Find Gillian: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Etsy
Hi everyone, and thank you for allowing me a bit of a hiatus from writing to gather my thoughts for a couple of weeks.
This week you can expect 3 short bursts from me- a thoughtful post, a post all about some great picture books and a third one to catch up my free monthly art download offerings for you all. I hope that won’t feel too spammy and I promise only good and life-giving things.
“Life is BIG- Be all You Can Be”- Chika Inatimi
The title of my post this week comes from the words of someone who has been a lifelong mentor and friend to me, Chika Inatimi. For those who know Chika, there is no reason at all to explain but for those who don’t, he’s a person who has impacted the lives of countless young people in Dundee, across more than 20 years as founder and director of the organisation FRONT LOUNGE.
I’ve tried numerous times in the last two decades to put the work of Front Lounge into a succinct couple of sentences but I can’t, because it very much revolves around dozens and dozens of overlapping individual stories; young people and their passions and their urgency to become the things they were made to be on this earth. In Chika, and in Front Lounge, this urgency is met with the affirmation that life is indeed SO BIG and that you- yes YOU- are a part of it, here to make it as wonderful as you can. These passions are met with people willing to listen, to hold space, to find resources and to roll the sleeves up, including picking up the pieces when it all goes wrong. The central question Chika is always asking is ‘What do you want to do?’, simple and yet the most powerful question there is, especially for people who are not used to being asked.
Most days I cannot believe my luck to have met someone like Chika and to have participated in Front Lounge since before it was even called that. As I move through life, I recognise how truly unique and powerful it was to be taught to think this way from such an early age. There are 25 years of stories I carry but some things Chika supported me whole-heartedly to do include; organising a city-wide poetry festival, learning film and photography, working in schools, traveling to Southeast Asia and India to make a tsunami documentary, traveling to China, recording an album with friends, helping open a workshop space, writing, drawing, thinking and campaigning. Imagine being a teenager who says ‘I want to go to India’ and someone puts a camera in your hands, helps you raise the funds and encourages you every step of the way. Just, wow. I met some of my best lifelong friends at Front Lounge and they are all out in the world doing spectacular things. I’ll introduce you to some of them as we go along here. These days, you’ll find Front Lounge running a pioneering fashion programme in Dundee called Kindred Clothing, born again out of the passion of young people they work with. It’s all very exciting!
Projects are just projects though, the tangible shop window to what is really happening, which is the life-transforming power of having someone believe in you, spur you on and ask you the questions. Chika still does this for me all the time. For him, this is what life is about and, because of this, I aspire to be just the same way. There is a reason we all return from our various corners of the world for Front Lounge reunions, these days bringing our own children along too!
No doubt Front Lounge is going to pop up a lot in my newsletter anecdotally so, for now, I’m going to pass on the key questions I learned to ask myself as a gift to you. Maybe you’d like to use them as journal prompts or maybe you’d like to share in the comments.
WHO AM I?
Literally, who are you? What is your story? Who and where do you come from? What are the stories that define your life so far?
WHERE AM I?
Look around you? Where are you? What is the context of your life right now? Who is around? What resources are around? What is the history and story of the place you’re in? What opportunities are there?
WHAT ARE MY HOPES AND DREAMS?
What is deep inside of you? What is that little voice saying? What would you absolutely LOVE out of life? What lights you up? When are you in your element? What do you find electrifying? What do you want to look back on with great gratitude and satisfaction?
Remember, LIFE IS BIG.
I had the same dream of visiting India when younger and saved a 100 rupee note a friend gave me in my Lonely Planet guide. His parents worked for the British Consulate and I admired his photos at art school. Years later, I am reading your article and in a room with my own photos of India. I saved up working in an office in an editing role I didn't really enjoy and pinned up photos of where I wanted to travel to so I remembered why I was there! I went when my daughter was pregnant with my first granddaughter and my dreams have extended to taking my three grandchildren to see the magic and meet the wonderful people there. I ended up staying with the Ghandi family (long story) and I will never forget their kindness and at the time I didn't know who they were beyond the smiles and pure conversation. I loved reading about Dundee as my daughter studied contemporary dance there. I can imagine my eldest grandchild being interested in Kinship fashion as well! I will research into Front Lounge. I recently had a dream where she was older and showed me her fashion collection where a model was trying on ballet shoes and a Japanese kimono. I bought her her first sewing box, machine and we used to draw designs together. She's an absolute natural - kids are soooo creative. Thank you for bringing Front Lounge to my Front Lounge 🙏🏽
Thanks for sharing this story of Chika and Front Lounge. How amazing to have someone cheering you on in your corner, at any time in life, but especially as a young person. ❤️