Youthquake

Why Youthquake?

My eternal favorite, Edie being the inspiration and initial spark of a lifelong dedication to her influential fascination in my life since high school— when I first learned that Vogue Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief, Diana Vreeland, coined the term ‘Youthquake’ in 1965 to define the intense energy emanating from youth culture; and youth’s involvement with art, film, music, and social movements. Making it the perfect facilitator for what I envision for Youthquake.
Yet this writing venture will see moments off the beaten path with a self-discovery journey of finding strength in vulnerability and self-empowerment— along with featured dedications to the fascination yet ridiculousness tangled web of pop culture and more. Youthquake symbolizes my life-long assumed provocative rejection of a woman’s idealized expectations as a Millennial— along with finding a place within two cultures as a first-generation Mexican-American.

What’s a Youthquake?

As the face of Vogue Magazine’s ‘Youthquake’ movement, Edie Sedgwick’s undeniable charisma and joie de vivre were exploited and commodified by the patriarchy— a capitalist tale as old as time. For me, she’s much more than being reduced as just the face of Andy Warhol’s Factory days or being some ‘it girl’ with a signature style. Attempting to make sense of her life, Edie stated, “it’s not that I’m rebelling. It’s that I’m just trying to find another way”— precisely what I’m trying to create with Substack as the catalyst to feature my writing.

Why Should I Subscribe?

Since writing is my favorite form of expression, it’s a more in-depth look at an attempt to be a more selfless and sardonic Carrie Bradshaw than what was allotted to me in the past. My tad cynical jest reflects the fluctuating cycle of freelancing as it can be an endless labyrinth; take your pick from Pan’s Labyrinth, Labyrinth, The Shining, or Maze Runner—they all apply. So as my rejected pitches find brevity online in Youthquake, I dedicate this newly-found haven to exploring creatively— and writing more on my terms.
My hope with Youthquake is to build a readership and online community similar to the vibe of that nostalgic school club with a capacity to care about more than one issue. Along with an affinity yet frustration for all things pop culture, art, fashion, and its social critiques. Thus, Youthquake created the Pop Culture Cold Brew except without celebrity worship. We’re not about exploiting the frankly oversaturated celebrity machine or the obsession with fame; instead, we’d rather focus on what truly sparks joy. Like what films/tv shows we’re watching or can’t get enough of; or what music we’re listening to on New Music Fridays (as part of our TGIF lineup). We’ll also pepper our navigation into mental health with personal essays and plenty of other features like interviews, Q & A’s, and more. As a once juvenile now turned adult product of the working class, featuring a spotlight on uplifting social movements and proactively engaging within communities is essential with Calls to Action that help empower and liberate. Daring to care less about stanning celebrities and influencers since they’re not above critique simply because they’re powerful or revered and more about social movements or utilizing our talents for art— whatever version of that is, for love is a collective benefit— a most radical act of self-care and self-love to dare to defy a desensitized conditioned status quo.

About Youthquake Founder

Youthquake expands on allowing myself to be seen on my terms instead of being perceived or idealized online— as I’m not a singular expression with Twitter fingers; I’m much more than the ‘Single Girl’ Millennial trope. Conversely, it’s an exploration to try something out of my comfort zone while pursuing new goals— personally and professionally with my rebuffed pitches finding their rightful home in Youthquake. So far, moving to Substack feels like a comfortable oversized sweater in the middle of autumn. So, with hope, Youthquake will be a comfort in some way. You read or catch up on the Youthquake archives— or get to know me via social media; or musically via my love of playlists, which I update constantly.

• Portfolio

• Twitter

• Instagram

• Apple Music

• Spotify

Con Amor,

Naomi Mejia

P. S. For more information on Edie Sedgwick, I recommend;
Edie: Girl on Fire by David Weisman, Edie: American Girl by Jean Stein & George Plimpton, and Edie Factory Girl by David Dalton & Nat Finklestein.