Over the past year or so I've been heartened by the emergence of a new kind of magazine. I'm no longer the "expert" on magazines I once was because I rarely buy them now, but these new kids on the block tend to be non-mainstream, presenting either specialist subjects or with a focus on delivering good quality information in a creative and easy to read format. The icing on the cake is there is no blitzkrieg of advertising. The advertising it contains is relevant and often from shops or companies you might never have heard of before. It's a good way to find out about products that aren't easily found, but you want to know about.
About a year ago, much later than many of you, I discovered Frankie - loved it and wrote about it. Another good example of this style of magazine is Slow. It's full of information that should appeal to those of us living a slower and more simple life. Now, enter PIP magazine. It's an Australian magazine about permaculture and living a softer, quieter life. It features regular permaculture articles about design, meaningful change and planning, while the bulk of the magazine features the sections Grow, Build, Eat, Thrive, Nurture and Connect. Those sections in this edition contain a wealth of information about lifestyle, sustainable farming, community development, green manures, growing your own meat and no debt housing. I was delighted to see articles from two women I know from afar: Robyn Clayfield and Morag Gamble are both significant figures in Australia's permaculture community. Robyn writes about the ethics and heart of social enterprise and Morag profiles her own home at Crystal Waters and the process of creating that home and garden. She and her partner Evan created their home, with no mortgage, over a period of about ten years. It's an inspiring read. There is also an article about parenting the permaculture way that takes the principles of permaculture and applies them to parenting. It's similar to the post I wrote a few months ago when I applied those same principles to house work.
We've been told for a long time now that print publishing is on its death bed and soon paper magazines and newspapers will be a thing of the past. PIP is not your run-of-the-mill magazine. It's thoughtful, creative and interesting and the ideals it hold close are delivered intelligently and with passion. If print magazines do survive, I think it will be publications like PIP that will breathe new life into the tired old format. Ask for it at your local newsagent or check out their website here. I think you'll like it.
I have not been paid for this post.
I have not been paid for this post.
