19 Things Our Creators Taught Us in 2019

It’s that time of the year again, people! As we get ready to close off 2019 (hello 2020!) we’re looking back at what this year has meant for the Vocal community. Not only has our platform gone through some big updates over the course of this year, but we’ve been excited to welcome many new creators and help them share their stories. Thanks to these stories, we’ve discovered new artists, picked up a few hobbies, taken several notes on how to actually practice self-care, and so much more.

In the spirit of celebrating the end of a decade, and because it’s the season for giving, we put together a handy guide with some of the fascinating, useful lessons that we’ve learned from all of you.

Thank you to our creators—you truly made 2019 an unforgettable year. Keep creating and inspiring us with your stories; we’re forever grateful for all that you've taught us! We can’t wait to see what 2020 has in store.

And so, here's our gift to you: 19 lessons that our creators have taught us in 2019.

1. We should keep emerging artists on our radar.

If there’s one thing we’ve learned this year, it’s that our creators are a reliable go-to source for new music. Whether you like indie, pop, rap, or really anything in between, creators on Beat have never failed to recommend new artists to watch. Talya Jacobson, for example, introduced us to several artists in her weekly series, Friday’s Five at 5, including Tori Templet, The Vinyl Press, lovemedo, and many more. Or what about all the times that Leigh Hooper made our weekend playlist significantly better with her Tunes to Get Grooving to? Another favorite this year has been Amanda Gabrielle, consistently introducing us to up and coming artists that, after learning about and listening to, we’re now obsessed with. There's been lots of new music coming our way—so much that we've even released a monthly playlist with all your favorite tunes: To the Beat.

2. You don’t have to be a professional to be an incredible photographer.

Many of us look at photography as a skill that you either have or don’t, and sadly our case is the latter. But if you’re like us, don’t fret! Our creators have given us hope that with some help, one day we’ll be the photographers of our dreams. Harrison Galgut introduced us to some photography tricks like how to get a film look on a digital camera or how to interact with light to really create a mood within a frame. Justin Clark’s guides have also been life-changing! You know that ISO setting in your camera? Well, we finally learned what that is all about, along with a few other things that are helping us get off Auto. And if you’re wondering if you need a camera to get started with photography, the answer is no. Rebekah B Lowri managed to take some pretty epic shots, all from the comfort of her iPhone, and thanks to her story, now you can too!

3. There are ways to still enjoy food when you have a restricted diet.

Whether your doctor broke the tragic news that you can’t have bread anymore, or you voluntarily chose to remove some items from your diet—nothing should make you feel like you can't enjoy food anymore! Where’s the fun in that? To prove that dietary restrictions aren’t all that bad, Alexis Montoya shared some of her favorite vegan spots in the Bronx, as well as some vegan finds to add some spice to your cooking. We also read some great tips for those who had to give up wheat *gasp*, and even found guides that can help you embrace this new lifestyle and feel better than ever.

4. Fast fashion is so 2018—Sustainable fashion is the way to go.

We’ve heard it before, and you’ve probably heard it as well. Articles have been written, and documentaries about fast fashion have been made, so what are we waiting for? Sustainable fashion is taking over the industry and there are more options than ever. If you still have your doubts, Amy E broke it down for us, which helped us understand why fast fashion is such a big problem, and why we need to be aware of the true cost of our wardrobes. Second hand clothing comes as a natural solution for this, and let’s not forget about thrifted items. The moral of the story is that we have options, so the transition from fast to eco-friendly seems only natural.

5. There are some things to know before buying your next makeup palette.

A Sephora run can be extremely dangerous, we get it. We were in the same boat. But thankfully some of our creators shared stories that have really helped us become more mindful of our makeup purchases. Miranda taught us a few things about what’s actually in the beauty products we wear on a daily basis that, to be honest, we hadn’t even thought about before. We’ve started being extra conscious of our choices, especially now that winter is here and we have to show our skin a little extra love. But no worries, Glaux Chem has some tips on how to keep our skin healthy during this time of the year. And if you can’t help yourself (we don’t blame you) and feel the urge to add to cart, try these suggestions to buying makeup on a budget.

6. Traveling like a local is still possible (despite your incriminating tourist selfie-stick!).

It’s okay, we’ve all been guilty of being, or traveling with, that someone who feels the need to use a selfie stick for no apparent reason. If your 2020 resolutions include more travel, we kindly suggest that you put that selfie stick away and instead take some time to go over these travel guides! For those who want to visit Iceland, the Blue Lagoon is a must, of course, but have you considered midnight scuba diving? Or if you’re more of a city person, Paris should definitely be on your list—but try visiting these free museums and galleries that are truly hidden gems. And if you’re up for a challenge, here’s a guide on how to tackle China, South Korea, and Japan in Less Than Three Weeks.

7. There are certain places where drinks just taste better.

You might be thinking a drink is a drink no matter where you’re having it, but let us just say this: aesthetics matter! We read a story a few months back about the best speakeasy bars and we haven’t been able to stop thinking about them. Every single one of these bars has a certain je ne sais quoi that makes their drinks look elevated. And if we’re talking about aesthetics, these Brighton cocktail bars definitely pass the test. Ultimately, there’s no place like home, so we suggest you try out this wine subscription that has significantly improved our nights in at home:

8. Some stories are truly a big mood.

Yes, we’re talking about stories that get you in that mood. Creators have proven that lit erotica is here to stay. Aurore shared some of our favorite Filthy stories this year, and we can’t help but love their mission to encourage storytelling within erotica. Mainstream porn just doesn’t seem to cut it anymore—just take a look at some of their stories and you’ll notice the difference. Likewise, we’ve had some creators sharing open, honest stories about sex that go beyond the usual erotic piece. Katrin With Love, for example, wrote about overcoming painful sex and living with vaginismus.

9. This is what essentials oils are actually for.

It’s not news that essential oils are in. It almost feels like they’re everywhere—add them to your diffuser, add them to your food, rub them on your forehead! We get it, they’re good for you, but for what exactly? Thankfully our creators taught us a thing or two about them. Divine Dynasty actually explained it pretty well in this comprehensive summary of all their benefits, including stress relief. While your kids might not seem stressed, essential oils can be a family affair—and can even help improve your mood when you're having a bad day. Ultimately, essential oils are a more natural way to take charge of your health.

10. Useful skincare hacks we’ve added to our daily routine.

SPF! SPF! SPF! If you’re not applying sunscreen every morning, rain or shine (literally) then you’re not taking proper care of your skin. We love to complain about every single new wrinkle we spot on our faces, but are we taking any steps into showing our skin some extra care? Julia Benson discussed the importance of certain products that you won’t want to miss if you’re worried about this. On that same note, if you’re worried about your skin looking less than glowy, you’re going to love this story about exfoliating, moisturizing, and every other step you’re currently skipping and probably shouldn’t. Oh and one last thing—in the words of Robert Gitau: Men, It Is Time You Started Taking Grooming Seriously!

11. You don’t have to be a yogi to practice yoga and meditation.

The number of creators who share stories about how yoga and meditation have changed their lives for the better is truly overwhelming—in a good way! We must shamelessly admit that before this, we were quick to turn away from yoga solely with the excuse of not being “yogis.” But that’s all in the past! Savannah McKinley’s yoga overview was one of the first stories we read that sparked our interest in this practice. We learned more about it when we heard from students who used yoga as a way to handle stress (these tips are definitely not limited to students—they’ve helped us a lot!) And if you’ve downloaded all the meditation apps but still don’t quite get it, try learning more about it first and then dive deeper into your wellness journey.

12. There’s never been a better time to clap back at outdated social beauty standards.

This really has been the year to break boundaries and simply do you. Traditional beauty standards are very outdated, and luckily women are fighting back. Who says it’s still taboo to talk about women’s body hair? Or why is it that if we choose to wear big hoops the immediate reaction is “the bigger the hoops, the bigger the…”? Who is to say that your body is not worth loving? It’s your body after all—rock those hoops, feel empowered by yourself and be thankful for the body that gets you places. This year, creators have shown us how to embrace our beauty no matter what society might say.

13. Moms deserve an award—truly.

Seems obvious, but sometimes we forget how much our mothers go through and everything we owe to them. This year has been full of new moms sharing their inspiring birth stories, others sharing their experiences raising a family, and others remembering what it was like to have a full house a few years back. Samantha Bentley, for example, became a new mom earlier this year (congrats!) and has been sharing some incredibly useful hacks, including her realization that she might be part of the Attachment Parents club.

On the note of childbirth, Natalie Lennard has really done an incredible job at depicting the beauty that comes with giving birth in her series, Birth Undisturbed. Her stories are powerful beyond words so we encourage you to read them and keep up with her work.

14. Pets are real-life heroes (we already knew this, but 2019 just proved the point once again).

We can all agree that their simple existence already makes our lives significantly better, but here’s a few extra reasons why our pets are real-life heroes. We were touched by this story of a dog who helped lift up his owner out of a dark place when she needed it the most—sometimes dogs can be better friends than your own best friends. This other story emphasized that there are no bad dogs, and we couldn’t agree more. And speaking of pets being heroes, here are some superpowers your cat actually has. Finally, a highlight of 2019 has got to be this family of baby chickens that brightened up our days.

15. There’s an actual order on how to watch your Marvel favorites.

Have you heard of the Spaghetti Order? If you haven’t, then you’re in for a treat! Jonathan Sim, one of our go-to creators for all things movies and especially all things Marvel, figured out the perfect order to watch the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movies. You’ll have to read the story to figure out why that name, but more importantly you’ll want to make sure you’ve watched these in the right order. Jonathan Sim has also gifted us with some of the best, spoiler-free reviews to our favorite movies—for instance we relied on his Knives Out review before deciding whether or not we wanted to watch the film (yes, they’re that good!)

16. Cosplayers go big or go home.

And we wouldn’t have it any other way! Some of our creators have really shown us how inventive and creative they can get when it comes to cosplay. We’ve learned all about the tips and tricks for creating your own cosplay, as well as seeing millions of people coming together to celebrate their favorite characters. Mark Wesley Pritchard truly stood out this year with some great interviews with different cosplayers—which you can read here.

17. Poetry is still one of the most beautiful forms of self expression.

As we saw more and more creators submit countless poems to our Poets community, we realized that poetry will continue to be the most enchanting form of self expression. Creators use their poems to channel their feelings in a way that inspired us this year and led us to celebrate National Poetry Month with our Poets in Motion challenge. We had other poets explore poems with the addition of visual elements, like Lenora Huynh and her work with colourism and cultural alterity as a Southeast Asian-Canadian. Fatima Elmusbahi is another creator who uses poetry to show a beautiful, different, more intimate side of herself.

18. Being a freelancer is no easy task.

This one was a tough lesson to learn but ultimately, being a freelancer is a full time job. If you want to make it work, you have to set goals for yourself. Lots of creators on Vocal are freelance writers who have shared some insights into what they do that helps them stay productive and active. Others are freelancers while they work on starting something of their own—we also had some great suggestions of things to do to increase productivity during this chapter of your life. And of course, it can’t hurt to get some inspiration from some great minds who we look up to—in this case, famous writers.

19. Some (scary) classics are simply timeless.

We’ll admit that we’re not the biggest fans of scary movies, but a good classic is hard to pass. Our creators on Horror have really made us put all our fears aside and mentally prepare ourselves for a movie of timeless horror classics. First on the list is Psycho (1960), which we can’t leave out, especially not after the story that Marielle Sabbag shared about it. Another one that made it in our list is The Shining. And in case those aren’t your personal favorites, here’s a list of the 10 best horror movies from the 90s:

And that’s a wrap! We’ve learned quite a bit from our creators this past year, so we hope this helped you take away a lesson or two. With that, we say farewell 2019, and another big thank you to all of you for continuing to share your stories with us. We’re ready for a new decade of powerful, hilarious, insightful, and inspiring stories shared on Vocal.

We can’t wait to see what you create in 2020!