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"I think joy is a human superpower." 💛✨ February is Black History Month and one of the things we love to do is highlight strong Black female voices who are sharing their creativity and talent to better the world. With that in mind, we’re excited to celebrate Grammy-nominated musician and author @thevaleriejune. Valerie's new picture book ‘SOMEBODY TO LOVE: The Story of Valerie June’s Sweet Little Baby Banjolele‘ , illustrated by Marcela Avelar, is inspired by the song “Somebody to Love” from her album Pushin’ Against a Stone. A portion of proceeds from the limited edition book will be donated to an organization supporting children’s literacy. We had the chance to speak with Valerie about her advocacy for children’s literacy, how following your dreams can be an act of community care, and the importance of J O Y "Joy allows us to transcend the struggles and challenges that could otherwise weigh on our hearts so heavily that they break. If we lean on it, though the world may be complex or challenging, our spirit will never be broken. It is enough to even change the world–one heart at a time. Joy is essential for all races, but I love uplifting my lineage through the magic of joy because I am Black." Read more of our interview with Valerie and buy a copy of her book via the link in our bio! 🪕 . . . #valeriejune #Joy #BlackHistoryMonth #grammynominated #artist #musician #Blackwomen #BlackJoy #Somebodytolove #literacy #music #friday #instagood #empower

Feb 2nd is #TimeToTalkDay in the UK, a day that focuses on how we can open up conversations around mental health to support one another, and ultimately change lives. One of the best things you can do for your mental health is exercise. @puregymofficial have put together a list of ways to prioritize fitness this year and make it an integral part of your mental health and wellbeing regime. Puregym spoke to TikTok fitness influencer Sydney Cassidy (@sydgrows) to see how the gym has benefitted their mental health. Sydney joined her local gym at the end of 2021, in a bid to help ease her anxiety and overthinking during a particularly low point in her life. Since then, she’s gone on to become a fitness influencer with over 300,000 followers, undergoing a huge mental transformation and now regularly posting helpful videos that inspire many more women, and men, to feel less nervous about entering the gym. "There’s something about overcoming a challenge or achieving a goal at the gym that gives you this kind of mental toughness and resilience to tackle whatever it is you’re dealing with outside of the gym. Your stress levels are lower, and your head is clearer. Going to the gym regularly can be really impactful.”  Find out how to create your own exercise regime to help your mental health today.🧘🏾‍♀️🧠 . . . #mentalhealth #fitness #exercise #community #support #wellness #wellbeing #confidence #instagood #health #breathe

Our fave NYC gallery, @untitledspaceny, is holding a special exhibition and auction, from January 30 to February 8, called ‘Living For Love’. Created by artist @fahrenhaute, this exhibit will benefit an organization supporting women’s mental health. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), women are twice as likely as men to suffer from mental health disorders. This exhibit is a timely response to an urgent crisis. Featuring 25 unique works including several new releases, a portion of proceeds from the sale of each artwork will be donated to @seekherorg Foundation, a non-profit advocacy project of WellSeek, a social impact collective that is reimagining women’s wellness in our workplaces and communities. SeekHer Foundation is on a mission to bridge the gender gap of mental health through advocacy, research, and support to empower women to thrive in their work and lives. Fahren’s watercolors give new voices to women of the past and present while exploring larger notions of female constructs in contemporary society. “Through my own journey with mental health, I am constantly seeking out ways to expand and be more empathic,” said Fahren in a press release about ‘Living For Love’. "My paintings act as a quiet dagger of truth, exposing the beauty of the feminine form from the female gaze, emphasizing the female body as a great thing to behold, free of judgement and objectification. My paintings of the female figure expands the footprint of women painted by women, celebrating sisterhood and empowering female themes.” Head to the link in our bio to see more of the artists' paintings and how you can support women's mental health today. 🎨💜💛🧡❤️ . . . #art #Artist #love #untitledspace #NYC #livingforlove #femalegaze #mentalhealth #watercolor #female #painting #instagood

She is a New York Times Bestseller, and a fave pick for Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club in the Fall of 2021. Now author @laurenblackwoodwrites is back with a dark fantasy inspired by Jamaican folklore from her heritage, in which a magical woman must face the horrors of a monster-infested jungle, insidious colonialism, and what lies within her own heart in ‘Wildblood’ (Macmillan) our February 7, 2023. Eighteen-year-old Victoria is a Wildblood. Kidnapped at age six and manipulated by the Exotic Lands Touring Company, she works as a tour guide with a team of fellow Wildbloods who use their magic to protect travelers in a Jamaican jungle teeming with ghostly monsters. When the boss denies Victoria an earned promotion, she’s determined to prove herself on their next expedition: leading a renowned goldminer named Thorn to an untouched gold supply deep in the jungle. Wildblood’ tells the story of a girl who must find the strength to defeat the demons of the jungle as well as her own to find where she truly belongs. On the eve of her YA release, Lauren spoke to us about drawing on her heritage to create the kinds of characters she never got to see as a young girl: "Growing up, I never got to see girls who looked like me who also got to live and thrive and love and kick butt. Not everyone can relate to western/European culture, and it’s beautiful to be able to see yourself in a hero who thinks like you and experiences things in the way you do." Read more about WILDLBLOOD via the link in our bio! 🌿💛 . . . #wildblood #laurenblackwood #author #YAfantasy #magic #folklore #colonialism #story #womenofcolor #character #heritage #jamaica #reesewitherspoon #bookclub #NYTbestselling

Today on the blog, author Angela Greenman, whose new book is called 'The Child Riddler’ and features a strong female lead who is a badass, writes about wanting to see more Spy Thrillers featuring more women. She says we don't have to look that hard to see that real life female spies already exist, and we know them! "I have this amazing idea for a spy thriller: An escapee from servitude becomes a spy and collects intelligence behind enemy lines. The spy becomes a military commander and leads three US gunboats and 150 soldiers on a raid that rescues more than 700 enslaved people. Oh, yes, it’s a true story. Harriet Tubman did this. Okay, how about this one: A linguist with a prosthetic leg recruits a network of spies and poses as a dairy farmer, scouting out drop zones. In addition to radioing intelligence reports, the linguist oversees sabotage missions and enemy ambushes. Another true story? Yes, Virginia Hall did this. Well, here’s another one: A wireless operator is sent into enemy-occupied territory with a radio suitcase weighing over 30 pounds. While trying to evade capture for months, the operator single-handedly maintains communications and helps dozens of soldiers escape. Really? This happened? Yep, Noor Inayat Khan did this." So why do the majority of Spy Thrillers center male characters? And what is the long-term impact of young girls seeing more female characters? "Thinking that a woman belongs in a secondary role—not out front leading the action—seems rooted in our early culture as human beings. While women’s advances are beginning to be acknowledged more publicly, only a generation ago I was expected to make my goals secondary. Women have been and are accomplished leaders in all walks of life, and their achievements should be celebrated!" Read more about the real life female superheroes Angela drew inspiration from for her own novel via the link in our bio! 🕵🏻 . . . #spy #thriller #novel #book #female #character #superhero #protagonist #author #instagood #bookstagram

"The shame and ache from losing my firstborn to adoption in 1969 nearly destroyed me." Today on the blog we're featuring a heartbreaking yet powerful story from author Cathryn Vogeley, whose new book "I Need To Tell You" recounts her experience of being a pregnant teen and being forced to give up her baby for adoption due to the shame and stigma at the time. Today, as we look around at an America that is fast taking away the choices of women and girls, Cathryn's book reminds us of what life looks like in an era where choice was not considered common. "Pregnant unwed girls were labeled tramps and their babies were called bastards. Shotgun weddings were common but raising a child as a single woman was not. I kept the pregnancy a secret and left town, spending the last trimester in a Catholic Charities home for unwed mothers... In the delivery room, I was put under with ether. When I awoke from the anesthesia, I heard only sounds of water running and chattering nurses. I listened for a baby’s cry but she had already been taken away... At home afterward, my mother insisted that I forget it ever happened. “Leave it behind,” she repeated again and again until it became a part of me. My baby was taken in a closed adoption with the records expunged of my name and sealed for ninety-nine years. For the rest of my life, I ran from that decision and the grief that was never allowed but existed in me just the same. Losing a child is the most painful experience a mother can have but I had to act as if it never happened." Read the full post via the link in our bio. 💔 . . . #adoption #pregnant #maternityhomes #Catholic #shame #teengirls #Roevwade #choice #trauma #mother #author #bookstagram #story #instagood #women #girls

We are in awe of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who announced she will not be seeking re-election, because of the leadership traits she has modeled throughout her time in office. She is a great and inspiring example that empathy and compassion are important. We are also inspired by her decision to step down on her own terms, being open and vulnerable about “not having enough left in the tank”, which is not only relatable, but reminds us that perhaps more political leaders should follow her lead instead of seeking power beyond all else at the expense of all else. May we all be empowered to know our worth, lead with empathy and compassion, and be open about when we need to take a break or switch gears. Thank you Jacinda for what you shared with the world!💪🏾🙅🏻‍♀️ #Repost @the_female_lead: "One of the criticisms I've faced over the years is that I'm not aggressive enough or assertive enough, or maybe somehow, because I'm empathetic, it means I'm weak. I totally rebel against that. I refuse to believe that you cannot be both compassionate & strong." Jacinda Ardern . . . #jacindaardern #leadership #inspire #empathy #kindness #compassion #weak #strong #lead #womeninleadership #newzealand #rolemodel #instagood

"The protagonist in my novel faces an unwanted pregnancy, like I did as a graduate student in 2010. I chose to have an abortion, which I consider to be one of the best decisions of my life, but at the time, I kept it a secret. Now, my daughter faces a dark future in which the government could force her to give birth against her will. With so much at stake, it’s crucial for those of us with privilege to share our abortion experiences, especially with the anti-choice people who love us and within our supportive communities.” In a press release about her new novel 'Night, Forgotten' author @MeghanJoyceTozer shared her personal story and thoughts (above) about the United States Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe. v. Wade in 2022, and how she drew on her own experience with abortion when writing her main character’s story arc. You may recognize Meghan's previous work, as she is the author and filmmaker of ‘The UnSlut Project’ (written under the pen name Emily Lindin). Her debut adult novel, ‘Night, Forgotten’, is ‘The Lovely Bones’ meets ‘The Push’: a deeply intense psychological thriller about a young woman who must cope with the aftermath of a sexual assault. When Julie’s idyllic, happy life is upended by a sexual assault that results in a pregnancy, she can’t cope with anything–not the baby, not her mother-in-law’s constant presence in her home, not even her husband’s concern. Her marriage is forever changed. Her life is unrecognizable. Her only option is to put the broken pieces of that awful night together and finally come to terms with what happened to her . . . and why. Read an excerpt from Chapter 1 of 'Night, Forgotten' via the link in our bio. This is a thriller you will not want to put down! 🌃🏡 . . . #nightForgotten #sexualassault #pregnancy #choice #abortion #RovWade #reprorights #novel #story #thriller #psychological #protagonist #instagood #bookstagram