Stella Sheppard

Photo 1:

The first Viewpoint magazine I read called ‘RISE UP’ actually speaks about this magazine as its ‘sister’ and recommends reading it as the topics link. As soon as I saw ‘Spirituality’ on the front cover I got excited and opened it to a random page, the page being something I’m really interested in and got even more excited to explore the book. 

Page 3 of the book: IN GOOD SPIRITS

‘’Messages of self-awareness, respect for others and self-love are noticeably consistent’

‘Design’s roll in the new spirituality is enabling one supporting customers in their quest for a satisfying internal life. Key concepts include empowerment, enlightenment, vision, awe, wonder, calm and tranquility. Products, services and concepts that embed an extra layer of genuine meaning will find favour with adherents of the new spirituality. And beauty and joy also have their places - along with a deep appreciation of originality and creativity.’

‘Design in itself can be a spiritual practice. The process of making, and the absorption and engaged flow it involves, leads to a deep connection between maker and craft.’

Photo 2: 

This image reminds me of my little spiritual space at home, using objects like candles and incense to aesthetically make a room peaceful and aid in wellbeing.  Later in the magazine there is a page dedicated to the creator of this work, Yield Design, Florida. It’s all about ‘playing with our emotional connection to scent, the series draws on elemental notes in these majestic spaces and distills feelings of wander and awe.’ This links with my want to connect to people emotionally through work, I’m thinking about how scent can be a part of the project.. 

Photo 3: 

This image is visually pleasing, i’ll be looking deeper into this exhibition. The exhibition is called Wisdom of the Earth teamLab: A forest where Gods Live - Earth music&ecology, Kyushu, Japan.

Page 13 from this book: 

The term ‘Wellness Design’ sticks out to me, I’ll be researching further into this.. 

Photo 4:

Time over Time by Dawn Bendick. Bendick also has a section in the first Viewpoint magazine, ‘RISE UP’, where her piece expresses her feelings towards climate change. In this book she describes this piece as ‘a way of tapping into our peripheral senses and heightening awareness of changes in seasons, atmospheric light and weather’. She uses found objects, stones, crystals and glass to create her pieces. This reminds me of wanting to use my own stones and crystals in this project, but how? 

Photo 5:

Ritual Empowerment. This page describes my own spiritual practice and how intention and ritual are one of the ‘most powerful manifestations of the 20th-century’. This page reminds me of WHY I’m so focussed on self discovery, self love, connection to the planet, Earth connection, human connection and so on.. I have been very disconnected in the past, I wasn’t aware or conscious of anything at all, navigating through life based upon what the media and my family told me. 

I want people to make the transformation I made, to become better, happier humans. To be in tune with their passions and desires. If we evolve individually we will evolve together, it is a collective conscious effort. 

Page 19 from book:

The caption - ‘ELEMENTAL HEALING - A global shift towards urban living is driving a feeling of psychoterratic disconnect.’ this section ‘explores a restored value in nature and the race to preserve it for future generations.’

What’s interested me about this section of the magazine is ‘The Tonic of Trees, The Healing Magic of Forest Bathing’ by Julia Plevin. Plevin says that her ‘psychological malaise’, which means psychological discomfort, is an effect of her concrete-jungle urban surroundings. I feel exactly the same.. I notice that the more time I spend in nature the happier I am, my positive mindset is consistent with my nature explorations, especially in the forest. 

I spend a lot of time in nature when i’m home in Cardiff, I live within walking distance from natural woodlands, a river and a bus ride away from a mountain. This article is making me think of bringing nature into the home..? How can we connect to nature living in the concrete jungle? 

Page 33 from the book:

‘Philosophers and psychologists are now suggesting we should acknowledge spiritual intelligence’ 

Photo 6:

This is the page that I immediately got excited about, this photo basically describes me at home, just kidding.. or am I?

I’m drawn to the colours, immediately thinking about the Crown Chakra and what the colour purple means to me spiritually, how it’s the highest vibrational colour, the colour of ‘magick’.. the name of the installation is ‘You Are Magic’ by The Hoodwitch which is basically what I want people to understand when looking at all of my art work, even when listening to my music, because it’s true. We are impossible beings with infinite creative power, why are so many so sad, stuck, lost? Why is the planet so sad, stuck, lost, with such powerful creatures living on it? 

Of course the crystals in the background caught my eye too, there are lit up Selenite towers on the floor which i make and sell as well as a Quartz crystal grid in the background.

Photo 7, Page 41:

‘Studio Swines Ware Practice Duplex in collaboration with A/D/O focusses on the relationship between nature and technology, with many of the pieces incorporating plasma to capture bursts of light similar to those observed in the sun, stars, and comets.’ There isn’t much written about the installation in the book so i’ve found it on Dezeen.  This reminds me of using my nature, crystals and stones, and linking them with technology.. digitally designing? 

On this page there is a section called ‘The Spirit of Connection’ which talks about how ‘21st-century spiritualism is all about connection: to ourselves, to others and the wider environment.’ which is basically what my work is all about. It says that ‘Viewpoint has frequently touched on the role of creatives and brands as enablers, and on the importance of supporting positive movements within the global community’ - this makes me really happy, to know that the artistic work of us spiritual young people is being recognised by such large, important art magazines! I honestly didn’t realise that my concepts and ideas have been explored creatively already. I feel like i’ve found my place in the design world by reading this magazine.

Page 73:

‘People are increasingly seeking to experience heightened states of mental wellbeing’ - I hope to cause these experiences with my work.. 

Viewpoint describes the spiritual youth of today as ‘putting their faith int eh power of the metaphysical, where science and mysticism combine to create therapeutic sensorial experiences using immersive colour, light and sound’. Exactly what i’d like to do!

Photo 8:

The images on this page remind me of Lepidolite Mica, an iridescent shiny light, flaky stone often used to make glitter. It’s bringing me towards using stones and crystals as materials, or using their beauty as inspiration for colour, texture, form, light..

Page 89:

‘Tom Sewell explores the relationship between humans and nature at a time when GPS, modern medicine and supermarket deliveries are accessible at the touch of a button. He investigates the interplay of the elements and the spiritual world through delicate drawings and totemic sculptures.

Sewell reflects on his ventures into nature, from the firths of Scotland to London’s Epping Forest, in order to create assemblages of organic matter, climbing rope and naturally died fabric. His ritualistic installations show respect for the natural world as well as hinting at a new mystical practice for the modern day that celebrates the rotting, uncanny beauty of the woods and the wilds.’

I’m intrigued by the concept behind Sewells work rather than the work itself which is why i’ve not shown images. He’s doing exactly what i’d like to do.

Page 104: 

‘PRACTICE BEING IN YOUR NATURE’ “We are in a pint in the world where we’ve become very disconnected. Things are super-fast - we are very top heavy, we think so much. And we lead life from a strange sense that we are in control or can control everything, so we become detached from our energetic systems and our nervous systems” - this makes me think about how we no longer rely on our natural compass, our intuition or ‘gut instinct’.. aiding towards more disconnection.

Page 107 - 117:

A few pages about artists that, bellow are the ones that stand out.

I relate to Rachel Wingfield on very deep levels. ‘I feel very passionate about certain topics such as climate change and mass extinction’ - Rachel Wingfield

Shama Rahman speaks about flow, the work her and her crew does ‘addresses our ability to be in flow, harnessing the ability of our own consciousness’. 

Ben Lindsay speaks about church and says that ‘apart from down the pub, it’s rare that you see such a mix of people’ and how the church accepts a mixture of people, it accepts everyone.’ This reminds me of the art space, the art gallery, exhibition, the creative project.. how art and design bring people together, not leaving anyone out. Everyone can relate to it, everyone can connect. 

Photos 9, 10, 11:

Both books aligned with my project proposal, highliting the contextual side. The Spiritual issue shares and discusses a range of artists and designers who are concerned with the rise of spirituality among younger generations, especially within the art & design world, as well as talking about the disconnection between man and Earth. These artists and designers are renting to challenge the, which is exactly what I aim to do with my own art.

I gained a lot of inspiration reading these two books at the start of the project, coming back to them at the early research stages. I found it warming to see so many people in the creative field coming together to help eachother, and our planet.

Photo 1:

This is the first time I’ve heard of ‘The Colour Book’ and what caught my eye was the contents ‘The Colours of Resistance with Extinction Rebellion’. While flicking through the book I found lots of concepts I resonate with. 

The second page of the book is labelled ‘Our Genoration, Our Choice’ and talks about how the young ‘have given up on their countries’ leaders and taken things into their own hands’ and describes it as ‘peaceful anger’. This quote caught my eye the most ‘Young people are demonstrating resiliant hope and creativity in the face of the looming climate crisis, balancing measured, informed storytelling with playful, inclusive campaigns that have captured imagination and empathy across the world’. As a young person who’s very knowledgable about the climate crisis I’d like to trigger imagination and empathy with my own work. 

Photo 2:

‘Time Rock Stacks’ by Dawn Bendick and Joe Hartley. These pieces are made of stone and crystal, I think it’s Quartz and Calcite by the look of the texture. I found this information on The New Craftsman website - ‘Dawn’s pieces are made with a special multitone glass that changes colour under different light sources. Each piece explores the movement of natural light across both surfaces, and time. The Time Rock series was cast from found objects, discovered on an ancient pilgrimage site, and an 11th Century churchyard.‘

Natural objects.

Photo 3:

This page immediately stuck out to me because of the colours and lighting used, it’s very ethereal, mystical and magical. I then read the caption - ‘IMMERSIVE INSTALLATIONS’ ‘The following projects explore its use in creating deeply sensorial and otherworldly experiences’ - I’d like to do this with my own work, to trigger these feelings in order to connect one to themselves and the Earth, to know our true mystical nature.

I really like the idea of using light as a material. 

Page 29 from book:

This quote is at the top of this page ‘WHEN PEOPLE USUALLY TALK ABOUT CLIMATE - IN THE MEDIA OR GREEN CAMPAIGNS - THE TONE IS USUALLY VERY SCIENTIFIC, QUITE ANGRY OF SIMPLY ILL-INFORMED, WHICH MAKES IT VERY HARD TO FEEL MOVED’. This is exactly why I want to create pieces of work that move people, art and creative expression is something that all humans can connect to. Our connection to the natural world is not scientific, political, serious or anything todo with the media, it is NATURAL and with the right information, everyone should feel moved knowing what is happening to their own planet. 

Photo 4: 

The quote speaks for itself.

Page 32 from book: 

‘TAKING ITS CUE FROM YOUNG ACTIVISTS, THE WIDER CREATIVE CULTURE IS MOBILISING IN THE FACE OF THE CLIMATE CRISIS, RECOGNISING THE ROLE OF ART, VISUALISATION AND EXPERIMENTATION IN FACILITATING CONVERSATION ABOUT THE WORLDS PROBLEMS’ - Okay, so I’ve not thought about this before.. triggering conversation and how conversation = connection. 

Photo’s 4, 5 & Page 32 from book: 

‘Makeshift’ - a fashion collection exploring how ‘one persons trash is another’s treasure’ . i have been thinking about ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’ a lot lately and how ‘Recycle’ seems to be the go to when the first two parts of the cycle are the most effective and important. I am currently collecting scrap card, paper and other materials from my home recycling bin to up cycle and would love to reuse materials for this project and future projects. 

Page 61 from book:

‘Purchasing Power’ - a fashion collection exploring the ‘power of purchase’. This highlights fast fashion, fast food, fast consumerism. We control what is made and consumed and turned to waste by what we purchase, supply and demand..! 

Photo 6: 

‘Wild Child’ - a fashion collection connecting children to nature. This collection makes me think of freedom, creative expression, what it means to be wild, how WE ARE WILD.. we are a part of the wild life that we are destroying! I love this project, it brings us closer to our environment which is what i’d like to do too.

Page 124 from book:

‘XR HAS HARNESSED COLOUR AS A POWERFUL TOOL TO CREATE A SHARED EXPERIENCE THAT COMMUNICATES LIFE AND HOPE IN THE FACE OF AN URGNT, ERE-DEFINING EXISTENTIAL THREAT’ - This has got me thinking about colour, i’ll be exploring colour in a very deep way for this project, I always do. I try to link colour to emotion, I like colour to express and trigger feelings and thoughts.

Photos 7, 8, 9 page 161 from book:

‘Colour is the most important communication tool; colour informs, calls attention conveys a message and brings instant comprehension’ - the page caption, it speaks for itself. I don’t entirely agree that colour is the MOST important communication tool though, this takes away from colour blind people and black and white creations..