Today I want to share some of my favourite people who have made me think and/or entertain me immensely. They are very different people, but are all doing their best to make a positive change in the world, so without further ado...
1. Colleen Patrick Goudreau
Colleen is the reason that I finally made the decision to become vegan (more specifically after watching this video and letting it sink in - don't worry, there are no shocking images, just plain old logic and healthy dose of compassion) and supported me a lot during the first few months. I had started learning about and considering veganism back in 2013, but it wasn't until I watched the above video in early 2014 that it finally clicked for me. I just love how rationally, yet kindly she explains why veganism is important and how to make change (and have it stick!). Her podcast, Food For Thought (check it out here), answered all of my questions about veganism, plus inspired me to consider new ideas and perspectives - I highly recommend!
"Don't do nothing because you cant do everything. Do something. Anything" - one of Colleen's many words of wisdom, which helps me focus on progress, not perfection.
2. Laura Miller
I first discovered Laura when I stumbled upon her Youtube cooking show: Raw. Vegan. Not Gross. This episode with her dad is my personal favourite. I was immediately drawn to her humour, irreverence and charming awkwardness. She's the only reason that I (plus many others, judging by the comments) am subscribed to the Tastemade channel. She also has the most creative photos with fruits and veg (e.g. the above photo and here). I love how real and open she is about struggling with life in general (see here for her tips on coping), which is something that I've always found difficult to do, but am working on it!
3. Sarah Kay
Sarah is a spoken word poet with such immense talent. Her way with words astounds me and never fails to hit me right in the gut. Also her voice is lovely to listen to - she could probably recite the phonebook and make it sound profound! A few of my favourites are this, this and this. Also if you want to hear the best friendship story then here it is. You're welcome ♥
4. Tara Stiles
Tara is the founder of Strala yoga, which is all about moving with ease and not focusing on perfect poses. I love that she makes yoga so accessible, because let's face it: yoga can seem quite removed from reality, especially since people place such emphasis on capturing perfect photos of difficult-looking poses to post on Instagram. I prefer to think of yoga as a tool to help me deal with the ups and downs of daily life. Tara's approach is always to just do what feels good, which just makes sense. Even though she is famous and successful, she still makes cosy Youtube videos and knits hats to give away to her audience.
Well I hope you enjoyed reading about some of my favourite women and maybe even discovered some new people to be inspired by. Until next time (which will be much much sooner than last time!) I hope you're enjoying your life and doing things which make you happy
Jen ♥