5 videos that inspired me this month (July 2017)

Amours, Khmer-French brand

Whatsup, Steemit peeps!

Inspiration
Lately I have been thinking about the role of inspiration in my life. It's such a fleeting and intangible concept, so vague and weird! I feel like I know when it's there and I know when it's not, because it affects my mood, my thoughts and ideas. And lately, I have felt a surge of inspiration from Youtube / internets and since its already online thought, maybe I should share it with you!

When I feel 'inspired', I feel the following:

• energetic, active and entrepreneurial (I want to initiate things)
• intellectually engaged, new connections are made in my head, it gives me a rush
• I start 'seeing things', my imagination sharpens

I think for myself I can feel inspired on a few conditions

• when I feel good about myself (mentally, physically) and I feel safe (financially, physically, mentally, socially)
• I have time on my hand! when I dont feel time is 'ticking away' from me
• I am able, at my own pace, to be surprised by SUBTLE things that are different from the norm. Like a song (I know what a song is and have heard songs plentiful in my life) that is just a little bit different. A work of art, a conversation, a plate of food. I am not overwhelmed by all the changes in my life/experience (then its hard to cope with) but things come by organically/flowy. wavey!

hi-fi fnk (Korean brand)

Inspirational theme: Fashion
This month, I got back being interested in being 'fashionable'.

For about 8 years, I stopped being interested in the idea of 'dressing up'.

• I moved around a lot in different climates so I never could own more stuff then 22 kilo's for about 8 years of my life. Imagine going from Bangkok to Poland and realising you need an entire new wardrobe because the last 4 years have been tropical. I just stopped focusing on wardrobe altogether.
• I had money, then was broke, then had money again and went broke again. I don't have a spending issue, it's because I don't have regular jobs with a stable income. I devalued the importance of appearance so I didn't have to think about spending money (that I didn't or did had at the time) on that particular section of my life.
• There's a superficial connontation with it. I remember being an ugly duckling until I turned 18 (wearing glasses, being super underground boyish) and started to dress according to my physique and suddenly everyone treated me better. I mean, that sucks, right? What about my character? What about the things I do? Both boys and girls, older and younger treated me better. People just really prefer pretty people (and I don't mean I looked like I didnt shower or was unhealthy, I was just unattractive) and thats a f*cking shame because I couldnt help I look nerdy back then.
• The debate around the garment industry
• Fashion as a wave (read philospher Georg Simmel) and distinguishing yourself and individualism and stuff. It's just super contradictory, everyone wants to be different but not too much ...cos then they can't be part of the 'it'/hip group, it's just some hipocrite bullshit really. I mean, like in art, everything visual has connatations, being fashionable could mean I idolise specific people because I imitate them. That's kind of lame? And I feel like my fashion senses have been heavily influenced by Western television, so how brainwashed am I in my "self expression"? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_Simmel#On_fashion

What turned me around

• When I dress up, I feel good about myself because I take care of myself in an obvious way (self-care, self-love, self-embracement)
• Yes, I am Asian, yes, there is more to the world then the West, but I grew up on mediated American hiphop music and I just love that mentality of superficially dressing up. Fashion is a really big part of hiphop because American hiphop's all about being overtly self expressive and feelin' good about ya self (albeit temporarily). I am pretty sure my love for hiphop is pure.
• I often feel NOT like a girl (which doesnt automatically mean I feel like a boy - what does it all mean, I don't know) and clothes have gender connotations so I feel like this ambiguity is expressed in my appearal.
• There's an interesting feeling of community, at least in the " streetwear " / hiphop appearal, this idea that someone else got up and thought: okay, today I am going to rock my outfit. I feel a connection with someone else through my clothes, isn't that crazy? It's great!

Stuff that inspired me this month
It's a mix of fashion, music, food and talks.

1. Wilde Haren Podcast, Jiggy Dje + Gee

Childhood hero Jiggy Dje talked to Gee from Patta in a podcast. At one point Jiggy talked about the new documentary on Ronnie Flex, where Ronnie trying out 5 different caps in 5 different ways and he pointed out laughing that it's quite hiphop. That anekdote and his analysis stayed in my mind since then.

2. Quenlin Blackwell - Get Ready With Me tutorial
This girl is hilarious. Seriously, I feel a connection. Perhaps humor is often seen as a maley thing and I crack jokes all the time it's good to see it done so well by another girl! Yoo!!!

3. PAQ series
These 4 twentysomething boys from London are just having fun with dressing up. I especially feel a connection with this character "Shaq" who has just a really impeccable style and is somewhat cute? And the fucking production value on these webseries is mindblowing!

4. Kreung
This is about serving Khmer food in NYC as a second gen Khmer. I feel like the owner of the concept is not only able to express her style through her wear but also her food - look at all those colors! So good!

5. Mark Wiens in Cambo
It's a street just off Central Market I remember driving around with the motodop because the roundabout at the market disorientates me XD. Mark Wiens hectic smile, sometimes misteps in eating but great food curator made my exboyfriend say: I gotta go back to Cambodia. I mean: COLORS

Thanks for reading!

How does it feel for you to be inspired? What do you guys feel about 'dressing up'? How does it make you feel? Is there a self-expressive, self-care or community element to your appearal?