Polly Nor Is Your New Hero
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

Polly Nor Is Your New Hero

Polly Nor's illustrations are teaching women self-love, one demonic selfie at a time.

233
Polly Nor Is Your New Hero
Polly Nor

Idealized images of women are everywhere. Magazines, TV shows, movies, advertisements, and our Instagram feeds are constantly bombarding us with picture-perfect women in varying shades of artificial. The (male-dominated) media’s obsession with feminine beauty has caused our generation to buy into an industry that's growing faster than the GDP of the developed world. Whoa.

According the The Economist, the beauty industry makes $160 billion a year off of our desire to look pretty. We’re served up images of what the patriarchy thinks feminine beauty is and then we’re expected to mimic it, which is hurtful, expensive, and exhausting. Luckily, Polly Nor feels our pain.

Polly Nor is a freelance illustrator based in London. She graduated school in 2011 and has done illustrations for Bloomsbury Publishing, Dazed Digital, Hunger TV and Complex Magazine, so she's basically a big deal. She also happens to be a social media hero and low-key feminist icon.

Polly Nor’s semi-disturbing illustrations are a breath of fresh air (especially if you follow her on Instagram) since they're satirical yet honest images of imperfect women (who don’t give a f@#k about being imperfect) in a sea of Kylie Jenners, 15-second makeup tutorials, and unrealistic expectations. The women in her art aren't objectified, sexualized, idealized, or censored in any way, which is both radically feminist and playfully scandalous.

Polly Nor’s illustrations are glimpses into the bedrooms of women who are over it. The viewer imagines that the female character in each illustration has come home from work or school, taken off her makeup, gotten into an outfit that’s comfortable (aka her underwear or nothing at all) and is fully at home with herself (and her demons).

The demons, shockingly enough, don’t make the viewer feel any less safe and comfortable within the world Polly Nor illustrates. Polly Nor told Dazed magazine that her illustrations are inspired by “funny texts, angry tweets, memes and selfies”, as well as typical “girl chat,” so you can imagine that the demonic figures represent annoying ex-boyfriends, annoying current boyfriends, poisonous frenemies, personified insecurity or sexual frustration, or just straight-up female wickedness. The point is that these images don't cover up any of the less-than-pretty elements of womanhood like the mainstream media does, but instead welcome them into the bedroom, the bathroom, and the selfie. The demons are disarmed by each woman’s air of self-assurance and comfort, which allows viewers to feel okay about having some bad sh*t in their lives too.

Looking at Polly Nor’s work and seeing a bit of yourself in every piece is not supposed to make you feel shame, but the opposite. When you're laying on your bed with your belly hanging out, no makeup on, no bra on, not trying to look good for anyone, you’re still a work of art. I know it’s cheesy, but seeing yourself as still cool even when you look kinda gross is a lesson in complete freedom. Polly Nor's work can help you give yourself permission to not only face your demons and maybe even make friends with them, but also make friends with yourself in your most honest state, leg hair included.

Follow @PollyNor on Instagram and check out more of her work on pollynor.com.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
​a woman sitting at a table having a coffee
nappy.co

I can't say "thank you" enough to express how grateful I am for you coming into my life. You have made such a huge impact on my life. I would not be the person I am today without you and I know that you will keep inspiring me to become an even better version of myself.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

70630
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

45186
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

974250
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments