Post Tagged with: "critics"

If you're looking for a new book rec to shake you out of your complacency and ignite your imagination, look no further than @renee.linnell’s 'Still on Fire'. Renee knows loss—her beloved father died on Thanksgiving Day when she was 15. Then, after more than a dozen years of conflict and estrangement, she lost her mother—who went missing and turned up drowned in a hotel bathtub. Renee knows devastation—when she was 33, she joined a Buddhist cult, got brainwashed, burned almost everything she owned, and nearly lost her sanity and her life. Renee stuffed down plenty of shame. But eventually, she shook it off, made peace with her flaws and failures, and got busy living her life to the fullest. Magic, miracles, travel, and romance—this is where Renee leads you in her long-awaited sequel to her first book 'The Burn Zone'. From love affairs with men half her age, to being rescued by angels, to getting stranded at 22,000 feet in the Himalayas and being electrocuted in the Maldives, Renee takes you on a wild page-turning adventure; sharing with you soul-soothing wisdom she gained along the way. Where 'The Burn Zone' was an exploration of what happens when we don’t listen to our Inner Guidance, 'Still on Fire' is an exposition of what happens when we do. As Renee courageously takes leap after leap into the unknown, picks up the pieces after being shattered, or recounts hilarious attempts to regain her mojo, you will see yourself in her stories. You will remember it is not only okay, but necessary to try and fail. Energizing, empowering, and reassuring, Still on Fire will resonate with many who need a push to ignore the voice of self-doubt in their head and keep walking forward. Now that we have your attention, head to the link in our bio to read an excerpt from Chapter 1! 🔥 . . . #ReneeLinnell #StillOnFire #TheBurnZone #author #memoir #travel #adventure #romance #cult #failure #loss #selfdoubt #forward #bookstagram #WCW

The self-proclaimed, real-life Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, @feliciamadisoncomedian, has been bringing audiences to tears of laughter at some of New York City’s most infamous clubs. The mom of three did not originally plan on a career in comedy. In fact, it wasn’t until after having her children and recognizing her love for the craft that she left her life as an Upper East Side stay-at-home mom to join the ranks of all the comedians who came before her. Since starting her career she has quickly become a prominent name in the NYC comedy scene, not only as a comic, but as the Director of New Talent and Talent Booker at the West Side Comedy Club, where since the overturn of Roe v Wade she has required all Open Mic guests to show proof of donation to a Pro-Choice charity to get their spot on stage. She has appeared in her one woman show, “The Miserable Mrs. Madison” which she wrote and produced, as well as a documentary about her start in comedy called, “Funny Felicia.”. Felicia is also very open about her battle with depression. Through her growing platform she aims to inspire others to continue towards their dreams regardless of having kids, or mental wellness issues or anything else that society claims to be a reason to hold you back. Here's what Felicia told us about her badass move to champion reproductive rights: "The overturning of Roe v Wade was devastating. I immediately started to brainstorm ways in which I could help. I wanted more people, especially men, to get involved in the fight. I decided to make the open mics at the club free with proof of a donation to a pro-choice charity. I wanted people to have to actively search and find an organization, input their name and email and as a result become actively involved in the process and the cause. Now I have men sending me snapshots of their donations to pro-choice organizations. Most importantly, they are on a list and will receive more info." Read more of our interview with the fabulous Felicia Madison via the link in our bio! 🎤🤑 . . . #comedy #FeliciaMadison #reprorights #prochoice #MarvelousMrsMaisel #mentalhealth #motherhood #roevwade #openmic #NYC #instagood #inspire

For many people across America today, healthcare is the number one issue in their lives. For undocumented people, it becomes even more important when they don’t have equal access to information and resources. One high school student in Connecticut whose family are immigrants, found the issue of healthcare access personal enough to motivate her to take action. Jenny DiCapua is a Latina high school student in Connecticut who just launched an easily accessible healthcare directory for underserved communities in the Tri-State Area called @_saludportodos (or Health for All). Why this matters today: Underserved communities, such as undocumented immigrants, face barriers including language, cost and payment methods, and lack of identification. The Salud Por Todos app has filters for these top 3 concerns so that users can search for doctors in their neighborhood that speak Spanish or have a translator, accept cash or have a sliding scale or payment plan option, and/or do not require a government ID. Salud Por Todos can be found on the web or in the Apple or Google Play app stores. It’s available in both English and Spanish. We had a chance to speak to the busy entrepreneurial teen about the app, and here's what she told us: "Only a handful cities in the United States offer health insurance to the undocumented, and they’re not eligible for Federal healthcare programs, like Medicare or Medicaid. Therefore, many forgo regular checkups and preventative treatment, and must resort to emergency rooms for dire situations. I believe healthcare is a human right. The United States has many systems in place to protect members of society from undue suffering. It seems hypocritical that an immigrant can call 911 once they have an emergency, but they do not have a simple way to access healthcare to avoid the emergency in the first place. Healthcare is a fundamental tool that can prevent suffering or at least minimize it when unavoidable." To learn more about Salud por Todos, head to the link in our bio! 🩺📲 . . . #healthcare #saludportodos #immigrants #undocumented #highschool #teen #family #humanright #entrepreneur #instagood #inspire #girls #Latina #community

Independent singer songwriter and producer @itsnylaxo delivers her highly anticipated single “Done Being Sad,” on August 10th following her most recent 2020 release, “Summer Days.” At its core, “Done Being Sad” is a lifeline for listeners to cling to in moments of sadness, depression, and self-doubt that can oftentimes leave us feeling stuck and hopeless. Nyla created “Done Being Sad” over many months worked closely with her husband, who led production for this project, to cultivate the empowering and energetic feel on the final mix. The two were proud to create “Done Being Sad” from start to finish in their personally owned Chicago studio, Mix Kitchen, with everything from the writing, to the production, to the visuals created in-house. “Done Being Sad” gives listeners the inspiration to lift themselves up out of the trenches, even if only for a moment, and say “you know what? I’m done being sad too.” We spoke with Nyla about the track, and how music can be a source of healing during tumultuous times: "I like to think of this song as a declaration that things will be ok...I wrote this song as I was coming out of a season of depression where I had felt lost, unmotivated, and just really really sad Even when I declare “I’m Done Being Sad” in the chorus, I’m writing from a perspective of not having all the answers, but holding on to the hope that I have the power to come out of the place I was in. So don’t feel like you need to be perfect or change overnight, be patient with yourself. I hope that my honesty makes someone out there feel less alone in what they’re feeling." Head to the link in our bio to hear 'Done Being Sad' by Nyla XO! ❌⭕️ . . . #NylaXO #donebeingsad #music #artist #independentartist #chicago #mentalhealth #depression #pandemic #healing #feeling #honesty #hope #instagood #WCW

Today on the blog we're featuring an empowering guest post from @nutritionbylizzy who is an International Expert Nutritionist, Wellness Coach and Author. She is here to cut through the BS of diet culture and empower us with knowledge to help us create a healthy mindset toward our bodies. "The diet industry is working against you, in more ways than you think. Not only are you wasting your time and money on products and programs with results that last just a couple of months (or worse; no results at all), they’re selling you the belief that you’re ‘not good enough’ as you are. And in buying into this lie, you’re reinforcing a subconscious belief system (or what I like to call ‘subconscious BS’) of not being enough that’s keeping you trapped in hating your body." Lizzy gets candid in sharing her own 10 year battle with an eating disorder, in order to help us "discover the rebellious act of trusting your own body’s wisdom when it comes to your food choices so that you can rebel against the diet industry and finally feel good." Because of her ED, she developed severe bone loss which forced her to make a drastic shift in the way she treated her body, and thought about herself. "The heartbreaking thing is, so many of us have given away our power to individuals and companies that don’t want us to love ourselves. I know it’s scary to trust yourself with the decisions you make over food. Yet you were born with the intrinsic ability to nourish yourself correctly. Be rebellious and turn your back on this crap. Learning to trust yourself with food requires time and practice, so be patient and kind to yourself throughout your journey." Read more of Lizzy's wisdom via the link in our bio! 💓 . . . #food #nutrition #selflove #eatingdisorder #dietculture #dietindustry #bodyimage #mentalhealth #rebellious #healthy #mindset #lizzycangro #instagood

If you pick up a copy of Sports Illustrated these days, you might be surprised what you see when it comes to the diversity of models being chosen to grace the covers. Taking note of the cultural shift that is happening in the wider beauty and fashion worlds, the magazine has been making a huge effort to be inclusive. One of the models recently featured was @Kellyhues, whose image went viral for a very special reason. The model from Miami, FL, broke barriers in this year’s Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue being the first model to highlight her cesarean section scar, which has never happened in the magazine’s 58-year history! Along with being one of this year’s most talked about swimsuit models, Kelly is also a single mother to her 3-year-old son as well as the founder and designer of HÜES jewelry, worn by numerous A-list celebs. Kelly has also partnered with ESTAS Beauty to start the #ScarLoveChallenge on social media to spread a feeling of empowerment and change the societal stigma around scars. We had the opportunity to chat with the model mama about her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue shoot, how motherhood changed her perspective and mission in her modeling career, and what she hopes everyone with scars will love about themselves more after reading her story. "I think we still have a long way to go for the entire industry to truly embrace the change so the more we continue to show diversity and continue this conversation representing all women and bodies, there will be a long-lasting impact that changes people from the inside out. I think it will change people’s idea of what beauty is." Read more about Kelly's personal C-section story and see more of her stunning images via the link in our bio! 👙💪🏻 . . . #kellyhues #sportsillustrated #swimsuitissue #motherhood #scars #beauty #fashion #bodyimage #diversity #representation #embrace #women #bodypositive #Csection #mama #jewelry #designer #entrepreneur #model

@iamevitagiron, freelance writer, blog and author of the best-selling children’s book “The Girl with the Magical Curls” announces the launch of yet another exciting and inspiring children’s book titled, “30 Short Affirmations for Curly-Haired Kids” (out July 28, 2022). Evita is also the founder of the brand, Curlyvita: Crowns Come in All Colors. Her new empowering book contains 30 powerful positive statements of declaration to help raise and build up the self-esteem of kids with curly hair, and fits right in line with Evita’s overall literary theme of wanting to encourage body positivity and self-love. If you have been following the movement happening around The Crown Act, we are seeing a number of US states and territories enacting this into law to stop the onslaught of discriminatory incidents around hair, especially among Black youth in schools. While legislation to stop and prevent discrimination is important, what Evita is doing is creating a powerful resource to instill confidence in the lives of young kids who may come across cultural negativity about their hair, or the way they look. We spoke with Evita to learn more about her mission behind ’30 Short Affirmations for Curly-Haired Kids’ and which affirmations personally spoke to her as a woman of color with curly hair herself! "When I created my first book I thought, “wow, I wish I had a book like this when I was little.” Now I’m teaching my daughter and other children the power of loving yourself and knowing that you are special and beautiful just the way you are. They can carry these principles into adulthood and start early knowing that affirmations are their armor against negative talk, whether from themselves or someone else." Head to the link in our bio to grab a copy of ’30 Short Affirmations for Curly-Haired Kids’! 💜💗💙 . . . #affirmations #crownact #curlyhair #girls #blackgirls #bodypositivity #loveyourself #confidence #womanofcolor #EvitaGiron #bestsellingauthor #bookstagram #childrensbooks #instagood

When we read the description of author @charlenethomasbooks’ new novel ‘Seton Girls’ – “a debut YA that starts off like Friday Night Lights and ends with the power and insight of Dear White People” we were hooked. Out August 30, 2022, ‘Seton Girls’ is an examination of the beautiful nuances of female friendships and the complex intersection of race, class, and gender. Seton Academic High is a prep school obsessed with its football team and their thirteen-year conference win streak, a record that players always say they’d never have without Seton’s girls. What exactly Seton girls do to make them so valuable, though, no one ever really says. But the team’s quarterback, the younger brother of the Seton star who started the streak, wants more than regular season glory. He wants a state championship before his successor, Seton’s first Black QB, has a chance to overshadow him. Bigger rewards require bigger risks, and soon the actual secrets to the team’s enduring success leak to a small group of girls who suddenly have the power to change their world forever. We had the chance to talk to Charlene ahead of the book’s release about the intersections woven throughout ‘Seton Girls’, casting Black female leads as whole and nuanced characters, and why it was important for her to “flip the script” with this story: “I wanted readers to find Black girls as main characters—being the pretty ones, the popular ones, the heroes—because we still so rarely get to see ourselves cast in those roles. I wanted to remind girls everywhere that they’re more than what boys decide they are. That they are full, capable humans within their own right. That they are bigger than the adjectives that the world uses to describe them. That they are nouns.” Get familiar with 'Seton Girls' via the link in our bio. 💗🫦 . . . #SetonGirls #blackgirls #blackfemalelead #protagonist #femalecharacter #YAfiction #race #teens #friday #book #bookstagram #author #Charlenethomas #flipthescript