Although it needn't be a cause for wide-eyed concern, I'm not going to start a heated rant about inequality and offensive gender differences because I rolled out of my pink Hello Kitty duvet (ditto a stereotypical tendency, as is the colour pink) a few hours ago, so I hardly feel capable of preventing my eyes from dropping à la one lifeless flower and setting a new-age trend via a discussion on the Huffington Post website. In fact, today I wish to present my views and opinions regarding women whom I admire and feel inspired by, all of which are for numerous and rather varied reasons - as I figured out whilst scrubbing my flakier-than-a-chocolate-flake scalp in the bathroom a while ago, why wait until National Women's Day in March to compile and present a list of women who deserve to receive recognition for their positions in society? And as I'm only a teenager and have yet to morph into a women within the space of a single night in a few years' time, I immerse myself in grand forms of pleasure by exploring my views in relation to women who you may not automatically believe would hold such an influence upon a girl leading the current generation of iPhone-using, tracksuit-clad (as if I'd ever be caught dead picking up such an ugly ensemble in Sports Direct!) teenagers. So, read ahead and be amazed as I'm taught valuable lessons by the greatest and most inspirational women who have paved and are still leading the way for our gender today...
Audrey Hepburn: Perhaps my love for all of her films from both the highly memorable 50s and swinging 60s instantly granted her a mention on my list, but nonetheless I'm still blown away by Audrey Hepburn whenever I watch any of her films which are always just as enjoyable and exciting as ever. Renowned for her dainty and delicate beauty, Audrey quickly became an icon and was propelled to stardom after picking up her first and only Oscar for her outstanding role in Sabrina, which was unbelievably released sixty years ago. What I love so much about Audrey - whose actual birth name was Edda, after having been born in the Netherlands - is that, as much of a star she was in the glare of the spotlight, she remained down-to-earth and used her famous name to goodwill by lending a helping hand to numerous charities, including working for and becoming an ambassador for UNICEF towards the end of her life, which was sadly cut short after passing away from cancer at the age of 63 in 1993. As she started to step away from her acting career, Audrey made it her mission to helping children across the poorest nations in the world, which is as much remembered as her extraordinary acting career to this very day.
OK, not only do I immensely admire her caring nature and good deeds towards charities, but it would be nearly impossible to not feel a tiny bit inspired by her style portrayed in her most famous movies, such as Paris When It Sizzles, Charade and, as almost everybody knows, Breakfast at Tiffany's, which is my joint-favourite film with French assassin-themed thriller Nikita. Although it isn't entirely easy to come across a black dress which looks entirely like the one she wore in Breakfast at Tiffany's, nonetheless I still try to dress a bit like Audrey because I fell head over heels when I first caught sight of her pearls and simply-styled clothes, which interest and influence me more strongly than any wild-themed collections showcased during London Fashion Week on any day.
So, you see - not only can you dress up to the nines, but you will still have enough room in your heart to offer help and bring joy to those greatly in need, which counts as one of the many things I wish to do when I grow older and feel more inspired than ever by this greatly remembered woman.
Jennifer Lawrence: Without a single doubt, I do speak for today's generation that Jennifer Lawrence, with her hilarious nature and ease at her Oscar-winning skills, is a modern-day icon and a woman whom we look up to, if her live on-air gaff with Jack Nicholson at the Oscar's after-party last year was anything to go by.
At around the time that the first Hunger Games film was released (which, unlike the recently released instalment, Catching Fire, was simply called The Hunger Games; there was no need to add a colon this time round), I began to become familiar with Jennifer's pleasant and wonderfully natural attitude as she popped up more often in magazines and participated in interviews, which only highlighted how great she truly is.
Basically, I love Jennifer because she behaves exactly the same as I would if I happened to be jetting off to Hawaii to film some kickass scenes for Catching Fire and having my photograph taken on countless red carpets (which, to my disappointment, are just as red as my current spotty breakout) whilst wearing the most spoken-about dress in town! In hindsight, I hadn't realized how bored I had grown of hearing the same boring expressions and statements being declared by self-titled 'pretty' Hollywood stars, many of whom have only got their lucky stars to thank for their applaudable success because owning and honing a supposed skill played absolutely no role in magically shooting up the careers ladder, and like trying out a new healthier brownie recipe (believe me, no recipe featuring chocolate stands any chance of being classified as safe for your log-shaped thighs), Jennifer is a breath of pure sweet air because she doesn't allow her status to prevent her from hitting out against critics and standing up for what she rightfully believes in.
Alongside agreeing entirely with her opinions related to body shapes (hers, I must admit, is one which I'm glad to admire - womanly curves all the way!) and staying true to herself, I do take the time to watch several of Jennifer's films from time to time, which my brother strangely appears to enjoy as well. For months, my brother and I have been chatting nineteen to a dozen about going to the cinema to see the new X-Men film, Days of Future Past, in which the fabulous Jennifer dons a bluer-than-a-Chelsea-kit skin whilst portraying the younger version of my favourite villain, red-haired Mystique, and I proudly count Silver Linings Playbook as one of my prestigiously top films - needless to say, I almost tripped up the stairs in excitement when I heard the news that Jennifer had picked up the 'Best Actress' gong for her terrific portrayal of young widow Tiffany in the film!
As her career continues to go from strength to strength, I feel certain that Jennifer will remain honest and admirably frank as she now is whilst keeping millions of us glued to the screen as Katniss Everdeen prepares to commence battle against the evil President Snow in the next Hunger Games film. Without needing to declare it, I will be amongst them.
Tavi Gevinson: Having felt inspired to set up my blog because of undertaking a long, yet thrilling journey towards adulthood, it doesn't take too much to give an out-pour of admiration towards a fellow teen, who happens to be seventeen year old Tavi Gevinson, best known for creating fashion-themed blog, Style Rookie, at the age of twelve. Come on, how many twelve year olds would you expect to know how to construct articles and discuss fashion in a similar manner to the glossies flooding the magazine aisle at the supermarket? Plus, Tavi still remains true to her writing roots by later founding online magazine/blog, simply titled Rookie, where numerous contributors discuss various topics and interests, all of which are associated with its target audience: teenagers who want their voices to be heard and get a whole lot more than picking up a boring-as-hell copy of a typical teen mag.
For teens like ourselves, we don't want to be part of the mainstream and follow the same crowd as almost everybody else does - as soon as I clicked onto an article written about jazz legend Sade, who is definitely one of my favourite singers ever, I knew that I'd found a new home. Well, a virtual home, if you wish for me to be more specific. And who do I have to thank? A teenager who speaks for so many of us and has created something greater than I ever allowed myself to hope for. Tavi, I (and whoever else is reading) salute you!
And (as I always save the best until last!)...
My mum: From the moment, I began to write this entry, part of myself instinctively knew that my beloved mum would be the recipient of a very special mention, which would undoubtedly remind her of the royal status she holds within my family. And aren't all women inspired by their own mothers, whether that very honest fact occurs to them or not? Regardless of whatever I choose to do, I always have my own mum to encourage me to try my hardest and bring me back to earth during those thankfully rare occasions when I fly into an sleep-deprived panic over my lack of shut-eye. For that, despite my reluctance to admit my moaning tendencies, I have my mum to thank for keeping an eye on me and teaching me almost everything (apart from football-related knowledge, for which I bear the burden of listening to my brother chat all day) I know!
From learning how to bake a cake (and beat the ingredients with more vigor than a boxer's jaw-shattering punch) to applying eyeliner in a manner which doesn't make me receive unfortunate comparisons to an angry ghost, my mum has handed over so much knowledge to me that I don't know where to begin my praises for her! Obviously, I'm proud to call my mum an inspiration because she means so much to me and gives me a reason to stand up tall because of my gender - in my opinion, mums will always remain a valued source of inspiration as they are whom we base our gender upon and offer priceless advices whenever we shall need it.
With my mum by my side, I couldn't feel happier about being a girl - and eventually a woman - because she is the very best example that I could ever have!
And so, there you have it: several women - or girls or whoever, depending on how you wish to call them - who I find inspirational and are, in many ways, role models who I strongly admire. All of us ought to have inspirations or muses of some sort because they play a more important role in our lives than you may realize - and long may we continue to be inspired!
Alongside agreeing entirely with her opinions related to body shapes (hers, I must admit, is one which I'm glad to admire - womanly curves all the way!) and staying true to herself, I do take the time to watch several of Jennifer's films from time to time, which my brother strangely appears to enjoy as well. For months, my brother and I have been chatting nineteen to a dozen about going to the cinema to see the new X-Men film, Days of Future Past, in which the fabulous Jennifer dons a bluer-than-a-Chelsea-kit skin whilst portraying the younger version of my favourite villain, red-haired Mystique, and I proudly count Silver Linings Playbook as one of my prestigiously top films - needless to say, I almost tripped up the stairs in excitement when I heard the news that Jennifer had picked up the 'Best Actress' gong for her terrific portrayal of young widow Tiffany in the film!
As her career continues to go from strength to strength, I feel certain that Jennifer will remain honest and admirably frank as she now is whilst keeping millions of us glued to the screen as Katniss Everdeen prepares to commence battle against the evil President Snow in the next Hunger Games film. Without needing to declare it, I will be amongst them.
Tavi Gevinson: Having felt inspired to set up my blog because of undertaking a long, yet thrilling journey towards adulthood, it doesn't take too much to give an out-pour of admiration towards a fellow teen, who happens to be seventeen year old Tavi Gevinson, best known for creating fashion-themed blog, Style Rookie, at the age of twelve. Come on, how many twelve year olds would you expect to know how to construct articles and discuss fashion in a similar manner to the glossies flooding the magazine aisle at the supermarket? Plus, Tavi still remains true to her writing roots by later founding online magazine/blog, simply titled Rookie, where numerous contributors discuss various topics and interests, all of which are associated with its target audience: teenagers who want their voices to be heard and get a whole lot more than picking up a boring-as-hell copy of a typical teen mag.
For teens like ourselves, we don't want to be part of the mainstream and follow the same crowd as almost everybody else does - as soon as I clicked onto an article written about jazz legend Sade, who is definitely one of my favourite singers ever, I knew that I'd found a new home. Well, a virtual home, if you wish for me to be more specific. And who do I have to thank? A teenager who speaks for so many of us and has created something greater than I ever allowed myself to hope for. Tavi, I (and whoever else is reading) salute you!
And (as I always save the best until last!)...
My mum: From the moment, I began to write this entry, part of myself instinctively knew that my beloved mum would be the recipient of a very special mention, which would undoubtedly remind her of the royal status she holds within my family. And aren't all women inspired by their own mothers, whether that very honest fact occurs to them or not? Regardless of whatever I choose to do, I always have my own mum to encourage me to try my hardest and bring me back to earth during those thankfully rare occasions when I fly into an sleep-deprived panic over my lack of shut-eye. For that, despite my reluctance to admit my moaning tendencies, I have my mum to thank for keeping an eye on me and teaching me almost everything (apart from football-related knowledge, for which I bear the burden of listening to my brother chat all day) I know!
From learning how to bake a cake (and beat the ingredients with more vigor than a boxer's jaw-shattering punch) to applying eyeliner in a manner which doesn't make me receive unfortunate comparisons to an angry ghost, my mum has handed over so much knowledge to me that I don't know where to begin my praises for her! Obviously, I'm proud to call my mum an inspiration because she means so much to me and gives me a reason to stand up tall because of my gender - in my opinion, mums will always remain a valued source of inspiration as they are whom we base our gender upon and offer priceless advices whenever we shall need it.
With my mum by my side, I couldn't feel happier about being a girl - and eventually a woman - because she is the very best example that I could ever have!
And so, there you have it: several women - or girls or whoever, depending on how you wish to call them - who I find inspirational and are, in many ways, role models who I strongly admire. All of us ought to have inspirations or muses of some sort because they play a more important role in our lives than you may realize - and long may we continue to be inspired!
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