by Victoria Bromley
Answer these 10 easy questions to see which Swim Press issue matches your aesthetic.
The Swim Press family now has seven children. We’ve come a long way in three years. Do you want to dip your toe in the waters of Swim Press but don’t know where to start? Don’t worry, we’ve got you.
The rules are simple: answer these questions, keep a track of your answers, then at the end see which issue we recommend for you!
1. Do you like to read about the natural world?
a. Yes, especially the elements
b. Not so much
c. I prefer to read about other worlds
d. I love everything about the natural world
e. More interested in the underworld
f. I like reading about human nature
g. Definitely, especially what is buried beneath
2. Do you like to read about the abstract?
a. I prefer more concrete imagery
b. Yes, in the sense of the abstract self
c. Of course, who wants to live in the real world?
d. I like to be able to visualise
e. The more abstract the better
f. Yes, especially reading about emotions
g. Not really
3. Do you appreciate photography?
a. I like photography with an artistic edge
b. Stylised photography is my favorite
c. My favourite pictures play with light and colours
d. I want an issue full of visual art
e. I like staged, modelled photography
f. I like old fashioned imagery
g. Moody, dark photos please
4. Do you prefer poetry or prose?
a. I’m really into prose poems
b. Prose is my favourite
c. The more poetry the better
d. I like a nice balance
e. Lots of short stories please
f. I love a short, snappy poem
g. Either or
5. Do you think bigger is better?
a. Quality over quantity is my motto
b. I like to get the most for my money
c. It’s not a factor in my decision making
d. I like lots of bonus content and features
e. I want a magazine bursting at the seams
f. I like slim and concise
g. Double theme goes down well with me
6. Do you like people on book covers?
a. If it’s really abstract and artsy, then maybe
b. Yes!
c. Never
d. Only if it’s not the main focus
e. Yes, but not too many people
f. I don’t like faces on covers
g. Yes, it gives a lot of personality
7. How would your friends describe you?
a. Peaceful, friendly, approachable
b. Intuitive, insightful, caring
c. A dreamer, imaginative, soulful
d. Creative, innovative, expressive
e. Spiritual, moody, old soul
f. Charming, obsessive, passionate
g. Thoughtful, reflective, deep
8. What’s your favourite colour palette?
a. Blue tones
b. Neutrals
c. Greens
d. Unashamedly pink
e. Mauve, dark tones
f. Reds
g. Mustards and earthy tones
9. What’s your favorite quote?
a. “It’s persistent. It’s concussive. / The riptide tears you away from that / guileless love you once held dear.” – Head above water by Pheobe Nerem
b. “If I look at myself for too long / I no longer see anything / I can identify with.” – Stockholm syndrome by Isabella Scovira
c. “I want to follow dark to see where dark goes to rest. / I want to know how the bottom of the ocean sleeps.” – Tired by Elizabeth Shenk
d. “Do you see the roses / blossom in my pupils? / They bloom for you.” – Pearl’s dream by Sarah Muir
e. “i mistake it for a bird that flew into the thick glass. / a thud., a screech: no call to collect death.” – When death passes my window by Tyrenisha J
f. “It’s not enough now, / To simply be loved. / I need to be consumed, wholly.” – Small stream by Morgan Barnett
g. “what lives in my head, i put to bed. / bury its corpse under the wet of my tongue,” – When the bough breaks by Dervla McDonnell
10. What’s your favourite time of year?
a. Winter
b. Summer
c. Autumn
d. Spring
e. Halloween
f. Valentine’s day
g. New Year’s Eve
If you scored mostly…
As: You matched with our firstborn Water!
Our first issue is all about the powerful and engulfing nature of this element – how it can consume and destroy, but how it can also heal and preserve life. You are a deep thinker and appreciate the experimental.
Get your copy of Water here.
Bs: You matched with our second child Bodies!
We live in them, they carry us through life, and yet we are so unforgiving and cruel. An issue about the beauty of the human form. You appreciate looking inwards and finding the beauty beyond the surface.
Get your copy of Bodies here.
Cs: You matched with the dreamer Sleep!
Where do we go when we fall asleep? Do we dream? Do we enter new worlds? What can we unlock and find, or hide perhaps, in the darkness of night? You’re interested in escaping to other worlds and exploring new realms.
Get your copy of Sleep here.
Ds: You matched with the flourishing Flora & Fauna!
Flora & Fauna was our first dual themed issue. You like being surrounded by pretty and soft things like flowers shedding their petals in the wind and animals hiding in the wilderness. You get the best of both worlds.
Get your copy of Flora & Fauna here.
Es: You matched with our spooky issue Haunt!
Creaky floorboards and ghosts lingering around corners, things we’d like to forget and others that won’t leave us alone, this is haunt. You love reading about the obscure, the unknown, the lingering.
Get your copy of Haunt here.
Fs: You matched with Desire!
What do you desire? Love, power, fame, lust, wisdom? Where does this desire inside of you come from? Do you feel you deserve it? Pour a glass of wine and indulge in this all consuming issue of love and desire.
Get your copy of Desire here.
Gs: You matched with our new-born Bury/Excavate!
Secrets to bury or past lives to dig up. You can bury yourself under work, under pressure, under the weight of the world, or you can rise from the dirt, born anew. Our second dual themed issue. See what you can unearth in this jam packed issue.
Get your copy of Bury/Excavate here.
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