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!