Favorite Follow
Meet Maris Jones, The Creator Using Social Media As A Creative Time Capsule
Using makeup and childhood relics, Jones explores why we've romanticized nostalgia.
Welcome to Favorite Follow, a new series highlighting NYLON's favorite creators and the stories behind some of their most memorable content.
Maris Jones wants to take you on an adventure. It's commonplace to turn to television and film as a means of temporarily escaping your own reality, but Jones brings social media into the fold, using her Instagram and TikTok platform to guide you on a journey through space, and even time.
At a time when so many are confined to homes, apartments, and familiar surroundings, Jones has provided continual entertainment, creating short, colorful clips that span past, present, and future events. IRL celebrations might be on hold, but thanks to Jones, viewers have joined in on an '80s-inspired New Years bash, followed along with the evolution of radio, and imagined a world where time travel is possible.
Inspired by her own love of entertainment, Jones has a specific goal in mind for her social media presence. "I want the viewer to be taken out of their everyday life and maybe just feel happy for a moment. I love older Hollywood films because they took me out of my daily life and separated me from my anxiety as I continue to navigate life," she said. "I want to do that for people, even if it’s for a few seconds of their day."
Relying on a stockpile of makeup, beauty products, and even childhood relics, Jones uses her creations to tap into feelings of nostalgia. "I have also always been really fascinated by the romanticism of older things. We love to romanticize times we didn’t experience ourselves, but in reality no time was ever ‘cooler’ than another, it was just different and things keep repeating themselves, with little variations," she said.
As everyone has an individual emotional attachment to the past, Jones wants to use her videos as a means of tapping into that feeling. "The past seems to hit this real or false memory of comfort. Nostalgia. That feeling that is this familiar happy place, one that you either experienced firsthand, or that reminds you of something else in your life," she said.
Below, Jones shares some of her favorite social media creations, and details the process, inspiration, and meaning behind them.
On the Evolution of Her Childhood Bedroom
I was at my parents' house over the holidays, so I decided to challenge myself to see if I could rearrange my childhood bedroom to match different decades using only the things around their house. I am so fascinated by the ever-changing designs and interests that we toggle through over time. When you put them all together, it creates this wonderful mismatch of colorful moments. I remember before I left to visit them I stuffed a couple of wigs in my bag, and that was what I had to work with. Doing these types of videos is so therapeutic to me. I love the problem solving aspect of figuring out what can work and making do.
I Made You A Mixtape
Whenever I have a moment of free time I try to find a piece I can create. This photo came from one of those moments. I only had a few hours and knew I could build something small. Besides creating artwork, listening to music is the other thing that really takes me away from my anxiety (and gets me out of my head). I love the concept of mixtapes and playlists. As someone who is stuck in their ways (I like listening to the same music over and over again) seeking playlists is good for me. I often discover a song that I feel was meant for my ears but I had yet to hear. For that reason, playlists, to me, are a gateway to discovering a whole other compartment of yourself that you need to unlock. And mixtapes symbolize a mishmash of wonder.
Went For A Drive To Clear My Mind
This video was spawned at the beginning of the lockdown last March. I think before then I rarely had time to make more elaborate content. All of a sudden I had all this spare time. I ended up diving into this project for two weeks. It was supposed to be a quick thing. This video is about escaping anxiety and letting go. Going somewhere else. I decided to juxtapose a '50s rigid elegance with rock music to really emphasize the letting go element. I try to make things that can be interpreted in different ways, but to me that’s what this video is about.
On Ringing In the New Year
This TikTok I made right before this most recent New Years Eve. I think everyone is getting a little stir crazy, and I missed the idea of getting all dressed up to go out for New Years. The '80s was a time of excess and overindulgence mixed with pure absurdity. What better way to indulge in pretending to get ready for a night out. I also would be lying if I didn’t say I am absolutely obsessed with '80s fashion. In my day-to-day life I dress like an '80s businesswoman, so I was really excited to put this look together.
On Just Needing Space
I captioned this sci-fi-themed video “Sometimes you just need some space” for two reasons. You sometimes just need space to create and work, but sometimes you also just need to sit back and blast off and have some fun. I try to tell myself that often, because the lines become blurred between whether I should work or just let myself enjoy something. I put together this look because I love old sci fi films and shows. The style is so unique and fun. Overall, I just tried to have a blast with this one, and I was very pleased as to how my flying effect turned out. I felt like a badass.
