I blog fashion, health, fitness, art, feminism, supernatural and just a smidge of disney. My blog is place to put things that inspire me daily. Sometimes it is a little erratic - and thats OK because so am I. It is a moodboard- if you will- that evolves continuously. 2012 is trying my patience.
I try to credit all the photos I post. If I post something that is credited wrong or yours please let me know with the link so i can fix it =). I dont own any images unless they are tagged as me or myart. Grab a cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate and have a lovely day =)
Who Are You?
I am Jess. I am Australian. I believe in the Oxford Comma.
How old are you?
I keep my age to myself for identity reasons. I have had my identity stolen before. It is NOT fun, so my age and year of birth will never be made public =)
School?
High school Graduate. Art School. Uni Graduate. Honours. Im currently studying more art at Tafe while waiting for a teaching placement. blah.
Are you a Teacher?!?
I teach Visual Art, History, and Sose. I am currently awaiting a placement however =)
What is your heritage?
I am Aussie. I was born in the outback – no kidding - my parents had to drive a dirt road to get to the hospital in the next town, because the hospital in our town was closed on weekends. My Mum is part Irish, part Wog. My dad was pommy and there is some Indian thrown in apparently (but kept quiet as it is a dirty family secret… don’t ask me why!!!!). Me though? Im aussie. I just have olive skin and tan easily. I try to keep out of the sun because life is easier the whiter you are.
Are you religious?
I am a non-practicing Pagan =). I was raised Christo-pagan, with my pagan uncles taking me under their wings when I was 12. I was initiated at the age of 17. I recognise the wheel of the year, and the Universe. When I practiced I worked a lot with elemental magic and faeries. Now, I firmly believe in wishcraft – not needing paraphernalia to make things happen. I still have an altar set up in my room, but it is rarely used. I rarely talk about my religious stuff because people tend to roll their eyes. I guess if I wasn’t raised in the life, I would too!
Do you work out? If so what?
I do when I can. I like Yoga and Pilates. I also like different forms of cardio, and running. I don’t lift much – I believe more in what my drs say than people making me feel bad for not lifting!
Do you have an eating disorder?
Yes. It’s not a badge of honour. I am in recovery for what I think is the 7th attempt. My diagnosis doesn’t matter anymore. I don’t count purge free days, because it doesn’t help. I won’t help people who are actively trying to get themselves a disorder. I am here for anyone however that just needs someone to talk to.
Do you have any other medical conditions?
Yup! I have some food allergies (gluten, Dairy (not lactose), walnut family) which make life fun and severely limit what I can eat!
I have UBER sensitive skin, which STILL has not been conquered, but is managed.
I have something called BPPV which is a fancy form of vertigo. Basically, it can hit anywhere, anytime. It makes life like a rollercoaster!
I was born with an inactive thyroid gland – Congenital hypothyroidism. I have the gland and all, but it doesn’t actually work – never has. It’s not common at all. In fact, the thyroid foundation in Australia had never heard of it until I called them looking for more info on managing it. I usually avoid going to endocrinologists now because they all want to study me as opposed to fucking treating me. Sadly, this condition means that even with heavy restriction it’s incredibly hard for me to lose any weight, and my energy levels are generally low – so working out for me is sporadic. I have to listen to my body. My immune system is also shot to hell and I have brittle bones. Bleurgh! Haha.
So, if you have an ED, and food allergies, how do you eat?
I follow a primarily clean diet =). I keep the processed food I eat to a minimum, and read food labels/ ingredients like a demon to ensure no contamination when I DO use processed foods. It’s just so much easier to not when there are so many things you have to watch out for =)
I read that you have a daughter?!?
Yep I do =)
What is her name?
I will never release that information. I do talk about her. I will talk about being a parent, and all that if asked, but identifying details are kept to myself =)
Can you tell us anything about her?
Sure. She likes Disney – Tangled is her favourite and she prefers Rapunzel with the short brown hair. Her favourite bands/ musicians include the Beatles, Panic! At the disco, Lily Allen, Muse, and she loves the Buffy soundtrack, and the nightmare before Christmas soundtrack. She loves Harry Potter, and ANYTHING by Tim Burton – including his art. She thinks Danny Elfman is awesomeness personified. She collects couture barbies and Harry Potter Lego/ Merchandise. She is currently obsessed with Pokemon. Her favourite TV shows are Daria, Buffy, The Simpsons, Bewitched, batman and Black Books. She is currently reading goosebumps and enid blyton. She is advanced for her age. She likes dancing, singing and theme parks. Her dream is to grow up and play either Elpheba or Velma Kelly on Broadway. Her favourite places in the world are any Disney park, New York and Paris (yes, she has been!). Her favourite artists are Picasso, Van Gogh and Lauren Carney. She is obsessed with Ancient Egypt. She can often be found in her room playing her guitar or listening to CDs.
Are you still with her dad?
Her Father decided to relinquish his parental rights before her birth. It was his decision, which is respected and he has to live with it. No, he does not have visitation Nor does he pay support. He is not expected to, nor has it been asked =). I have no contact with him at all =)
Are you a feminist?
I am an academic feminist. My interest lies in body politics and gender representations in media, and I am interested in the interrogation of language used to describe women/ get our attention in headlines.
Can you recommend any books/ documentaries?
MissRepresentation is a really great overview. It doesn’t seek to make changes, just to investigate. Killing Us Softly 4 by Jean Kilbourne is also fantastic, and I highly recommend watching The Purity Myth. Also, there is a Bell Hooks lecture on youtube about media representations which is amazing, and check out Tough Guise for a look at how media representations affect men as well. Feministfrequency is one of the best websites at the moment.
To read, I recommend Naomi Wolfs Beauty Myth, anything by the Guerrilla Girls, Living Dolls by Natasha Walter, Cant Buy My Love by Jean Kilbourne, and anything else you can get your hands on =)
Check out my feminist blog for a full list. The link is on my page.
You say you are a feminist, AND you have an eating disorder, so why do you post fashion/ thinspo/ girls?
I don’t see the pictures I post as Thinspo. I have a criteria for posting any image of a girl. I ask myself two questions
If I answer yes to either, I don’t post. OCCASIONALLY I come across an image that takes my breath away and the model is a little on the slim side. Thats when I start to have arguments with myself. If I cant stop thinking about the beauty of the photo, I will post it. however, If I wince at her thinness, I wont post it. I am also an artist, and the images I post are ones that reflect/ inspire me, my moods and evoke a form of response. I am a highly aesthetic person – an Asthete.
It is also possible to be a feminist and maintain an interest in fashion. Dont let ANYONE tell you differently.
Do you follow back?
I keep my number of blogs I follow quite low – because I can’t spend ALLLL day on tumblr (though, sometimes I feel like I do, because it is always there!). At the moment I am following more than enough blogs. That said, I often notice the people who like/ reblog a lot, and (when I have time) check their blogs/ have them bookmarked =) just because I don’t follow doesn’t mean I don’t keep up to date!
What blogs WON’T you follow?
I won’t follow blogs that post triggering images/ information (lots about restriction and such). I won’t follow blogs that post A LOT about self harm. I won’t follow blogs that are constantly negative and rude to people that ask them questions. I won’t follow blogs that are profoundly negative. I also won’t follow blogs that are overtly pro-life, racist, homophobic, transphobic, mysoginistic, or post gore. I quickly tire of blogs that push a certain way of life down people’s throats – specifically diet (Paleo, IIFYM, clean eating, vegetarian, vegan etc). Your way is NOT the best; it is just the best to reflect you and the way you choose to live your life. Please don’t try to make others feel bad about the way they live their lives. It creates un-necessary negativity. I won’t follow feminist blogs that clearly have no idea what they are on about. I will unfollow any blog for the above reasons as well.
You never use apostrophes and quotation marks!!! WHY????
The keys on my laptop are broken. If you see an apostrophe, I’ve been able to get it through spell check!
What DO you like?
music -Brand New, Nirvana, post-hardcore, hardcore. I like music that creates emotion in me! I firmly believe that the 90s were the strongest musical decade, and I rarely hear new music that I like. I also love Rage against the machine, early no doubt, sublime, garbage, reel big fish, radiohead, early green day, pennywise (when Jim was with them), Matchbook Romance, from autumn to ashes, Bad Religion, The Vandals, guttermouth, Hole, Veruca Salt, The Living End (early), Regurgitator (early), Grinspoon (early), The Killers, Battles, Portishead, massive attack, sneaker pimps, the clash, the beatles, Glassjaw, and just a fuckload more. The Best soundtrack ever made HANDS DOWN was The Crow.
Art - Contemporary Art, embroidery based art, German expressionism, edo, post 1945 Japanese art. I love Ghada Amer, Erin M. Riley, Barbara Kruger, Jenny Holzer, Kara Walker, Titus Kaphar, Ron Muek, Yayoi Kusama, Yoko Ono, Felix Gonzalez Torres, Emile Nolde, Wassily Kandinsky, Kathe Kollwitz, Otto Dix, Jacques Louis David, Anthony Lister, Fafi, Miss Van, Shomei Tomatsu, Masami Teraoka, Takashi Murakami, Chiho Aoshima, Judy Chicago, Lydia Venieri (sp?), and just so many more. One of the best things about studying art is always exposing myself to more art. I wish I lived in NY so I could explore Chelsea and Brooklyn all the time! I also love street art, and can often be found photographing it where-ever I go. I love Space Invader the most! I fan girled when I found my first ever Invader!. Paris is the best place to spot street art IMO.
Movies - The Crow, The Kill Bills, Dark City, Scream, Amelie, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Smokin Aces, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland (animation), Human Traffic, Clueless, Empire Records, Reality Bites, 30 Days of Night, Zombieland, Gangs of New York, Romeo and Juliet, The nightmare before Christmas, Sleepy Hollow, Gabriel, and whatever else tickles my fancy at any given time – these are just my go to movies when I have had a bad day or need to be inspired =)
Books - Academic feminist Theory, Art catalogues/ theory, Craft books/ theory, Anything by Bret Easton Ellis (Glamorama is the best), Irvine Welsh, and Chuck Palahniuk. I loved On the Road (Kerouac), Junky (Burroughs), clockwork orange, high fidelity, and Wuthering Heights. I am a sucker for Urban Fantasy – or vampire books. I first read The Vamp Diaries when I was about 14, and have been hooked ever since. I am not a fan of anne rice, as I find her books a little too drawn out. My favourite series* are Vampire Academy, Nightworld, and Sookie Stackhouse.
Honestly though, I will read anything if I am bored enough.
TV - Supernatural, Vampire Diaries, True Blood, Buffy, Daria, Freaks and Geeks, Skins, Being Human, My So Called Life, Black Books, ANYTHING Gruen.
What sort of art do you do?
I focus on 2D media – illustration techniques, and working with a variety of surfaces and materials including embroidery. I also like to oil paint when I get the chance, and use water colours, but I find I rarely do that anymore!
What inspires you?
I am inspired by life. New York, Paris and LA inspire me. Peonies, and florals. Subversive thought and crude expressions. Street art. Fashion photography. Tim Burton movies. Disney. The 1990s. The 1920s-1950s. Victorian era stuff/ motifs. Baroque and rococo. Dioramas. Circus, vaudeville, broadway and Ballet. The human heart. The ribcage. Bones. AND OTHER STUFF!!!
You post a lot of ballet. WHY?
I used to dance. I resent my mum a little for not allowing me to continue. The sight of a tutu or a pointe shoe still makes my heart skip a beat and try to fly out of my chest.
You like fashion? What makes up your wardrobe.
I love my dr. Martens. And all my brogues and oxfords. And all my chucks. And my vans. And ballet flats! I don’t really wear heels, but I have some lovely pairs. I like dresses, maxi skirts, skinny jeans, and oversized tshirts. I also love a good jacket – my leather blazers, and velvet blazers being my favourites! Which is silly, because I live in Australia, in QLD where it’s rarely cold enough to wear a fucking jacket. I like floral patterns, block colours, peter pan collars, vintage styles, blues, whites, blacks, reds, greys and whites. My ultimate style icons are Dita Von Teese, Wednesday Addams, and Courtney Love. Yes, I am well aware they are all completely different!
Where do you shop
Modcloth, Urban Outfitters, and free people! I usually shop online *shrug* I also like Ebay, Suitcase Rummage (market in Brisbane) and op shops. For local stores I like Kitten D*amour, and I often look in General Pants, Universal, Forever new, city beach, sportsgirl, and where-ever else… but honestly? I very rarely buy from any of them. This is certainly not a comprehensive list of where I shop online/ in person… but its where I check back.
Make-up?
Urban Decay forever. I also love Too Faced, Smash Box, and my Red Chanel Lipstick. That said, I generally aim to buy cruelty free makeup and such.
What do you hate?
Ignorance. Liars. People who try to push their beliefs down your throat. People who are negative/ bitchy for no reason. I don’t like Gaga – or most pop music. I hate being told my hair reminds people of rihanna or Gaga. I don’t like Glee.
