CHAPTER ELEVEN

MANIFESTO—

Dan Kyle brushstrokes photographed by Rosie Dalton

‘The world is so empty if one thinks only of mountains, rivers and cities; but to know someone who thinks and feels with us, and who, though distant, is close to us in spirit, this makes the earth for us an inhabited garden.’ — Goethe

As the mid-year point passes us by, we often become acutely aware of the fleeting nature of things. The passage of the seasons tends to have this effect. But, in recognising the temporary we can also begin to appreciate the permanence. And few things are more universally gratifying than the experience of genuine human connection.

For, even in nature, we can learn to explore and enjoy our surrounds when also surrounded by those who feel close to us in spirit. Be they our friends, our family, or our collaborators. Be they, indeed, the stranger on the street with the warm and welcoming smile.

We are better together, argues shamanic author S. Kelley Harrell, who points out that ‘[w]e don't heal in isolation, but in community.’ And thus, there is great power to be found when we come together. When we inhabit the garden and grow in unison with others.

So how can we cultivate a collaborative spirit? To tap into our inner curiosity and find the common threads that bind us to others—across oceans, skies, and multiple generations.

This July, we celebrate connection. Elektra and Miranda of Say Lou Lou invite us into their world and we discuss what the musical twins have been watching of late—cult Greek film Attenberg—for the inaugural edition of JANE Film Club. We delve into the inspiring story behind independent local label SAINT and embrace nature in fashion with Cartier and in food with Off Carte. Meanwhile, Seung Rok transports us to the inhabited garden, where flowers dare to bloom wild and free.

‘All struggle, all resistance is—must be—concrete,’ writes Susan Sontag. ‘And all struggle has a global resonance. If not here, then there. If not now, then soon. Elsewhere as well as here.’ So this month, we invite you to rise like the roses do—and rise together.

Rosie Dalton