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FALL 17<br />
<strong>ISSU</strong>E 4<br />
FALL 17<br />
GRØUNDERS<br />
<strong>ISSU</strong>E 4<br />
GRØUNDERS<br />
BELIEVE IN YOUTH<br />
ii
THE TEAM<br />
founders<br />
ash misra - coo<br />
kat larson - cco<br />
design<br />
jordan tate<br />
mason mcintosh<br />
words<br />
antonio velarde<br />
ife olaifa<br />
olivia scarlet hoffman<br />
marketing<br />
adrian yong<br />
jessica spigott<br />
iii
CONTENTS<br />
preface<br />
pamela szares-vicente<br />
simon bermeo-ehmann<br />
there is no story<br />
jordan campbell<br />
alexandra cooper<br />
eric tsui<br />
laurena fineus<br />
nova supply<br />
steben alexander<br />
natalie george<br />
lauryn ahearn<br />
torsten raupach<br />
madeline benevides<br />
brian jiang<br />
enna kim<br />
nicholaus maiorana<br />
marcus “roi” medford<br />
2<br />
4<br />
10<br />
16<br />
20<br />
28<br />
32<br />
36<br />
42<br />
50<br />
54<br />
60<br />
67<br />
70<br />
76<br />
82<br />
88<br />
92<br />
iv
preface<br />
Grounders is constantly evolving. In an effort to improve quality and<br />
consistency, we have decided to publish only two issues a year instead of four.<br />
This change will allow our team to work on engagement in different forms -<br />
through blog posts, events, and collaborations.<br />
Like the last issue, we have decided to ask our artists a question. Initially,<br />
we asked our artists about worship. However, as time passed we focused on a<br />
more holistic question about changing perspectives. After this preface, all the<br />
words are the artists' answers to these questions. Their answers are diverse,<br />
enlightening, and effectively show the varied views of youth.<br />
We would also like to thank all the members of our team, without whom this<br />
would not be possible. Our team is the key to our evolution and we are always<br />
looking for new ways to grow. If you would like to contribute in any way, contact<br />
us via email at groundersmagazine@gmail.com.<br />
2
New Perspectives: It is easy to become caught up in our own world<br />
and lose perspective. What is something that forces you to readjust your<br />
perspective, whether it be physically, emotionally, culturally, or otherwise?<br />
Worship: In the past, religion was a huge part of society, but increasingly<br />
people are abandoning traditional religions and diverting their faith towards<br />
other, less conventional things. What would you say you worship?<br />
As always, thank you for your support. Please enjoy this issue, and when<br />
you are done, give it life in new ways by passing it on, creating a collage, or<br />
adding it to your bookshelf.<br />
Best,<br />
The Grounders Team<br />
3
Age: 28<br />
IG: @zorrie_lu_artistry<br />
Location: Fayetteville, USA<br />
pamela<br />
szaresvicente<br />
4
"I would say my interactions with everyday people while on the<br />
road for work “force” me to constantly readjust my perspective.<br />
I work 8 - 10 weeks at a time with new groups of individuals, all<br />
with new quirks and ways of going about life. I’ve found if I go<br />
at it head-on in my typical way of everyday life, it’s not going to<br />
bode well for me. I’ve had to adopt a “go with the flow” attitude,<br />
and learn to accept the things and people as they come at me.<br />
It’s like my artwork; it’s not predictable. The people and work<br />
aren’t predictable, and if I get myself set on a one-track course,<br />
I’m destined to be disappointed in myself."<br />
"I would like to showcase my work because I feel that all<br />
artwork has a story to tell. It shows passion, drive, and<br />
creativity without borders and restrictions. It allows people to<br />
be themselves and others to interpret it as their mind sees the<br />
artwork - not necessarily as I’ve created it. I may showcase 10<br />
pieces, but 10 people may view it and see it 10 more different<br />
ways. I’d like people who are thinking of trying art to see my<br />
pieces and realize it’s more attainable than you think. It doesn’t<br />
require being able to draw, or paint realism. Just a creative and<br />
positive outlook."<br />
5
6
7
8
9
simon<br />
bermeoehmann<br />
Age: 20<br />
IG: @sbe_photography<br />
Location: Vancouver, Canada<br />
"Traveling to a new place is very important if you want to<br />
understand the world better. Exploring an unfamiliar area<br />
and getting to know a culture other than your own is key to<br />
seeing different perspectives."<br />
10
"I wasn’t raised going to church or to worship a higher<br />
power, but that being said I think it’s a big world and people<br />
searching for meaning or purpose find solace in things like<br />
religion. I like to believe that there is something bigger than<br />
me, and believe that if you do good things, good things will<br />
happen and if you do bad things, bad things will happen."<br />
11
12
13
14
"I think it’s important to have an extensive understanding of<br />
images - to have a sort of image literacy. I say this because<br />
we live in a time when the world is so saturated with<br />
imagery. Be it social media or news media, you should be<br />
able to decipher between the truth and false imagery. I am<br />
attempting to depict what I see with as honest a perspective<br />
as possible. Photography and truth have a long and<br />
complicated history. I am happy to have anybody look at my<br />
work; as an artist I don’t provide answers but instead allow<br />
people to come to their own conclusions."<br />
15
there is<br />
no story<br />
Age: N/A<br />
IG: @thereisnostory<br />
Location: Toronto, Canada<br />
"Being in your world and doing your own thing<br />
is fine, but I think one should always try to learn<br />
how to empathize with others. I always try to see<br />
what other people are going through and make<br />
myself more aware. I also think empathizing is<br />
often seen in a negative light, when really it’s just<br />
understanding what the other person is feeling<br />
no matter how you might categorize it."<br />
16
"Art and design have a unique way of connecting people to a work<br />
without actually meeting the creator. I want people to observe<br />
the simplicity in the shapes and compositions I create. To me,<br />
it is important that people feel. Showcasing my work allows my<br />
compositions to be exposed to a wide variety of people, and in all<br />
honesty, for me it is a way of healing and recovering. As any visual<br />
artist does, I put the things that I have learned and experienced into<br />
my work."<br />
17
"To me, the word “worship” means simply believing in a higher<br />
power and knowing that not everything is in our control. That<br />
can be many things for different people. I don’t think worship<br />
should be be a battle between what is conventional and not. It<br />
should be about a genuine feeling you get; almost a sense of<br />
thankfulness and gratitude."<br />
18
19
jordan<br />
campbell<br />
Age: 19<br />
IG: @jordancamp_bell<br />
Location: Milwaukee, USA<br />
20
"My perspectives are challenged when I am in a state of<br />
discomfort. Discomfort in any form. It takes a lot of mental<br />
energy to realign your thoughts and feelings when they are<br />
thrown into a new, sometimes painful experience. I am a<br />
person of long introspective thought, and when I cannot<br />
take my time to weather through the ins and outs of a<br />
subject, I become uneasy. But in the face of a trial, one must<br />
alter their perspective to climb out and end up on top, and<br />
that is what I try to do."<br />
21
I think art, over time, is a reflection of one’s inner-self.<br />
I want others to see that.<br />
22
23
24<br />
"To “worship” is to completely devote oneself to<br />
something else, continuously putting it before yourself,<br />
pushing it forward. Maybe there are degrees of worship.<br />
One can worship something only a little, or a lot. I take<br />
the word in its extreme. It is all or nothing. So, do I<br />
worship something? I strive to worship all. I fail, but<br />
there is grace and there is hope."
25
26
27
alexandra<br />
cooper<br />
Age: 19<br />
IG: @alexandrahcooper<br />
Location: Vancouver, Canada<br />
"What forces me to readjust my perspective is being confronted with<br />
topics that may seem uncomfortable to me, but not being afraid<br />
to be wrong or open to new concepts. It’s so easy to live inside a privileged<br />
bubble, and the best way for me to actively combat the arrogance<br />
and entitled mindset that can accompany it is to let go of my ego and<br />
listen to the experiences of others with respect and in earnest. No matter<br />
how “woke” or progressive we think we are, we should always strive to<br />
be better."<br />
28
the<br />
quiet<br />
years<br />
I have always been quiet<br />
A good listener, attentive and silent<br />
My voice grew small in my classroom, smaller at the dinner table<br />
And the longer I stayed silent, the smaller my voice became<br />
With age, I could speak again<br />
The voice growing with my mind<br />
Soft, but strong<br />
Although I never knew how important the quiet years would be<br />
My pale skin has a voice of its own<br />
Louder than any school teacher or bully<br />
My skin screams<br />
Arrogant and proud<br />
I did not realize the quiet years were a lesson<br />
This childhood silence universal<br />
I am celebrated for my skin, while another is muzzled<br />
If I had spoken, they would have listened<br />
But now my voice is silent again, leaving space, an option<br />
The most important lesson of my youth<br />
How to stay quiet<br />
29
ath<br />
water<br />
there are little women living in my eyelashes<br />
they perch on the strands, unclean<br />
gleeful, they slide down my cheek and into their pool<br />
water laps over their tiny, delicate bodies<br />
laughter pollutes my mind<br />
the water ebbs<br />
laying in their cocoon to rest, quenched<br />
I lie restless<br />
erasing their path with the back of my palm<br />
in the morning they comb through my hair and climb<br />
reaching home, they sit and wait<br />
30
the womb<br />
goddess<br />
Belet-ili the womb-Goddess, our creator<br />
sacrificing life for more life<br />
mixing the body of Geshtu-e with clay<br />
sacrificing life for more life, the ethereal Mother assumes<br />
her role<br />
what is my role?<br />
the ethereal Mother is the eternal Mother<br />
the noise is silenced by water, heavy and peaceful<br />
immensely heavy, silencing everything<br />
Mother Earth has failed<br />
Mother fails<br />
eternal motherhood silences everything<br />
the Mother has no choice<br />
what is my role?<br />
i have no choice<br />
clay and bone fill my body, washed out by the immense<br />
flood<br />
the womb Goddess knows the weight<br />
familiar with the deep wet, drying out the heart<br />
31
ERIC TSUI<br />
Age:<br />
22<br />
IG: @tirecius<br />
Location: Vancouver, Canada<br />
32
33
"I think people lose perspective when<br />
they become too comfortable with their<br />
lives. It’s easy to come home from work<br />
and do nothing for yourself besides relax.<br />
Travelling to different places over the<br />
years has helped me gain perspective on<br />
where I want to be - not only spatially,<br />
but personally. It’s a privilege if you think<br />
about it - we live in a time where, if we<br />
had the means, we could actually move<br />
anywhere we physically wanted to. I<br />
feel like it’s definitely a cliche beaten to<br />
death: that once someone goes on a solo<br />
trip to India or wherever, they become<br />
awakened. But realistically speaking, you<br />
gain an insight on what different people<br />
like to eat, how they enjoy a Friday night,<br />
or when they want to get married. You<br />
just think about that and reflect on it<br />
yourself; you start to think about all the<br />
various possibilities in your life that could<br />
have happened if your parents weren’t<br />
born where they were, or if you went<br />
to this school or that school. For me at<br />
least, being able to travel is a humbling<br />
experience that allows me to compare<br />
other perspectives to my own on all<br />
levels."<br />
34
35
LAURENA<br />
FINEUS<br />
Age:<br />
18<br />
IG: @lvurena<br />
Location: Ottawa, Canada<br />
36
"Outsiders are what force me to readjust my vision. I can sometimes<br />
go multiple weeks without any interaction with someone out of my<br />
immediate family. I don’t intentionally try to isolate myself, but it’s<br />
often the case because of how much dedication and time I put into<br />
my art. It’s impossible for me to create while socializing. It’s one or the<br />
other. So every time I get to reconnect with people (outsiders) I kind<br />
of step out of this imaginary world I’ve created for myself when I work<br />
alone."<br />
"Women of colour are often objectified in terrible ways in the<br />
media, and I just want to create a safe space to share art that will<br />
serve as a reminder that we are all beautiful and magical beings<br />
in our own quirky ways. We are taught to put each other down,<br />
but I create to keep girl love and girl magic alive. I would like other<br />
WOC’s to see my art and feel beautiful for being who they are."<br />
37
38
"[Women] are taught to put each other down, but I<br />
create to keep girl love and girl magic alive".<br />
39
40
41
NOVA SUPPLY<br />
Age: 18<br />
Ig: @novasupply<br />
Location: Toronto, Canada<br />
42
43
44<br />
"I have to adjust my perspective each time I learn more<br />
about fashion and designs. To be technical, my perspective<br />
changes everyday, while still staying true to my ideas. I think<br />
of my mind as a camera, and I’m aiming at a certain target;<br />
each time I learn more about that target, I readjust for a<br />
better shot. I keep doing that until it’s time to shoot. To be<br />
more specific, while I was studying fabrics and the use for<br />
them, I was subconsciously putting each of them in a box:<br />
wool only can be for hats, jackets, and sweaters, or spray<br />
painting should only be on walls - nothing more. Virgil Abloh<br />
used spray painting on a piece of clothing, and it was mind<br />
boggling, and influential to me. That changed my perspective<br />
on fabrics. Instead of categorizing, I should experiment and<br />
see what I think works. I apply that to everything I do today."
46
interview<br />
with nova supply<br />
by Antonio Velarde<br />
Tell me about yourself.<br />
I’m a stay at home kind of guy. To be real, most of my life consists of drinking<br />
tea, watching anime, chilling with my cats, family and making clothes. I<br />
know that sewing/constructing Nova cured me in a way. When I was sad<br />
or angry, I put it all into making clothes and that’s how I coped with those<br />
feelings. I have a tea collection; I started collecting back when I went to<br />
Greece and fell in love with this tea shop. Once I stepped in, the aroma was<br />
just so powerful, I had to spend a few hours in there just smelling the different<br />
flavors and imagining sharing it with my friends.<br />
47
Who/what inspired you to create clothing?<br />
Anime was, and still is, a big part of my life. It gave me inspiration, and most<br />
of the clothing I make has some sort of influence from it. From the Winter<br />
in Cowboy Bebop, to the summer time in Samurai Champloo. The shows<br />
that changed my life are Hunter X Hunter and Steven Universe, and if you<br />
watched those shows, you would understand what I mean. They made<br />
me want to create clothing for others in a similar situation to feel more<br />
comfortable.<br />
What is Nova? Explain the concept behind it.<br />
Nova embodies the void between sane and insane. Inside the grey area<br />
where there are no limits to creations. No boundaries, no limits. Nova.<br />
Nova is all about being comfortable in your own skin and feeling love.<br />
You’ve been creating by yourself- by hand- for quite a long time now.<br />
What’s that been like?<br />
It’s been stressful, peaceful, frustrating, and a whole lot of fun all at the<br />
same time. It is a combination of things, but it has been an amazing journey<br />
overall. I still make mistakes here and there, but I enjoy the late nights,<br />
staying up until 5 a.m. just working on a shirt, making sure it is perfect. It’s<br />
my pleasure, and most importantly, my passion.<br />
Talk about some obstacles you have come across and the lessons you’ve<br />
learned about yourself and your craft throughout this process.<br />
Not everyone will love what I do, but over the years I’ve learned that doesn’t<br />
matter. I learned to never let the thoughts of others influence my creation - I<br />
create, for me and for the people who want to be comfortable. Took me a<br />
long time to really understand that.<br />
48
The majority of your pieces hold some pretty exotic names. What is the<br />
backstory behind the inspiration of those names?<br />
My mother’s cooking is a huge part of why I know so many colors, her pallet<br />
is insane. They way she cooks and all the herbs she uses are unique, and<br />
I pay attention to that, so I usually take the name of the food she makes<br />
and blend it in to the name of the piece of clothing it reminds me of. Like<br />
Buttermilk Squash. One day I had this sweater and I was stuck on making<br />
a name for it, and my mom called me upstairs to cut some fruits for her.<br />
While I cut the butternut squash, (which I accidentally heard as “Buttermilk<br />
Squash”) it clicked - the colors of it matched the sweater and that’s how I did<br />
it *chuckle*.<br />
Explain the feeling of shopping for new fabrics and materials.<br />
It is like Christmas, I spend hours there. It’s my safe place. I close my eyes<br />
and just let my hands guide the way. When I find that special fabric, it’s like<br />
seeing your wife for the first time, you just know - you know?<br />
What are your thoughts on today’s youth compared to the way our<br />
generation, and those past, have grown up?<br />
Today’s youth move in packs and waves, and I have seen more groups trying<br />
to be each other or force themselves to be different. Our generation is either<br />
being themselves or they follow.<br />
49
STEBEN<br />
Age: N/A<br />
IG: @7steben<br />
Location: Montreal, Canada<br />
ALEXANDER<br />
50
"To readjust my perspective and to refocus, I like to go to local exhibitions<br />
and museums or spend quality time with the people I love. It is usually in<br />
these moments that I get to find the time to wind down and go back to<br />
my roots. I find inspiration in figures such as Yma Sumac, Pete Burns, La<br />
Marchesa Casati, among other eccentrics. These are ways that I get to<br />
renew my focus in life and find inspiration."<br />
51
52<br />
"My father is German Catholic, and as a little<br />
boy I was baptized in the church and was a choir<br />
boy. There is something very beautiful about<br />
religion. It's a subject I enjoy reading about,<br />
and I particularly enjoy the symbolism and art<br />
within religion. However, at the moment I am not<br />
practicing any religion. I worship the words “be<br />
true to yourself.”
53
NATALIE<br />
GEORGE<br />
Age: 22<br />
IG: @natgeo_1995<br />
Location: Eugene, USA<br />
54
55
"To have a connection and create a bond with someone that is different<br />
than yourself is truly eye-opening. All the difficulties and differences you<br />
may face help to shape you. I think these connections we make are those<br />
that help us get out of our own space, and allow us to put ourselves in<br />
someone else’s shoes.<br />
Many times when I get stuck in an emotion or mood, I use my art to work<br />
through what I am feeling. Whenever I start something, I never really<br />
know how it is going to turn out or what I am trying to say. The process of<br />
working through my concepts can sometimes bring me to a completely<br />
new place. The act of creating helps me to discover what I am trying to<br />
say. Many times I come to the conclusion that it is something that cannot<br />
be answered - there is some beauty in that. I think the discovery of nothing<br />
helps take me out of my own head. It helps me realize that many times our<br />
feelings or what happens to us is out of our control."<br />
56
"As a woman, much of my work is focused on the female experience. It is<br />
heavily concentrated with the female form, often fairly graphic. Through the<br />
saturated disembodied forms, it begins to show the objectification women<br />
face today. I try to leave the identity anonymous to highlight the value given to<br />
the sexualized body, only my depictions are of deteriorating and morbid form.<br />
I try to draw attention to the transformation and modification of the female<br />
form, and how that begins to translate the negative effects of the male gaze.<br />
Although I hold a lot of personal meaning in my work, I don’t necessarily<br />
need that to translate to feel successful. I welcome laughter and humor in<br />
my work and don’t need everything I do to be taken seriously - in fact I prefer<br />
when people don’t. I feel it is easier to talk about larger concepts that could<br />
possibly be uncomfortable through humor. By exaggerating certain stigmas<br />
we associate with women and their bodies, I hope to challenge the viewer to<br />
alter their perception and try to see things through different eyes."<br />
57
"Sometimes I just have to acknowledge that I<br />
don’t have the answers, and I may never have<br />
them. All we have are those little moments where<br />
we forget, the ones we share with the people we<br />
love. We forget about all the things that weigh on<br />
our shoulders, and for a second, we are no longer<br />
searching for anything at all. We can just be."<br />
58
59
60
LAURYN<br />
AHEARN<br />
Age:<br />
34<br />
IG: @laurynahearn<br />
Location: Vancouver, Canada<br />
61
62
63
"I feel death is the ultimate adjuster of<br />
perspective. It's inevitability is what juxtaposes<br />
life and death. This is what makes being alive<br />
so brilliant. Death shifts the act of living into<br />
an experience that requires our immediate<br />
thought and attention. The more I realize that<br />
this life is finite - that every day could be my<br />
last - the more naturally I am able to put trivial<br />
anxieties into perspective. It helps me focus on<br />
what is truly important to me, and ask myself<br />
questions about what it is I want my today to<br />
look like. When I can remember that this is it,<br />
it’s easier to look at the blue of the sky, catch<br />
the scent of grass in the wind, and keep lesser<br />
priorities from taking up valuable real estate in<br />
my everyday experiences. Ultimately, the life we<br />
live is a culmination of those smaller every day<br />
experiences, so it’s important not to lose touch<br />
with the effect they have on us."<br />
64
65
66
torsten raupach<br />
Age: 22<br />
IG: @traupachh<br />
Location: Vancouver, Canada<br />
"In my personal experience, the best possible<br />
way to constantly readjust my perspective is to<br />
interact with as many new people as possible.<br />
I find that if my social group and life routine<br />
becomes too comfortable, then it is often easy<br />
to become caught up in the routines of my life.<br />
This ensures that I don’t experience anything<br />
outside my created bubble. However, the best<br />
way to break this is by stepping outside of my<br />
routines and comfortable social groups. Living<br />
in a culturally and ethnically diverse city, such<br />
as Vancouver, has given me the opportunity<br />
to break out of the dangers of a narrow<br />
perspective. I enjoy speaking with people from<br />
all over the world, from different upbringings,<br />
or to people with differing life plans, paths and<br />
beliefs. Each interaction shatters the wall that is<br />
so easily built around our individual experience<br />
of the world. The more people we interact<br />
with outside of these constructed boundaries,<br />
I believe the easier it is to avoid the tendency<br />
to forget the world outside our immediate<br />
experience."<br />
67
stubborn<br />
bones<br />
I forgot my body,<br />
but only for a moment.<br />
I left it far behind.<br />
I buried it under the earthy crust,<br />
beneath the arcs of so many little satellites,<br />
that watched, blinking<br />
like the eyes of conscious stars.<br />
I left my body far behind<br />
and burned away flesh,<br />
muscle and stubborn bone<br />
to dainty piles of ash,<br />
picked up by passing winds.<br />
I left my body far behind,<br />
hidden in carefully constructed castles<br />
with fat stone walls<br />
and a deep dug trench<br />
fortified around the ugly blemish<br />
protruding from the even field.<br />
I forgot my body,<br />
but only for a moment<br />
before the gate slammed shut<br />
and the key clattered<br />
with a harsh clash<br />
against the spotless mirror<br />
of dazzling white tiles.<br />
68
dinosaur<br />
toothpaste<br />
Pressed fingers on fret boards that taste of maple<br />
taught me more than twenty pages before bed.<br />
Tucked in, tongue still tingling<br />
from dinosaur toothpaste,<br />
when we were cognitively<br />
almost cavemen.<br />
The first time I smelt the ocean,<br />
you took us there.<br />
Sand buckets packed with blackberries<br />
we stole from bramble wardens.<br />
Bare feet through snow stacks<br />
turned our toes black.<br />
Cold stings– sticks,<br />
the bubblegum ice cream in sister’s hair.<br />
Pretend I’m Thor to face the fact<br />
- mum’s fuming.<br />
69
MADELINE<br />
Age: 21<br />
IG: @madelinebenevides<br />
Location: Oakville, Canada<br />
benevides<br />
70
71
72
73
74
"I’m guilty of focusing on what’s to come in time, when in reality<br />
all I have is now. I have to remind myself that I create every<br />
moment. Realizing this helps realign my desires with my actions."<br />
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BRIAN<br />
JIANG<br />
Age: 19<br />
IG: _brianjiang<br />
Location: Toronto, Canada<br />
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"Realizing my mortality readjusts my perspective.<br />
It forces me to see clearly what truly<br />
matters in life. My time on earth is limited, so<br />
why not spend it doing something I consider to<br />
be worthwhile?"<br />
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enna<br />
kim<br />
Age: 22<br />
IG: @fongkikiddraws<br />
Location: Toronto, Canada<br />
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"For me, art is the strongest way of expressing oneself. I’ve<br />
always felt a barrier with other mediums, such as writing,<br />
because they didn’t truly represent what I was trying to say. I<br />
want to show my work because I believe that it is an important<br />
part of being an artist; sharing your work with others, but<br />
also being confident enough in your work to allow others to<br />
witness it."<br />
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"I define worship as the act of reflecting<br />
and appreciating my craft, but spirituality<br />
brings life to those mediums. Drawing,<br />
painting, sketching, and observing are all<br />
variations of my personal worship."
"Humble beginnings. Before coming to Toronto, I grew<br />
up in a very small town. A town so small that you had<br />
to refer to the next “biggest” town which wasn’t even<br />
that populated to begin with. I believe it’s important to<br />
remember and reflect where your seeds were sown, and<br />
when your roots began to grow. Even the weeds and pests<br />
that made you struggle. It’s all about the big picture. I<br />
admit there are several days when I dread getting things<br />
done, and long for people to empathize, but that is such<br />
a blurry lens to view life from. Usually when negativity<br />
strikes, it’s from keeping it buried inside. Examining your...<br />
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...situation from a larger scale makes you<br />
realize how small your problem is. When we<br />
get caught up in our own mind, we circle the<br />
same thoughts in our heads. As a generation<br />
that is heavily dependent on immediate<br />
gratification, it’s extremely important to take<br />
some time to slow down and truly consider<br />
what our purpose is."
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nicholaus<br />
maiorana<br />
Age: 26<br />
IG: @parcandward<br />
Location: Burlington, USA<br />
"To avoid losing perspective and my place in the<br />
world in which we all inhabit, at least once a day,<br />
I try to consider what makes me happy. This slows<br />
me down. It forces me to look more closely at<br />
my place, and my interactions with everything<br />
around me. When I am unhappy, like a fightor-flight<br />
response, I often make rash decisions<br />
and drastic changes while losing perspective<br />
and failing to consider even the most obvious<br />
consequence. While I try not to dwell on the past<br />
or what the future might bring, it is not always<br />
easy. Taking time to think about what makes me<br />
laugh or dance a jig calms my soul. It makes me<br />
feel better about the present, and my place in life,<br />
and the world. It pushes me forward, leaving the<br />
changeless past behind, forever towards that next<br />
smile. I do have control. I always have control. I<br />
just have to force myself to remember."<br />
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"Like art, modern religion is a bust. I have a real<br />
qualm with organized religions. Religion has a<br />
way of making one feel guilty simply for being<br />
their true self. If God created us to be such<br />
unique creatures, why is religion trying to make<br />
us all assimilate into the masses? There is also<br />
the factor of religious guilt. Why should I feel<br />
guilty for being me? There is nothing worse than<br />
being boring or unoriginal. Religion should be a<br />
personal connection between yourself and God<br />
- whatever God means to you. With this notion, I<br />
find worship to be sacrilegious and counteractive<br />
to my beliefs. God and worship should inspire<br />
us to be our truest selves. If I had to admit to<br />
worshiping anything, it would be the sun, the<br />
earth, my parents; for giving me life, my body,<br />
and the body of my partner."<br />
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marcus “roi”<br />
medford<br />
Age: 23<br />
IG: @marsthepoet<br />
Location: Toronto, Canada<br />
"I agree that it’s easy to get caught in your own head and perspective<br />
bubble. Often after an interview, I come away having learned<br />
something new and have become aware of a new perspective.<br />
Talking, reading, listening and travelling open me up to fresh ways<br />
of thinking because they force me to consider something from an<br />
external source. I would definitely encourage it."<br />
smother<br />
I’m wasting sleep, losing time<br />
trying to smile and swallow knives<br />
I should leave, its getting late<br />
I’m starting to suffocate,<br />
Slip beneath the ethereal surface<br />
hope and words are worthless.<br />
Quietly into the dark<br />
I’ll purge desire from my heart,<br />
Shed my skin, eradicate my feelings<br />
Anything to stop the reeling,<br />
No kiss goodbye just start anew<br />
I’m sorry if I smothered you.<br />
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lost in the<br />
electricity<br />
There exists a breed<br />
Though rare indeed,<br />
Those who sip tea<br />
And leisurely read<br />
Words other than texts<br />
Or posts on a newsfeed.<br />
Only concerned with me, me, me<br />
We’re constantly<br />
Too busy to see<br />
Friends who used to be<br />
Like family.<br />
But you’ll find time<br />
If she’s a dime<br />
Or if he’s a QT.<br />
See, I see<br />
The trends<br />
Having SO many friends<br />
Like that girl...<br />
From the place...<br />
That you met...<br />
“idk” when.<br />
“OHMYGOD I MISS YOOOU!”<br />
O M G me too.<br />
I’ll see you then<br />
At that “don’t loaft on tix” all-ages event,<br />
So we can dance,<br />
Get drunk<br />
And forget we met again.<br />
The social network extends<br />
Friends of friends become friends,<br />
Enemies are conceived,<br />
Relationships end.<br />
Some bonds can be recovered<br />
Others won’t ever mend.<br />
Something’s still hurt<br />
No matter how many smiley faces you<br />
send.<br />
But hey,<br />
At the end of the day<br />
I guess Facebook’s okay<br />
How else would you know<br />
It’s your friend’s birthday.<br />
Why would we take the time to talk<br />
When we can twiddle our fingers away?<br />
Time is money<br />
And I don’t have enough to waste.<br />
I smh<br />
If this is our fate<br />
Soon it’ll be l8<br />
To teach a book and a face<br />
How to cooperate.<br />
Lost in the electricity<br />
Swept up in the current,<br />
Trying to navigate.<br />
It’s a sad state<br />
When the only way to relate<br />
Or to find a date<br />
Is through a keyboard.<br />
We have all this technology<br />
But we’re constantly bored<br />
And struggle to communicate.<br />
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Publication © 2017 GROUNDERS<br />
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a<br />
retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior<br />
written permission of the publisher.<br />
Editing and Design by GROUNDERS team<br />
Printed in the USA by Smart Press<br />
Library and Archives Canada Cataloging in Publication<br />
GROUNDERS Team; with contributions from Pamela Szares-Vicente,<br />
Simon Bermeo-Ehmann, There Is No Story, Jordan Campbell, Alexandra<br />
Cooper, Eric Tsui, Laurena Fineus, Nova Supply, Steben Alexander, Natalie<br />
George, Lauryn Ahearn, Torsten Raupach, Madeline Benevides, Brian<br />
Jiang, Enna Kim, Nicholaus Maiorana, and Marcus "Roi" Medford.<br />
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