Milestone Anxiety
How we navigate our 20s & a Special Announcement
Happy Sunday!
As we bid adieu to the sun-soaked days of summer, does it ever feel like everyone around you is moving while you’re standing still? Don’t worry, you're not alone! This month, Lazy Women is diving headfirst into something we all know too well: milestone anxiety. Get ready as we tackle the quarter-life crisis conundrum in our sizzling new podcast episode and take a whimsical tour into the pink-and-pretty (or is it?) universe of Barbie through not one, but two new articles!
But wait, there’s even more excitement coming your way! Get ready for our biggest announcement yet: This October we are launching our first-ever crowdfunding campaign and we need your support!
Additionally, we’re extending an exclusive invitation for you to join us at our in-person crowdfunding launch party at the end of September in Paris. No time to waste – simply scroll down and lock in your spot for the thrill!
See you soon😉
Your Lazies
Special Announcement!
Lazy Women is going BIG and you are all invited for the ride! As we hinted in our last issue, this October we are launching a big crowdfunding campaign to ensure our financial sustainability and grow into a real independent feminist media. We have just published our campaign pre-registration page, so make sure you sign up not to miss any updates!
Pre-registrations (just like pre-orders) have a real impact because they signal a potential interest in our campaign to the crowdfunding site and other funders, and therefore heavily influence its overall success rate. Because of that, it would mean the world to us if you could register via the link below. Thank you! ❤️
(Don’t worry, giving your address does not mean any obligation, it is for information purposes only.)
To personally present you our plans for the future of Lazy Women and answer any and all of your questions, we are also organising a crowdfunding Q&A call on September 1st, 17.30 CET. You can join us via this ZOOM link:
Paris-based? Then you’re in luck! The party of the year, a.k.a. our Crowdfunding launch party, will take place on Saturday, September 30th, at 19.00. You can look forward to a cool DJ, funky drinks, and a group of Lazies from all over Europe coming to Paris to celebrate this occasion. We would love to see you there! Please register here in case you are planning to join us.
Fresh on Lazy Women!
“Why I hate capitalism”: The Struggles of Leaving a Bullshit Job
Ever feel like you need to choose between financial stability and happiness in your career? Read Lazy Dorina’s newest article where she asks and analyses the important question: “How can the world be so fucked up that I earn significantly more in a bullshit job than as a human rights activist?”
The Return of the Cultural Icon: Barbie on Silver Screen and in Our Lives
Reinforcing an unattainable standard or putting a feminist twist on it? Promoting white feminism or celebrating diversity? A capitalist dream or societal critique? What and who does the figure of Barbie represent? Join us in the conversation of the cinematic and cultural phenomenon of Barbie in Lazy Annaliina’s article.
Barbie and Feminism: Our Readers’ Views
Whimsical, colourful, and divisive, Greta Gerwig’s Barbie has left us feeling all the emotions. Whether the film has awoken in you a nostalgia for girlhood, the desire to wear pink, or criticisms, we all have regards towards this newest blockbuster. Check out our readers’ testimonies where they focus on the contradictions of Barbie girlhood, the role of feminism in the film, and so much more!
Single, but Not That Keen to Mingle
Single, but not that keen to mingle? You're not alone. Being single for a prolonged period of time is often judged, especially if you’re a young woman trying to find her way in this world. As if the only thing you should care about is finding THE ONE. In this empowering piece, Lazy Gabi writes about the challenges, lessons and perks of chosen singlehood and shares her “Seven Self-Empowering Commandments”.
Why you shouldn’t feel guilty for not wanting to be a mother
Babies. They are everywhere: social media, family pressure, that cousin who is your age and already has three beautiful girls screaming at you that you are somewhat late for all of that magic. Is this really how it's all supposed to go? In this challenging and honest piece, Iulia Hau aka La pas molcom takes us to the (sometimes not-so) magical baby land. A must-read!
ADHD: Why I can never be the perfect woman
"My mood swings, impatient nature and questionable spending habits have never fit this stereotypical image of ADHD. Instead, my symptoms were often explained as character traits – ‘lazy,’ ‘disorganised,’ ‘clumsy’ – to name a few."
More and more women get their ADHD diagnosis in their twenties or later in life because of data bias. And although it is a great relief to know that ‘nothing is wrong with us,’ it might still prevent us from taking the ‘traditional’ path, such as having a stable job or balancing with new adult responsibilities, while struggling with the limited amount of attention span that we have. In this brilliant and in-depth piece, Jo Crawford looks at how gender stereotypes have shaped our societal understanding of ADHD and their role in preventing women’s access to diagnosis, support, and recognition.
Shoutout to all the Lazies with ADHD - know you are not alone💖
The Terrible Twenties: Learning how to navigate our quarter-life crisis
In this episode, Lazy Zsofi is joined by Lazy Una to discuss the complexities of being in our 20s. Sharing personal anecdotes, anxieties and adventures, Zsofi and Una’s conversation will resonate with anyone approaching, living through, or reflecting on their 20s, and the challenges this entails (especially for women). They are also joined by a very special guest: Jemma Sbeg of The Psychology of Your 20s podcast, so make sure to tune in until the end!
And if you haven’t listened to our little behind-the-scenes episodes about what we’ve been up to in the past six months, you can do so here.
Music Credits: Sophie M’ (Dorottya Ács and Pál Zwickl)
Image Credits: Eszter Zwickl & Selen Sarikaya
💐 We feel you: many of our Lazies are grappling with milestone anxiety and a quarter-life crisis and the internet seems to agree. We found solace in other creators sharing their experience, from addieadessy’s reflection on turning 26, Tar Mar’s thoughts on keeping your spirit young, or Gittemarie’s side hustle anti-haul manifesto (because not everything in our lives needs to be ‘brought to the next level’ and/or monetised). And if you still need some extra pick-me-up, these are 5 things we hope for you this season and the best life lessons you learn in your 20s (in case you’ve been feeling stuck).
🎓 Zooming in: interested in diving deeper into our monthly topic? Our Lazies have you covered! Lazy Lauren recommends The Success Myth, the latest book by her all-time favourite creator Emma Gannon (pssst, you can read her full review here) or Catherine Prasifka’s None of This is Serious about the anxieties of early 20s. Lazy Dinara adds in some listening recommendations for your daily dog walks or self-care sessions, be it notes on the journey to self-discovery or tips on how to talk to people. She’s also been loving Insecure, a Netflix show about millennial rage / quarter life crisis / self fulfilment, written by and starring Issa Rae (Hello, Mrs. President!)
🏖️ Summer chill: summer is in full swing and we hope that you are getting some well-deserved rest! We put together our fav Lazy Tunes to help you wind down but if you are more into reading or journaling, don’t worry, we also have some recommendations for those.
🖊️ Imagine you were to turn 80 tomorrow. Looking back at your life, what decisions and experiences would you value the most? Is it your career, building a family, taking risks, unforgettable friendships, travelling,...? Journal these down or hit reply if you are willing to share!
Lazy Women at Budapest Pride
Hungary’s LGBTQIA+ community is constantly under attack by the government. Since 2020, the year we shared our article on how human rights get violated by the Hungarian state, the campaign against marginalised folks hasn’t stopped. If anything, it got more intense. We stand by all the LGBTQIA+ groups, not only because many of our Lazies are affected by these violent laws and hateful propaganda but also because we don’t believe that anyone should be made to feel less worthy than others.
On a happier note, that is why we participated in the Pride Parade in Budapest on July 15th. On an insanely hot summer Saturday we met up with other Lazies in ‘fits showcasing all the colours of the rainbow and holding flags and signs we joined the Pride march. It was so great to see all of you there and we are hoping we will meet again very soon. And now enjoy the colourful photos by Kinga Gárdonyi!
…and in Vienna
We are EVERYWHERE! Ok, not quite but Vienna is the third city in Europe where the Lazies have met. And what a good time we had! We spent a beautiful summer evening in the Burggarten with drinks&snacks, discussing crucial topics like what the best and worst place is to have a piercing in or how our mental health is affected by the current system and what ways there are to handle that.
Hooked? If you wanted to organise a similar meetup in your city, let us know and we’ll figure it out!
…and in the press!
Do you speak Hungarian? Our founder and editor-in-chief, Lazy Zsofi gave an interview to one of the last independent newspapers in Hungary, Népszava. The article is a perfect overview of what Lazy Women stand for and where we are heading next. (It is understandable with Google Translate too!)
Shado Mag’s Book Club
Our friends at the shado mag are organising an amazing new book club! Love Beyond the Binary will run from September to November, going through three books and exploring “love and how it can be reimagined outside of romantic relationships and instead mobilised for collective care for communities, self-acceptance, equality across intersections and a system built on liberation.” You can register and check out all the details on their website. We can’t wait for it to start!
Lazy Women recommends
Room of Their Own: a space to create for young women
Lazy Johi visited an exhibition in Ani Molnár Gallery in Budapest called Room of Their Own referencing Virginia Woolf's iconic book Room Of One’s Own:
“I was lucky enough to take a peek at this exhibition on a warm summer night, the street buzzing with the big crowd that came to celebrate the opening. Self-described as a “middle-generation curator,” Kata Oltai specifically wanted to create a space for young female artists from all around the country, a concept that is particularly refreshing to see at a commercial gallery. Though the artists come from different backgrounds and work with vastly different mediums, their highly personal pieces all seemed to somehow touch on women dealing with their own identities. I recommend spending an afternoon checking out the exhibition with a friend, grabbing a coffee at the iconic Gutenberg stand down the road to discuss the artworks, and then popping into the curator Kata Oltai’s amazing vintage store, Konfekció, to round things off!”
Thank you, Johi, for the review and the pictures!
You can follow her advice and still visit the exhibition until the end of September. More details here.
Hilma af Klint & Piet Mondrian: Forms of Life
In London over the summer and looking for some art inspiration (and a small dose of feminist outrage)? Then you must head to the Tate Modern to check out the current exhibition of Hilma af Klint’s work! Af Klint was a pioneer of abstract art but just like many other female artists, her name and contribution has for long been erased from history and her primacy instead attributed to her male colleague (looking at you, Kandinsky). Lazy Lucie is going there next week, so stay tuned for her review (and the full story of this incredible art theft).
Available to visit until September 3.
This newsletter is the result of 6 people’s work and took 25 hours to create.
Illustrated by Katarína Máliková
Created by Lazy Lucie, Lazy Sterre, Lazy Lucy & Lazy Dorina
Edited by Lazy Zsofi