self + faces.

I.

There's a lot of self in this world, both online and not. Self esteem. Self belief. Self confidence. Yet as our self____  makes us smile,  it tears others down. Whilst their self____ radiates, we doubt ours. It's a vicious cycle and I hate it. I.

Have you ever looked a girl and thought, wow she's beautiful without automatically thinking, wow I'm not. Or wow, she's prettier then me. Hotter than me. Better than me... until you've reduced yourself to a lesser being. I know I have. We are such a critical race and criticise we shall. Everything. Our eyebrow shape, the size of our eyes, lips, skin, hair, teeth. Everything that ticks the box of 'human'. Scrolling through tumblr, I will see picture upon picture of beautiful girls. 'Beautiful'.

And yet they all look different. Beauty is so broad; why the hell can't you fit in to it too? And when I look at these girls I don't feel self belief or self confidence or self esteem. I feel self doubt. The same way every single person behind the camera would feel self doubt at seeing another 'beautiful' face. It's so sad that we can't appreciate beauty without criticising our own. That we can't say you're beautiful without thinking of our self.

I want to challenge us to compliment; to love other beauty and self love our own. Let's bring everyone up (including ourselves). Faces appreciating faces. That- that's beautiful.

As always, replies are welcome.
-J

get happy now.

Hello! I often get asked what I do to cheer myself up when I'm having a bad day. The most wonderful thing about happiness is that YOU can create your own. It's a choice, everyday.

So here it is, my list of things I do to 'get happy' (all photos are my own, taken from my Instagram @oceanpainter_ ) ;

1// An instant pick me up involves sunshine, duvet, fairy lights and my laptop. Tumblr, Pinterest, Youtube, Netflix... something that I can relax in to and smile. My favourite TV programmes are Pretty Little Liars, Once Upon A Time, Glee and Sherlock.

2// Escapism. Reading. Anything that can transport you in to a different reality.

3// Literal escapism. I've developed a habit of disappearing in to nature when I feel lost. There are countless amount of times I've plugged my ear phones in and just ran. It is honestly the most liberating feeling in the world.

And even if you don't have a field or woodland to escape in to, just walk. Discover a new neighbourhood- sit on the grass and watch as the cars go by. Be at peace with yourself in that moment.

4 // Pennying is my favourite hobby. I like to skate during sunset hour. We have this big hill where I live with a little pathetic patch of woodland yet with a setting sun it becomes the most magical place on earth. I challenge all of you to take up a new hobby.

5 // I dream. Dreaming of adventure and all the amazing unknown things to come is so comforting. Life is going to throw so much excitement your way so embrace the changes and relish in the new waves of inspiration that come with it.

Because ultimately that's what it all comes down to. YOU. Don't rely on someone else to make you happy. Create your own ocean, paint your own canvas (and every other cheesy metaphor in the book) because f*@k it, this is your life.

dealing with school stress // advice

As you are all aware, I am in the midst of my GCSE's. I still have 8 more to go :( but ahhhh I can practically taste summer! Before I started my exams, I was so stressed. I viewed an A* as the be-all- and-end all grade; however, I was SO wrong. Expecting grades is ridiculous. One exam does not determine your ability as it is dependent on so many things. I came out of my English Literature exam thinking I had not done as well I should have. I may have done. I may have not. Yet, as long as I have tried my best, I don't mind any more.

Here are a few tips I have accumulated over my exam period so far (I have tried to keep them as original as possible) :

1//Don't take everything your teachers say literally.  An exam does NOT define your life and never will. There are always doors to be opened, regardless of the path you take.

2// Don't compare yourself to other people.  I have some seriously smart friends who will inevitably get 12 A*. Accept that you are different and have your own strengths :)

3// Take a step back if it gets too much.  As soon as I feel myself getting stressed out, I stop working. This usually, for me, means watching Netflix (which I do ALL THE TIME) or listening to music.

4// Plan past paper questions. Exams are not always about knowledge; you have to know how to apply what you have learned to a question. I struggle with further additional science as it is so much more than just recall - I plan to try and do some past papers to adjust to the exam material.

5// Do what revision you feel is necessary. It is very easy to get freaked out when a friend is doing LOADS of revision. Yet, again, everyone is different - do what you need to do to get the grade you want.

6// Don't have expectations. When you get your exam results, do not expect any grade. This will hopefully eradicate the disappointment if you get lower than anticipated (or at least cushion it).

7// Have exciting things planned for summer. Summer is my biggest motivation to endure this tedious period! Bring on the 19th of June :)

8// Find a spot to chill. For many, including me, that is their bedroom. Make sure that your revision does not consume every nook - give yourself space to relax and most importantly SLEEP.

Sorry that this post was so boring. More exciting things coming this way soon, trust me! Have several outfit posts planned for summer ect (maybe even some DIY's?).

Keep going guys
 much love,

-J