Dear friends, family and colleagues, 

Hello from a sparklingly frosty Staffordshire. 

I’m delighted to present issue 4 of Hopezine today, attached, which is hot off the press.

You can buy yours today. And past issues as well as paintings can be brought here.

In this special winter 2020 edition of Hopezine, there’s a spiritual theme, notably in the cover art by Bristol artist George J Harding. See if you can decode the hidden messages in his work. We’ve focused on what can be done by turning on, tuning in and copping out. Leading devotees from the Krishna Eco Farm in Scotland take turns to examine spiritual lives without material trappings (pages 4 and 12). 

I’ve written my own meditations on how lockdown has made hermits of all of us (page 14). All this, and some over-the-counter culture from writer Nutan Modha to whet your appetite for the season’s gold, frankincense and myrrh (page 8). 

As you may already know, Hopezine is something I wished to do after two friends from my childhood were lost to suicide a few summers ago. With these two deaths in mind, and having survived a suicide attempt myself in 2009, I wanted to do something to reach out to others feeling low or suicidal. 

Together with friends who’ve walked the tightrope of suicidal thoughts and mental illness, I’m producing these zines and in 2022 I’ll collate the best bits into an edited book. Watch this space and feel free to contribute – I’m always happy to read emails sent my way, whether artwork or articles. I can pay £5 for 500 words and £20 for cover art. 

You can support me by: 

• Buy a copy of the latest Hopezine – buy yours today. And past issues as well as paintings can be brought here.
•  Consider purchasing a reasonably priced sponsored Guest post  (like this one) from as little at £15 
• Consider buying a page of the next Hopezine or a smaller advert in the magazine, with prices from £75 for half a page, and £100 for a full page 
• Book our founder Erica for a talk, to write an article or buy Erica a coffee for just £3. 

If you’re interested in working with me and my Hopezine, on preventing suicides, I’d be delighted to hear from you to discuss. 

Enjoy x 

Erica Crompton | Writer & speaker

Co-author | The Beginner’s Guide to Sanity

Editor and founder | Hopezine

For more information or to book me for a keynote visit www.ericacrompton.com