We know isolation can get a little lonely.

In honour of staying home, we’ve taken it into our own hands to chat (via the internet) to some of our favourite creatives to find out how they are dealing with this very new and strange state of being.

First up is Maggie Zhou, a budding social media star who is unafraid to voice her opinion on her platform. Currently a full-time student studying a double degree of Communication Design and Media Communication, specialising in journalism, Maggie also works as a freelance social media coordinator and writer, as well as a micro-influencer on Instagram. I chatted to the multi-media aficionado about her career moves and to check in and see how she’s handling isolation.

Hey Mags! We’ll start off easy by thinking wishfully, what your career goals are for the next 5 years?
I’ll hopefully be graduating at the end of next year and… I’d love to be a magazine editor. Not sure how achievable that is in five years, but a girl can dream! It would be amazing to work and live overseas for a bit, too.

I really enjoy keeping up with your investigations into fashion brands that 'green wash' their marketing. What compelled you to start this series? And how has it been received?
Thank you! I’m a naturally curious person and skeptical about brands a lot of the time. I was personally so sick of all this disinformation spread online about brands’ ethics and sustainability. And yes, there are some good resources out there, like Good On You, but I felt there was still so much transparency that was lacking.

What prompted this specifically, was a lot of people recommending me Afends as a sustainable brand. It took weeks of contacting Afends through Instagram DMs, Facebook Messenger and email to get a clear answer about their ethics, sustainability and worker rights. Of course, I received a wishy-washy answer heavily seasoned with greenwashing. I just bought it on myself to sift through the bullshit and break down what information they actually provided. It’s kind of fun putting on a detective’s cap.

It’s definitely killed a lot of my brand partnerships! I also call brands out for cultural appropriation and have been blocked and rudely messaged by the owner of a big e-commerce brand. I had a really great experience with Supre, who I used to work regularly with for years, when I posted about Cotton On’s ethics and sustainability. So it’s not all negative; some brands are really receptive to feedback. Especially when I’m usually not paid by these brands, I feel like it’s my right to speak up as a consumer.

As a result of COVID-19 what do you think will change about the social media industry? What do you hope will change?
I’m quite cynical when it comes to this – I’m usually a very optimistic person – but I don’t think anything will change socially in our society. I think in this time period, people are more drawn to those with a ‘purpose’ on social media – whether that be an engaging personality, funny content or informative posts. I think there will be less of a need for one-dimensional influencers.

Walk us through your daily routine and how it's changed.
Thankfully, I’m such a homebody and also worked from home for some of my freelance jobs. But I lost my main job and a few secondary ones, so the impact of everything threw me off for a couple weeks. Every day is different and revolves around interning, uni, freelance or personal interests. I’m in week six of isolation and here’s what a typical day looks like:

8:30am: Wake up

9am: Breakfast, usually cereal, usually reading a magazine or on Instagram

9:30am: Morning skincare routine

9:45am: Quick morning Yoga With Adriene session on YouTube, usually a 10-25 minute sesh

10:30-12pm: Work time! I’ll light a candle, make a hot tea, hit up my to-do list and try not to get distracted by my phone

12-1pm: Lunch. I’m so lucky I have Mumma Zhou cooking up all the goods. She’s been experimenting lots – I had homemade dumplings today!

1-4:30pm: Tapping away at my laptop

4:30-5:30pm: Walk with my boyfriend, I’m lucky he lives close!

5:30-6:30pm: Wind down and shower

6:30-7:30pm: Dinner (thanks Mumma Zhou!)

7:30-11:30: Very murky hours, either I’ll be doing more work, watching YouTube or TV shows, or reading. I try to write up tomorrow’s to-do list, too. I’ll definitely be eating a lot and drinking a decaf tea. This is my weird snacking witching hour(s).

How have you been staying sane during isolation?
Just taking things one day at a time, rejoicing in the little, familiar things. I make sure my room is a tidy and pleasant place to be, considering I’m in it all day. Getting dressed is a nice treat. As is the occasional chai latte takeaway.

Magz WFH.jpg — What does your typical WFH outfit look like?

No bra and no restricting pants. Stretchy waistband, flared pants with an oversized tee is my go-to. Gold jewellery if we’re feeling crazy. A spritz of perfume if we’re REALLY getting into it.

Give us your isolation recommendations; what have you been reading, watching, listening to, eating?
I have to jump on eating first, I go through weeks of cravings where I’ll eat the same thing for a couple weeks: hot cross buns, cookies and cream ice cream, camembert with honey, and sourdough with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt. Chef KISS.

I have a shit taste in TV shows but have gone through: Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, The Bold Type and This Is Us. I only watch feel good rom coms or dramas, sue me.

I wish I’ve been reading more, but sadly I’ve been stuck on a couple books! I’m reading “Growing Up Queer In Australia” which is a selection of short stories edited by Benjamin Law. My sister is published in it so I’m super proud. I’m also reading “White Teeth” by Zadie Smith, which is a long read. I’m also reading RUSSH and Frankie magazine.

Music wise, I only discovered Dua Lipa’s new album today and it’s been on non-stop repeat. Also been loving The Strokes, Conan Gray and #1 Dads’ new albums. I also compiled a playlist of my followers’ favourite songs to dance to, called crowd-sourced boogie hits.

What's something you've learned during this time? This could be a new skill or simply something you've learned about yourself.
I learnt that I really do love spending time alone. That’s a really refreshing and important thing for me to truly realise – that I don’t need all the glitz and glamour of the outside world, I am content with my life. That being said – I cannot wait to go out and celebrate this beautiful city when this is all over.

Follow for more of Maggie’s online journey @yemagz

The Isolation Diaries: Maggie Zhou