Manifesting

The term "soft life" emerged from the Nigerian influencer community as a "way to imagine what life can feel like apart from the realities of Black women's ...

And I think we should be able to do that considering the generations and generations of trauma that our community has endured." We don't want the struggle love, we don't want the struggle job, we don't want any of that," she said. But there still are Black women that have characteristics of the strong Black woman, for various, valid reasons, and now feel like they can't enjoy the perks of a 'soft life.'" "In this version of the soft life movement, they're embracing a stereotypical image of a Black woman and then they're trying to say that they are not that. The access, wisdom, and knowledge these platforms provide are creating space for Black women to bite back against the stereotypes that have been expected of them in order to survive. It's a new rendition of self-care that is really unapologetically prioritizing what it is that we need in rejection of this strong Black woman narrative that so many of us have been cultured into really adopting." "It's getting us to the point where we are acknowledging that we don't want the struggle life. To be exact, it's an expression that rejects the stereotypical lifestyle of Black women being laborers and providers. Consumerist content, often promoting lavish experiences like fresh manicures, designer bags, all-expenses paid vacations, and five-course dinners was the blueprint fed to Black women on Tiktok for living a soft life. "What they're trying to do with that narrative is opt into femininity that is generally reserved for white women. Maybe that explains why the soft life aesthetic is oversaturated with white creators, a demographic that is more likely to have So how does one live a life that only entails partaking in activities that are more rewarding than they are necessary?