T H E K I N D A - L I K E - A M A G A Z I N E LITERARY MAGAZINE 1 FALL ISSUE | 2022 JUST TRYING TO HELP PEOPLE IN ANY WAY WE CAN https://bit.ly/3U1BnCG
1 Editor's Note Dear Readers, If you had asked me last year—never would I have imagined that I (under an alias name), would be the very one introducing this first issue of "The Kinda-like-a-not (Literary Online) Magazine" that have amassed at least 200 followers. Initially, started as a mere plan to encourage others who has and is still going through a lot of struggles—like me— has now branched out to do so by collecting submissions of advises, inspiring journey stories, full of imagery-alleviating poems, soothing scenes of artworks and photographs— and all other types of artwork and writing pieces. Now, it has actually come to life and become tangibly touchable and visually seeable and accessible to all. With this first issue, filled with talented writers and artists wanting to assist people in ways that I admire—and the staffs who have helped make this system work and reach to several people—we have come to produce the very start of the many issues of this system that will come to be and in light of those who still have yet to overcome the many challenges in life. Before I leave you, I would like to tell you one piece of advice: all struggles happen for a reason so that you can get to where you need to be today, and in hindsight you will appreciate the hidden beauties that your mountains have let you see. From these things that we go through and cry boundless tears for, do we then become the great and empathetic filled humans that we are—to help others in the world. So with this, I hope you will enjoy this issue that I am pleased to present and continue to support us. Best, Izumi G.H Founder of "Kindalikea.not.therapists"
2 Table of Contents Photography Cover Art by Naila Montoya Car Rides........................................................................................5 The World At Peace.......................................................................6 Scottish Teas...................................................................................7 Serenity Evenings...........................................................................8 3° 12’ 43.2” South, 5° 12’ 39.6” West............................................9 The Beauty of Some Things Like These.....................................10 Leave it Beautiful.........................................................................11 Fall Into It.....................................................................................12 The Figure Shadow on The Yellow Wall....................................13 The Wonders of the World..........................................................14 Pink Meadows..............................................................................15 Moonstone...................................................................................16 Sea Glances...................................................................................17 Nature...........................................................................................18 Sonatina in G................................................................................19 The Beach Days............................................................................20 Blazes in Peace..............................................................................21 Back Cover Art by Naila Montoya
3 Table of Contents Poetry Chasing Butterflies.......................................................................23 Writing is Therapy........................................................................25 Set Me Free....................................................................................26 Most Days.....................................................................................29 Vanishing Snowflakes...................................................................30 Measure of Worth.........................................................................32 Art The Sunset Peace..........................................................................35 Advice Column How does perfectionism lead to procrastination?......................37 Fashion Statment..........................................................................42 Stages of Learning.........................................................................43 Mental health; Myths vs Facts......................................................45 Ignoring My Passion Was Killing Me..........................................46 To be cuddled...............................................................................54
4 Photography “And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” —The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
5 Car Rides Naila Montoya @naila.elise
6 The World At Peace Teodora D I love these photos because they show how beautiful and important little things on our earth are. I hope more people can see the beauty that the earth has to offer!
7 Scottish Teas Lismari Castillo @lis_mari_21 These pieces are very special to me. They connect me with memories that happened during a truly joyful part of my life. These pictures recall something that I will never forget, that are truly close to me, and shaped me into the person I am today. I hope these pieces bring joy and tranquility to those who see this.
8 Serenity Evenings Alexandra Grishaj @alexandra.grishaj
9 Melissa Vellone @melissavellone I' m hoping that if this reaches you, it brings you peace the way it did for me. Sometimes we feel that the world spins too fast for us, so next time you see the moon, take that quiet time to remember that there ’ s a light bright enough to shine amongst the darkness you feel behind you. 3° 12’ 43.2” South 5° 12’ 39.6” West
10 The Beauty of Some Things Like These Naila Montoya This picture is special to me since at the time, I was struggling. But like a sunset, things come and go, so there will always be roadblocks, but you can always surpass it no matter how hard it becomes.
11 Leave it Beautiful Rebekah Mendez
12 Fall Into It Lismari Castillo
13 The Figure Shadow on The Yellow Wall Megumi Jindo @megumijindo Photography is another way—along with writing—that I use as a better and another window to the things that are hidden through the naked eye. I believe that photography is one of the instrumental pieces in the world that bring alive the words that cannot be spoken —the things that have to be heartily felt. I hope that my picture will help bring some sort of peace to your heart and show you that no matter where you are, the brightest sun and star is shining down on you—always in solace.
14 The Wonders of the World Teodora D
15 Pink Meadows Alexandra Grishaj
16 Moonstone Lismari Castillo
1 7 Se a G l a n c es T e o d o r a D
1 8 Na t u re M e g u m i J i n d o
19 Aditi @dewaditi | @thebetterplaceofficial This was at a piano recital which was the first one in years due to COVID-19. It represents how COVID has impacted us and how we have become stronger as individuals and as a community because of it. Sonatina in G
2 0 A n g e l Th e Be a c h D ays
21 Blazes in Peace Daniella Rodriguez @brendonurieswife Honestly, I just think this piece is very connective because it' s relaxing. Sunsets are also just so calming for so many people because I think photography is a way to express stuff we can 't really tell people.
22 Poetry “Poetry and beauty are always making peace. When you read something beautiful you find coexistence; it breaks walls down.” —Mahmoud Darwish
23 Chasing Buttterflies Emma Grace @emma.grace.author This poem is about how often we take each stage of our lives for granted. We grow up quickly, and need to learn the importance of savoring every moment and finding the value in life. I don’t remember growing up. It feels as though yesterday I played with dolls, Chased butterflies, laughed at nothing, rambled on in gibberish. Now a driver’ s handbook lies open on my desk, And I refresh my email as I await a job offer. When did I stop chasing butterflies?
24 Chasing Butterflies I watched the clock and begged the years to go by, Not knowing what awaited me on the other side. I longed for makeup, high school, and boys, Not appreciating the freedom and joy That I woke up to every day. Why did I stop chasing butterflies? So in the moments I can, I take time to be childish. I rewatch cartoons and I reread old books, I stop to roll down the hills and breathe in the flowers. I seize each opportunity I hadn’t thought to take Because never again will I make that mistake. I will never stop chasing butterflies.
25 Writing is Therapy Kyoko W.P. @kyokothepoet I write what I feel, and I feel A LOT. It’ s therapy for me but it’ s also for everyone else who feels these big feelings too but didn’t know how to express it or just needed to know they ’re not alone. I write for me As therapy But if you feel it too I write for you
26 Set Me Free Megumi Jindo This poem was written while I was struggling with the different limitations that I was put with my health conditions and this was also during covid, which had a big impact on me. I felt isolated and was going through a really depressing and hard time and as writing was a way of releasing how I feel—through mythologies, astrology—this was one of the very poems that sprouted. I hope that people will be able to understand that they are not alone and that there is always someone going through the same path as you are—as was I here. Set me free and let me fall for am I Andromeda
27 Set Me Free who has to be in the end, selfishly sacrificed for what you wanted? set me free and let me fall the milky way glitters in the night sky— forever and endless like me, like me set me free and let me fall like stars and moons like rivers and lakes like me and you
28 Set Me Free set me free and let me fall fall like Icarus and even if i don 't have wings, i'll get my own one day Just set me free, let me fly, and let me fall because you never treasured and loved me anyway
29 Most Days Kyoko W.P. Most days I don 't get out of bed I just try to escape the thoughts in my head I' m drowning while everyone lives their lives I' m home watching the latest housewives I' m under my covers safe at home But I just wish one thing, that I wasn 't alone I just try to escape the thoughts in my head Most days I don 't get out of bed
30 Vanishing Snowflakes Emma Grace This poem describes the fleeting nature of happiness. Often we hold ourselves back from being happy for the fear of the pain that comes when the happiness disappears. But those brief moments of happiness are always worth it. The snow falls ever so gently, Delicate flakes fluttering to the ground, An infinite array of intricate designs. If you hold out your hand, You might be lucky enough To have a flake fall into your palm. But if you grasp at the air The snow slips through your fingers, Forever out of your reach, Only to see, never to touch.
31 Vanishing Snowflakes Even if you ’re able to catch one It melts after moments To the warmth of your skin. Happiness is a snowflake. Fleeting and hard to find, Vanishing after moments To the cruelty of the world. But when it lies in your palm, Beautiful and unique, You ’re graced with a smile. However slight, however short Touching the snowflake Is worth watching it vanish.
32 Measure of Worth Kyoko W.P. We measure our lives By the trips we take around the sun Never knowing when the ride will be done So does it even matter to measure? We measure our worth By the things we acquire, the money, our looks, our fashion attire But we bare creativity and magic within What if we measure our worth by our love, our art, our words, our kindness
33 Measure of Worth The things we do for others, the love we share, the moments of embrace Every struggle we face And come out of stronger Wouldn 't it be worth it to celebrate these moments longer? You ' re worth more than a number. More than your age, your money, your looks You are a sou first And that souls worth is priceless It' s a treasure that one cannot measure
34 Art "Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time." —Thomas Merton
35 The Sunset Peace Maryam Amtul Qavi Creating art is peaceful. Admiring art is peaceful. In todays world, we have reached the skies but one thing we keep on forgetting is to take out time for yourself and be peaceful. Through this artwork I hope I inspire everyone who sees this to relax; take out time for yourself and have your own peaceful time!
36 Advice Column “Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.” —Tony Robbins
BusinessWithHer @businesswithher *Recruiting Team Members!* As a high school student, my aim to be perfect has led to a lot of self sabotage. Once I figured out perfectionism isn’t as good as it seems, I stopped procrastinating and my stress decreased. Through this piece, I hope that other students can identify their cause of procrastination and self sabotage, and change their methods accordingly. 37 How does perfectionism lead to procrastination? Advice Writing Written on the Next Page
38 How does perfectionism lead to procrastination? Perfectionist, a word that we have all heard. Let' s start with defining what a perfectionist is. Being a perfectionist isn 't having expert attention to detail. Perfectionism is what we do to protect ourselves from shame, from having people reject and abandon us. We do this so others don 't speak negatively about us. It’ s protection. It gives us the belief that if we are perfect and can do everything perfectly, there are no openings for other people to criticize us. If we are perfect, everyone will love us and we won 't ever have to feel ashamed again. A few symptoms of perfectionism are people-pleasing, procrastination (we will get into the why), low self-esteem/confidence, fear of failure. Procrastination is how we protect ourselves from fear and shame. We believe we work better under pressure, so we create the habit of leaving everything to the last minute. If we have an upcoming test, we don’t study until the night before. We believe we work better under pressure because we don’t have the option of procrastinating anymore since the deadline is coming up. Leaving studying until the last minute also gives us an excuse if we didn’t do too well on the test. If we didn’t do as well as we wanted, we could say it' s because we crammed and didn’t have enough time. We could study before the test several days in advance and do our best. Perfectionists procrastinate because they believe that sometimes, their best isn 't good enough. If they did their best, they won’t have an excuse for the grade they received. They would feel ashamed because they did everything they could, but they didn’t do too well. They would get the feeling that they can’t do anything right, or that they aren’t smart enough.
39 How does perfectionism lead to procrastination? Perfectionists are often told from a very young age that they are so smart, or they ’re good at something. This creates the perfectionist mindset that we need to stay perfect as we get older. This limits our opportunities because we only do things we know we will excel at. Or, we procrastinate when it comes to new things, so we have an excuse as to why we didn 't excel. Procrastination presents itself in many ways. Many of us procrastinate when we need to study for an upcoming test. One person can procrastinate by watching TV, going out with friends, or doing chores that have been put off for weeks. Another way to procrastinate is with productive procrastination. An example of this is making our notes beautiful, even though we don’t learn the content in them. We spend so much time on the details and aesthetic of our notes that we don’t focus on the content and information. We could also do a reading, but not learn any information from it. This feels productive, but it is procrastination where there is no learning happening. The time spent on making notes pretty or doing unnecessary readings could have been used to do homework/ practice problems, taking practice tests, going through reviews for the exam. We could always open ourselves up to the option of trying our best and putting in a 100% effort. But there is always the possible consequence of not getting being where we want. This would make perfectionists feel ashamed because they weren’t able to be perfect.
40 How does perfectionism lead to procrastination? So we self-sabotage by procrastinating. Perfections are self-critical, we set insanely high standards for ourselves. We set it so high as a form of self-sabotage because we feel like it' s all or nothing. We are unwilling to do our best and see what happens. There is no correct way to stop procrastination. It changes according to everyone. One way to prevent procrastination is selfawareness. Learning why we (yourself) procrastinate would help us be aware of our personal reasons for procrastination. Once we know why we are procrastinating, the awareness can get us back on track. We need to regularly remind ourselves that almost every reason for procrastination is an excuse. We need to open ourselves up to the possibility of doing our best, but not getting the result we want. We need to understand where the procrastination is coming from, and what we are avoiding. This understanding is good because we can remind ourselves about the positive sides of what we are avoiding. We self-sabotage because there is that slight possibility of not doing well enough. One way that we can deal with procrastination is by increasing our self-awareness and our willingness to fail. We need to grow our mindset from the perfectionist one.
41 How does perfectionism lead to procrastination? We can split our major goal into smaller goals. If your goal is an A, then we can split that up. We can think about how much we need to study every day to get that A and study that much every day. You can use your goal and develop a plan. You need to focus on whether you put in the effort, not if there are results. You need to trust the process, even if there are no immediate results. When we don’t think about whether it is working, we can focus on the goal more, which provides even better results in the long run. Perfectionists have the fixed mindset of needing to be perfect changing that mindset into a growth mindset will be very beneficial for them. They will try new things. Perfectionism is also a major cause of procrastination, because if we procrastinate, we have an excuse if we don 't do well enough. Procrastination can be dealt with by increasing our self-awareness and making our goals into plans. Focusing on the effort instead of whether it is working will help us achieve our goal. If we focus on whether it is working, if we see it isn 't, we get disheartened and give up. Perfectionism is a form of self-sabotage which can hold us back from opportunities, so sometimes, being a perfectionist isn’t always as good as it sounds.
42 Fashion Statement Gabriella Magat @gabm0n I like trying new things when it comes to the clothes I wear, and I feel confident when I like what I' m wearing. I hope this picture helps people because getting creative with your fits could definitely be a way to help boost your confidence and I hope this becomes a clothing inspiration to you too.
43 Stages of Learning Jamiela Barnes @m_iela_ My name is Jamiela Barnes,this piece is apart of my stage of learning and I am sharing it with you . I write this piece from past and experience. We all have to learn from our mistakes and do better. I always advise the people around me to work on themselves for themselves, do things because they want to do them, learn to be their own friends at times, and be there for themselves. I learned this when I was in primary school, going to high school.
44 Stages of learning I used to think low of myself, I had no self-confidence or selfesteem. I would do anything to fit in with the people called “friends.” I was afraid to be alone so I did everything to fit in—even said yes to everything. I had friends but they weren 't friends; they were just there because I entertained them because I was kind and I didn 't realize that I was hurting myself for some bunch of people that didn 't even care for me. Then there was a small misunderstanding that I finally realized these are not friends. I had to make up my mind to cut them off and move on. I had to focus and work on myself to build a better version of myself. And when I say “ work on myself, ” I mean, work on my attitude, my mindset, my emotions, my friend choice, learning to stay by myself, etc. As well as to do things that bring me joy and happiness and not do things just to please other people. I had to learn to be alone, enjoy my own company, never give up on myself and be there for myself no matter what.
45 Mental health; Myths vs Facts Maryam Amtul Qavi Myth: Adolescents who get good grades and have a lot of friends will not have mental health conditions because they have nothing to be depressed about. Fact: Depression can affect anyone regardless of their socioeconomic status or how good their life appears at face value. Young people doing well in school may feel pressured to succeed, which can cause anxiety, or they may have challenges at home. Myth: There is no hope for people with mental health problems. Once someone develops a mental health problem, he/she will never recover. Fact: Studies show that people with mental health problems get better and many recover completely. Recovery refers to the process in which people are able to live, work, learn, and participate fully in their communities. There are more treatments, services and community support systems available now which help a lot. Myth: I can't do anything for a person with a mental health problem. Fact: Friends and loved ones can make a big difference. They can be an important influence and can help them by reaching out and letting them know that you are available to help, treating them with respect and helping them access mental health services. Myth: You only need to take care of your mental health if you have a mental health condition. Fact: Everyone can benefit from taking active steps to promote their well-being and improve their mental health, just how everyone takes active steps and engage in healthy habits to optimize their physical health.
46 Ignoring My Passion Was Killing Me Naima Cooper @_storiesbynaima I’ ve enjoyed writing since elementary school, but this was the first time I’ ve shared some really vulnerable thoughts and experiences with the world. I wrote and shared this because I felt like I couldn’t keep this experience to myself. I wanted to make sense of it and I was inspired and shocked by the courage and wisdom I was able to muster and how quickly my situation improved when I actually listened to what my mind had been telling me since I was much younger. I wanted to share with others that might be having similar feelings that if your life is feeling miserable at the moment, it doesn’t have to stay that way. I wanted to share how much better life can get even when it doesn’t seem like it can, and I wanted to share my process in getting to a better place as well. Advice Writing Written on the Next Page
47 Ignoring My Passion Was killing Me On Tuesday, November 16th, 2021, I had a mental breakdown. The morning of my breakdown, my computer broke. It was the perfect time for such a thing to ensue as I was already severely burnt out overwhelmed, and depressed. To top it off, finals season and large essay and project deadlines were fast approaching. At this point, it would not take much to push me over the edge. Any minor inconvenience that would, under normal circumstances, be a non issue, would now cause me to spiral. My dad is usually able to solve any tech issues I' m having, but he was a 6 hour drive away, and I knew the damage that had been done could not be fixed over the phone. I called him anyway because I wanted someone else to know how shitty I was feeling even if he couldn’t help. I began crying as I explained to him what happened. Eventually, I hung up the phone and started getting ready for my 9:30 am philosophy class so I wouldn’t be late. I went in the kitchen started making breakfast, and began crying again. This was unusual as I am normally able to confine my crying to my room. I imagined my roommate walking out of her room and seeing me balling and probably being very shocked and confused. I wiped my tears and kept moving. I had to. I figured I would stop crying once I got around people because that’ s what usually happened. However, to my surprise, tears kept falling when I got on the bus.
48 Ignoring My Passion Was Killing Me My computer breaking was just a trigger, a catalyst to my breakdown. This semester had been really difficult for me. Ever since the end of my junior year, I grew incredibly anxious about my future. Based on what I was studying currently and the past internships and clubs I had been involved in, the most logical and easiest next step would be to get a Masters in Public Health upon graduation. However, when I would look through what my curriculum would be and imagine myself, August 2022, sitting in a grad school classroom, I felt not a hint of excitement. This terrified me. I always hated school and the structure of it. I sat in my classes every semester thinking, “Why am I doing this? What is the point?” I was always stressed, I always felt behind, and I never felt I had the energy or the time once my school work was done to do the things I really enjoyed. Public health was interesting to me and I knew that I wanted to help people, but I also knew that my current trajectory would never provide me with true fulfillment. However, even knowing this, I could not find the mental energy to even consider alternate plans or paths.
49 Ignoring My Passion Was Killing Me I gave up on myself and on finding a path that would bring me more joy and I gave into the capitalistic structure of our society. I gave into this structure that values a college degree over mental and physical health and tells us that creative careers don 't make any money. Like many other seniors in college, I felt like I had to excel in school and simultaneously figure out what I was doing after graduation with deadlines quickly approaching. I was generally confused about the entire process and overwhelmed with all of the options. I also have over $100,000 in student loan debt which made me feel like I needed a lucrative career to realistically pay off my loans. I was depressed and I felt trapped in a life lacking purpose. I had similar feelings since middle school that never left me, so I wondered if this was just a preview of how the rest of my life would be. If it was, then I wondered what the point of it all was and where I would find the motivation to keep going. (There were other factors contributing to my depression that I will get into in future posts, but this was the primary cause of my breakdown.)