There is not one single person in the world that hasn’t found themselves imagining how your 20s would be like. Personally, when I was 12 I had pictures of Vogue covers all over my closet doors and I strongly believed I would be the next Vogue editor at 22 - yes, I gave myself 10 years to accomplish such a position.
The truth is the 20’s are a blur: you always have higher expectations, but reality sometimes can be cruel. When you arrive there, you realize the road is a little bumpier than you imagined as a teenager. It was with that thought in mind that the journalist Yasmin Guleç, 22, created her own project: Yirmi-lik (20’lik) - translates to “Twenties”, in Turkish.
Graduated from New York University (NYU) with bachelor of Journalism and Global Liberal Studies, Yasmin is one of the many people who chose to return to their motherland when the pandemic started. “I now believe it was the best decision because that is when my paths crossed with the NGO I currently work at, Ashoka, and where I also got to meet Aposto, where my project started”, she tells The Dank Project.
That is because Aposto is an independent Turkish news website delivering information in a less mainstream way, focusing on accuracy, clarity and fact checking. “I always wanted to participate in something I actually believe in. Their idea is super cool so I wanted to be part of it”, she affirms.
When Aposto was looking for writers to start their newsletter, Yasmin decided to create her own idea and join them: that is when Yirmi-lik was born, in early January. Combining her expertise with her mother-culture, the name came from a display on smaller size bottles of the traditional Turkish alcoholic drink Rakı. Her main idea however also fits the name: to explore different points of view from people in their 20s.
“Your 20’s are a very interesting time in your life. It is where we see it is perfectly fine if you just live with your parents or go to grad school, but on the other hand it is also perfectly fine if you get married and have kids. It’s such a weird age where your teen life is attached to your adult life and you have to understand what path to follow. I wanted to write about how to navigate these confusions.
So she created a creative platform divided in three sections: one for what is in her mind that week - being politics, climate change or life in general -, the second where she showcases events/news and the last, where she interviews someone in their 20’s, featuring different artists and creators.
“Basically the idea was: I get to talk about myself, I get to talk about what’s going on in the world and I get to write about people’s talent. I combined all of that and 20’lik was born.”
Calm in chaos & inspiration
Back on when Yasmin had to choose a university, she was fortunate enough to have options all over the world and yet she chose the chaotic New York. Besides the will of exploring another continent and unveiling a new culture, it also brings an inspiring home feeling somehow.
“I get inspired by living in Istanbul. It's such a gorgeous city. There's so much culture, so many opinions, so many people and if you know how to survive without being choked by all these different opinions, if you work on finding your own voice and respect everyone else's you’re in this sweet spot of discovering super cool things.”
Much alike the North American Business Capital, that also happens to be a center for journalism in the whole world. “I had this idea - that presented to be true - that opportunities happen naturally when you are in there. If you can take advantage of the opportunities you will get to experience a lot of incredible things. That’s what I did.”
As a good journalist however, a chaotic street has a stronger potential of creating new question marks instead of simply stressing you out. So imagine a street full of young people walking past. What are they doing with their lives? What path did they choose? That, and a list of great writers, are her main inspiration.
“I know it sounds cheesy, but seeing other people my age doing so many different things and pursuing their dreams do inspire me. I feel like my generation is overworked. I have never met anyone that is just doing one thing, and that is actually beautiful! People are pursuing their dreams and passions without fear. I feel like priorities have shifted, and even though the current state of the world takes a big part of it, it also is a reality that leads us to more creative paths.”
20’lik is a Turkish project and therefore is showcased in Turkish only. You can find their page on Aposto and follow up with their official Instagram.
Comments