The DESIRE Issue
Somewhere beyond the realms of want and need lies desire. It’s a strange pull — voluntary enough to feel like a want, but powerful enough to feel like a need. Desire comes to us in many forms — it could be the desire for adventure, for love, for success, for enlightenment, for life itself. The degree to which desire influences our choices depends on how well we really listen to and understand ourselves. What is it that you truly desire? When you quiet your mind and pay attention, what does your heart tell you? Have you been listening to it? If fear is the push that propels you into a freer, more honest future, desire is the inexorable pull that draws you further forward. Society has taught us to ignore its irreverent and often illogical call, but what if heeding it is the key to truly living?
The FEAR Issue
We like to talk a big game about being fearless, but the truth is, all of us are afraid of something. Whether it’s social situations, fucking things up, letting people down, losing loved ones, living with regret or flying cockroaches — fear plays a significant role in how we decide to live our lives. But rather than vilify it right off the bat, our aim with this issue is to explore how fear influences the choices we make, how a healthy amount of it can actually make us better people, and how we can use it as a teacher — as a compass to show us where we are not yet free, as a stepping stone to courage, and as a reminder of what is truly important to us.
The CURIOSITY Issue
With all the changes and upheavals that have been happening in the world, there’s no better time or reason for us to take a deep dive into things we never had the chance to before. In this issue of BRAZEN, we celebrate curiosity in all its mischievous, insatiable, playful and unpredictable glory, and all the potential it stands to unlock.
The CHANGE Issue
With all the crazy events that have been turning the world upside down in the first half of this year, it’s clearer than ever that drastic change is inevitable, and it’s happening right. Now. We live in confusing times, but rather than fear or shy away from what’s to come, we at BRAZEN want to explore the essence of change. What does change mean to each of us as individuals, as a society, as a species? What steps can we take to change ourselves and our environments for the better? What events have changed you in the past, and what have they taught you about yourself? How can we take what’s going on in the world right now and use it as fuel to move forward in braver, kinder and more effective ways?
The LIMITS Issue
In this first issue of BRAZEN, we explore the theme of limits and limitations. This issue was conceived when billions of people around the world were in lockdown, and is both an ode and a challenge of sorts to the limits we all find ourselves up against at some point or another. Within the context of our already finite, limited lives, are self- and externally-imposed limitations something to do away with altogether, or do they have a purpose to serve in helping us come into our own?