek mythology, the
reading corner – whether thinking, they can help spark Sirens were dangerous
8 you’re devouring a Brontë conversation and encourage creatures, who enthralled
classic or a page-turner children to talk about how sailors with their sweet
you can’t put down. Made they feel. On the front of singing, luring them closer
from the softest and most each card is the letter and to the coast until their ships
gorgeous pure lambswool, emotion along with an animal wrecked on the rocks.
it features a dazzling character, and on the back Luckily, this mermaid is much
geometric design, and has there’s a description of the happier to help out, marking
been lovingly crafted in emotion and three fun facts the page in your book so you
the historic Moon mill in about the animal. You can don’t lose your place or have
Guiseley, Yorkshire, one frame them or attach them to turn its crisp corners. Cut
of Britain’s last-remaining to twine to create bunting, from metal, she’s available in
vertical woollen mills. The too. Little pack of positivity, gleaming gold, sky blue, mint
mill is among the few which £18, fearlessflamingo.com green or rose pink. Mermaid
continue to complete all bookmark, £13, octaevo.com
processes on one site, ME E T YOUR
from dying and carding
5 B I GGEST FANS… P LAN TING
to spinning and weaving. For decades, Ghanaian
8 A SE E D
Bronte by Moon also have craftspeople have been If you have ever wanted to
a beautiful selection of transforming Kinkanhe straw discover more about the
merino scarves and wraps to into intricately woven fans power of plants, then this
snuggle up to. Milan throw, and baskets. These beautiful is the book for you. Fiona
£109, brontebymoon.co.uk Bolga fans from Lola & and Karen – aka The Seed
 9

Sistas – are the owners of SOCKS O F

Sensory Solutions Herbal
11 O NE ’S OWN
Evolution, an arts and When she wasn’t focused
health-education company. on writing, Virginia Woolf
The pair have distilled 20 loved to ramble through
invaluable years of clinical the countryside, sometimes
experience as medical walking up to eight miles.
herbalists into The Sensory And like any keen walker,
Herbal Handbook, where we reckon she’d have
they seek to empower the appreciated a cosy pair of
reader to reconnect with socks at the end of one of her
the natural world. Using long strolls. Made from soft
Photography nobodinoz

local plants and working combed cotton, these ones

with the seasons, they use are ideal for channelling the
the five tools of Sensory Bloomsbury Set while you
Herbalism – intuition, take yourself on a countryside
observation, interpretation, walk to ponder your latest
10 11 characterisation and dreams, novel – alternatively, just use
to help us work with nature. them for padding around the
70 If you want to take things house in… Either way, it’s
further, Sensory Solutions an ideal gift for anyone who
also offer training courses. loves cosy toes, bookworm
£16.99, sensorysolutions. or not. Virginia Wool socks,
co.uk £8, chattyfeet.com

STARRY, I’LL WASH ,

9 STARRY NI GHT 12 YOU D RY
Give your child their own This kind pair are more than
secret space to escape to happy to lend you their
11 with this gorgeous, star- magnificent manes to dry the
strewn teepee from Spanish dishes. Designed by Donna
children’s homeware brand, Wilson, a designer known
Nobodinoz. It’s made from for her quirky, colourful
Oeko-Tex certified organic homewares, abstract shapes
cotton and FSC-certified and humorous illustrations,
pine wood, and is the perfect these tea towels will add
hideaway for little ones to some much-needed fun to
cosy up with favourite toys a chore most people find
and books. We can’t think of a as dull as dishwater. But it’s
more magical place to spend not all hard work, there’s
some quiet time. Phoenix play as well – Donna also has
teepee, £119.95, a fashion line, with printed
popandpunch.com tees, woolly sweaters and
accessories, and there’s a
C HAN NE LL I NG whole menagerie of cuddly
10 ART D ECO knitted creatures, too.
The 1920s-inspired Emmy Tea towels, £13.50 each,
cane chair by Bloomingville donnawilson.com
is a showstopping and
unique piece. With its fanned BOOKS ARE MY
petals, intricate handiwork
13 SUP E RP OWE R
and retro look, Emmy’s Whizz through your reading
natural finish and fibres fit list with a little inspiration
with any décor, whether you from this clever bookshelf.
prefer minimalist style or Almost like magic, Wondergal
something more opulent. All will save your treasured titles
you need is a plump cushion from gravity and a life of lying
to turn it into your favourite around, forgotten in a messy
reading chair. A must-have if pile. Organisation is power!
you want to indulge in some Floating wondershelf, £24,
12 Gatsby chic… redcandy.co.uk
 71

13
Take your book
storage to the next
level with a high-
flying wondershelf.
 THE
72
SECRET
LIFE OF
BOOKS
T h e r e ’s s o m u c h m o r e t o b o o k s
than the words they contain,
says Professor of English
Literature at the University
o f E d i n b u r g h , To m M o l e .

Tom Mole’s The

Secret Life of Books:
Why They Mean
More than Words
is out now (Elliott &
Thompson, £14.99).
Available from all
good bookshops.
Our books are leading a double life. As well We give them as gifts. We write our names
as being containers of words, they are things in them. We hoard them or discard them.
imbued with their own significance. Their We take them for granted. Over the last 500 73
importance goes far beyond the words or years, printed books have become a common
images they contain. sight – so common that they are almost
Books are part of how we understand invisible. It requires an effort, a shift of
ourselves. They shape our identities, even perspective, to bring them into focus.
before we can read them. They accompany Today, we can make that effort because
us throughout our lives – at home, at school, it has become possible to imagine the end
at college and (for some of us, at least) at of the book as we know it. We can perceive
work. And books are also part of how we the book as an object because we think that
relate to other people, from those closest to us object might be going away. When historians
to those only distantly connected. They get of the future look back to the early 21st
tangled up in our relationships with parents, century, they will describe it as a moment of
siblings, classmates, teachers, friends, lovers media change as significant as the Western
and children. They are part of how groups invention of printing with movable type in
of people, and even whole nations, imagine the second half of the 15th century. But as
and represent themselves. Books become the epoch of print ends, printed books are not
meaningful objects in all sorts of ways: simply vanishing; instead, their significance
treasured possessions, talismans, bearers is being transformed. And yet we often fail to
of significance. understand this transformation. If we think of
For readers, books are familiar objects. books as just media – just a way of conveying
Maybe we’re too familiar with them to pay text and images – then we’ll expect them to
them much attention. We take them to bed give way to new media that do the job faster,
with us. They weigh down our suitcases more cheaply, more profitably. The strange
when we go on holiday. We display them on tenacity of the paper book will seem puzzling.
our bookshelves or store them in our attics. But once we understand the life of books as
Photograph: Xxxx xxxxx
74
objects, and the many functions they serve in We’ve been taught to think this way from
our lives, then we’ll better understand what’s an early age. Learning to read means learning
happening to them now. to stop looking at the book and to start
Think about one of your favourite books. looking through it. As we come to think of
What springs to mind? You probably books as strings of signs to decipher so that
remember nuggets of content: episodes in we can get at the stories or the information
the story, favourite characters or choice they convey, we learn to ignore their physical
quotations. You might also recollect where features. We’re told not to judge a book
and when you read the book – on a holiday, by its cover. We think that only children’s
a long plane ride, a commuter train, a lazy books have pictures, and we’re keen to read
Sunday. You might associate the book with a grown-up books, with only words. As a
particular time of your life and recall how it result, we start to treat the book as a container
made you feel or what it made you think. Or of information, a device for delivering
you might remember where you bought it, or narratives. The book itself starts to vanish. As
who recommended it or gave it to you. we gain the ability to lose ourselves in a book,
Perhaps you also recall something about the book as an object begins to get lost.
the book as a physical object. Your memories This relationship between the ignorable
might include some recollection of the picture material form of a book and its valuable
on the cover, some awareness of what the content might remind us of another
typeface was like to read, or some muscle familiar relationship: that between body
memory of how the book felt in your hands. and soul. The words in the book are to its
These physical features often seem less material form as the immortal soul is to
important, because we’ve learned to think of the mortal body. Words can leave behind
them as incidental to the business of books their material existence in the book, and
and reading. What’s important, we think, migrate to new forms, just as souls can leave
is what the book says, not what it looks like, behind their worldly incarnations and take
what it smells like or what it feels like to hold. on new, heavenly bodies. And while the
 75
book is subject to various infirmities and Paying this kind of attention to the book
imperfections – cracked spines, torn pages, as an object also reveals the purposes books
dog-eared corners – the work transcends it. serve in society. Books serve as badges of
In order to resist this tendency to look allegiance, identifying the bearer as part
down on the book as an object and look up of a group of readers who are devoted to a
at its content, we need to make a conscious particular kind of book. They can be insignia
effort to focus on the ‘thingness’ of the book. of class, indicating the social position of their
Making that effort allows us to see how our owners in complex ways. They can become
books shape the ways in which we read them. the focus of rituals and celebrations. Literary
As objects, books send us messages about festivals take place across the world, bringing
how we should approach the texts they together authors, readers and booksellers
contain. Weighty hardbacks printed on thick around the object of the book. Some books
paper with sober covers tell us to take them even have celebrations, like the midnight
seriously. They are designed to last, allowing launch events for Harry Potter books that
their text to be read many times. Detective attracted queues of costumed readers.
stories printed on cheap paper with flimsy Books can function as tokens shaping
bindings and garish covers shout at us to interpersonal relationships, for example
read them fast and throw them away. Poetry when they are given as gifts or prizes. They
volumes surround a well-turned sonnet with can be a link between parents and children,
acres of white margin, like a piece of polished when they are read aloud at bedtime. They
jet displayed on a white cushion. The page can bring people together in book clubs and
layout entreats us to bring to the poem a reading groups. Considered in this light, the
mind cleared of distractions, like the page, book starts to appear as a lively object, with
and focused on the words islanded in a sea of its own vibrant social life. We haven’t grasped
white space. When you read a book, you’re the meanings of books if we think of them
always reading a material object as well as only as things to read. But books don’t just
a string of text. mean things to us. They also do things to us.
 B O O K
S M A R T
Books are so much more
than the words they contain.
Lottie Storey gathers four
women whose bookshelves are
an integral part of their homes.
76

It was a story made for social media. Celebrity book

curator Thatcher Wine hit the headlines earlier this
year for his work with his childhood friend Gwyneth
Paltrow. Thatcher felt there weren’t enough books to fill
the shelving in Gwyneth’s home library. So he ordered
an extra 500 via his company, Juniper Books. Perfectly
acceptable in theory, but when Twitter discovers that
not only do you sell books by the foot, but you also then
create bespoke dust jackets to match your client’s interior
design… Twitter erupts. “It’s not about having it all be
so ‘perfect’ that no one wants to disturb them,” Wine
responded. “It’s about the right balance of making them
look like they belong, but also that they should be read
and enjoyed.”
Ridiculous? Maybe, but when compared to the
actions of fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, it’s positively
pedestrian. In 2015, Lagerfeld sent librarians everywhere
into a spin when he revealed that the specially built
library of his home in France accommodated thousands
of books and magazines stocked horizontally for easy
reading of the titles on the spine. That’s horizontally.
Extreme examples, perhaps, of how bookshelves cross
the line from practical storage into interior design, but
beyond the silliness wouldn’t we all like to add some
flair to our shelves? From making an Instagrammable
feature of the colourful spines in your collection, creating
a reading rainbow that’s an aesthetic dream, to the
most personal and esoteric systems (A Room Of One’s
Own next to On Chesil Beach because you bought it in
Dorset?), what does the way we organise our books say
about us as readers, as humans?
 Avid reader Aja
Barber at home in
London. Find out
more about her
reading habits
over the page.

Photograph: Alice Hendy

Photograph: Xxxx xxxxx
77
GEM MA BRAC E
C U R AT O R A N D W R I T E R
B R I STO L , U K | ge m m a b ra ce.co m

How would you describe your reading habits?

The one habit that has never left me is the way I read on
beach holidays. Just you (regardless of actual human
company), the sea, the sky and a pile of books. Even eating
feels like an inconvenient interruption.

Do you have a favourite book?

There are many that I’ll return to but I think re-reading is more
about nostalgia and comfort than anything else. Sometimes
it’s for the time and place within the book, but other times it’s
a longing to return to the moment in which it was first read.

Do you always finish books?

I read the first page before buying it and this nearly always
tells me if I’ll enjoy the writing, so I rarely give up on a book.

What makes you pick up a book in a bookshop?

I am unashamedly a cover-lover and find it really hard to buy
ugly looking books even if I know the writing will be worth it.
Sometimes I even wait to find a different version with a more
appealing cover before bringing a story home.

Do you have a system for keeping your books in order?

My bookshelves are a haphazard reflection of whatever I last
read, supplemented by little islands of books lying elsewhere
around the flat, in case of a reading emergency.

Are your bookshelves just for books?

The bookshelves have started to become a little gallery
of their own. Perched between titles are plants, artworks
Photograph: Ellie Smith

and postcards.

What’s your favourite reading spot?

In the summer you’ll find me on the balcony, laid out on the
decking among the plants and sunshine, but in winter I’ll
be curled up in bed with a cup of tea.
 J OH ANN A
H AUSL E R
BLOGGER AND BOOKLOVER
COLOGNE, GERMANY | @beautelicieuse

Were you an avid reader as a child?

Yes! I started with everything pony-related
and detective stories, then went to all things
fantasy like Harry Potter or Lord Of The Rings.

How do you choose what to read next?

I stroll around my favourite bookstores or
libraries and check out what’s new. Last
summer, I found four books set in the places
we went to for our holidays.

78 What makes you pick up a book?

I have a handful of favourite stores in my town
where I hang around and talk to the well-read
employees. But sometimes it’s a cover or a
reading event that inspires me. Instagram
inspired me to deepen my passion for
independent bookshops. I try to visit as many
as I can when I travel and buy at least one
book. The last shop that impressed me was
Bokfinken Antikvariat & Kuriosa in Malmö,
Sweden. I bought children’s books for my
daughter and a vintage guide to Stockholm.

Are you interested in beautiful covers or

unusual bindings?
Definitely yes! I don’t like too modern over-
coloured bindings, I prefer the classic look
and simplicity.

Do you have a system for keeping your

books in order?
I organise my books by the name of the
author to genre and I have cheat sheets
hidden on the side, because it isn’t always
easy to find a book quickly in my beautiful
arrangement. I also have some classic
literature on the side of my shelf where I can
see their titles. Everything I haven’t read yet
but want to is on a separate stack.

What’s your favourite reading spot at home?

My bed. I read every night, no matter how late
it is, because this calms me the most.

Do you ever give away books?

Yes! I love the system of a free-exchange
library and we do have a growing collection
of those spots. But 90 per cent of the books
stay on my shelf.
 Start your
own little
library
80
T h e re a re ove r 9 0,0 0 0 l i t t l e f re e l i b ra r i es a ro u n d
the world – is there one in your neighbourhood?
If not, start your own, says Kate Antoniou.

I’ve always been an avid book lender, so when one of my

friends had to spend two months in hospital, I started
looking for copies of all my favourite books so she could
have her own little bedside library. I’m very lucky that
our local libraries here in California have shops attached When I got home I searched for information on
to them where you can buy second hand books for a the non-profit organisation and read about their work
dollar or two. Even after my friend left hospital, I found inspiring a love of reading and building community.
myself continuing to buy all of my personal classics Their statistics really impressed me: three out of four
every time I spotted them, sure that I would soon meet people surveyed said that they’ve read a book they
someone else who would love them like I did. normally wouldn’t have because of a Little Free Library,
Of course, eventually storage space began to be a 73 per cent say they’ve met more neighbours, and 92 per
problem, and it was around then that I encountered my cent say that their neighbourhood feels like
first Little Free Library. Walking near my daughter’s a friendlier place because of a Little Free Library.
school, I saw what looked like a large birdhouse in I was sold. Here was a way I could share my love of
someone’s front yard, resting on their garden fence reading and get to know my new community. Having
by the sidewalk. I crossed the road to examine it more only moved here from London a few years ago, I’m
closely and saw through its glass door that it was full of a always keen to meet my neighbours and introduce
variety of books. Little Free Library’s slogan was written myself. The Little Free Library website offers potential
on the front: ‘Take a book. Share a book.’ stewards lots of good advice. The first thing they
recommended was that I speak to someone running
an Little Free Library near me. So I used their online
map to look up any local libraries and found two within
cycling distance. There’s nothing to stop you setting up
your own version of a little free library without the help
of the Little Free Library organisation, but one of the
many benefits of joining is that your library gets put on
the official map so people know where to find it. The
one I visited was an impressive specimen fronted with
stained glass windows. Despite being on a small street one of their blog posts that listed cheaper DIY options.
with hardly any foot traffic, the steward told me that he Recycled home appliances were hugely popular: old
gets two or three visitors a day and that they always have microwaves, mini fridges or mailboxes. My favourite
more books donated than they can fit in the library. This was a vintage bread box, so I searched for one on eBay
reassured me that I wouldn’t end up in debt, constantly and found the ideal thing for $40. Obviously you need
restocking the library myself. to weatherproof whatever you use. I used a varnish but
Next I had to check with my home owner’s association also made sure it would be in the shade as sun damage in
to see if I could install my library by my front door. California is as much a threat as the rain.
They had some concerns about vandalism, which I ordered my Little Free Library plaque from their
Little Free Library insists is a very rare occurrence. site – this costs $40 and once it arrived I was ready to 39
81
We compromised, and made it so that my library is a go. I tried to include a diverse selection of books while
moveable one – I place it outside during the day but also sticking to genres I cared about. I definitely plan to
bring it inside at night. Of course, if you own your feature lots of British authors as I’ve loved discovering
property then you don’t have to check with anyone. more American authors since moving here, and hope
Little Free Library sell ready-made libraries on their people will do the same with my selection.
site, but they’re a couple of hundred dollars. I really The first few days it’s hard not to pop out and check
didn’t want to spend that kind of money, so I looked at
“The first batch of books
vanished quickly and I worried
perhaps no one will refill
the library. But soon people
began to return on their walks,
bringing books they were ready
to part with.”

on your baby every few hours. The first batch of books

vanished quickly and as I replaced them I worried:
perhaps no one will refill the library and it will become
a burden. But soon people began to return on their
weekly walks, bringing books they were ready to part
with. To start with I felt that there would be a lot of
curation involved if it was to continue to be a reflection
of my own reading habits. But then I realised that like a
real baby, it had a life of its own and soon began to reflect
the reading habits of our local community as a whole.
I remain a proud library-parent, happily checking in on
my offspring every now and then, meeting admirers and
learning from my library every day.
 Share your love of books
82
There are so many ways to spread the word (as it
were). Here are three women doing just that…

R EA D TO K I DS

Ailsa Horton runs The Little Library as part of

Usborne Books at Home, the kids’ publisher’s
small-business community. Based in Cornwall,
England, and a part-time teacher, she was after a
more flexible way of promoting reading for children
while raising her two young girls. She is passionate
about getting more books into children’s hands
so she holds story-time mornings and takes part in
local events. “It used to tug my heart when little ones weren’t familiar with
books by the time they came to school,” she says. “Reading aloud to kids is
the single most important way to build the skills they need to learn to read,
and that unlocks so much in life, not just to navigate the world today, but to
develop that mind’s eye, how you visualise things. If you want to imagine a
better life for yourself, reading is an excellent way to start.”
Want to get involved? Usborne aims to give 500,000 books to schools
this academic year in an initiative called #transformyourschoollibrary. “All
people need to do is contact their local Usborne organiser and we’ll come
in and do a fundraiser for you, a sponsored read for the children and gather
community book pledges. There’s no extra work at all for the teachers,
which obviously appeals to me as a teacher myself! We do it all.” Raise £600
or more and the school gets 60 per cent of their fundraised total in Usborne
books of their choice for free. “It’s an amazing initiative and I’m so proud to
be a part of it. Let’s get more kids reading,” says Ailsa.
org.usbornebooksathome.co.uk/little_library
RE A D ON THE MOVE

Like many bibliophiles, Sarah Henshaw always

liked the idea of opening a bookshop. When a
canal marina opened near her in Burton-on-Trent,
England, the notion of putting one on a narrowboat
took hold. “Although it was quite a whimsical idea,
it also made sense for me,” says Sarah. “The space
was small enough not to be daunting, the novelty
of the setting was useful at a time when bookshops
were struggling, and there was always the option of moving on.”
The main motivation for Sarah is the quiet belief in the power of the
written word: “Power to move people, excite them, bring comfort when
things are miserable, inspire, teach, explain the world around us, or just
provide an emergency exit from the humdrum when it’s needed. I think if
you subscribe to that sort of magic, it’s hard to keep it to yourself.” 83
Sarah’s advice for having a roving bookshop or library is to be a curator,
as you’ll invariably be limited for space. “Make the very best of what you
have with considered and bold choices. People won’t necessarily find the
book they came in to buy or borrow, but they won’t leave empty-handed.”
Sarah has explored most of the UK canal network and has now crusied
across the Channel, through Belgium and France, settling on the Canal du
Nivernais in Burgundy, where customers enjoy the conversation, expertise
and quirks of shopping in person.
thebookbarge.com

R EA D W ITH OT H ERS

We challenge you to find a more prolific reader than

London-based writer Terri-Jane Dow. “I’ve always
read a lot, and I read fast,” explains Terri-Jane. “I
read more than one book at a time, because what I
want to read depends on what mood I’m in. I’ll have
a couple of books next to the bed, one in my bag,
and a couple next to the sofa…” Reading is a joyous
solitary activity, but with so many ideas, plots and
poetic passages filling your brain, there comes a time to talk about it all!
Terri-Jane runs a book club in London, which meets every couple of months.
“It’s such a nice thing to have time set aside to discuss something you’ve
read,” says Terri-Jane. “I think it’s partly because sometimes it will feel like
you’ve all read a different book, or someone might have hated something
you loved. I love how someone’s opinion on a book is coloured by other
things – something else they’ve read, the film version, an interview they saw
the author do – and how those things add to the conversation.”
Terri-Jane suggests finding a book club through people you admire on
Twitter or Instagram (#bookstagrammer is a good hashtag). Select a group
based on past titles they’ve read – look for a mix of books you’re interested
in and ones you wouldn’t normally pick up. Or start your own! “My advice
is to choose an early weeknight when people don’t often have plans, and
a venue that’s easy to get to. Avoid books that are always in your comfort
Illustration: Matilda Smith

zone, and be prepared to never get the ratio of red to white wine right.”
@terri_jane
84
Rewrite
the
ending
Happily ever after?
When stories don’t
turn out the way
you expect them to,
write a new ending.
Lo t t i e S to rey
e x p l a i n s h o w.
My favourite books as a child transported me to fantasy
worlds. Enid Blyton’s Faraway Tree and CS Lewis’s Narnia
series proved that the logic of science and the limitations of
real life need not apply in fiction. They were tales written to
take us to different places, far-off lands and bring us back

Photograph: Hannah Olinger/Unsplash

again. Same but different, an escape from the everyday.
When I was young, I accepted the way stories ended,
because it didn’t occur to me to challenge the authors
I admired. But what if you don’t like the way a book ends?
From the age of five, my friend Sarah began writing her
own little books, but after a few years, she started to rewrite
any endings that didn’t feel right to her. “I wanted good
people to have good endings,” she says, “and for the bad
guys to realise what they did wrong and make some kind
of atonement.” Books, films and television programmes M Y L I FE STO RY –
all received her red pen. Taking matters into her own A N A R RAT I V E
hands gave Sarah a sense of resolution, a problem-solving
T H E RA PY EX E RC IS E
approach and allowed for justice, righting (writing?)
wrongs. Turns out, she was onto something… 85
Humans are natural storytellers, who are drawn to One of the most basic principles in narrative
connecting and finding meaning through our experiences, therapy is finding meaning and healing through
keeping the narratives alive through repetition. But what telling stories. The intention of this exercise is
if the story no longer serves you? Narrative therapy is an to put some distance between you and your
alternative to cognitive behavioural therapy (or CBT), the past, creating a sketch of your life that focuses
widely available therapy that exists to alter problematic on moments of growth rather than fixating on
mindsets and behaviours. memories.

START WITH A TITLE

“Narrative therapy techniques 1 Write a title. It could be your name, ‘My
help clients uncover the Life Story’ or it could include some of the themes
dreams, values, goals and skills of your life, such as ‘A story of resilience and
that define who we really are. discovery’. Explore what feels right.
These are the buried stories
that can be rewritten.” FORM YOUR CHAPTERS
2 Write out at least seven chapter titles, which
represent a significant stage in your life so far (‘Off
Developed in the 1980s, narrative therapy is a respectful To School’ or ‘Teenage Tearaway’). Then, sum up
and non-blaming approach that operates from the belief the chapter in one sentence (‘First experiences
that people are separate from problems, and that people are at school were exciting but terrifying’ or ‘My teen
the experts in their own lives. Narrative therapists think years were a voyage of discovery’).
in terms of stories. Most of us interpret the things that
happen to us in life and tell ourselves stories that can be LOOKING AHEAD
harmful. It’s natural for our brains to make meaning from
3 The final chapter. Name the last chapter and
our experiences, but if bouts of anxiety turns into the story write a description of your future life. What will you
‘I am an anxious person’, it becomes a difficult storyline do? Where will you go? Who do you want to be?
to alter. Narrative therapy techniques help clients uncover
the dreams, values, goals and skills that define who we ADDING DETAILS
are. These are the buried stories that can be rewritten and
4 Flesh out the chapters with all the details
woven into the ongoing and future story of our lives. you need to tell your life story in a meaningful
The quote, “You can’t go back and change the way. You’re aiming to make sense of thoughts
beginning, but you can start where you are and change and beliefs about your life, so avoid getting too
the ending,” is often attributed to CS Lewis. However, deep into specific memories. Just notice that
while those were not his precise words, he would surely what’s happened so far is in the past and does
approve of the sentiment, and encourage each of us out of not have to define you. Focus instead on how it
our metaphorical wardrobes and into a new world of our made you the reflective and experienced person
own writing. you are today.
 T A L E S
R E T O L D
T h e re a re ( a t l e a s t ) tw o s i d e s t o eve r y s t o r y, a n d t h e s e
clever books and films explore old plots in new ways.

1
CI RCE
Madeline Miller
A rewriting of The Odyssey told from the point of view of Circe,
the witch known for turning men into pigs. Banished to an island by
Zeus, Circe meets many gods and monsters during her exile, including
messenger god, Hermes, the craftsman, Daedalus, a ship bearing a
golden fleece, and Odysseus on his epic voyage home.

2
86 THE HOURS
Michael Cunningham
Three lives in three decades intertwine in The Hours, a tale
inspired by Virginia Woolf. Chapters flit back and forth between 1920s
London (where Woolf tries to write her latest novel), 1940s Los Angeles
(where a mother just wants to read Mrs Dalloway), and 1990s New York
(where Clarissa Vaughan hosts a party for a dying friend).

3 WIDE SARGASSO SEA

Jean Rhys
Jean Rhys’s extraordinary novel comes up with its own answer
to how Antoinette Cosway, the first wife of Mr Rochester (Jane Eyre)
was driven to madness and banished to the attic. Born a Creole
heiress, and renamed ‘Bertha’ by her new husband, the rumours soon
start to circulate and Rochester cruelly turns against her.

MA LE FIC ENT
Disney
This movie version of Sleeping Beauty is told from the
4
perspective of Maleficent, a fairy who is not invited to baby
Aurora’s christening. This betrayal leads the protagonist down a
dark path, which results in a curse that foretells when Aurora is 16,
she will prick her finger and sleep forever…

5
I N TO TH E FOR EST
Anthony Browne
A child journeys through the forest to visit his grandmother
in this captivating picture book, which is populated with characters
from classic fairy tales. This reimagining is a surreal and unsettling
tale that’s at once familiar and new. One for brave young readers.

6
C HO OS E YOUR OW N ADV E NTURE
Various authors
These books were first introduced in the Eighties and
invited young readers to decide for themselves how their story
progressed, with choices that led to one of many endings.
Deliciously unpredictable, the stories beg for repeat readings so
the reader can take different twists and turns each time.
 THE ONLINE HOME OF PROJECT CALM MAGAZINE

Find inspiration,
wellness features
and a moment of
calm whenever
you need it at
calmmoment.com

@projectcalmmagazine @projectcalm @projectcalmmagazine @ProjectCalmMag

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 89

Struggling to find a path through the chaos? Books may help,

says editor Elizabeth Sulis Kim

Aged eleven, I read a book that changed my life. It was Eva Ibbotson’s Journey
to the River Sea, an adventure novel about an orphan, Maia, who leaves behind
England and journeys to Manaus, Brazil, to stay with her long-lost relatives.
Manaus is in the centre of the Amazon rainforest, but it was a bustling port
during the Rubber Boom of the early 20th century. The city conjured up by
Ibbotson sounded magical: a Belle Epoque opera house standing tall beside
a market full of exotic fruits, frequented by colourful birds – all in close
proximity to the river sea, surrounded by vast, unexplored forest. I wanted so
desperately to go there.
Maia eventually leaves the city and explores the river sea and its many
tributaries. Her beloved governess, Miss Minton, recalls Maia’s Amazonian
 adventure: “When she was traveling and
exploring… and finding her songs, Maia
wasn’t just happy, she was… herself. I
think something broke in Maia when her
parents died, and out there it healed… I
think children must lead big lives… if it is
in them to do so.”
These words resonated. Seven years later,
aged eighteen, I too went to the Amazon to heal. As my
plane broke through the clouds, I saw the city on the banks
of the wide river, surrounded by rainforest. I forever imprinted
that scene in my memory – emerging from the dark cloud and victories and find solutions for obstacles we
seeing below me the place that until then only existed in my have yet to encounter ourselves.
imagination. This was the start of the next chapter in my book. Stories give us structure as individuals, but they also give
We might not see these little moments of joy and transformation structure to society as a whole. Yuval Noah Harari, in his
90 in the chaotic mess that is life, but reading helps us identify book Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, writes about the
them; stories provide narrative structure. importance of finding common myths. Such myths only exist
Life often seems like a soap opera. It can be hard to identify in people’s collective imagination, but they help us connect with
where one scene ends and another begins; we’re constantly other people. Much of what we encounter in our daily life exists
thrown into new situations, some more tragic, some more because someone once told a story, from the nations to which
comic. But seven basic plot types have been identified by we belong to our sense of identity.
scholars, and these might become clearer when we read a There are many things we probably don’t like about the
traditional novel; over the course of the novel’s time reality we live in. There may also be things we don’t like about
frame, be it a day or year, a character or community ourselves. We sometimes worry when we recognise ourselves
will somehow change, for better or for worse. in a flawed character. Awareness enables us to tell new stories
They might defeat monsters – terrifying about ourselves that better reflect who we want to be, as
beasts or situations, people or problems Ebenezer Scrooge did in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol,
that seem monstrous. They might go confronted with himself as a miser. We also model ourselves
out on a journey or against the odds, on the characters we read about and love, or characters whose
becoming kinder, braver or wiser as a positive transformation seems attainable. I doubt I’m alone
result. The reader’s advantage is that in looking up to characters such as Hermione from the Harry
every difficult situation or feeling has Potter series, known for her love of books and curiosity.
probably already been articulated by a Who do we want to be? Our sense of self is surprisingly
writer. Reading about another person’s malleable. And what do we care about? In hard times, we
experience, we might feel less can wonder whether there’s any meaning to all this. Joseph
alone. We can also learn Campbell, in The Power of Myth, emphasises how we often
from their mistakes and think we’re seeking meaning, when really “we’re seeking an
experience of being alive”. We can get this from reading books
as well as first-hand experience. I think back to the day I walked
out of my last exam at university. I anticipated feeling a sense of
relief, of freedom. Instead, on handing in my paper and
leaving the quiet examination hall, I experienced an
unbearable sense of lightness on feeling the warm
sun on my face. This was the end of four years of
structured learning. Of living in a town I knew
well. Of feeling settled. I was between stories,
and I didn’t quite feel at home among the
living. Deciding what to do next, I picked up
a new book and moved to a new city. It was
time to tell – and live – a new story.
 A JOURNEY IN BOOKS

The books I’ve read have given me the courage to speak up, be myself or made me realise it’s time to
change. Here are my nine life-affirming reads:

MADAME BOVARY BY GUSTAVE FLAUBERT

1 Like the heroine in this book, I realised much of my world view came from romantic novels.
Fortunately, relating to a tragic character doesn’t mean our destiny is set in stone. Learning from
Emma Bovary, I realised life isn’t just in the material world, it’s also in the way we process life internally.

YOUR SILENCE WILL NOT PROTECT YOU BY AUDRE LORDE

2 In the main essay of this collection, Lorde writes about the importance of speaking up even if
you’re scared of what will come of it. We have all kept quiet about things and this essay puts forth a
persuasive argument for allowing yourself be heard.

NEVER LET ME GO BY KAZUO ISHIGURO

3 This book is influenced by the Japanese concept of mono no aware – an awareness of 91
impermanence. Reading it, we’re reminded that we often lead lives as if caught in a turbulent current,
and not fully conscious of what we’re living through.

THE DEATH OF IVAN ILYCH BY LEO TOLSTOY

4 Tolstoy explores how a dying man confronts his own mortality, and the isolation and truth that
comes with it. The book reminds us that life is brief, and we need to stop deferring joy and self-
reflection, and embrace the present moment instead.

CONVENIENCE STORE WOMAN BY SAYAKA MURATA

5 Keiko is an unconventional person, but finds contentment in her role as a convenience store
woman. However, her parents and friends have other expectations for her. This book emphasises the
importance of living according to your own script, even if that doesn’t look like other people’s.

THE ROAD BY CORMAC MCCARTHY

6 A man and his son walk along the road in a post-apocalyptic landscape,
heading south looking for a warmer climate. Life is often confusing, we don’t
know where we’re going or why, but we keep going because we value our
relationships, and are curious about what lies ahead.

THE UNABRIDGED JOURNALS BY SYLVIA PLATH

7 In Plath’s journals we find a woman struggling to come to terms with
self-doubt. For anyone who has struggled with similar feelings, there is much
contained within Plath’s writing to reassure us we aren’t alone.

THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE BY SHIRLEY JACKSON

8 Shirley Jackson suffered from anxiety, and she explores this in
much of her work. In this psychological horror, Ellen, the protagonist,
finds socialising daunting and it’s unclear whether things are really
happening, or if she is a victim of her own anxious mind.

NORMAL PEOPLE BY SALLY ROONEY

9 In this novel, Rooney explores how we can feel insecure about who
we are and don’t really participate in life – consequently, we don’t feel normal.
This book related to many, redefining what it actually means to be ‘normal’.
Save
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 93

H A V E F U N
W I T H Y O U R
H O M E D E C O R
Make your living space a true
reflection of you with a sense
o f p l a y, s a y s i n t e r i o r a n d D I Y
a u t h o r, M e d i n a G r i l l o .

Illustration: Marc Osborne/Getty; colour swatch: Image Source/Getty; Medina Grillo by Kasia Fiszer Photography
 Make an impact!
Experiment with
decorative elements
that appeal to your
sense of play.

Photograph: Adrien Olichon/Unsplash

A lot of the time, I’ve found that decorating my
home (or any home for that matter) has a lot to do
with trial and error. You know, finding out what
works, and what doesn’t.
A decorating project often isn’t as easy or
as simple as you might first imagine, but it’s a
creative process and it can be viewed as a type
of experimental play. Yes, there may be tears of
frustration, plot twists and plan B’s before you
finally reach that moment when you feel everything
94 is as it should be, but despite any worries that ideas
might not come together, the whole process can still
be rather fun! I’ve come to appreciate, love, and would have been way more practical to convert
crave that feeling when it all clicks into place: that the space under the stairs into additional storage.
moment of pure equilibrium. My reply – but where’s the fun in that?
My style has changed (although evolved sounds Of course, practicality does play a huge role in
more sophisticated, so let’s go with that) a fair bit good design. It needs to be functional. It needs
over the years. I put that down to the fact that I’ve to make sense. However aside from all of that,
always been happy to take risks in order to achieve your interior should also make you feel happy
that moment I described above. And when I say and get those serotonin levels elevated! It should
risks, I mean doing things that many might deem incorporate themes and elements that showcase
a little out there or a bit bizarre, even. Things like: parts of your personality. Art and expression, they
painting an entire wall black to create a chalkboard go together. So now I’m encouraging you to ask
which we could write on; wallpapering a funky your playful side to unleash a little humour and
design over laminate flooring; replacing standard fun into your life. I think the general term is inner
wardrobe doors with OSB engineered wood. Or child these days…
turning the space under the stairs into a quiet How to start? Or rather, where to start? And how
reading and homework zone for the children. much risk is too much? Is there a too much?
Yes, to confirm, I’ve done all the above, hence Well you’ll be pleased to know that there really
the specifics. According to my husband (who has isn’t a right or wrong here. As long as YOU like the
truly perfected the ‘that’s ridiculous’ eyeroll), it end result that’s all that counts. I’ll share a few fun
ideas to get your wheels turning a little if you’d like.
Your walls are always the best place to start
when you want to inject a little fun and colour into
your home. Think blank canvas. Magnolia walls
are the opposite of fun (unless of course beige is
your thing). If you’re considering wallpaper for a
feature wall, experiment with different patterns
and designs. Perhaps a large floral mural will be
more striking than a repeat pattern paper? If you’re
not too keen on the idea of almost permanent
traditional wallpaper, you can always try using the
peel-and-stick variety. It’s as simple as choosing
a design you like, measuring your walls and
smoothing in place. Excellent for renters.
Painting a dark wall is definitely a fantastic
Photograph: Medina’s own

way to frame and play on any existing features

your walls might have. If you’re not ready to
 Photograph: Medina’s own

Photograph: Medina’s own

95

commit to the dark side completely (I get it, it’s

not for everyone), try painting halfway up your
walls (something I did in my own bedroom to
create a lovely crisp contrast) or experiment with
stencilling. You can literally find stencils to fit any
style you have in mind, or create your own.
And get some art on your walls! Ensure it’s an
expression of you. People often think they have to
match art to the interior style or colours in a room
– when you absolutely don’t. Art is a statement in
itself. Everything else that surrounds it, is simply
playing a supporting role.
I’m a huge fan of abstract and oil painted pieces
and I will spend hours on eBay searching for
additions to my collection. If you have children,
I also think incorporating their art into your
decorating is a good idea. We’ve done this at home
by creating a huge corkboard wall for my son’s
pictures and paintings (alternatively you can hang
their art from suspended wire or string). After all,
it’s his home too. Why not have a place to proudly
share the things they love?
The key here is to step out of your comfort zone
now and again. Think about it, what’s the worst
Photograph: Lina Roos/Folio/Getty

that could happen? To paraphrase, better to have

experimented and missed the mark, than to have
never experimented at all. Remember what it’s like
to play, rather than play it safe, and your creativity
can find a home at home, too.

Create an area where

you (and the kids)
can play creatively
with paints, paper
and nature finds.
Est 2000 | Devon

Ingredients from us,

handmade by you

Telephone | 01237 420872

[email protected]

www.thesoapkitchen.co.uk
 Fireplaces
with warmth
Make more of your mantelpiece 97

with these sparky ideas in a range

of decorative styles.
 Floral fiesta
Designer Pearl Lowe’s Georgian property in
Somerset, England, was built in the 1820s with warm
yellow Bath stone – the curved walls and arched
windows are classic in design yet manifold with
architectural quirks such as their wonderful fireplaces.
In the drawing room, she has created a sense of
country-house grandeur with an extravagant floral
display underneath an antique mirror surrounded
by her collection of rococo furniture, large sofas and
tiger-print ottoman.

These images and an edited extract come from Faded Glamour

by Pearl Lowe, published by CICO Books, with photography by
Amy Neunsinger. Readers can buy Faded Glamour (RRP £19.99)
for the special price of £14 at rylandpeters.com. Just enter the
code CALMGLAMOUR at checkout. Free P&P in the UK. Offer
valid until 20th December 2019.

98
 Magnificent
marble
The lovingly restored Victorian vicarage
owned by advertising producer Alicia
Richards and her cinematographer
husband Simon, was built in 1850, with all
the features of that period – generously
proportioned rooms, high ceilings, vast
fireplaces, floor-to-ceiling windows,
cornicing and shutter work. With original
William Morris wallpaper still hanging on 99
the walls, it already had that shabby-chic
feel before they moved in, enhanced by
objects, artefacts and quirky religious
candles, all collected on the couple’s
travels. Here, a large elm-framed mirror
brings a rustic touch to an elegant room.

“A large elm-framed mirror above the fireplace

brings a rustic touch to an elegant room.”

Style with
a story
Editor Susie Forbes and her
husband, designer Bill Amberg,
have used books to dress the
original stone fireplace of the
spare room in their English
countryside home. Surrounded
by a bright green ‘Richmond
Illustration: Supannee Chongrakchit/Getty Images

Park’ wallpaper from Zoffany,

it creates a Narnia-like forest
haven – and who wouldn’t want
to snuggle up with a novel in this
guest room?

ST Y LE WIT H A STO RY
 Calming
ocean vibes
This seashell-encrusted fireplace sits in the master
bedroom of Whinnie Williams, the co-owner of
online homeware store Poodle and Blonde, based
in Margate. Whinnie has a degree in set design and
takes her inspiration from 1970s movies and the vision
of film director Wes Anderson. She has a go-for-it
100 attitude when it comes to decorating, and every
room in the house has been designed for optimum
effect, including this striking mantelpiece. In the
feminine master bedroom, she clad the fireplace
in delicate seashells and used them to create a
panelled effect on the wall, along with an ethereal
hand-painted underwater scene.

“Whinnie clad the fireplace in seashells to

create a panelled effect on the wall, along with
an ethereal hand-painted underwater scene.”

Cool and
collected
At the riad La Maison Marrakech in Morocco,
fashion designer Nicole Francesca Manfron keeps
the interiors simple with a natural colour scheme,
minimalist décor and relaxed style. It’s somewhere
Illustration: Supannee Chongrakchit/Getty Images

you can feel at one with nature and truly relax. The
dining room at La Maison sums up Nicole’s signature
style, displaying her love of vintage industrial pieces
and traditional handcrafted Moroccan wares bought
in the souk. The open fire is an essential addition
for the colder winter evenings – Morocco is often
described as ‘a cold country with a hot sun’.
 101

Antique
opulence
Jo Wood’s London home is packed with vintage
patterns and eclectic details. The former model
and founder of Jo Wood Organics describes her
interior style as rock ’n’ roll meets Marie Antoinette.
In the feminine, bohemian living room, she adorns
the fireplace with artwork, exquisite vintage lighting
and beautiful artefacts collected over a lifetime.
Jo favours a palette that’s comforting, warm and
sexy, both bold and soft at the same time. It’s an
interesting juxtaposition that can be hard to pull
off, yet Jo manages it effortlessly. Her instinctive
embracing of colour has resulted in a home that is
rich with colour, imagination and a sense of history.

These images and an edited extract are taken

from Rockett St George: Extraordinary Interiors
in Colour by Lucy St George and Jane Rockett,
published by Ryland, Peters and Small.
£19.99. rylandpeters.com
 T h e r e ’ s a s k e t c h
102
a t e v e r y t u r n

TRAVEL
This issue we’re inspired to gain a new
perspective on our travels by sketching our
surroundings or collecting the ephemera
of trips away for scrapbooks. Both provide
a great way of slowing down, noticing the
details and creating a lovely keepsake of your
journey. Designer Becki Clark has created a
nine-page scrapbooking guide with beautiful
paper elements for you to cut out and collage.
If writing is more your thing, budding novelist
Sian Meades’ regular travel column focuses
on writing retreats this issue. A little time and
space may be just the inspiration you need.
Quote: JMW Turner; image: Endai Huedl/Getty Image

103
 1 2
Photograph: Ocean Taylor

104 4

T R A V E L
N O T E S
Photograph: Ocean Taylor

Ta k e t i m e o u t i n a r u s t i c
Fr e n c h s a n c t u a r y , e x p l o r e
the stunning Lake District,
support marine life
5

Photograph: Max Darkins

through fashion, and more.
Compiled by Helen Martin

6 7
3

LI V I NG THE Estate of the Arts, is part of as well as offering courses

1 FR ENC H DR EA M a creative hub of carpenters, in the pottery studio. These
The Manoir La Croix de La animators, painters and include one and three-day
Jugie in Limousin, South printers; a community of courses with cake and a
West France, is a ‘rustic slice artists unique to Bristol. seasonal lunch included. The
of calm,’ a true sanctuary From them she learns, grows weekend course teaches the
within rolling hills, farms and and thrives. It’s this vibrant basic throwing techniques,
forests. The vast house sits in creative spirit that author as well as packing and firing
six acres of land and sleeps Sophie Rees explores in her the kiln, and glazing. Every
up to 22 people. As well as book, Artisan Bristol. Through potter comes away with their
eight bedrooms, it has a interviews and studio visits own Japanese raku pot.
grand salon, dining room, with artists throughout the vinegarhillpottery.co.uk
library, snug and games city, the reader learns about
room, while outside there is a their methods and personal OC EA N WO RK E R
covered dining area, pool and relationship to the area and
6 JAC KET
orchard. With local producers how it inspires their work. A Traditionally worn
and farms close by there’s great insight to the artists’ by transport, factory
an abundance of food and sense of place. workers and fishermen,
drink; from cheeses, pâtés thehistorypress.co.uk the worker jacket is ideal 105
and organic vegetables, to for layering and is both
wines, apples and beer made NEW CYCLE stylish and hardwearing,
with local chestnuts. An idyllic
4 ROUT E perfect for travelling.
place for a group getaway. The Great North Trail, With environmental issues
lajugie.co.uk launched by Cycling UK, a focus in many of our
is a 800-mile cycle route lives, this jacket makes a
PACK YOU R BAG S linking the Peak District to statement for those who
2 AN D EX P LO RE Scotland’s most northerly dwell in our oceans. It has
The Indie Travel podcast was mainland points. With 98 per been hand-painted by artist
started by Craig and Linda, cent of the route off-road, Sarina Sadiq with beautiful
a couple from New Zealand, the trail provides serene creatures, all of which have
nine years ago. Both fiercely access to the countryside been impacted by pollution.
passionate about exploring and avoids traffic and Sharks, dolphins and turtles
the world, after clearing their pollution, providing a are just a few. On the
debts and some hard saving, picturesque passage. It’s the inside of the jacket there’s
they decided they wanted to ideal way to travel the land a list of research that has
become full-time travellers. and appreciate the natural inspired the jacket and on
Like a friendly accomplice surroundings. In Scotland the sleeve, examples of the
cheering you on, their the trail takes in areas such chemical structures of the
podcast is full of inspiration as Loch Lomond, Loch Ness compounds causing such
and advice on independent and Cape Wrath, while in devastating destruction.
travel and living to a budget. England it includes the Peak Sarina is passionate about
Examples include; how to District, Kielder Forest and slow fashion and nature and
get around Spain, what Yorkshire Dales. hopes to inspire discussion
to pack on a road trip and cyclinguk.org with her collections.
tips on travelling with kids. smartsquid.online
Featuring stories from a MA KE A JAPA NESE
range of fellow travellers,
5 RAKU P OT M E ET THE
it provides the motivation Vinegar Hill Pottery is a small
7 M O OMI NS
to push the boundaries of family-owned pottery and “I only want to live in
travel, work and life. bed and breakfast in the peace, plant potatoes
indietravelpodcast.com coastal village of Milford- and dream!” Wise words
on-Sea, in Hampshire, UK. from The Moomins, sweet
READ ABOUT Run by Lucy and David, fictional literary characters.
3 ARTI SA N B RISTO L accommodation includes The Moomins are part of
Photograph: Jari Kuusenaho

From textile designer Milly the family friendly Garden Finland’s culture. Written
Melbourne’s industrial unit Room, light-filled Hayloft, or by Tove Jansson, the first
studio in Bristol, England, Rosie; a restored 19th-century Moomins book – Moomins
once an old trailer yard, she showman’s wagon. David is and the Great Flood – was
designs and creates pieces a master potter and runs his published in Swedish in
for her label oB. Her studio at workshop from the premises, 1945. The Moomin Museum
 8

in Tampere, Finland, holds the Three Ducks restaurant.

more than 2000 works Their motto is Grow, Feed,
donated by Jansson. There Educate and this inspires all
are also exhibitions, as well that they do as they strive
as displays, illustrations and to support the environment
interactive pieces, such as the and each other. Visitors
Magician’s Hat, which you can are encouraged to explore
climb inside. The middle of the land, food and flowers,
the exhibition holds the jewel to meet the farmers and
of the Moomin Museum’s animals, as well as get
crown, a breathtaking involved with the activities.
and magical five-storey These can include workshops
Moominhouse, built by Tove on skincare, fermenting and
Jansson, Tuulikki Pietilä and botanical dyeing. The hope is
Pentti Eistola. that you will leave inspired to
muumimuseo.fi/en live a harmonious existence
with the land and animals.
LA KE DI STRI CT thefarm.com.au
106 8 ESCAP E
Set in the Lake District MAGI C GRE EN
with its mountains, forests
10 BALM
and lakes, Lindeth Fell is Whether you find yourself
an award-winning bed and with insect bites, blisters,
breakfast in Bowness-on- dry and itchy skin, or
Windermere. It has views of chapped lips, Magic Organic
9 10 Lake Windemere, England’s Apothecary’s Green Balm
largest lake and is an ideal is your essential healer.
9 location for exploring the Combining yarrow, which
area. Rooms are comfortable has been used for centuries
and smart. The gardens to soothe and repair, with
– by celebrated turn-of- natural antiseptic tea tree
the-19th-century British oil and a base containing
garden designer, Thomas coconut and almond oil,
Mawson – are spectacular. this balm is gentle but
Guests are treated to tea powerful. You can also use it
and scones on arrival and to remove make-up, as a hot
have complimentary use of cloth cleansing balm and to
the pool, sauna and steam moisturise dry hands, nails
rooms at Beech Hill Hotel. and cuticles. Pop a pot in
While staying, visit Blackwell your travel kit and you’ll be
Arts and Crafts House, walk prepared for anything!
around Mr McGregor’s moa.co.uk
garden at the World of
9 Beatrix Potter and join one THE B E E TLE
11 BOOK BIKE
of the Mountain Goat Tours
of the Lakes. Steeped in Luo Yujie of LUO Studio in
history, the local pub dates China was compelled to find
back to 1612, with Charles a solution for the country’s
Dickens once a patron. enormous surplus of bike-
lindethfell.co.uk share bicycles that are often
dumped in unsightly piles
BYRO N’S FARM around cities. His ‘Shared
9 CO MMUNI T Y Lady Beetle’ takes the bike
Just outside of Byron Bay frame to create a movable
in Australia, The Farm is a library for kids, acting as a
community of growers and “beneficial insect walking
producers, as well as home on the urban leaf”. His little
to a produce store, bakery, library lovers adore it.
ice-creamery, florist and luostudio.cn
 107

11
Shared Lady Beetle
brings stories to
children via
pedal power.
108
 Designer and brush-lettering
artist Becki Clark shares her 109
top journaling tips and tricks.

As much as I love Instagram, when it comes to making

memories, I want more than just an image with a quick
caption and a few emojis. I’ve started to scrapbook my
holidays and special days, taking the time to print out
photographs, being mindful to collect any tickets and
bring back memories to jot down in my scrapbook,
when I return home from my trips.
Scrapbooking is a really relaxing way to spend an
afternoon once you’re home. There are no rules to what
can and can’t go in your book; anything that sparks joy
or happiness! And, even if you don’t have physical tickets,
you can still jot down favourite cafés, walks or moments,
so they can be treasured forever.

Here’s a few ideas of things to look out for on your

travels: flowers, leaves or plants to press, receipts,
leaflets, travel tickets, entry tickets, shells.
 CREATI N G TRAVE L ME MO RIES

B e c k i C l a r k s h a re s h o w t o b e s t c a p t u re yo u r d a y s a w a y,
using printed photographs and beautiful pressed flowers.

1 2

110

3 4

1. Gather your photos, tickets and any art supplies you 3. Add colour to your pages but take a moment to think
have – paints, pens, markers, washi tape all work well! about how the trip felt. My trip was warm, cosy and full of
Now create frames for each of your images using a exploring and I wanted to create a warm look, so I used
fineliner pen. If you don’t feel confident drawing then use oranges, browns and terracotta tones to evoke that.
one of the illustrative frames included over the page. 4. If you gathered any leaves or flowers, you can press
2. I like to add details to the photos, for instance the them between books to pop in your scrapbook. Just lay
image of the shells was taken when we found a secret between two sheets of blotting paper and the florals
cove. Shells are also great for creating patterns – dip and foliage will flatten to create everlasting memories of
them in paint, or take rubbings for beautiful textures. colour and moments!
 5 6

111

7 8

5. My scrapbook is also a memory book, which includes feelings. You can also create abstract marks and shapes.
recipes. Adding things like this will help reignite your Looking at my images I saw warm tones, fire, sea and
senses when you look back on the trip. movement. Take a paintbrush and paint how the images
6. If you didn’t manage to get tickets or you’ve lost them, make you feel – try not to think about it too much, just
then draw simple ticket shapes and fill them in, so that paint.
you still have a memory of the journey. 8. Once the paint is dry, cut the paper into strips
7. Look at your images and see which colours jump out at and shapes and glue back onto the page to create
you – use paint, pencil or crayon to recreate the tones or mesmerising abstract collages.
112

Cut out
and use Becki’s
illustrations over the next
four pages to help create
your own travel journal.
 TH CK
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E IN
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 SIAN
MEADES
Yo u r g o - t o t r a v e l a g e n t

118
EXPLORE MORE
Desperate to make time to work on her novel, Sian
books onto a writing retreat in Scotland…

I’m nervous before I even set off for the train station. I’ve your writing significance. If I can’t write a bestselling novel
been looking forward to my writing retreat at Moniack in the most idyllic location with little distraction and endless
Mhor – the Scottish Writing Centre – for weeks. Armed cheese, perhaps I can’t do it anywhere.
with a fresh notebook, a pencil case bursting with new pens Things took a turn over dinner that evening. I headed
and a list of goals I want to achieve, I am prepared. But I from my teary tutorial to the farmhouse kitchen to mash
am inexplicably terrified of the week to come. The deeper potatoes (its own sort of therapy). Discussion with other
we get into the jaw-dropping countryside of the Scottish writers is a tonic after being in your own head for hours.
Highlands, with its twists and turns, more greens than I Everyone has a different story, everyone is at a different
could imagine, the more my anxiety levels increase. stage of their lives (the youngest on the retreat was in her
A five-day writing retreat sounds like a dream. Making twenties, the oldest her sixties), and in their writing careers.
space to focus on creative projects is what we strive for. “If They become your support network and your friends.
only I had the time!” we exclaim, before hitting play on our The next day I follow the advice of my teary-shouldered
latest Netflix binge. Moniack Mhor’s writing retreats are tutor and start playing around. I write in snippets, not
designed to give you time for the thing you love doing. Last chapters. In first person to get inside the minds of my
year they ran the UK’s first writing retreat with childcare characters. In the present tense, just to try it on for size.
facilities. They offer courses on a variety of genres. Tea flows freely, I eat five pieces of lemon cake. Slowly I
However, a retreat forces you to answer a lot of questions. realise that I’m learning more about my main character. I
What if I’m not good enough? What if everyone else is a find unexpected avenues of the story that I want to explore:
proper writer? What if I’m wasting my time? My anxiety immigration, feminism, motherhood. All posing exciting
has me paralysed and by lunch the next day I’m finding possibilities for the historical novel that’s been in my head
it overwhelming (although I am momentarily distracted for years. A new character introduces himself. Instead of
by the daily cheese plate). I’m so aware of time ticking by; pushing for a word count I’m really crafting something.
minutes sinking into hours. The more I let myself just do it for fun, the more my fingers
The retreats are tutored at Moniack Mhor. If you need are racing to keep up with the story forming in my mind.
a confidence boost, or you’re not ready to go it alone, you On our final evening, after a Burns supper (complete
discover that this support is invaluable. Something snapped with bagpipes and whisky), we sit by the fire and read
in me during my first tutorial and I found myself crying on extracts of the work we’ve been creating. There’s a shared
a prize-winning author. She was incredibly gracious about feeling of accomplishment. If I was to count up all of my
it. Apparently I’m not the first. I suspect I won’t be the last. words, I’d have little on paper to show for my time. But it is
It was painfully obvious that I was putting too much probably the most valuable writing I have ever done.
pressure on myself to succeed. Not to write but to publish a
novel. To achieve the thing I’ve dreamt of since I was seven. Sian travelled to Moniack Mhor by train with LNER.
When you book a writing retreat you’re choosing to give www.moniackmhor.org.uk
 W R IT IN G H AV EN S

ARVON, ALL OVER THE UK

Arvon have got their writing
retreats down to a fine art. You get
to stay in beautiful houses (many of
which have literary history) and you
can choose the retreat that suits you,
from crime fiction to editing your first
novel. Tutors and industry speakers
vary accordingly, and bursaries are
offered for teachers and those on
low incomes. www.arvon.org

UNDER THE VOLCANO,

MEXICO
Every January for the last 17 years,
a writing masterclass sets up base at
the foothills of a volcano in Tepoztlán. 119
Under the Volcano is a 10-day

Photographs (clockwise from top left): Westend61/Getty; Katia de Juan/Unsplash; Flavia Morlachetti/Getty; Green Chamleon/Unsplash; R.A.Kearton/Getty; Thomas Martinsen/Unsplash; (centre): Sian’s own
writing residency for screenwriters,
journalists, poets, novelists, essayists,
memoirists and short story writers.
www.underthevolcano.org

CASA ANA, SPAIN

Casa Ana offers mentoring,
support, and time to write in a
beautiful 400-year-old house in an
Andalucian village. Retreats run at
least four times a year, so take your
pick of the dates. Prices for a week
start at €650 and include meals.
www.casa-ana.com

IRELAND WRITING RETREAT,

IRELAND
This retreat option is very much
led by its beautiful surroundings.
Inspiration will undoubtedly flow
from boat rides, guided walks, Irish
dancing, live music, and the rugged
coast of the Atlantic.
www.irelandwritingretreat.com

URBAN WRITERS’ RETREAT,

LONDON AND NEWCASTLE
Getting away for the week isn’t
always possible, so why not opt for
an urban retreat? Book yourself on a
one-day Urban Writers’ Retreat and
use the time to really get your head
down and focus. Day retreats start
at just £35, and lunch and snacks to
keep you going are included.
www.urbanwritersretreat.co.uk
120

Pragya Agarwal praises the power

of pen, pencil and paper

I love sketching in situ. When I studied architecture we were In today’s world as we traverse a new place with the use of
encouraged to go out and create our own sketching journals. mapping software on our phones, reading emails and scrolling
And, I fell in love with the immediacy and spontaneity of through social media mindlessly, we don’t really see the place.
sketching live. Yes, we look at the places around us, but we often don’t see it
I often create my travel journals where words and lines mindfully. Research has shown that we do not notice details
intermingle, sometimes using text to accentuate a sketch, of places when we are engaged with technology, and we do
and at other times, a little sketch to support the text. I see it not form long-term memories. We don’t absorb it slowly and
as a snapshot in time, a memory, an observation, capturing deliberately, as we take photos on our smartphones promising
something that grabbed my attention. My drawings tell my ourselves to look at the images later when we get back to the
own personal story of a place, too. I also take photographs. hotel, or return home from holiday. But there they remain on
Some artists paint and sketch using their photographs as props, our devices, and in our folders, while our actual memories of
but the first principle of urban sketching is that it has to be done places stay fragmented and forgotten.
live, on site, not later using a photograph. Simply speaking, it’s When I take the time to sit down in a corner of a busy square,
like being a reporter but with sketches and drawings rather than with my sketchbook or travel journal in hand, I suddenly slow
just with words. I see it as storytelling, a story of the places I live down. My breathing is calmer, and I find myself looking, with
in and the places I travel to, and a record of my interaction with fresh eyes, more closely at details as I try to capture it in my
my environment. sketch. Sometimes I zoom in on a specific detail, such as an
The Chinese-American philosopher and geographer Yi- iron lampshade or balcony trellis, or even a stone window.
Fu Tuan said that we form a sense of place and a notion of And, at other times, I try to take the landscape in front of me
belonging through our interaction with our environment. as a whole and focus on the bigger picture rather than the tiny
 121

"Set wide the window. Let me drink

the day." – Edith Wharton.
St John’s College, Cambridge
 “The light was
like honey…”
Tuscany, Italy

details. Sometimes these sketches can only take a few minutes

where I try to capture the form with broad strokes on the
back of an old envelope, using just a ballpoint pen or any old
pencil. At other times, I have the luxury of sitting down and
using watercolour pencils or paints in my travel sketchbook.
122 But the moment I look at them even after several years, they
immediately jog my memory and evoke all the senses of
how I felt that day. They tell a story that a quickly clicked
photograph on my phone often cannot.

“The air is fragrant

with the memories
of my childhood.”
Humayun’s Tomb,
New Delhi, India

The beauty of urban sketching is that you don’t need to

be an accomplished artist, and you don’t need any special
equipment. Just start with anything you have at home or buy
a basic sketchbook from an art shop. You can just start with
pencil or use black fineliners. As you slowly develop confidence,
you can progress on to coloured markers, watercolour pencils or
even small portable paintboxes with brushes that can be filled
with water and transported. It’s always possible to find a spot
to sit on, some stairs, or a railing. Some people even carry a
folding stool if they intend to spend many hours sitting in one
place to sketch.
Although people have been documenting their places and
travels in drawings for many decades (I certainly have, since
I was a young girl back in India!), this has suddenly exploded in
 “Look up, find a nook and cranny
that grabs your attention (and
that no-one else is looking at),
and use your sketches as a way to
capture your personal journeys
and unique observations.”

123

the last ten years with many

global communities and urban
sketching groups being formed around
the world. In the UK, there are meet-ups in
most cities, and you can find them on Facebook
and join them for weekly or monthly urban sketching
outings. These informal meetups are great way to pick up tips
and are especially helpful if you feel shy about going out and
sketching on your own. Most of these groups comprise people
of all abilities and are excellent for beginners.
When I have worked with people who want to include urban
sketching in their travels, I always encourage them to find new
perspectives in familiar places. So, look up, find a nook and
cranny that grabs your attention (and that no-one else is looking
at), and use your sketches as a way to capture your personal
journeys and unique observations.
I often draw little things such as a cork from a wine bottle,
or even a meal that I have loved, or trees and leaves, then
I annotate them with text to remind me why this moment was
so special. I rarely draw people, as I’m not that comfortable
doing so, and they move! I just leave them out and focus on the
architecture or street stalls, or the landscape. If you wish, you
can always add the figures in later.
I see my sketches as a record of my journeys and only for ‘Souvent me
my personal use, although, in the past, people have bought souvient'
them after seeing them on social media. I love saving them
as a treasured account of my travels and my sense of place. St John’s College,
I hope, one day, they can be a record of my life as an adventure, Cambridge
reminding me and my family of the places we visited, and the
memories we made together.
 1 2 3
124

I N S P I R E D
B Y S K E T C H I N G
1. Artists’ favourite, Uni-PIN fine line pens
looking sharp, uniball.co.uk. 2. Why use
standard pencils when you can use rose pink
pencils? katieleamon.com. 3. A different way to
draw your curtains! englishblinds.co.uk.
4. The ‘Sketch’ rug is a tonal delight that’ll
match any room, loaf.com. 5. Share in a
love of fashion illustration with cards from
notonthehighstreet.com/thecompletist.
6. Keep your pens in order and work on your
perspective with blockdesign.co.uk.
7. Sketching in wool, littleknittedstars.co.uk.
8. Why contain your work in a sketchbook?
Blackboard your walls with adhesive film and
4 super-size your art, purlfrost.com. 5

6 7 8
 125

They say the hands are

the hardest things
to draw. Not so for
artist, Phie Hackett.
artwow.co
 126
Photograph: RossHelen/Getty Images
 L I S T E N T O
T H E I S S U E
Po p i n t o P r o j e c t C a l m H Q a n d y o u ’ l l h e a r u s h u m m i n g a l o n g t o s o n g s
i n s p i re d by o u r t h e m e s . H e re ’s o u r l a t e s t S p o t i f y p l a y l i s t t o s i n g a l o n g t o

Our playlist this issue starts with a story about a library – “whispering through the dusty aisles,” all magic and
possibility. We continue by celebrating awe in Prototyperaptor’s dance anthem, via dedications to kindness from
HAERTS and Natalie Merchant, and the burning fires of feeling in the form of love songs from Maggie Rogers and
School of Seven Bells. Grace Acladna’s recent London takes fire as a great leveller; while Sufjan Steven’s Prairie
Fire That Wanders About is an epic celebration of the city of Peoria, Illinois. In amongst the foot-tappers we praise
fortune tellers, stories and the importance of play, rounding off with Embers, Tracey Chattaway’s glowing lullaby.
127
1. Library Magic – The Head and the Heart 2. Awe – Prototyperaptor
3. New Compassion – HAERTS 4. Kind & Generous – Natalie Merchant 5. Burning – Maggie Rogers
6. Ablaze – School of Seven Bells 7. Fortune Teller – Benny Spellman
8. Here’s Where the Story Ends – The Sundays 9. London – Grace Acladna
10. Stories – Bill Withers 11. Prairie Fire That Wanders About – Sufjan Stevens
12. Come Out and Play – Billie Eilish 13. Embers – Tracey Chattaway

T H E S TO RI E S B EH I N D T H E M U S I C …
Photograph: Anthony Pidgeon/Getty Images

Photograph: Jemal Countess/Getty Images

Photograph: Randy Holmes /Getty Images

L IB RARY MAG IC AB LA ZE KIND & GENEROUS

The Head and the Heart School of Seven Bells Natalie Merchant

This Seattle-based outfit has been Written in tribute to ex-member With a straightforward message
going strong since 2009 producing Benjamin Curtis, who passed away in of gratitude, Natalie Merchant’s
catchy and creative Americana, with 2013, Ablaze is taken from the band’s tender and affecting song of 1998
irresistible pop and folk sensibilities. fourth and final album, SVIIB, which was taken from her highly acclaimed
2016’s Library Magic is taken from the singer Alejandra Deheza had started second solo album Ophelia.
band’s third album Signs of Light, and to write with Curtis. This powerful pop Merchant produced the LP herself,
features beautiful harmonies that weave song celebrates the purity and strength recording it at her home studio in
around a gorgeous and gentle melody. of their friendship. New York.

Want to catch up with all our playlists? You can find us on Spotify. Follow the link here: http://bit.ly/PCplaylist16
 T HE H AP PY RE AD ER
Susannah Conway takes time out to
rediscover the pure joy of reading fiction

128 I bloody love books. I’m the kind of person who keeps a This year I’ve made a conscious effort to get back into
stack of books teetering on the bedside table and arranges reading fiction. There’s been some I didn’t finish, several short
bookshelves by colour. I’ve got copies of my favourites on my story anthologies I’ve devoured and many more non-fiction
Kindle so they’re always on my phone and, while I grew up titles I’ve purchased for work. My Kindle is littered with book
on a steady diet of Enid Blyton and remember parts of The samples and my Audible account’s been getting a workout too.
Magic Faraway Tree like they’re childhood memories, it was The truth is, if you want to read more fiction you actively
Stephen King that got me through my teens. I dutifully read have to make time for it. You have to steal time away from
the classics for school, but at home I wanted thrilling, spine- other activities and purposefully use those gaps in your
tingling stories to devour. Books were my escape and when day. Train rides, bus journeys and lunch hours are made for
other kids were out riding their bikes, I was getting lost in rehabilitating bookworms. Choosing to watch one less episode
another world. on Netflix and read a chapter instead is a game-changer.
As I’ve become older the book love hasn’t diminished, If reading in silence feels strange, play music quietly in the
but the type of books has noticeably shifted. I don’t background or leaving the television on but turned down low
remember reading much fiction in my twenties because can help. Also, reading in the bath is heavenly!
college and career-building took up most of my time, but Figuring out what sort of fiction I enjoy has helped
into my thirties things changed. I was 32 when my partner enormously. I started with a book everyone was talking about
died and one of the most important things I did in the – Normal People by Sally Rooney – then stumbled upon a
first month was type ‘grief’ into the Amazon search bar. brilliant book of short stories in the bookshop (Her Body and
I bought a huge stack of books that day. Most of the authors Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado). After that I started
wrote in a clinical way that felt far away from what I was playing book detective, tracking down similar titles and
feeling, but there were others with stories that helped me feel reading interviews with authors to discover their inspirations.
less alone. As the months passed I found solace in fiction Subscribing to booksellers’ newsletters has alerted me to a
that took me out of myself, reading Jane Eyre and Rebecca for few great books, and I’m obsessed with recommendations on
the first time and crying my eyes out at the end of The Time GoodReads.com.
Traveler’s Wife. The best fiction allows me to lose myself in it. I’d eagerly hit
As I began to heal in earnest my creativity started to the sofa after dinner so I could read a bit more, staying up late
blossom again, spurred on by guidance from The Artist’s Way to finish a book in bed, something I haven’t done since I was a
and the soul-nourishing poetry of Sharon Olds, Jane Kenyon kid. I wholeheartedly believe reading should be a pleasure and
and Mary Oliver. Within a few years I was building my own if you’re not enjoying a book you should simply stop reading
business and my bookshelves now bulged with non-fiction it. Skip to the last chapter if you must know what happens but
titles. Spare time was dedicated to reading for work and soon don’t stick it out otherwise. Life is too short to finish books
life became a fiction-less desert. I thought I didn’t miss it – that bore you, so donate your half-finished books to charity,
social media and Netflix do a very good job of plugging the and while you’re there, pick up a few new ones to explore.
gaps – but something was definitely missing. Keep the book energy moving!

FURTHER READING
From left: Her Body and
Other Parties by Carmen
Maria Machado, Rebecca
by Daphne du Maurier,
The Time Traveler’s Wife by
Audrey Niffenegger, Normal
People by Sally Rooney
 G ET BAC K
I NTO RE AD IN G
Start with short stories. Finishing a couple of
stories in an evening is satisfying and will spur
you on to longer texts.

Audiobooks are perfect for car rides and dog

walks. Set up an Audible account and just
start listening. Also try reading ebooks on
your Kindle or smartphone. 129

Treat yourself to regular reading time

in a café or library.

Read whatever makes you excited, rather

than what you think you should be reading…

M O RE R EADI NG
SHORT STORIES
Salt Slow by Julia Armfield
The Loss of All Lost Things by Amina Gautier
Things We Say in The Dark by Kirsty Logan
What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours by Helen Oyeyemi

NOVELS
The Power by Naomi Alderman
Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams
City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert
Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney

Photographs all from Susannah Conway

 T H E T E A M CO N T RI BU TO RS
EDITORIAL

J U L E S TAY LO R
Editor-in-chief

L A R A WATS O N
Editor

CHARLOTTE MARTYN
Managing Editor

VICKY GUERRERO
Production Editor

SARAH ORME
Digital Editor RUBY DEEVOY ELIZABETH SULIS KIM
CREATIVE Ruby Deevoy is a natural health and Elizabeth is a writer based in London and
JULIAN DACE wellbeing writer. She lives in the beautiful founding editor of Cunning Folk magazine.
Senior Art Editor
Scottish countryside with her son and She writes about how to be kinder to
ROBIN COOMBER husband. She finds her dose of awe in the ourselves and others (page 14) and how
Art Editor
starry night sky. Read more on page 58. stories can give our life meaning (page 89).
LEELA ROY @RDeevoy elizabethsuliskim.com
Deputy Art Editor

M AT I L DA S M I T H
Deputy Art Editor

PHIL SOWELS
Photography
Kasia Fiszer Photography

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Group Advertising Manager Penny Stokes Medina is the author of Home Sweet Katie is a British journalist currently living
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Direct Marketing Assistant Adam Spooner writes about playful interiors (page 93). inspiring us to warm our hearts and hands.
Newstrade Marketing Manager Juliette Winyard
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Head of Newstrade Marketing Martin Hoskins
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PRODUCTION
Production Director Sarah Powell
Production Manager Louisa Molter / Rose Griffiths

LICENSING
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[email protected]
International Partners Manager Anna Brown

PUBLISHING
Publishing Director Catherine Potter
S H E R I B AT E R E N CECILIA FORFITT
FIND A COPY
Sheri Bateren is a cognitive behavioural Ever-curious about the natural world,
Call +44 (0)844 844 0388, visit
www.buysubscriptions.com/craftspecial psychotherapist. She is also the founder Cecilia is studying herbal medicine and
or email [email protected] of Mind Canvas, an organisation that runs loves getting lost in the countryside. She’s
mental wellbeing workshops. Sheri writes equally at home in a comfy chair, writing
I M M E D I AT E M E D I A C O M PA N Y on creativity and compassion on page 22. about beautiful homewares and objects
Chief Executive Officer Tom Bureau mindcanvas.co.uk that tell a story – see page 68.
Managing Director, Bristol Andy Marshall

Immediate Media Company Bristol Limited (company number 05715415) is registered in WITH THANKS TO…
England and Wales. The registered office of Immediate Media Company Bristol Limited is
at Vineyard House, 44 Brook Green, London W6 7BT. All information contained in this
magazine is for information only and is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going
Words Pragya Agarwal, Becki Clark, Susannah Conway, Victoria Emanuela, Tiffany Francis,
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 Until next time...
Thanks for reading! We hope you’ve found lots
of inspiration to spark your creativity.
See you next issue.
N AT U R E BOOKS I L L U S T R AT I O N INTERIORS DESIGN

CREATIVE EXTRAS INSIDE

Exclusive zine Messages in Scrapbooking

on the art of matchboxes to elements for
self-keeping give to friends your journals

Kindness- Fortune tellers Show your

themed prints to make for appreciation
to display creative ideas with mini cards
Just like the earth, you are a giant
composite of interconnected
ecosystems working symbiotically
to sustain yourself. Finding
adaptable ways to nourish all of
your ecosystems creates a stronger My childhood caused me to live
network of resilience throughout outside of my body for most of my
your life. You do this through life because having less contact
our philosophy of selfkeeping, with myself kept me safe from
a practice that cultivates radical harm. Selfkeeping has taught me to
resilience and brings you back to challenge the fear of my body being
the core of your being. It centers taken away from me. It’s become a
embodied wisdom, showing up for safe container for me to inhabit my
yourself every day, and taking action body through simple consistent acts
to make your body a home. There of nurturance. Sacred actions that
are many facets of selfkeeping, balance my ecosystems and create
some tied directly to your survival, space to check in with my needs
and others to your evolution as a and invest in pleasure instead of
human being. These facets consist fear. They include daily hikes with
of your physical, social, emotional, my dogs, honoring my boundaries,
mental, and spiritual ecosystems not compartmentalizing my feelings,
which you must nurture diligently. writing or creating collage art
regularly, and doing an inventory that we are not alone. Nurturing
of what I consume each day: social myself is my primary job as a
media, articles, conversations, human, but I can also invest in
beliefs about myself. resources outside of myself, and
In all the ways I learned to that brings me ease while still
abandon myself to stay small, holding me responsible for my
selfkeeping has taught my body wellbeing and impact on those
that survival isn’t its only frame of around me.
reference. That I can reclaim trust My personal selfkeeping practice
in myself, surrender to the power looks like weekly therapy, daily
I have over my life, and show up drawing and writing, taking my
for the hard stuff without vitamins and anxiety medicine,
dismissing my birthright and regular check-ins with
to joy. Selfkeeping is not friends or partners about
frivolous, it’s a non- boundaries, needs, and
negotiable agreement desires. It’s about non-
you make with yourself, assumption, a constant
one that turns your re-evaluation of the way
body into your home I’m spending my time and
by radically honoring your energy and subverting capitalistic
needs. Through this philosophy, I’ve ways of being; I watch the clouds
learned that I am the lighthouse of as research and I am productive
my life; I can either choose to guide by prioritizing sleep. When
myself home or abandon ship, and overwhelmed or stuck in a feeling,
I choose to follow my light. I ask my body what she needs. I
trust the intuition of my stomach,
the goosebumps on my arms, and
that spidey sense in my bones. I
admit my humanity often and let my
people know when I’m struggling.
This is a deep, primal, and rooted
Hold yourself, ask for help. This YC[QHDGKPI+VoUPQVUWRGTƃWQWU
is my mantra today and always, it’s not a reward earned through
and is at the heart of my belief in hard labor, but an unequivocal
selfkeeping. It’s about personal responsibility. This is my work, to
accountability and the reassurance hold and be held.
 Victoria Emanuela is the co-
founder of On Being in Your
Body and a creative copywriter,
mind-body healing
Caitlin Metz is the co-founder
educator, and meditation
of On Being in Your Body and
teacher. Their superpowers
an illustrator, designer,
are being trauma-informed,
professor, and haver of feels.
using their passion for writing
Her superpowers are dreaming,
to make others feel seen in the
conceptualizing, and making
humxn experience, and exploring
things happen. She likes to
inclusive forms of embodiment
think of herself as an idea
in their work. Victoria is a
doula, here to support and
wholehearted, non-binary, and
nurture people’s dreams.
feisty humxn who pets every dog
Caitlin is a tender queer
they see. For more from them,
that wants to transform things
follow their poetic collages on
through radical empathy; she can
@victoria.emanuela
be found oversharing her
emotions on Instagram at
@caitie_metz
“Your talent is God’s
gift to you. What you
do with it is your
gift back to God.”
Leo Buscaglia
 “With realisation of
one’s own potential
=J@OAHB?KJ@AJ?AEJ
one’s ability, one can
build a better world.”
Dalai Lama
 “Life shrinks or
expands in proportion
to one’s courage.”
Anais Nin