I read somewhere that “art never comes from happiness”. I’m not sure if I entirely agree, but I do believe that great art comes from a place of vulnerability. Jungle is my place of vulnerability; it has taken me millions of miles out of my comfort zone and has pushed me to grow, learn and become stronger.
Recently, I have found that every time I hear a great success story about a business or an individual, the focus is mostly on their ‘wins’. I can tell you that waking up every morning and working on your passion as a job is incredible, but there is also another side to it. Since the beginning, there’s been at least one million times that I wanted to quit and one million and one times that I picked myself back up and found a reason to carry on. I also want to tell you that nothing easy is worth having and that diamonds are made under a lot of pressure; just a few weeks ago, I wasn’t sure if what you are now holding in your hands would become a reality, but we pushed and found a way.
I’ve learnt that you can achieve a lot of great things if you surround yourself with people that believe in you and your vision. Whether it’s that one person who brings you a cup of coffee at just the right time, or the one that tells you, “don’t give up, you’ve got this”. Believe me, it helps.
Edition 02 focuses on the theme of ‘Introspection’. That is, the examination of one’s own conscious thoughts and feelings. So, I’d like to invite you to self-reflect on a time you had just started something, perhaps your career? University? A relationship? How have things changed? You’re probably smiling… always remember though, things never get easier, you just get better.
In this edition we asked a group of artists to be vulnerable and to look back at their careers, their beginnings and their lives, and to share their stories with us so that we can share them with you. We have the honour of having Banks to grace our music cover, welcoming us into her world and sharing how her depression and insecurities played a role in shaping who she is today. Rising star, Hannah Shakespeare is our muse for the fashion cover, reflecting on how her modelling career has built her confidence, whilst allowing her to stay true to herself. We also had the pleasure of Marta Zgierska, beautifully creating our art cover and speaking to us about ‘Post’, a thought-provoking photographic project where she depicts her journey through anxiety neurosis and emotions after a life-threatening car accident.
At the launch event of Edition 01, I announced that were starting to collaborate with Mind, the mental health charity. Mental health is something that is very close to my heart; some of the nearest and dearest people in my life have dealt with it and I believe that I don’t need to have the biggest or the most profitable company to have a positive impact on the world around me. From this Edition onwards, Jungle hopes to bring you creative and collaborative editorials to shine light on the stigma of mental health issues and raise awareness.
On behalf of my team, I’d like to dedicate this edition to those who have suffered from mental health issues at one point in their lives: to those who have struggled but still made it, to those who are trying their best and to those who have channelled their vulnerabilities and emotions to create great art.
Mental health is a life long project; make yours count.
Ali Foroughi
Editor-In-Chief & Creative Director
Read Edition 02 here: Purchase
