No tags yet.
Hey y'all!
How are you doing? It's coming to the end of March, can you believe it? Time is flying by, and I've only just managed to catch my breath! My second term at Oxford ended two weeks ago and to be honest, I've been running around everywhere and not had time to relax at all! I have a whole post about my term coming soon, but for today, I really wanted to talk about some women who have really inspired and shaped me over the years. Choosing just seven was so hard - there are so many more women who I look up to, but I know how I get with my post length, so I decided to keep it to seven! I hope you enjoy it!
Lady Gaga
I mean, is anyone surprised? Really? If you know me, you know that Lady Gaga Is such an integral part of me and my personality, as well as my musical inspiration. I don't know where to start with her! Her journey - oh my gosh. One of the most incredible things I find about her is that she was literally bullied in school for her big dreams, performed in New York City dive bars, dragging around her keyboard herself - and now, look where she is. People have only just started acknowledging how brilliant of an actress she is, and I'm sitting here smugly having known it right from when I first started following her in 2010. And her musical ability? Absolutely unmatched. Her sheer relation to music is what ties me to her most. When I perform, it is her that I'm channeling. Her confidence, her charisma, her determination to make people know that they are special and they're not alone: that is everything I want to be. She carries herself with such grace, but at the same time, she can hold the crowd in her palm. And she does it all whilst being incredibly open about her mental health. She suffers from chronic pain, as well as PTSD from the rape she suffered when she was 19. She is so unbelievably strong, and when I see her perform, watch her really pour it all out - I know it's coming straight from her heart. She puts her all into it. I love every one of her songs, but one that I'd like to give a special mention to is Hair. Every time I listen to Hair, it's like she's pulling the words out of ME. It's the understanding of that feeling that everyone is trying to stop you from being yourself, even you. Whew. I can't really express how much Lady Gaga means to me, but if there's anyone who has shaped me, it's her.
Rupi Kaur
Rupi Kaur. Although I've only recently introduced myself to her and her work, I am stunned. Her writing - I was shocked to find how similar it is to my style, and that makes me so happy! Her work is arresting - if you haven't read any of it, I'd recommend grabbing a copy of the sun and her flowers and just drowning in it. She is raw, emotional, putting words to feelings that I didn't actually think could be described. Minimalistic, open and so incredibly thoughtful, her work really speaks to me not only as a writer, but as someone who has poor mental health and is reading about an Asian woman who has also suffered from the same problems. Rupi is so important not just to the brown girl community but to women everywhere. She normalises discussion about taboo topics for Asian women like mental health, body image, domestic abuse, sexual assault and female sexual gratification.
Lilly Singh
Going from one inspirational Asian woman to another. Lilly is an icon. She not only is absolutely hilarious; she works tirelessly, supports other women and stands up for minorities. Again, she has had lots of problems with her mental health, and the way she has continued through it all really beats me. How she has managed to make it through every setback and boundary, with confidence, with humour, with #GirlLove - she is one of the strongest women I know.
Lea Michele
Oh, Lea. Lea played my favourite character on television, ever: Rachel Berry on Glee. I could go on for ages about Rachel Berry, but Lea herself has had one hell of a journey. Performing on Broadway since she was literally a child, she embraces every single bit of theatre and music. Her voice is just beautiful, her acting no less. The reason why she inspires me is that just like Lady Gaga, she sings from her heart. Every performance of hers is an outpouring of soul, and that is exactly what I aspire to. Apart from that though, she has had to face loss on the world stage - she lost Cory, her boyfriend on and off screen in 2013, and she was in a bad place for a while. But what she managed to do after that floors me. She picked herself back up, released her debut album, finished off glee on a high, and booked new shows. Bit by bit, she healed, and now she is happily married! If she can make it through, I've always tried to tell myself, so can I.
Emily Helsby
Now, Emily is a friend of mine who ran our school Amnesty Youth Group when she was in sixth form. Emily has since gone on to even bigger and better things - She's worked with Amnesty UK on The Student Action Network Committee and tirelessly advocates for racial equality. I wanted to mention her because she's unknowingly had such a huge part in my own development as a young woman in the world. Emily is a warrior. She puts her all into everything she does, despite her own struggles, and she doesn't stop at that. she makes it happen. She makes change happen, and I could not be more proud that I know her and all the good she is doing. She is superhuman, quite literally. She has inspired me to never give up.
Amanda Brookfield
I think I've mentioned Amanda before on here! Amanda is the visiting Creative Arts Fellow at my college in Oxford: she was only meant to stay for the winter term, but has ended up staying for all three! Amanda was part of the first female cohort at my college, and she is now a published author! Having known her for two terms now, I can safely say that she is very much one of the major reasons I feel at home in Oxford. Her creative writing sessions not only inspire thought way beyond her cosy room, but encourage me to reflect about the process of writing itself and how I can get the best out of myself. I've learnt so much from her already - my writing has new life, more confidence, and more belief. Writing aside, Amanda has been an incredible friend to me - she has been a person I can talk to about anything, and I am honestly so lucky to have met her. She is on this list because she too, has come back from heartbreak, adversity, loss - and she is still standing! Not just standing, but publishing bestsellers, owning the cutest dog in existence (big love to Mabel) and bringing students to a safe space where they can talk not only about the magic of literature, but about their own feelings. If that's not inspiring, I don't know what is. I hope I can do that one day.
Kim
I have many teachers to thank for how they've been there for me over the years. My A-level Psychology teachers, for always believing in me, my English teacher who pushed me to be my best and believe in my writing, my mentors Mrs O and Mrs C for being shoulders to cry on and never letting me fall...I am grateful for all of them. They have changed my life. But Kim - Kim was the first person, the first person I can ever remember - who told me she believed in me. Kim only taught me in Year 6, and it was only Tuesdays and Wednesdays, but honestly, she was the one who gave me my spark. She encouraged my writing, my singing, my acting! She made me fall in love with art, made me feel so incredibly special. I have no idea where she is now, but the last time I saw her, on the last day of primary school - she told me I was going to be a star. I've held on to that through the years that have followed, and if I can inspire half the love and magic she's inspired in me, I will know that I've done her proud.
There are so many of my friends that I want to mention, but if I do that I'm pretty sure this post will be longer than Order of the Phoenix! There are so many astounding women in my life, inspiring me to be my best self - myself. Zai, Becx, Anna, Sammy, Noama, Harriet, Issy, Sisa, Penny, Emma, Lucie, Ciara, Becca..the list goes on and on and on. You are all superheroes in your own way. You've all made me who I am, picked me up when I'm down - you know I love you all more than anything. Here's to women all over, supporting each other always!
So much love, especially to my wonderful women,
SS xx