I somehow related my homework to current issues...Enjoy.

As I read this article, I am constantly thinking of how this relates to the racism I see in the media today. I am thinking of the visual culture that had us all stuck to the screen that was playing videos of police officers racially profiling people of color, discriminating against ethnic groups, arresting and shooting and killing black men and boys for the color of their skin. I am thinking of all the people who said it didn’t really happen despite the video on every screen in America. I am thinking of all the people who agree with Donald Trump and the image he is selling of himself. I am thinking of the commercial where a white lady said “He’s kind and we really need that right now”. I am thinking of the countless, endless number of women who have come forward to record and proclaim the injustices forced upon them by one of our current presidential candidates. I am thinking of all the hateful images, discriminatory jokes, harmful pieces of opinion that we have all watched, we have all looked into, and let go because it takes too much out of us to start an argument. I am thinking of myself, who, at this moment, is stuck between writing this paper and Facebook messages popping up, pictures of Halloween costumes, articles about black face and cultural appropriation, the idea that some of us take advantage of a fun holiday to be disrespectful and ignorant, on purpose or not. 

Art is relatable. Art tells a story that most of know as the human condition: struggle, life, death, sensuality, morality. The famous art of the past and present is educated, meaningful, and makes the viewer ask questions. The visual culture around us has only surfaced the ideas that any reasonable person would toss aside, knowing that it is wrong. The visual culture we know right now leaves space for people to not ask questions, give them what they want in a second, and if they don’t like it, let them turn it off or delete it forever. They never have to see it. They never have to know it. They don’t have to talk about it.

On the flip side, thanks to the visual culture we live in right now, they can have more conversation, learn more, be more, develop their viewpoint. They can make that decision. They can choose to believe in the videos and images circulating around saying that racism is still alive and needs to be dealt with.  But is that a decision we make as people who are a part of the visual culture? Or is that a path we are subconsciously lead down because of all the connotation and hidden agenda of visual culture?

November Goals

I sat down and created some goals with a mentor/friend! Here are my November ones!

Major Goal: FINANCES

• Have a weekly 45 minute - 1 hour finance meeting with my partner.
• Write down daily everything we spend.
• Create a budget for November and a conclusive budget at the end.
• Make a grocery list w/ total $ limit to shop ever Saturday.
• Create 2 new art pieces a week to sell online.

Major Goal: FITNESS

• Track eating daily
• Yoga daily
• Eat one salad a day
• Drink 9 cups of water a day
• Run 2x a week
• Weigh myself on Fridays

Minor Goal: HEALTH

• Plan/cook dinners M-F and cook lunches M-F.
• Declutter and get rid of unused items from a room per week.
• Bathroom.
• Kitchen.
• Bedroom.
• Living room.

What I did to lose 30 lbs.

10 Ways to Love Yourself for Free

10 WAYS

TO LOVE YOURSELF FOR FREE

Meditate!

Being more mindful is the key to loving yourself. Through meditation you can learn more about yourself physically and mentally. There are tons of meditation apps that you can download onto your phone, plug in your headphones, and go! I fall asleep during a lot of meditation sessions but that only tells me that I need to get more…

Sleep.

Sleep is one of those things that you sacrifice to do other things. Sleeping doesn’t really feel worth it unless you can do it for half a day. It also feels like you can use that time to do so many other things like watching TV, relaxing on the couch, or hanging out with friends. The bottom line is that sleep is vital to a healthy, well-balanced you. In order to do all of the things you do in a day, you have to rest your body to prepare yourself! There is a huge difference between 8 hours of sleep and no sleep. Lack of sleep has proven to be connected to weight gain, acne breakouts, stress, and sickness. It’s one of those things that you can give yourself every single day. (;

Breathe.

This goes a long with meditating in some sense but you would be so surprised how many of us forget to breathe during stressful situations, lazy days, or when we think really hard. It’s easy to stop breathing despite how important it is to us being alive. Just remember to take a breath sometimes with a deep inhale and exhale. This can also mean stopping every once and a while to recenter yourself and take a breath before you move on with what you’re doing.

Go for a walk.

Walks are such an underrated form of everyday exercise. Even going out window shopping is a form of walking! Just get up and move instead of sitting on the couch, watching TV. You can take a walk with a friend, walk your dog, hit the mall, or after dinner to watch the sunset. It’ll make you feel better and more energized during your day.

Yoga.

Yoga, to me, is a combination of meditation and exercise. Yoga is such a mindful way of moving your body and requires both strength and flexibility. It is super well-rounded and a great way to be aware of your breath and where your body and mind are while getting a workout in. Yoga is also a great way to relax and can be as easy or hard as you make it. A lot of YouTube videos guide you through different yoga workouts for free! It’s fun to do yoga inside, lighting a few candles, or outside under the sun, feeling the breeze.

Read a book.

Libraries let you check out books for absolutely free so take advantage of that! It’s so nice to get lost in a book, in a life that isn’t yours, about people that aren’t you. Reading books get you some much needed alone time to destress and relax, with a cup of tea, sitting outside, or even while taking a bath.

Take a bath.

Taking baths seems like it’s only cool when you have a Lush bath bomb to use but honestly, if you have some apple cider vinegar on hand, add a cup or two to your bath to get toxins out. Epsom salts along with baking soda, and any essential oil make an easy detox bath recipe, as well. Even just buying a huge bottle of bubble bath soap and using a capful and soaking in the tub for an hour can help your body relax and your mind slow down after a long busy day.

Journal.

Some people keep dream journals. Others only write in a journal every other week. And a lot of people have blogs online. Whatever you think you feel like doing, just jot down your thoughts, clear your head, and breathe easy. It’s nice to get feelings off of your chest in a place that nobody else will ever look at but you.

Do what you love.

If you enjoy painting, paint. Hiking? Hike. Shopping? Shop. Traveling? Travel. Spending time with family? Do that. Watching YouTube videos? Watch them! Do what you want to do and don’t get mad at yourself for doing it! You deserve to do the things you love without reason.

Love others.

Loving other people can be the hard when you want to focus on loving yourself and vice versa. However, the two things definitely go together and can’t exist without the other. If you show others love, you’ll be inclined to be kinder to yourself. If you show yourself love, you’ll be inclined to do the same for others. Just know that both of these things should be a priority. You shouldn’t love others and not love yourself but showing others you love them embodies a level of compassion and care that can make you feel better as a human being. Your capacity to love is bigger than you! Find time to love others but make time for you, too!