Table of contents for Issue 4 in Gathered

1. Make your bed It sounds simple, but start each day as you mean to go on by making your bed. This sage advice was given in an address to the graduates of the University of Texas in 2014 by Admiral William H McRaven: “If you make your bed every morning you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another. By the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed. Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that little things in life matter. If you can't do the little things right, you will never do the big things right.…

MINDFULNESS Mending magic is a special kind of magic. You have to give it thought, time and you have to bring your hands. Mental meets physical and the outcome can be spiritual. An excellent example of this in action is through Tom van Deijnen, aka Tom of Holland (www.tomofholland.com), a self-taught textiles practitioner who enjoys creating and repairing knitted objects. His interest in sustainability and the UK's rich textile history led Tom to question when the life of a garment begins and ends. A love of the old and imperfect led him to found the Visible Mending Programme, highlighting the relevance of clothes repair in a world where more and more people voice their dissatisfaction with fashion's throwaway culture. Tom explains, “By exploring the story behind garment and repair… [and]…

MINDFULNESS WAVE HILL New York A splendid cultural centre and gardens in the Bronx overlooking the Hudson River, Wave Hill affords sweeping views west to the magnificent New Jersey Palisades. Offering visitors traditional gardens and a sanctuary in the Big Apple, there are also unexpected surprises, including paths that wind across bright wildflowers and a pool adorned with water lilies. New Yorker Oliver Q writes on TripAdvisor that Wave Hill is his “family's chill spot” and describes the gardens, which are kept beautifully, as “pure magic”. “We love this quiet, beautiful place,” he adds. Like this? Try Washington DC's Enid A. Haupt Garden or Milan's Guastalla Garden. MEIJI SHRINE Tokyo Bang in the middle of one of Tokyo's biggest parks lies Harajuku's unmissable Meiji Shrine, a local's favourite dedicated to…

CREATIVITY “Julia Cameron's workbook promised to inspire confidence, to deal with self-doubt and to help me embrace my latent creative potential.” “What had previously seemed indulgent, quickly became precious.” I first came across The Artist's Way many years ago. Originally published in 1992, it's still lauded as a life-changer by all sorts of creative people from actors to weavers. I had an itch deep inside that told me I needed more creativity in my life. I was working full-time as a schoolteacher, but secretly wanted to dance and to write. I wanted more from life than going to work and occasionally scribbling lines of poetry in journals that I stuffed in the back of the wardrobe in my bedroom. Julia Cameron's workbook promised to inspire confidence, to deal with self-doubt…

CREATIVITY Taking place in venues as varied as colleges and high street craft shops to garden sheds and converted shipping containers, designer-makers across the country are busy adding 'craft tutor' to their business portfolios. With this 'those who can do and teach,' attitude in full swing, now's the time to become a master of your craft. What, where and who… There are a multitude of routes into the tutoring profession and – as with any facet of your business – planning and research are the bedrock to success. Ask yourself: what are you going to teach? Where are you going to teach it and how will you find your students? Choosing your subject may seem straightforward but look at the competition to see if you need to find a more…

TRENDS 1. Statement ceilings From reinstalling period features such as ceiling roses and coving, to trying colour-drenching and oversized pendant lighting, it seems we're all upping our interiors game, with the focus well and truly flipped. As Lionel Richie once pointed out, ceilings are where it's at. The perceived wisdom is that light-coloured ceilings give the impression of space, but where we'd once play it safe with a lick of white emulsion, Pinterest is now awash with moody, bold shades overhead, with everything dipped in the same tone. Lampshades too, are huge and tasselled, fluffy or sculptural – and it's nigh on impossible not to start looking up. 2. Pensioner pastimes Whether you like to potter in the garden, birdwatch, bake bread or make jam, have you clocked your senior…

TRENDS What is it about someone that makes them look confident? I was thinking about this while idly people-watching in a local café recently, noticing how immediately my eye was drawn to those with an upright posture, alert expression, obvious and easy engagement with those around them, and a ready smile. “In terms of radiating self-confidence, our posture and body language count for a lot.” For those for whom good posture and poise are par for the course, they may always look confident – but that doesn't mean that they always feel it. Of course, appearances can be deceptive – making assumptions about how others are projecting themselves isn't always helpful. But in terms of radiating self-confidence, our posture and body language count for a lot. It's also a tool…

MINDFULNESS “Finding calm through the practice of letting go can be liberating.” When life is hectic, who doesn't dream of pressing pause and replacing the chaos with a little more calm? If only you had the time to make space for it. Instead, you can find yourself struggling through, stuck between a busy schedule and too many to-dos. Why can't it be easy to make balance your best friend, and live blissfully ever after? There's always something more important popping up, or a good excuse to deal with your own needs later. Life doesn't slow down though, and you continually find yourself more rushed and busier than you'd like. If any of this resonates, perhaps this is a timely reminder that a slower, more mindful way is possible – and…

CREATIVITY Besides the utter disbelief that it is, in fact, Colin Farrell under The Penguin make-up, the lasting impression watching this gritty Batman spin off is very dark and moody with the same noir aesthetic as The Batman but with a nod to other classics in the mob genre, notably Sopranos and Scarface. Gotham City This Max/HBO Originals TV crime drama documents the Penguin's rise in Gotham's criminal underworld one week after the flooding of Gotham in the 2022 movie The Batman, with Colin Farrell reprising his role. The Penguin – aka Oswald “Oz” Cobblepot, the disfigured former chief lieutenant of deceased crime boss Carmine Falcone – wants to become the criminal kingpin in his own right, but has Carmine's daughter, Sofia Falcone (played by Cristin Milioti) to fight for…

TRENDS In English-speaking countries, 'living for the weekend' tends to have a negative ring to it – that the week is so unbearable, we just have to push through to Friday. But in Sweden, 'fredagsmys' – literally translating to 'Friday cosy' – is a complete celebration. The anticipation of a relaxing weekend, recapping your successes of the week and planning a cosy Friday night in with loved ones is what fredagsmys is all about. Norway (fredagskos) and Denmark (fredagshygge) have this tradition, too. Yes – 'mys' is the Swedish translation of the Danish word 'hygge', so you get the idea. “'Fredagsmys' literally translates to 'Friday cosy'” Work hard, play hard Rather than focus on the negatives, it's the Swedish way to create small moments every day, in every season, for…

MINDFULNESS Crystals have always been used for their healing properties. They're naturally formed under pressure and they're a good support network: they work with our energy to draw in what we need and draw out what we no longer need. When it comes to using crystals in the home, it's your space so it's up to you where you put them. If you want to bring more love in, where is the heart of your home? Or maybe you want to get more creative in the kitchen, so let's put in some crystals to promote that. It's all about using your own intuition. Crystals are great at bringing in a sense of calm or an energy that you feel is lacking. They work both ways! Perfect gift If you're thinking…

MINDFULNESS “Every city has a place where you can find a peaceful haven” There's no denying that life in the city can be demanding. From overly crowded streets to the hectic pace ingrained in capitals all over the world, escaping the stress, pollution and traffic is on the majority of city dwellers' minds. Covering only three per cent of the planet's surface, cities are home to more than half of the world's population – a statistic alone that can make you feel claustrophobic. Fortunately, every city has a place where you can transport yourself from the buzzing metropolis to a peaceful haven. One thing that the people who live in big towns often have in common is their love of discovering new peaceful spaces. With researchers finding that nature not…

CREATIVITY Were we to dream up our ultimate wardrobe, it would probably look a little something like this: a dash of Parisian cool, a sprinkling of classic Chanel, the perfect Little Black Dress for every occasion, and stripy Breton tees galore. France has been leading the sartorial way ever since the lavish tastes of King Louis XIX brought its beautiful textiles worldwide acclaim in the 17th Century, but today's French fashion is perhaps known more for understatement than extravagance. The classic, effortlessly chic look that Parisians wear so well has inspired countless books and articles, launched a thousand trends, and given us style staples we don't know what we'd do without. Luckily, though, we don't need to go on a Champs-Élysees shopping spree to give our everyday outfits a French…