Apologies for my absence..
Happy New Year!
The feature image is from Avatar: The Last Airbender- one of the best shows ever for those who don't know. The show's protagonist is afraid of his Avatar responsibilities, flees from his home, and accidentally encases himself in an iceberg for over 100 years. In his absence, a war looms, and the rest of the show follows his journey into becoming the Avatar and defeating the fire nation.
Obviously, the parallels I'm suggesting are glib, but the fact that you're all subscribers of mine shows that you are well aware of my hyperbolic nature.
I have not been away for anywhere close to 100 years and in the midst of my short hiatus, we had a global pandemic. Another factor for my silence was my mental health.
At first, I thought it was depression, but I didn't feel any sadder than usual - only unmotivated. However, as my responsibilities and studies continued, I found I had 0 capacity to continue writing this newsletter. In the end, it turns out it wasn't the depression or BPD, but rather undiagnosed ADHD. My symptoms thus would become exacerbated the more I put on my plate. However, I am being treated now, and I feel better and I no longer feel overwhelmed.
Slowly I've been reintroducing interests of mine to find a new equilibrium, the last of these being my newsletter. Though I am sending this at the start of the new year, the rebranding of my newsletter is something I've spent a long time trying to figure out.
Did I want to focus on my mental health issues? Should I do a specific niche or continue with general guides? Should it be Medium or life focused?
In the end, I've chosen all of the above and also none of those options. As someone with my cocktail of mental health issues, I despise rigidity, and I also tend to get bored a lot. Nevertheless, I have spent the past two years cultivating a habit of consistency and routine that I've found extremely beneficial. I also love to tweet and share my thoughts on cultural moments that occur, yet I do not have the gift of brevity, so 280 characters don't cut it.
In the reimagining of this newsletter, I will be sharing myself and all the different facets of who I am. Though they are all distinct, they are all interlinked and relational. I also want to return to writing for pleasure, and I hope to make this the place I set my roots.
To ensure I won't take another two-year sabbatical, I want to keep things fun and interesting. I hope you are still down for the ride!
Introducing Allow It
Below you’ll find a summary on the newsletter rebrand. Feel free to skip to the end to check out what I’ve been up to!
What is Allow It?
“Allow it”, according to British slang, is defined as: To just leave something alone, or don’t worry about it
In contrast, in standard English, it is defined as: To permit something or someone
For the sake of this newsletter, I think both definitions are accurate. There have been many times I have uttered the phrase “allow it” after going into a long, discursive rant about something I’ve observed. As a person, I prefer to leave most things alone; however, being an opinionated writer means I seldom do. Therefore, this newsletter will be the means to which I explore life, the world, and culture.
The essays I will be publishing will range from personal anecdotes, cultural critiques, idle thoughts and everything in between.
Who is Allow It?
My name is Zuva Seven, a full-time student studying for my bachelor of arts from the University of Cape Town. I am a writer and editor in South Africa/United Kingdom when I’m not studying. I am also the editor-in-chief of the online magazine An Injustice!. I have written for various publications, including Refinery29, Business Insider, Stylist and more.
When I’m not doing all of that, you can find me on Twitter, at the gym or eating alone in my favourite restaurants.
As you can see, I wear many hats, and after I have graduated this year, I will be doing my honours in screenwriting in Cape Town. After that, I will be moving back to the UK, and who knows where we go from there!
Why Allow It?
You’ll be supporting me! This media industry is so unstable that having multiple income streams is really the only way to survive. This will also be where I house many of the pieces I was unable to get commissioned.
Armed with my Concerta, I hope to publish biweekly at a minimum. Whether you’re a paid member or not, your presence and interest are very appreciated.
Where is Allow It?
A short 2021 summary
Commissions
I have also returned to freelancing! I’ve had a bunch of commissions from various publications; here are my personal favourites.
After Years of Atheism, a Muslim Friend Helped Me Redefine My Relationship With Christianity - i Paper
Why Young Black British Residents Are Buying Their First Homes Abroad - Black Ballad
BPD & The Complicated 'Favourite Person' Relationship - Refinery29 UK
Tired of Being ‘All or Nothing’ When It Comes to Fitness? Here’s How Strength Training Helped Me to Snap Out of It - Stylist
What I’ve been watching
Harley Quinn - If you like Invincible, you’ll love this one. Definitely one of the best animated series I’ve ever seen. I love how they focus on her life beyond the Joker and all the other characters are excellently fleshed out too.
Hawkeye - Hawkeye is easily the least interesting member of The Avengers A-team. However, this show is excellently done and I now care for him considerably more. It’s no WandaVision, but it’s good.
Don’t Look Up - This movie was ok; I can’t divulge more as that’s what the next newsletter will be for! Very very soon, I’ll be writing a piece on my take of the film and reminding you all that I’m a film student. Expect that in your inboxes soon.
That’s it from me! Let me know how you’re feeling about the New Year and everything that entails. This was a long one, but now that’s out of the way, the real fun can begin.
Until next time,
Z