What's aliens got to do with it?

July 2023: You wake up to the birds chirping and the sun's rays beaming through your window. Groaning, you squint in an attempt to avoid the light as your outstretched hands search blindly for your phone. Scrolling through your social media apps, you wonder if you’re truly awake.

Did the government just admit aliens exist?

Overnight, aliens have become the topic of discussion - they’re “blowing up” as people now say when something takes over the internet at breakneck speed.

You know, for a long time I felt that aliens were underrepresented in the horror community. But I’ve recently realised that it’s because those of us who enjoy these phenomena just need it to be executed well - recent releases include Jordan Peele’s NOPE and I did enjoy Duffield’s cute yet jarring representation of aliens in No One Will Save You.

Alien has been a recurring word for me over the last year. And as things have turned from good to worse to relatively awful, I’ve never felt a word that better describes this life than “alien”. Feeling like there’s something wrong with you for not loving the way you should, not wanting the things you should and not living the way you should.

I was curious and wanted to see if anyone else felt like this - like life was just passing them by and they still had no idea what to do or what they brought to the table.

You'll soon realise that I love using concise words and have a casual tone - because for difficult topics, it's more digestible this way. In her book, “Misfits: A Personal Manifesto”, Michaela Coel said: “Over time some of us have adopted techniques to turn our feeling of alienation into humour.” (By the way, definitely read if you haven't! It's funny and easy to complete on a long tube ride).

In my journey of self-discovery, I’m learning to navigate everything in life all over again, armed with a newfound outlook and sudden lust for life. I wanted to start this blog to explain not only my side but much like Michaela Coel mentioned in Misfits, to hear about as many perspectives as possible.

From chatting with my friends, I know that I’m not alone in this feeling. There are countless individuals out there who are feeling lost, trapped or have simply given up without anyone knowing. It only makes sense that my curiosity would lead me to this blog to find out what it is our community needs and discuss how we can be transparent and grow together.

I aspire ALIEN to be a platform to chat openly, shedding light on the struggles and triumphs that those in our community face while also creating a supportive website to help us navigate this journey together.

On this sunny side of the internet, we’ll tackle the serious stuff including mental health, identity, belonging and everything in between. We’ll be sharing stories, exchanging insights and most importantly, complaining in true British fashion.

Have you ever felt like an outsider? Are you constantly waking up each morning and wondering why you’re here? Struggling with feelings of alienation is not a bad thing. Comment below to share your experiences or perspectives and make sure to subscribe for email updates.