No H8 - November 8th

November 8th the nail polish community is taking a stand!

"Bullying is not funny. It is not cool. It is not right. And more importantly, it is not okay.
Most of us are, thankfully, residents of countries that support tolerance and many of our families have settled in these places simply for that reason. Generations later, it is our responsibility to perpetuate that message of tolerance across our new social platforms, including the internet.

As members of the nail polish blogging community, we all share a love of beauty, color, and lacquer. Other than that, we are remarkably different: from our race to our religion to our hair color...even to our polish application techniques. To marginalize anyone because of those differences is completely unacceptable and today I take a stand against that. I refuse to allow other people's view of "normal" dictate how I behave, believe, and blog.

My purple manicure represents my proud commitment to the No H8 movement. Today, November 8, I dedicate my post to ending bullying of any kind and to encouraging diversity and imperfection among our colorful community." - Eradicate Hate in the Nail Polish Blogger Community

Bullying is not just an epidemic it is something every one of us have experienced.  Who among us hasn't dealt with some form of bullying whether in our real life experiences or online?

As a blogger I have seen how easy it is for people to feel unattached to online communities.  No one is looking you in the eye, there are no consequences for what you are saying, no one is keeping you in check.  What people fail to realize is that there is a person connected to each blog and username.  Someone that has feelings, someone that has parents and has some of the same struggles as you do.

Bullying in all forms is unacceptable.  This is not just a movement that is taking roots in schools, young teens have gone to extreme measures to escape bullying, even attempting suicide because of words and actions that haven taken place online.

We as a society are not chickens!  There is no pecking order.  There is no reason to beat someone down.

In the nail community the most frequent bullying I have seen has been some of the worst kind.  Usually there is a beginning nail art explorer trying out some techniques.  Everyone has to start somewhere.  My first attempt at nail art was laughable!  Here it is:

I found this nail art tutorial from the CutePolish youtube channel and tried it.  It would have been easy to point out a lot of things wrong with this and get bullied for my mani.  If I was bullied about this nail art it probably would have turned me off to nails altogether.  Instead, a few people said nice things about it, including a big name nail girl on Instagram, nic_tchelly.  I was so flattered she complemented my attempt at nail art and lifted by the nice things people said that I kept working at it and a year later here I am.  

Do you want to be the kind of person that helps someones confidence, moral support and experience as they grow and learn or the person that can quickly kill passion and exploration?

We live in the 21st century!  If you don't have something nice to say don't say it!  There is a big difference between helpful, constructive criticism and blatant disregard for someones work. 

We should be past this and I, along with other nail bloggers, won't stand for it.  To show my support here is my purple No H8 manicure:

I used Essence Oh My Glitter! and China Glaze Electric Beat on the ring finger to make a gradient.

Remember, everyone is different and everyone needs to start somewhere!  I want to take pride in the community I am a part of.  A community that is accepting of everyone no matter how experienced or what their preferences are.  Show your support today with a purple No H8 mani.  I'd love to see them in the comments!

<3