Fredi Magazine Special Digital Edition 2017 | Page 35

Stepping into Canadian blogger Alyssa
Garrison’s world is like being transport-
ed via unicorn straight through to a
fantasy land filled with glitter, cupcakes,
and pastel-coloured fluffy clouds. It’s a
world of whimsical wonder in which
everyone is welcome and no topic of
conversation is considered off-limits.
It’s liberating, it’s dreamy, and quite
frankly, it’s exactly what people (par-
ticularly millennials) need right now. “I
think people have a lot of social media
exhaustion,” reflects Garrison. “You
see so much of the same thing every
day and it can feel very redundant
and boring, which leads to lower likes
and engagement in general. I think
more than ever it’s important to create
different, original work that you’re
personally proud of, instead of what’s
prescribed by other bloggers.”
Garrison’s lifestyle blog, Random Acts
of Pastel (RAOP), was born out of a
need to escape the concrete jungle that
she inevitably found herself in once
she had completed her stint studying
Journalism. Living in Toronto and
fresh out of school, Garrison sud-
denly found herself being faced with
the hardships of working in a highly
competitive industry fueled by advertis-
ing and aggressive deadlines. Feeling as
if she had been sucker punched in the
gut, Garrison lacked any inspiration or
focus and so began to try to figure out
an escape route.
The concept she came up with was this:
by injecting heavy doses of delight-
ful charm and jovial pastel colours
into a city filled with gritty grays, dirty
browns, and muted greens Garrison
hoped to make hers (and our) world far
more fanciful and quirky and a lot less
intimidating and frigid. When asked to
describe her personal aesthetic in three
words, Garrison quickly replies “whimsi-
cal, colourful, [and] sparkly.” So, what
originally began as a very personal
project has, over time, morphed into an
online juggernaut and successful lifestyle
brand praised for its positive outlook,
wonderful sense of feminine grace,
and refreshingly honest blog posts.
Originally from British Columbia,
Garrison grew up in the great out-
doors, spending most of her time out-
side in fresh air and lush green fields.
It’s no wonder then that she quickly
grew jaded by Toronto’s more fren-
zied, urban atmosphere. “Life in B.C.
is a lot slower, a lot more healthy,”
says Garrison. “I miss waking up early
for a workout by the sea, or spending
a day cliff-jumping in the forest with
my friends. I was very sporty growing
up […] and I’ve sort of lost that side
of myself since moving to Canada’s
urban centre.”
A self-proclaimed professional dreamer
who always wears rose-tinted glasses,
Garrison fought hard to combat the
Toronto lifestyle once she had relocated
to the city. Her tenacity, originality
and unique way of viewing the world
around her has certainly paid off
because now she’s considered one of
the most recognizable social media
influencers in the country. “I get lots
of messages about how my account
inspires people to live a more fun,
colourful life and how I always manage
to make them smile, and to me there’s
nothing better than that,” reflects
Garrison. “I love the idea of filling
this dreary world with more pastel and
sparkle however I can!”
“I love the idea of filling this
dreary world with more pastel
and sparkle however I can!”
– ALYSSA GARRISON
Rapid e
Fir
WHO IS YOUR MOST
FAMOUS FOLLOWER? /
Charlotte Olympia! I died
a bit when I saw her name
come up.
WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE
PERSON/ACCOUNT TO
FOLLOW? / I’m super into
@Alison__wu right now
for all her amazing healthy
food inspo. Otherwise it’s
@jengotch, the ultimate
honest girlboss.
WHICH EMOJI DO YOU USE
THE MOST? / Twinkle star
WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE
RESTAURANT TO EAT AT IN
TORONTO? / Piano Piano
WHAT’S THE LAST BOOK
YOU READ? / One Day
We’ll All be Dead and
None of This Will Matter
by Scaachi Koul
WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE
SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM?
/ Pinterest! I can spend
hours and hours pinning.
WHAT TV SHOW ARE YOU
HOOKED ON? / Game of
Thrones, forever and always.
WHEN YOU WERE A KID,
WHAT DID YOU WANT TO
BE WHEN YOU GREW UP?
/ A veterinarian or marine
biologist.
WHAT’S THE LAST SONG
THAT WAS STUCK IN YOUR
HEAD? / “Solo” by Frank
Ocean.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE
FOOD? / Poke bowls!
DOGS OR CATS? / Whales!
Just kidding, I truly love all
animals. If I had to pick a
team, I’d go with dog, but
my cat is basically a tiny
dog so it works out.
WHAT’S YOUR LIFE
MOTTO? / Try
everything twice.
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