Lifestyle & Family
-
Interview with Influencer Soheila Hakimi
Life as a full-time influencer – And tips to get you started. 10 years ago, you may have daydreamed about quitting your job to become an astronaut, a ballerina or a figure skater. In today’s era of social media, that dream has likely been replaced with a desire to take to your phone and influence the masses for money. It may seem like a questionable career path, but social media influencers represent the new generation of advertising. From Tik Tok stars to Instagram models, these modern-day Mad Men (and women) are single-handedly garnering the attention of the world’s biggest brands, with many making a killing while they do it. Whether…
-
Books by, for and about women
Writers drawing attention to real-life women’s issues through works of fiction Novels are incredible tools for self-discovery, education and social commentary. Often bringing important social and political issues to light, through both fictional and non-fictional formats, books can provide both an escape from and a confrontation with the state of our world. In 2022, several women authors from Ontario are using their literary voices to examine, criticize and bring attention to a myriad of women’s issues. These authors cover topics such as abortion, race, sexuality and gender. Heather Marshall, Farah Heron and Danielle Daniel are a notable few among the many Ontarian authors whose books deserve a spot on your…
-
Women-focused storytelling in “Turning Red”
How Domee Shi’s recent film normalizes womanhood Tamagotchis, boy bands, and unruly emotions take center stage in Turning Red, Chinese-born Canadian animator Domee Shi’s first feature-length Pixar film. Set in Toronto in the 90s, the animated film follows 13-year-old Meilin as she navigates the messy, confusing and sometimes scary milestone of reaching puberty. To add to the drama, Mei turns into a giant red panda whenever her emotions become overwhelming. On Feb. 21, 2021, Turning Red was released exclusively on Disney Plus and generated an overwhelming number of positive reviews. It received a 94 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, 83 per cent on Metacritic and 70 per cent on…
-
Safety in the Six
A woman’s guide to personal safety in Toronto Urban centres are inherently risky spaces to navigate. This risk increases exponentially for those who identify as women, especially those who are alone. According to the 2016 census, Toronto is home to a population of more than two million people, making it the largest city in Canada and the fourth largest city in North America. This makes for a bustling, diverse metropolis, but it also raises safety concerns for women living in the city. It is never a woman’s fault if she is attacked or made uncomfortable, but there are ways to combat and/or avoid unwanted advances. The following list covers some…
-
Women’s art collections and initiatives in Ontario
Women artists have been historically under-represented in galleries and collections across Canada. Emily Carr is the most well-known woman painter in Canadian art history. But she is by no means the only woman artist to have made an impact in the creative community. These collections and initiatives strive to provide opportunities for women artists in Canada and shed light on their work. Women’s Art Association of Canada In 1887, a group of women in Toronto came together to form what was then called the Women’s Art Club. They painted and drew together in their studio in the Yonge Street Arcade. The club’s original annual fee was $2. Several years later,…
-
Building the skills: Fanfiction and the passion for writing
Whether a smutty Harry Potter fic or a long-form Avatar re-telling, “any writing is good writing.”
-
WandaVision and grief
Overcoming the loss of a sibling
-
The TikToker challenging mental health stigma
Bea Postma of The Lavender System fearlessly shares their experience with Dissociative Identity Disorder online
-
Fairy tales, the writing life, and disability representation: An interview with Amanda Leduc
Amanda Leduc is the author of The Miracles of Ordinary Men (2013), Disfigured (2020) and The Centaur’s Wife (2021). She has cerebral palsy and lives in Hamilton, Ont. She works as the communications coordinator for the Festival of Literary Diversity (FOLD). FOLD is Canada’s first festival for diverse authors and stories. COURTNEY WZ: Disfigured talks about fairy tales and their impact on storytelling. What do you think makes fairy tales so timeless and universal? AMANDA LEDUC: There’s something very familiar about fairy tales. We’ve all been exposed to them for so long, especially in Western culture. For me, fairy tales fall into two camps. There’s the story with trials and…