From an early age I've been obsessed with paper goods and letter writing. I love the thrill of going into a card store or a paper store and being surrounded by color and by cheer. So I'm especially excited to talk with Clarissa Nicole of Five12Studio about what The Good Life means to her.
Clarissa and I met a couple of months ago online over a weekly Twitter chat that Alt Summit hosts every Wednesday at 9AM Pacific. I immediately fell in love with her work--her designs and her photography. I especially loved that she was from Texas; her portraits made me homesick for Austin. (She's a contributor for The State of Awesome.) I hope you'll give her a warm welcome!
1. How do you define The Good Life?
Being happy and content with the every day simple things in life. It’s easy to get caught up in fancy materialistic things, but if you remove those things, you need to be able to have peace and happiness without them.
2. Do you think it's possible to pursue The Good Life? Why or why not.
Absolutely. For me, it takes going through some rough times in your life for you to be able to say, “You know what? I’m alive, I’m breathing and this is only temporary (the problem).” It’s definitely a process.
3. Do you think you have The Good Life? If yes, when did you learn this?
I think I’m getting there. This past year has been tough and a lot of things changed where I was literally by myself for a long time. In the process I really evaluated my life and the people/things in it. If it doesn’t make positive impact in my life it’s been removed.
4. How has blogging helped you recognize The Good Life?
I’m all about the connection, as cliché as that sounds. If people enjoy what I’m saying and/or can relate to what I’m saying, I’m good.
5. Do you have any tips you'd like to share with others?
Remove negativity. Really look at things that you can change that are bringing you down and do what can to rid them. It’s understood some things you can’t delete and you have to find the best way to deal with them, but the more you can remove, the easier it is to focus your energy on changing those situations.
About Clarissa
Clarissa runs Five12Studio, a design/photography/creative consulting service in Dallas, Texas. When she’s not working (which is barely), she runs her blog at five12studio.blogspot.com, combining her professional and sarcastic tone to share with the world, trying to perfect her yoga moves, and sleeping. You can find her as Five12Studio on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Instagram, and Pinterest.Credits: All layouts designed by by Eden Hensley Silverstein for The Road to the Good Life. All images personal photos of Clarissa Nicole of Five12Studio and used with permission.