Blur - The Social Issue

T H E S O C I A L I S S U E

TheSocialIsSUE

FOR STORIESTO ENRICH»»

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ReadOnwards

Meet the Team

Hey! I’m Bonnie. I love photography, travelling and sunrises, especially when there’s vodka in it. I hate ants, people who are mean and having to look after someone who is drunk. So yeah, the alcohol article, I wrote that. I’m a University Student and I live on campus. Yes, that automatically means I drink and party every chance I get. No. In my article, I portray the facts and issues which come from binge drinking along side comical statements. Enjoy the magazine, take your time, relax and have a glass of wine, or 6. After all this is Blur Magazine xoxo

Hello Space Cadets,

I’m Ginny, I wrote the article ‘Seekers of The Permanent’. I am a strong feminist, an advocate for equality across all spectrums and a massive nerd about Harry Potter and Dr Who. My biggest fear is of ghosts and skeletons that come to life.

Howdy! My name is Grace, I’m a lover of everything seventies, eggs Benedict, wattle and doilies. My love of doilies has been a reoccurring motif throughout my life and they are some-thing that I will always hold close to my heart. Although i did feel tempted to write an article just on my love of eggs benedict i felt that doilies their history, re-birth and lingering nature was a wiser choice. I guess you will have to read it to know if i did indeed make the better choice *but don’t feel any pressure, read it when you get a chance* But anyways that is basically everything you need to know about me and I really hope that whoever & wherever you are, you enjoy our lil magazine.

Bonnie

Ginny

Grace

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Meet the Team

Hey! I’m Bonnie. I love photography, travelling and sunrises, especially when there’s vodka in it. I hate ants, people who are mean and having to look after someone who is drunk. So yeah, the alcohol article, I wrote that. I’m a University Student and I live on campus. Yes, that automatically means I drink and party every chance I get. No. In my article, I portray the facts and issues which come from binge drinking along side comical statements. Enjoy the magazine, take your time, relax and have a glass of wine, or 6. After all this is Blur Magazine xoxo

Hello Space Cadets,

I’m Ginny, I wrote the article ‘Seekers of The Permanent’. I am a strong feminist, an advocate for equality across all spectrums and a massive nerd about Harry Potter and Dr Who. My biggest fear is of ghosts and skeletons that come to life.

Howdy! My name is Grace, I’m a lover of everything seventies, eggs Benedict, wattle and doilies. My love of doilies has been a reoccurring motif throughout my life and they are some-thing that I will always hold close to my heart. Although i did feel tempted to write an article just on my love of eggs benedict i felt that doilies their history, re-birth and lingering nature was a wiser choice. I guess you will have to read it to know if i did indeed make the better choice *but don’t feel any pressure, read it when you get a chance* But anyways that is basically everything you need to know about me and I really hope that whoever & wherever you are, you enjoy our lil magazine.

Bonnie

Ginny

Grace

Hi! I’m Kathryn. Arrived in Australia from the States in February and have happily found my second home here in Newcastle. I am so grateful that I have had the opportunity to travel the world the past two years and have met some incredible people along the way who helped spark my thought process for my writing. My article “The Selfie Generation” is about empow-ering the Millennial Generation and erasing the negative stigma that surrounds us about being a narcissistic, helpless generation. I love happiness, college football, and will never turn down a Bloody Mary. I hope you enjoy the amazing work my team has put together and help out by spreading some good wherever you go.

Hey there, I’m Bec.

Within my article, ‘In a Man’s World’, you will find two things I’m passionate about; art and equality. Whether you share this passion or not, I hope you find some enjoyment while flicking through pages of my flow-er-crown wearing idol, Frida Kahlo, and perhaps even find a new perspective.

Hey there! Hope you enjoy reading BLUR:The Social Issue. This issue is jam packed with amazing articles written by amazing people. In this issue there is a little bit of some-thing for everyone. Which is due to the fact that as individuals we have written articles about things that interest is or that we are passionate about.

Therefore I’m highly passionate about the crucial need for support for cancer survivors during their treatment but after their treatment. The physical and psychological scars that they are left with that just don’t disappear over night, their there. That’s why I have decided to tell you about a great little Aussie organisation called Scar Sto-ries that are helping in the most creative and powerful ways they can. Hope you enjoy my article.

Lauren

Kathryn

Bec

ingredients:

celery salt1 lemon wedge1 lime wedge2 oz premium vodka4 oz tomato juice2 dashes tabasco sauce2 tsp prepared horseradish2 dashes worcestershire sauce1 pinch celery salt1 pinch ground black pepper1 pinch smoked paprika

8 1828

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ingredients:


8 1828

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SUGAR SKULLFever

DAY OF THE DEAD Dia de los Muertos

november 1st-2nd // find your nearest event at dayofthedead.com

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BLACK PANTHERTATTOO AND VINTAGE

221B Baskervil le Lane, Norah Head- Inked by Appointment, Styled by Walk-in -

The Drinking Clulture of University Students

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Universities do have a culture of drinking and it is detrimental. Increased supply of alcohol in the area, vendors and late opening hours could be having an impact on shaping this culture and creating a heavier drinking component of campus life.

By Bonnie Miller“

yyLevels of alcohol consump-tion and alcohol related problems in young people continue to cause concern. Research indicates a pattern of ‘binge drinking’ or ‘drinking to get drunk’ and a greater risk of problematic drinking in young adults, particularly those at university. �e youth of Australia has been labelled as the ‘binge drinking’ youth, drinking harder and faster than the countries previous generations; drinking to excess, pressuring others to drink more and consuming the recommended weekly alcohol intake on a Wednesday night. Universities are renowned for their social life and bars. In recent years, the alcohol industry has cottoned on to rising pro�tability in areas where universities are located, and subsequently increased the density of alcohol vendors and bars in areas where a university is situated. All students tend to drink more, socialise more and for most it is an introduction a heavy drinking culture.

a hangover and a one night stand

yyLevels of alcohol consump-tion and alcohol related problems in young people continue to cause concern. Research indicates a pattern of ‘binge drinking’ or ‘drinking to get drunk’ and a greater risk of problematic drinking in young adults, particularly those at university. �e youth of Australia has been labelled as the ‘binge drinking’ youth, drinking harder and faster than the countries previous generations; drinking to excess, pressuring others to drink more and consuming the recommended weekly alcohol intake on a Wednesday night. Universities are renowned for their social life and bars. In recent years, the alcohol industry has cottoned on to rising pro�tability in areas where universities are located, and subsequently increased the density of alcohol vendors and bars in areas where a university is situated. All students tend to drink more, socialise more and for most it is an introduction a heavy drinking culture.

a hangover and a one night stand

Wednesdays nights are best known for the infamous Student Nights, where University students check in to all the pubs and clubs in town before dragging themselves to their 9am lecture the next day. �e binge drinking culture that is prevalent in university is thought to be part of the problem. Young people at university are o�en peer pressured into drinking and tend to feel like they need to consume alcohol in order to make friends and socialize. �ere is also a widespread belief amongst young people that it’s okay to drink excessively while at universi-ty because “it’s only a few years of your life” and once university ends, so do the harmful drinking habits

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“Australia ranks among the top three countries for alcohol abuse, and accord-ing to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, nearly 40% of all citizens over the age of 15 report binge drinking, with one in three teenagers admitting that they consume so much alcohol at least once a month that they lose their memory.Each year in Australia, alcohol accounts for 65,000 hospital admissions and 3,000 or more deaths leaving the current rates of binge drinking to be cause for concern within the medical and healthcare community. In every country, young people favor in alcohol related activities in a reckless and excessive manner in any way they can.European countries and the US states implement binge drinking completely di�erently and with contrasting results. �e Australian Government's National Binge Drinking Strategy (NBDS) aims to address Australia's harmful binge drinking culture, especially among young people. Raising awareness for the short and long term impacts of binge drinking is a major focal point of the strategy. Over time the drinking culture in Australia, particularly among those at University, will develop and become more responsible. According to the Australian Governments Department of Health, in 2008 the Australian Government announced the $103.5 million National Binge Drinking Strategy with an initial commitment of $53.5 million over four years (2008-09 to 2011-12) for the Depart-ment of Health to develop local solutions by strengthening partnerships between local governments, sporting organisations, police and the non-government sector to affect the environments that shape the unhealthy culture of binge drinking among young people. �e Department was responsible for the overall roll out of the �rst two phases of the NBDS funding.

�e Department's responsibility for the majority of the 2008 NBDS concluded in 2012. �is funding comprised a number of projects funded over 2008-09 to 2011-12 including:• Rounds 1 and 2 of the Commu-nity level initiatives to confront the culture of binge drinking, particularly in sporting organisations. • An early intervention program to act earlier to assist young people and ensure that they assume personal responsibility for their binge drinking (which has been continued to June 2013.)An advertising campaign that confront-ed young people with the costs and consequences of binge drinking - the 'Don't Turn a Night Out into a Night-mare' campaign.

don’t turn a night out into a nightmare

�e response form the Australian youth to the ‘Don’t Turn a Night Out into a Nightmare’ campaign varied with many positive responses and many responses from those who may not understand the worse case senario of binge drinking. Many people have made signi�cant changes in their lives when it comes to binge drinking and attending parties. �e veiw of university students was almost the complete opposite with one student saying ‘Wednesday night is our night to get loose and drink away the worries of the week’. �is statement has been causing controversy among parents and the Government as it is not a positive response from someone who is studying to better their future not detering it. So is this the degree we are getting from our university years?

‘Wednesday night is our night to get loose and drink away the worries of the week’

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Is this the degree we are getting from our university years? Australia could be creating a ‘binge drinking’ youth.

“Wednesday nights are best known for the infamous Student Nights, where University students check in to all the pubs and clubs in town before dragging themselves to their 9am lecture the next dayyy

He sent me a mes-sage saying iI readyyyu for hum He wanted me to come and pick him up

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ingredients:


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1.5 ozvodka

5 ozorange

juice1.5 oz

grenadine syrup

1.5 ozvodka

5 ozorange

juice1.5 oz

grenadine syrup

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“A doily (also doiley, doilies, doyly, doyley) is an ornamental mat, typically made of paper or fabric, and variously used for protecting surfaces or binding flowers, in food service presentation, or as a head covering or clothing ornamentation. It is characterised by openwork, which allows the surface of the underlying object to show through.”

I grew up with crochet, though I didn’t know it. My grandma taught me how to sew from an early age but she also had crochet-edged tablecloths and doilies from her mother and great aunts, some of which were very old . The doilies are what I remember the most, which hung on the backs of chairs and were attached with a T-pin to the arms of the sofas and had to be constantly re-pinned back to the arm rests after all the family trouped in and out to visit.

In today’s world, the word doily conjures up images of dark and musty homes filled with stuff and doilies scattered here and there; under lamps and vases and things we can’t fathom what they are. Except of course if you are an antique dealer or collector and then that daydream is quite pleasant.

Doilies have a rich history and played a role in everyday life for over a hundred years. In my opinion they are under appreciated and undervalued but then, that is just my opinion.

Once, no self-respecting cake stand or plate was complete without one. But now the traditional paper doily, for decades a symbol of suburban gentility, is on the verge of extinction. Asda reported that they sold only 400 packs last week, compared with an average of 12,000 a week 15 years ago. The terminal decline in demand is down to changing social trends, says the supermarket.Since the 1950s doilies have been regarded as a sign of high class and good manners. But many now view them as outdated and the preserve of snobs - as epitomised by Hyacinth Bucket in the sitcom Keeping Up Appearances.

In an attempt to drag the product into the 21st century and make it appeal to a younger generation, Asda is considering producing a new range of doilies with pictures of celebrities such as Wayne Rooney and Coleen McLoughlin.

Somehow doilies have sneaked into our society over the centuriesGrace Buxton Soldal explores their history, re-birth and their ability to

constantly be lingering at grandma’s

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Designers are also being asked to try vibrant colours such as purple, gold and silver as part of a proposed ‘Save Our Doilies’ campaign.

Julie Simpson, Asda’s doily buyer, said: “It may look like a simple paper table decoration but the doily was once regarded as a pillar of what it means to be British. However, sales have collapsed and it is in danger of disappearing altogether.

“Using pictures of celebrities may not appeal to all doily lovers but we are willing to consider every option to preserve this great British tradition.”

Doilies are made from white paper cut to resemble a variety of delicate patterns. They were designed as a cheap alternative to crochet linen doilies found in the homes of the aristocracy since the 17th century.

Sales rocketed in the 1950s as a reaction to post-war austerity and the doily quickly became a symbol of upward social mobility. Miss Simpson added: “At one time every cake stand, plate and saucer had to have a paper doily on it to look respectable. “Inviting the vicar to tea, holding a cake sale or even a meeting of the Mothers’ Union would have been unthinkable without a generous and continuous supply of doilies on hand.”

The supermarket is also keen to stress the ‘practical advantages’ of doilies, such as absorbing grease or soaking up tea that has spilled into a saucer.

Paper doilies “were designed as a cheaper but respectable alternative to crocheted linen doilies” and are commonly used to decorate plates, placed under the food for ornamentation. In the UK “sales rocketed in the 1950s as a reaction to post-war austerity and the doily quickly became a symbol of upward social mobility.” However, the UK is currently experiencing a decline, prompting a “Save our Doilies” campaign. Once “a symbol of suburban gentility” they are now perceived as outdated.

Now, doilies were not just frilly decorative items found in middle to upperclass homes; they also had a practical purpose.Contemporary designers continue to make patterns for modern hand craft enthusiasts. Although it may to some extent interfere with the original use, some doilies involve embroidery or have raised designs (rose petals or ruffles) rather than being flat.

And so, that is why your grandmother had so many doilies: because once upon a time they were really popular, and then they weren’t, then they were. Now its back to unpopular again and someday when we are all old, we will have doilies.

Doilies have a rich history and played a role in everyday life for over a hundred years. In my opinion they are under appreciated and undervalued but then, that is just my opinion.

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ButterflyCupcakes

INGREDIENTS

- 200g Unsalted Butter, softened

- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

- 1 cup Caster Sugar

- 3 Eggs

- 2 1/2 cups Self Raising Flour, sifted

- 1/2 cup Milk

DECORATION

- 1 cup Rasperberry Jam

- 300ml Thickened Cream

- Icing Mixture to decorate

METHOD

Step 1- Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan-forced oven. Line two 12-hole, 1/3 cup-capacity muffin pans with paper cases.

Step 2- Using an electric mixer, beat butter, vanilla and sugar in a small bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition (mix-ture will separate at this stage). Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Stir in half the flour. Stir in half the milk. Repeat with remaining flour and milk until com-bined.

By Lauren Brooker-Hipwell

Step 3- For 1/3 cup-capacity muffin pans use 2 level tablespoons of mixture. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes. Alternatively, for 1 tablespoon-capacity mini muffin pans use 1 tablespoon mixture. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

Step 4- Stand cakes in pans for 2 min-utes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Step 5- Using a sharp knife, cut a 2cm-deep x 3cm-wide piece from top of each cake. Cut tops in half. Spoon 2 teaspoons jam into each hole. Spoon cream over jam. Arrange cake tops over cream to form wings. Dust with icing sugar. Serve.

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MushroomTarts

Step 1- Preheat oven to 200 C/400 F. Grease two 12 hole patty pans.

Step 2- To make pastry beat the butter, vanilla and sugar in a small bowl with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Add the egg and beat until just combined. Stir in sift ed fl our, then turn the dough onto a fl oured surface and knead gently until smooth. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Step 3- Roll out the pastry be-tween two sheets of baking paper until around 3mm thick. Using a 6.5cm round cutter cut 24 rounds from the pastry and press into the holes of the patty pans. Prick the pastry cases with a fork. To make the stalks, roll the pastry scraps into a 1cm thick sausage and cut 24 stalks. Place on a lightly greased baking tray.

90g Butter

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1/3 cup Caster Sugar

1 Egg

1 2/3 cups Plain Flour

1/3 cup Raspberry Jam

90g Butter at room temperature

1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

1/3 cup Caster Sugar

1/3 cup Milk at room temperature

1/3 cup water

INGREDIENTS: MOCK CREAM FILLING:

METHOD


Step 4- Bake the cases and stalks for around 12 minutes until lightly brown. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

Step 5- While the cases cool, make the mock cream fi lling. Beat the butter, extract and sugar in a small bowl until as pale as possible. Gradually add the milk and water, a teaspoon at a time.

Step 6- Spread the jam inside the pastry cases and sprinkle with nuts, fi ll cases with cream fi lling and level the tops with a spatula. Sprinkle with sift ed cocoa and press stalks into the fi lling.press stalks into the fi lling.press stalks into the fi lling.

Mushroom

OF THE

OF THE

Th e idea of permanency in this world is mystifying. To some, it stirs fear into their hearts; change is just too likely for anything permanent to maintain its validity. To others, it’s a pitiful quality; why would you want the same thing forever, when you can have better in the future? Th en fi nally, for the rest, permanency is a beautiful concept; it is steadfast, it is strong and it is cherished.

We live in a consummative world driven by the idea of replacing the old with the new. “New is always better”. It’s diffi cult to push against this tide these days, but I would like to make a small eff ort to speak for the little guy. My best example for this is an oft en misunderstood culture of Seekers of the Permanent. Th e tattooed community of this world is as large as it is old and it is one I have only recently joined. It did take me a while to come to this decision.

Like so many people, I had many misconceptions around Tattoo Art that had been drilled into me from my childhood: It’s not for mainstream society, you will be judged negatively for your whole life, it will hinder any career prospects you have, it will fade and look awful when you age, you will not relate to the image ten years aft er you foolhardily permanently attach it to yourself ETC ETC ETC yawn yawn yawn.

It wasn’t until I submerged myself in the creative industry that I began to appreciate the world around me and my yearning to break away from the beige, stagnant society I was swimming in all my life. It was just like when I fi rst opened Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. My eyes and heart were shown a cosmic, magical world of possibilities. In my design course, I was spellbound by these brave wanderers of the world, seeing things in new, bright lights. Th ese were my people. Th ese people inadvertently showed me my right to express myself and cherish every passion and moment of my life.

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Tattoo Art spoke to me. Th e idea of commemorating yourself at diff erent stages of your life with artistic fl air breathed new life into my mind. I realised that my biggest fears of Tattoo stemmed from my inability to love myself for who I was and share my pride and personality with the world.

Aft er my epiphany (which found me and unceremoniously rocked me to my core on a train ride home), it took almost no time at all to design, book and receive my fi rst artistic impression of a chapter of my life (an ohmage to Harry Potter - my constant companion, and my Mum).

It was only aft er the ink had settled into my skin and my heart, that I began to really question the serious negative connotations Tattoo Artistry holds. Because while my personal revelation had enlightened me, it didn’t make any of the issues of discrimination and societal inequity any less real.

Go back 7000 years, the ancient Pharaohs of Egypt are receiving symbolic tattoos of health, status and wealth. 5600 years ago and Otzi the Iceman has been marked 61 times, with patterns of lines and crosses. Move forward another 2000 years and in Asia, tattooing symbols in places of hurt and disease are used to alleviate symptoms and hopefully cure ailments. Th e medicinal and symbolic use of tattooing would be found to occur all throughout history, over the 7 continents of our incredible planet.

While medicinal tattooing would eventually recede to a small niche area of medicine, symbolic tattooing thrived. To focus on the Western spread of Ink, the ascension of Christianity marked the beginning of a dogma focussed on godlike purity of mind, body and spirit. Any modifi cation of the body was deemed sinful, and this would seep into the mindset of western culture for generations, still to be heard parroted in places of worship today.

Th e White exploration of the world in the 1800’s reintroduced Tattoo Art the to western civilisation from the many Islander Cultures that they “encountered” (manipulated and raped). Sailors and

Th e idea of commemorating yourself

at diff erent stages of your life with artistic fl air breathed new

life into my mind.

“

”

Explorers came back sporting tribal ink as mementos of the adventures. It wouldn’t take long for the art to be practiced in ports and seafaring towns, becoming hubs for the brave and adventurous. Th e inherent association of tattooing with Navy and Military personnel stemmed from these beginnings.

Th is exploration coupled with the “White Crusader for the Natives” mentality of the Christian World would start to ruminate the naïve association of tattooing being reserved for the uncivilised. However, while this perspective began to fester and spread, many people were still fascinated by the ink, curious and excited.

As it reads, it is clear that the stigma that surrounds the tattoo industry today is based on a false desperation for

salvation and ultimately a denial of our human nature; to explore, to discover, to commemorate and to express ourselves. We live in a culture where tattooing today, remains a risk for your future interactions with society: You will be judged, you will be told to cover it up at work, it will be one of the fi rst impressions you make, and this will not always be positive. It’s frustrating that people refuse to open their eyes to what tattooing really is: an expression of our own humanity.

Th ese negative connotations are obsolete these days in their validity. Th e inked and proud are everywhere, in every position imaginable. Th ey drop your paper off , they make your coff ee, they run a business, they own a business, they run countries and they shape our world. People that embrace the idea of permanency should be

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cherished and respected. We understand that time fades all matter of things, but they don’t lose their validity in their age. They remind us of our journey, the people we meet, the places we go and how they shaped us. The Inked masses have always been here, and we’re not going anywhere.

We deserve respect for our commitment

to our own happiness and creativity -

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Most millennials, or the lucky ones born between the early ‘80s and the early 2000’s, have been consumed in technology since the day they were born. Because of globalisation, millennials world-wide are more similar to one another than older generations within their own nations.

In recent years, it has become almost fashionable to trash the millennial generation. Whether it be for their work ethic, their narcissistic habits, or their obsession for taking photos and post-ing them on social media, Gen X has been doing some serious shit talking.

The term “selfie” is said to be coined by an Australian kid who took a drunk tumble down a set of stairs at friends birthday in 2002. “Um, drunk at a mates 21st, I tripped ofer and landed lip first (with front teeth coming a very close second) on a set of steps. I had a hole about 1cm long right through my bottom lip. And sorry about the focus, it was a selfie.” He accompanied the post with an out-of-focus selfie displaying his stitched up face. Not too long after, Oxford Dictionaries announced selfie as 2013’s word of the year.

Time magazine trumped millennials as the “Me Me Me Genera-tion” in their article in 2013: lazy, entitled, selfish, and shallow. In response to the unflattering perspective of social media, selfies, and the millennial generation as a whole, I’ve got a few words to say.

written by kathr yn policastro

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Most millennials, or the lucky ones born between the early ‘80s and the early 2000’s, have been consumed in technology since the day they were born. Because of globalisation, millennials world-wide are more similar to one another than older generations within their own nations.

In recent years, it has become almost fashionable to trash the millennial generation. Whether it be for their work ethic, their narcissistic habits, or their obsession for taking photos and post-ing them on social media, Gen X has been doing some serious shit talking.

The term “selfie” is said to be coined by an Australian kid who took a drunk tumble down a set of stairs at friends birthday in 2002. “Um, drunk at a mates 21st, I tripped ofer and landed lip first (with front teeth coming a very close second) on a set of steps. I had a hole about 1cm long right through my bottom lip. And sorry about the focus, it was a selfie.” He accompanied the post with an out-of-focus selfie displaying his stitched up face. Not too long after, Oxford Dictionaries announced selfie as 2013’s word of the year.

Time magazine trumped millennials as the “Me Me Me Genera-tion” in their article in 2013: lazy, entitled, selfish, and shallow. In response to the unflattering perspective of social media, selfies, and the millennial generation as a whole, I’ve got a few words to say.

written by kathr yn policastro

Social media has allowed millennials to connect, know, and learn faster and easier than any generation prior. New research suggests hat 61% of millennials get their political news from social media. I get that there’s a stigma surrounding selfies and social media concerning narcissism and self-obsession, but really, who cares? In a time where beauty standards are higher than ever, shouldn’t we embrace the fact that young girls love themselves and want to take photos of themselves and friends?

Vampire Weekend vocalist Erza Koenig spoke about his “pro-selfie” attitude in a conversation with Rolling Stone:

“I’m definitely pro-selfie. I think that anybody who’s anti-selfie is really just a hater. Because, truthfully, why shouldn’t people take pictures of themselves? When I’m on Instagram and I see that somebody took a picture of themselves, I’m like, ‘Thank you.’ I don’t need to see a picture of the sky, the trees, plants. There’s only one you. I could Google image search ‘the sky’ and I would prob-ably see beautiful images to knock my socks off. But I can’t Goo-gle, you know, ‘What does my friend look like today?’ For you to be able to take a picture of yourself that you feel good enough about to share with the world – I think that’s a great thing.”

For people who delve deeper in saying that it’s more than just millennials taking photos, it’s the attitude and work ethic that surrounds their everyday life, I’ll give you a few reasons why we’re more than just that. And Sanjeev Agrawal, the founder and chief executive of Collegefeed and former global head of product mar-keting at Google, happens to agree with me.

I think that anybody who’s anti-selfie is really just a hater.

Because, truthfully, why shouldn’t people

take pictures of them-selves? When I’m on Instagram and I see

that somebody took a picture of themselves,

I’m like, ‘Thank you.’ I don’t need to see a

picture of the sky, the trees, plants. There’s

only one you.

“ S o w h e r e s o m e s e e e n t i t l e m e n t , I s e e g r e a t e r a u t h e n t i c i t y a n d a u d a c i t y. M i l l e n n i a l s w i l l s h o o t f o r t h e s t a r s — a n d i f t h e y f a l l d o w n , t h e y ’ l l g e t r i g h t b a c k u p a n d t r y i t a d i f f e r e n t w a y.”

As a millennial myself, I and my peers have grown up with a startup mentality. We have embraced failure since we knew what it meant, and have been taught by leaders of the technological world like Steve Jobs that you can only succeed if you fail… a lot. We don’t seek stability. We understand that we may have to work harder than everyone else and still not get what we want. But we do it anyway.

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Social media has allowed millennials to connect, know, and learn faster and easier than any generation prior. New research suggests hat 61% of millennials get their political news from social media. I get that there’s a stigma surrounding selfies and social media concerning narcissism and self-obsession, but really, who cares? In a time where beauty standards are higher than ever, shouldn’t we embrace the fact that young girls love themselves and want to take photos of themselves and friends?

Vampire Weekend vocalist Erza Koenig spoke about his “pro-selfie” attitude in a conversation with Rolling Stone:

“I’m definitely pro-selfie. I think that anybody who’s anti-selfie is really just a hater. Because, truthfully, why shouldn’t people take pictures of themselves? When I’m on Instagram and I see that somebody took a picture of themselves, I’m like, ‘Thank you.’ I don’t need to see a picture of the sky, the trees, plants. There’s only one you. I could Google image search ‘the sky’ and I would prob-ably see beautiful images to knock my socks off. But I can’t Goo-gle, you know, ‘What does my friend look like today?’ For you to be able to take a picture of yourself that you feel good enough about to share with the world – I think that’s a great thing.”

For people who delve deeper in saying that it’s more than just millennials taking photos, it’s the attitude and work ethic that surrounds their everyday life, I’ll give you a few reasons why we’re more than just that. And Sanjeev Agrawal, the founder and chief executive of Collegefeed and former global head of product mar-keting at Google, happens to agree with me.

I think that anybody who’s anti-selfie is really just a hater.

Because, truthfully, why shouldn’t people

take pictures of them-selves? When I’m on Instagram and I see

that somebody took a picture of themselves,

I’m like, ‘Thank you.’ I don’t need to see a

picture of the sky, the trees, plants. There’s

only one you.

“ S o w h e r e s o m e s e e e n t i t l e m e n t , I s e e g r e a t e r a u t h e n t i c i t y a n d a u d a c i t y. M i l l e n n i a l s w i l l s h o o t f o r t h e s t a r s — a n d i f t h e y f a l l d o w n , t h e y ’ l l g e t r i g h t b a c k u p a n d t r y i t a d i f f e r e n t w a y.”

As a millennial myself, I and my peers have grown up with a startup mentality. We have embraced failure since we knew what it meant, and have been taught by leaders of the technological world like Steve Jobs that you can only succeed if you fail… a lot. We don’t seek stability. We understand that we may have to work harder than everyone else and still not get what we want. But we do it anyway.

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If you’ve ever stepped outside your home and into a public place with children, you’ve probably noticed how quickly they can master an iPad and how consumed they become within minutes. It’s mind boggling- and I’ll admit, somewhat frightening- to imagine what future generations’ relationship will technology will be.

However, millennials are the bridge to the future of technology that hasn’t even been thought of yet. It’s the way we think about technology and how we incorporate it into our everyday life, which is going to change the future.

So instead of bashing on us for being self-con-sumed, we should be looking at the bigger picture. We didn’t create technology, they did. We are sim-ply adapting to the ever-changing world that we are being raised in. Young people today reflect our own world’s present realities.

Our lives are more involved with economic and technological forces than with ideology and geopol-itics. It’s simply a new world, and we’re experts at it. Sure, maybe we’re writing apps, and taking selfies instead of reading Shakespeare and writing poetry, but that’s just an adjustment for the age.

It's simply a new world,

and we're experts at it.

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If you’ve ever stepped outside your home and into a public place with children, you’ve probably noticed how quickly they can master an iPad and how consumed they become within minutes. It’s mind boggling- and I’ll admit, somewhat frightening- to imagine what future generations’ relationship will technology will be.

However, millennials are the bridge to the future of technology that hasn’t even been thought of yet. It’s the way we think about technology and how we incorporate it into our everyday life, which is going to change the future.

So instead of bashing on us for being self-con-sumed, we should be looking at the bigger picture. We didn’t create technology, they did. We are sim-ply adapting to the ever-changing world that we are being raised in. Young people today reflect our own world’s present realities.

Our lives are more involved with economic and technological forces than with ideology and geopol-itics. It’s simply a new world, and we’re experts at it. Sure, maybe we’re writing apps, and taking selfies instead of reading Shakespeare and writing poetry, but that’s just an adjustment for the age.

It's simply a new world,

and we're experts at it.

Colour me,Calm you will be. . .

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A space to create

BRUNSWICKARTSTUDIO.com.au

A space to create

BRUNSWICKARTSTUDIO.com.au

Scar Stories

EVERY SCAR TELLS A STORY...


From the initial diagnosis of cancer, there are many life changing events for a patient or survivor.

For Jasmine Gailer her Scar Story started in 2010. While overseas Jasmine started having pain in her leg and it began weakening, until she couldn’t walk anymore. She flew home bound in a wheelchair to a cancer diagnosis. Jasmine had a bone tumour in her right knee. By the age of twenty-two was a cancer survivor with a scar running down her leg thirty centimetres in length. She then faced the challenge of having to learn to walk all over again. While feeling entirely shattered, with no self-esteem. She had to rebuild herself both physically and emotionally.

Jasmine was told by a psychologist to ‘take some time to be with her scar.’ On that note jasmine ‘didn’t just be with it, I decided to own it, by drawing on it a timeline of my journey. I posted a photo of it online, the bravest thing I had done, and it was liberating.’

Over four years Jasmine had grown from feeling broken and defeated, to feeling powerful, interesting and beauti-ful. Now, her mission is to help others feel the same.

This resulted in the birth of Scar Stories.

In 2012, on the 27th January was an inspiring and memo-rable night for Jasmine as it was the official launch of Scar Stories in Brisbane. The night was a raging success filled with love, laughter, tears and champagne!

Fighting cancer at any age is frightening, yet as a young adult between the ages of eighteen and thirty-five presents unique challenges such as physical, emotional, social and psychological. Yet due to lack of funding, research and little to no awareness, the unique challenges of a young adult are not being met nationally or globally. Therefore, many of our young adults are left to confront the issue of their post cancer bodies by themselves.

Imagine that time in your life when self-image is extremely import-

ant – the physical and emotional post-treatment scars are heavy.

-Scar Stories President & CEO, Jasmine Gailer

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Scar Stories is an organisation that aims to through creative initiatives such as music and art, to raise awareness about young adult cancer. Raise funds for specialty care for the eighteen to thirty-five age group. The organisation also aims to help young people come to terms with what most people keep hidden following cancer treatment-the physi-cal scars that remind them of grim painful experience-and see them in a new light, one that is empowering and beau-tiful. Scar stories achieves this through capturing beautiful portraits and celebrating the scar and then allowing the survivor to share their experience.

‘Scar Stories is incredibly moving and demonstrates a great deal of

bravery and resilience from young people challenged in a way most

of us never will be.’-Doug Faluconer, Hunters and Collectors Drummer

So far Scar Stories has achieved so much in such a short period of time and it is just the beginning. The powerful portrait collection has grown to forty images. A Scar Stories portrait book has been published featuring the collection of portraits. Won numerous photography awards. Singed both Hunters and Collectors band and Dead Letter Circus as champion supporters of Scar Stories.

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-Scar Stories President & CEO, Jasmine Gailer

Scar Stories has also raised considerable funds from fundraising events in order to run and continue to run their creative projects for cancer survivors. Fundraising efforts have also contributed to research funding for CanTeen.

None of the fantastic work would be possible if it wasn’t for the support of corporate businesses and the wonderful work of individuals through donations or by volunteering to help in any way they can.

‘Our champions are so important in giving us a bigger voice. These Auss-

ie legends believe in our mission and they work with us to leverage

their public profile to help our story go further and wider.’

Scar Stories is a remarkable Australian organisation that has made a significant contribution in helping young caner sur-vivors overcome the physical and psychological challenges of living with their post cancer bodies.

If you wish to find out more about Scar Stories, their projects or ways you can support this wonderful organisation please visit www.scarstories.org

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FOR YOURTIME WE»»

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THANKYOU

ISSUE 64OCT/NOV 2015AUS: $10.50 INC GST

NZ: $12.50 INC GST

UK: £7.50

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Blur - The Social Issue