Chloe Laws, Part 2 of our creative series.

Chloe Laws is a writer, journalist and poet.

Her writing has appeared in GLAMOUR, Grazia, Stylist, CN Traveller, Allure, National Geographic, Vogue, Vanity Fair, The Independent, The i, Cosmo, Vice, Dazed, Refinery29 and more. She has written cover stories for Stylist and GLAMOUR.

I’ll prelude this with a little bit about why I chose to reach out to Chloe, and what resonated with me from her public profile. 

As someone who often finds myself speaking out against social injustices, I found myself instantly drawn to her body of work, which I discovered through instagram. I love how eloquently and cleverly she calls out all injustice, but critically to me, gender injustice, violence against women, collective ingrained shame, judgemental culture, mental health and intrusive thoughts. I know that many people write about these topics, but I don’t know many people who are 1) a similar age to me, 2) London based, 3) so relatable, 4) outraged to the appropriate degree & 5) unapologetic in raising awareness. 

I know so many people who live in a world of apathy, and every time I write something about injustice, or complain to friends about feeling judged or unsafe, people zone out or tell me I’m overthinking it. Some people have even asked me why I felt the need to share. Why is it that (some) people are so content living in their bubble? I’m someone that feels very deeply, and I understand that Chloe is too. To see it and to recognise it in someone who is actively using their platform to challenge ‘the norm’ makes me feel less alone. Makes me feel more understood. I wanted to share this with you, Chloe, because I think it’s important to tell people when they inspire you. And you do. I love your writing, and the way that you present it. I hope that you keep landing on the feeds of people who live in bubbles. Thank you.

Chloe Laws - lifted from her website https://www.chloelaws.co.uk/

Q&A with Chloe:

M: Can you tell us a little about yourself?

C: I’m Chloe Laws, a journalist/poet/campaigner from London. I was born in Hackney, before moving to Norfolk and growing up in the countryside. Now, I’ve been back living in Hackney for the last ten years. I’m freelance, and have been for the last few years, so no work day is the same. I write for places like Grazia, Stylist, Marie-Claire, and loads of other publications. I also do a lot of social justice and politics work, and run a platform called FGRLS CLUB which educates on misogyny and tries to combat it. My work largely focuses on male violence against women and girls, the beauty industry and culture. 

M: Have you always used writing as a medium for your creativity?

C: Yes! I wrote my first ‘book’ (it was only a few pages) at seven years old. I performed poetry from as young as eight. Basically, being a writer was in my blood and it’s all I’ve ever known or wanted to do. I love to paint, too.

M: How did you get into writing publicly and having the confidence to post your inner thoughts and feelings to the world?

C: I’ve been a journalist for longer than I’ve posted my writing on social media, and I think when writing became my ‘job’ it gave me the confidence to start sharing some of my creative writing – poetry, fiction – to Instagram. 

M: What inspires you to write? 

C: It’s more the other way around, for me. I’m inspired when I write. It’s how I make sense of my thoughts, it’s how I process, it’s how I express myself. When I need to get a lot of words down, getting out of my flat or routine helps – writing in local cafes, going away, sitting in the park. 

Lifted from Chloe's website https://www.chloelaws.co.uk/

M: How does writing make you feel? (For me, I love the flow state that writing unlocks… I often don’t fully know how I feel about something until I try and verbalise it or write it down, so it’s quite therapeutic)

C: It makes me feel in control of my own thoughts. And peaceful, I love nothing more than sitting down and hammering out words on my laptop. I find a lot of writers complain about deadlines or the process of writing, but I honestly never get sick of it. I always feel so lucky that I’m passionate about the thing I get to call work. 

M: Have you had a positive experience with sharing opinions? I imagine there are some not so nice people out there who would challenge some of the things you say…

C: I’d say the response to my work is 98% positive, but that 2% can be derailing and scary. 

M: Do you feel like the internet is a safe place to share? 

C: Honestly…no! And it’s only getting worse, especially with Elon owning X. However, sharing in real life is not always wholly safe, either. So it’s hard to unpick what is and isn’t the internet’s fault. 

M: Are you creative in any other mediums than writing?

C:Yes I love to paint, and find it very meditative. 

M: You recently stayed at our cabin, Reconnect. And we know that you were writing from there. Did the environment have any (positive or negative) impact on your ability to write? 

It was the perfect environment to write in. Calm, quiet and near nature. I find being in nature really grounding. I’m most comfortable in nature, and it’s where I feel at home. I spent the first night alone in the cabin, getting lots of writing done. On the second night my partner came and we had a lovely time disconnecting to reconnect.

M: How do you practise self-love and self-care? 

My work requires me to be on social media constantly, and that takes its toll. I’m prone to burnout, but through time I’m better at identifying the signals. What helps me disconnect is trying to take an hour every day completely offline, and also have holidays/breaks where I switch-off from the news and politics. It’s simple things like having a bath, reading, going on a walk, being in the sea, that help. 

M: If you weren’t a writer and journalist, what else would you want to do for work, and why? (If money didn’t matter!)

What a good question! A billion things haha! I feel like I’m cursed with a desire to always be doing or trying something new. But, to whittle it down: a therapist, working in an animal sanctuary, a potter. 

A poem written by Chloe Laws during her stay in our cabin, Reconnect. 

I’d like to thank Chloe for her answers here, and I’d like to encourage you to all give her a follow on instagram @chloegracelaws. Her writing is beautiful and I encourage you to read up and support her journey, and hopefully your own.

Written by Monica Innes - 9th October 2024