WHAT'S GETTING ME THROUGH
I wanted to carve out a space on my site where I can share resources and links to things that I find helpful/joyful/interesting/important. Maybe this will evolve over time and I'll continue to update it, maybe it will sit stagnant in the annals of the internet. I'm not sure I'm a mailing list person, and this seems like a good place to start, so here are some things that have helped (or challenged me) in the last 12 months or so.
I think that this podcast changed my life. Or else my life was changing and that coincided with Maintenance Phase launching. This offers incredible insight into the world of fat bias, fat shaming, diet fallacies, and so much more. I was in a space where I wanted to examine my values when it came to constant dieting, body image, body assumptions and body judgements. Eeugh.
I started to work with Intuitive Eating specialist and HAES (Health At Every Size) Nutritionist Carla Bredin. As well as helping me to step away from harmful diet culture, this work has also led me to examine lots of damaging and oppressive learned behaviours and thoughts I had. Some I'm still unpacking. I haven’t found this unlearning easy but it’s a process that I’m committed to. If you are looking to undo all the patriarchal bullshit that was done to you and others when it comes how our bodies exist in the world, then this is an amazing place to start. The first episode gives a great outline on how they plan to debunk fat bias, medical untruths, fad diets etc. It's expertly researched and hilariously joy filled (there’s rage in there too but mostly joy, intellect and LOLs). I long for each new episode to land in my app every second Tuesday. It's hosted by Aubrey Gordon known for Yourfatfriend.com and Michael Hobbes, a journalist (Everything You Know about Obesity Is Wrong) and co-host of another incredibly popular podcast You're Wrong About - this is also amazing - if you haven't listened I'd recommend starting with the Jessica Simpson or Princess Diana deep dives, man we were so shit to women in the 90s. Can we do better?
Tolü Makay is incredible. She has been honing her craft for years, I love hearing her talk about her creative journey and how she continues invest, focus and connect as an artist. This is undoubtedly her moment - the start of it anyway - she’s destined for very big things. You probably know her recent TV appearances and from her ephemeral cover of N17 with the RTE National Concert Orchestra. It will be heard in homes, shopping centres, waiting rooms, filling stations and car radios for years to come. As it should be.
I really connected with her 2020 album Being. It has helped me in the past year. It’s fragile, reflective, encouraging and hand-holding. Tolü is generous with her vulnerabilities and she weaves them into this album with some essential self-talk. It’s a great thing to listen to if you are walking alone in nature and are in need of a big cry (can vouch). It’s equally good if you’re sitting at home and want to invite some self-compassion in. Or even have a boogie in the kitchen (can also vouch). She’s since released Aye (gorge) and has a new Album in the works. Je. Can’t. Wait.
From time to time she does Insta lives and what I love about these is how she’s so open with her learning and growth as an artist. She also has a podcast with the inimitable spoken work performer and LEAVING CERT PAPER POET Felispeaks. Link here.
As an aside, Tolü grew up in Offaly, as someone from Laois I can’t tell you how much hope her iconic status, glamour and creative talent gives me. Maybe I too can aspire. . .
Love Island. Pure mind-meddling, unethical, juicy reality escapism.
Pour. It. Over. Me.
The pandemic has been horrendous.
This gives me unbridled joy.
It's not too late to get involved.
UPDATE:
So here's a little update. I was watching and I was loving. And then it all got a bit toxic and a bit sour. I couldn't quite articulate what had changed exactly other than it was veering into the realm of the more combative, manipulative and hellish type of reality TV that we were so energised by in the height of Big Brother days. Then I listened to this excellent, reflective and importantly unsnobby text (podcast) by The White Pube where they unpacked Love Island, mental health, the suicides associated with the show, and what it means to flippantly write about real people in shows like this on Twitter and elsewhere. After listening I think that this year may be my last year of Love Island. I think that's ok.