I love quotes. The ones that stick in your head and make you think long and hard about it applies to your life are the best. Quotes are almost like little nuggets of advice. They are worded perfectly 

My favourite quote ever. I would happily have this tattooed on my skin forever (and I still might). Being positive and spreading that out for other people is one of the most important things. The only thing you have to remember when living by this quote is that you can't always be the sunshine. Sometimes you have to take a break and remember who is still there when you do. 

Yes, quotes about self-love are so important. When you read a quote like this you should be able to feel it in your soul. The feeling of 'yes, today will be different, I will love myself more. I deserve better'. That's what makes a good quote, a quote to live by. 

Not everyone deserves a piece of you, it's just a matter of working out who those people are. I love this quote because I think the concept of a book is a perfect way to describe to a person. Everyone has their own story and how they got to where they are today. The idea of 'being difficult to read' defines how complex someone's personality is. I would happily have this quote tattooed on my body. 

I love this quote by Angela Carter. She is one of my most favourite authors and any quote from her is as genius as her writing. If you ever want a quote which means so much more than the words on the page than Angela Carter is the woman for you. 

Van Gogh has always been one of my favourite artists alongside other great names such as Andy Warhol. I feel as if a quote is still as relevant now as it was when Van Gogh was alive, then it must be good advice to live by. Especially as it's from a mind as great as Van Gogh's.  Normality is something people fight everyday, the idea of 'not wanting to be the same' as anyone else. I feel like this quote sparks creativity. Yes, the idea of following a crowd and remaining 'safe' within life decisions is as an appealing concept. But I feel like this quote sparks the idea of 'what can I change in my life to make it less comfortable but more exciting'.


I hope this helps at least one person today. Quotes aren't just something you share on Facebook or Tumblr when you need some encouragement. They are little words of advice that have been passed down to this current day. Keep going. You've got this.

What song I was listening to whilst I wrote this: Respect - Aretha Franklin

Hello, it's me again. I loved writing my 'A note on Self-care' blog post and the number of messages I received about how much it had helped certain people make me want to write more. So I have decided to start a 'Positivity' series. Every few posts, I will be sharing one which will be titled 'A note on...' and it will be an extremely positive post. It helps me a lot writing out how I am feeling about certain things and I was so delighted to hear that it helped other too. 

Let's begin...

First off, there is no such thing as a 'Summer body'. The number of times I hear people in these summer months say 'I am not summer body ready' is crazy. There is a difference between wanting to keep fit and healthy, compared to thinking you need to be 'skinnier' for summer is ridiculous. It is medically proven that you put on weight when the months become colder (and in England, that's 9 months of the year) because of your body storing more fat to keep you warm (that probably isn't proper science). And it's completely okay to want to work on yourself. Please ignore all the adverts for razors, weight loss tablets and online bikini shops, that claim you 'need to get ready for summer'.  It's completely okay to want to feel more confident in summer. But it is also completely okay to love your current body in whatever weather it is at the moment. And it is nobodies right to comment on that. 

Can we stop pretending that women are the only ones affected by body positivity? Men are equally as bombarded with the image of a 'perfect man'. You know the ones? The six-pack, muscley, scantily clad man who fill the screens. Yes okay, it is to a lesser extent than what women have to put with in regards to the media. But let's not forget men when it comes to body positivity.

'Don't let anyone shame you for loving yourself, you crawled and scraped your way out of self-hatred. It is still under your nails, you have earned this' - P.C

Recently, I have been called a 'sentimental person'. I have never had that label for myself, but as I look around my room, the things stuck on the walls, the photos in the frames and the few items I have on my non-cluttered desk, I have realised that maybe I am? 

Then it got me questioning, what makes an item sentimental? Is it who gave it to me? How it came into being in my possession? No. It's what I connect it too. If I had to leave my room in a rush, I would grab items like my Mac Laptop and Phone obviously, the items that never really ever leave my side. However, what items would I really not want to lose?

Family Photo Albums - 'We didn't realise we were making memories, we just knew we were having fun' (Winnie The Pooh, of course). The hours I have spent putting together cherished family memories is a time I do not want back, it was time well spent. One of my favourite and most comforting things to do is too look through and arrange happy family memories. In 2017, once I left for university, I started to put together an album titled 'Asher's favourite photo's ever' and in that book, is all the photos I deem the 'chosen' photos. And they aren't just of my family. My best friends are in their too. If I was leaving in a rush and would never return back to my room, I would definitely grab that album.

My polaroids - Using my polaroid camera to capture memories is one of my favourite mediums. In the photo above, there is one Polaroid of my beloved dogs. That was taken a few years ago now and it has been displayed in every room I have lived in and it will be from now one.

My signed copy of Autumn by Ali Smith -  As for something a little more shallow, my signed book. I loved this book when I first read it and I was over the moon when I found a signed copy for only £3. The idea of Ali Smith actually signing her name in the front of this book makes me super happy and I thought that it deserved a place in my 'prized possesions' list.

I have really wanted to discuss something this week which has been playing on my mind for a while. Self-love. I am a massive preacher for self-care. Remembering to eat three balanced meals a day, exercising regularly and using the creative side of your brain as well as your academic side - are usually subjects I talk about. But recently, the concept of self-love has become an important practice in my daily life. There are plenty of misconceptions when it comes to the idea of self-love. 

First of all - 

Self-love starts from the inside. You do not, repeat do not have to be completely in love with every aspect of your body or shape. Personally, I have always been small, I am 4ft 11in and I have always ranged from a size 4-8 (and sometimes teen sizes) in clothes. No matter what size you are, how tall you are or how 'pretty' everyone tells you are, sometimes you just aren't going to like yourself. However, your personality is what makes you, you. Everything else is just numbers.  Confidence is key. Have confidence in yourself, without sounding cliche, there is only one you. Have confidence in your brain, your knowledge, what you like and dislike. Self-love is not about loving every aspect of yourself straight away. It's about learning to be content with yourself inside and then finally, out. 

Second of all - 

To quote Paramore, 'fall in love with yourself, because one day, you are going to be the only one you've got'.  I have always had a  strong-willed personality. When all the people around me started smoking, I made a promise to my father that I would never pick up the habit. And to this day, a cigarette has never passed my lips. When I was younger, I became obsessed with the idea of going to university and although in the weeks leading up to leaving my family home, I cried every day. I still went and I am currently the happiest I have been in a while. I love my course, I love where I live and I am now even more sure of myself. Basically, what I am saying is - trust your younger self, find out what person you want to be and go for it. Self-love is also about believing in what you can achieve.

Third of all - 

This point sounds contradictory to my first one, however, I feel like it's important to mention. Take photos of yourself. Since this concept of a 'selfie' came out, I feel like it has been labelled as 'self-obsessed' and 'vain'. However, I am here to tell you, it's not. It's okay to take a photo of your face. It's okay, to like your make up and outfit one day. To enjoy a day living in your own skin and wanting to document that. It's okay to like how you look sometimes. There is a difference between someone who thinks the whole world revolves around their feelings and someone who is enjoying how they appear.  Social media has always been like a second home to me, I have always enjoyed taking arty photos and posting them on Instagram. And for the most part, I didn't hate being in photos. But when I reached about 16 years old and my body started to change and grow (even though I am definitely still the same height), I found it harder and harder to like having my photo taken. I could only see the flaws in my self. When I moved to university, I met my best friend. Someone I trust to take my photos, who gets even more enthusiastic about how I look in the photos than me. 

Now, I know this might sound like a petty, millennial problem but if you don't love how you look on a screen or even in the mirror than you will never be truly happy with the skin you are living in. 

Finally - 

Don't tear people down whilst they are on their journey to self-love. This is definitely the most important. For all those people who are only now just find themselves. Who have started feeling happy with who they are, whether it be their mental or physical state. This post is for you. 

I am still finding myself. I am twenty years old and I am only now finally starting to realise that maybe...I don't know everything? I know right, strange. But what I do know, is that I have a brain that is willing to learn and finally I am starting to realise that I need to be happy with who I am. And having confidence in the choices I make is extremely important.

I hope this message has helped spread some positivity into your Wednesday and as always, I would love to hear your opinions!

What song was I listening too whilst writing this: Build Me Up Buttercup - The Foundations

For me, summer consists of part-time work and getting ready for another long-term at University. So during my busy summer break, I like to relax with Tv Shows. And by relax...I mean binge. But isn't that what Netflix is for? Nothing feels better than settling down with a cup of tea (or ice tea depending on how hot it is this summer)  and watching episodes of your favourite show.

Disclaimer - Most of the TV shows are old news. I don't know if this is just me but after working long hours in the summer sun, I usually want to settle down with a TV show I am already familiar with. I want something funny and familiar.

Also another disclaimer: the quality of the photos are going to be a bit awful at the moment because I have lost my SD card at the moment! Please bear with me!

Are you going to university after your summer break? Have you already started packing up your room? Are you feeling unprepared? If yes to all the above, then Fresh Meat is for you. Fresh Meat is the definition of a British comedy as it takes place in Manchester and focuses on six students sharing a university house. This comedy is completely and utterly worth your time and with majorly famous faces such as Jack Whitehall and Joe Thomas (Simon from Inbetweeners) they perfectly represent everything funny about Britain. It also gives an amusing (but at times, unrealistic) look in at the university lifestyle. By far, a really good laughable show to watch and enjoy this summer. 

One of my favourite Tv Shows ever has to be Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. And there is no other better time to begin watching this hilarious Tv Show as a new season has just dropped. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is no four seasons long. It's a weird storyline as it features a woman who was trapped in an unground cult for fifteen years when she was eventually found, she had to learn how to adapt to how much the world has changed. Which is extremely comical to watch. The only thing I will say about this series is that it does feature some dark humour. If you consider yourself easy to offend, I wouldn't recommend. But if you have the taste for something a little edgier, than give it a watch this summer.

Yes, Yes, yes. A tv show I am currently loving. There is a new season coming out really really soon, so you better catch up. This tv show features Cillian Murphy as the leader of the Peaky Blinders gang. They are basically 1920's gangsters who run the city of Birmingham and get in, to say the least...a lot of trouble. I wouldn't say this is a comedy, but it definitely will make you laugh in places. However, it can be quite gory in places, so if you don't mind a bit of blood than I highly suggest you give it a go this summer! 



Another comedy...but a good one at that. I have always loved Zoey Deschanel and I love New Girl equally as much. New Girl has a similar feeling to Fresh Meat as it follows the lives of four characters who live in an apartment share.  The humour is more American based than Fresh Meat though. New Girl is definitely binge-worthy as it's been out for years and you could certainly sit through a good four seasons of it!

All my deadlines are done, my university has broken up and my dissertation research is underway. When it comes to this time of year, I begin to plan my summer break. All universities are different, but for me, my summer break is about three months. Personally, I think three months is a while and I want to achieve some of my own personal goals in that time.

• Goal 1 - Write more! - Recently I have been feeling really inspired to write. I write a lot for my degree but usually, it has to stick to a rigid mark scheme so I get a good grade.  I want to write for me in summer. I want a passion project this summer that I love and I feel the need to finish. So please writing God's, give me a good idea!
• Goal 2 - Begin posting three times a week - This is going to be a tricky one, but I am prepared. It is going to take a lot of planning and attention to detail. But I want to post three times a week in summer instead of posting twice. 
• Goal 3 - Get another tattoo - The addiction has begun. I want another one but I want to spend the summer thinking and planning what it is going to be.
• Goal 4 - Patch up some old friendships - Something I find really difficult is to become friends with people again after I have cut them out of my life. I tend to block people often without giving them a second chance, which is sometimes one of the best parts of my personality. But sometimes, it really isn't. 
• Goal 5 - Fall in love with my work - I am my own biggest critic and I don't want to do that anymore. 
• Goal 6 - Take more photos! - I want to make more memories this summer and take more photos to remember them.
• Goal 7 - Enjoy my summer! - No stress, all love and fun.