To heal is to soften, but it is no soft feat.

Find: An interview between Ayebatonye Abrakasa and Genesis Owusu on learning to sit within the flames of race, identity and anger. Ben Freeman pens a love letter to the queer rite of passage; the STI clinic. Lucia Tường Vy Nguyễn and Amy Kennett’s collaborative essay and photographic exploration of salving trauma through dreams. A moving ode to regeneration following the Black Summer bushfires by acclaimed First Nations poet, Dakota Feirer. A painted series by Tiarna Herczeg, capturing the longing of living off-Country. A hilariously absurdist script by the dynamic duo, Garden Reflexxx, unravels the mysteries of Gay Beach Town.

Amongst the many explorations, one thing is clear – we're all healing from something.

Soft Stir is an independent, Sydney-based publication examining philosophies, culture, art and music through the eyes of diverse emerging Australian creatives.