Lilis #GuyBoss of the month – Jack and Finn Harries

Happy Sunday Sunday everyone!
This week it is time for my #GuyBoss of the month. This month I don’t really have only one, but technically two, as I chose *insert drum roll here*: JACK AND FINN HARRIES or Jackson and Finnigan Harries, which are their full names.
You may know Jack as a YouTuber from his channel Jacksgap, that he created out of fun during his gap year. You may also know Jack from some acting he did when he was younger. Well, obviously you then know Finn as he is Jacks twin, duh! Kind of obvious but I mean there might be a few out there who just don’t know any of them. Finn never actually made his own channel, instead, he does more of the behind the scenes work.

Jack started out like every other Youtuber, posting Vlogs or challenges, just talking about his life and in some videos Finn would appear and they’d open fanmail together or do other goofy things.
However, over the years the content on Jacksgap has changed dramatically and in my opinion it also got 100 times better.
After not posting videos for quite some time they came back with a documentary on their experience participating in a Rickshaw run in India. Videos about climate change, documentaries about people with quite peculiar jobs or backgrounds and their shed sessions followed.
What is most striking about these videos is the quality and the content. It is not some of the meaningless content you can often find on Youtube (I consider my videos meaningless content as well, although I try to bring messages across, I know that for example my hauls aren’t of high educational value). They do their own research, they film and edit with a team that is close to them and of course they also get sponsored by Skype, as an example but I mean how else are you gonna afford traveling around the world to film your videos, that at the same time have such important messages.
What I admire about them as well is, that they went to University. Jack only for a year, in Bristol but still! Finn went to Leeds to study there for a year and is now at University in New York. Showing that pursuing an education at Uni can be fun and important is just lovely and I think more Youtubers should be concerned about this topic just like they are. Of course they have other focuses but it just makes education more appealing and that is such an important message to bring across to young children.
Back to their Videos: What mainly makes them a #GuyBoss is, that they weren’t afraid to change their content. Yes, maybe they were hesitant about what people would think but they had a message and they managed to bring it across. Their videos deal with such important issues, it’s inspiring. I can just hope they change young peoples opinions about our world, in a positive way. Furthermore, their editing skills are truly mesmerizing. I sometimes wish more Youtubers would put quality before quantity. I am not bothered by the fact that they don’t post a video every week or sometimes not even every six months but when they post one, I do know I can look forward to some great content that is interesting, eye opening and has an awesome message. That is what makes them my #GuysBoss of the month.
All in all, I just hope that Jack and Finn continue their amazing journey on becoming, what I think you can consider, incredible directors and film makers. They inspire all of us to think outside the box and consider important issues in this world to be more relevant than we may perceive them. We tend to think about ourselves way too much, without seeing the big picture and I think Jack and Finn do a wonderful job of objective and still highly interesting content that shows us the big picture.

If you have not checked them out yet, where have you been? Go and watch their videos NOW! That’s an order.
Loads of love,
Lili xx

Twitter: @castway_minds
Instagram: @castwayminds

Featured image taken from the jacksgap website: http://jacksgap.com

#GuyBoss- Jamie Tworkowski

Hi everyone,

When we talked about what Sunday Funday categories we wanted to have and decided to write about GuyBoss, I thought about men who inspired me and the first person to pop into my head was him: Jamie Tworkowski. I don’t think this name rings a bell for most people and that’s a shame so I’m gonna introduce him to you.

Jamie is an author and he wrote the book “If you feel to much“, but more important he’s the founder of To Write Love On Her Arms, short twloha, a non-profit organization, that helps people who struggle with self-harm, depression and addiction or are suicidal. It all started when he shared his friend Renee’s story on the Internet 10 years ago. Renee had been thinking about committing suicide, self-harmed and also struggled with addiction. She went to a treatment center to find help and Jamie started selling shirts to help her pay for her treatment. The story, which was called „To Write Love On Her Arms“ got a lot of attention and soon Jamie received messages from people who had similar problems.

“We are all people in need. We are not perfect. We are not machines. We make mistakes. We need grace. We need compassion. We need help at times. We need other people. And that’s okay”

Finally, in 2007, TWLOHA became on official non – profit organization. Jamie Tworkowski was only 26 back then. Nowaday’s they still try to help people, by giving them a voice and sharing their stories on their blog, to let them no there are other people going through difficult times as well and they’re not alone. Also they host meetings in different cities where people can come and find help.

“The dream is you never giving up on your story, because no one else can play your part”

They still sell merch with their logo and different inspirational phrases on it and donate the money to recovery facilities. One of the most important missions is also to raise awareness for mental illness so it loses it’s stigma and people know they’re not alone and don’t have to be ashamed. That’s why many musicians such as Paramore, Boys Like Girls, Miley Cyrus and One Republic support them and sometimes  wear their shirts to play gigs, for example at warped tour, where twloha also sells their merch. In 2012 Renee’s Story was made into a film with Kat Dennings, called” To write love on her arms” as well.

Last year Jamie Tworkowski wrote his book “If you feel to much: thoughts on things found and lost and hoped for“. I haven’t read it myself yet but it’s supposed to be really beautiful and inspirational and people find hope and understanding. It’s not one story it’s more like thoughts on different things and apparently it’s a very personal book for Jamie. People who met him say about him that he has a huge heart and is a very loving person. With his words he touches people, makes them feel understood, accepted and less alone.

The reason why I admire him so much is, that just like him, I know people who struggle with mental illness, but I never know what to do or how to help them.  He actively did something about it, he didn’t only help his friend but a lot of other people by giving them a safe place where they can go , find help and get new hope. He also raised awareness, so society would realize that people with a mental illness aren’t crazy, but normal humans who go through pain. Mental illness and suicide is a thing everyone is directly or inderictly confronted with sooner or later in life and it’s important to handle it the right way. This is hard because lot’s of people don’t understand what it means to have a mental illness. I’m not even sure you can understand it if you haven’t suffered from one yourself. This causes people struggling one to feel weird and alone. By talking about it Jamie Tworkowski has opened a door for mental illness to be understood and for people to find the courage to reach out for help. In my opinion we need more people like him: kindhearted, real and helpful. With his words he has touched thousands of hearts and I’m sure he has saved a lot of lives, by giving mentally ill persons what they need most: hope.

I hope you’re all enjoying your Sunday.

Love, Alli xx

TWLOHA Website : https://twloha.com/

Instagram :@jamietworkowski

@twloha

Pic Sources : http://religionnews.com/2015/06/01/to-write-love-on-her-arms-founder-wrestles-with-faith-questions-as-he-seeks-to-inspire-hope/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Write_Love_on_Her_Arms_(film)

https://twloha.com/ifyoufeeltoomuch/

#GuyBoss of the month – Zayn Malik

Hey lovelies,

it’s Sunday already, which means another week is over but it also means it’s time for another Sunday Funday post on our blog! This Sunday it’s my turn again and I’ll talk about my #GuyBoss of the month.
Originally I wanted to write about a different person but given the circumstances I thought I’d talk about Zayn Malik. Yesterday at Capital Summertime Ball he cancelled his performance last minute and left many fans and basically everyone else hella confused. It felt like he cancelled out of nowhere just like he dropped out of One Direction seemingly out of nowhere.
But lets rewind this whole scenario and look at it from a different perspective. The perspective being that he is an incredibly brave young man, who understands the importance of his mental health and that sometimes it’s just more important to put yourself first.
To me Zayn shows that as a man you don’t need to pretend that your emotions don’t exist and that mental health isn’t even a topic just to show how „strong“ and „manly“ you are. Isn’t it much more manly or strong to realize you do have a problem with your mental health?
Lets go back to around a year ago when Zayn dropped out of One Direction. Yes, it was bound to happen but then again I think it was brave of him to be the first one to quit, the first one to drop out because it didn’t feel right anymore. This doesn’t have anything to do with not being thankful or anything, he was just brave and strong enough to cut those things out of his life that probably just didn’t feel right anymore. This is a good example for how you should make sure to cut toxic people and situations out of your life and make sure your surroundings help you grow as a person, help you feel better about yourself and even though you’re a man, it does not mean that you cannot openly talk about this.
Now fast forward to the Summertime Ball. The first night Zayn would have performed on his own, without his band mates around. As a former member of a band I can exactly tell you how scary it sometimes seems to just go out there on stage and put on a smile and be ready to entertain people. What if you fail? What if you just forget the lyrics or sing a wrong note? What if you slip on stage and fall?
Now imagine this happening to someone who has suffered from anxiety for a long time just like Zayn has. Imagine what horrifying things are going through their mind and what kind of panic attack they are about to get. Wouldn’t you understand it? Wouldn’t you say it was the right decision that he cancelled? I do. Because it shows that anxiety is a thing! It shows that men can suffer from mental health issues just as well as women. It shows that sometimes it’s more important to take care of yourself first and there is nothing wrong with it. Men in our society still have this issue of never admitting that the are not okay or that they aren’t capable of dealing with a certain situation. Be aware that mental health is an issue in todays society, as after all 1 in 75 people suffer from Panic Disorders, according to the American Psychiatric Association. I’m actually happy that we slowly start to inform ourselves about different kinds of mental health issues and that celebrities like Zayn bring awareness to these topics. Nevertheless I still feel like the acceptance for a male to suffer from mental health issues, especially anxiety (because why would performing in front of thousands of people freak you out that much you weirdo?!) is still a bit less present than the acceptance for women with mental health issues. Men are seen as the strong people in our society but that’s just wrong. We’re all people and we all have the right to acknowledge when we don’t feel okay or need help. Zayn has done just that, with pointing out how his anxiety has come in the way and that makes him my #GuyBoss of the month.

Zayn on his Anxiety on Instagram

Let’s remember to raise our sons and daughters in the knowledge that it is okay not to be okay and that boys have a right to cry, feel sad, to love and show emotions because that’s what makes them human, what makes them strong after all. And also remember to be more open towards the people around you who might suffer from anxiety or the like, it’s tougher than you think. Make sure to encourage them but never put them under pressure they should be able to take all the time they need just like Zayn has the right to.
We should make this world more acceptant and loving 🙂 If you have anything you want to talk about and feel like you cannot openly talk about with parents or friends, don’t hesitate to message us! Or check out some of the helplines I listed down below.

Loads and loads of love,
Lili xx

Twitter: @castaway_minds
Instagram: @castawayminds

Helplines:

UK:
NHS mental health helplines

US:
Infos & Helpline about Panic Disorders
Anxiety and Depression Association of America

Collection of helplines of all kinds of issues from bullying to depression for Teens

Australia:
Lifeline helpline and information on several mental health issues

Canada:

Anxiety Disorder Association of Canada 

Mental Health Helpline Canada 

Germany:

Angst Hilfe e.v.

Bundesverband der Angehörigen psychisch Kranker e.v.

 

Picture Source 

#GuyBoss James McVey

Hello you lovely person reading this,

two weeks ago Lili was the first one who introduced a Sunday Funday category to you, which was our #GirlBoss of the month. As all of us is about equal right of men and women we had to made the same category for guy, so here it is, our #GuyBoss of the month.

To be totally honest with you guys it was extremely hard for me to come up with a guy that inspired me at some point or somehow. As a young female person who’s all about feminism I recognized that the people who actually inspire me are mostly women. Of course there are a few male person who inspire me but I can’t really write about my dad or my uncle, can I? Beside I’m not too sure how much they would like it if I share some information about them with totally strangers to them. So, I had to annoy the others to ask them for suggestions. Of course they had plenty of ideas and these people do inspire me a lot, but still for my first #GuyBoss I wanted to introduce you guys to somebody who really inspires me. So when I actually got read for bed just now, it stroke me whom I could write about. Going to bed has to wait for a bit now I guess :P.

The person I want to introduce you to is a person who’s around my age, despite being so young he has reach a lot in life already. The person I’m talking about is an English singer, guitarist and YouTube personality, his name is James Daniel McVey. He’s most known as a member of the British pop/rock band ‘The Vamps’ along side Bradley Simpson, Tristan Evans and Connor Ball.

From a young age on James knew he wanted to pursued a career in the music industry, so he started posting cover songs on YouTube. In 2011 he discovered the young singer/guitarist Brad and contacted him asking if he’d be down for some song-writing and doing music together. Both of them took this quite seriously and drove to each other every possible occasion. It didn’t take long and they saw a video of Tristan playing the drums in a video. Once again they contacted him through social media and from a Duo it was made a little band. Only a couple of months later they met Connor through a mutual friends and he was down to join the band as well. Since James already had a management behind him when he stared looking for potential band members, it didn’t take them long to storm the charts. And the rest is history. So far they had 5 Top 10 hits in the UK and both of their albums also launched in the Top 10 in the UK. If you want to know more about them go and check them out. I only can highly recommend them/ their music.

But back to James and why I have chosen him as my #GuyBoss.

Firstly I think its quite remarkable to starting a band at such a young age as he was. I adore about him that he knew from such a young age on what he wanted to do later in life and pursued his dreams even though everybody knows that the music industry is quite a hard business to be successful in. But not only his musical talents and how he went for his dreams makes him stand out to me, the one thing in particular for me is his YouTube channel. Once again, if you haven’t already go and check out his account, I personally love it.

7 months ago he started his own channel were he mostly posts chatty videos, vlogs or challenge videos. What I enjoy the most are his chatty videos because in them he discusses serious topics that every young person can relate to. He for example talks about bullying, how he stays positive, how he beat acne and fought spots and also about what he wishes every girl knew. Of course you can find videos like that everywhere on YouTube but what it makes it stand out to me is that he’s really genuine about it. Mostly he talks about personal experience and how he dealt with the situation at this time or his thought about the topic in general. In this videos you can feel that he really means what he’s saying and truly says his opinions on things.

I guess I like these videos that much because you can see, that even though his band is quite successful and he made his dream come true, his still really down to earth. He tries to keep in contact with his fans and that’s what I especially like about him. He knows that without the people who are buying their Singles, Albums and coming to shows he wouldn’t be able to live the life he always wanted to live. Not only keeps he in contact with them but also talks openly about things to them. I also don’t know a lot of famous people who tell their fans that it really doesn’t matter how you look like and you always should look for the personality in a person. Of course everybody always says that but for some reason he says that in such a natural ways that I really believe him that he does so and believes in what he says. Beside of talking about serious topics and making me believe in the things he says, he also never fails to make me laugh in his vlogs or challenges. He just seems so genuine and nice that I really believe that he’s a really nice person in real life. Of course a lot of people might say that he just knows what to say and a lot of girls like him because of his looks anyways, but if you would watch his videos with your eyes closed, I believe that they would still have the same impact on you. He just makes you start thinking about things and I think that no matter how you look like, not everybody achieves that on the Internet.

In case you never have heard about him or you’re curious now what he’s really like, please do go and check him out. Obviously his link of his YouTube channel will be below as well as his social media. I only can advise every person I know to check out his videos as I really like them and I think he makes great content.

I hope you all have a lovely Sunday Funday and if you want let us know which is your #GuyBoss of the month and why.

Lots of love,

Jenny xxx

James’ Instagram

James’ Twitter

James’ YouTube

Picture Sourses:

First Picture, YouTube Banner, Last Picture