Here's How to Make That 2020 Mood Meme You're Seeing All Over Your Feeds

From Oprah Magazine

• Celebrities like Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling and Kerry Washington have been posting 2020 memes that poke fun at how the year has been going so far.

• The challenge involves posting a grid of 9 different photos of yourself that encapsulate your mood from January to September 2020.

• Here's how you can make your own—no Photoshop required.

How has 2020 been so far? If your answer is that the year started great but quickly got derailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic—you're not alone. A new meme that perfectly encapsulates the wide range of emotions felt this year is going viral on social media, and celebrities—seemingly starting with Reese Witherspoon—have been sharing their own hilarious versions online. And you can get in on the fun too—using free photo editing websites that make it simple. (More on that below). But first, here are the basics.

The meme involves posting a nine-photo collage of yourself, one for every month from January to September. Each photo is supposed to capture your mood during that month—demonstrating that the excitement of a new year disappeared by around March, when states started issuing their first stay at home orders due to the rapid spread of the coronavirus.

One of the first celebrities to jump on the 2020 mood challenge was Reese Witherspoon, who used images from movies that she acted in to perfectly encapsulate the struggle. Starting in January with a happy, pink snapshot from her role as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, by the time June rolls around Witherspoon repeatedly uses a forlorn still from her character Cheryl Strayed in Wild. Captioned "Yup. #2020," the 44-year-old's Instagram post has garnered over 1.3 million likes as of Thursday, showing just how deeply the meme resonated with people.

Witherspoon inspired a slew of celebrities to follow suit. Mindy Kaling chose to start her 2020 meme with a beautiful red carpet picture of herself—ending with a sad-looking still of her character Kelly Kapoor from The Office.

Witherspoon's Little Fires Everywhere co-star Kerry Washington also joined in on the fun, showcasing a range of pictures from her roles in Scandal to American Son and more.

Viola Davis created and posted her own meme on Instagram as well, noting: "I’d have to agree with @ReeseWitherspoon, @MindyKaling and @KerryWashington about 2020! 🤣❤️"

Of course we at O, The Oprah Magazine couldn't resist making one with Oprah's pictures.

Wondering how you can create your own?

First find the nine photos of yourself that best capture your mood for each month this year. Keep in mind, many celebrities have chosen to repeat the same photo for the last few months to emphasize the fact that it sure seems like things aren't changing in the near future.

If you're a photo software whiz, you can turn to apps like Photoshop to whip up your own meme. For those who don't have Photoshop or want a simpler way to create the 2020 challenge, try Canva, a free online website that will help you make photo collages and layer text over them. Another free online software option is Adobe Spark, which has a user-friendly interface to help you upload your photos and pull together your collage in no time.

And while you're at it, make one for your dog too!

For more stories like this, sign up for our newsletter.

You Might Also Like

• A Cleaning Expert Explains the Best Way to Clean Cloth Face Masks After You Wear Them — Good Housekeeping

• 35 Delicious Pantry Recipes That Use What's Already in Your Cabinets and Freezer — Good Housekeeping

• The Amish keep to themselves. And they’re hiding a horrifying secret. — Cosmopolitan