First off, I’d like to make it abundantly clear that I by no means am suggesting that this past year was, in any way, some kind of magical time for any of us. However, that said, I do believe that the “collective pause” which was imposed on us created a surplus of time, a sort of vacuum in all our lives. It left us with a void physically, mentally and emotionally which was just waiting to be filled by whatever means we could and whenever we could find the wherewithal to re-calibrate to this new reality we were living.
Ironically, everything became stagnant despite the fact that the world was seemingly spinning out of control. And so we did our best to adjust. We created ways to fill our days. And, admit it or not, I bet you each settled into your new daily quarantine routine, uneventful as it may have been.
Perhaps you just coasted and wallowed in all that extra spare time you now had—a welcome change from the fast-paced life you led before. Or, maybe you took advantage of it and accomplished all the things you once had to dismiss because there simply wasn’t any time in your rigid schedule. Well, I certainly did a little bit of both.
I binged every possible Netflix show, learned all the TikTok dances, and had my full share of self-care moments, but then when that was over, I became frustrated with struggling to fill the rest of the time. I’ve always felt that boredom breeds creativity, but man, was I stumped. However, with time, I began to find small inspirations in things around me, whether that be on my daily ride down to the beach at golden hour, blasting some of my favorite songs, watching my favorite lifestyle bloggers, or just in the natural world that I now appreciated just a bit more.
In time, however, I also began to get reacquainted with myself. These small changes have led to what essentially became a personal catharsis: a seamless transition occurring from simply stepping off the proverbial treadmill of life and gaining the opportunity for more self-reflection—a better understanding of me. I now had the time to lean into that awareness and to create what was right in front of me all along. It was as organic as could be—all the things I truly had a passion for came into focus as being exactly what I needed (and wanted) to do!
I decided I would spend my time combining those passions— writing, public relations, fashion, food, trends and lifestyle—to create my very own social media blog! After some deep thought, I decided to jump in headfirst and created an Instagram account for my new blog, @simplylaviish (~go check it out!)
The page quickly became a part of my daily routine and, in part, my identity. After just a few weeks of steady posting over the summer, I acquired nearly 1000 followers, which blew my mind considering I was just starting. On the page, I provide tips from fashion to food and fitness, as well as self-care and lifestyle tips.
However, taking into consideration the current status of the world and playing on its name, Simply Lavish aims to inspire its audience to make even the simplest pleasures in life feel luxurious and indulgent—so important to maintaining our sanity, especially at this time, is finding happiness in the little things.
If quarantine has taught us anything, it’s that a change of perspective is often all you need to push through life’s most challenging moments. And @simplylaviish, we believe in tweaking even the ordinary so that every day feels special!
“2020” was a mixed blessing for sure, but it gave me the opportunity to see things clearer than I ever have before.
