Candice Brathwaite on making motherhood diverse
Q Tell us about Make Motherhood Diverse – what’s your ultimate goal with it?
A My ultimate goal is for the MMD platform to go beyond me and anything I’ve ever envisioned. I started MMD with the idea that the platform is for every kind of mother and it would be very shortsighted of me to want to captain that ship forever. I know my co-founder Nicola Washington feels the same. The end goal may be a book, a permanent partnership with a larger brand and definitely a charity where we could perhaps put financial resources into making mothers’ lives easier.
Q What do you see as Instagram’s main strength? How do you believe it drives change?
A The main strength of Instagram is its ability to help build communities around ideas and causes. The power is now back in the hands of the people. Large conglomerates and the main ways of advertising no longer appeal. Now it’s our time. Many mothers are able to make money while staying at home. This is a massive advantage. It means that the process of selling is more authentic and brands who advertise are able to connect directly with their chosen audience.
Q What do you see as its downsides?
A Instagram can really make people feel like they need to compare their lives to others. What you see on the ’gram is a tiny snapshot of someone’s day. But it’s so easy to feel less than perfect when you’re up at 3am with engorged boobs, so I get it.
Q And how do you see the future of the platform?
A To be honest, I can’t see it! I think that’s how big their vision is. Facebook and Instagram are at the forefront of change when it comes to social media. And who knows what they’re working on next?
Q You’re working on a book! How exciting… How does it tie in with what you do on Instagram? How have you found the writing process?
A It ties in with my Instagram because I use Instagram to talk about my life as a young black woman trying to break down a ton of barriers. A lot of my captions are actually pluckings from things I’ve already written and my audience really connect with it when I express myself in that manner. To be honest, the writing process is gruelling. It’s a very personal piece of work, so I’m having to go back and dredge up feelings I worked really hard to suppress. But I have no doubt that it will help a lot of women, so it will be worth it.
Follow Candice on Instagram @candicebrathwaite and @makemotherhooddiverse
COMMENTS ARE OFF THIS POST