*Scroll, pause, double-tap, scroll*
Ah yes, the Instagram scroll. It's as inherent to us as blinking, or reciting our favourite coffee order from our local independent (I'll have an iced latte with oat milk please, no sugar). My boyfriend commends my ability to scroll with my thumb and pause exactly on every picture I want to look at, examining it with detail before casting it off upwards, out of my phone screen, and probably never to be seen again (thanks Instagram algorithm). That is unless I've saved it.
In the past few months we've seen social media take a firm new standing point. What once was a place strictly for aesthetics and well-lit selfies, has now begun to evolve into a platform for the woke and wonderful. Who's to say we can't love memes and post pictures of our best selves while also learning about the intricacies of privilege, or how to adapt to a more sustainable way of living at the same time?
With that being said, here's a taster of what my Instagram saves looks like right now:
We - as a western society - love to travel. It's written into our seasonal clocks; in the winter we take city breaks, in the summer we crave the heat, and migrate to all corners of the map. It's a form of escapism - how many times have you heard someone leave one place to 'find themselves' in the next? - and we desire every level of it. From the initial thrill of booking a holiday and looking forward to a 'well-deserved break', to that first glass of bubbly in the airport before taking off, and overindulging on new holiday outfits that we'll likely never wear again after the week's up. And that's all well and good, but this article, written by Chidera Ihejirika, made me take a step back and think about what going on holiday, and exercising the right to travel in general, actually means, and how it's not the same experience for everyone. It's a food-for-thought post for sure, one I'm glad I've read.
'Wifey material' is a phrase I've heard so many times; in passing, on TV, and social media, and it makes me want to vom. The very basis of the phrase pushes this subconscious view of women being objects - dunno 'bout you, but what the fuck kind of material am I supposed to be made out of? Velvet? Corduroy? Silk? Something men can run their grubby 'lil hands through? Wow, no thank you. If you identify as a woman, you can be a wife - simple. But society is rife with sexist standards, and still loves to depict women in one of two categories - a virgin, or a whore. And if you're the latter, honey, don't even think about ever getting married because no-one will want you *eye roll*. I'll spare explaining because everything you need to know is in the post, but let it be a reminder to us all that this is a complex that needs unlearning, so we can all thrive and live our best lives.
Patricia Bright has officially become my lockdown saviour. Her educational platform The Break is for "anyone wanting a big break, to navigate life like a boss and make money moves". Erm, YES please. I've only started becoming fully financially independent in the past two years, and that has been through single lines of revenue only. Since following this account - and her YouTube channel - I am learning so much more about how to invest and save properly, and set financial goals for myself. The financial world often comes with a lot of new terminologies, so if you're like me and just starting to embark on your journey of financial independence, this is the page for you.
To be a conscious-consumer in 2020 means educating ourselves on where our clothes came from, and how they were made. Storiesbehindthings is a great account that addresses and celebrates mindful consumption while educating us on how we can be more sustainable, not only with our fashion choices but within our everyday lives. This post addresses the concept of 'greenwashing', a term coined to describe brands who "recognise a sales opportunity by running sustainability-focused marketing campaigns with no intention of living up to their claims." It's a great starting point for those who are unsure of the term and provides a checklist of examples you can watch out for.
"Allyship should be woven into daily life and involve where you decide to shop"; a brilliant quote from Fashion Writer Daisy Murray, in her recent article for ELLE online titled 59 Black-Owned And Designed Fashion Brands To Support Forever, From Fenty To Cushnie. It's another important part of being a consious-consumer, and is the notion behind #blackpoundday. Celebrated annually on 27th June Black Pound Day is a movement set up to support Black-owned business, both on and offline. In this Instagram post, Nicole Ocran shares some of her favourite Black-owned brands, ranging from bespoke culinary companies to bold beautiful independent artists.
I'm sure there's quite a few of us who need to read this right now. Anxiety can seemingly come out of nowhere, but more often than not (and especially for me) it flares up when I haven't looked after myself. And that phrase can mean a variety of things to a variety of different people. To me, it's when I haven't exercised, when I've been lazy with a good skin routine, when I've eaten rubbish food, etc...
So this is one to save and refer back to on days where the world just seems a bit too heavy on your shoulders.
I'd also like to note that this is not what the entirety of my saves looks like. I've picked the cream of the crop for you, and have readily skipped past all the memes, the pictures of bunnies, videos of people falling over, and hairstyles I will never try but like to refer to now and again. After all, it's all about balance.
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