LARISSA MAY

LARISSA MAY

@livinlikelarz of @halfthestory

What does it mean to you to be a nasty woman? To be unapologetically yourself.

Is there a quote/motto you try to live by? Everything is ok in this moment. Just breathe. 

Coffee or tea? Coffee. 

Go to beauty products? Ursa Major Recovery Cream, Billie Razors, and Ilia All-Natural Makeup

What’s one thing that’s always in your handbag? #HalfTheStory Stickers 😂

Favorite indulgence? Momofuku Milk Bar Cake Balls 

Girl crush? Sophia Amoruso 

Who is a woman you look up to and why? Norma Kamali-- she is an icon. She was one of the first female designers and has continuously managed to reinvent herself throughout her life as a wellness guru, author, feminist, and change maker. She taught me that the key to life is reinvention.  

Go to outfit? Double-Denim and Sneakers.

Favorite brand? At the moment I'm really digging Mother Denim. 

How do you incorporate women’s rights into your job? How do they influence your work?

Our job with #HalfTheStory is to create a platform for both men and women to expose the realities that they face behind closed doors, but our community is primarily females. We recruited a group of global ambassadors sharing our message and empowering authentic conversation. One of our fearless #storysquad members is based in Seoul and is utilizing #HalfTheStory as a platform to expose injustices, reduce the stigma around mental health, and sexual abuse for women.

What message/ word would you wear on your RP custom jewelry? Why?

BOOM! To be honest there are many days where I feel like I can't keep it all together. It's important to have personal affirmations. You have to be your own cheerleader. 

You’ve said before that social media can make it easier to mask feelings of anxiety and depression. You’ve also shown us being raw, honest and unfiltered on social media can help us confront those icky feelings, head on. How do you practice that for yourself?

Since the beginning of #HalfTheStory I've completely changed my perspective and approach to social media. Instagram stories is a great way for me to reveal the realities I face. I not only focus on the wins (there are many!) but shed light on the losses or struggles. It's important to remain human or you can quickly become disconnected from your community or mission. 

Social media is constantly evolving and is more ingrained in our lives than ever before. Where do you see it in five years? How do we move towards a healthy social media environment?

The future of social media is exciting. The next phase of #HalfTheStory is to conduct research about the relationship between social media and mental health. Our goal is to build a series of programs and curriculums to change the way we use social media at schools across the globe. We have so much to learn, but I am confident we are heading in the right direction. 

How do you unplug for spiritual (mental) rejuvenation? I take a walk. It sounds simple, but it really heals my mind, body, and soul. It's important to spend time with yourself. 

What’s one thing you do daily that helps alleviate your anxiety? I meditate every morning for 10 minutes & I turn my phone on airplane mode when I'm winding down for bed. 

Imagine this: you’re on your couch and you’ve scrolled yourself into an Instagram K-hole of perfectly curated lives: beautiful, exotic backdrops for beautiful people doing beautiful things. You know it’s not really "real" but you still can’t help feeling a little bit jealous. How do you snap out of it?

I've been there. The best way to do this is to immediately unfollow the accounts that give you that feeling, turn off your phone, go outside, and LIVE YOUR LIFE. The average person spends around 6 hours a day on social media-- it's about time we start experiencing the real world again. 

General advice for anyone reading this? You must continue to reinvent yourself. What is relevant today is not relevant tomorrow. Never settle. 

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