In a lot of ways, I often think that teenagers in big 2017 have it pretty hard. Being 15 was difficult enough without Snapchat, plus they're all really good at makeup now and I'm not sure I'd have had the patience. But teens today do have two things that I'm quite envious of, and those are the newly socially-conscious Teen Vogue under editor-in-chief Elaine Welteroth (plus digital editorial director Phillip Picardi) and the world's official Most Inspirational Role Model, Solange.As wonderful things in the world do often manage to find each other (how else do you explain Chrissy Teigen and John Legend?), Solange has collaborated with Teen Vogue, by writing a letter to her teen self. It reads as a nostalgic look back on her life and everything that inspired her as a younger person (shout out Ms Tina), but also kind of as a guide for the publication's young audience to getting through what can be some very trying, exhilerating and sometimes tricky years.Her focus is on the time she spent trying to get to know herself in her teens, and she lists a number of phases including "the Bible-thumping-church-camp phase (which coincided and contradicted with the Fiona-Apple-fan-club-president phase)," "the Nas-aficionado-brown-lip-liner-and-Vaseline phase," and my personal favourite, "the Rasta-vegan-thrifter-who-is-determined-to-marry-Brandon-Boyd phase." Anyone who is or has ever been a teen can relate, and for Solange, these phases are all part of "Seeking in every corner and pocket of the world for who you are." When she warns her teen self to take her time in doing so, she's also imparting that wisdom to the readers.The rest of the essay discusses bullying and how you can come out of it the other side ("young folks will call you names and grown folks will call you names. It's OK. one day you will name yourself, and that name will belong to you. it will not be the ones they ordained: 'crazy, ugly, attention-seeking, weirdo.')" – this all feels especially heartening considering the current conversation on the topic is dominated by the almost dangerously pessimistic Netflix show 13 Reasons Why. Elsewhere she pays service to her mother and the other black women who surrounded her growing up. This, of course, particularly powerful for young black women and women of colour reading the magazine, as it allows them to see themselves and their families reflected in a world (that is, the world of fashion magazines) that does not necessarily always make a habit of doing so. But there are also words for everyone to heed, about appreciating the people who give you what you have, especially your mother: "you should thank her out loud more, too; tell her you value her. roll your eyes and your neck less. it's not as cute as you think."With wisdom by the bucketful, Solange has long been the role model we've all needed (teens or not) and her letter to her teen self is inspiring and thought-provoking whoever you are. "Is there anything she can't do???" is a cliché, but honestly I don't think there is.Follow Lauren on Twitter.(Image via PR)
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