Project Calm Issue 13

Our hands really do say so much about ourselves. How we use them to gesticulate, whether we nibble our nails or how we decorate them all speaks volumes. Looking down at my own hands, I see short nails, accompanied by an art deco engagement ring and a simple gold wedding band, bought second-hand; an ethical choice, and each with their own history. What does that say about me? I'm a down-to-earth, curious woman who loves a story and likes to get stuck in? Not far off! But, on a deeper level, our hands say so much more about ourselves. Throughout history, they hold significance in cultures around the world for ceremonies and celebrations. They can also hold the future, as you'll see in our palmistry feature. Whether you believe it or…

Have you always wanted to be an illustrator? I did a general foundation degree in art and design, but when I spent most of my 3D design course drawing people to show the scale for my buildings, my tutor suggested illustration. What other creative pursuits do you enjoy? When I want to relax away from screens I sometimes do cross stitch, it’s extremely soothing. The people you illustrate have a great sense of personality – how do you capture this? I prefer to think of faces and bodies as shapes and line. Conveying a sense of personality through just the positioning of an eye or the shape of a mouth is where it gets interesting to me. What do your hands say about you? I like my hands best when they’ve done screenprinting even if it leaves…

1 CONVERSATIONS FOR EVERYONE Podcasts have really come into their own, with many of us choosing them over traditional radio. The platform crosses most genres and gives a voice to people once unheard. Raw and honest are just some of the ways we’d describe Kate O’Sullivan’s recently released podcast, Conversations From Our Days. Following on from her successful podcast series A Playful Day, Kate recognised a need for more diverse podcasts. Kate tells us, “I didn’t see myself among my peers. I was a queer creator and single mum on benefits from a working-class background.” With esteemed guests sharing their own stories, these podcasts make explicit the experiences of others, in hope of a better understanding of ourselves. bit.ly/calm13kateosullivan 2 INDULGE IN NATURE’S BEAUTY As we all know, we can find happiness and…

The hand is one of the most frequently symbolized parts of the human body. It appears in art, rituals and ceremonies as well as forming an essential part of communication. Hands are highly unique and individual to each person. There’s a wealth of information to interpret whenever we see hands and it’s unsurprising that they’ve come to appear as signposts in many cultures. Hands and connecting to one another with them can be incredibly nourishing. From birth, we seek to hold hands and as we grow hand holding becomes a matter of safety and guidance as much as it does a gesture of love and connection. Children hold hands as they join in a circle to play and seek the reassuring warmth of a caregiver’s hand. As we grow, we begin…

So what do our hands give away about our personality? Can we base our knowledge of a person based on conclusions we draw when inspecting the way their hands appear and are adorned? Our hands work much like a blueprint for the rest of our body and, indeed, our life, giving away glimpses of our lifestyle and social status. Here are some further insights into the way hands play a pivotal role in our day-to-day lives. FINGERPRINTS Fingerprints are the tiny ridges, whorls and valleys on the tip of each finger and are totally unique. Formed from pressure on a baby’s developing fingers in the womb, prints can be used to identify individuals. GROOMING Nowadays we tend to think of manicures in terms of salons that began to rise in popularity since the 70s…

Chances are you have already seen Stacie’s art – her designs have adorned wallpaper, Moda fabric and children’s décor for Crate and Kids. And then there’s her own stationery, and of course, Instagram. Her balance of delicate-yet-striking designs offer a strength in subtlety. “I love expressing a specific idea or creating a minimal icon that can communicate concisely,” she says. “Playing with colour and texture is my favourite part of illustrating. If I’m feeling a little short on inspiration, I go for a walk near our local lake or visit Crystal Bridges Art Museum.” Projects for Stacie are varied and often feature reassuring messages such as ‘Nobody’s got it all together’, ‘We need each other’ and ‘Kindness counts’ alongside whimsical woodland animals. “I decided to create this sort of work because…