“ ALL FANTASY SHOULD HAVE A SOLID BASE IN REALITY.”

-ANONYMOUS

What: Your Pages is an open-minded authentic platform for artistic expression.

Why: There is no talk of direct politics, all those who create content for Your Pages are free to their own preferences regardless of sex, religion, race, orientation or personal beliefs. There will be no tolerance of ignorance or persecution of personal beliefs and practices. This is not a place for any kind of toxic attitude. Rather a place for all those who enjoy the beauty in life and the random but original niches that create the world that we live in.

How: There is a new topic every month and on the first Tuesday of each month my team and I will introduce this topic by interpreting what the topic means to us with personal, and real-world examples. Then, every other following Tuesday (dependent on how many submissions) the issue will be filled with all of your work! As our audience, we want to see what you can do, and how you interpret each topic.

The Team & What Fantasy Means to Us

Samantha Page

Founder, Owner, Publisher, Writer

I am a curious being. I wonder about all things, I enjoy diving into the unknown and attempting to put it into words. But I also like to listen and learn. The fruit of knowledge is what fuels the world.

I plan to obtain that knowledge through the creative process. Not only through my own experiences but through lessons taught by the countless talented people all over the world. Any kind of artistic expression holds its own lesson.I also found my love for literature at a young age. I would lose myself in books for hours and days on end. I still refuse to put a book down until I can almost recit the text.

I also found another escape in writing my own stories and characters, I have always been fascinated with the worlds and creations of others and I find the purest sense of joy when I am able to help others find their voice and to emphasis on diversifying the world of the written word. Plus encouraging for innovation and depth to mold the creative-modern world. 

Fantasy to me

As kids, we were asked what we wanted to be when we grew up. 
We answered the adults who asked us with adult answers. 
Fireman, Astronaut, Police Man, a Hero.
We lived in our own perfect world safe from all evil we couldn’t handle. 
Except me, 
I lived in the world of evil creatures that lurked in your dreams. 
I found awe and fascination with the legends of monsters and ghouls. 
But that was wrong. 
While other children worshiped the ground of a cartoon mouse, 
I read the tales of Vlad Tepes, Victor Frankenstein, and their many adventures. 
My fantasies have aged with me, 
And as my mind developed so did my hopes and dreams. 
Living in the world of the not-so-normal 
And through the addictive writings and legends of 
Those who created them inspired me to create my 
Own personal world of endless possibilities. 
The ecstasy of taking control is something every 
Artist can attest to. 
We are who give the world a peek into the mind 
Of the purely divine and demented. 
And with the taste of freedom and passion still 
Tingling your taste buds you are hooked. 
We are those who ride against the grain as 
Elegant and powerful as a salmon swims against the stream. 
Hear my call to all who live and breath fantasy, 
It is us who keep the world from chaos and turmoil. 
We are heroes for all of mankind, 
Without us, the worlds we all escape to would cease to exist. 
So draw your swords and ready your arrows for we go to battle
Against the cliques and normal aspects of the world.
And let us add to the ever-growing puzzle that consumes the cosmos. 

-S.P.G.

Fantasy on a Local Level

Picture this, you move to a new town and don’t know anyone. You wanted a fresh start and this place checked all the boxes on your list. You only know your way to your job and the grocery store. You are most comfortable in your own mind, or maybe its books or whatever your preferred kind of escape is. But you're alone and in need of belonging on this new adventure. You stumble upon this group of people dressed in garb from a century-long before you were even a thought. You step into a world within a world, but instead of people consumed with technology and their own vanity, you feel a sense of welcome and family. My friend, you have found a community of brilliant and vibrant people who demonstrate that there is a place to escape and it is pretty darn cool. They are the Brevard Renaissance Fair, they open January 19th, 2019 and this will be the fourth year running.

The sense of welcoming and belonging as soon as I was in the presence of these people was something I hadn’t felt in years. Not only was every single one of them hard at work but the laughter and pure joy radiating from the group was magical. This sense of belonging was exemplified through a young woman Nicole Dunn, who moved from Texas to Florida in hopes of a new adventure hopped to find a place where her talents and passion could be put to work; and she found the Brevard Renaissance Fair. Where she found a tight family that welcomed her with open arms, and while she would love to live in the world of J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World of Harry Potter, her idea of fantasy is “crazy, hectic, magic” and the fair is the perfect place to live your fantasy.

The community that creates the Brevard Renaissance Fair not only embody and become the characters but they actually build all the sets themselves. Mostly from recycled materials and through trial and error, they have been able to develop countless stages, sets, and other important builds of the fair that have been used in a variety of ways. While the entire team is involved in the building and planning of all sets and props there are two people who lead in the building, Emery and Linda Rice. While Emery's technology job title is “Site Security” or as he would say “whatever the boss needs me to do”, he has been with the fair since day one. His wife Linda helps with the builds, planning of the fair and aids in the fair running as smooth as possible. Now, there is a very special lady who lives and breaths fantasy with the theatre. She is the costume extraordinaire, “during the fair season my living room is hidden under miles of fabric”. Dedicated and hardworking are just a few words to describe the infamous Eldona. Fantasy to Eldona is “creativity”, being able to fulfill your unique fantasy dependent on what your feeling at that time in place is something you can never give up.

While Emery, Linda, and Eldona are essentially in the creation of the fair there is one man they all give credit and thanks to and that is Anthony DeRivi. Anthony DeRivi is “who has inspiration for the fair, he knows what he wants and we bring it to life” Quoted from Eldona. Anthony is the man behind the show, he is apart of the building design, he plans/designs the commercials, he is the man who “dreams this all up, and helps facilitate everyone else's dreams”. A transition from attending the fairs, to competing in reenactments to running the Brevard Renaissance Fair. Fantasy is “heart and imagination”, Anthony DeRivi.

This vibrant and captivating group of people are more than a community, they are family and friends. They are those who create and live in a fantasy world. They are looking to buy and build permanent structures for the future and the fantasy will only grow. Remember to check them out at Wickham Park in Melbourne, they open January 19th, 2019.

A special note to those who we interviewed, thank you for allowing us to be a part of your world and sharing your passion with us. You are truly wonderful and will always have a special place with the team at Your Pages.

Emili Nicole Holden

Photographer, Expressionist, Writer

My passion behind the lens started when I was much younger and honestly had no clue what I was doing. I would always fill up disposable cameras whenever I could, most memorably at relative’s weddings and Christmas time. I really started dissecting this fire inside of me when I got into High School; I had the most inspirational teacher who pushed me and challenged me, helped me and encouraged me (S/O Mr. Kneal, you da best stay fresh). I never stuck to one subject. I was always eager to discover new and diverse subjects to shoot, emotions to capture, moods to set. Still am, I just got a lil better with time(;

Photography runs in my family. My Grandpa met my Grandma on a blind date and they fell in LOVE. Raw, authentic L-O-V-E. He gave her his Polaroid camera so she could send him photos he shipped out overseas for the Navy. They would write letters back and forth and back and forth, my Grandma would take polaroids of herself with his camera..I have their letters and the original Polaroid camera(AIN’T THAT THE CUTEST THO); they’re some of my most cherished possessions. So, not only did it help shape my family, but Photography is in my blood. I embody a different essence of energy when I’m behind the camera. Heck, even in my daily life I swear that when I blind I can’t help but take a photo. With so much beauty out in this world, I kind of take it as a responsibility to capture whatever I can and share it with my world. I strive to portray optimism, diverse beauty and positivity through my photos and my writing.

Fantasy [\ˈfan-tə-sē, -zē\] ; noun
The faculty or activity of imagining things, especially things that are impossible or improbable

Click on the picture for what fantasy means to Emili

From me to you to him to her, we all have different fantasies. Vast, unique, improbable thoughts and visions that dwell deep within us. From centaurs and mystical creatures to dream-like castles nestled far into enchanted lands; fantasies are figments of our imagination that are quite impossible or unrealistic within the “real world”. For example, you won’t see a girl with genuine fox ears and a thick, bushy tail walking the city streets in broad daylight; but you may in fact find a girl with similar attire frolicking the grounds of a three-day music festival that’s miles and miles from her daily life. More of a realistic thought, yes?

Well, that’s what I find to be what’s one of the most fun part of having fantasies. We are all built and wired so differently. No two people will be exactly the same, no matter the fight you put up with this statement is, there are no two on this planet that are identical. Meaning that the amount of different fantasies floating around are truly endless. To be able to acknowledge our own fantasies and portray them in truly unique ways is the fun of fantasies, I think. Writing a short story, a whole novel, or even an entire series is inspired by individual’s fantasies. Paintings and drawings are abstract fantasies that truly come to life through visual representation. Poetry is a whimsical dialect of one’s expression of their fantasies. Even portraying all of those fantasy based thoughts through acting, LARPing, cosplay; means such as those are ultimately a very confident way of your personal portrayal. You see, there’s many mediums and formats as to how one can express their fantasies. What I think we lack, is the actual act of portraying them. We keep our fantasies locked away, shoved deep down into our depths where we hardly can see the glimpses of them ourselves.

It’s never a bad time to learn to embrace all our weird quirks. So what, we like to pretend every now and then that we have ears and a tail? Do you not feel empowered when you imagine yourself with the body of a god/goddess and the wings of a phoenix? Whatever your fantasy may be, just know that it is YOURS and it lives uniquely inside of you. Being able to embrace that and truly embody it into whatever means of art you choose is entirely beautiful.

I challenge you to know your depths better. I challenge you to dive into what has been tucked away in your imagination, grasp at whatever it may be, explore it’s ins and outs, and recreate it. The uniqueness that is your imagination, the individuality you have within your fantasies is your own. Channel it. Even if you sit in silence with your mind racing, you’re allowing your imagination and mind and soul to all come together and play out these fantasies. Your divine mind is bursting with fantasies. Empower yourself through them. Inspire others through them. Develop a deeper happiness and serenity through them.

Emma Lelia

Mom, Veteran, Artist

I am 25 years old, a traditional artist, a mom, and a veteran. I have been drawing since I could hold a pencil and it has always been a passion of mine. To me art is more than just lines on a paper or a pretty picture. Art is how I see the world and how I let the world see me. It’s how I can speak to someone I’ve never meet and tell them a story, its how I can express myself when words fail me. I always have a sketchbook and pencil with me, and on the rare occasions I don’t a napkin and pen will do just fine.

When I look at the world I don’t just see people walking down the street, I see muscles flowing over bone to create movement, and a dance called life. The trees speak and hold up a sky littered with diamonds, buildings glitter like stardust and meadows sway to the song of the sun. When I look at the world through my art it is full of wonder and hope, and I want to be able to bring that feeling of peace to the world.

Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable”

-Cesar Cruz

Click on the picture for what fantasy means to Emma

Now, show us what fantasy means to you and submit your work to be featured in the next issue of Your Pages!

Submissions for issue #2 will close January 12th!

FANTASY IS A NECESSARY INGREDIENT IN LIVING, IT’S A WAY OF LOOKING AT LIFE THROUGH THE WRONG END OF A TELESCOPE.

-DR. SEUSS