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instagram It’s time to meet, eat and compete with Mérida, Gwendolyn, Woody and Zeus. These four Piggy Potatoes ( @thepiggypotatoes ) are guinea pig foodies, who can be a little overeager when it comes to their favorite snack: the crunchy cucumber. 🥒⁣ ⁣ “Guinea pigs can eat the whole day,” says their human, Nadine. “They always have a competition about who is the fastest eater.” #WeeklyFluff⁣ ⁣ Video by @thepiggypotatoes

instagram Look who’s having a ball. 💃 🎩 🕺🥕😆⁣ ⁣ Check out our story right now to discover more things that had us twirling with joy this week.⁣ ⁣ Reel by @yuriyan.retriever ⁣ Music by @julieandrews and Ben Kingsley

instagram All the feels ❤️🤪🥺🙃🌈⁣ ⁣ For more relatable illustrations with a side of hope, check out our story. ✨⁣ ⁣ Illustrations by @cubmoth , @slimyoddity and @ychnjung

instagram “Historic.”⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ That’s the word Amanda Gorman ( @amandascgorman ) chose to describe this Inauguration Day in the United States.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ During today’s ceremony at the Capitol, Amanda, the very first US youth poet laureate, will recite a new poem titled “The Hill We Climb.”⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ “My hope is to use language to speak to an America that is united and moving into the future with love and understanding,” says the 22-year-old.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ “I am deeply indebted to the inaugural poets who’ve come before me, and I am not missing out on the symbolism that I am the youngest inaugural poet — and Black and female at that — while the first female, woman of color vice president [Kamala Harris] is being sworn in.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ This inauguration will be game-changing and add much-needed representation to the history books. It’s a privilege to be a part of it.”⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Photo of @amandascgorman by @kelianne

instagram Japanese artist and designer Verdy ( @verdy ) always loved drawing characters. After years of doodling in notebooks, the iconic “Vick” came to life. ✍📒⁣ ⁣ “I feel like we’ve grown up together over many years,” says Verdy. “Having the same personality as myself, he is always positive, takes on new challenges and is also pretty easygoing.”⁣ ⁣ The amount of time Verdy’s spent at home alone with his drawings last year gave him time to think about what’s important. “Up until now I thought I wanted to become an artist from Japan that gets to go out into the world. But now I want to be an artist that represents Asia.” 🌏✨⁣ ⁣ If you’re needing some new year inspiration, #TakeABreak with Verdy (and his sidekick Vick) to see his work and passion in full force.

instagram “My inspiration has been birthed from the richness of Black history — the past, present and possibilities of the future,” says the artist Broadie ( @bbrody04 ).⁣ ⁣ His work clearly spans his connection to history. Some pieces reflect on African American spirituals like “Wade in the Water” (pictured), while others depict modern pop culture figures or even iconic moments from the 1960s civil rights movement in the United States.⁣ ⁣ On #MLKDay , Broadie looks back at Dr. King’s historic legacy, one that has informed his life and his work: “To quote MLK, ‘I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.’ I feel this quote shows how love continues to fight against hate, injustice and racism. Hate brings destruction and separation, while love connects people from all walks of life.⁣ ⁣ Simply put, to me, MLK means Black excellence.”⁣ ⁣ Art by @bbrody04

instagram #HelloFrom the Tokyo Skytree.⁣ ⁣ We are dreaming of taking in the 360-degree view from the top of Japan’s tallest structure.⁣ ⁣ Photo by @jmspht

instagram Who’s a pretty boy?⁣ ⁣ On today’s #WeeklyFluff , meet Tencho ( @1room1cat ), a charming cat who is very ready for his close up.⁣ ⁣ Photo by @1room1cat

instagram Just keep swimming. 🌊🐋🐋 Today, we surface some of the things that made us smile. See them all right now on our story. 🙂 Reel by @dolphindronedom

instagram With bread-baker and writer Bryan Ford ( @artisanbryan ), it’s time to lose your expectations of bread and get experimental. 🍞 + 🔥 = 💯⁣ ⁣ “Your hands are powerful tools, eager to learn new things,” says Bryan, who fell in love with cooking as a child. “I remember helping my mom make tortillas, tamales and other traditional Honduran foods. As I got older, I started to work in restaurant kitchens and taught myself more about how to bake different types of bread and pastry.”⁣ ⁣ These days, Bryan infuses his Latin American heritage into fresh recipes and seeks new ideas from all over the world. “I love accounts that highlight different cultures and types of people that are cultivating their unique craft.”⁣ ⁣ Check out today’s story for a glimpse into Brian’s kitchen and to learn a bit more about a few of his favorite Instagram accounts in the 🌎 of 🍽.⁣ ⁣ #ShareBlackStories 🖤⁣ ⁣ Photo by @artisanbryan

instagram “My life is a product of Black history. Everything I do is to extend that legacy of building a better world than the one I received,” says writer and strategist Brea Baker ( @freckledwhileblack ).⁣ ⁣ “When Trayvon Martin was assassinated in 2012, it sparked the beginnings of my activism. George Zimmerman’s acquittal over a year later is what would officially politicize me and send me deeper into this work. I became committed to understanding the deep-rooted legacy of racism in this country and how to break the cycle.”⁣ ⁣ Brea was the youngest national organizer of the 2017 Women’s March and served as president of Yale’s NAACP chapter. Her involvement in multiple other civic engagement and advocacy efforts led her to take up her role in Inspire Justice, an organization which advises leading change-makers on social impact strategies.⁣ ⁣ “I have worked to create a world where profit and supremacy do not keep Black people, women and LGBTQ people from living safe and dignified lives. My work builds community and challenges the idea that we inherit a bunch of systems that can't be changed.⁣ ⁣ I hope people leave rethinking everything, and especially the need for caging and policing human beings, and what’s possible if we come together.⁣ ⁣ Young people are so powerful. We set the tone for the present and future of our global community. We are energetic and not so jaded by this world to lose faith in our ability to change it.”⁣ ⁣ #ThisWeekOnInstagram⁣ ⁣ Photo of @freckledwhileblack by @syd.hol

instagram “I’m passionate about exploring the relationship between social justice and environmentalism,” says activist and writer Leah Thomas ( @greengirlleah ), who founded IE ( @intersectionalenvironmentalist ), a community-building resource that inspires other activists to think about beyond climate change.⁣ ⁣ “My work aims to challenge environmentalists to dive deeper and view environmentalism through a lens of intersectionality, so hopefully BIPOC don’t continue to be silenced in the issue, and so that environmental wisdom and conservation practices found in BIPOC communities can be celebrated and embraced as well. I’ve found that most environmental activists that are spotlighted are white, even though BIPOC climate activists exist all over the world and have been doing this work for years.⁣ ⁣ The Black community is disproportionately impacted by environmental injustice, COVID-19 and social injustice. This made me realize that the same systems of oppression are at play in each area. We must strive for racial justice so Black people can not only breathe and exist — but thrive.⁣ ⁣ It’s important that environmentalism is intersectional, so everyone has access to green spaces, nature and all that Mother Nature has to offer.”⁣ ⁣ #ThisWeekOnInstagram⁣ ⁣ Photo of @greengirlleah by @cherthismoment