It is long understood that the Canadian music industry has been dwarfed by our American neighbours to the south. While this may be true, that does not mean Canada is lacking in the supply of young talent.   Taryn Rose, 19, is a Toronto-based vocalist and musician who is redefining success and what it means to truly “make it” as an aspiring artist. She is a multi-instrumentalist, proficient in the piano, guitar, ukulele and saxophone and has found creative ways to incorporate all of these into her original music.       Taryn Rose has recorded three originals professionally: “Million Scars,” “I Don’t Wanna Choose,” and “Bottled Up Emotions,” a music video…

Creative outlets are important for fostering passion in artists, but they can be difficult to find. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people turned to the arts as a form of support. A survey by Art & Well-being found that 85 per cent of participants started consuming more art to cope with their feelings, and 41 per cent engaged in artistic activities themselves.  Additionally, research conducted by Hill Strategies shows that in August 2021, more than 30 per cent of pre-pandemic arts enthusiasts had already visited an art gallery or attended an outdoor performance. With lessened restrictions post-pandemic, the need for local creative outlets has increased as artists look to their…

Feb. 19, 2008 Shiva is a ritual in the Jewish culture. It’s when the friends and family of deceased loved ones visit your home and sit with the mourning family members for seven days. Mirrors are covered, cushions are removed, and heaps and heaps of food is flown in and out of the doors (enough to feed an entire village in some countries). The mourners are usually too devastated to eat any of it, so it goes to waste, just like the wilted body buried six feet under. And what did I want to do that day? All I wanted to do was be normal. I didn’t want pity. I…

Many people think the same things when it comes to grocery shopping.  People walking through the automatic doors of their closest supermarket chain, rolling carts down the narrow aisles of produce and dry goods and finally waiting their turn to pay.  But those who overlook alternative ways to buy their groceries, miss out on the fresh produce and goods local farmers and vendors’ offer at markets. Especially during winter months. Within the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), there are various year-round farmers’ markets. They have made a commitment to supporting local farmers and also committed to giving them a space to share their purpose, ethics and passion about what they grow…

 Indigenous treaties were written to ensure land was shared with non-Indigenous settlers. However, Indigenous Peoples and their territories were overtaken when Europeans arrived.  More educational institutions and organizations in Tkaronto and across Turtle Island, now known as Canada, are acknowledging this important history. One way is by implementing land acknowledgements.  Land acknowledgements are formal statements that acknowledge that Indigenous Peoples were the first to inhabit their traditional territories. They also highlight the strong relationship that Indigenous Peoples have with their land.  Acknowledging that relationship encapsulates how they live and what they believe in.  “Indigenous Peoples’ connection to the land is all about our ways of being and our ways of…

Many technological innovations originate from science fiction.  “For better or for worse, tech innovators draw on these stories for inspiration,” says Thomas Price, an English literature teaching assistant at an Ontario university.  Price always begins his teaching year dramatically.  “I walk over to the blackboard and write the word ‘CELLPHONES’ in capital letters,” Price says.  The students, according to Price, are expecting to hear the standard day-one classroom cellphone policy. He asks them  to take out their phones and place them in their laps. Some of the students are nervous, resistant or annoyed.  “I then give a short lecture about how cellphones were partly inspired by a comic in the…

Writing is considered an activity that thrives in solitude. It requires the writer to focus on what they’re putting down on the page.  The author puts in the work of creating a story and therefore deserves for it to be heard. This is why writing groups aim to bring communities together and strengthen their connection through collaborative writing exercises and events. One thing every writer needs is consistency so their skills can develop. But being consistent is challenging when no one is holding the writer accountable. Writing groups can be beneficial for this for any writer, regardless of their experience level. Chris Fraser, the founder of Firefly Creative Writing, says,…

Ezra Morrison has just completed their degree in sexuality diversity studies at the University of Toronto. They are eagerly entering the job market, looking for an entry-level job in their chosen field.  “My dream job would be to work with specifically trans and non-binary youth. I’d love to work at The 519 Community Centre or something like that,” Morrison says. Morrison identifies as non-binary and has their pronouns at the top of their resume, beside their name.  “I think that cisgender people putting their pronouns in their bio on social media or in their email signatures and resumes really works to make the world a safer place for trans and…

Behind every delicately detailed piece in the Blueprint for a Collective Home exhibit was an Asian artist’s story of finding their place in Canada.  But it is not only the individual artists that made the exhibit feel like a home away from home. Beside every piece was another art installation that spoke the same language. They connected with the next like an extended hand. Together, the artworks united into a web of dialogue that explores the Asian diaspora in Canada.  Emerald Repard-Denniston is one of the co-founders of Shoes Off Collective (SOC), the organization behind the exhibit. For the artist, her story looked like video documentation of her and her…

Cody Erasmus remembers feeling neglected by a healthcare practitioner when he opened up about concerns over his mental health. As an Indigenous man raised with notions of toxic masculinity and ego over feelings, opening up was already difficult.  He had been dealing with seven months of chronic insomnia. He was struggling with healing from substance abuse while balancing life as a single father. Having a practitioner judge his needs and define his situation within a short business-like interaction denied him the care he needed.  “I felt misjudged and misunderstood,” says Erasmus. Erasmus’ experience is echoed by many people in Canada who were failed by the healthcare system. One of the…

Exploring the ways people think is certainly not a new question, but it has fascinated and baffled psychologists for decades.  Until the 1980s, psychologists and linguists believed that language was the primary mode of thought. Linguists Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf developed the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis in 1959, proposing that language doesn’t just help people express their thoughts but it also influences their worldviews and biases.  However, recent studies have shown that’s not necessarily the case—humans rely on both visual and verbal modes of thought.  A 2017 study says that these two modes of thought may be independent of each other. Individuals seem to have better control over their inner…

On Feb. 15, 1965, the current Canadian flag designed by George Stanley was officially raised for the world to see.       To this day, the flag sports a large red maple leaf centred on a white background with two red vertical ‘seas’ on either side. These ‘seas’ resemble the motto “Canada, from sea to sea,” to mark the country’s east and west coastlines.  According to the government of Canada website, the use of red and white symbolizes the bridging of English and French history. As for the famous maple leaf, it has historically been a cultural icon and one of Canada’s largest natural resources.  But this design didn’t come without…

In 2020, Sarah O’Neill found herself scrolling through TikTok one night and came across multiple videos of people “manifesting.” Users on TikTok were sharing tips on how people can fall into alignment—create a meaningful life based on their unique purpose, attract personal desires and live abundantly. Creators were claiming that people could manifest pretty much anything they could dream of—a relationship, good grades, financial and career success.  Curious and intrigued, O’Neill decided to do some of her own research on manifesting and began to incorporate some of the practices that were being promoted on social media into her daily life. She bought a journal and started to write down all…

As a seasoned millennial, Katie Conohan remembers a time when social media filters didn’t exist.  She thinks back to when people would post unedited photos of themselves throwing up peace signs with their friends. Or poorly angled selfies that showcased their unblended frosted eyeshadow and glittery shiny lip gloss. A time when people unabashedly shared their unfiltered selves on social media and made no attempt to hide any of their imperfections.  Now, Conohan finds that she is unable to take a photo without using a filter. She admits that she has grown reliant on the digital manipulations offered on social media platforms like Snapchat and Instagram that provides users with…

The technological advancements of the internet, social media, virtual reality and cryptocurrencies have spurred an onslaught of theories and predictions surrounding the metaverse, which has become a topical subject in recent years.  Blockbuster films such as 2016’s Ready Player One and 2021’s Free Guy have tackled ideas surrounding the concept. In October 2021, the iconically-named and well known company Facebook was renamed Meta to better reflect the corporation’s ambition to further develop the metaverse. Even with the broad and ever-growing nature of the metaverse, many are still quite unfamiliar with what it is and what it could mean for the future of technology. Into the metaverse The term “metaverse” itself…

The self-help industry has a large follower base because of its ability to captivate and motivate  those searching for the best version of themselves. The self-help market was valued at US$ 38.28 billion globally in 2019 and continues to grow each year, according to a report from Grand View Research. The economic and emotional distress the pandemic has placed on many has only made people want to be more financially secure, less stressed and more self-aware. There has also been an increase in pressure to develop skills in order to satisfy company goals at home, outside of the office.   The concept of improving oneself is normalized in society. On New…

The day before the first COVID-19 lockdown, I remember being blissfully unaware at a small concert in Toronto by R&B artist Gallant. I was singing my heart out while trying to keep that nagging voice in the back of my head from bothering me about my exams the next day. By the following morning, the first lockdown was announced. It was thought to last only two weeks, but since then it has proven to be much longer. At first, I struggled coping with a sense of loss for my daily life as a young person in their early 20s. Often, this is a very pressuring stage of life. I felt…

Whenever long-time North York resident Cindy Luong passes by one of the many decorated graffiti pockets that can be found within Toronto-based neighbourhoods, she feels a sense of warmth.  “I see graffiti as a form of personal expression,” she says. “It brings me lots of happiness to see how someone can take a blank canvas, such as the side of a building, and create something that speaks to them and to others as well.” Luong’s opinions represent one half of the continuous debate surrounding graffiti and whether it should be classified as art or as vandalism. While some like Luong can appreciate the artistic merit within graffiti, others paint it…

Behind every single one of Zeynab Mohamed’s carefully curated Instagram posts, there is an intense process and an intended purpose. “There’s so many behind the scenes stuff that people don’t realize,” the Toronto-based social media content creator says. “It’s not just taking photos.”  This process involves selecting shooting sites with eye-catching backdrops, incorporating trending colours with personal touches, coordinating and batching multiple outfits to capture as many looks as possible within one shoot and even changing in her car when public washrooms were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown restrictions.  Her growing devotion also encouraged her to become more self-reliant while conducting her shoots, as she couldn’t rely on…

“People don’t value mental health the same way they value roads and bridges,” says Nick Sweetman, whose towering murals grace the streets of Toronto.  In a conversation about the utility of art and how his work has affected communities, Sweetman acknowledges the simple importance of connecting with people—some of whom may be in dire need of connection—in ways that can’t otherwise be expressed. “I got into art to have conversations with people,” he says. A city like Toronto is no stranger to street art, from the unburdened explosivity of graffiti to grander masterpieces that people slow down for and everything in between. Like many others, Sweetman’s work does more than…

In August 2021, Sabrina Fontaine,  a 25-year-old artist from London, Ont., opened her online store Miskomin Manidoomin. Fontaine, who is currently residing on the COM: Chippewa of the Thames, Oneida Nation of the Thames and Munsee-Delaware Nation, says that her store name roughly translates to Raspberry Spirit Beads.  While art has always been a part of her life, she has not been very public with it until recently. “I’ve always been kind of shy and private about it,” says Fontaine. “This year with COVID-19 I kind of just decided, you know what, I’ve been doing art my whole life, so let’s put it out there.”  Fontaine says that when she…

Sharon Ng was 18 when she got her first tattoo: a small rose on her inner ankle. She has since added two more pieces to her collection—a butterfly on her outer ankle and a Chinese dragon on her back. Unlike her first tattoo, these ones hold close personal significance to her. “The butterfly represents my childhood memories and swimming. Butterfly was my favourite stroke,” she says. “I was born in the year of the dragon and I’m Chinese, so that’s what the dragon stands for.” Ng recognizes the cultural barrier between her Chinese upbringing and getting permanently inked, so she strategically had her tattoos placed where they would be less…

There is a timeless appeal to films and television shows that are geared towards teenage audiences. Perhaps the most notable factor about teen movies is how much they can grow with modern audiences. Much has changed since the John Hughes era of the 1980s and despite what some movie buffs would say, it has probably been for the better. Early coming-of-age films tackled subjects often explored during adolescence: relationships, sex, drugs and alcohol. They dealt with issues such as understanding one’s self-identity or dealing with bullying and peer pressure.  Films like The Breakfast Club (1985) and Sixteen Candles (1984) have been hailed by audiences for the accurate portrayal of the…

Natalie Evans, a media and communications professor at the University of Guelph-Humber, still remembers using a typewriter to complete her assignments when she started university in the mid-90s.  Connecting with peers and professors used to be an in-person ordeal during Evans’ undergraduate degree, but it changed quickly. “Even within that three to four years, I went from having a typewriter to having internet and computer at home,” she says.  Today, the internet is a large part of society and has shifted the way that people communicate with one another. An academic study found that the iGeneration—those born between 1995 and 2012—spend less time interacting in-person and more time on digital…

In the summer of 2021, Toronto-based brothers Ethan and Cooper Waisberg started their own non-profit corporation, Balls 4 Eyeballs. Balls 4 Eyeballs is a youth-led movement with the goal of protecting the environment while also generating funding for eye research. The Waisberg brothers are both life-long tennis players that are helping spread awareness about eye care, a pursuit that was inspired by a close family member. Ethan Waisberg is involved in eye research in Canada, the U.S. and the U.K. and is a student at the University College Dublin School of Medicine. Cooper Waisberg is in his second year at York University working towards becoming a lawyer who advocates for…