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# INKspire Youth Organization: Inspiring ideas into action.

## Sitemaps
[XML Sitemap](https://inkspire.org/sitemap_index.xml): Includes all crawlable and indexable pages.

## Posts
- [STEM Diary](https://inkspire.org/post/stem-diary/): Orbits 1
- [INKspire’s Rising Voices Book Launch](https://inkspire.org/post/inkspires-rising-voices-book-launch/): Every writer's dream is to be published. To be able to physically hold their stories in their hands, the words jumping off the page at the achievement.
- [The Best Legacy is Your Own: Conformity in 13 Going on 30](https://inkspire.org/post/the-best-legacy-is-your-own-conformity-in-13-going-on-30/): As a little girl growing up in the early 2000’s, I always imagined my future as a colourful, hopeful romcom, with montages of the leading lady finding herself in her adulthood, participating in the rituals of beauty, growing more confident every day.
- [Why Aren’t ABGs On The Big Screen?](https://inkspire.org/post/why-arent-abgs-on-the-big-screen/): Boba, piercings, tattoos, false lashes and acrylic nails. These are but a few aesthetic staples of the Asian Baby Girl. ABGs can be most commonly found, Juul in hand, at raves across the West Coast of North America (Vancouver and San Francisco in particular have been dubbed ABG hotspots). Achieving this aesthetic is not an easy process, oftentimes requiring double eyelid tape to eliminate natural monolids and frequent hair bleaching sessions. 
- [The Extraordinary Effect of Ordinary Acts on the Stressed Body](https://inkspire.org/post/the-extraordinary-effect-of-ordinary-acts-on-the-stressed-body/): The Extraordinary Effect of Ordinary Acts on the Stressed Body
- [Food Content Creation in the GTA](https://inkspire.org/post/food-content-creation-in-the-gta-2/): From picture-perfect study cafes to the top five spots where you can find budget-friendly meals for students, social media content exploring the latest trendy spots in your city has been steadily on the rise, and Toronto is no exception.
- [The Feminist Mother of Modern Tarot: Pamela Colman Smith](https://inkspire.org/post/the-feminist-mother-of-modern-tarot-pamela-colman-smith/): Tarot readings have exploded in popularity online over the past decade, spiking especially during the pandemic, when many reached for spiritual comfort in times of uncertainty. In an interview with CNN, James Alcock (professor of psychology at York University) says The U.S.’ unstable political climate and global climate change may also be contributing to the rising need for spiritual relief. Vogue reports, “U.S. searches for 'tarot cards’ and 'how to read tarot cards' increased by over 30% during the pandemic, while another study suggests the tarot and oracle industry is slated to become a $93 million market by 2027.” 
- [Not Built for Ballet](https://inkspire.org/post/not-built-for-ballet/): I have been hiding from ballet class.
- [Does moving lead to personal development? An author’s abroad analysis](https://inkspire.org/post/does-moving-lead-to-character-development-an-authors-abroad-analysis/): Is it possible to move your whole life to another country in two suitcases?
- [Hilary Duff Is Not Your Teen Idol](https://inkspire.org/post/hilary-duff-is-not-your-teen-idol/): For tweens growing up in the 2000s, Hilary Duff was a name synonymous with “icon” and “idol.” Best known at the time for portraying middle-schooler Lizzie McGuire on the Disney show of the same name, Duff’s character helped young girls navigate the awkward stages of puberty. Whether that was getting her first bra or going on a date with her crush, Duff was there with them through it all, one clumsy tumble at a time.
- [Are They Really Just Wrestling?](https://inkspire.org/post/are-they-really-just-wrestling/): Two men are holding each other. One is lying down. The other is on top of him, holding his head inside his arms. They are both shirtless. Then, the audience cheers for the “babyface” (hero) as the “heel” (villain) taps out. The lights go up, and the audience claps because their favourite wrestler just won a match. 
- [OPINION: Self Beyond the Resume](https://inkspire.org/post/opinion-self-beyond-the-resume/): This may sound strange but, it’s rare that we actually have the chance to meet ourselves in this life. How can we, when we are taught to define who we are by what we do?
- [The Irony of U.S. Foreign Involvement](https://inkspire.org/post/the-irony-of-u-s-foreign-involvement-2/): I was born in 2011, ten years after the September 11 attacks. By the time I was old enough to spell “Afghanistan,” the United States had been at war there my entire life.
- [The Influence of the 1970s on Women’s Acceptance in Sports](https://inkspire.org/post/the-influence-of-1970s-on-womens-acceptance-in-sports/): Introduction 
- [Getting off the Shelf: Marketing Diverse Authors](https://inkspire.org/post/getting-off-the-shelf-marketing-diverse-authors/): Walk into a bookstore — any bookstore. What is the first thing you see? If you say “books,” you’re probably right, but not very specific. But there are hundreds of them, possibly thousands. You can’t miss them. They shout at you from their displays, saying, “Pick me! Choose me! Love me! Add me to your TBR! Look me up on Goodreads! Take me home with you!” 
- [Does Art Need To Be Useful?](https://inkspire.org/post/does-art-need-to-be-useful/): Kate Carter is a creative arts instructor at Yorkville University and a practicing artist, mostly working with textiles, who often jokes about being a metaphysical knitter. With her background in education, she developed  a new course called “arts, activism, and social engagement.” In this interview, we shall dive deep into the main question of the course: Does art need to be useful? 
- [Yes, Your Tattoo is Permanent, but Tattoo Practices Are Not](https://inkspire.org/post/yes-your-tattoo-is-permanent-but-tattoo-practices-are-not/): Many people with tattoos know the joy you get when you book a tattoo appointment, get that fresh, new ink and look in the mirror feeling like the coolest person on Earth. Unfortunately, this feeling does not last long for some. Tattoo regret is a very real experience for some people. Tattoo artists may not regret the tattoos they do, but they could have feelings of unease after a tattoo. At times, they may feel that they could do a better tattoo, but some of their clients’ choices, like size and placement, may interfere. While tattooing has been around for about 5,200 years, in recent decades, tattooing has become more popular–as has tattoo regret. In an attempt to explore different reasons for tattoo regret, I realized that the tattoo industry has been drastically changing with social media, laser tattoo removal (due to regret), Amazon tattoo kits and AI. I initially wanted to discover which of these four negatively impacts the tattoo industry the most; hence, I turned to the talented Michelle Nguyen, who gave me my first tattoo. Yet while interviewing her, Michelle opened my eyes to the fact that businesses will always change, and tattoo artists are growing with the industry. As a result, these “challenges” to tattooing are not necessarily all negative; they also highlight the adaptability of tattoo artists and clients. 
- [The Illusion of Paradise](https://inkspire.org/post/the-illusion-of-paradise/): I was sixteen when I learned paradise was an illusion. It came about after school as I wandered through my neighbourhood library in search of my next read. I didn’t know what I wanted, having been addicted to the worlds crafted in my favourite fantasy novels and the poignant character development in literary fiction. My parents always told me I needed more reality in my reading diet—more autobiographies and nonfiction so that I could “actually learn” something. Nonfiction, in my teenage mind, was akin only to the textbooks I was forced to read for school, which were monotone, overcomplicated works that meandered around the main point and left the reader utterly lost for comprehension.
- [Spaces, Structured Discussions, & Sparkles](https://inkspire.org/post/spaces-structured-discussions-sparkles/): Community-Building in an Age of Detachment
- [Opinion: Calls for Only Peaceful Protest are a Reflection of White Supremacy](https://inkspire.org/post/opinion-calls-for-only-peaceful-protest-are-a-reflection-of-white-supremacy/): These days, it seems like anywhere you turn, people are taking to the streets to protest in hopes of creating meaningful change. From the “No Kings” protest in 2025 to the continuous nationwide ICE Out protests, it seems as though protests are how people are emotionally responding to the injustices we see happening before our own eyes.  Yet to me, advocating strictly for peaceful protest is a reflection of white supremacy. It sounds like the calm and preferable option, but in reality, it works like a leash on the people who are hurting the most. It asks our community, when harmed, to not just control our feelings, but to comfort the people in power, too.
- [The how and why of Kayleigh Shikanai – Interview with an actress](https://inkspire.org/post/the-how-and-why-of-kayleigh-shikanai-interview-with-an-actress-tbd/): Past the setup of lights and colourful backdrops lining the walls, the first thing you notice when you step into Shiki Studios, is that it's very welcoming. A small group of slightly nervous actors greet one another as they wait for class to begin. Stella, the four-legged teacher’s assistant, weaves between chairs, occasionally claiming a patch of floor for herself. And then there’s Kayleigh in her spinning chair, ready to start.
- [How My Parents’ Stories Shaped My Understanding of Turning Twenty-One](https://inkspire.org/post/twenty-one-an-adapted-interview-inspired-by-stories-from-mom-and-dad/): My mom still calls me bao bei even as I approach twenty-one. To her, I am nowhere near being an adult. The truth is, I don’t feel like one either. If I could, I’d probably push adulthood off until thirty.
- [Artist, Inspiration and Aging with Grace: Linda Kooluris Dobbs](https://inkspire.org/post/artist-inspiration-and-aging-with-grace-linda-kooluris-dobbs/): Linda Kooluris Dobbs — you may not know her name but you know her. From the corridors of Mount Sinai hospital to government buildings, you’ve definitely seen her portraits hung around Toronto, Vancouver, New York or beyond, whether it be on commission or in a museum in the almost 60 years that she has put on exhibitions. At 77, Linda has a zest for life, an infectiously creative scope and a sophistication that just seems to effortlessly emit from her! We became unlikely friends on the Spadina TTC streetcar. We were sitting next to each other when I noticed her, holding her DSLR camera, sitting next to me. She was wearing the most gorgeous hairpins and her makeup was so classy; I could tell she was a kindred spirit and just had to tell her how gorgeous she was. We got to talking and I found myself incredibly inspired. She had lived a life I could only dream of, like many of her students. By the end of this interview, she will salsa her way into your heart and you’ll be thinking what I thought after our first meeting: “I hope I’m like you when I grow up.” It is my pleasure to introduce you to one of my friends and inspirations: artist, photographer and dancer — Linda Kooluris Dobbs.
- [Q&A: CEO and Mental Health Advocate Provides Insight on Overexplaining](https://inkspire.org/post/qa-ceo-and-mental-health-advocate-provides-insight-on-overexplaining/): Overexplaining is a habit I’ve carried with me since childhood; one I’m constantly trying to unlearn. It often comes from a place of wanting to be understood, but it can be exhausting to navigate. I recently had a conversation with CEO and award-winning mental health advocate, Valery Brosseau, about this struggle, as it’s something she’s been working to overcome as well.
- [Life After School](https://inkspire.org/post/life-after-school/): I have been asked the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” multiple times over the course of my life. The first time I was asked, it was for my kindergarten graduation. I got up on stage and told a room full of parents that I wanted to be a singer. This pipe dream didn’t last long, as it was clear by the time I hit elementary school that I couldn’t hold a tune to save my life. After that, I started to answer that I wanted to be a pediatrician or a veterinarian. Really, anything that involved playing with cute animals or kids my own age. It wasn’t until I was in the seventh grade that I realized I wanted to be a journalist. I always loved to read and make up stories. While I eventually wanted to write a novel, I thought that starting in an industry like journalism was a safer bet. When 12th grade rolled around, and it was time to start applying to universities, Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) and Carleton University’s journalism programs were no-brainers. I got accepted into both, but chose to attend TMU since it was closer to home. I was excited to start the next chapter of my life, but in March 2020, when I was in the second semester of my senior year of high school, a global pandemic was announced. Instead of partying on the weekends and skipping 8 a.m classes, I spent the majority of my university experience being told to wear a mask and that I’d probably never have a stable job.
- [The Garden of Eden](https://inkspire.org/post/the-garden-of-eden/): Your beliefs are like a tree. A tree in this garden of life. As they say, we came from the Garden of Eden.
- [The Gavel and Wampum Belt](https://inkspire.org/post/the-gavel-and-wampum-belt/): Photo credit: https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-photo-of-wooden-gavel-5668473/
- [The Cost of Staying: Young People in the City](https://inkspire.org/post/the-cost-of-staying-young-people-in-the-city/): For many young people in Toronto, building a future has become less about ambition and more about endurance. Rising rents, a competitive job market and the growing cost of everyday necessities have reshaped what independence looks like, forcing difficult choices about where to live, how much to work and whether staying in the city is even possible.
- [History is Written by the Victors. Are You a Victor? Probably Not.](https://inkspire.org/post/history-is-written-by-the-victors-are-you-a-victor-probably-not/): The saying “history is written by the victors” endures not because it is perfectly accurate, but because it captures a persistent truth about power and knowledge: those who prevail tend to control which stories are preserved, legitimized and taught. While the phrase is often attributed to figures like Winston Churchill or Hermann Göring, versions of the idea appear much earlier across European intellectual history. As a shorthand, it warns against the uncritical acceptance of dominant narratives, reminding us that what passes for “truth” is often shaped by selective memory, omission and institutional authority. Traditionally, these distortions were the work of states, empires and governments. Today, however, the mechanisms of narrative control have expanded. Platforms, algorithms and data-driven systems increasingly mediate how information is recorded, ranked and reproduced. At an unprecedented scale, they determine not only what is remembered, but what is surfaced, amplified and treated as authoritative. In this context, the old warning takes on new urgency: if history is written by the victors, we must now ask who – or what – counts as a victor in an age of artificial intelligence.
- [Are we now searching for life in sulfurous clouds?](https://inkspire.org/post/are-we-now-searching-for-life-in-sulfurous-clouds/): “A goddess warped a crevice of inferno on herself, tears fleeing her sulfur-clouded cheeks.”
- [My Lonely Eyes by Kelly Ren](https://inkspire.org/post/my-lonely-eyes-by-kelly-ren/): Touching down in Australia, my eyes drank in loneliness.
- [Eternal Kinship & Cutting Through Rocks Weave Complicated Family Ties](https://inkspire.org/post/eternal-kinship-cutting-through-rocks-weave-complicated-family-ties/): After minutes of me mentally begging time to pass, the bus finally pulls into Wellesley Station with a chuff. It’s a perfect opportunity for me to persuade my mother to hang up the phone. Her worry for me ratchets as the days grow shorter and the frost earnestly creeps up the Toronto sidewalks. I know better than to be annoyed; it’s a sign of love. But I’m in a hurry.
- [Quiet stories, loud voices: Mapping intimacy in RPFF’s Tender Points](https://inkspire.org/post/quiet-stories-loud-voices-mapping-intimacy-in-rpffs-tender-points/): On November 29th, the 23rd annual Regent Park Film Festival (RPFF) ran its short program Tender Points, a series of short films written and directed by both emerging and established BIPOC filmmakers exploring the intimate, raw and tender moments that quietly shape our lives and identities, and mirror the socioeconomic landscape that youth must navigate today. The program consisted of seven screenings, followed by a short Q&A session with a few of the directors.
- [Opinion: Healing Isn’t Linear — And Second Chance Knows It](https://inkspire.org/post/opinion-healing-isnt-linear-and-second-chance-knows-it/): This piece is a collaboration between INKspire and Street Voices, centering Regent Park Film Festival films through opinion-led commentary and reviews.
- [Short Films: When Little Becomes More](https://inkspire.org/post/short-films-when-little-becomes-more/): This piece is a collaboration between INKspire and Street Voices, centering Regent Park Film Festival films through opinion-led commentary and reviews.
- [A Disguised Addiction](https://inkspire.org/post/a-disguised-addiction-2/): As summer came to an end, talks of my high school’s new phone policy became the topic of conversation, as rumours of its severity reached the mouths of many. The new phone policy stated that students had to place their phones in numbered pockets at the front of the classroom for the entirety of the period. However,  students were allowed to use them in between classes, before and after school, as well as during lunch.
- [The Remake Epidemic: How Recycling in Film is Killing Creativity](https://inkspire.org/post/the-remake-epidemic-how-recycling-in-film-is-killing-creativity/): They say there’s nothing new under the sun. No new concepts, no new ideas, no new art. In the words of philosopher, artist, and prolific musician Selena Gomez: “It’s been said and done.”  Exactly, Selena. But if we accept this gospel as the truth, where do we go from there? If everything has indeed been said and done, then what are we to say? What are we to do?
- [How Robert Schumann Composed My Memories Before I Lived Them](https://inkspire.org/post/how-robert-schumann-composed-my-memories-before-i-lived-them/): Introduction
- [Scrambled Lessons](https://inkspire.org/post/scrambled-lessons/): I have an estranged relationship with eggs. We aren’t completely cut off from each other — we still cross paths on occasion — but our encounters are awkward, fleeting and never quite right. At most, I’m allowed to see them once every couple of weeks, and when I do, they always insist on showing up in some strange outfit. Sometimes they’re draped in a heavy coat of soy sauce, other times they’re wrapped in a knitted avocado-green sweater of their own making, smugly nestled against toast. But bare? Never. 
- [Allure of the ‘Unhinged’ Woman in Film and Literature](https://inkspire.org/post/allure-of-the-unhinged-woman-in-film-and-literature/): I cannot pinpoint the exact moment I became entranced by the “unhinged woman” trope in film and literature. Perhaps it was watching Mia Goth, bloody and axe-wielding, as Pearl in Ti West’s X-Trilogy. Maybe it was Natalie Portman’s iconic “I was perfect” line as Nina Sayers in Black Swan. Perhaps it was Medea killing her own children in Euripides’ tragedy. Or maybe it was the first time I came into contact with the “unhinged woman:” Bertha Mason in Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre. While I cannot pinpoint the exact moment I became utterly captivated and obsessed with the women behind this trope, I can say that I will continue to be for years to come. But why is that? What is it that makes these women and their out-of-the-ordinary behaviour so compelling?
- [What African time teaches us about intentional living](https://inkspire.org/post/what-african-time-teaches-us-about-intentional-living/): When I was a child, I remember being secretly jealous of another girl at my school who was my age but a grade above me. She was the star of the class — with her bouncy ponytails and fresh fits, she was socially charismatic and naturally smart — which easily made her the teacher’s pet. One night over dinner, my parents asked me why she was “ahead of everyone else?” On the surface, that might have been an innocent question, but my 11-year-old-self immediately interpreted it as an accusation — why wasn’t I ahead of everyone else? Was I too dumb or simply not fast enough to skip grades? This simple question amplified the many anxieties I harbored about myself; as a neurodevelopmentally-challenged student with reading and writing delays, I grew to be hyper-aware of how far behind I was in school compared to my peers. 
- [LLMs: Models for Language Marginalization](https://inkspire.org/post/llms-models-for-language-marginalization/): Introduction
- [Strings of Silence — SOS](https://inkspire.org/post/strings-of-silence-sos/): I recall the day when I understood that being invisible was painful. I was nine years old, and my “friends” had established a small trio without me. They laughed and I laughed, they spoke and I nodded, yet my voice was muffled, my presence overlooked. I first blamed myself. Maybe I was too shy, too different, too distant. Maybe it was something I could repair if only I worked harder, smiled brighter, or spoke louder. But with time, I realized a harder truth: it is okay to be aloof, but it is not okay to keep quiet in an environment where you are not appreciated. People will accuse you of being distant but rarely apologize for leaving you behind.
- [Why Your Great-Grandchildren Will Know William Shakespeare](https://inkspire.org/post/why-your-great-grandchildren-will-know-william-shakespeare/): William Shakespeare is a globally-renowned superstar in literature, theatre and even (nowadays) film. It is quite rare to see an author’s work remain so famous even after having been written approximately 400 to 500 years ago. Throughout his fame, Shakespeare’s work has undergone several adaptations; some adaptations change the setting slightly by adding lighting, while other adaptations are more drastic in that they incorporate modern technology, costumes and change the original Early Modern English. Despite these changes, all modern performances and references to Shakespeare contribute to his legacy. Thus, Shakespeare’s works have stood the test of time because his themes, writing and theatrics are relatable to any person in a progressive world. Having said that, these adaptations embrace different elements of Shakespeare.
- [What Makes Taylor Swift’s Music So Special?](https://inkspire.org/post/what-makes-taylor-swifts-music-so-special/): It’s undeniable that Taylor Swift has managed to build a legacy that, in her own words, “you can’t undo.” Through singing about topics like young love, heartbreak and loss, Swift has managed to capture an empire of people who find solace in her songs. But what is it about her music that makes it so universally loved?
- [The Surprising History of Nostalgia](https://inkspire.org/post/the-surprising-history-of-nostalgia/): We feel and talk a lot about nostalgia, especially post-pandemic. We go back to our favourite childhood shows when we seek comfort. We talk about the past with a sense of longing. The wish to watch a show for the first time again, the fleeting, yet common thought of wanting to go back to your childhood days, free from worries that exhaust you nowadays. Even the word ‘nowadays’ is said sentimentally; a word that draws comparisons between the past and present. Nostalgia is many things—an aesthetic, a feeling, a marketing tactic—and it has a much more interesting and complicated history than one may think. 
- [Creature of Contradictions](https://inkspire.org/post/creature-of-contradictions/): A trillion years for light to reach, But I sense them every instant. In the Milky Way on a pale blue dot, The creature of contradictions. My senses run wild, my being possessed By this race of cosmic demons. I see their future, I see their past, Their endless, futile existence. In all my searches, never have I found A race that slaughters each other Not for food or for survival, But for money, fame, and power. Their morals are rather convenient, Tolerant as required, or ruthless. They find honour in war and death, But salvation in acts of kindness. The mysterious unknown upsets them; They turn chaos into patterns and charts, Equations to domesticate nature, And maps to tame the stars. Yet when fear grips their hearts In earthquakes, floods, or wars, At these very stars they look up for hope, Praying desperately to imaginary gods. They have conquered their moon and will reach the stars; Such are their relentless minds. They scour the cosmos in search of a home, Leaving their old one behind. In this amusing madness of dilemmas, They never quite seem to fathom That they are trapped in a vicious loop Where their minds are working against them. Power or friendship, God or science? The comfort of home, or freedom? Maybe that’s what makes them so peculiar, Maybe that’s what makes them human. They are explorers, nurturers, angels, and saints, And whimsical agents of destruction. In the Milky Way on a pale blue dot, The creature of contradictions.
- [The Dawn of Hope: Superman(2025) and its Un-Supermanly Predecessor](https://inkspire.org/post/the-dawn-of-hope-superman2025-and-its-un-supermanly-predecessor/): Source: Noblemania.com
- [A Sickle Moon](https://inkspire.org/post/a-sickle-moon/): I could always sense an incoming story from Ba. A muggy silence would hang in the air. My lungs would fill with anticipation. Sometimes it felt like the world needed his stories to carry on spinning. I know I did. 
- [The Photo Album](https://inkspire.org/post/the-photo-album/): The photo booth was charming and quaint, a compact cube tucked away in the corner of the rundown marketplace in Shanghai. Shiny and reflective plastic lined the booth’s outer surface, where an array of potted plants sat on the right side. Among them was a penjing tree, its foliage frayed and overgrown, a wild tangle of leaves, no longer contained within its pot. On the left side stood a slender, full-length mirror, its surface decorated with smudged fingerprints and bright streaks of marker graffiti. The front of the booth was covered in strips of Polaroids and links of three descending pictures, each one a triptych of the same subjects with slightly altered expressions.
- [Is Social Media Creating Activists or Active Performers?](https://inkspire.org/post/is-social-media-creating-activists-or-active-performers/): In the digital age, the influence of social media on a social movement’s traction and reach is undeniable. A study conducted by the Pew Research Centre revealed that eighty percent of Americans believe social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and TikTok to be at least partially effective at raising public awareness about political or social issues. History has shown that something as simple as a trending hashtag can spark a cultural revolution. 
- [Eulogy for a Ghost](https://inkspire.org/post/eulogy-for-a-ghost/): This was how Sage suggested they start the eulogy: Nathan Noriega had it coming. 
- [Death of a Yearner](https://inkspire.org/post/death-of-a-yearner/): I wanted to quit falling for people who didn’t match my fervour. You picked a flower from your back alley to carry on the subway, all the way to my basement apartment. You smoked, waiting for me outside a party I said I might go to, until your cigarette burnt your fingers. You passed the interview. For a moment, I felt like we both knew. Self-sacrificial love was the language our mothers spoke, the kind we inherited. You could see into the gross writhing of my heart. You could carry it. 
- [Two lines – Short story](https://inkspire.org/post/two-lines-short-story/): My mother cried on her wedding day. 
- [Picture Of You](https://inkspire.org/post/picture-of-you/): “It’s only a week, Bea, it’ll be over before you know it,” Bea’s mother said as they pulled into her grandmother’s driveway. Every year since Bea was 10, her parents shipped her off to her grandma Helen’s house while they went on vacation as part of some timeshare they bought when Bea was a baby.
- [Canada’s Broken Promise on Indigenous Water Rights](https://inkspire.org/post/canadas-broken-promise-on-indigenous-water-rights/): Canada is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, sharing the Great Lakes with the United States which contain 18% of the world’s fresh surface water. Clean and safe drinking water is achievable for most Canadians, but this is not the case for many First Nations communities across the country.
- [Atemporalphilia II](https://inkspire.org/post/atemporalphilia-ii/): The portal you left behind is now my gravity.
- [Home Away From Home](https://inkspire.org/post/home-away-from-home/): It all started on March 4th, 1987. To most people, it was just another Wednesday — a day for work, school, a day to hang out with friends, or catch a movie. However, for my father, Abdurahman Duldul, it was the day everything changed. It was the day he left Ethiopia and landed in Toronto, stepping into a country that he’d never been to before, but a place he believed was the beginning of a new life. A better life.
- [The Privilege of Hiding](https://inkspire.org/post/the-privilege-of-hiding/): Every school day, I can remember, began the same way. Our school bus winding through India’s rural heartland, while we children sat in air-conditioned comfort. At eight years old, I carried with me the naïve belief that joy and fairness were evenly distributed across the world. That somewhere, cosmic scales balanced out suffering and happiness in equal measure. I found myself transfixed by the world outside our tinted windows. Makeshift huts dotted the terrain, while women smiled at us through the tinted glass of our school bus, seamlessly walking past, perfectly balancing clay pots on their heads searching for clean water. A few feet ahead, I saw children who looked so similar, and yet so different from the ones sharing my seat. As their toothy smiles and calloused palms sped by me, I couldn’t escape the weight of all the things separating us. Not just tinted windows, but the entire world of opportunity. 
- [Chasing the Sky](https://inkspire.org/post/chasing-the-sky/): I can still hear the metal clang, feel the chains wobble and my hips ache.
- [An Overview of The Health and Environmental Costs of What We Wear](https://inkspire.org/post/an-overview-of-the-health-and-environmental-costs-of-what-we-wear/): Imagine you are getting ready for your first day at a new job and are pre-planning your outfit. You’ve tried on a dozen shirt, shoes and pant combinations. The green cardigan might bring out the colour of your eyes, but your blue button-down top might make you feel put together. You really want to make a great first impression and ensure everything goes smoothly that day.
- [Beyond the Nursing Home: Reimaging Care for Our Aging Population](https://inkspire.org/post/beyond-the-nursing-home-reimaging-care-for-our-aging-population/): Growing old is a privilege—one not everyone will experience. In Canada, universal healthcare and strong public health systems give us some of the longest life expectancies in the world, according to Statistics Canada. This should mean more time to learn from our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents—time to strengthen family bonds and internalize their wisdom.
- [Psychological Value: The Unspoken Fee on the Luxury Receipt](https://inkspire.org/post/psychological-value-the-unspoken-fee-on-the-luxury-receipt/): In April this year, when the Trump administration’s tariffs hit Chinese factories, something unexpected happened: factories that produced the very same handbags for the world’s biggest luxury brands stepped into the spotlight, offering to sell directly to American consumers at a fraction of the boutique price. On a now-banned TikTok account, @senbags2, a man named Wang Sen, who claimed to be an original equipment manufacturer for luxury brands, showed how Hermès bags are produced. The New York Post shared how one of his viral videos broke down a $38,000 Birkin, revealing that its leather, thread, and touch of French craftsmanship totalled just $1,450. “More than 90% of its price,” he said, “is paid for its logo.”
- [Between Shifts and Semesters](https://inkspire.org/post/between-shifts-and-semesters/): My alarm goes off at 5:45 a.m. I hit snooze, convincing myself that six more minutes will somehow change everything. By the time I drag myself out of bed at six, I’m already running through the day in my head: classes, assignments, work. I grab a yogurt from the fridge and eat it standing, too rushed to sit, and too tired to care.
- [Is Media A Double Edged Sword Against Human Trafficking?](https://inkspire.org/post/is-media-a-double-edged-sword-against-human-trafficking/): When was the last time you saw human trafficking talked about in the media? Was it about the Sean “Diddy” Combs trial? Though this particular trial may seem like an isolated incident of human trafficking, as of 2019, there were an estimated 45 million victims of human trafficking worldwide. In Canada, 90% of human trafficking victims are Canadian citizens, not immigrants. Human trafficking is, therefore, a very common crime that can happen to anyone.
- [Punk Rock Publishing : Zines As a Radical Art Form](https://inkspire.org/post/punk-rock-publishing-zines-as-a-radical-art-forms/): If you’re a young creative in Toronto, chances are you’ve encountered a zine. These handmade, short-run print publications can be found all over the city, from independent bookstores to libraries like the Toronto Reference Library and the Toronto Zine Library. But what exactly is a zine, and why are they so popular?
- [Resistance and Disruption: Navigating the Challenges of Cancer Biology](https://inkspire.org/post/resistance-and-disruption-navigating-the-challenges-of-cancer-biology/): Introduction: Understanding Cancer 
- [Man’s Best Friend or Feminism’s Worst Enemy?](https://inkspire.org/post/mans-best-friend-or-feminisms-worst-enemy/): From her win at the Grammys for Best Pop Vocal Album, to her appearances at the VMAs, to hitting number 1 on the Billboard Top 100 for her songs “Please Please Please” and “Manchild,” Sabrina Carpenter’s exploding popularity has captured the attention of pop culture enthusiasts and the general public alike. Her catchy hits play on the radio over and over again. Clips of her magnetic performances are all over social media. Her distinctive personal style has turned into inspiration for makeup tutorials, haircuts and outfit guides. For a while, with her cheeky sense of humour and innuendo-filled lyrics, she was the internet’s pop princess to admire and root for. However, when Carpenter revealed the cover for her newest album, Man’s Best Friend, which showed her on her knees with her hair being pulled by a man, the tides of public opinion shifted drastically. Discourse began filling comment sections, forum threads and discussion boards, with her even being labelled as “anti-feminist” for portraying herself as sexualized.
- [Rejecting Consumerism on Social Media](https://inkspire.org/post/rejecting-consumerism-on-social-media/): Although the rise of influencers and full-time content creators has largely turned social media into a fuel for consumerism, an emerging “counter culture” has formed that seeks to reject consumerism altogether. There has been a rise in discussion of building and relying on physical communities in recent years; a trend that stands in resistance to Western individualism and capitalism. Furthermore, the idea of “de-influencing,” especially as it relates to the beauty industry, poses a resistance to the growing trend of rapid over-consumption.
- [2:58](https://inkspire.org/post/258/): A tale as old as time,
- [Mourning Stretches](https://inkspire.org/post/mourning-stretches/): The television in the waiting room was playing another murder. This time, it was a good one. The CEO of a healthcare company was shot point-blank outside a 7/11 in New York. The setting outside a convenience store was, if anything, narratively satisfying. Everyone could agree on that.
- [Your Brain on Menstruation: Women Spearheading Innovation in Science](https://inkspire.org/post/your-brain-on-menstruation-women-spearheading-innovation-in-science/): Imagine you are a woman living in the year 1902. You have been experiencing a myriad of unexplained symptoms over the past few months, including irritability, headaches and anxiety. Despite your exhaustion, your mind is restless at night, and most days you’re only able to manage a few hours of sleep. You relay all this to the local town doctor, desperate for a solution. The doctor listens to your woes, then delivers the devastating diagnosis. You, like many other women of the time, are experiencing a bout of hysteria. The solution is simple, the doctor says. All you need is isolation, food and lots of rest. Limit all physical exertion. Not to worry, the doctor tells you. Hysteria is common amongst vulnerable minds — many women experience the exact same thing.  
- [Chart-Topping Politics](https://inkspire.org/post/chart-topping-politics/): Every time I purposely put on “Waiting Room” by Phoebe Bridgers, I have to will myself not to cry. If I want to feel fired up during a workout or before a big test, “Nissan Altima” by Doechii is exactly what I need. There’s a song for every moment, every feeling, good or bad. The simplest of lyrics can sometimes be the ones that resonate with us the most, while the more intricate ones leave us pondering for days on end about their meaning. More than that, music can send a message to people across the globe, and sometimes we don’t even know it. 
- [The Village and The Holy Scythe](https://inkspire.org/post/the-village-and-the-holy-scythe/):      In the midst of a drought near the Yamuna River, the village of Kalajini suffered the most. Cracks split the dirt, wells ran dry, and the villagers resorted to begging in nearby villages. A little boy passed out from heatstroke, lying in the dry husk of his farm. Pitying his plight, a goddess descended onto the earth. She gave him the Pavitr scythe, a scythe with special abilities, and told him to use it on his village’s crops. Within minutes, the crops grew as if watered for months, and food returned to the village. But because the other villages had refused to share their resources during Kalajini’s time of need, the descendants of Kalajini kept any information about the scythe hidden within the townspeople. 
- [The Smell](https://inkspire.org/post/the-smell/): The smell appeared on Wednesday morning. There had been traces of it all week, but that Wednesday in particular was when it invited itself into the clerical office of Standard Seeds Ltd. It meandered through yellowish corridors, infiltrated their minimalist kitchenette and sank into every available couch, paying no mind to the rigid office cushions. Like a relative that overstayed their welcome, it seeped into the floor, smartly ignoring the “scent-free facility” notices hanging from the ceiling.
- [Trump’s deportations within the Latin Community](https://inkspire.org/post/trumps-deportations-within-the-latin-community/): It has been six months since Donald Trump took office, and since then, there have been significant changes regarding American immigration policies. Specifically, the Trump administration has been largely focused on detaining and deporting many members of the Latin community, including both American citizens, and even children. These deportations are often carried out without evidence or proper due process, targeting the most disadvantaged and vulnerable communities. 
- [The First 25: Society’s Obsession with Youth vs Gen-Z Adulthood](https://inkspire.org/post/the-first-25-societys-obsession-with-youth-vs-gen-z-adulthood/): “What am I doing with my life?”  is a common question plaguing the minds of many 20-30-year-olds. The expectation to have the meaning of life figured out by 25 seems to be a newfound pressure among millennials and Gen-Zers, unlike their Gen-X and baby boomer counterparts, with 75% of adults aged 25-33 reporting they’ve experienced a quarter-life crisis. The concept of a quarter life crisis is becoming more common, with EBSCO Information services reporting: “individuals are choosing to attend college and find employment before getting married, buying a house, and having children. After graduation, they feel confused about what to do with their lives as they are presented with many choices.” I could not help but notice the inclusion of the socially expected milestones: graduation, getting married, buying a house, and having children as indications of a life well lived as they are the only socially laid out expectations left for an individual to “achieve.” The presentation of many choices is only overwhelming because life is front-loaded with structure, purpose, and accomplishments. However, once these expectations are fulfilled, many people experience a quarter-life crisis, as they are unable to forge a purpose for themselves, with about 42% of Gen-zers struggling with feelings of hopelessness. Taking into account social milestones, the individual is then encouraged to revert back to the beginning of life through the final societal expectation: childrearing --vicariously living through the structure they pass down to their children. 
- [Altered Futures](https://inkspire.org/post/altered-futures/): Elyssa’s world is dirt poor.
- [Can you hear me?](https://inkspire.org/post/can-you-hear-me/): The aerial view is symmetrical. A woman and a boy sit across from one another. They’re situated on the perimeter of a rectangle: the woman on the right, the boy on the left, and the overhead light in the centre, its beams catching the grains of rice in each person’s bowl. The rice grains appear smooth, but their surfaces are abraded with the nails of the chef washing them before steaming. A Japanese saying goes: boil the dirt under somebody’s fingernails and drink it, so that you can inherit their good traits. Each time the woman washes rice for dinner, she hopes that her son will swallow the aspirations she sets for him.
- [Mighty Falling](https://inkspire.org/post/mighty-falling/): It has always been this way.
- [Where the olive trees grow, still](https://inkspire.org/post/where-the-olive-trees-grow-still/): I remain a witness.
- [Living With Anxiety in a World That Demands Certainty](https://inkspire.org/post/living-with-anxiety-in-a-world-that-demands-certainty/): Taryn Zeger, a Canadian registered psychotherapist and certified counsellor, describes reclaiming one’s life from anxiety as accepting not being able to control the unknown, while also encouraging one to set goals and take gradual steps towards them.
- [Lost With a Trace: Could Surveillance Motivate Missingness?](https://inkspire.org/post/lost-with-a-trace-could-surveillance-motivate-missingness/): Humans are social creatures. Technologies such as social media and SMS have facilitated our social connections, but with their widespread access comes the expectation to remain as connected as possible. Furthermore, the development of surveillance technologies has led to the accumulation of personal data by various third parties as a by-product of security and algorithm needs. While these technologies are productive towards tracking down missing persons, is it possible that being monitored and datafied motivates a desire to go missing? A recent study by researcher Laura Huey and criminologist Lorna Ferguson positions “going missing” as a “maladaptive coping behaviour“ for stress, low self-esteem, or helplessness. Does surveillance technology apply these stressors to the average citizen, and should we all simply…disconnect? To better answer this question, we have to look at the history of surveillance technologies, how they work and who uses them.
- [One of our own](https://inkspire.org/post/one-of-our-own/): “That chocolate ice cream from Bachelorr’s seemed to be that innocent, sneaky and memorable initial action towards building a tradition.” 
- [AI in Health Care: Where Are We Now?](https://inkspire.org/post/ai-in-health-care-where-are-we-now/): With the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) dependency and the persistent integration of AI technology into education and health care fields, we discuss how AI can support medical professionals with supporting roles without taking over the vital backbones of medicine: humans. 
- [Is it trendy to be original?](https://inkspire.org/post/is-it-trendy-to-be-original/): The fashion industry has seen trends come and go since its inception.  More recently, such trends have been moving much faster than before. With tools like social media, people are able to post outfits, opinions, and advice on how to dress. This tool, however, has now become an instigator of micro-trends and cultivated an overwhelming environment full of tips, tricks and any ‘hack’ imaginable. The latest trend to arise has been the ‘personal style’ trend, which is meant to get people to find or create a unique, original style for themselves. But can originality also be trendy?
- [Her Body, Her Choice: How Patriarchy Shapes Science](https://inkspire.org/post/her-body-her-choice-how-patriarchy-shapes-science/): In the early 15th century, English philosopher Francis Bacon developed the “Baconian method,” or what is commonly known today as the “scientific method.” This method established a universal, organized and empirically powerful approach to acquiring knowledge about the natural world. This method would then become the backbone of the successes of the Industrial Revolution and modern science. Objective truth-seeking is the cornerstone of science as we know it, but Bacon’s method — though tremendously influential for its success — fails to provide a framework to understand how social and cultural forces shape scientific knowledge and whose stories are told. 
- [Reinvention and renaissance in Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners”](https://inkspire.org/post/reinvention-and-renaissance-in-ryan-cooglers-sinners/): Horror/thriller blockbuster Sinners (2025) can be described as Ryan Coogler’s magnum opus — skyrocketing to the top of movie charts, it has quickly become the seventh highest-grossing film of 2025 and the ninth highest-grossing horror film of all time. An experimental and bold original story, the film is set in 1930s rural Mississippi and stars a pair of braggadocious twins known by their aliases “Smoke” and “Stack,” both played by Michael B. Jordan. After purchasing acres of land from a Ku Klux Klan member, the twins briefly fulfill their years-long dream of opening their very own juke joint. However, what begins as a southern historical drama quickly takes a turn towards the supernatural when centuries-old vampire Remmick, portrayed by Jack O’Connell, begins killing unsuspecting characters one by one, resurrecting them as grotesque, grinning monsters.
- [The Anthology Structure of Kinds of Kindness](https://inkspire.org/post/the-anthology-structure-of-kinds-of-kindness/): In Gestalt psychology, the Zeigarnik effect describes how we tend to remember unfinished or interrupted tasks better than completed ones. For adults with unmet childhood needs, this translates to subconsciously repeating cycles that reiterate patterns of past trauma. Even when the danger is over, we keep returning to the scene of the crime in an attempt to change the outcome. Usually, chasing a corrective experience digs us deeper into a hole; it’s the recipe of a self-fulfilling prophecy. Kinds of Kindness (2024) takes a perverse look into what happens when victims of manipulation get what they want; what they believe they will achieve from appeasing an abuser.
- [Please Take Inspiration: Dungeons & Dragons and Rekindling Creativity](https://inkspire.org/post/please-take-inspiration-dungeons-dragons-and-rekindling-creativity/): Dust. 
- [Things Change, But We’ll Always Have the Memories](https://inkspire.org/post/things-change-but-well-always-have-the-memories/): Spoilers for: Teen Titans (2003) 
- [How Speculative Fiction is Redefining Canada’s Literary Identity](https://inkspire.org/post/how-speculative-fiction-is-redefining-canadas-literary-identity/): Speculative fiction is having a big moment in CanLit right now, and it’s no wonder. Literature of the fantastic, otherworldly and futuristic can be an escape from the national and global unrest of our times. But what exactly is meant by the term “speculative,” and why does this literature resonate so much with Canadian readers?
- [Flask to Table: The Future of Lab-Grown Meat](https://inkspire.org/post/flask-to-table-the-future-of-lab-grown-meat/): Over the past decade, meat alternatives have taken grocery store aisles by storm. Companies such as Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods offer a variety of products that emulate the taste, texture and appearance of real meat. This trend has carried over to restaurants, where diners can order creative dishes utilizing tofu, mushrooms and even jackfruit as meat substitutes. 
- [The Rewiring of Hope: How Neuroplasticity Proves We Can Begin Again](https://inkspire.org/post/the-rewiring-of-hope-how-neuroplasticity-proves-we-can-begin-again/): Introduction
- [Way of The Roomba](https://inkspire.org/post/way-of-the-roomba/): INT. SOMEWHERE – SOME TIME
- [Ontario Once Led on Clean Energy – What Happened?](https://inkspire.org/post/ontario-once-led-on-clean-energy-what-happened/): Canada is a major influencer in clean electricity, with our electricity sector currently 82% emissions-free, but is Ontario doing its part?
- [Frankenstein](https://inkspire.org/post/frankenstein/): It was early in the morning when Kashvi’s consciousness drifted from its state of slumber. For a moment, she simmered in that state of drowsiness; in a total state of bliss… for about three seconds. Then, she felt the dampness of her blood-stained sheets beneath her. A tide of pain washed over her, so quick and sudden it jolted her out of the soft arms of sleep and into a state of frenzied alertness. Adrenaline pulsing through her veins as she opened her eyes to witness her limbs sprawled across the bed like tossed dice; her guts spilling out of her body like maggots fleeing a forest fire. Fire. Her body was on fire, but the physical pain was only temporary. It was quickly exchanged with a striking fear as the memories of last night assaulted her defenseless mind. With a thumping chest, she suddenly became all too aware of the boy that lay next to her, his arm draped across her, somehow unbothered by the blood that pooled right underneath it, in the cavity of Kashvi’s chest. An expression of complete tranquillity on his face, mocking the panic that completely submerged Kashvi.
- [Cord 1](https://inkspire.org/post/cord-1/): It’s dark inside. The reds and blues on Tom’s dashboard freckle his face, and he checks his speed; 40km/h, good, he has time to decelerate before he approaches the next station. He rests his hands on the window ledge of the conductor’s booth. He closes his eyes. Light lifts his eyelids as the train sinks deeper down the tunnel, and it’s Tom’s cue to start the recorded audio: doors will open on your right. Spadina. The train decelerates, eventually stops; the doors open, eventually close; the train moves, the platform left behind, and a few who didn’t make it inside. 
- [What Can Skirt Length Tell Us About the Economy?](https://inkspire.org/post/what-can-skirt-length-tell-us-about-the-economy/): There are many unusual indicators of recession, from sales of sausages to men’s underwear. One of these oddities is the Hemline Index Theory, which suggests that when the economy is in a recession, the hemlines of women’s skirts become longer. It was first proposed by economist George Taylor in 1926. He attributed the cause to women’s greater confidence during economic booms and their ability to afford luxury goods, such as silk stockings typically worn with shorter hemlines.
- [In My Dreams, Their Life Blooms](https://inkspire.org/post/in-my-dreams-their-life-blooms/): My mother is peeling tangerines in the hut. Her fingers are rough, tough skin rippling and folding into each other, a collision of youth and age with years of labour. Her thumb is tinged with orange, airbrushed on the edges of her nails, slightly extending to her skin. She sets a segment down, adding to the growing pile on the plate beside her, and grabs another tangerine. She takes it and pierces her thumb on the top where the stem once was, my eyes following the drop of juice flowing down her hand. She lifts part of the skin, twists the tangerine, and peels it all at once in a spiral ring. I trace the gentle hold of her hands on the skin. Her fingers carefully split the fruit into pieces, a soft and fragile cradle.

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