“I draw inspiration from the things I enjoy”: discovering true self-expression with Google Search – Gay Times Magazine

Finding inspiration from the world around you is something that 22-year-old DJ and musician Jess knows all about. “I remember a girl I used to see at my train station everyday as a kid who had pink hair, big platform boots and black clothes,” she says. “I thought at the time, I want to be like her!”

In a way, Jess’s dream came true. As a young adult, she now dresses in a way that combines Goth influences with different flourishes from other subcultures that resonate with her, like video games and raving. “There have been times when I tried to change or hide parts of myself to make more friends or fit in,” she says. “But it’s not worth losing the sense of identity that comes from expressing who you are in the process.”

For Jess, her interests act as a form of escapism. “I find the real world is a bit boring sometimes,” she explains, “so I prefer to ignore it and escape into a world of fantasy through looking at art, playing video games or more literally by dressing up with a silly made up theme and taking photos.”

Of course, finding those all important items that help you express your sense of self can be hard. When Jess saw that girl at the train station, she would have inevitably had to go on a long, arduous search in order to find similar items that she felt would help her express herself in her own personal way. Using Google’s new search feature, however, allows you to search what you see so you can find those obscure and hard-to-find things, unlocking your creative potential.

To see how Jess brings her world to life, we asked her to style her own set incorporating things she found using the Google app. Instead of typing out searches and trying to describe the indescribable, Jess simply tapped the camera icon in the search bar and could get it for herself. We also spoke to her about the importance of self-expression, the significance of surrounding yourself with people who share your interests and how this new way of searching for things has enhanced her creativity.