The Bold Type premiered earlier in 2017, but I had only started (and finished) watching all five seasons on Netflix last December. Written and produced by Sarah Watson, the film series follows the lives of three best friends in their mid-20s, working at Scarlet—a women’s magazine. I hate to say this, but the romanticized notion of writing for an existing community really appealed to me, especially with the ongoing pandemic.
Thereafter, I applied for the position of a writer at Her Campus at Nanyang Tech, despite being in my final semester. I was excited to connect with like-minded people who were part of this amazing online magazine for female college students. Established in 2009, Her Campus is presently written by more than 7000 contributors, from over 400 universities in nine different countries and our team contributes to the very first chapter in Singapore.
Here’s why I joined Her Campus after watching The Bold Type:
Wholesome Friendships
Inspired by the strong friendship that Jane Sloan, Sutton Brady-Hunter and Kat Edison shared across the show, I wanted to expand my connections meaningfully and partake in a community where women support women, instead of viewing each other as competition. Although it’s only been a month, I feel comfortable working with the team and my friends push me to become the best version of myself.
Opportunity for Self-improvement
With Jacqueline Carlyle as Editor-in-Chief and mentor, need I say more? I was deeply inspired by her empathetic and assertive personality. Moreover, her character challenges traditional expectations of women in power. You’d be surprised that not all women support other women and Dr Shawn Andrews has examined this peculiar phenomenon here.
At Her Campus, we practice effective communication and everyone gets to build leadership skills. Can’t believe I get to channel my inner Jacqueline Carlyle!
Safe Space for Open Conversations
The Bold Type was criticized for its superficial engagement with important issues such as sexual assault, victim recovery and even gun violence, and failing to live up to its claims of inclusion. However, it has definitely presented new perspectives and facilitated open conversations, evident from the sheer number of reviews and articles it inspired. This responsibility must not only be shared amongst writers and producers, but also common viewers and readers like you and I. We also owe it to ourselves to reflect on these pertinent topics and to take subsequent action.
I wanted to put difficult conversations to paper because I’m a firm believer of the phrase, ‘knowledge is power’. Here at Her Campus, we get to share our personal experiences and write about a huge range of topics, all whilst educating ourselves.
Manifesting my Best Life
Finally, watching these fictional characters deal with their problems was a strange reality check for myself. In recent years, my overthinking and perfectionist tendencies have amounted to a crippling fear of change, especially when it involves trying something new. This time, I gathered the courage to apply for a writing role, different from the social media roles that I’ve been relatively familiar with. Moving forward, I want to become more of a doer and strive towards self-actualisation. With Her Campus, I’m so glad that the team supports individuality and we work together to make things happen.
If you remember Jane’s magazine vertical ‘The Failing Feminist’, I’d like to think of myself as a ‘trying feminist’ who wants to give voice, be heard and grow with my peers at Her Campus at Nanyang Tech. I want to make the world a better place and continue to show up, even if I make mistakes, because that’s what makes me human.