S&A Magazine Issue 9 – Volume 2

January 2022 Issue

Issue 9 – Volume 2

Holiday of the Month
Sketchbook Page
Quote of the Month
Craft
Drawing Prompt
Sustainable Fashion
Main Article
Recipe
Bonus: Gorgeous Camellias (Photo Gallery)

Above: Camellia flowers blooming in the winter See bonus section for more camellias.

Holiday of the Month

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Introduction

Martin Luther King Jr. or MLK is a very prominent figure in American history. His legacy and beliefs are still valued today by many. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a holiday that holds great importance in racial issues of the United States and is a holiday that everyone should know more about.

History

America has never been perfect in terms of the treatment of minorities. People of color and African Americans have struggled to be seen as equal throughout generations. Martin Luther King recognized these great disparities and made sure to take a stand against them. Growing up, MLK did not have an ideal childhood. He was a victim of an abusive household. He also shared a now popular story from his childhood that was about a white friend of his who had to go to a different school due to segregation. Over time, King started to truly understand the weight of racism in America. King started organizing boycotts, peaceful protests, and famously moving speeches to spread awareness of the injustice in America. He took inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi’s view on peace rather than violence. King also used Christianity and his religion to guide himself and others throughout a time riddled with horrible discrimination. His moving words and lasting impact on America earned him a federal holiday that is observed on the third Monday of January (meaning it is on January 17th this year). During this holiday, Americans take time to acknowledge the issues that are ingrained into American history and how one person’s activism helped create a ripple effect of equality.

Interview

We decided to interview someone on how they feel about Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Here is what they had to say.

What does the holiday mean to you?

So basically MLK, he’s sorta like this beacon of hope in a way. He’s the icon that I’ve known about ever since I was little. I mean I literally grew up hearing stories from my dad about him and what he means to us as black people. And while I have heard some bad things about him in recent years, I still think he’s just this great hero who advocated for civil rights and is literally the face of the movement. And I feel like now, with George Floyd and everything that’s happened in recent years, he’s even more important today.

Do you think MLK would be proud of the current state of America?

I feel like he would be proud of some of the progress we’ve made. There’s more equality in the US than there was when he was growing up and during the 60s. However, I still think that he’d also be ashamed of a lot that’s going on with America right now. The system is still against us, the police still target black people specifically, we’ve still got so much racism in America. I feel like he’d be proud, but he’d still think so much more progress would need to be made.

How do you think parents/people should teach their kids about MLK?

I feel like a certain level of respect should be used when it comes to teaching about MLK. He’s this icon and he just deserves a great deal of respect when being taught. And people shouldn’t shy away from addressing the darker aspects of his legacy like the affairs and such. They should address all of it. There really shouldn’t be a kid in the work who doesn’t know about MLK and his legacy.

Conclusion

Even though this holiday doesn’t seem like much, next time you think about this day, take a moment to appreciate how hard Martin Luther King Jr., as well as many others, fought for civil rights and think about how his movement changed the world we live in today. From Martin Luther King Jr.’s powerful courage and determination, we can learn to make the world the place we want it to be.

Sketchbook Page

A Vibrant Palette

I love experimenting with color, which is why I enjoyed making these sketches so much. By gathering inspiration from 70’s and 80’s psychedelic styles, I was able to create vivid color combinations. I also added scraps of paper from an old book I found to give the page more detail.

Quote of the Month

January Quote

This month’s quote is by Thich Nhat Hanh. I chose this quote because it is quite simple yet powerful. For the lotus background, I was inspired to draw it based on a piece of fabric that I love. From this quote, I would like to take away that the best things take effort, struggle, and grit.

Craft

Vintage-Style Bracelets

Travel back in time with these DIY vintage-style bracelets! These are colorful, stylish, and easy to make!

Supplies

Assorted vintage or retro beads
Copper wire
Two “lobster claw” jewelry clasps
Scissors
Anything else you would like to incorporate into your design

Directions

Cut a piece of wire a little longer than the length around your wrist.
Tie a knot on one end of the wire, so the beads don’t fall off.
Begin placing your beads on the wire. (I arranged mine in a rainbow pattern)
Once all your beads are on the wire, cut off any excess wire, leaving some to attach the clasp to.
Place both clasps on either end of your bracelet and twist the wire around so the clasps stay in place.
To wear the bracelet, simply clip the two clasps together.

Drawing Prompt

Draw a Face

For this month’s drawing prompt, try focusing more on drawing just the face of a character. Usually, I find that I tend to focus more on the entire body of a character, which leaves me to make less detailed faces. So, I decided to only focus on the face and take time to think about contour and highlights. I took inspiration from makeup techniques to make my character look more realistic. You can send a picture of your finished drawing prompt to sandazine@gmail.com!

Sustainable Fashion

An Outfit Styled With Sotela

Sotela is a clothing brand based in Los Angeles, California that is dedicated to creating clothing that is inclusive and eco-friendly. Sotela embraces that people’s bodies fluctuate and the brand makes clothing that is accepting of that.

Canela Dress in Paprika – $57.25

Below: A color palette inspired by this month’s sustainable fashion

Main Article

Finding Inspiration in Everyday Life

Introduction

Everyone feels unmotivated at times. In fact, this is completely normal! However, if you are struggling with feeling unmotivated, finding inspiration can be very helpful. This may sound challenging, but it’s actually fairly easy to find inspiration in everyday life. To help with this, here are five ways you can find inspiration.

Go outside or in nature

Connecting with nature is always a great way to find inspiration. (See our article in Issue 7 about connecting to nature) Nature helps us become a part of the world around us and relax us. Look for animals, plants, and even people — all things that can be inspiring.

Take photos

Taking photos sounds easy, but this can be helpful, especially for artists and photographers. Try creating a collection of photos that have a consistent theme or message. For example, the photos in the collage below fit into the theme “black and white photos with patterns”. Creating a theme can help you experiment with new techniques and styles of art and photography.

Take a walk

Whether you are in an urban environment or in nature, taking walks is a simple way to find inspiration. Take inspiration from the people around you – how are they dressed? What are they doing? What do they look like?

Create a vision board

Even if you aren’t completely sure what your vision is or what inspires you, find photos, articles, and art that you like and make a collage of them on your vision board. Try using a consistent color palette or a color palette that resonates with you.

Listen to music

For many people, listening to music can be a creative outlet and this is because you can gather inspiration from the singer or songwriter and use this in your poems, stories, or your own songs. If you are an artist, listening to music can also help you visualize what you want your art piece to look like or give you an idea of what to make next.

Conclusion

In conclusion, finding inspiration can benefit you and your life greatly and can be found in easy ways.

Recipe

Candied Fruit

This month’s recipe is inspired by tanghulu which is a beloved Chinese street food snack. My recipe is a little different from a traditional tanghulu recipe though because I use granulated sugar instead of Bing Tang. I also did not have any bamboo skewers on hand so I made a mini version with toothpicks. Despite these differences, it is amazing! The crunchy coating on the fruits makes them nice and glossy. The sugar also slightly cooks the strawberries which contributes to a deeper sweet flavor. You can try this recipe out and send us a picture at sandazine@gmail.com!

Time: 15 minutes

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients

10-13 Strawberries
Any other fruit you like (optional)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
A squeeze of lemon juice

Supplies

Candy thermometer (optional)
Block of styrofoarm to let the fruit cool
Skewers

Directions

Wash your fruit and chop off the top of your strawberries.
Add your sugar and water to a pan and put it over medium to high heat. Wait for your mixture to boil and squeeze in some lemon juice to prevent crystalization.
Use a candy thermometor to check if it is 300 degrees. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, dip some of the caramel into a bowl of cold water and see if it hardens.
Put your fuit on the skewers (I put mine on toothpicks because I did not have any skewers.) If you would like a more traditional tanghulu, put 2 or more of an even number of strawberries on the skewer.
Let the fruits dry by poking the skewers into a block of styrofome. (My fruit dripped a bit, so be aware that yours may as well.)
Let the coating harden and enjoy!

Bonus

Gorgeous Camellias: A Photo Gallery

This season, camellias are in full bloom so we decided to showcase their beauty in this photo gallery. These flowers thrive in cool climates with mild winters.