An Ode To Rookie Magazine

Thursday, March 23, 2017

BY FARHIRA FARUDIN

I first discovered Rookie Magazine when I was 18. I was fresh out of high school, and spent my time at home getting bored whilst finding jobs here and there. 2015 is easily considered as one of the darkest times of my life, albeit I've been through worse. It was the year where I felt lost. In a way I couldn't contemplate the real purpose of my existence in this world. Who am I? No, don't tell me "You're Farhira." I know that. But who am I? What purpose do I serve in this world? What is my ambition? Why does the future seems so dark when once I was a bright child who could make her parents proud?

Amid of contemplating my life goals and seeing everyone else around me slowly but surely achieving theirs, I found Rookie Magazine. When I found out that RookieMag is an online magazine for teenage girls, it doesn't sound like a big deal to me. Sure, another magazine for teenage girls that will only tell me how to perfect my smile for the boy I have a crush on or how to get ready for the perfect summer look in 5 minutes! Then I found out that the editor-in-chief and founder of the magazine is Tavi Gevinson, who was only 15 years old when she founded the company.

This information surprised me. It enlightens a spark inside me, like an awakening or a wake-up call I've been longing for. The simple information was somehow the most inspiring thing I've discovered in that year full of dull and shallow moments. How can someone so young be able to run a company? So I went on the site. And to come as a surprise, RookieMag was NOTHING alike those magazines so-called dedicated for teenage girls I've been reading throughout my entire teenage years!

Tavi Gevinson

One of the first few essays I read on Rookie is How To Structure Your Days If You're Depressed. This, of course, to me was relatable. I needed the essay. I was going through hell at 18, and Rookie was the online guidance written by the women I've never met, but somehow their writings resonates so much of happiness to me. What I enjoy the most about Rookie Mag is almost all of the writers and the contributors are teenagers themselves, which means they know what to provide to teenagers out there. At 18, I felt I was old to be reading Rookie and wished I had discovered Rookie sooner because it would've definitely helped me a lot when I was high school dealing with countless problems with my friends and school work. But apparently, I wasn't the only one who felt this way. Many adults wished Rookie existed during their teenage years, and in fact Rookie still does help them surviving their adult life!

Rookie Magazine is simply a magazine for all teenage girls who is still in quest of discovering themselves. Rookie doesn't give you straight the solution to all of your problems, in fact they are still learning and searching for all the solution in this crazy world but Rookie exists to tell teenage girls that whatever problem they are facing, it's fine. There is always a solution to everything. Rookie also acts as platform which introduced me to many great films, music, essays and writers of course! I discovered many great writers from Rookie such as Amy Rose Spiegel, Arabelle Sicardi and of course Tavi herself, who is a tremendous writer! I knew I wanted to be a writer, but didn't have the guts to announce it to everyone until I discovered Rookie. I am glad Rookie serves as a place for girls to discover many things about themselves, and not only that, Rookie also serves teenage girls with the latest news in the social, economical and political field.

Rookie Magazine is also the first platform that was responsible for introducing me to feminism. In the midst of everyone else spreading words that feminism is nothing but a type of cancer to the society, Rookie acts as a light to show the way and give reasons why feminism matters, especially for young girls.

To be honest, if it weren't for feminism, I wouldn't be as confident as I am today. Feminism helps me to stand up for myself and my beliefs and be proud of it. Feminism taught me to avoid girl-on-girl hate and the importance of female solidarity. Feminism taught me to chase my dreams when everyone else around seems so eager to put me down just because I want to be a writer. Feminism allows me to always dream bigger, and instead of hoping to be a writer someday, I now want to achieve other things such as being a film director and screenwriter. Feminism taught me that what boys think of me don't matter and will never be. Most importantly, feminism taught me self-love, because before this being kind to myself seems like something that I do not deserve due to everything that I had to go through.

Oh how I wish I could tell you more about how much I love RookieMag but words can't even describe the amount of euphoria that hits me every time I go on their site. The essays are magnificent and eminently inspiring, the advice columns screams "Hey, we are not perfect, nobody is, but many of us have gone through the same thing as you so don't worry we are here to help you!" The photos taken seems so professional when really most of them are taken by teenage girls and their cheap old film cameras. Also, the countless talented musicians, actors and artists such as Thom Yorke, Lorde, and Joanna Newsom, they all have given interviews and their advice to teenage girls reading Rookie as well, which shows these people acknowledge the existence of an online magazine for teenage girls where the purpose is solely to spread positivity and inspirational messages!

Until today, I will always be thankful for the existence of Rookie Magazine. Rookie has helped me to pave my way to become a writer, in a way it has become so inspiring and so endearing to me at the same time. Rookie has taught me many things, from feminism to world political views to pop culture to how to be a better writer. Somehow the awkward lonely teenage girl inside me has turned into a somewhat inspiring person, and what makes me happy is I have become my own inspiration. Truth to be told, I wouldn't be the girl I am today, wildly ambitious and always see the importance of self-love above anything else, if it weren't for Rookie. Rookie gave me a voice I never thought I had, and I hope Rookie will continue to do this in the future because if anything, teenage girls need Rookie Mag now more than ever.