As Modern Hippie Mag has blossomed over the last few months, we have tried to guide its development, yet still allow for organic growth. While much of our initial desire to bring Modern Hippie Mag into the public forum was based in our desire to be eco-conscious and encourage it in others, we also realized that being “green” didn’t fully epitomize the first wave of hippies and doesn’t fully encompass the role of the Modern Hippie either. It was through working with our extremely talented graphic designer Chad Richter, that the brand we were striving for revealed itself to us.

In one of the early designs that Chad showed to us, he had crafted the multi-ringed “O” in Modern that you see now. Though we tried out some different ideas just to be sure, that symbol spoke to us like no other. Fresh from tearing through Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol in two days flat, the symbol Chad showed us reminded me of what Brown referred to as a circumpunct, a simple circle with a dot in the center symbolizing the oneness of all things. Although historians and critics may take umbrage with Brown’s definition, it was the simplicity of that meaning compiled with Chad’s multi-colored interpretation that really spoke to us.

We see the Modern Hippie as more than just being “green”, for that only touches on our relationship to the physical environment. We see the movement of the Modern Hippie concerned not only with the balance of nature, but also with spirit, mind, and heart. Each of us is a complex, multi-tiered, multi-colored, multi-dimensional creature, and as a society, even more so. Modern Hippie Mag is not concerned merely with being eco-conscious; the heart of Modern Hippie Mag is simply being conscious.

Being aware of the natural flow of things and realizing how we can live in harmony with the environment instead of just pillaging it to meet our short-sighted needs is of vital importance. Yet there is more to this life than the environment in which we spend it. It is important that we educate ourselves on ways to build upon the technologies and advances we have made and know when to step back and take a different approach. It is important that we become more conscious of what community means and how we can work together to promote the virtues we hold most dear: love, peace, liberty, and happiness.

While we feel that our version of the circumpunct is a visual representation of these things, we were still faced with the dilemma of summing that up in a short definitive phrase. We’d been using the phrase “Where it’s hip to be green” to describe our online resource, yet that didn’t fully encompass the vision we were imagining. Though we wanted to continue to be hip, to be relevant to the times and aware of the latest styles, we knew that “green” would no longer adequately describe our mission. So we threw out some more ideas:

Where it’s hip to be conscious

Where it’s hip to be bold

Where it’s hip to be healthy

Where it’s hip to be eco-friendly

Where it’s hip to be progressive

Where it’s hip to be mindful

Where it’s hip to be…

When the brainstorm subsided, we realized what we were aiming for. Where it’s Hip to Be. It is our fervent hope that Modern Hippie Mag will give you a place Where it’s Hip to Be You.

Steve McAllister

Steve McAllister is an acclaimed author, filmmaker, actor, and musician. In addition to contributing to Modern Hippie Mag, he also writes InkenSoul, a blog focused on literature and information that promotes commerce, charity, creativity, spirituality, and environmental sustainability. Purchase his most recent novel, The McAllister Code as an e-book at www.themcallistercode.com. Find Steve on Twitter, @InkenSoul. Read his reviews and articles here.

Steve McAllister  (360 Posts)

Steve McAllister, Modern Hippie Mag's resident Lifestyle Guru, describes himself as a Renaissance Man. An author, filmmaker, songwriter, and perpetual artistic experimenter, he has recently re-released his second book The Rucksack Letters into paperback to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the journey. His latest book, a comical foray into philosophical science fiction, is How to Survive an Estralarian Mind Meld. His latest artistic project is The Labyrinth of the Unbroken Path. .