You ever get tired? Not in the way you feel after a long day, but tired in your soul? Like, constantly fighting with yourself, trying to be something you’re not, trying to live up to some impossible version of who you’re supposed to be? I’m so tired of that. Tired of the constant battle inside my own head.

It’s exhausting, you know? This war we wage, this war I wage, every day. It's like, every time I look in the mirror, there’s a new enemy. A voice in my head telling me I’m not enough, not smart enough, not good enough, not… enough. And I listen to it. I listen, and I fight, and I try so damn hard to be something that I’m not. But the thing is, I never win. I fight and I fight, and all I get is a loss. Another day feeling like I’m failing, like I’m missing something, like I’m broken somehow. And I wonder why I keep doing it. Why do I keep fighting this version of myself that I’ll never be? Why do I make my life harder by holding myself to standards that are impossible to reach?

Life is too short for this. Too short to be constantly at war with yourself. Why do we do this? Why do I do this? Why do we think we need to be flawless, to be perfect, to be something we’re not in order to be worthy? What if we don’t need to fight anymore? What if we just stopped, just... let ourselves be?

I’m so tired of being my own enemy. So tired of feeling like I’m not enough just because I don’t fit into some box someone else made for me. Life is too short for that. You know? I can’t keep wasting my time fighting myself, trying to be someone I’m not. I need to stop. I need to accept who I am, even if I’m not perfect. Even if I don’t have it all figured out. Because maybe, just maybe, that’s okay.

Maybe it’s okay to let go of the battle. Maybe it’s okay to be exactly who I am, flaws and all. Life is too short to be constantly at war with myself. It’s time I realized that.

The Art of Living

Art. What a simple word. Three letters, one syllable, yet it holds everything I love. Everything that makes life worth breathing. And no, I don’t just mean paintings in cold museums with plaques underneath. I mean the way a song wraps itself around my ribs, how a poem can make my skin prickle like someone whispered a secret just for me.

I mean the human body, the way we move, the way we touch, the way a glance can be a masterpiece if you look at it long enough. I mean literature, how words stack themselves into something that stays with you longer than the people who wrote them.

Art is not just in galleries, not just in frames. It’s in the way someone tucks a strand of hair behind their ear, in the sound of rain hitting the pavement at midnight, in the silence between two people who understand each other without needing to speak.

Art is music, loud, aching, alive. It’s poetry that bleeds truth. It’s the press of a hand against your skin. It’s the way someone looks at you like you’re a song they’ve never heard before but already know by heart.

I don’t want a world without art. Because without it, what’s left? White walls, empty streets, voices that never rise above a whisper? No. I want colour, sound, movement. I want to live in the art of it all. Because what else is life, if not art?

By Elena

From Flesh to Flower

I used to fear decay. The slow unravelling of flesh, the way time unthreads the body stitch by stitch until nothing remains. I thought death was the end. Sharp, cruel, finite. But I see now, I was wrong.

Look at this place. The roots weave through bones, the flowers drink from the past, and the air hums with a life that was once something else. Once someone else.

Asking For It - Hole

Asking for it is a song I hold very close to my heart, it's from Hole's 1994 album 'Live Through This'. I have a lot of thoughts and feelings towards this song and would love to share them :) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - CW: mentions of SA - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Asking for it is a powerful and provocative track that delves deeply into the themes of victim blaming and sexual assault. It stands out as a raw and unapologetic point of view of societal attitude towards sexual assault. The song refuses to beat around the bush and acts as a blunt reminder of how we and the system treat victims, with the chorus having lyrics such as: "Was she asking for it, was she asking nice" The lyrics bluntly confront the notion of victims being to blame for the horrors that have been forced upon them. Even the title is as such to challenge the common narrative that survivors "asked for it". The songs lyrics passionately express the anger and frustration towards the culture we live in, the culture that never seems to change, the culture of victim blaming and letting rapists go scott free so they can live a perfect life despite taking away part of another. The musical composition of the song is perfect for the confrontational lyrics and intense subject matter. The opening is grungy and aggressive while Courtney Loves vocal delivery is fierce and vulnerable, adding some emotional depth towards the narrative. The mix of raw, distorted guitars and heart-wrenchingly emotive lyrics creates a mirror image to the complexity of the songs themes.

This song shows how truly powerful music is as despite being from the 90's it can still evoke feelings, emotions and conversation. As well as still being relevant to conversations that we still desperately need to have more today.

Fleabag, a Feminist Icon

I love the show fleabag with all my heart, it is an amazing piece of television which makes me feel so many emotions. I spent a lot of time pondering how this piece of art is involved/impacts/advocates for feminism and want to share my thoughts.

⁍ The use of breaking the fourth wall was a very poignant technique. It served as a commentary on the agency and autonomy of the female voice. Fleabag's direct engagement with the audience, while offering a deeper insight on the characters feelings thought and emotions, challenges the typical passive role female characters are given within story telling as she is an obviously active participant in HER narrative. ⁍ The show tackles often taboo subjects such as sex, a topic women have been shamed for talking about or indulging in for decades. Fleabag's unapologetic approach of her own desires and refusal to succumb to societal norms go against the stereotypical representation of women in television. Her sexual autonomy is a crucial aspect of her character and is never demoralised or shamed for her choices and instead encouraged to navigate her journey through validation and empowerment. ⁍ Fleabag also delves into the intricacies of female relationships. It views them of less of "gossipy" and more of a strong powerful sisterhood which is unlike what is usually presented in television. The shows central focus is on Fleabags relationship with her sister, not a man. It beautifully acknowledges the ups and downs of woman and sisterhood and shows that women are deeper than what is at face value. ⁍ It offers a critical examination of societal expectations placed upon women by showing the brutality of the guilt, grief, and self-worth issues Fleabag has to deal with which many other women can relate to. The show dismantles the typical perfect, put-together woman ,whom we are far to familiar with through all sorts of media, and instead presents a protagonist who is flawed, messy and REAL. It is a refreshing departure of the one dimensional female characters we are typically forced to indulge in. ⁍ The character of Fleabag challenges traditional gender roles and expectations by rejecting the idea that her worth is defined by her relationships with men or how well she adheres to social norms. The show is about HER journey of SELF-discovery and SELF-empowerment. This enforces the fact that a woman's narrative does need to revolve around conforming to societal expectations.

The show is a ground-breaking representation of feminism in contemporary media. Through its innovative narrative, unapologetic exploration of female sexuality, and nuanced portrayal of female relationships, the show defies stereotypes and provides a platform for authentic, multifaceted female characters. I highly recommend anyone to watch the show as it was a breath of fresh air.