Although the quarter-life crisis is a relatively recent phenomenon, it's definitely real. Luckily, none of us have to suffer through it alone: The Internet has made it possible to connect with other 20-somethings all over the world who might also be working their way through this tumultuous time. This, then, is exactly what the Instagram account Quarter Life Poetry taps into — and you guys? It's exactly what most Millennials need. Heck, it's probably exactly what most people who are still trying to recover from the recession need. Relatable? Yes. Hilarious? Also yes. Ladies and gents, meet your new favorite Instagram account.
Created by 25-year-old Samantha Jayne, Quarter Life Poetry takes all of the issues and conundrums that plague when you're deep in the throes of your quarter-life crisis and turns them into Dr. Seuss rhymes. If it sounds ridiculous, that's because it is; however, it's also a very calculated sort of ridiculous. “I wanted to write something that my friends could actually relate to,” Jayne told BuzzFeed. “It's more like Oh the Places You Didn't Go Because You're Up to Your Ears in Student Loans. ” Sounds about right.
Quarter Life Poetry bears some resemblance to Mo Welch's “Live from Lombard” cartoons in that they both depict the weirdness of adulthood: No matter how “grown up” we allegedly are, most of us still frequently find ourselves stuck in these strange, in-between places where we feel more like kids pretending to be adults. And although they both have distinct styles of their own, they also make their point by depicting their various topics in relatively crude illustrations — the kinds of things you expect to find in a children's book. Again, as Allie Brosh of Hyperbole and a Half once commented (and which I brought up when discussing “Live from Lombard”), it's not easy to draw badly well — but when you nail that particular style, it's enormously effective.
But where Quarter Life Poetry differs from “Live from Lombard” is in its sense of humor. This isn't to say that one is funnier than the other — I would argue that they're both hilarious — but Quarter Life Poetry is perhaps a bit more lighthearted. Like the simplistic-yet-far-from-simple art style, though, this, too, is a conscious choice: Said Jayne to BuzzFeed, “Being able to make art that elicits a knowing chuckle to people my age is good medicine. It's important to find humor in these frustrating years and not take life so seriously.” Ayyyyy-men.
It's been a few years since I hit my quarter-life crisis, but that doesn't mean that I've stopped being able to relate to Quarter Life Poetry. I'm pretty sure most Millennials have experienced every single one of these situations, whether they fall in the upper end of the generation or the lower one. Here are eight of my favorites; head on over to Quarter Life Poetry on Instagram or Tumblr to see more.
1. On Mail:
Yep — snail mail is almost exclusively reserved for bills now. Although I will say that my mom still sends me packages sometimes, and they're the best. (Thanks, Mom!)
2. On FOMO:
Truth.
3. On Acquiring an Adult Wardrobe And/Or Having a Depressing Epiphany in a Public Place
Might I recommend NYC Crying Guide for the best places to cry in public in New York City?
4. On Honorifics:
Does it bug anyone else that there isn't really a word that falls somewhere between “ma'am” and “miss?” I mean, there's “Ms.,” but that doesn't really get the job done, either. “Miss” makes you sound like you're 12, and “ma'am” and “Ms.” make you sound (ironically) like Miss Havisham. Clearly we need to invent a new word expressly for this purpose.
5. On Free Stuff:
Hey. There's nothing wrong with stuffing your face full of free cheese samples. Just sayin'.
6. On Awful Apartments:
We've all lived in an apartment like this at least once (if not several times).
7. On IKEA Furniture:
Sometimes I don't think even having an engineering degree is a guarantee that you'll be able to put your LACK coffee table together without incident.
8. On Dating:
Ah, the perils of modern dating.
9. On Finances:
Not going to lie: This one is my number one favorite.
Images: QuarterLifePoetry/Instagram (9); GIphy
