Editor's Letter / Blacklisted Autumn 2015

So much gratitude goes out to each and every person that buys into this dream of mine: Blacklisted. Never before have I felt such joy as I did this week while watching my baby fly out into the world to be received with open arms.

To celebrate, I'd love to share the editor's letter with you all to show my gratitude. Blacklisted has never been in better hands and I love what the future looks like right now. So to all of you taking the journey with me, enough thanks will never be said.

xx All my love

It doesn’t take long to forget where you came from.

I was reminded of this the other day when travelling through town and noticing all the “youths”. They were languidly reclining all over the public seating in the town square whilst their lookalike friends flapped around with animated hand gestures. They were probably telling them something really important such as the funky gel they had in their matted hair or the brand of socks they would be wearing had they bothered to put on the washing that morning.

I am usually quick to judge, and did so on this occasion, as the righteous thought ran through my mind, ‘They’re bringing the look of my city down!’ I showed this disdain by glaring pointedly in their direction and nearly caused a crash, as I was zipping by on my scooter at a neat 50 kilometres an hour. Needless to say, the flapping turned into a flipping of the bird, so to speak, and I hurried along, hoping their teenage brains didn’t have much recollective memory.

After a little walk to my studio, a prolonged dragging of myself up some unnecessarily long stairs, a 15 minute recovery at the top and a brief soul search, I realised I had been unnecessarily harsh.

I had once been a youth, with each hair follicle teeming with the popular gel of the time. My drop crotch pants, complete with wallet chain, tucked into my fake Converse high top boots was complemented by an array of horrible rubber arm bands and a hoodie of some sort. 

All this to say that I had forgotten where I had come from and therefore made an unvalidated judgement call on what could have been some lovely young people.

As Blacklisted moves on to bigger and better things, we will endeavour not to forget where we come from and the people who have been supporting us along the way. We wouldn’t be here without you. And for that we thank you wholeheartedly.

Rough

I am a rough friend.

I usually take the kid gloves off when dealing with my friends and they get the tough end of the stick. Unfortunately this means that I hurt and offend a few friends and have probably lost a few due to misunderstandings and impatience.

But don't the best friendships all develop when you can be your honest self and say what you want to say? When you don't have to treat the other person like some delicate china up on the shelf gathering dust?

I don't mean we should go around without any sort of discipline and just say what we want. But when something needs to be said, it needs to be said.

I would hope that people trust me and my intuition, my heart. I would hope they know that I wouldn't say something just to hurt them just for the sake of it. If only they would see past the words and choose instead to see the motive and the meaning behind the words. Even if the words are clumsy and faltering.

I would much rather have honest and raw, messy relationships than tidy, boxy, clinical ones.

So if you're one of my friends and you are looking for a shoulder to cry on. I will try to be that friend. If you are in the middle of a messy situation, I will be there to help you out. If you need a bed, or advice, or a gun, I can be your girl.

But I will always be honest. I will say my piece. And then you will say yours. We'll talk, we'll learn a little more about each other, and ourselves. And then we'll move on.

We'll be closer. We'll learn how the other works, thinks, makes decisions.

That's my kind of friendship.

Touristing in my own Country feat. Jess Molina

I was at a loss as to what could fill my Valentines Day without my Valentine being around! Valentines madness takes over every year and usually I'm caught up in it! But this year, my other half is away down south and I had no plans. 

Zip. Nada. Lie in bed watching Greys Anatomy. 

But this blog post wouldn't be quite as exciting if I'd stuck to that!

I decided to take a gal pal on a road trip around my own part of the country. The outdoors can be motivational and inspiring and I needed fresh juice in my creative tank. 

Also, friendships are strengthened through time spent together and we spent a lot of time together today! If you want a taster of some of the daily inspiration I get from her, you can find her blog here. Special lady. 

• Firstly, we adventured to the local markets and bought flowers and coffee. Flowers for Valentines Day, and coffee because I don't usually find myself at the morning markets in my town on account of, well, sleep.

• We then went the long way to the next town (lost ourselves) to find a plant shop that didn't exist! So obviously no pics.Then we took the most direct route we could find to the cutest cafe in another local town where we took wall pics to fit in with the setting of 'cool'. And I had THE nicest lunch I've had in a long time!

• Then we took an extended drive (lost ourselves again) to a local lavender field where I spent time lying in the dirt, trying to contemplate life, while avoiding the large amount of bees and the scratchy sticks digging into my back. Also hayfever. 

• I also found, to my shame, that rubbing lavender flowers on oneself, while it can achieve the desired affect of transferring smell, can also look weird to foreigners who have found their way into my general area. For shame.

The trip back was a combination of relaxation and inspiration as we chatted about life and future ventures and plans...

I think this needs to happen more often.

Table One // Shrimp Ceviche with Chili-Cumin Tortilla Chips

Today is the beginning of my attempt at cooking my way through The Kinfolk Table. I decided to start with what I thought was a simple recipe: Shrimp Ceviche with Chilli-Cumin Tortilla Chips.

Simple is not quite the word I'd now use! But it was both tasty and delicious. Although I used far too much chilli on everything and I am now suffering the consequences. Enough said.

The birds will enjoy the charcoal goodies I left out for them, but thankfully the second round of tortilla chips turned out to be a winner! Turns out when a recipe says to place the tray in the centre of the oven, right under the grill doesn't count. Also, I realised my oven can get quite a way through burning something before I can smell a whiff!

I encourage you to give this recipe a go. It certainly made a change from my usual recipes and I can't wait to try some more!

And the finished product...

You

Give me dreams. Settle in my mind like a fine dust; a colourful fog. Be the wind beneath my sails for I have lost all will. My body moves like a sluggish drunk, no purpose and no goal.

Except you. 

Always you. 

Only you.

Haana

I had the pleasure of shooting a girl on Saturday who had never modelled before. There is something special about shooting new girls. They have the shyness of inexperience mixed with a boldness from being picked out. It's a beautiful thing and all girls should possess it, even for a moment. So here is a little of Haana.

All photographs © Naomi Jorge Photography. All rights reserved

Up the Garden Path

There is a lot of push in our culture to chase the passion of one's heart. Happiness. Success. Wealth. 

This can lead to good. This can BE good. 

But what if we were never meant to chase these things?

What if these things were always meant to be side products of a much bigger purpose?

It's like bagging the guy that gave you goosepimples when he walked past. And then realising that a boy can never fill up your heart.

Or like buying that silver watch that goes so well with your black dress. Only to realise you need a black watch to go with your Nike's. 

We could literally spend our whole lives chasing things under the notion that they will satisfy us when they may not be the thing that will bring genuine satisfaction.

Let me throw something out here.

What if feeling good isn't meant to be the ultimate goal? 

What if being successful was never meant to be the ultimate goal? 

What if. Self satisfaction. Was never. Meant. To be. The goal.

Let's not waste any more time.

The only way to truly live is to constantly make sure that the passion of your heart is based on truth. 

So chase down that truth. And then chase down the passion based on that truth. The other stuff will happen along the way.