Pushing Yourself- Guest Post by Leah

After reviewing my new year’s resolutions post from the start of this year, I realised that I really need to aim to make my goals for this year a little more realistic to achieve for 2018.

Now that I’m in year eleven, my attitude towards school has changed quite a lot in the way that I am taking lessons more seriously and doing revision and am really enjoying pretty much all of my lessons. This year is also the year where I have realised that my previous habits (no revision apart from what I’m made to do in class and the possible brief flick through my notes 30 seconds before the test itself) may not be the best idea anymore because although it has worked in the past, I probably won’t be able to wing a test on everything I’ve covered over the past year and a half. So my aim is to make notes on everything I have covered since the start of last year (year ten) with the aim of achieving my goal that I have had set for myself for a while now, which is to walk out of all my exams with Bs as a minimum grade (which are 6s in the new grading system).

I am also going to aim to take better care of myself both physically and mentally: physically in the way that I am going to try avoid junk foods a little more and aim for more healthier alternatives and also stop staying up late watching things on my tablet as I always end up regretting it the next day when I can barely keep my eyes open. Mentally I am going to try do the best I can in terms of my school work to make sure I meet deadlines on time so I don’t stress about missing them, causing myself to have stress headaches most days of the week! I am also going to do this by making a better effort at keeping my room tidy to some degree so I don’t lose important work/revision in the mess, and stress myself out further.

Although this is all school related, I know and have known for a while that I need to get things under control a little more at school and with my school work in order to clear my mind and help myself make it out of my exams in one piece, with my social life and friendships still intact.

My goals for the new year have been made a little more manageable this time round, and I am currently on the road to achieving these with high levels of success. My advice would be to think about what you’ll be able to achieve within the new year and what will benefit you and perhaps your friends and family this year.

Hope you have a great new year!

Leah- cosyallureblog.blogspot.co.uk xxx

An Interview with The HandleBards

First of all, would you mind telling us a little about who The HandleBards are and what you do? The HandleBards are a cycling troupe of actors who, every summer, carry all of our set props and costumes on the back of our bikes to perform Shakespeare at a variety of venues all across the UK! How did the idea of combining Shakespeare and cycling come about? Would you say that it's one of the defining factors that makes your theatre group so unique? It’s definitely what sets us apart from other theatre companies! It came from four friends knowing that they loved Shakespeare and adventures but thinking that perhaps walking across the UK would take a bit too long. So the next best thing was bikes. None of us were particularly bike savvy before our first tour but it’s safe to say that 5 years and 5 cycle tours later we are big bike fans now! What's the longest distance you've ever cycled to reach a venue? Was it worth it when you got there? At least 50 miles, we saw wild horses, had to do a detour to go to a radio station for an interview, nearly ended up on a motorway and we saw another cyclist get hit by a car. It was a very eventful day! The show was full (thankfully) and the audience were great but we were EXHAUSTED that night. It’s difficult for us to do big distances, because of all the weight we’re carrying we tend to go an average of 10-12 miles an hour but that was a LONG day! After cycling such a way, does it drain you before a show? I was amazed by how much energy there was in your performance. Yes and no. All HandleBards talk about their first ever 'cycle + show’ day and how exhausted they are. However your body is very flexible to it’s environment and eventually it adjusts and it doesn’t feel so bad - if anything it gives you an adrenaline rush! Do you get many days off? What would the typical 'relaxed day' for you consist of? During a typical HandleBards cycle tour we perform 6 days a week, cycle 5 days a week and get Mondays off. Days off we tend to explore the town/city that we are in and later in the tour we always go in search for a spa to just relax! Would you say that your relationship with the people you perform with is part of what makes your performances so enjoyable? The relationship between the actors is very important. For the first two years we were just a group of mates and we had a great laugh which was what made the shows so silly and fun I think. Now that we cast actors one of the things we look for is if there personalities will match and if they look like they will have fun together. Otherwise what are we doing it all for? Where do you stay in between travelling to new venues? We camp, stay in hotels, airbnbs and at the homes of people who see our show and are kind enough to let us stay - we meet some wonderful people through this and hear some amazing stories. What would you say is the best thing about performing with The Handlebards? Making people laugh. Having people say that we made Shakespeare accessible for them or for their kids. On average, how long does it take you to have a show ready to perform? Learning huge chunks of Shakespeare text is difficult enough without having multiple roles! We give ourselves 2 weeks to rehearse. We get the script two week in advance of this and try and get off book as much as we can before we go into the room. The shows are always a bit chaotic when we first go out on the road but that adds to the joy! Finally, if there was one piece of advice you could give to aspiring actors, what would it be? Just keep making your own theatre. Try out acting, directing, stage management, designing do it all (but give everyone else a chance too!) Getting a well rounded experience will set you up to be a good actor and a friendly one that appreciates everyone else around them - and being a nice person to work with is one of the best qualities to have as people will keep on hiring you! https://www.handlebards.com/ Thank you very much for taking the time to answer my questions Tom!

Thinking About The Future- An Interview with Bailey

Meet Bailey: Bailey is a student living in some village in the middle of nowhere with an unlikely passion for film and editing.

Bailey's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrbaileydyble/

I met Bailey almost four years ago and was struck by his ability to broadcast and edit videos soundly. We’ve supported each other over the last few years and I could not be happier to introduce you to him. Bailey works tremendously hard to produce quality content for his YouTube channels and is here today to tell us a little about his views on the future and what it brings.

1) Firstly Bailey, if you don’t mind, tell us a little about yourself. What are your hobbies and interests?

My favourite thing I can do is make movies. The whole process, from the recording to the uploading can never get boring. Apart from that, I

play video games, workout and eat.

2) It’s a common belief that there are three types of people in this world: people who look to the future for happiness, people who look into the past for happiness and people who focus their happiness on the present. Which one would you consider yourself to be?

Id definitely say I live in the now and take happiness from just doing something and getting it done but I do feel it's wrong to regret your past, as that's what got you to where you are today and you should be able to take a level of happiness from it. I can't really say much about getting happiness from the future because apart from with goals and aspirations I don't understand that mindset but happiness from goals happens in the now when you achieve it so my point is now invalid

3) At school we’re always being asked the same question over and over again: ‘what would you like to do when you leave school?’ Do you believe that this is necessary in today’s society? A society where the average amount of jobs held by one person before the age of forty is ten.

Knowing where you want to go is always a positive. If you can define where you want to be then you're halfway to doing it, you'll only have the hardest bit left (which is actually doing it) however not knowing what you want to do can leave you more open to take in suggestions.

       4) Jobs in IT are becoming increasingly popular. Do you think that this will result in the death of traditional jobs like postal workers and solicitors?

Definitely jobs are going to get taken over by robots so the people who once did them get to sit and admire what the world is becoming!

5) At risk of sounding like school, do you have any ideas for what you’d like to do in the future? Do you think that it’s important to have some thoughts on the matter?

I know exactly what I want to do. And it's a bonus to know what you want to do in detail but not knowing isn't a huge downfall because there's always people who'll give their opinions on what they want you to do whatever you want

Thank you very much for taking the time to answer my questions Bailey! 

Thanks for having me! :)

Health and happiness,

Marti xxx

My thoughts on The Handlebards- As You Like It

On Wednesday night, my drama group went to an open air performance of Shakespeare's As You Like It. I'm not sure what I was expecting really. What we were told was that it was to be performed by a group of people that travel the length of the country on bikes and that it would be outside, in the rain, and we weren't allowed umbrellas. Regardless, I handed over the money and hoped for the best. 

I woke up on Wednesday to the sound of rain pounding my bedroom window. I kept checking the weather and it just seemed to get worse and worse. My heart now goes out to those women who had to cycle all the way from York! Thankfully, by six o'clock when we met up with my drama group, the rain had miraculously stopped.

 We set our blanket down on the grass with everybody else and were greeted by somebody in shin high green socks who told us if we couldn't see, to move right up to the red line. "We don't bite...but we do smell!"

Now sitting within an inch of the performance and the other end of the gardens to the rest of the group, it felt as if we were part of the action. When I say I was surprised by what I saw, I mean I was literally mind blown. 

There were only four actresses in the play, each with multiple different roles. They could be the beautiful Rosalind one minute and the rough Orlando the next! Audience participation was at it's finest, even if some people looked a little offended when they stole their picnics!

I am in love with this theatre group and will definitely see more of their work if I get the chance. They are touring across the country until September, so make sure to catch them!

All images were found on The Handlebards' website.

As You Like It dates and venues: http://www.handlebards.com/tag/as-you-like-it/

 Get your tickets: http://www.handlebards.com/tickets/

Health and Happiness,

Marti xxx

Love From Lexie by Cathy Cassidy

   What a literary genius. Cathy Cassidy has only done it again- melted my heart with an empowering new series!

 Following The Chocolate Box Girls, the first instillation of Cathy's new series, The Lost & Found, was released earlier this month. One of the things I love so much about Love From Lexie is that it's universally applicable. You don't have to be the 'target audience' (which by the way, I'm assuming is children/YA) to understand the issues of today's society like domestic violence and the stigma surrounding sexuality. These topics are touched upon with the kind of  sensitivity understanding that the world needs much more of.

Lexie has been living with a care family ever since her mum went missing. Although she loves her new foster parents and even sister Bex- she can't help but hold them at arm's length incase her mum comes back. It's with the help of Bex that she sets up a group at the local library and The Lost & Found is born...but where does a band, a bunch of letters and the constant threat of library closures come into it? Well, you'll have to pick the book up yourself and find out yourself! 

Final Thoughts: Read it. Just read it :)

Health and happiness,

Marti xxx

Being Gay in a Heterosexual Society | An Interview with Ella

1.       Heya Ella! Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions and being so open! Firstly, would you mind telling me a little bit about yourself? For example: what are your passions and interests?

My interests are playing video games, photography, writing, drawing and reading.

2.      Do you think that labels are necessary when it comes to sexual orientation? Are they restrictive or do they provide comfort and security?

I think labels can be restrictive depending on the person really. Some people like that they can name their sexual orientation and be able to tell others exactly and others feel freer without labelling. I label myself because I like be able to explain to others easily what exactly my sexuality is.

3.      When did you realise that you weren’t heterosexual? Was it something you learnt as you got older or something you’ve always known?

It's a bit of both really. I had small crushes on other girls when I was younger but I wasn't bothered about it. I was about ten when I started questioning and then a year later I realised properly.

4.      Are there ever times that you find it difficult to accept your feelings towards other people? Does society ever make you feel pressured into acting and behaving a certain way?

There have been times where I've thought being straight would be easier but I've been raised so that I know that homosexuality isn't wrong so I just accepted myself.

5.      Have you ever experienced discrimination or prejudice based on your sexuality? Do you think that it’s because we live in a society where straight people are favoured that people think it’s acceptable to belittle people who don’t fall into this category?

I have faced discrimination from people who see it as a joke. Like when someone asked me if I had a girlfriend in a very mocking tone to make fun out of me. I've also heard some girls say that they don't want me to have a crush on them.

6.      How does it make you feel to know that in some parts of the world, it’s still illegal to marry as a same sex couple?

I think it's very upsetting to be honest that people are still against it but hopefully there's going to a rise in the future of people supporting same sex marriage, especially for Australia!

7.      Is there anybody who has helped you in any way that deserves any recognition? Whether that be simply being a friend who has stood up for you or a public figure who has fought for your rights?

Well, I look up to celebrities like Ellen Page because I find it amazing that they're proud of who they are and they stick up for lgbt rights in America.

8.      Finally, do you have any advice to give to anybody reading who is either questioning their sexual preference or considering ‘coming out’?

Well, for someone who's questioning their sexual orientation, my advice would be just to wait, be patient and be proud of themselves no matter what and for anyone who's thinking of coming out, make sure you're in a safe place and your parents are accepting. If not, maybe move in with an accepting friend or extended family if you feel you are in danger or wait until you move out.

Again, thank you so much for giving me this opportunity Ella, I wish you all the best! :)

Health and happiness,

Marti xxx

Art with Claire O'Brien!

1.  Heya Claire! Thanks so much for taking the time to collaborate with me! Would you mind starting off by telling us about who you are and what you do?

Hi Marti, thanks for having me! I live in Leeds, I’m 36 and I’m a mum of two boys. Having left my job in university administration two years ago I’m now working full time on my artwork and writing projects. I struggled for years with managing the right work-life balance as well as trying to develop my art skills so I made the decision to quit my day job to commit to it fully. I’ve recently reached a point where I’m ready to share my artwork (which is quite scary!) so I’ve now started to post some of my work online (see my Facebook page here www.facebook.com/claireobdraws ). So far, I’ve shared some of my traditional drawing/painting of portraits but I’m also working on moving into illustration and sequential art. 

2. What is your preferred  creative medium and why? Is it pencil and paper, sculpture, textiles or something else entirely?

When I began drawing I worked mainly with paper and pencil (or charcoal for life drawing). About 18 months ago I invested in a digital drawing tablet and it’s completely transformed the way I work. Digital is a forgiving medium which allows me to edit and correct mistakes easily but you can also play around with composition, texture and colour.

3. Where do you find your inspiration? 

 I take inspiration from all sorts of places; personal experiences, places I’ve been, things I’ve read. Film and music are important influences in my life which is what led me to start drawing portraits of musicians. I’m a huge fan of comics and graphic novels so this style informs a lot of my work.

4. Are there a specific message you are trying to communicate through your work?

In my portrait work there’s no specific message, other than showing an appreciation for the subject. But when it comes to my writing and narrative art, I take a more personal approach. A large part of my work is autobiographical so it’s just a way of putting a part of myself out there. I’m quite a shy person so being able to express myself through my art is important to me.

5. Which art movement or artist would you say influences your work most?

I was always interested in impressionism in school, not only from a visual point of view but also because my other great love in life is France (I studied French at university). I love Manet’s use of contrast, Renoir’s city scenes and Degas’ poses. At university, I took a course in photography and discovered Henri Carter-Bresson and Robert Doisneau. I was captivated by a photograph’s ability to tell a story and it made me want to create something which you look at wonder “what’s the story behind this?”. 

6. Are you working on an projects currently that excite you?

A while ago I wrote a script for a graphic novel and once I finished it I didn’t know what to do with it. At that stage, I didn’t feel like my drawing was good enough to illustrate it myself and I didn’t have the confidence to approach an artist to collaborate with me. I feel like things have moved forward since then so I’m starting to work on the art for this. It’s a big project but I’m really excited about taking on the challenge.

7. How would you define the word 'creativity'? Does a piece of work need to be admired by others to be creative or is it more about the process and ideas that have gone into it that make it creative?

Wow, great question! As far as I’m concerned creativity is the act of making something and it doesn’t matter if something never gets seen, let alone admired, for it to be creative. I have so many pieces of work that will never see the light of day but it doesn’t take anything away from them being creative. Of course, admiration for work is nice but it shouldn’t be the reason for creativity. 

8. What is the biggest challenge you face professionally?

Having a family and a career has always been a bit of a juggle and creative work doesn’t necessarily fit into a 9-5 pattern! There’s also the fact that I came to art a little later than most so I feel like I have to work much harder to catch up. It took 10 years working in an office for me to realise that what I really wanted to be was an artist!

9. You have the opportunity to invite a famous artist from the past round for dinner- who would you choose?

 I would really love to meet an American street photographer called Vivian Maier. She worked as a nanny and spent her spare time taking thousands of these incredible photographs while she was walking around the streets of Chicago. Sadly, her work wasn’t discovered until after her death. She was supposedly quite an eccentric character and had a really fascinating story. 

10. And finally, what is the best piece of advice you can offer to people who want to be more creative?

If you’re interested in in art, even if you’re a beginner, seek out local art classes you can join. It’s a great way to meet like-minded people and I found doing this increased my confidence. Online drawing tutorials are great or even just get some paper and pencils (or whatever you have!) and just draw anything: your family, friends, pets, or use your imagination to create characters. Don’t worry if you don’t feel like you’re any good straight away, keep at it and you’ll notice yourself get better every time. Art is a skill, not a talent! 

Veganism with Rosie!

First of all, how long have you been a vegan and what drew you to making the big switch?

 I have been vegan for around 10 months now. I was interested in veganism for a while before I made the transition. The thing which drew me towards it, was the environmental impacts, as well as the ethics behind it. I knew quite a lot already, as I had been vegetarian for 5 years, but then I watched Cowspiracy and realised how much I didn't want to contribute to that cruelty and climate change.

Have you faced any setbacks or experienced any negativity along the journey?

I haven't found any personal setbacks thus far; I can almost always find alternatives and vegan recipes. However, I have experienced quite a bit of negativity from other people. My family are really supportive of it, however, quite a lot of people can tease you and say stupid things, so I'd say this is one thing to prepare yourself for :))

What does your typical day look like in terms of mealtimes?

I usually have breakfast around 7.30- I like having more time to make yummy things on the weekend, so usually my weekday breakfasts are pretty weird haha. Lunch time is at 1;30 at school so I eat it then, and dinner around 7-ish. These tend to change in the holidays though :) I also have a few snacks and mini meals during the day

Would you say that changing your diet has had effects (both positive and negative) on your mental and physical wellbeing?

4)  I feel more positive since becoming vegan and it has really put things into perspective for me. I haven't really noticed many changes to my body as I didn't go vegan for that, but I do have more energy, feel less tired, and need less sleep.

What's your favourite thing about veganism?

5) My favourite thing about veganism would have to be knowing I am making a difference! I also love all the yummy vegan alternatives :))

Does your ethical attitude extend past the dinner table? Do you support cruelty free cosmetics and fair trade?

6) It definitely does! I've always considered myself an environmental and ethical person. I am very passionate about human rights and politics. I am extremely conscious about the environment, and plan to spend my life working for the world and its people. Although I don't wear makeup, I make sure all my items I use such as soap, toothpaste, etc, are cruelty-free, preferably vegan, zero waste, recyclable, etc. I support fair trade as well; I try not to buy unnecessary things, however, I ensure that anything I buy is either second-hand, or ethical and fair trade

Would you say that you have inspired anybody else to go vegan? How does this feel?

7) I don't think I've inspired anyone else to go full vegan, but 2 of my friends became vegetarian, which felt great! I think I've inspired some people around me to be more environmentally-friendly too, which makes me sosososososo happy!!! <3

There are lots of different 'fad' vegan diets out there. You are given the choice of either eating all carbs (like the potato diet) or all plants. What's the verdict?

8) I don't think I would ever choose, as I want to have enough nutrients and foods from all groups hahah

What's your go to vegan meal?

9) I have so many ahhh! But I especially love Asian food, so maybe something like a Thai Peanut or Pad Thai. I also love pasta and rice based dishes with lots of veggies! But I can't choose just one thing, but if I had to it would be some sort of Asian dish :)

And finally, what advice would you give to somebody who wants to make the switch to an all vegan diet?

10) Educate yourself! Watch documentaries, read up, etc. Prepare yourself for people asking lots of questions. Make sure you know all the things you need to eat. Make sure you will be getting enough calories. Talk to your parents and let them know about the lifestyle. Good luck! <3

Resources:

http://www.cowspiracy.com/facts/

http://bonnyrebecca.tumblr.com/whyvegan

http://www.nationearth.com/earthlings-1/

https://www.forksoverknives.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79GtQ58CEMc

And if you have netflix, check out Cowspiracy!

Thank you for interviewing me!! <3

http://rosiemaearoha.blogspot.co.uk/

And thank you very much for giving me this opportunity! Some fab answers here and I found it very interesting to read about your perspective!

Health and happiness,

Marti xx

Why I love sixties fashion

Recently, I was given the opportunity to write a guest post for the legendary Dreamcatcher Blog written by Cathy Cassidy! You can find it here or simply continue reading to see it on my blog. Thanks so much for this Cathy and thank you to everyone reading!

:

What I love most about the 1960s is how different this period is to any other that had gone before. Skirts were shortened, colours intensified and fashion boundaries were broken. The teenager was born and young women no longer had to dress like younger versions of their mothers. Fashion broke so many rules and came up with so many innovations in the sixties - the now so-popular bikini came into fashion in 1963 and the miniskirt, symbolic of the decade, is still a timeless fashion piece today.

There was so much diversity in what people wore, too! Fashion mirrored the social movements of the time - the early sixties were relatively conservative with styles reminiscent of the late fifties, such as classic prints and knee-length dresses, whereas by the late sixties things had changed beyond all recognition.

It's no surprise that the sixties was a decade of great change in other ways, too - this was the decade when man first walked on the moon, when women gained more equality and when British pop sensations such as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones took the world by storm.

Fashion was not about to be left behind. Skirt lengths became ever shorter and men wore tunics and capes and began to grow their hair longer! Many of these styles seemed to come from the streets - suddenly fashion was for everyone, and not just the rich elite who could afford designer clothes. Young designers such as Mary Quant opened shops selling the things young people wanted to wear - youth was leading the way in fashion for the first time ever. Unsurprisingly, it wasn't long before London stole Paris' position as the centre of the fashion world!

I think my favourite era of the decade is probably the mid point, around 1964-1966. Fashion was at the point where people were choosing how they wanted to dress, and prints were bright but not yet overly busy. Culottes, box-shaped PVC dresses and even paper clothes were popular. This rebellious and energetic vibe is one that inspires me and one I try to carry over into my own fashion choices - only with my own flair, of course! (Wait... aren't flares 1970s?!!! Haha!)

Health and happiness,

Marti xxx