the-more-you-kn0w

[the-more-you-kn0w]

It’s scary to be vulnerable. Really, really scary. But I’ve done it. Terrible Thanks For Asking is one of my favourite podcasts and has been forever. After 5 years of trying to figure out the right story and the right time, today is the day!

There’s a lot of my heart in here; high school experiences from hell, my love for writing and stories, Disney Princesses, some raw truth about growing up disabled + why I will always and forever love @taylorswift and the This Is Us moment (cc Sterling K. Brown) that broke my brain 😱

[the-more-you-kn0w]

OK, Tumblr here’s a challenge for you; can you tell me a love story? It can be past or present, yours or someone else’s. Grandparents. Friends. Public/historical figures. Can be a fragment or a full story. Send asks. DM’s. Replies. Reblogs. Anything.

My grandparents met at a dance. They hit it off straight away. He invited her to his 21st birthday, asking another girl to pass on the invitation. Unbeknownst to him, that girl liked him so my grandma never got the invitation! Hurt and confused, Pa confronted Nana, only to realise that she was hurt too. 3 kids and 12 grandkids later, they were married for 59 years. They won waltzing competitions together and went to the pictures (movies) back in the day when you had reserved seats and always sat in the same ones. OK, your turn…

[the-more-you-kn0w]

So… I have a new project! It’s called Missing Perspectives and it’s a brand new publication platform launching TODAY that is focused on gender equity and uplifting the stories and voices of women and girls around the world because even though we’re half of the human population, we are still grossly under represented in news, media, policy and decision making on a global scale. We’re proud to feature work from women and girls in over 20 countries so far. Our definition of womanhood is inclusive and we do accept submissions!!! The women who have shared their stories with us so far are incredible and I hope you love this new project as much as I’ve loved being a part of the team that makes it. Please read, learn, share, tell your friends and feel free to give us a follow over on Instagram or on Twitter. Thanks, guys - love you xxx

[the-more-you-kn0w]

This is me reading you an essay on beginnings, birth and my identity as a disabled woman, which I hope will be the first pages of a book I’m working on called “The Daffodil Project ” I really hope you like it because goodness gracious, I’m nervous ❤️

[the-more-you-kn0w]

I know I’ve talked about my petition asking Disney to create a disabled Disney Princess before, but I’m SUPER close to 35,000 signatures which is a huge number that has me like 🤯🤯🤯 so if you see this (and believe in the magic of representation) could you do me a favour? Take 5 seconds to sign this and maybe even share it??? Thank you, I will love you forever xxx

[the-more-you-kn0w]

Appearance on Today Extra!!!

Hey Gang! Just wanted to share something pretty exciting with all of you... Last week I was on Australian daytime TV talking all about my quest petitioning Disney to create a Disabled Disney Princess. Can you believe it??? It would mean so much to me if you guys could please do four things:

1) Watch the video

2) Sign my petition (if you haven't already) here. It has over 32,500 signatures!!! It's been seen/signed/shared by amazing people like Martha Hunt, Sterling K. Brown, Amanda Lovelace, Jodi Picoult, Neil Gaiman, Jameela Jamil and Mr. Mark Hamill 😱

3) Share this post as far and wide as you can

4) Follow me on Instagram and Twitter to keep up with all my adventures on this whirlwind ride.

Thanks guys xxx

[the-more-you-kn0w]

Enough Is Enough

I knew how to play the game of ‘house’ - the imaginary role of wife and mother before I learnt to write my name. I knew the parts of my identity that would be tied to a man, before I knew even a sliver of myself.

Women live in an impossible echo chamber of contradiction and mockery. We must always know the rules in an ever changing game. If we fall, the vultures descend. Picking us apart, not wanting us to break but enjoying when we shatter.

Be likeable. Be friendly (she’s so fake). But not with other women, always have a knife in your back pocket ready to take her down at the slightest sign of competition. You’re too emotional. Too cold. Smile more. What’s with that bitch?

Show us your body. Hide your body; what were you thinking? Sleep with me but don’t be a slut. Oh my god, you’re such a prude. She was asking for it. Being flirtatious. Such a tease. She was drunk. She was walking home. Don’t be out at night time. Don’t be so paranoid. Don’t be alone.

Wear makeup. That’s too much, it’s distracting. Don’t be so frivolous and silly. Be ashamed of what you like. It has less value. She’s too loud. She’s such a wallflower. She’s too smart. She’s so dumb.

Be strong. But not that strong. You might threaten or emasculate a man. Be a boss but not bossy. Work hard but don’t be a bitch. Make your success look like a happy accident otherwise we will call you calculating and manipulative. Be new to us. Be shiny and exciting. Break yourself bending into reinvention. ambition, but not too much or we will call you ruthless and angry.

Be a mother; raise some kids. A mother’s not a real job. You need to choose your career if you want to be taken seriously. Lean in. Lean out. Be everything for everyone. Asking for ‘me time’ is selfish.

But don’t you dare let yourself go. Pluck. Shave. Moisturise. Wax. Exercise. Eat more. Eat less. Fit into small jeans and strive for airbrushed but don’t look sick. Have an arse and boobs but be a size 0. Diet. Detox. If you don’t look like ‘her’ we don’t want you. If you’re a woman of colour, trans, non-binary, otherwise LGBTQ, or disabled you can have about a quarter of the tiny space we give the other girls, OK? No. Not even close.

If you liked this, please feel free to share it. Scream it. Tell me what you think. Follow me on Instagram here and Twitter here

[the-more-you-kn0w]

This big Australian skincare brand asked me to write a piece for them on what beauty means to me as part of an International Women’s Day series and it’s the most personal thing I think I’ve written about publicly. I talk about my insecurities, how disabled women are made to feel not just that the worlds of fashion and beauty are inaccessible to them, but also the language of beauty and the impact of no representation. I also show love to my amazing advocate and friend Martha Hunt and her beautiful company Inègal 💛. Hope you’ll give it a read!

[the-more-you-kn0w]

Today, something pretty incredible happened; THE TRUE QUEEN JAMEELA JAMIL RETWEETED MY PETITION CAMPAIGNING FOR DISNEY TO CREATE A DISABLED DISNEY PRINCESS. In the two months since I started it, I’ve had 28,310 signatures and it’s now been signed by several celebrities including Jameela, Sterling K. Brown and Martha Hunt ❤️. There’s no magic number for when we get Disney’s attention but the more signatures we get the harder we are to ignore. If you’d like to sign and share, click this link. I’ll love you forever

[the-more-you-kn0w]

White allies do better….

Stop with the “oh well I’m white and i agree” or the “I’m white and I’m sorry for us” on posts about racism

Stop with the lengthy apologizes when you do something small like write the above on posts and someone calls you out on it

Stop asking me for my opinon on what this famous black person did

Stop asking me for my opinion on if a thing is racist or not

Stop asking me to explain basic racist shit to you

Stop telling black people about the time you called your racist uncle out on his racism or the protests you went to

Stop asking for my opinion on things you did that you’re scared is racist/has racist undertones

Stop with the white guilt… It ain’t helpin nobody

Stop asking one black person for their opinion on something about race… You gotta ask more black people if you want an accurate representation of something because not all of us are the same/think the same thing

Stop treating black people like we’re “professors” on racism

Google is free. Can y'all please start treating black people like actual people and not someone to teach you about racism. It’s exhausting

[the-more-you-kn0w]

A spoken word poem about what’s going on in the US right now because writing is the only way I know how to process things, from this Australian’s POV. Feel free to share far & wide ❤️

[the-more-you-kn0w]

It’s no secret that I have big dreams… 

As you guys  might know, one of the biggest of those dreams is seeing Disney create a feature film with a Disabled Princess. I’ve been trying to make that dream happen for years now but thanks to my increased platform recently and the gang at  Change.org, today on the eve of International Day of Persons With A Disability, I’ve launched an official petition which I would love for you to sign & share as far and wide as you can! Representation matters ❤️

[the-more-you-kn0w]

I wrote a poem for this moment 💙💙💙. I think I’m going to call it “The Blue Breath” Congratulations @joebiden and @kamalaharris on your historic beautiful victory. If you like it please share ✨

[the-more-you-kn0w]

As a Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg dedicated her life to the pursuit of justice and equality, particularly in the arena of gender. She was a champion of women’s right to employment, power and opportunity. Donald Trump is the very antithesis of everything she stood for. He is a rampant misogynist and perpetrator of sexual crimes which he has never been held accountable for. But you know this. You also know if you’ve been paying attention over the last few months that his apathy for and mismanagement of COVID-19 has led to the deaths of nearly 200,000 Americans. He has incited and inflamed horrifically racist behaviour with devastating consequences. He has said again and again that climate change is not real or an issue when it is potentially the greatest crisis the world has ever faced. His systematic dismantling of the USPS when many voters will rely on mail-in ballots to exercise their constitutional right is a blatant attempt to cut down democracy at the knees. Now, I know what you’re thinking, “Hannah you’re not American. Why do you care? Why should I?” Well, because America is at the head of the dominoes. What they do impacts and affects the rest of us, especially here in Australia. We still very much follow their lead. Australia certainly has its own plethora of issues but things won’t get better for anybody if things stay the way they are. If you think things can’t get worse, they can and they will. Besides, with the world the way it is, many of us have American friends. Tell them to vote. Ask them to check they’re registered and what their plan is for getting to the voting booth. And then tell them to pass it on to 5 of their friends. I know @joebiden is not a perfect candidate. But he has plans for dealing with the pandemic. For making international work and travel safe. He has plans to tackle climate change. Electing him will also mean electing the first female South Asian, African American Vice President, progress RBG could’ve only dreamed of. It also means voting for her progressive replacement so that the very things she fought for aren’t under threat. Rest In Peace, RBG. Vote please. Lives depend on it ❤️

[the-more-you-kn0w]

From Hannah (:

A Little Spark Of Light For Anyone Who Needs It

If you’re anything like me, right now, you feel like we’re in the middle of some dystopian movie or novel. Things are scary and uncertain and upside down. I think the thing that is making people so scared is how powerless we all feel and how relentless this all is in terms of information, getting worse and the same stale feeling of being stuck in a rut, especially when confronted with constant self-isolation.

So here’s what I want you to remember/ am finding helpful myself:

Reminders:

Every emotion or feeling you’re experiencing right now is valid 

It’s OK to be upset that something you were looking forward to got cancelled, it. doesn’t mean you don’t care about people’s health and safety 

 As long as the sun continues to rise, so can we 

The ocean and moon are still here. They’ve always been here. You’re looking at the same moon as Shakespeare looked at, as the dinosaurs looked at and as your grandparents looked at, growing up. It’s seen everything in all of history and it’s still here. It will still be here when we come out of this. 

Everything will be OK. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. But eventually. It’s gotten OK each time you thought it wouldn’t before.

You’re stronger than you think

You’re not alone but if you feel like you are there are people you can talk to. 

As somebody who struggles with mental health (anxiety and depression), scenarios like this are a recipie for spiralling. So, in order to combat and counteract the powerlessness/relentlessness/stuck in a rut feeling here’s what I’ve been doing:

Tips & Tricks:

You might not be able to go outside but you can open your windows. Put yourself in a place where you can see sunlight. Keep rooms aired.

Drink water - staying hydrated is a good way to keep healthy 

Eat when you can - giving your body fuel so it can keep you strong is really important

Sleep when you can - this constant vigilance thing is exhausting and my brain is always full at the moment. I’m going to start using ‘Smiling Mind’ - a mindfulness and meditation app for quick and easy guided sessions to try and keep my brain as quiet as it will allow

Delete the News app off your phone. Seriously. If anything super important happens, you’ll know but you don’t need to be looking at the constant barrage of stories and articles and science dissecting every angle of this. It will just open a pit of despair inside you.

Keep your brain active. As part of my uni course, I’m learning Spanish which means I use ‘Duolingo’ - a free website and app for extra practice. You can use it to learn a language every day. Also, explore something you’re interested in that you never have time for or take a Crash Course Class with John & Hank Green on Youtube, which are interesting, informative and really well put together in aesthetically pleasing Youtube videos

Turn to art!!! Read that book you haven’t had time for. Write down how you feel right now. Draw. Paint. Sing. Dance. Cook. You don’t have to be good, just do it because you love it. Binge a series on Netflix. Watch movies.  Listen to music. Take advantage of those mini concerts musicians are having on Instagram or watch them on Youtube (I’ll be doing a separate post of recommendations for all this creative stuff)

Connect. Connect. Connect. Use Facetime. Call your friends. Have movie nights or games nights with your family. Talk. Listen. Ask questions. Tell stories. Look at old photos. Laugh. We can get through this but it’ll be a lot easier if we do it together.

Sending love and light - hit up my asks if you want to know more or want to share what you’re doing to stay sane/recommendations/need to talk. Stay safe everyone, we got this xxx

[the-more-you-kn0w]

Happy International Women’s Day to all you beautiful girls out there. This quote sums up my feelings today because without persistence, we wouldn’t be voting/working/learning/raising families/creating/speaking all while we bleed every 28 days!

I’m so thankful for the tribe of strong, powerful, interesting, intelligent creative, passionate and hardworking women who surround me every day, lifting me up, cheering me on and teaching me so much ❤️

Even knowing it’s #iwd2020 is a privilege... there are so many women without voices around the world whose body means they’re denied education, autonomy and the right to say the most powerful word NO.

I don't know what it is about this Maybe it's because we got close to a female US President again and now we have to wait until 2024 to even have another shot. Maybe it's because for once, women were actually believed and Harvey Weinsten is going to jail, a rare symbol that the millions of women around the world who face harassment and assault and abuse at the hands of both familiar and strange men, should be listened to and heard, that victims should feel safe to speak up even if their voice shakes. Or maybe it's just because I'm getting older and starting to unpack and see the layers of bullshit that we all have to face every day because we weren't born men.

It’s hard being a woman, right?

Be likeable. Don't show emotion. Smile more. Be strong. But not so strong that a man feels emasculated or threatened by you. Wear makeup. Look attractive. But don't be distracting. Show us your body. Hide your body, what were you thinking? You were asking for it! Be a mother, raise your kids, a mother's not a real job, you have to have an actual career if you want to be taken seriously. Lean in. Lean out. Be everyone for everybody, don't be selfish and ask for 'me' time.

But don't let yourself go. Pluck. Shave. Mosturise. Exercise. Eat more. Eat less. Fit into small jeans. But don't look sick. Be a boss but not bossy. Work hard but don't be a bitch. Sleep with me but don't be a slut. Have ambition but not too much, don't make men uncomfortable. And don't ask to be treated better or for power, that's complaining... Yeah, stuff that!!! Love and power 💪🏼❤️💪🏼

[the-more-you-kn0w]

I'm *still* quite confused about the electoral college? Like.... the popular vote votes for the people who make up for the electoral college, who vote for the president? But then why would a democrat electoral college member vote for Trump? Or how did he possible win if Hilary won the popular vote? Idk, maybe none of this is accurate, I'm still so confused (also, I'm not US) (also, I have tried to google it but I need someone to explain it to me like I'm 5)

anon I’m american, practically have my BA in history, and I still don’t fully understand it! it is…insanely confusing and I hate it but I’ll try and do my best to explain it. 

Keep reading