Friday, November 28, 2014

Stay Woke

So I don't believe in staying silent on any social media site, and this issue is extremely important. Even though I don't have as many followers here as I do on my tumblr and I don't usually make posts like this on here, this is the world right now, and I think it's important to #staywoke.

(before you read on TW Police Brutality, Murder, Shootings, Racism, Anti-Black Racism)

If you have not heard, this past week the Grand Jury made the decision not to indict Darren Wilson, a cop who shot an 18 year old black boy at least six times (twice in the head), for reasons which in my opinion are based clearly in institutionalized racism ingrained in the training of cops, though which he would argue are that Brown reached for his gun and punched him in the face. However, there is TONS of evidence to make me question any of Wilson's testimony; like the fact that he didn't file an incident report after he literally shot someone to death (giving him all the months up until the grand jury decision to weave a story), the fact that he left the body for 4 and a half hours lying in the street, the fact that wounds in Brown's arms make it clear that his arms were up when he was shot (and eyewitnesses agree), the fact that Wilson testified that he feared for his life from the beating Brown gave him, but has only a small bruise on his right cheek, and MUCH MUCH MORE.
The failure of indictment is an absolute TRAVESTY; there was clear and reasonable doubt among the evidence presented, and yet there was no indictment. After this news hit, a wave of protests began. All the way from Ferguson (where the shooting occurred), to Oakland, California, to New York, to Washington DC, even to London, England! And these protests are not only about Michael Brown. These protests are about needing to put a stop to police brutality against black men. The use of violence against black men is extremely disproportionate to the use of force against white individuals (see the chart below for examples).

There have been some AMAZING photos shared of these incredibly brave individuals protesting for their right to LIVE quite literally, and some amazing posts and points being made all over tumblr.

 Ferguson Artist Damon Davis created beautiful wall art inspired by the "Hands Up Don't Shoot" chant that protesters have been using because Michael Brown was shot with his arms up (clearly a sign of surrender) (Source)
Both black and white images above from Chicago Protests. Photos by Lawrence Agyei
Roses on the street where Michael Brown was shot. 
CultureHISTORY: Faces Of #Ferguson - November 2014
 Protesters trying to protect their mouths/throats from tear gas. Ferguson, MO.
CultureHISTORY: Faces Of #Ferguson - November 2014
These amazing and beautiful "Black Lives Matter" photos have been circulating, and they are extremely powerful. (Source)
Image out of Ferguson, Missouri at 10 PM on November 24th, 2014
 Michael Brown's mother after hearing the Grand Jury decision. (Source)
 By artist Pheobie Wahl (link)
 Protests in DC (Source)
 Protesters wave an upside-down American flag after blocking an intersection.
People are calling this the Tank Man of the 21st century. 
A "dead-in" where protesters lay on the ground for four and a half minutes to symbolize the four and a half hours brown was left in the street dead. Washington, DC (Source)
Black Lives Matter Ferguson, November 25, Photo by Daily Sabah
From the Protests in London (Source)
literal demonization of black men....

So, WHAT CAN YOU DO??

Donate: to the ferguson food bank (without school a lot of kids are not getting meals), the public library, and here's a masterpost of other places to donate to.
Call your racist friends out: this is the time for white people (like myself) to be good white allies--call people out on their shit. Also, if someone's spouting racist stuff on twitter, tumblr, facebook, etc, you can call their job and straight up get them fired. Here's a masterpost of other things you can do.

stay safe, stay woke
xx
Maya

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

October AF

It's October!
...Okay, so it's actually November, but these outfits were from October. And they are SO October, you know? Idk black and white or all black is like ~the look~ for October. Spooky af. 
So it's fall! Fall where I live means crisp-er weather, but not necessarily cold yet/ever. Usually it's cold and foggy in the morning and then warms up in the afternoon. This means LAYERS. 
Autumn has some aHMAZing clothes, and I've gathered some of my favourite inspiration for the ~October feels~. ((Also, because where I live doesn't really get cold, my autumnal inspiration is not the same as maybe would be presented by someone on the East Coast (just as a warning haha))). SO, ~October feels~: Dark clothes, a lot of "crisp" clothes (to mimic the crisp fall air amirite), loose fitting/oversized outerwear, layers, translucent or transparent tops (or even bottoms...stay tuned), especially allowing a peek of pretty bralettes (*heart eyes emoji*), bralettes in general, hand doodled on button ups, "menswear" as "womenswear" (quotes because the idea that there is such a thing as menswear and womenswear is a stupid social construct), mono-crome or mono-patterned outfits, and baseball caps. 
This sweater is sparkly!

I made this shirt! Well, I drew all the boobs on it. I made it for my boyfriend, but this is a photo of me wearing it in a gr8 outfit tbh. 

Rian Phinn (I love her)
Left: (Source)//Right: (Source)
More Rian (Source)
 Left: (Source)//Right: (Source)
 Left: (Source)//Right: One of my BFF's. Her fashion blog with her friends at school (Here)
Left: (Source) (buy this for me for my birthday)//Right: FKA Twigs and Robert Pattinson in Toronto on Nov. 3, 2014
Left: (Source)//Right: (Source) from BlackFashion

Left: (Source) //Right: Alice Mccall SS 2015
These see through shirts are high on my "To Do This Fall" list. Maybe I'll make one in my sewing class??
Hope you all had a lovely October!!

xoxo
Maya

Monday, November 3, 2014

Life Life Life

Some stuff I've been up to lately!!! Not really much, but I finished my journal and started a new one, made a post for TPZ, also cut off my hair and got my nose pierced! Idk, here are some photos :)
I finished my last journal!
I got a twitter @mayagoooo !
Zach and I were Tina and Jimmy Jr. for Halloween!
Did a post for The Pulp Zine with Natalie
some questions I answered on my tumblr
I got my nose pierced!!!//Art project I did for school
Another project I did for school, which I dressed exactly like unintentionally//"dress like the art you want to make"
Left: Possibl header I made for TPZ//Right: Block print thing I made of myself crying
my short hair!! I cut it all off :)
More from my "Filthy" shoot
I made this "titty tee" 
Documentation of my trip to Boston to visit Zach
New journal pages
How the sky looked after school the other day

xo
Maya