Get ready for some 'praise hands' action this weekend, because it's Worldwide Instameet 15 and this year's theme is 'kindness'.
From 25th to 26th March, tens of thousands of people are expected to come together (through organised 'Insta' meets) to explore their creativity and connect with others around the world.
Those wishing to get involved need to know just one thing: the 'praise hands' emoji is the weekend's hashtag. Wherever you are, you can join in by creating your own # 🙌🙌🙌 portraits or simply by commenting '🙌🙌🙌' on those Instagrammers' posts you find most inspiring.
Such Instagrammers as these...
Megan Jayne Crabbe
@bodyposipanda; 320k followers
Megan describes herself as a 'body positive feminist eating disorder warrior' and it's her mission to encourage her followers to feel blooming brilliant about their own bodies too. When she was 15 years old, she found herself in the midst of an eating disorder she has said almost killed her.
Today, she uses her Instagram feed to celebrate her health and the road that led to recovery. It's also her mission to spread kindness; last weekend, she started a 'kindness train' by suggesting followers compliment the person above them in the comment section.
She gets some 'praise hands' emojis from us for sure.
Connie Inglis
@my_life_without_ana; 62.4k followers
Self love enthusiast and artist, Connie, uses her Instagram account to chronicle her recovery from anorexia. She explains to followers how recovery far from follows in a straight line – it's often a rocky road to get there – and has detailed the impact mental illness can have on relationships, like on that with your partner.
Her posts are positive and uplifting – a recent Valentine's snap was captioned 'Today I will love MYSELF!' – all of which clearly indicate why she has such a loyal and supportive fan base.
Sonny Turner
@SONNYTURNER___; 89.4k followers
Sonny is a plus size model and a body positive supporter to boot! Her Instagram account is peppered with uplifting words of wisdom, designed to make her followers feel fantastic in their own skin. She's honest about her day to day moods however, revealing to followers when she feels less than upbeat...
'There's no way I look or feel like this everyday,' she wrote in a recent post. 'in reality lately I have felt SHXX about myself both mentally and physically... I have felt the pressure to be this perfectly groomed and pretty model that I supposedly am 24/7... I have not felt like the strong woman I know I am deep down. the truth is body positivity is not easy.'
Mostly, however, the messages she puts out are notes of strength and confidence: 'Positive mindset check !! Be more productive check !! Walk into the room and own it, despite feeling insecure check !! Become a big woman,' she wrote earlier this month.
Does she get a 'praise hands' emoji from us? Check!
Gracie Francesca
@Gracefvictory; 111k followers
Known as the internet's big sister, Gracie is an award-wining vlogger, TV presenter and body positive queen. Last year, her documentary Clean Eating's Dirty Secrets aired on the BBC. Exploring and challenging a number of 'clean eating' rules so-called 'healthly eating experts' put out into the ether, the show amassed over 1.5million views.
Her upcoming book No Filter tackles the numerous challenges faced by young people today – such as mental health issues and just not knowing how to dress for oneself (and oneself alone). She sensitively issues advice – knowledge acquired from her own, very personal, quest to find self-love.
Brian Whittaker
@brianhwhittake; 516k followers
17-year-old Brian might have been scouted as a fashion model via Instagram but he found himself in the position of 'role model' for Instagram too after he candidly admitted he has battled depression.
His honest posts show both sides to his enviable career: the professional, with those handsome (photoshopped) final images, and the personal – with untouched photos revealing even models can struggle with acne. ('You can never win with my skin,' he captioned a recent snap. It earned him over 30k likes.)
Entertaining and friendly, Brian reveals what life's like behind the scenes of the photoshoot: learning to love his perceived imperfections ('I've always been too shy to show my teeth because of my gaps although I have accepted I have them,' he said recently), messing around with the make-up artists on set, and demonstrating how even male models make avocados their 'morning essentials'.
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