Words by: Coby Renkin
Art by: Jessie Liu

An open letter to anyone overwhelmed by the need they feel to be constantly accessible.

Words by: Malena Frey
Art by: Lily Li

It started with arguments between my parents, and soon a divorce followed. At 14, the nightmare of living with an alcohol dependent mother culminated in finally moving in with my dad for what I thought would be a new, stable beginning.

Words by: Alice Wright
Art by: Jackie Liu

It was just last year when I was searching through a bookstore, an unlikely place for me to usually be, where I came across a small red covered novel, Normal People.

Words by: Dena Tissera
Art by: Sophie McKenzie-Stripp

During the course of my young life, I have met so many different people with whom I think I have nothing in common. In a time of social distancing, radical social change and political upheaval, it’s easy to feel like we have no connection to the other 7.8 billion people we share this planet with.

Words by: Zayan Ismail
Art by: Emma Lucas

For Gautama Buddha Manushya is Sanskrit for an animal with a mind or those who can reach enlightenment. For Gods and Goddesses they are mere mortal beings. For Aristotle, it is to have telos or an ultimate aim or an objective in life.

Words & Collage by: Marissa Hor

Growing up, I never really had a solid idea of what I wanted to do, and to be perfectly honest, I still don’t.

Words by: Emma Anvari
Art by: Ruth Ong

As someone who has never been in a long- term relationship before, I pounced at the thought of simply asking 36 curated and personal questions for a chance at falling in love. It was a no-brainer. Everyone wants to be loved.

Words by: Xenia Sanut
Art by: Mikhail Volkov

I breathe the world of meet-cutes, dramatic confessions of love, and kisses in the rain.

Words by: Amy Jenkin
Art by: Beth Philpotts

At the beginning of this year, I started talking to a boy who broke my heart. We never dated, never hooked up, never even liked each other. We were just friends.

Words by: Stephanie Booth
Art by: Lillian Busby

Would you walk into a restroom sober and compliment someone on their outfit? Recommend they leave their partner and insist that you have brunch the next day? I personally err on the side of: over-my-stone-cold-Steve- Austin-body on that one.

Words by: Tricia Rivera
Art by: Ying Xuan

It was Christmas when I told someone I loved them; I was 15 and had these horrifying red and green coloured braces on.

Art by: Charlotte Elwell

Words by: Vivian Tang
Art by: Madison Marshall

Social media. We’re akin to it because it’s entrenched in a way that feels true to us, a part of us. But I’m concerned about how it affects us.

Words by: Ella McEwan
Art by: Carla J. Romano

Last month, as I was lying in bed a couple wines deep, I decided to jump back on Tinder. Seeking validation I couldn’t get while in lockdown, I updated my photos, rejigged my old bio, and got swiping.

Words by: Tiffany Forbes
Collage by: Kate Thomas

From the day I entered this world kicking and screaming, to the day I was introduced to Cinderella at age five, I’d been force-fed the same old stories: happy-ever-afters defined by a true love’s kiss and fairy tales that only ever ended with finding The One.

Words by: Binari Almeida
Art by: Aastha Agrawal

Love. You fall in it. You fall out of it.

Words by: Kiera Eardley
Art by: Jake Porter

Footy. It’s warm beer sloshing around a plastic cup. Direct sunlight blinding you in the grandstand on a Saturday afternoon. The roar of an unbridled crowd prickling with nervous energy as the ball is bounced.

Words by: Ruby Ellam
Art by: Natalie Tran

The spirit of listicles that tell you what not to say in different circumstances (say a date, or meeting the in-laws, or, in this case a family dinner) is often used as a means of placating your familial audience.

Words by: Joseph Lew
Collage by: Ella Pang

Humans are social creatures, sure, we all know that; we’ve heard it all before. But our generation is desperate for connection.