I made a magazine and sold it

 As if I have not gone on about it enough, in case you were not bombarded on social media, this is the magazine I made. Boy has it been a whirl wind of a journey and I have enjoyed it all of the way. It is eventually kicking in all that I have achieved and that I can be proud of myself. All of the amazing readers have let me know how inspired they are and how much they love the magazine. When this happens, I could not be happier that people let me know how much it meant to them. The magazine has inspired everyone in all different kinds of ways and I have loved hearing about it. Not only that but amazing readers have gone and posted about Juniper on their social media meaning that their followers hear about the magazine too. People have messaged the magazine Instagram telling me that they saw the magazine in Baths Magalleria magazine shop which blew my mind.

 The aim: 

Juniper aims to inspire and motivate creativity inside young minds. The publication is driven by creative freedom and the inspiration around them. It aims to showcase new artists, writers and everyday talented people. Juniper is more than just a magazine it is a place to inspire and drive people to do what they love. 

Someone said something to me the other day that stuck with me ‘we need more woman like you who aren’t afraid to talk about what it is like as a female in business and if you want something, you have to go out and get it.' That is exactly what I did. At first, I made the magazine for me and my university course as that is something I have always wanted to do. In hopes I could share these amazing contributors’ talent; in order to inspire creativity within. Of course I could not have done It without the contributors and being able to work together creating shoots and sharing their amazing work could not make me prouder. However I never realised I would be here selling it, if that would even be possible, if anyone would ever want to read it. Something I had to do was back and believe in myself which takes courage and strength. I have always believed in others and people I know when I may not even believe in myself. 

The self-publication industry can be seen as ‘dying’ because everything is online, which can make it even more competitive and difficult to enter. Yet I adore having something physical in my hand or on my shelf whilst being able to flick through the pages of something I love. Not to mention print is an incredibly expensive thing meaning it would be impossible to break even. I did not set out to make money, but I did not want to break my own bank in the process. Although that did not stop me there, I recreated the whole magazine into an A5 size (originally A4 size) and had to cut some things out in order to bring costs down to make it affordable for many. It took months of me going into the document every day, even when it had been finished for months, constantly changing and tweaking small things until I was completely happy with it. It is still hard for me to look at without seeing things I would change (really need to stop being so hard on myself). 

Now for the cheesy part to empower some drive within. If you are thinking of doing something, but something is stopping you, do it. You will not get anywhere or know where you could be until you try. You will not get anywhere if once you are knocked down, you don't get back up. Sometimes you cannot see where something will go or see an easy way, however the best things are never easy. Something that is worth it, is worth putting all the effort you have in, even when things go wrong. If you set your mind to something, you will achieve it or something better will come along. You are amazing and can achieve more than you know. 

Feel free to check out the instagram for more information, inside contents and leaks of issue 01 @juniper_magazine_or to even purchase issue 01. 

5 deadline top tips

 Are you currently drowning in university deadlines or any academic pressures and workloads? Have no fear I am here with these motivational tips as I am currently inspired by Beyoncé’s Netflix documentary ‘homecoming’. She is a true queen who has achieved a great deal for herself in order to empower other women. 

 Never leave it to Last Minute 

If you are doing a coursework-based degree and definitely if you are doing a fashion degree, you will always have non-stop work. It is far better to keep on track and be doing work every single day, to keep inspired and passionate about your work, not only that but it will always be non-stop. Therefore, you will never be able to complete it to the best standard if you leave it too last minute. From my experience I had to leave several days before my deadline to allow for printing time as they can take up too 48 hours and then there may be an issue with the end product. In third year I was doing work from 10am in the morning till 9/10pm at night, with breaks of course. 

Stay Motivated 

Whether you work best getting up early and getting stuck in or like to eat something, go for a walk and do something you love before you start. Figure out what works best for you to ensure you will be productive. The way I normally work is to sit in a room alone, to prevent any possible distraction. However that can become repetitive and mixing it up helps creativity, for example working with friends, going into uni, sitting in the library or a coffee shop. Therefore you won’t be dragged down by the same boring schedule every day. 

Be Inspired 

A truly important thing in life is to be inspired by what you do. Especially in third year, make sure you do something you love, and it is exactly what you are interested in. When you are working on a module everyday it is important you make it your own and it is something you are passionate about. For example your dissertation really should be something you have a strong interest in as you will be researching the topic for months and need a two sided conversation on the matter. A way to get through uni even when it gets rough, is to remember why you it is worth the thousands of pounds debt and that deep down you love what you chose to do. 

STRESS

Anyone who cares about uni, will get stressed at some point even if it impacts everyone differently. It is important you look after yourself and take into consideration your mental health as uni can be hard. It can be so easy to become overworked and ill, so you will need to learn how to pace yourself and too survive the stress. There are different strategies to dealing with stress. Taking breaks is really important when you get stuck in a rut or need a mental rest where you can leave the house for fresh air, eat, binge watch or exercise to increase endorphins and positivity for the mind.

Yoga will relax your mind as well as the body, equally the body can spasm and become tight when stress takes place. Knowing when to stop is essential to wind down and be able to sleep at night. I personally cannot pull off all-nighters anymore as I really need sleep to function, not only that but anything I produce after 11pm will be utter shit. Baths are essential for feeling better health wise, taking deep breaths, attempting to clear the mind and staying calm. The calm and headspace app can also help to clear your mind and steady the breathing if you suffer from panic attacks. 

Being Chill

No one should ever have to go through work and no play. You’re young and deserve to have some fun, blow off some steam and forget about your worries. Make time to see your friends chill out or go mad and get drunk, enjoy your life and make sure you have a social life. A great motivation is rewarding yourself after completing a certain amount of work, knowing you can do something you love once its done. 

Headband // Topshop
Dress // Mint Velvet
Jumper // Pretty Little Thing
Bag // Topshop
Boots // Topshop 

There's already too many bloggers, so you can't be a blogger as well

The blogger industry has taken a storm for the new generation to express a whole new creativity in a way that they love. ‘Do a job you love, and you never have to work a day in your life’. And it has begun, so many people are creative and when you love something, it doesn’t feel like work. Which is why I think so many people want to do it. I am no way in suggesting the whole creative industry of blogging, YouTube and Instagram isn’t hard work. You will have to put all of your time and effort into it (not speaking from experience). However it isn’t a boring office job where you have to sit at that desk all day or a highly demanding stressful job. 

I have to admit, you can see the appeal and why so many creative new millennials do not want to be stuck at a job they hate, when they can start blogging or a YouTube channel. It can be degrading trying to make it in the creative world as it is so competitive, there is always fashion intern jobs where you have to work for free just to get your foot in the door. Working a twelve-hour day with no wage, running around London just to complete the tasks given. Only to hope you did a better job than the other interns and they will offer you a position. Or of course you can go down the university route, but you will also rack up thousands of pounds worth of debt. 

We can only assume Youtubers earn a fair amount as every youtuber is different and it all can depend. However when they flash their new cars, house tours and designer item hauls. We can assume they must be doing alright. Anyone my age can be doing forty hours a week and still barely afford to move out of their parents’ home. For a start there is no boss telling you what to do, as you are your own boss. It will mean you need to be self-motivated and passionate to pursue your own targets, however it has paid off for many bloggers out there. Even if it started out as a hobby, people have made careers out of it, bossing it, having fancy brunches and fun throughout the day. Can it get much better than that?

The new generation are doing it right, as most kids are addicted to YouTube, hoping to become a youtuber themselves. Having aspirations at such a young age is great and to be self-motivated to learn how to use adobe is splendid. Now more and more people want in and all you need is dedication and 100,000+ followers on social media. It can’t be that hard right? Yet it is harder than it looks, it takes time as it is a full-time career after all. 

So is there room for more bloggers? I believe there is, there is a vast number of brands out there expanding their budgets for advertising through social media, as it reaches such a vast audience in the most effective way. After all if anyone thought like that, no one would ever make it. There is always more than one person going for the same job as you. If any clothing company or designer thought like that, we wouldn’t have all the options we do. People succeed because they put the work in and deserve it, no matter how hard or long it takes. 

To conclude, do what you want to do, even if other people are doing it, as long as it makes you happy. People are doing thousands of the same jobs because more than one person will be interested in the same thing. There shouldn’t be a fear of copying or that you won’t make it since everyone is different and has their own style. I am sure there are so many similar scenarios in the world, where there are several people at a job interview going for that one job. There will always be someone out there, that is a little bit better than you or has a slight advantage over you. However as long as you don’t squash anyone down to get ahead and remain yourself, that will be recognised. You can only do it for yourself. If someone ever tells you that you can’t, just remember they do not know what you are capable of, only you know that.  

I believe in doing what you want to do, even if there are so many other people doing it. Your individuality and personality will stand out as no one is the same. 

Love Tishhlah x

Jacket // H&M
Jumper // H&M
Skirt // New Look
Boots // Miss Pap
Necklace // Tiffany

The Drama in Halls

 The prospect of moving out finally at eighteen excited me and I was more than ready for it. Even though I did not know what to expect, I knew I would be living in the heart of Birmingham with four other girls. I was excited to start a new adventure of new experiences, doing something I am passionate about at university and meeting new people. Everyone tells you that uni is the best years of your life and you will never forget them. If I had to sum up the first year, it would be eventful that’s for sure. In the beginning it was amazing, the girls were full of life and up for anything which I loved. If there is a time where I will say yes to anyone, it is when I’m drunk and we went out a lot. It was thrilling yet exciting and no matter how many of us got into the taxi, it was always £2 each. I managed to get into a situation where I walked with strangers in the middle of the night in Birmingham to a club. It was not worth saving the £2, after sobering up and freezing my tits off, not to mention how dangerous it was. 

However living with four other girls isn’t always easy. When you move out, you discover that people live very differently to you and some are used to others clearing up for them. Which means it is not always fun and games when you wake up every morning to a disgusting mess, you quickly become fed up of tidying up after everyone else. Therefore the mess, smell, dirt, smoke, dishes will be there for days. Not only that but when you are tight for money it becomes very frustrating when people constantly steal your food and rely on you to buy the needed supplies. 

It got to the point where our nights out were so wild, the sofa had been ripped up, the fridge was drawn all over, stalls broken, curtains pulled down, the constant stench of smoke and things missing from our kitchen meant our deposit was well and truly gone. Not only that but you’d walk into the kitchen to grab a drink and there would be strange men in our kitchen getting up to no good. 

 The chaos began when girls created drama by speaking behind one another’s backs, twisting words and dividing up the flat up. The stress of university and deadlines, a shit hole of a flat, 8 bin bags piled up in the corner, maggots in our kitchen, did start to get too me. However when you live with these girls and see them every day you hardly want to fall out and create a toxic environment. Although unfortunately that did happen. Very awkward and horrible fights began with unkind words thrown about, quickly became distressing. Not to mention walking into a kitchen filled with people who you are unsure if they are your friends, trying to cook dinner at 7pm hoping someone hasn’t stolen your pasta sauce whilst people are snorting coke off the kitchen side meant I developed a crippling severe type of anxiety. When I turned down a night out, I would be kept up with screaming drunks until 12am (when we left for a night out) to then them storming in down the hallway banging on my door at 4am, turning on the drum and base and the overwhelming stench of weed started to become less and less fun. The all nighters and pressure to keep up with the deadlines along with being constantly tired from my ME/CFS was a struggle.

It is fair to say I felt as if I didn’t want to be there at all. You may think I have exaggerated or inflated my experience, believe me I wish I had, however this is everything I went through. The point of me sharing this story is for you to understand, you probably didn’t have it that bad and hey if you had it worse, you made it through.

Love Tishhlah x

21 THINGS I HAVE LEARNT, SINCE TURNING 21

Just because I have turned 21, I don’t feel any wiser however it is fair to say I have imparted some wisdom to share amongst you. I have experienced life through school, moving out, university, shopping and learning about the environment. Adulting, responsibilities, money and juggling everything isn’t that fun but it is a learning curve. Learning from our own or even others’ mistakes is beneficial to saving money and time. I am in no way saying I know everything but these are some things I do know that may help you out. 

1 Being happy is the most important thing

2 Buying a reusable water bottle/coffee cup can reduce a crazy amount of plastic

3 Care less what other people think, even though it can be hard

4 Long distance relationships can work

5 Social media is not your life. Your life shouldn’t revolve around social media. Do things for you 

6 Life is short and we should embrace it

7 Your family will always be there for you

8 No matter how many bra fittings I go too, I still do not understand my bra size

9 Things aren’t easy sometimes but they do get better

10 Before buying an item, analyse; if you need/love it, it will go with other items in your wardrobe and if you feel good in it

11 School is tough but you can get through it

12 Kindness goes such a long way

13 Tumble drying clothes that have the do not tumble dry symbol on shouldn’t be tumble dried. 

14 Unidays doesn’t last forever, make the most of it

15 Nude bras are best when you’re wearing white

16 Appreciate the little things

17 You get what you pay for. Invest in items such as clothing, electronics, shoes, etc. that you know will last and you need them

18 Don’t get dragged down by others negativity 

19 Who my real friends are and that they will be there for me when I need them

20 Sleep is pretty important 

21 Exercising can help your mental health and physical body health for the future 

Sunglasses // New Look

Bag // Chloe 

Necklace // Missguided, Kate Spade

Jacket // Miss Pap

Jumper // Primark 

Jeans // Gap 

The Slave to the Scroll

The new generation have been bought up glued to their phones, it is like second nature to them, so much so it has become part of their identity. It is almost as if there is something within our phones that programmes us to become addicted. We all depend on our phones for maps, alarms and googling how to cook eggs, but how do we know when we’ve taken it too far? 

Part of the problem is we only feel accepted if we achieve a certain number of likes, therefore we are becoming more and more obsessed. Depending on what other people think of us, rather than what we think of ourselves. However, it is important we remember to be present in day to day life. Our day shouldn’t revolve around our phones as we only show our online persona. We are all our own person and shouldn’t be afraid to be ourselves in person and online. The people who take time to give us their attention, are the ones we should appreciate. They are there because they want to be and not just craving attention or projecting boredom online. 

It is so easy to spend hours scrolling though absolute nothing, of people we do not really know. It is just what they want us to see. Yet we waste so much of our time staring at their feed or reading their tweets. On the new apple update it lets you know your screen time. There is nothing more terrifying than the reality of how much time you waste on your phone. Picking up our phones just because we are bored is becoming an unhealthy habit that the younger generation depend on. Time that could be spent elsewhere, learning something new or taking time for ourselves. 

It is important we rest our minds and not constantly rely on social media as we will always have the urge to scroll. When I was on a seven-hour flight it felt so weird having my phone in my hand and yet not checking social media. As long as we are constantly scrolling, our minds are struggling to keep up. Social media can fill up our minds so much so, that it becomes hard to cope. Only will we feel good about ourselves is when we can empty our minds by breaking away from social media or following mindfulness. The hours we spend on Instagram and twitter leads us to compare our lives to others. When the people we follow can barely be relatable and may have a completely different lifestyle. Resulting in a negative impact on how we feel about ourselves and others. Instead of enjoying our free time on our phones, it can make us feel like shit and yet we will continue to scroll… for eternity. 

When I met up with the blogger Charlotte Hole and discussed social media and the addictions teenagers could be developing, she gave me the perfect quote ‘the slave to the scroll’. We are all a slave to the scroll and most of us do not even realise. 

Thank you so much for reading, please let me know what you think.

Love Tishhlah 

What it is really like being in a long-distance relationship

Honestly, I have experienced all of the emotions in my relationship and I bet it is different for everyone, however this is my experience.

It can be really hard being apart from someone you love for a significant amount of time. Whether you’ve had a great or tough day, sometimes you'll just want someone to talk too or a hug, it can suck not to have them there. The longer you are apart the more you can miss them and find yourself reacting in different ways. However, when you are young and finding out who you are and growing as a person, it can be good to have some space apart. It is good to be independent and not relying on someone all of the time.

 Trust. This is the biggest aspect you need in a relationship. As in most relationships trust is really important, however when you are hours, miles or even countries away from them, you have to trust them. Otherwise you could just be sat at home worrying or assuming the worse, when in reality they are telling the truth. If you have been betrayed in the past, it can be easy to bring that into the current relationship (they are not the same person). Equally being honest with one another is just as important.

Communication is essential, when you are both living different lives, it is good to share your day with one another. Listening to someone’s day and showing that you are there for them is reassuring and can bring you closer. The distance may put a strain on your relationship and you’ll take it out on the other person. However it will strengthen your relationship and allow you realise what you have. If you ever feel shit or have a problem that will put tension on the relationship, tell them and if they love you they will understand, text, skype or call! My boyfriend has even written letters to me, which may sound like the cheesiest thing. Yet it reassures me how much he cares and it is exciting getting happy things in the post.

 The best thing about being in a long-distance relationship Is finally seeing the other person. It allows you to appreciate one another and the time you have together is special. Anything you do, it doesn’t matter as long as you are spending time with them. When it is weeks, months, etc. apart it can feel like it is going so slowly. The best thing to do is focus on your own life and embrace what you have, whilst looking forward to the next time you’ll see them.

Saying goodbye is hard, once they have left you do feel like something is missing. If you are used to them being around all weekend or sleeping next to them, the bed can feel pretty empty. It’s hard at first but then it’s time to get back to your own life, keep communicating and look forward.

I have been in a long-distance relationship for three and a half years (4 years total) and there will always be sceptical people that may not think it can work. It can work if you both stick it at, even when it gets hard, just try to stay positive. (If you both love each other and want it to work, you’ll both put the effort in).

 Love Tishhlah x

Instagram @tishhlah

THIRD YEAR

I have just started my third year at university. Boy has the stress and work load kicked in! The stress and deadlines has been crazy the past two years and a little hard to cope with, however this is something else. Not only that but the pressure is on, as the future debt and duration at university so far relies on this year.

Anyhow, for the mean time I’m trying to remain calm as I know the rest of the year will consist of ridiculous emotions and sleepless nights.

Anyone finding school, college or university tough I know how you feel, just like all the other people going through the same thing. Working hard will pay off in the end, nevertheless take breaks, try to organise your time and relax in the evening to clear your head. 

The absurd amount of work and deadlines will affect how often I upload blog posts, nevertheless I’ll do the best I can, though I do post regularly on my Instagram so any outfit updates will always be on there.

Duster jacket: Forever 21
Barbie tee: Missguided
Trousers: Pull & Bear
Trainers: Adidas NMD

Thank you so much for reading my little life update, hope you’re doing well! Love from Tishhlah x