Faded Spring

    Street Art Tour Review Part II

    Read Planet Pass Social Street Art Tour Review ( Part I) Without a question of a doubt street art is my favourite ‘art’ movement, with its references to modernity and the collapse of the urban empire being among key themes that street art tends to explore. Street art has been a contentious topic to critique for almost a decade, with critics unsure whether ‘art that was temporary’ could ever have any cultural or memorial significance in a modern art world and they were quickly proved wrong. Street artists like Ben Eine, Banksy and Otto Shade’s works are regularly celebrated as being among Britain’s most prolific artists and have transformed ‘street art’ into a legal, professional art form ... read more

    I Am Thankful

    I am thankful that I am still here when many I care about are not, long dead and buried underground. I am thankful that my heart still beats, with gusto and vigor when many lay dying in painful agony, I am thankful that I have remembered how to live, when many are trapped in the deep hollows of their mind, I am thankful that I have oxygen in my lungs and blood running through my veins, that my body won't give up on me-even when my mind has had enough, I am thankful that I can live out my dreams, when many have been stunted at every turn, I am thankful that I have freedom of speech, that my words are not solicited by oppressive censorship but instead are welcomed with hungry need, I am ... read more

    The Art Of Communication: Huggle

    'She sits alone and afraid, aware that the people who surround her are just strangers, They make no effort to conversate with her and she is left isolated and confused, It used to be so easy to make friends, school kids stuck together, adults forget, We move away and lose contact, ghost the friends we no longer want to know, We sink them into the hollows of our mind, they move down the list as new friends emerge, In the crevices of human need lies a dormant need to be social but do we choose the wrong people?That friend who held your hand when you were sick, that friend who shielded you from bullies-goneAs we age people die and disappear, your best friend of twenty years-gone,We leave life ... read more

    Duchess London & The ‘Hepburn’ Mystique

    The 60's was known as the 'Golden era' of Hollywood, characterized by film icons Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn, whose mysterious 'allure' and magnetic attraction led to them being the most highly paid and notorious actresses that Hollywood has ever produced. Whilst Marilyn died an untimely death in 1962, Audrey continued working in films until 1989, before devoting her last years to a lifelong dream of promoting humanitarian causes and to many was seen as the epitome of 'natural grace and beauty'.. For many Audrey was an iconic actress with a voice of an angel and to others Audrey inspired them to be 'great' and help those less fortunate than themselves but to many Audrey was a fashion ... read more

    The Ultimate Planet Pass Social Street Art Tour

    One quick flick through my blog and it’s clear that I am crazy about street art. There is something so enticingly innocent about scrawling through images of portraiture and landscapes yet when it comes to a street art tour, darker and more sinister themes of ‘capitalism’, ‘consumerism’ and ‘crime’ are etched in the most unsuspecting places. The origins of street art was brought about by political change in Brooklyn, New York in the 80’s before a similar movement as a reaction to ‘political change’ occurred in the late 1980’s, with street artists like Ben Eine being original advocates of the street art movement. Global Street Art originated as an art form that was meant to ‘provoke’ ... read more

    My First Blog Anniversary: Faded Spring Turns One

    It seems like only yesterday that I was locked in conversation with my friend Vanessa, discussing our dreams and aspirations, hoping that our future would take a turn for the better. There had been disappointments and failures but still I kept my dream alive, hoping that one day people would recognize that I had a voice and a message to share, that would mark me apart from other bloggers in my 'niche'. I started one sunny summers day, messing around on my friends I-Phone, capturing a story through pictures and words. With amazement I got comments and within mere days brands were sending me opportunities despite me having no following to speak of. Tears welled in my eyes, astounded that these ... read more

    The Ultimate Cactus LED Light Review: Sass & Belle

    The Quest For The Ultimate Cactus LED Light  In the sweltering eye of the desert lies a barren wasteland, a mirage where water ceases to exist. In the empty solitude of the open desert lies a heap of broken plants, too tired to battle the force of the scorching sun rays. The sun's harsh glare is no match for these weak saplings, broken by the sun's gush of unbridled passion. But beneath the dust heap of broken plants was a mirage of green, thick bristly areoles adorned with flowers, succulents brimming with water conserved for survival. Who are these mythical green creatures? No other than the infamous cacti of course, able to withstand the driest of climatic planes and barely breaking a ... read more

    Princess Ana

    I grew up enamored with fairytales, fairytales that span centuries and the boundaries of time. Fairytales where women were mythical creatures bristling with unseen power, tales where there was no difference between creativity and narrative. Over time the Grimm's Tale's became Disney-ified and princesses became the definition of the perfect female 'doe eyed, hapless and in need of a Prince to come rescue her from oblivion'. Feminists criticized the construction of 'female identity' in these 'male-centric narratives'  and stated that women had become subordinate 'vessels' for male gratification. As a feminist I grew up believing that fairytales was no longer something to enjoy reading but a ... read more

    Speak Up

    He's too afraid to speak out, worried that his actions, that his words will make him a 'sissy'. He tried talking about his feelings before, how she made him feel, what she made him do. His words were met with blank stares, empty faces. He tried to tell them what she did, how she used and manipulated him to get what she wanted. She was in a position of power and she abused that power with abandon, she made him feel like the smallest man on earth. Its our little secret she used to say, plying him with the promise of a promotion that would never come. She made him cry hot salty tears, she tasted them with cruel ecstasy. She told him to serve her in more ways than one, he refused, she threatened ... read more

    My Mermaid Fantasy

    I can see myself sipping mocktails by the pool, watching the world go past as I regroup again. Sometimes life can take a toll and the only remedy is a holiday away from civilization and the people you know. Being able to take a break would be a dream come true but when your finances are dire it is easier said than done. Still I remain optimistic that out there is a golden ticket, waiting to be grabbed with both hands. I would never let go of that golden ticket and I would cradle it like a mother cradles her newborn child, listening to the slow tick of time crawling past. In the midnight hour I stand at my window, dreaming of a life that exists outside of my monotonous reality; un-regimented ... read more