Music- Forest Swords

The Weight of GOLD

The creative collaboration between photographer/filmmaker Benjamin Millepied, dancer Billie Barry and Forest Sword.

We think it is a total winner absolutely stunning…

Organic Cosmetics by Florence Rolando

WHY OPT FOR ORGANIC COSMETICS?

Why should we care about chemicals in our shampoo if we rinse it well? And about our face lotion, as we only apply a very small quantity, once a day? To these question we can reply with an other one : why would it be so different from eating meat loaded with hormones and antibiotics, apples full of pesticides and fertilisers?

HOW THE SKIN ABSORBS CHEMICALS

What’s key to understand and to remember is that the skin is the biggest organ of the human body, and it is extremely permeable. It only takes 26 seconds for what you apply on your skin to be absorbed into the bloodstream. That why birth control or stop smoking patches work.

The skin will consumes part if not all the ingredients that are present in soaps, lotions, deodorants, shampoos, etc. Actually, the average amount of chemicals that people feed their bodies with, using cosmetics and toiletries, is 5 kilograms per year. These chemicals represent a dangerous, toxic cocktail, that accumulates in the tissues and organs of your body.

THE BAD EFFECTS OF CHEMICALS ON our HEALTH

These chemicals disrupt the endocrine system, they weaken the immunity, they suck energy and vitality, they go to the brain. Have you noticed or read that girls are showing signs of puberty at younger and younger ages? Parabens, phthalates, triclosan have been identified as disruptors of the hormone system. They may be responsible for premature puberty as they copy the effect of estrogen and puberty.

A LIST OF BAD CHEMICALS

Check for products without : Paraffin (petrolatum) – propylene glucol (PPG or PEG) – sodium laureth / lauryl sulfate (SLS) – parabens EDCS – parfum – phtalates. In priority for 1/ deodorants 2/ shampoos and conditioners 3/ hydrating cremes 4/ toothpaste (no fluoride). Then of course shaving creme, sun protection, tampons and sanitary pads, etc.

HOW TO CHOSE GOOD ORGANIC BRANDS AND PRODUCTS?

Like for food, go for small brands, ideally local, that you can find in reliable organic stores. I remember being shocked when I found out that a deodorant I bought at Whole Foods back in 2004 was loaded with parabens and other chemicals. I was very upset because I was assuming that paying more to shop at Whole Foods meant not having to look at labels. I was expecting the store to do that screening for me, and offering only “good products”. Keep the habit of checking labels at all times, especially since small labels that are totally safe when they launch see their composition change the day they are bought by large companies, with no warning on the packaging.  That’s the case for brands such as Burt’s Bee (Clorox Co), Aveda (Estee Lauder), Aveena, Origins (Estee Lauder), Tom’s of Main (Colgate-Palmolive), The Body Shop (L’Oreal), etc.

I highly recommend this 18 minute video by Claire Snowden Darling of Balanced Wellness. It explains in more detail what each of the chemicals does to your body, and this in a clear and simple way.

courtesy of Pirouette Blog by Florence Rolando

Winnicott Wednesdays-Artist Collective

10 artist who formed  Winnicott Wednesdays in 2010, whilst training to become art psychotherapists at Goldsmiths University began to meet most weeks (usually on a Wednesday) to debrief on their personal and collective experiences of the course; to try to make sense of psychoanalysis and art; and to attempt to reconcile the ongoing, often conflicting nature of the dual roles of artist and art therapist. As we negotiated our quite often baffling emotional reactions and responses to the subject matter of the training. we began to form friendships... these regular meetings became known as ‘Winnicott Wednesdays’. The group is an open collective of like minded individuals working together to create art and continue our discourse.

Their first group exhibition is opening this week
Traces: The Unthought Known

In 'The Shadow of the Object', psychoanalyst Bollas (1987) considers the aesthetic moment, reverential and awesome, is actually a 'crystallised' moment in time and space related to our first aesthetic experience; the maternal holding environment. His seminal work explores the idea of memories known but unthought and traces of these memories we all hold, benevolent or otherwise. They are essentially wordless states from a time before language sponsored by the mother.

Art psychotherapy, being primarily a non-verbal therapy, has the potential to uncover these phenomena that seem to determine the way we are in the world. Through dream work, image making and projective identification, (that is, the therapists ability to ‘hold’ what cannot be ‘thought about’), it can become possible to unlock the deep, felt experiences that reside in the unthought known.

The work by the artists in this exhibition reflects this interesting juncture between consciousness and the unthought known - each artist has responded and commented in their own idiosyncratic way.

The Darnley Gallery
1a Darnley Road
Hackney E9 6QH

17 - 21 February 2014

Private ViewWednesday
19 February 5-9pm

L O S T

When reality is consuming me

It's hard to see dreams

Yes behind this face of a clown

You wont listen 

These screams

The thunder of darkest clouds

Shines the soul of mine

Inside I am dead and torn apart

But for You my L O V E 

Yes I am fine

Long lasting conversations 

Disappeared in the shadows

Of past

Don't know how long

Could I bear

How long 

Will this truth last

Shiniest was the sun

Brightest were the stars

Until I woke up

From this beautiful dream

Now

Here

Burned bruised scarred

Whispers from the lips of an angel haunt me

When I hear my name

You might be gone

But the ghost of you will still remain

from anonymous 13 year old in London

Battle of the BIKERS

Eeekkk our chalk and wild love affair with badlands and ragged priest started many moons ago - hands down these 2 are in a leauge of their own when it comes to bad arse!! their studded leather, punk fresh designs and vintage reworked clothing is defo up their!!!.......check out Chalk and Wild's teen photographer Ivy's snaps…..

http://badlands777.com/home
http://theraggedpriest.com

Modern Society

by Zarah and Bridie

All teenagers want the perfect look, the perfect hair, the perfect body. But in reality no one is perfect.

The models you see in magazines and music videos aren’t half as flawless or skinny as they may appear. Yes, even Beyoncé isn’t perfect (although she is QueenBey). I can assure you most photos you see, are airbrushed and edited. However this doesn’t mean to say she isn’t a genuine person. Teenagers aspire to look like models and deprive themselves of food just for the ‘perfect’ body. Who is to define perfect??

Sites like Tumblr and Instagram are great to have a laugh but there are high numbers of depression because people don’t look right or aren’t a size 4.

People constantly feel out of place in society for how they look because they feel like they’re ‘too fat’ or ‘too different’. You hear people calling other people fat and ugly, but a mirror is enough to break a person without the constant comments and hate from the society we live in today.

Every single person in this world has flaws; no one will love you until you learn to love yourself. You are unique and beautiful in your own way, shape and form. Everyone is.

teenage tears and fears........

let go of the 'grown up' ideal of suppressing one's feelings and fears. Instead of feeling fear or even nothing, we should fill our hearts with love, and express ourselves. Do not let our hearts become cold as generations before have done. many grown ups say it is a mistake to feel and act our emotions out, as if it where a mistake to cry. But if you go through life without expression and feeling, you will live through your life and experience only dryness and then death.
By staying positive, opening up to friend and loved ones - talking out loud.... feeling, laughing, crying, we will conquer fears, experience life and form bonds, yes no doubt along the way he or she that wears their heart on their sleeve may have their hearts broken, but take the risk, at least you're feeling, experiencing learning and living.

The power within that makes us cry may cause chaos in our minds, but like the rain it nurishes its surrounding and remember after the rain the clouds clear then the sun will shine - so go ahead and let it out, believe in yourself allow your emotions to show..... open up laugh love and live.......  life is for living not living uptight so go on let the tears help wash the pain away Its good to cry........  let it out x

▲Meet BRIDIE▲

And Bridie will be also blogging for us we warmly welcome her onboard !!!

Here she is

Bridie Louise Moulds from Sheffield, 16 and love photography, tumblr, music, fashion, performing arts, live music, concerts and the media.

★Meet Zarah ★

Zarah will be blogging for us here she is……

Hi, I am Zarah Hameed, 16 and i live in Sheffield. I love fashion, photography, music and concerts. Favourite bands are Paramore, Ym@6, The Story So Far and The 1975♫