When you think of personal development, you think about the improvements you make as an individual. However, the interactions you have with other people are important too. Last year, I started a tradition where I would interview people and have them take the spotlight on my blog for them to talk about what they love that will hopefully inspire more people. I wanted to keep that tradition going. For the first spotlight guest, I wanted to have Olivia. She first reached out to me in 2020 to join a support group on Instagram, and from then, it has been lovely to get to know. Her content radiance positivity and is a huge inspiration. I wanted to ask her ten questions that can inspire others the way she inspired me.
Make sure to check out her main Instagram, book Instagram, and youtube channel.
Me: Hi Oliva, thank you so much for being a guest on my blog. You are a very admirable creator, so the best way I think we can start this blog is, Can you give five facts about you?
Olivia: Hello, thank you for featuring me and your kind words. My facts are 1) I’m British and was born in a county called Bedfordshire. 2) I was a supporting artist in the 2019 film Dumbo 3) I’m mixed race (half Scottish and half Bajan), but often people guess many other ethnicities. 4) I’m a massive nerd and love Marvel, Harry Potter, Disney, Twilight, and The Hunger Games. 5) I love creating fun makeup looks.
Me: What made you want to be a singer and actress?
Olivia: As long as I can remember I’ve always loved performing, I attended loads of singing, dancing, and acting clubs as a kid, and when I got the role of Eponine in Les Miserables in my school's play then won a singing competition and got to support Scouting for girls and Razorlight. I realized, “ Oh, I might be good at this.”, so I perused it and graduated from The London School of musical theatre in 2019 with a fabulous agent.
Me: What is your favorite part about content creating?
Olivia: 100% connecting with people. This year, the whole world has been made aware of COVID by not being able to connect with as many people face to face. For me, creating posts with relatable captions has opened up a dialogue in my comments and DM’s and made me (and hopefully others) feel less alone.
Me: Who inspires you, and why?
Olivia: I’m inspired by Leigh-Anne Pinnock (a member of little mix). Not only has she got a brilliant voice with a massive singing career, but she also creates great fashion, beauty, and lifestyle content as well as using her platform for important issues, such as the BLM movement.
Me: What is an accomplishment you feel proud of?
Olivia: Overcoming depression and an eating disorder is a big one for me. I still have GAD (generalized anxiety disorder), so I can get anxious from time to time, but the fact that I made it through 2020 while still staying pretty positive makes me proud.
Me: What are your goals this year?
Olivia: Drink more water! Sing more (even if I can’t work as a singer right now), exercise every day, pass my driving test, follow the curly girl method, reach 10k followers, keep journaling and reach 100 books read. I also hope to move in with my boyfriend.
Me: What motivates you to keep going after your dreams?
Olivia: I’m lucky enough to have a strong support network of people around me who encourage me, and the truth is, in the past, when I’ve put my mind to something, I often accomplish it. My bigger dreams may just take a bigger amount of time and effort.
Me: What’s something you are looking forward to trying this year?
Oliva: I’m going to try my hand at choreographing a commercial dance. I used to make up routines as a little girl, so I’m going to tap into my inner child and have a go, hopefully boosting my body confidence, endorphins, and keeping fit at the same time.
Me: How do you stay positive at this time?
Olivia: Keeping busy and setting myself small tasks has been good. I also practice gratitude, writing down things I’m thankful for as much as possible. I also think journaling and exercise have been really helpful, as well as talking to my friends on zoom. Remember (as was said in HSM) we’re all in this together.
Me: What life lesson do you want to share with people who are trying new things this year?
Olivia: It is important to remember that often, we are our own worst critics. Life is for living and doing what you want to do and what will make you happy. Be safe, give thanks, and be kind.
Thank you again to Olivia for allowing me to interview you and your thoughtful responses. I wanted to do this interview because humans are naturally social. One good thing about this time is we still have ways of being connected to people we care about. Whether it’s through text, phone call or video call, etc. Social media may have its faults, but in a way, it still gives us a sense of community that we would’ve been deprived of. Our connection to others is a huge part of personal development because our interactions with others allow us to learn more about different perspectives, make us think about the external world, and in a way allow us to learn more about ourselves. So Olivia- keep being a ray of sunshine, and to all readers, I hope this inspires you!
Thank you for taking the time to read. Don’t forget to like, comment, and share. Remember to subscribe to my Youtube channel, and follow my Instagram and Twitter to connect and stay up to date. I am excited about next week's blog post so make sure you come back next Saturday. Until then, there’s a lot more content on my youtube channel. I hope you have a good day, evening or night.
Until next time,
xoxo Lay 💋