“I stopped waiting for the light at the end of the tunnel, and I lit that bitch up myself.”
All of Grace F. Victory’s videos begin with a brilliant motivational quote, our favourite of which we’ve recited above. As you make your way through the videos in this post, be sure to make a note of these lovely segments. They start her videos in the perfect way and are a brilliant demonstration of why Grace is one of our fave role models!
From beauty and body positivity to lifestyle advice, Grace has your back for basically any problems you may run across, and her positive attitude and willingness to learn are infectious. Every video is carefully researched, well put together, and filled with her utterly lovely personality. If you’re having a problem, chances are Grace has the answer for you!
Here are eight times she was the ultimate role model!
Her blog
Grace’s blog is one of our favourites. Whatever the topic, we always end up taking a bunch of notes to help us improve our day-to-day lives. As with everything Grace does, her posts are well-thought-out and defined by her bubbling, kind personality. Scroll through those about learning how to have a healthy relationship with exercise, what being black means to her, and how dressing well empowers her and you’ll find an insightful passion that’s inspiring and helpful.
Grace also created a special Instagram account, which is filled with positivity to help people accept and love the skin they’re in. It’s well worth having a look through on those down days.
THE REAL REASON I DON’T DRINK ALCOHOL
While we’ve already written a Video Spotlight on this one, we’d like to take this opportunity to direct anyone either concerned about their own or a friend’s relationship with alcohol to this wonderful video. Grace discusses how she was a “social drinker” during her teenage years, and now only drinks occasionally. She makes sure to let everyone know that they should never be pressured into drinking and that your real friends won’t mind if you don’t.
Her Therapy Q&A
For many people, mental health is a major part of their lives, and issues with it can affect anyone regardless of age, race, sexuality, or gender. Despite recent awareness drives and progress made in talking about mental health, there is still a lot of progress to be made in being open about issues. In this video, Grace shows us exactly why she is such a great role model for everyone, as she opens up about her experiences with therapy in terms of her eating disorder and PTSD.
After asking her audience for questions surrounding therapy and recovery, she created this master Q&A, which includes the difference between talking therapy and CBT. Make sure you check out the links in the description as they’re all super useful!
LET’S TALK ABOUT VAGINAS
Now, we all know that an area where a lot of school systems fail is in regards to the body, especially in relation to people with vaginas, as the education tends to be focused on the act of giving birth rather than information that is useful in day-to-day life. Well, worry about googling your questions no more! Grace is here to educate and inform you, answering questions you’ve had for years and even a few you didn’t know you had!
Seriously, schools should be taking notes.
No Filter
Now, there is only one thing we here at TenEighty love more than videos and that’s a good book! We heartily recommend Grace’s No Filter, in which she shares how she put her years of self-loathing and self-destruction behind her to rebuild herself from the ground up. It’s an inspirational story that you’ll laugh and cry at.
Back in August, we attended the book’s London launch. It was definitely a night to remember!
Body confidence
Pressure to be thin abounds in the beauty and fashion industry, and despite some attempts at inclusion, learning that it’s okay to not fit into traditional beauty standards is a big part of having confidence in your own body. Grace has made multiple videos on this topic, and we particularly like this one with Megan Jayne Crabbe, where the pair unpack the societal pressure to be thin. Grace makes sure to emphasise that being healthy looks different on everyone and that the labelling of certain types of body as “healthy” and “unhealthy” is deeply problematic.
Also, be sure to check out her list of eight things all girls should know about body confidence.
Her documentaries
Grace’s interests aren’t only in body positivity and confidence – she’s also made two documentaries for the BBC. The first is on the realities of so-called clean eating, and the second on the inside trade of designer puppies.
In Clean Eating’s Dirty Secrets, Grace sheds light on how most wellness bloggers, even those who have released books, have no actual qualifications. She also meets people who have developed eating disorders as a result. She explains how this fad has gotten out of control and interviews dieticians to debunk some claims made by other bloggers. Grace promotes the importance of balance in your diet, and we at TenEighty couldn’t agree more!
Grace’s second documentary, The Cost of Cute: The Dark Side of the Puppy Trade, explores the impact of social media on promoting crazes for dog breeds, such as pugs, French bulldogs, and dachshunds. It sheds light on the smuggling of sick, underage puppies from puppy farms in Europe into the UK, and the dreadful health problems these breeds endure due to inbreeding.
In both films, Grace’s hard work and genuine concern over the issues is heartwarming and inspiring, and we thoroughly recommend watching them.
“Our fearful places have to be revealed, before they can be healed.”
Grace is truly the internet’s big sister and we admire her so much for it. Thanks for all your amazing advice, Grace! Of course, this list could be ten times longer, so let us know how Grace has inspired you by sending a tweet to @TenEightyUK!
Want more awesome inspirations? Check these out:
- Grace F. Victory: Recognising Happiness
- Grace Victory Launches Book At London Event
- Grace F. Victory Talks About Mental Health for BBC Campaign
- Beautycon Festival 2017: Recap
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