The Australia Times - TAT Girl magazine. Volume 1, issue 2

Independent Media Inspiring Minds

Vol.1 No. 2

November 6 2013

TATGiRL

Photography Culture Poetry Art Food Music Fashion Life

THE

AUSTRALIA

TIMES

TAT GiRL

Independent Media Inspiring Minds

TAT GIRL

We oer both veteran and undiscovered writers the opportunity to get published.

Have something to communicate, or an opinion to state, wer are your voice!

Want to join a like minded community in a great project

WHAT’S INSIDE?

Rachel Plank

Creative Editor

Amy Freund

E d i tor

Ahh, there is nothing like the thrill of reading

freshly pressed artices, all done up in their

Sunday bests for contribution, each a brain child

of its creator!

Once again—a ginormous thank you to all the

contributors that made this issue happen and for

sticking with the TATGiRL dream!

And of course we love new views and welcome

anyone from all walks of life—so feel free to send

us a message and join our TATGiRL family! :)

A brief description of yourself and all submissions can

be emailed to amy.freund@theaustraliatimes.com.au

From London to Melbourne 4

License to Smile 7

Mascara over Meaning 11

H&M—Melbourne’s Newest Retail Address 14

All Things: Minus the Effort 16

The Wonderful World of Corn 20

Religion and Art 22

Young—Paper Kites 25

Going Nowhere Fast 26

Still Sane 29

Contributors:

Britany Stewart

Eilish Gilligan

Ying Wang

Bridget Gilmartin

Zoe Kimpton

Lana Thymianidis

Alexandra Saltis

Louise Elizabeth

Celeste Juliano

Tina Afshar

THE

AUSTRALIA

TIMES

Independent Media Inspiring Minds

Image by Rachel Plank

Images by Britany Stewart

F r o m

London

t o

M e l

bourne

Independent Media Inspiring Minds

TAT GiRL

It’s not every day your world is literally

turned upside down by an email.

But on a drizzly July day, this was

the case for me, a glance over my

Mum’s shoulder as she typed an email

revealed a planned move to Australia.

At the time, we were simply British

tourists visiting Melbourne for a

holiday. Or so I had thought. After

bursting into a sea of tears that

rivaled the torrential rain outside,

Mum explained that the “holiday”

had actually been a chance for them

to look at houses, jobs and schools.

I had a little under six months to get

over the shock of leaving London and

prepare for the new and better life

promised to us in Australia. Having

had very little experience of what life

was like in the country down under

save for a few episodes of Neighbors,

I was clueless as to what to expect.

In England, Australia is often spoken

about like a distant cousin – after all,

English is the main language, and it’s

part of the same happy commonwealth

family. But nothing could have quite

prepared me for just what a culture

shock I would get when I arrived.

It’s no secret that the English long

for the sun and beaches that we are

so deprived of at home, constantly

lumbered with grey skies and

constant drizzle. The only problem is

that we’re so unused to it, our bodies

just can’t handle it. Stepping o the

plane at Melbourne Airport, the ﬁrst

thing that hit me was the heat. Thick,

humid and ugly - it was the hottest

heat wave in the last few years, and

it had arrived the same day I did.

How convenient. I found it so hot

that I physically couldn’t be outside

for more than ﬁve minutes at a time,

unless I wanted my pale English skin

to turn a nice lobster red. Even now,

mum still tries to make us wear sun-

cream in any weather over 15 degrees.

And then we discovered just how

true the saying “Melbourne gets

four seasons in one day” actually is.

Dressing for low temperatures and

rain in the morning only to have it

almost 30 degrees by lunch, certainly

took some adjusting to.

Even doing something simple as the

food shop reminded us just how far

we were from home. The supermarket

was ﬁlled with products totally foreign

to us – Tim Tams and Milo, what the

hell are they!? When all we longed

for was our familiar home comforts.

Dad was perhaps the most horriﬁed

– instead of his beloved Marmite jars

lining the shelves he was confronted

by its Australian sibling -Vegemite. He

still refuses to have it in the house.

Starting school in Australia was

perhaps the hardest step to

overcome. Used to a strict all-girls

private school, I found myself in a

mixed school, set in what looked like

acres of bush, with vibrantly coloured

parrots ﬂying out from the trees.

It was not long until my ﬁrst up-close

encounter with Australian wildlife. On

my second day at school, a possum

fell through the roof of the classroom

I was in. Everyone else seemed

entirely nonchalant about the whole

event, either remaining seated or

trying to prevent the animal from

leaving the classroom. I, meanwhile,

was screaming and out the classroom

door before anyone could stop me.

I had assumed I had nothing to worry

about when it came to speaking,

feeling lucky that at least my parents

had picked a country that spoke the

same language. One conversation

in and I was lost. English slang that

I used every day was met by blank,

confused faces, while alien Australian

phrases went completely over my

head, not to mention the intense

concentration it took to decode the

lilting Australian accent. At least

I fared better than my mum, who

quickly learnt that the saying “I was

just rooting through my drawers”

(as in looking for something in a

clothes drawer,) has very dierent

implications in Australia.

Growing up in two dierent countries

has often left me feeling torn and

confused about which to call home

and where I belong. I’ve lived the

majority of my life in England, but

most of my growing up has been

in Australia – forming friendships,

relationships and passing some

of the most important milestones

like ﬁnishing school and starting

university. Australia has given my

family and I so many opportunities

and experiences we never could have

had otherwise.

It’s now over ﬁve years since the

move, (and I’ve still got my accent!)

but those ﬁrst few months adapting

to a new life in a new country were

some of the hardest of my life.

Initially, I resented my parents for

“ruining” the life I knew in England,

and taking me away from everything

I had ever known.

Now, with retrospect, I can’t thank

them enough.

It’s certainly an entirely dierent

culture – one that revolves around

sport, the outdoors, being easy

going, carefree and enjoying life. Yes,

‘G’Day mate’ really is an acceptable

and common greeting, but contrary

(and quite disappointingly!) to what

I originally believed, kangaroos don’t

roam the streets nor is everyone

blonde and a surfer.

On Australia Day this year, we

received our Australian citizenship.

It didn’t hit me until the morning of

the ceremony just how emotional

I felt about the process, especially

when thinking back to those early

days. Becoming an Australian citizen

signiﬁed a huge step in accepting

just how much I loved both Australia

and England, and that I didn’t have

to choose between the two. As a

dual citizen, I can feel at home in two

dierent but incredible places, both

which have shaped me into who I

am today. So while I now know that

Australians put more “snags” than

shrimps on the Barbie, I still prefer

them served up in a good old Full

English breakfast with “ketchup”.

Well, We’re getting there.

By Britany Stewart

THE

AUSTRALIA

TIMES

Independent Media Inspiring Minds

TAT GiRL

License to

smile

Image by Louise Elizabeth

“Lets dance in the sun, wearing

owers in our hair!”

-Louise

Independent Media Inspiring Minds

THE

AUSTRALIA

TIMES

Ever wanted to turn your hobby into

your job? Louise has done just that!

Image by Louise Elizabeth

Independent Media Inspiring Minds

Engineer student and Lifeguard

Louise has taken crafternoons to

a whole new level, her beautiful

creations becoming a lucrative

business of their own, her flower

crowns and one-of a kind tie–dyes

taking the market stalls by storm.

“Basically, I was addicted to

making crafts. I used to make

flower crowns and people would

come up to me and ask where did

u get it? And I would always be

excited to say that I made them!

Years ago, this lady at a party

said ‘I’ll pay you 20 bucks to make

my daughter one’, and after that,

I thought that I may as well start

selling them to people!”

“I came up with the name ‘License

to smile’ for my new adventure in

craft making as I believe everyone

should smile. I like the word smile

because everyone likes to be

happy, and I feel like I’m giving

people a “License to smile” with

my stuff.” Says Louise.

Over the past year, Louise has

continued to build her brand

and her image, experimenting

with different types of materials

and techniques, her newest

plight being with that of Fimo;

a make-and–bake modelling

clay that when forms, creates

amazing earrings and necklaces.

“Throughout the year I’ve built

up the brand and made lots more

of the jewellery and tie dye as

well, collecting my materials

from op-shops so their all one

of a kind and also from local

businesses.”

Louise hopes to make her

jewellery as “feel good” as she

Look out for Louise’s pop up

“License to Smile” stalls in local

markets this summer!

Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/licensetosmile

can, creating a community image

by utilising materials from local

family owned businesses and

charity owned op-shops. “I have

big dreams, but they have to

start small. Soon, I hope to put

some money back into both

small businesses and the local

community charities that will help

others smile, and also help the

lives of people living in poverty

overseas, so everyone can get a

license to smile.”

But like any business, it takes a lot

of time and effort to get results.

“You can’t really say oh I’m going

to work three hours tonight and

make this much – it really is a

labour of love.” Says Louise.

One thing’s for sure, Louise is

giving a lot more people a License

to Smile.

License to Smile

xoxo

Image by Louise Elizabeth

Independent Media Inspiring Minds

TAT GiRL

THE

AUSTRALIA

TIMES

Independent Media Inspiring Minds

Image by Zoe Kimpton

Independent Media Inspiring Minds

TAT GiRL

Morning Schedule- wake up, stare

at the bags under my eyes, wash my

hair with expensive shampoo, get out

of the shower, put on my makeup.

Put on more make up. Choose an

outﬁt. Another coat of mascara; and

out the door. And you know what?

Not once, during all that time I stared

at myself in the mirror, did I ask

the question: ‘Am I a good person?’

Instead, thoughts like ‘my eyeliner

isn’t straight,’ and ‘god, my curls look

like pubic hair,’ ﬂoated through my

mind. So maybe, I’m ashamedly vain.

But, perhaps there is also something

larger at work here. It seems that as

a culture and a society, we pay more

attention to the colour of our lipstick

than the international state of aairs,

or spend more money on shoes than

charities. So what kind of people are

we modelling ourselves to be?

Social media in particular has taught

us to be self-involved and vain. Through

the screens of our computers and

smart phones, we scream ‘THIS IS ME’

through our statuses and our photos.

This is a photo of ME. This is a photo of

MY food. This is how MY day is faring. It

is; we all must admit, narcissism of the

highest degree. Through social media,

not only do we become more obsessed

about ourselves, but also how we seem

to other people. And contemplating

whether it’s a pink or red lipstick

day is becoming a bigger and more

important question than ‘what can I

do today for another person?’ We are

beginning to care less and less about

other people and their struggles and

more about curling our eyelashes. The

eyes are the windows to the soul, but

soon enough, we won’t have any souls

at all.

Instead of taking photos of

ourselves and perfecting our bronzer

application techniques whilst our

teeth loom eerily whiter, we need to

begin to be compassionate again and

restore the place of others in our lives.

This is not to say that we no longer

have relationships, and of course

many of us would be very kind and

generous to our loved ones. However,

it is a return to biblical mandate that

we really need; “love your neighbour

as you love yourself”. Ah, here we go,

right? I’m another preacher knocking

incessantly at the metaphorical

door, perhaps stirring up discomfort?

Regardless of how uncomfortable

you are, people now are apparently

more likely to ﬁlm an incident of

violence on their phones and post it

to Facebook than they are to actually

intervene and help the victim. What

part of this shows love for another

person? It doesn’t. It shows love and

a desire to protect only oneself. We

are becoming observers in our own

lives because we prioritise our own

reputations, possessions and bodies

over those of others. What it really

means to just be an observer is to

forfeit an active life that boasts of

achievements and knowledge and

morality and intelligence. We are

no longer the creators of our own

fortune but merely the exercisers of

eyes and silent gazes. Selﬂessness is

now a word with a lost meaning.

What do we really gain from this self-

prioritisation and self-endorsement?

Sure, getting 47 likes on a photo of

yourself sweaty and in gym gear

is wonderful for the good ol’ self-

esteem. And it might make you feel

radiant and thriving for about...

ten seconds. But then a day after?

Instead, model yourself to be a person

with heart and not just a face. After

all, beauty is only skin deep, and

once that skin becomes wizened

with wrinkles, it is only the pursuit of

kindness and moral behaviour that

will really assure us that we have

lived, and not the photos of our

egoistic youth. Get your kicks from

kindness, and abandon your mascara

for meaning.

By Alexandra Saltis

Mascara over Meaning

THE

AUSTRALIA

TIMES

Independent Media Inspiring Minds

TAT GiRL

You only have to look around

the street to see that Australia is

home to some seriously stylish

people, but it’s taken interna-

tional high street fashion stores

a long time to reach our shores.

Following in the footsteps of

Gap, Topshop and Zara, Swed-

ish retail chain H&M has final-

ly announced it will arrive in

Australia.

Woohoo!

As one of my favourite shops

due to its on-trend styles at

very affordable prices, I was

rather excited when I heard the

news (If by ‘rather excited’ you

mean shrieking hysterically,

jumping up and down and up-

dating my Facebook status!)

And it gets even better – with

the brand choosing to open its

will have to move out to make

space for H&M. Their leases

have not been renewed, and

many will lose a premium retail

space on one of Melbourne’s

busiest shopping streets.

So what do we do? While I’m

excited to finally be able to

shop regularly in H&M, it’s a

shame that the luxury comes

at the expense of our own local

fashion industry.

It’s also interesting to consid-

er the totally different target

market H&M has compared to

the brands that are moving out.

Most are predominantly luxury

brands, whereas H&M will share

its market with chains like Su-

pre, Dotti, Bardot and Valleygirl.

It seems a strange choice for an

up-market retail precinct, but

I suppose owners want some-

—Melbournes fashion high street is buzzing with the

opening of H&M in the iconic GPO building.

H&M

- melbourne's

nEwest

retail

address

first store in Melbourne’s icon-

ic GPO building next year, the

Melbourne H&M store will be

the Australian flagship, span-

ning three levels and taking up

5000m2.

For many fashionistas, shop-

ping in H&M, along with other

international brands, was a

luxury previously restricted

to overseas travel. The sheer

chaos that occurred when both

Topshop and Zara first opened

here shows that Australians are

clearly excited by their arrival.

But unfortunately it does come

at a cost. A boutique luxury

retail precinct since 2005, GPO

houses Australian designers

including Veronika Maine, Lisa

Ho, Sass and Bide, Life with

Bird and Manning Cartell. Most

have actually been told they

THE

AUSTRALIA

TIMES

Independent Media Inspiring Minds

thing that they know will definitely

encourage visitors – and the novelty

of H&M when it first opens will cer-

tainly generate that.

The arrival of international fashion

retailers also poses challenges to ex-

isting retailers, because it often pro-

vides us shoppers with fast fashion

at cheaper prices than local shops

currently offer. The sheer number of

us turning to online stores like ASOS

(Australians make a purchase every

six seconds,) make it clear that local

fashion retailers are not always offer-

ing fashion of the best variety, price

or value.

While it’s always important to sup-

port our local industry, I wonder how

many of us would – or could afford to

– shop solely in Australian retailers if

it meant paying more for essentially

the same product. Would you? And

for those whose only concern is being

fashionable and on-trend, why would

you pay more for less, when you can

pay less and get more elsewhere?

That’s not to say we don’t have

some great Australian fashion stores,

though. There are some fantas-

tic finds and bargains to be found,

whether you’re on a budget or not

– it’s just a matter of training your

eye to spot them. Researching what

you’re looking for to find the best

price ensures you’ll avoid purchase

regret when you see it cheaper in a

different shop, and physically trying

things on in store changing rooms will

always trump online shopping for me.

More retail competition from overseas

should mean local retailers would

become more competitive, offering

great products at reasonable pric-

es – resulting in major benefits for

consumers.

While it’s great to finally join the

rest of the world by having access to

stores like H&M, Topshop and Zara, it

doesn’t spell the end for the fantastic

fashion chains that are unique to us

here in Australia. We’re a fashionable

country, and in my opinion, you can

never too many clothes. Here’s to a

shopping spree!

Image from Flickr Free Photo sharing

TAT GiRL

Independent Media Inspiring Minds

THE

AUSTRALIA

TIMES

Independent Media Inspiring Minds

Is it? Apple Inc. seems to think so, but I’m not so sure.

What you’ve just read was their ashy ad-campaign they

released in 1993 for their now ancient Macintosh Quadra

605 computer.

Of course, if you say the word ‘Macintosh’ to any 10 year

old today, they’ll no doubt cock their head to one side

and look at you as if you’re speaking a foreign language.

ey’ll probably go back to popping virtual bubble wrap

on their iPhone 5, the same iPhone 5 that will nd its

way into the rubbish in a year or so, perhaps even half a

year, to make way for a fresher and better model.

In this modern era, it appears frighteningly easy for us

to be swept up in the whirlwind of the new and the more

ecient. It is easy because the nature of evolution teaches

us so; to create something better than what we created

before.

But perhaps there’s something more to it. e term

‘planned obsolescence’ refers to an industrial design

policy of manufacturing a product to become obsolete,

which is out-dated or no longer functional aer a certain

period of time. American industrial designer Brooks

Stevens popularised the phrase in 1954 and dened it

as ‘Instilling in the buyer the desire to own something

a little newer, a little better, a little sooner than is

necessary.’ If this is the case, the device certainly does not

end up costing less, as Apple would have you believe.

ALL THINGS:

MINUS THE EFFORT

What price do we pay for new technology?

- asks Bridget Gilmartin.

So whilst this company has us wrapped around their

little nger as we power through iPhone models, almost

as if we will die if our current phone isn’t thinner or

lighter than the one we had before; we are constantly

dumping and buying and dumping and buying… and

what are we really creating?

Excessive waste. ‘E-waste’ as it is sometimes referred to,

describes discarded electronic equipment, which in the

United States alone makes up an estimated 70% of heavy

metals in landll. E-waste is an especially dangerous

form of rubbish as it gives o high concentrations

of toxins such as lead and phosphors. ese toxins

contaminate our water supply, our air and our soil, and

pose serious health risks to both humans and wildlife.

In addition to these threatening environmental concerns,

what is the rush for the new and the best taking away

from us, the individuals?

Apple’s 2011 slogan for the iCloud proposes that ‘this is

the cloud the way it should be: automatic and eortless.’

at’s the basic foundation of modern technology, right?

Don’t worry about the eort; we’ve got it covered. No

need to exercise your spelling skills, we’ll do it for you!

at pen is far too much work, how about some buttons?

You know what, even that’s too tough, just touch the

screen – think you can handlethat?

-‘It does more, it costs less. It’s that simple.’

Image by Rachel Plank

Independent Media Inspiring Minds

TAT GiRL

Now don’t get me wrong, I understand and respect the

ways in which modern technology is enhancing our

lives. But at the same time, I want the effort.

I want the grip of a pen between my ngers, and I want

to spend 15 minutes nding my way across Melbourne

City using a map, because maybe then at least I’ll achieve

something. When I have kids, I want them to feel the

burst of real bubble wrap, not just see and hear it pop on

a screen. I want them to get their hands dirty and paint

a picture with wet, sticky paint instead of on an app on

their iPhone. I want them to buy a second-hand book

and grip the worn and tattered pages and imagine where

it’s been and how many hands it’s fallen into before them.

e horrible question that grips me is: how long until

such things are impossible?

It would be hard not to notice the rapid decline of

printed literature today. Back in 2011, I was disheartened

to nd my local ‘Angus & Robertson’ bookstore had gone

out of business, and even more devastated to nd that

a total of 38 stores had been shutdown in Australia the

same year. All the while eBook sales are skyrocketing,

with an increase of 117% from 2010 to 2011, and

according to the global research rm Forrester, the sales

are expected to reach 9.7 billion by 2016.

I am in a constant struggle of wanting to keep up with

the times, yet resenting technology for continuing to give

us the easy way out. More simple. Less real.

e emoticons we send through our text messages

are not real emotions; ‘LOL’ is rarely a gesture of

real laughter. Your facebook prole is not a real

representation of you, and don’t let yourself believe that

it is. We live our lives in virtual worlds, glued to our little

rectangular screens and sometimes we forget that life is

happening. We forget to appreciate what isn’t made of

pixels.

We all have the ability to choose what aspects of our lives

are aected by technology, and we need to take control.

As thrilling as I’m sure the new iPhone is, it is vital to

maintain perspective. Live your life enhanced by the

wonders of modern technology, yet always full of the

charm and beauty of the real and natural world.

THE

AUSTRALIA

TIMES

Independent Media Inspiring Minds

TAT GiRL

THE

AUSTRALIA

TIMES

Like most people, I’m sure,

when I think about great

tasting food, corn is the

last thing on my mind. But

over the past few weeks

I have been surprisingly

mistaken, that small ugly

yellow vegetable tantalising

my taste buds. Corn, lime,

spices and cheese, all grilled

together in one amazing

little bundle is my newest

obsession, so much so I’m

considering moving to the

country to I can grow crops

of corn and have this dish for

breakfast, lunch and tea!

It all started when I was on

my ﬁrst solo road trip down

to Eildon early this year.

Needless to say, my terrible

driving skills and excitement

of driving alone meant that

inevitably I got a little lost.

And if you’ve ever been to

Eildon before, you’ll ﬁnd that

getting lost is like trying to

ﬁnd your way to the furthest

canal in Venice- its inevitable,

annoying, and sometimes a

bit smelly. So my GPS took

me along many unknown

pathways in the pitch black

darkness along the edge

of the steepest cli I’d ever

seen; and ended on the

point of left arm road when

I was meant to go to right

arm road. So, after 2 hours

of driving around in circles,

and my friends thinking I

was dead, I ﬁnally got to the

house, and all I wanted was

some chocolate, a hug, and

maybe even a bit of a cry.

But, instead of this warm

embrace, my friend passed

me a corn. I stared at her

perplexed- why on earth

would I now; out of all the

times in my life, want corn?

Intrigued by her strange

gesture, I took it from her,

and had a bite. Suddenly,

it didn’t matter I’d almost

fallen o a cli, gone round

in circles for hours, and had a

bit of a cry that my ﬁrst solo

road trip had failed; it was

just me, the chair, and that

amazing, most delicious corn

on the cob I’d ever tasted!

Independent Media Inspiring Minds

TAT GiRL

Image by Amy Freund

Ever since then, I haven’t

been able to get corn out

of my mind. I put corn on

everything now. I have it on

toasted sandwiches with tuna

and mayonnaise, I put it in

savoury muns, quiches,

pastries, and sometimes

I have a warm buttery

corn on the cob with some

warm buttery popcorn; just

because, well, I can.

So next time someone asks if

you want corn, or your notice

it in its green cocoon in the

supermarket; don’t sco and

leave it behind, take it home

and have a try. You may just

be surprised.

EAR-FOOD

The best accompaniments to

any meal- dare I say it- even

better than Wine:

Mumford and Sons: I will wait

- Their sweet hillbilly vibe will

have you up slapping your legs

in no time, corn kernels burst-

ing out of your mouth!

The Proclaimers: I would walk

500 miles (a thousand miles)

- and I’m not saying the one

that’s all sappy and beautiful;

I mean albino Scottish twins,

with glasses bigger than their

heads, screaming at the top

of their lungs about how they

walked a THEAUsand miles to

“fall down at your door,” much

like what I did when I reached

that house in Eildon.

Independent Media Inspiring Minds

THE

AUSTRALIA

TIMES

Independent Media Inspiring Minds

In this modern era of freedom of speech and

thought, religion has become a highly controversial

subject; the idea of forcing one’s beliefs upon others

is looked down upon regardless of their opinion.

This authoritative ﬁgure ‘God’, who is embodied

by a supreme, powerful being is hard for many to

conceptualize during this time after people have

become so liberated and empowered. In today’s

world of racial equality; women’s equal opportunity,

civil rights, and gay marriage legalization are all

commonplace. Not only are people capable of doing

more than ever, they are also achieving things, which

are condemned by the bible. This separation makes it

so much harder for people to relate to the biblical and

sacred concepts, which seem outdated in this modern

society. Religion has almost become this taboo; it

is often seen as a means of social control, and has

become a personal subject that provokes strife. The

renaissance saw an intellectual metamorphosis of

science, literature and when looking at the production

of art during the Renaissance, it epitomized secular

and detailed depictions of religious or historical

subjects. The existence of art during this era was

almost entirely reserved for biblical depictions, the

church using art during the Renaissance era to create

a holy place worthy of tribute to Christ, God and the

Saints, which in a way doubled as a form of a warning

to the public with the depictions of hell and suering,

evoking fear within people.

Graham expresses among many other art critics

and theorists that “the rise of Art was perceived to

coincide with a decline in Religion.” It was evident

that individuals involved with this and preceding

movements both denied religion to be the primary

focus of art, and deliberately set out to mock and

degrade sacred ideals. Graham concludes that art has

overcome religion; “Art is a natural contender to ﬁll the

vacuum left by religion.” It appears the two (art and

religion) are often seen as competitors and it seems

the twentieth and twenty-ﬁrst century have a new

direction and a new focus for the arts, transforming

how we compose and interpret art today.

Ultimately religion has become seen broadly as a

byproduct of humanity, a need for hope and faith

in something guiding or planning our future to give

Religion and Art

—Two Unlikely Parallels

Independent Media Inspiring Minds

TAT GiRL

us a sense of control. Or perhaps even the hunger

humanity has to know if we are doing the right

thing; a deﬁned contrast between what’s right

and wrong, and religion provides people with these

guidelines. A fundamental dierence between the

sacred in the present in contrast to the Renaissance

era is that ‘God’, and the Christian religion he

represents, were common knowledge and now many

people share their own beliefs. Many people are on

a pursuit of mysticism now that we are exposed to

so many forms of spiritualism along with scientiﬁc

information. Religion is viewed so broadly over the

world and many structure their lives and values by

the concepts. An assumption is frequently applied

to this dedication that the force of religion or ‘God’

is a form of social control; a forceful ﬁgure to fear,

to think of constantly through all your life decisions.

This is sometimes the belief people possess, but

religion doesn’t need to embody this form of a

controlling social order as it was embodied through

Renaissance art. This key point of summoning

concern from within the public was a form of social

control which the church had upon the population.

It seems that although this era “greatly stimulated

visual culture” and oered a crucial transformation

for the arts, most artists were limited by the subject

they were to depict as the rich or the church were

their only means of support.

Although religion can be seen as this byproduct of

humanity that we separate the real world from,

so can art. We do not need nor require art to live

or survive so when we look at the emergence and

development of early artworks the question becomes

“why are humans so compelled to create it and why

are people so inspired by it?” Perhaps the individual

beliefs people possess in regards to this controversial

topic of religion and the sacred will one day become

irrelevant. We have intellectually progressed as a

population and people have developed subjective

beliefs in regards to religion and are spiritual to

their own degree. Maybe one day we will be able to

recognize the beauty and brilliance behind how we

have and can conceptualize something beyond our

own existence, it is, essentially, what separates us

from every other organism on the planet.

Lana Thymianidis

Image by Google Images

THE

AUSTRALIA

TIMES

Independent Media Inspiring Minds

TAT GiRL

Paper Kites

Oh Yeah Wow studios

Melbourne Indie-folk band Paper Kites is taking over the music scene, their new and upcoming

album top on my list of must buys!

Their new and experimental film clip created by “Oh yeah wow” studios for their song “Young”

features a photomontage of faces, with a new face for every letter of the clip.

Here are a couple of tasters!

check out the new video clip here: http://ohyeahwow.com/the-paper-kites/

THE

AUSTRALIA

TIMES

Independent Media Inspiring Minds

Going Nowhere Fast

By Celeste Iuliano

As children most of us

are told the story of the

tortoise who miraculously

won the race against the

hare. I remember being

amazed—if the hare

hadn’t been so arrogant

and taken a nap, he would

have beaten that tortoise

by a mile! Suddenly, “slow

and steady wins the race”

became a catchphrase

yelled out in class and

across the playground.

Adults constantly reminded

us to be like the tortoise; to

take care with our work and

not to be disheartened if we

weren’t the fastest runners.

And everybody agreed that

nobody wanted to be like

the hare that made a stupid

mistake and lost the easiest

race of his life.

So what made us change

our minds?

Independent Media Inspiring Minds

TAT GiRL

Everywhere I look I see hares.

Hares darting through traffic,

taking on shifts they don’t

have time for, cramming five

subjects into a semester, and

going nowhere fast. Somewhere

between ending primary school

and entering “the real world,”

we have abandoned this simple

lesson of taking it easy. And why

not? It’s expected! As we grow

older, we begin to accept more

and more responsibility. It seems

as though those parents and

teachers who once told us to slow

down, are now pressuring us to

achieve our goals faster and on

top of this, countless self-help

articles constantly encourage

us to multi-task. They assure us

that we can graduate early, get

that promotion within the month,

finally find ‘the one’, learn a new

instrument, take up yoga, and

cure cancer simply by using an

organisational chart. It doesn’t

help that everybody around us

appears to manage to do all this

and more without breaking a

sweat, and so we feel the need to

keep up.

But let me ask you this: Have

you ever been next to a driver

on the road who aggressively

accelerated to overtake every car

in his or her path? Who changed

lanes like a madman just to get

in front of the traffic? If you have,

just think of how many times you

ended up parallel to this car at

the next set of traffic lights. I’m

willing to bet this is the usual

outcome. Isn’t it ironic that this

person, who does everything to

get ahead, always ends up in the

same position that you are in?

In fact, usually they are worse

off. This manic driver has run

the risk of speeding tickets and

accidents along the way, and I

can guarantee that his or her

stress levels are astronomical. And

that’s the thing about rushing to

your destination; often you make

mistakes along the way.

Unfortunately, however, many

of us suffer from what I like to

call “relaxation guilt”. It’s that

gut-wrenching feeling you get

every time you take time out

to lie around, read a book, or

simply say no to taking on a

new commitment. The idea that

we must constantly be active,

constantly achieving, eliminates

any possibility of enjoying

some well deserved time out.

Worst of all, it can lead us to

create messy problems which

are hard to rectify. I can’t call

myself an exception – I know the

consequences of refusing to slow

down all too well. For as long as

I can remember I’ve had a plan:

Finish high school at 17. Graduate

from university by 22. Score an

amazing job within the year. Get

married somewhere between

25 and 30, and start a family

by 33. In my haste to tick every

box on this list, I’ve found myself

overloading units at university

and study during the summer

semester. This has left me with

an ever present headache and an

uncontrollable tick in my left eye...

but hey! I’m working to time! Or

at least I was until I decided to

re-enrol for the semester without

reading the instructions – “Who

needs those”, I thought, “I know

what I’m doing. I want to submit

this form straight away and

have it off my mind!” You know

what happened next. Of course,

I enrolled in the wrong unit and

had to stare down the possibility

of returning for an extra semester

to complete the right one. All

the time, effort, stress, tears, and

summer days spent indoors for

nothing! And it was all because I

refused to slow down.

So, I have a challenge for all of

you hardworking multi-taskers.

Be the tortoise! Stop. Say no.

Refuse to work on Saturday when

you’d rather watch TV in your

pyjamas. Don’t check your work

emails while you’re going for a

walk. Give yourself a break, and

consider under loading for one

semester. And importantly, don’t

feel guilty about it. You deserve

it! Unfortunately there will always

be people out there who will try

to convince you that this is the

“slackers’ route”, but nothing

could be further from the truth.

The idea is not to completely

give up on goals and never

complete tasks. Instead, it is to

pace yourself, manage fewer

tasks at a time, complete them

slowly and complete them well.

As the famous Lao Tzu saying

goes “Nature does not hurry,

yet everything is accomplished”.

You’ll find that by taking the time

to slow down and cut back on

commitments, you will produce

better results and, importantly,

improve your general wellbeing.

If that’s not enough to convince

you, let me leave you with an

Italian proverb about the dangers

of rushing: “La gatta frettolosa

fa i gattini ciechi” or “The hasty

cat makes blind kittens”. Clearly,

whoever coined that phrase, was

also in a bit of a hurry.

THE

AUSTRALIA

TIMES

Independent Media Inspiring Minds

—Lorde

STILL SANE

By Eilish Gilligan

I’m little, but I’m coming for the crown.

I’m little, but I’m coming for you.

Independent Media Inspiring Minds

TAT GiRL

It’s 7.30-something. We landed a couple of hours ago, and

we made it to the hotel, somehow. On the way there, I sat

in the back of the van with my nose pressed up against

the window, trying to remember everything and feel it

all in present tense. My boys are laughing and making

gags and I’m laughing too, mainly because I can’t think

of anything else to do, mainly because I’m in a state of

shock and a state of dreaming all at once, and to be

honest; everything just seems so funny. I’m here, further

away from my home than I’ve ever been, wiping sweat

from my forehead, little hyper heart pounding, looking up

into the concrete sky and the alien haze. This is hilarious.

I’m sitting by the pool. I called my mum earlier and

she sounded far, far away, and I think about the ocean

between us as I dangle my feet in the water. The boys

are trying to stand on each other’s shoulders and I sketch

them in my diary, turning them into frantic strokes of pen

against paper. Somehow, the mess seems right; it seems

silly to try and capture them still because they never are,

and it seems redundant trying to cage their beauty and

their youth, because these things are so ephemeral, I

guess. I give up, slide into the pool, and ﬂoat on my back,

staring into the dusk, and wondering when we’ll dry o

and explore dinner options. I suppose we’ll just go back

to the rooms and eat the creepy stu we found at the

convenience store earlier, and get drunk on duty-free

liquor from the airport. That’s ﬁne by me.

I was right. We push all the beds together in one of our

rooms to make one super-bed, and we all collapse onto it,

drinking vodka, and watching a Korean soap opera. Each

of the boys tries to outdo the other, and its joke after joke

after joke with them. I like to sit quietly and listen and

giggle and go along with mostly everything, taking notes

in my head and trying to remember the moments that

could, one day, be nurtured into songs.

I don’t know where I’m going, literally and ﬁguratively. I

check my luggage in, and mostly people stare because I’m

wearing a big crown of ﬂowers on my head and I’m just

getting on a plane. I don’t care. I wear ﬂowers because

they are beautiful and I want to be beautiful, and I will

never stop wanting that, not on planes, not in bathrooms,

not anywhere, and not ever. I guess I’m hungry for

everything; I sit at subway in the Singapore airport, eating

a tuna wrap and my stomach’s full, but there’s something

under my stomach or deep in my heart or in my brain or

in my lungs, that’s still hungry.

I guess i’m looking for everything to ﬁll it up. I want to be

everything...I’m coming for you.

Image by: blog.jaccobmckay.com

THE

AUSTRALIA

TIMES

Independent Media Inspiring Minds

TAT GiRL

Image by Tina Afshar

THE

AUSTRALIA

TIMES

Independent Media Inspiring Minds

Image by Tina Afshar

Independent Media Inspiring Minds

TAT GiRL

THE

AUSTRALIA

TIMES

Independent Media Inspiring Minds