Innholdsfortegnelse for Feel Good 2024 i frankie Magazine

There’s a famous – supposedly motivational – saying that goes a little something like this: Great things never came from comfort zones. To that we say, pfft! Literal or figurative, comfort zones are often exactly what you need to feel inspired, supported and safe enough to take a risk and do something challenging, whether it’s exploring your creative side (page 28) or striking up a convo with a stranger (page 42). It’s about time that comfort zones got their due, so we’ve designed this issue of frankie feel-good to be a comfort zone in paper form. You’ll find anxiety-soothing craft activities and pretty pictures, advice for navigating the cost-of-living omnishambles and combating loneliness, a few silly giggles (of course), and best of all, plenty of reminders to be kind to…

This is a great dinner full of hearty vegetables that go so well with the spiced tomato sauce. Technically speaking, it’s more a stew than a tagine because it’s cooked in a pan rather than the type of earthenware tagine that lends the dish its name. Of course, if you have a tagine then feel free to cook it that way. INGREDIENTS – 1 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil– 1 large onion, sliced– 2 garlic cloves, crushed or finely grated– 1 butternut pumpkin, peeled, de-seeded and cut into bite-sized pieces– 3 carrots, roughly chopped– 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin– 1 1/2 tsp ground coriander– 1 tsp smoked paprika– 1 tsp ground cinnamon– 500ml vegetable stock– 1 × 400g tin chopped tomatoes– 2 tbsp tomato paste– 1 × 400g tin borlotti beans,…

CHAPTER TWO NICE DUDS Let’s be real: you need new undies (come on, you know you do), and Nisa makes really good ones for all shapes and sizes. Seems like a match made in undergarment heaven, but if you need further convincing, know that this Kiwi brand is all about creating meaningful employment opportunities for refugee and migrant women, while keeping a mindful eye on sustainability too. nisa.co.nz WEAR YOUR STRIPES Once upon a time, people were mad about exposing their ankles. Socks were so tiny, they barely existed at all, and pants were religiously cuffed to reveal a trendy slice of skin. Happily for our freezing ankles, those days are now over. It’s a good news story for tigers too, because these fun socks, embroidered with the magnificent kitties,…

karina 41, AUTHOR Bookstagram is a great place to make friends. You can engage with others who read and like the same books as you, so you instantly have a shortcut to friendship. And even if you don’t have the same thoughts on a book, you have this shared world together so you can leapfrog through some intimacy milestones and forge a really great friendship. I also find that you don’t necessarily have to meet your friend in real life; you can have some deep connections online and they are legitimate friendships. You can get to know each other’s lives and be there offering advice and sharing things as genuine friends, knowing that the initial connection point that brought you together was your love of books. nim 38, ENTREPRENEUR I…

CHAPTER THREE grow for it LITTLE HELPERS TO MAKE YOUR GARDEN FLOURISH.…

Back in the late ’70s, Canadian composer Mort Garson fired up his Moog synthesiser and created Mother Earth’s Plantasia – an early work of electronic music chock-full of whimsical melodies and soothing synth-y chords that has since found a cult following with millennials and zoomers alike. This album was unique not only for being a pioneer in the electronic genre, but also for the fact that its intended audience was a previously untapped market: plants. This could be, in part, thanks to Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird’s bestselling 1973 book The Secret Life of Plants, which had some interesting (and highly contested) things to say about our botanical buddies. We’re still not convinced that mustard seeds can communicate with far-off galaxies, but what this book had to say about plants’…

Hi Victoria! In your new book Money Diaries you talk to a diverse bunch of people about their relationship with money, good and bad. Why is the way we think and talk about money so important? Money is that one thing that impacts every aspect of our life. It impacts our social lives, our physical being, our mental health, our ability to work. So how we think about money is important because it’s not just how we think about it, it’s how we manifest that into our lives. It’s how we interact with it on a daily basis. And at the end of the day, unfortunately, money is that one thing you can’t avoid. It’s going to put a roof over your head, it’s going to put food on the…

A few years ago I was on a sailing trip when a man jumped overboard and disappeared from sight. It was a vanity voyage on a traditional tall ship, so I was about as unequipped to handle it as a person could possibly be. The alarm was raised, and those of us on deck did what we’d been told to do in such a situation: look and point. Keep your eyes on the victim and your finger in their direction as long as you possibly can. It seemed easy. The sea was mostly calm and the man was brightly dressed. Each time he dipped gently between the swell I knew exactly where he would pop up again. Until he didn’t. One moment he was there and then he was gone.…

CHAPTER ONE CHEAP EATS WITH COOKBOOK AUTHOR LUCY TWEED What’s your go-to quick dish? Nothing beats pasta. It’s the fastest thing, and it needs nothing. Just pan-fry garlic, anchovies and parsley, toss it with pasta and call it dinner. Your fave cheap but impressive meal? I am all about stew at the moment. I’ve just launched some workshops where I’m teaching people how to take the cheapest cuts of meat and turn them into three incredible meals, like red curry noodle soup or a burrito bowl. It’s great for a dinner party because everyone wows over something slow-cooked. Make a big lamb ragu and then put energy into condiments like burrata, pangrattato or gremolata. What are your store-cupboard staples? Olive oil and salt. They’re the two things that, when they…

Maybe you’ve heard of wabi-sabi, the Japanese philosophy that celebrates the beauty of imperfection. Kintsugi goes hand in hand with this concept. Dating back to the 15th century, kintsugi is a traditional process of repairing broken pottery with gold. It isn’t just gorgeous to look at, it also teaches us that by embracing flaws, we can create a stronger, more beautiful piece of art. “Kintsugi is a reminder to stay optimistic when things fall apart and to celebrate the flaws and missteps of life,” says ceramicist Kirstin Farr, who teaches a contemporary kintsugi technique at Stone Studio in Northern NSW and uses the method to repair her own damaged pieces. “It can help us to develop a deeper sense of resilience in the face of adversity.” This project will guide…

Hi Hop! Tell us a bit about yourself and how you got started in art. I live and work on Wadawurrung country (Djilang/Geelong) and I have two daughters aged six and 10 with my partner, Kate Harris, who is a writer. I always drew as a child, copying comics like Whizzer and Chips and Footrot Flats. As a teenager, I’d wanted to be a writer, but my high school art teacher was really into the Impressionists and plein air painting and after we went on a couple of art camps, I was hooked on paint. In year 12, my parents bought an old caravan for me to live in, as we were running out of room in the house. It was like living in a studio space and I taught…

DOUBLE AGENT Everything everywhere all at once: not just a good movie but an accurate way to describe plastic, the scourge of our times. Helpfully, US scientists have developed a genius plan to defeat this super-villain: infect it with eco-friendly bacteria. During the production process, thermoplastic polyurethane (a common plastic) is mixed with spores of Bacillus subtilis, a strain of plastic-eating bacteria, which stay undercover until the product is tossed into compost or dirt. Then, like the heroes they are, they activate and get to work breaking down the bad guy. Not only are the bacteria safe for humans, animals and plants, they also chew through 90 per cent of the plastic in just five months. The scientists are now working on a way to speed up the degradation process…

When did you begin your art journey? I have been making digital art since I was a kid. I remember downloading a cracked version of Photoshop and making awful edits. It wasn’t until I was 18 at a rehabilitation centre for my mental health when I turned to something to distract me from what was going on internally: art. I didn’t have any idea that it would become my full-time job, but I’m grateful that I took those first steps. Why a retro aesthetic? I grew up visiting downtown Toronto to go thrift shopping with my friends. My passion for searching through vintage designs has definitely impacted my art style. Also, my favourite feeling is nostalgia. Talk to us about your commitment to create a poster every day in 2020.…

THE MOJO BOOSTER: JASMINE No other scent quite captures a sultry, seductive summer as well as wafts of jasmine pouring through your windows. It’s sexy, edgy and, yes, may sometimes be overpowering – a chemical called ‘indole’ gives jasmine its unique scent, but, er, can smell a bit like pee in high concentrations. Jasmine remains one of the most popular scents used to build fragrances – and when blended with green tea, it can settle your stomach after a rich meal. (Also sexy.) Grow guide: Common jasmine (Jasminum officinale) or ‘poet’s jasmine’ is one of the most popular and aromatic varieties, best grown in a large pot if you don’t want it to take over your garden – give it a trellis to climb, feed every so often and keep…

PUKKA RELAX The absolute grip hold this “relax” tea has on my family – a family who have not relaxed for a single day of their lives – is uncanny. I think it was my mum who initially started buying it, which is hilarious to me because she is always in turbo mode. She regularly makes two loaves of bread and a slew of biscuits before dawn breaks, waits outside department stores daring them to open as the clock strikes 9am (literally holding back tears of excitement if it’s a big sale) and cannot maintain any form of silence for more than 10 seconds (her equally lovely other daughter and I have timed her). I struggle to believe that this bag of dried chamomile flowers and various roots (liquorice, marshmallow…

When you squeal over something cute, you’re not being weird. You’re actually responding to what Nobel Prize-winning scientist Konrad Lorenz described as “an innate releasing mechanism” that’s been programmed into you to ensure you’ll love and protect cute things – specifically, babies. Back in 1872, Charles Darwin suggested there must be something about kids that makes adults want to care for them and not flush them down the loo (I’m paraphrasing), but it was only in 1943 that someone went to the effort of figuring out exactly what that is. Enter Konrad with his Kindchenschema , or 'baby schema' for anyone who doesn’t speak Deutsch. The baby schema is a bunch of visual elements occurring on a bub that make you automatically smile: their disproportionately large head; big eyes set…

As the sun rose on January 1st this year, I wove my way through Melbourne’s sleepy outer suburbs to attend an equine therapy session in Victoria’s Yarra Valley. It was something I’d always wanted to do and after weeks of trying to find a convenient time, New Year’s Day became the date to be. Driving through Dandenong with the streets to myself, I got to see part of Melbourne through a different lens. In the bright calm of a summer’s day yet to heat up, my surroundings were set at a pace I could take them in. With just the birdlife, trees, architecture and me, the landscape felt friendly and benign. At other times, going anywhere beyond the familiar can feel as disorientating as visiting another planet. For the most…

When you cut yourself, you reach for a bandaid. Got a cold? Some chicken soup is in order. And if you’ve had a rough day or you’ve been bruised by life, you can support your mental health with a creative remedy. That’s the concept behind Creative First Aid by Caitlin Marshall and Lizzie Rose. Caitlin and Lizzie are the founders of MakeShift, an agency that provides trauma-informed creativity and mental health programs around Australia, so they’ve seen first-hand the powerful impact that making stuff can have on mental wellbeing. “Creative first aid is about the impact that practising creativity for fun can have on us,” Lizzie explains. “It’s an approach to life that uses our innate creativity to protect and support our mental health.” It’s not the same as art…

Last time you were at a festival, after you queued for a solid 25 minutes for that delicious veggie burger (the one with the perfect combo of sweet chilli and satay sauce), you probably didn’t think much about what it came in. Chances are it was wrapped in paper or sat on a cardboard or plastic plate that you chucked in the bin. Maybe you lingered by the yellow and green bins, unsure which to use, before remembering that any plate with food residue is headed to landfill anyway. Next time you order that same burger, it may well be served on a reusable bamboo fibre plate. When you finish your meal, you’ll put the plate into a special pink bin, where it will head back to a wash station…

For Lauren Kathleen, there’s nothing more nurturing than spending time in nature. As a child of passionate gardeners, Lauren has been immersed in green spaces – both wild and cultivated – her whole life. “Nature has been my playground since I was little,” she explains. “When I am absorbed in nature, I feel a deep sense of connection – to the earth, my life purpose, and to myself.” It’s no wonder then that trees, flowers and landscapes feature in her vibrant and whimsical illustrations – but while Lauren heads outdoors for inspiration, she works primarily digitally, bringing snippets of the real world to life on screen. “I try to create a good balance between screen time and spending time outside,” Lauren admits. “I love working digitally because of how convenient…

I recently moved back to Brisbane after studying in Melbourne for four years. I have moved into the unit underneath my mum and stepdad’s place. I spend many a night upstairs with the ’rents, watching movies, drinking sparkling water with grapefruit cordial, and eating their food (thanks, Mum and Graham. One day I will be able to afford my own salmon, I promise). On Friday nights, I go to my dad’s place to binge-watch Game of Thrones. On Saturdays, I catch up with the friends I’ve had for almost 25 years. On Sundays, I head to my stepmum’s place for a cuppa, and catch up with my siblings. Life in Brisbane is pretty sweet. It’s relaxed. Calm. Wholesome. Everywhere I need to go is 10 minutes’ drive away, at most.…

If you were asked to describe yourself in just one word, what would you say? Funny? Weird? Optimistic? Horny? These are some of the responses Perth artist Carla Adams received when she posed the question to 1000 men she matched with on Tinder. “I think a lot of people really thought about what they were going to say, which was interesting and great,” she says. “The one that really sticks with me is one guy said ‘enigmatic’, which I would never say about myself. I would love it if someone described me as that. But wow – what a word to go with.” Carla presented the data in her 2019 series of paintings and sculptures, Describe Yourself in One Word. Like many of her projects, the series explores the “slippery…

CHAPTER FIVE SPILL THE TEA For some, tea is not just a beverage – it’s a ritual. Hence, sipping it from a plain old mug feels, best case, underwhelming and, worst case, straight up sacrilegious. Thankfully, the lords at T2 make fancy tea pots for one, so you can enjoy your solo bev without getting bored. Hallelujah! $78, t2tea.com TWINKLE TWINKLE We simply couldn’t run a list of lovely luxurious products without including Romance Was Born in the round-up. The dreamy Sydney label by creative duo Anna Plunkett and Luke Sales is renowned for its glittering, glimmering garms and accessories. While we’d love to get our mitts on any of the label’s wares, we’re currently smitten with these mismatched rainbow dangles ($180). The set includes one long glitzy strand of…

How did Kina and Tam get started? Honestly, I feel like my whole life has prepared me for this! Growing up, I wanted to fit in; I wanted to be liked by everybody. But I also had this really deep desire to explore and experiment with clothing. Ultimately I decided to show up at school wearing whatever I wanted, and I think the act of doing this again and again, along with so many fashion-related hobbies like DIY, clothes flipping and fashion blogging, ultimately led me to Kina and Tam. Fast-forward to 2017 and fast fashion in Australia was extremely rampant but nothing I saw was really me, so my partner, Gianni Kina, and I pooled our money to start Kina and Tam. At the time there weren’t many small…

hey, you! in case you need a reminder: it’s OK to not be OK. and it’s more than OK to reach out for help if you need it. there are loads of wonderful organisations that can connect you with someone to talk to in times of crisis or provide helpful info if you’re going through a stressful time, whatever it may be. here, we’ve put together a bunch of places where you can find support. this list isn’t exhaustive, but we hope it helps you – or a friend – when you need it. 24-HOUR CRISIS LINES In an emergency, call 000 In New Zealand, call 111 Lifeline Australia: 13 11 14Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636MensLine Australia: 1300 78 99 78Kids Helpline: 1800 55…