“Look at her clothes”, “her Instagram feed is so aesthetic”, “even I want to visit the Maldives!!!”, “I envy her body”, “everyone on social media is getting beautiful day-by-day” and “I look like a piece of shit”. Woah, so much negativity!

In today’s times, this is how a person’s emotions escalate as they endlessly through social media. Online, people have developed a knack for portraying the perfect face, perfect body and a perfect life. In the midst of all this, artist Alison Rachel shines some light on self-love.

Alison’s Instagram account, @recipesforselflove, defies the notions of “perfect” through her insanely cool and empowering illustrations. The sweet mixture of words and illustrations forms a perfect recipe for self-love.

Her work explores concepts of feminism and identity. The collection of illustrations includes many affirmations of self-love (”Believe in yourself”, “You are resilient” and “Trust your inner vision”, for example), as her Instagram name implies.

Here are some of them:

When we talk about skin care, we’re not talking about cosmetics. We are also talking about our anxieties about glowing skin, acne and facial hair.

The hurdles victims face in an abusive relationship are tremendous. It is not hilarious; it is a crisis.

In the event of injustice, silence is not the solution. A person has to stand up and break through the norms.

Mental health stigma is a barrier which stops us from sharing and seeking help. The artist encourages people to share whenever they feel ready to.

Social media has bombarded our feeds with the notion of a perfect body. Body shaming is not okay. Bashing someone for their body type is not okay.

Based on the concept of self-love, Alison’s illustrations bloom with the message of loving and embracing yourself.

In a society which spreads hatred among women, there is a need for women to band together.

Food is a fuel that keeps you being the amazing person you are. Alison spreads the message of having a healthy relationship with food and your body.