BRAZEN sits down for a chat with Rathimalar Govindarajoo about dance, desire, discovering our power and more.

Interview and cover illustration by Shanita Lyn Kumar.

BRAZEN recommends this article from Psychology Today on the four stages of desire, as defined by the 15th-century Indian mystic, poet and philosopher Kabir.

BRAZEN recommends our editor-in-chief’s favourite song ever, by a band whose music was one of the biggest inspirations behind the very creation of this magazine.

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be?”

Quote by Marianne Williamson. Illustrated by Shanita Lyn Kumar.

BRAZEN recommends this beautiful article from Brain Pickings, which celebrates E.E. Cummings’ timeless and inspiring advice to young poets.

Illustration from Enormous Smallness by Matthew Burgess via Brain Pickings.

BRAZEN highly recommends this beautiful interview with Elizabeth Gilbert on fear, authenticity, creativity, play and everything in between. So inspiring!

In this BRAZEN experiment, we dive deeper into what confronting our fears looks like in practice. Spoiler: it’s not quite as aggressive as you may think.

BRAZEN recommends this video by Einzelgänger detailing the Stoic approach to dealing with panic, so relevant and much needed in this era of doom and gloom.

BRAZEN sits down for an inspiring chat with Yante Ismail, a humanitarian worker and feminist artist whose bold, powerful work brazenly challenges patriarchy, and the damaging societal, religious, cultural and social norms that dictate how women exist in society.

BRAZEN recommends Mark Manson’s interview on Impact Theory, in which he discusses some of the key philosophies from his bestselling book, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck (which we also highly recommend!).

BRAZEN recommends the album trailer for MARINA’s album Love + Fear, in which she recites lyrics from her own songs to moving and poetic effect.

“Curiosity will conquer fear even more than bravery will; indeed, it has led many people into dangers which mere physical courage would shudder away from, for hunger and love and curiosity are the great impelling forces of life.” - James Stephens

BRAZEN recommends this TED talk by Emilie Wapnick to anyone who’s ever struggled to figure out what their “one true calling” is, or felt guilty about not being able to choose just one area of interest to stick to and specialise in. As it turns out, this isn’t a flaw after all — it’s actually a huge advantage. Yay!

BRAZEN sits down for a chat with Professor Vicknes Waran, whose insatiable curiosity and sense of playfulness informs not only his work — as a senior consultant neurosurgeon, medical director, university professor and engineer — but the way he lives his whole life.

BRAZEN recommends this Unjaded Jade video which we all needed in our awkward teenager/young adult phase, when talking to other people was the most difficult thing in the world. Whether you’re currently in that phase or have already moved past it, this video provides a nice dose of light and inspiration to put yourself out there and make some new connections.

“Study hard what interests you in the most undisciplined, irreverent and original manner possible.” - Richard Feynman

BRAZEN recommends one of our favourite videos of all time — a call to arms for the creators, innovators and passion-driven young people who are changing the world as we know it; and a joyful dose of inspiration to start doing whatever it is that you love most.

In an age where everything we could possibly want is at our fingertips, it takes a certain amount of intention to satisfy our endless curiosity without getting jaded or carried away. Luckily, Carissa Morais has some great perspectives to share on how we can do this.

BRAZEN highly recommends this TED talk by young Jacob Barnett, whose autism diagnosis at just two years old prompted his mother to homeschool him and allow him to pursue his interests at his own pace — which turned out to be one of the best decisions they could have made.

In this experiment, we explore how asking the right questions can turn any situation into an opportunity for learning and discovery.