With global mayhem, the constant stream of social media, and an inbox full of spam newsletters I’ve been feeling inundated with information. And, while it’d be great to shove my head in the sand, that’s simply not an option – I ain’t no ostrich. We have a duty to know what’s going on out there – not only in the headlines, but in deeper how-does-this-impact-my-life ways, too.
How does one maintain wokeness and a decluttered brain simultaneously? Keep the treasures and throw out the shit, darling.
I found a great aggregator and news source while scrolling Instagram not long ago. What first caught my eye was the aesthetic but that was quickly matched by the content. Meet, The Lily. Birthed from The Washington Post when staffers were tasked with reaching new audiences in a medium outside of print. The idea of using design-driven, smart, and highly-curated content to reach a younger demographic of women was that of then Design Director’s, Amy King. Over the last year, King has grown The Lily in her role as the Editor and Creative Director of The Lily.
Like Ellen DeGeneres, I have a certain penchant for things designed for women. You know, the same thing considered for men, but more adorable and slightly watered down. Oh, and usually at double the cost.
That’s not The Lily.
Along with brand voice rules like addressing their audience as women instead of ladies, girls, chicks, or other belittling cutesy names, they also avoid pop culture slang, and rarely use emojis. “A lot of publishers use emojis or memes, but it’s transparent older people are trying to get us to click,” King (a female millennial herself) told me. “At The Lily we only use the black heart which shows healthy skepticism. And, the peace sign appears sometimes.” King’s vision was to focus on the news design, saying, “print always put so much thought and care [into their editorial layouts.]” Her vision has truly come to life, no matter what platform you follow The Lily on.
I get my daily dose on their Instagram page. They don’t offer a news play-by-play like their father publication, but take a deeper, often BTS look at the people and events in current stories, and how they affect women. There’s a balance of long-form posts, and thought-provoking cartoons about navigating daily life. The pieces are nourishing and digestible, pulled together by their powerhouse team of journalists and creatives, and freelancers offering up their original content.
I asked King what inspired her every day to keep the stream as fresh-faced as it always is, and I love her answer. “I try to stay curious about the world and that translates back to The Lily.” Amen. We get ahead by rivalling Alice.
See for yourself why I love this news outlet so much on their site, Facebook, Medium, Twitter, or as I said, Instagram.
