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“1. Push yourself to get up before the rest of the world — start with 7 a.m., then 6 a.m., then 5:30 a.m. Go to the nearest hill with a big coat and a scarf and watch the sunrise. 2. Push yourself to fall asleep earlier — start with 11 p.m., then 10 p.m., then 9 p.m. wake up in the morning feeling re-energized and comfortable. 3. Erase processed food from your diet. Start with no candy, chips, cookies, then erase pasta, rice, cereal and then bread. Use the rule that if a child couldn’t identify what was in it, you don’t eat it. 4. Get into the habit of cooking yourself a beautiful breakfast. Fry tomatoes and mushrooms in real butter and garlic, fry an egg, slice up a fresh avocado and squirt way too much lemon on it. Sit and eat while doing absolutely nothing else. 5. Stretch. Start by reaching for the sky as hard as you can, then trying to touch your toes. Roll your head, stretch your fingers, stretch everything. 6. Buy a 1L water bottle. Start with pushing yourself to drink the whole thing in a day, then try drinking it twice. 7. Buy a beautiful diary and a beautiful black pen. Write down everything you do, including dinner dates, appointments, assignments, coffees, what you need to do that day. No detail is too small. 8. Strip your bed of your sheets and empty your underwear drawer into the washing machine. Put a massive scoop of scented fabric softener in there and wash everything. Then make your bed in full. 9. Organize your room. Fold all your clothes (and bag what you don’t want), clean your mirror, your laptop, vacuum the floor and light a beautiful candle. 10. Have a luxurious shower with your favorite music playing. Wash your hair, scrub your body, brush your teeth. Lather your whole body in moisturizer, get familiar with the part between your toes, your inner thighs and the back of your neck. 11. Push yourself to go for a walk. Take your headphones, go to the beach and walk. Smile at strangers walking the other way and be surprised how many smile back. Bring your dog and observe the dog’s behaviour. Realize how much you can learn from your dog. 12. Message old friends with personal jokes. Reminisce. Suggest a movie or sushi date soon, even if you don’t usually follow through, push yourself to follow through. 14. Think long and hard about what interests you. Crime? Sex? Chinese folklore? Long-forgotten romance etiquette? Find a book about it and read it. There is a book about literally everything. 15. Become the person you would ideally fall in love with. Let cars merge into your lane when driving. Pay double for parking tickets and leave a second one in the machine. Stick your tongue out at babies. Compliment people on their cute clothes. Challenge yourself to not ridicule anyone for an entire day, then two, then a week. Walk with straight posture. Look people in the eye. Ask people about their story. Talk to acquaintances so you become friends. 16. Lie in the sunshine and daydream about the life you would lead if failure wasn’t possible. Breathe in, breathe out. Open your eyes and take small steps to make it happen for you.”

— 16 Steps to Happiness (via flowerous)

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Headshot by: Naskademini 

Our #BlackExcellence365 Artist Spotlight continues with Nigerian-Canadian artist (and creative director! And producer! And model!) Josef Adamu (@josefadamu). Your new favorite quadruple threat took some time to delve into his art, especially in regards to his recent collaboration with musical artist Mick Jenkins.

Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you become a photographer? How has Tumblr helped you leverage your work?

My name is Josef Adamu. I am a Nigerian-Canadian creative with a heavy passion for storytelling and social influence. I’ve always loved visual art, though I had only recently gotten into shooting photography as I worked closely with more experienced fellow creatives. Tumblr has opened my eyes to many perspectives, moods, and storylines that have sharpened my vision. I literally use it every day for image referencing and to grasp new inspiration.  

What communities do you identify with both online and IRL?

As a millennial creative, I strongly identify with the creative community online, as well as creative groups I’ve been proudly apart of offline. To be more specific, I heavily identify with black millennial groups of all sorts, as we resonate with each other through topics such as politics, pop culture, art, etc.

How does your work comment on current social or political issues?

As a storyteller focused primarily on black experiences, my work pushes an ethnic narrative in a rather tasteful way. I aim to embrace stories about relationships, identity, and community, which are often overlooked by the industry as a whole. I’ve found an issue with the lack of stories stemming from black experiences, and I chose to fill that void with meaningful content from my point of view.

What was the inspiration for Pieces of A Man, your recent photo campaign with hip-hop artist Mick Jenkins?

Mick Jenkins approached me with a beautiful storyline that inspired his second studio album, Pieces Of A Man. I used this as an opportunity to envision what it means to me while considering what it means to him. The idea of grouping the various components of manhood, and making an album that speaks to pride, love, accomplishments, ownership, and respect, was something I’ve always wanted to be a part of. Thus, we created a visual story that mimics his words through photography.

Pieces of A Man delves into a broader conversation surrounding Black masculinity. How do you think your piece relates to the broader topic of the #BlackExcellence365 campaign?

Apart from the album being so well done, the photography helps paint an even stronger picture of the work. The #BlackExcellence365 campaign highlights creative efforts through personalized stories, and Mick Jenkins paved his own lane with the concept behind his new album. Elaborating about topics that most overlook [as well as] passionately describing how he is influenced by each throughout the record is unique. I stepped in to pair the music with suitable visuals, and I believe we did a great job showcasing what Black Excellence looks like when efforts are merged.

The concept of Mick Jenkins looking into the mirror is very telling about facing our true selves. Can you go into more detail about that?

The concept was very true to his initial vision. Jenkins told me his album symbolized a lot of self-reflection and identity shaping. We sketched out ideas that exposed these through a camera, such as breaking mirrors, looking at himself through a piece of the mirror, and even reaching for the mirror through his shadow. The purpose of the broken pieces directly reflects the album’s title, though the overall goal was to communicate a moment where Mick Jenkins is spending time alone reflecting on various components of masculinity (i.e. what makes a man?).

Black artists on Tumblr, we want to hear from you. Is your art informed by the current political landscape? Let’s talk about it. Share your work on your Tumblr by making a post. Don’t forget to tag it #BlackExcellence365 so the community can find it!

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

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#blackloveexist

Photographed by Barry Eichner

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“The double agent for the patriarchy is basically just a woman who perhaps unknowingly is still putting the patriarchal narrative out into the world. Is still benefitting off, profiting off and selling a patriarchal narrative to other women. But it’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing. You know, just because you look like a woman, we trust you and we think you’re on our side, but you are selling us something that really doesn’t make us feel good. You’re selling us an ideal, a body shape, a problem with our wrinkles, a problem with ageing, a problem with gravity, a problem with any kind of body fat. You’re selling us self-consciousness. The same poison that made you clearly develop some sort of body dysmorphia or facial dysmorphia, you are now pouring back into the world. You’re like recycling hatred. I find that really dangerous and I think it’s unacceptable and I don’t care if you’re a woman. I think constructive criticism is needed for anyone to ever evolve. For our gender to evolve we need some sort of constructive criticism. As long as we do it in a somewhat careful way. (…) So many of the worst things in the world have happened motivated by greed. And I just don’t think that’s an acceptable excuse anymore. How much money do you need? Really how much money do you need? How much money do any of these huge influencers who are worth millions or billions sometimes… why are they still promoting appetite-suppressant lollipops to young girls? And it’s not a fight against obesity. They have young, already slim girls, in their adverts for Flat Tummy company, this company that are absolutely everywhere, and they’re even being advertised in some of the most mainstream magazines, women’s magazines, and they have a billboard in Times Square. The money is built on the blood and tears of young women who believe in them, who follow them, who look up to them like the big sister they never had. It’s so upsetting and it feels like such a betrayal against women.”

Jameela Jamil explains why she thinks the Kardashians are “double agents for the patriarchy”

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I can’t believe no one has posted a clip of this yet. This is one of the funniest bits in the whole show.

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I promised I would be more vulnerable and that I would write more this year. Here, in my first published piece of writing, I do both. 

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Kehinde Wiley, oil on canvas, from the series Lagos & Dakar, 2008

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Nerdy Fact #1434: Wonder Woman was originally based on two women: the wife of creator William Marston and one of his former students that both he and his wife had sexual encounters with. 

(Source.)

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Imagine their reactions 😈😂

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A Brief History of LGBT+ Characters and Why the Death of Adam in Voltron is Worth Being Upset About

So uh…. Good morning.

So I think it’s pretty obvious by now that the reception to season 7 has been less than… good. The fan base has been shattered. People are upset, angry, and abandoning this series in droves (I’ve lost over 50 followers as I write this, just from people no longer wanting anything to do with this show) and have been incredibly vocal as to the reason why.

They killed Adam. 

After two weeks of receiving praise for the relationship that was revealed at San Diego Comic Con, fans discovered on Friday night that Adam’s existence would be short lived, further contributing to this popular “Bury Your Gays” trope. 

And I’ve seen people confused at this outcry. They don’t understand why people are so upset at this tiny side character’s death. What’s the big deal, right? It’s war! There’s supposed to be casualties!

And to that kind of response I have to narrow my eyes and go:

“Oh…. maybe you understand the history of this.”

Because it is a history. A rich one. “Bury your gays” isn’t a trope in the same why that “Fake dating” is a trope. It’s not popular out of coincidence and I feel like many people are ignorant of that, which is FAIR! Because most voltron fans are young, most tumblr users are young, so I don’t expect you to be watching documentaries on LGBT+ cinema in between studying for your chemistry exams. 

So that’s where I come in. Buckle in children as I take you on a journey on why the “Bury your gays” trope exists, and the harmful ramifications that it has had on the LGBT+ community since its inception.

Keep reading

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this is cute lol

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New prints in the shop! Every order comes with some exxxtras 👄👀 –> http://warandpeas.storenvy.com

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‘Warrior Stance’ - Model: Ajak Deng | Photography: Steven Klein | Styling: Edward Enninful | Hair: Orlando Pita | Make-up: Kabuki | Designer: Vera Wang

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Two Vampyres in a secluded home in the middle of nowhere. 

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I. Love. Us.

If I ask nicely will people reblog this or do I have to be clever and funny or something too?