Friday Favorites: People to Follow
Hey guys!
In this blog I’ll be covering some of the people I’ve been following online, who inspire me to think bigger and deeper. While I can’t speak for their entire lives and their journeys, I think they’ve also got some super inspiring stuff that really shows up through their media. I hope they inspire you too!
1. Morgan Harper Nichols
Morgan Harper Nichols takes people’s stories that they send her, and she creates beautiful art and poetry in response. I’ve found her work full of hope and I constantly find myself strolling through her instagram and letting her words envelop me like a comforting hug.
2. Helen Manson
I heard about Helen when she was recently in New Zealand on a crazy busy tour showing some of her work as part of a collaboration with Tearfund and Compassion. Helen’s work is so inspiring and so heartfelt, it’s hard to look through and not feel some strong feelings about what it must be like to capture these moments. Based in Uganda, Helen travels around the world capturing footage for charity organisations showing what they do. What inspires me about Helen is her honest portrayal of both her work and family life. On Instagram, she shares images of her family and her life in Uganda, and it’s really refreshing to see both sides of her life like that.
3. Scott Erickson
Scott’s work is undeniably clever. When I was at uni studying photography and design, one of my favorite things to research was books or web pages that had collected smart advertisements. They were usually images and designs mixed in a unique way to say something subtle about a culture or subculture. And that’s what I love about Scott’s work. He’s taken Christianity and his journey within and around that, and cleverly displayed poignant topics within his work. I could scroll through his Instagram for hours.
4. The Macleods
I don’t know how I first heard about the Macleods, but I find their work awe inspiring. Jono and Destinee Macleod are both doctors who are originally from New Zealand but are now based in South Sudan. Their website states that their aim is to “relieve poverty among South Sudanese people by funding healthcare to low income women and children, attending to their physical, mental, spiritual and social health.” After following along on social media for a while, it’s hard to ignore the poverty and harshness of the place where they live and work, but the hope that they help to bring through their lives and work is also palpable.
5. The Loyal Workshop
The Loyal Workshop is the project of two New Zealand couples who believe that business can be used as a tool to bring freedom to those trapped in slavery. Based in Kolkata, India, it’s the perfect example of how you can take something that is usually used for the good of a few people high up in the food chain, and shift it around to do good for those who are actually on the ground. It also helps that the products are of an excellent standard and style, and the business foundation is firm. Worth a follow? I think so!
6. Tess Guinery
Tess is a breath of fresh air, infused with salted passion, and coloured with 70s nostalgia. When I find Tess on my Instagram feed, I can’t help but look up at the mountains, or the stars, or whatever faraway muse takes my fancy. She takes everyday joys and struggles and shares them with the rest of the world in the most beautiful way. And it makes my day better. Everytime.
