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Issue 4 - ISSU

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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


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"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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80


81


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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84<br />

"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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86<br />

...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."


87


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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90


"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 />

91


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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96<br />

Ø

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