The LU Arts Journal

My name is Jessica Cox and I am currently studying abroad as part of my degree in Graphic Communication and Illustration. My main interest is definitely within illustration and I like to work traditionally with various media - lino and screen printing being some of my favourite techniques - and then digitising them and experimenting on Photoshop or adding colour on Illustrator. I mostly just enjoy trying new techniques that emphasise texture and line quality while playing with the colour palette and combining traditional and digital methods. 

My art Instagram is @jess.mae.design and you can find my portfolio at www.jessicamaecox.myportfolio.com 

Jessica designed the front cover of the journal and illustrated the poem 'in the flat above the flower shop' on page 7 of the journal.

Rosie's illustration was for the poem 'Little Things' on page 11 of the journal.

My name is Kher Shin and I’m a Graphic Design student. My focus is on illustration and hopefully branding in the future. Being an international student from Malaysia, Loughborough University has given me this opportunity to explore my illustrative skills and create something unique, which I think is really fortunate (and fun!).

Bringing Brownie, Sparrow, and Giant from the poem to life was a beautiful experience. I have always enjoyed character designing and through this project, I explored and stylized different features that could potentially bring out their individuality for each of them.

Kher Shin's illustration was for the poem on page 20 of the journal.

Hey! I’m Robyn, a 19 year old welshie adventuring into the world of graphics and illustration! A big part of what inspires me in life and in the art that I make is the outdoors. Everything to do with the outdoors, the wildlife, the landscapes, the people and the adventures we can take! Feel free to check out my creative page on both Instagram and Facebook @bobcatcreative_ 

Robyn's illustration was for the poem 'Where Do We Belong?' on page 12 of the journal.

I’m Danielle, a Fine Art student here at Loughborough University. My work is often centred around escapism, especially in literature, and it’s importance in my life. Yasmin's beautiful poem reminded me of my own themes and so I created a piece that links journalling to escapism. I thought this journal was a perfect opportunity and I also believe it will help a lot of first year students to organise their thoughts, as I know that first year can be very trying at times. I typically draw or paint my artwork, so this piece was one of my first digital artworks, but certainly not my last! I hope this encourages you to go outside of your comfort zone because it is extremely rewarding. I always like exploring different styles but I always seem to come back to realism.

If you are interested in seeing more of my work this can be found at @daniholland_art on Instagram.

Danielle's illustration was for the poem on page 4 of the journal.

I started illustrating in summer of 2020 after giving up art a few years before to study engineering. I completed my degree in Product Design Engineering in 2022 and I'm now working full-time as a graduate UX designer but I still make illustrations in my spare time to relax.

I love working with bright colours and I try to make my illustrations as fun, funky, real and relatable as possible. My aim is to make people feel heard while not encouraging toxic positivity. I post my illustrations to Instagram @fiodesignco and have plans to start selling prints in the near future.

Fiona design the illustration for the inside back cover and for the poem 'this is a tale of redemption' on page 9 of the journal.

Follow Celine on social media at @mochiibean_

Celine designed the illustration on page 13 and the illustration for the prose on page 6 of the journal.

Hello! My name is Lauren and I graduated from Loughborough with a Masters in Graphic Design and Visualisation. Every since I was a little girl I’ve always loved writing and drawing and graphic design became something I was passionate about when I was doing my GCSEs. I’ve always found being creative as a way to help my mental health whether it was writing in a journal or drawing one of my favourite characters. I think doing things like this not only are they cathartic but I can also look back on it and reflect on myself and what was happening in those times. I hope anyone who picks up this journal also finds it helpful as well! I also do have an Instagram account where you can find more of my work, @laurenparker_design

Lauren's illustration was for page 17 of the journal.

Hi! I’m a final-year Graphic design student with an interest in illustration and publication design. I love literature and books in general, and try to take every opportunity to get experience in illustration and creative writing. I really enjoyed creating the stand alone design “Memory” and an illustration to Fran Santy’s poem “Stable ground” and I hope you like them!

Sofiia created the illustration 'Memory' on page 18 and the illustration for the poem 'Stable ground' on page 16 of the journal.

I am a MA graphic design graduate and I have been interested in illustration since my undergraduate degree, as well painting in my spare time. Drawing illustrations is a very happy thing for me so I was very keen to be involved when I found out about this project. I feel fortunate to have been chosen to contribute to this journal.

Chuhan's illustration was for the poem 'Cloud Watching' on page 3 of the journal.

I'm Itseme, a Business Psychology masters graduate from Nigeria. I am a writer and avid reader. In my time at Loughborough, I had many outlets for my craft, learning more about creative writing at workshops, and also winning the LU Arts Creative Writing Scholarship (2021/22) and reading an excerpt of my work at the Scholars showcase. 

I enjoy writing about different things - from the mundane routine of everyday life to alternate worlds.

It is important to me to always be in the right head space, and one way I do that is to write down how I feel in a journal like this one. 

Itseme wrote the prose on page 6 of the journal.

Elizabeth is a writer and poet who primarily discusses themes of longing, disassociation, identity, and lost love. Her poetry traditionally takes on a more melancholic tone so participating in this journal has given me the opportunity to focus on a more positive and joyful piece of writing. Her poem, 'the flat above the flower shop', focuses on the reclamation of identity, finding who you are, and autonomy in the modern day. She's really thrilled to be chosen to participate in this project.

Elizabeth wrote the poem 'in the flat above the flower shop' on page 7 of the journal.

I am a 2022 Product Design Engineering graduate from Loughborough University. The world right now is a scary place and it’s easy to see it as cruel and unforgiving, so I decided on “redemption” for the theme as I wanted to reframe the reader’s perspective on the world and on themselves. As a graduating student, I looked back at what has kept me from enjoying my days at university, which was the inability to be present at times. As such, I decided to base the poem around mindfulness and being present as the end-goal while reframing the world in a way that makes the transition a little easier for mindfulness beginners. I hope this poem can resonate with you!

Angeline wrote the poem 'this is a tale of redemption' on page 9 of the journal.

Elizabeth started her PhD in the School of Design and Creative Arts in October 2021. Her research is focused on the felt sense of wonderment invoked by the in-person listening to of fairy tales, and how this impacts upon healing of the whole being. She is exploring the intentional creation of read-aloud stories from an animistic perspective, alongside the origins of fairy tales through this lens. She is also intrigued by the notion of practice from the liminal spaces of blurred boundaries.

www.thefaerytaleapothecary.com

Elizabeth Jane wrote the poem on page 20 of the journal.

My name is Yasmin, a 2022 Natural Sciences graduate and current PhD student! As much as I love the sciences, poetry and creative expression are passions of mine too. I have published two poetry books so far. I enjoy engaging with every step of the process, from front cover design, to formatting and the poetry-writing itself! My hope is for people to relate to my poetry, that I can put words to the feelings and experiences which are ubiquitous to us all. I am excited to be a part of our journal project as I am truly passionate about wellness and the many approaches we can have to achieving a healthy mind each day! 

Yasmin wrote the poem on page 4 of the journal.

I am a final year English student at Loughborough. In my time at the University, I have enjoyed exploring poetry as my own creative medium and outlet. Whilst my writing style has so far varied from writing about sport to writing about the female body, I have also written other poems about well-being, such as for Overhear’s Campus Poetry Walk for World Mental Health Week. I hope to encourage people to find their own methods of self-care and introspection! 

Rebecca wrote the poem 'Cloud-watching' on page 3 of the journal.

Journaling is something that helped me through the severe change that university was for me. I moved away from everything I knew and found it very hard to fit in. That is why I wanted to participate in this project. I am a second-year psychology with criminology student and have struggled with my mental health for a few years, a month after starting university my father passed away. I had to learn to be resilient and cope through such an awful time. Poetry and art were always something to look to and rely on. The wise words of others gave me the strength to carry on and look forward to the good times that would come again. I hope this journal will help you get through some tough times and highlight all the good times.

Shana wrote the poem 'Where Do We Belong' on page 12 of the journal.

I’m a third year psychology student. I have been journaling moe than a year now and I think it’s the best thing I’ve done to help my mental health. Something about writing down my thoughts takes some of their power away. I have a background in English literature and have always loved the short and exciting nature of poetry. I write poems in my journal when I feel intense emotions that I struggle to summarise in prose. I love the ability of poetry to capture a feeling. The poems I’ve written for this journal are inspired by my experience of university and what I’ve learnt retrospectively. 

Fran wrote the poem 'Stable ground' on page 16 and the piece on page 17 of the journal.

I graduated in 2022 with a Masters in Finance and Management. Being an avid reader since the age of ten, I believe in the power of words and its ability to impact people. I started writing at the age of fifteen and consistently post my work on Instagram. My favourite authors include Nicholas Sparks and Sidney Sheldon. I aspire to be a published poet in the future and hope to leave the world a better place than I found it. I would love it if you could check out my work on Instagram (@excerptsbythomas). Feel free to drop a message with your feedback.

Dennis wrote the poem 'Little Things' on page 11 of the journal.