"Social media is helping us build our awareness and develop tools to detach and build boundaries."
Taking a cue from the evil Kermit craze, New York City rapper and artist Bunny Michael turned their practice of creating double self-portraits into a spiritually enlightening series of memes that has made their Instagram wildly popular. Michael's memes challenge their followers to question the way they think and feel, spreading a message of self-love with every hashtag.
OUT: How did you start making your self/higher self memes?
A lot of social media, even when it’s funny, can be very negative. Why is it important to you to spread positivity?
Social media is just a reflection of how people feel about themselves. I think I spread positivity but I don't ignore the negative- that's why there's the 2 perspectives; me and higher self. But sharing your feelings no matter [if] they are negative or not is an important part of our journey. Anger, frustration, fear — those feelings are just as valid. But like the cliche says "feelings aren't facts". I think we all need to be less attached to our emotions because they are temporary. Social media is helping us build our awareness and develop tools to detach and build boundaries.
Do you think social media has an untapped potential to teach us better ways to engage with the world?
There's so many people already using social media as a healing space. Since the memes have gained a following I have been made aware of so many other awesome Instagrams that I follow now. The cool thing is you can curate who you follow and actually make your feed help you. So when you scroll your not bogged down with anxiety.
Do you consider your instagram part of your artistic practice?
My art is my spiritual journey — it's my healing, it's my self actualization, it's my contribution — it's my only purpose.