Hello, hiya, hello! If you are reading this post, you have either known me for quite some time or not at all. My name is Kerri Olivia and I am an author, creative entrepreneur, crochet artist, and writer. I have been a content creator since 2016. For anyone who has been a part of my journey, I have changed niches from beauty to lifestyle to mental health to astrology and more. Right now, I am interested in topics related to crochet, knitting, and books.

What inspired you to take a break from social media, and what made you decide to return?

I took a break to figure out who I am in this new chapter of my life. I recently discovered that I am a neurodivergent individual. I felt relieved and overwhelmed by this new information. It was also too much for me to unpack that while also creating. It was a tough but necessary decision to walk away from creating and uncover this new part of me. Since I started my healing and self-discovery journey in 2019, I felt like I lived nine lives. So much has changed for me and I know that I am better for it. At the same time, a lot of questions that I had about myself were starting to come full circle. Many of the questions that came to the forefront were the struggles I had behind the scenes to create content while loving what I do simultaneously.

I decided to return because I enjoy creating things and nurturing my creativity. It is my happy place and it genuinely gives me joy. It is a magical experience for me to create a random thought or idea from scratch and bring it into the material world. It is also important for me to continue building a community of like-minded people where we can share ideas and inspire each other to be ourselves, whatever expression that may look like for each of us.

How have you been taking care of your own wellness during your time away from social media?

Self-acceptance has been my bread and butter. I am learning to accept that I am emotional, highly sensitive, practical, logical, random, serious, and so unserious. These contradictions and pieces make me who I am and that’s okay. Looking back at past experiences, I realize that I was doing my absolute best with limited information. Also, giving myself grace while I am still discovering new things about myself. Figuring out how I really want to show up as a creator. Figuring out if I even wanted to keep showing up as a content creator. Learning to accept myself in the ways I wanted to express myself. Listening to my fears around doing that. Life still comes with its teaching moments. This time around, I have a new lens to see those teaching moments and I feel more empowered by that. Also, figuring out loosely based routines and rituals. That keeps me grounded and makes more space for me to focus and create.

What are some common misconceptions about wellness that you would like to address with your audience?

Wellness is what you make it. It can look however it needs to as long as it works for you. Meditation is not always a go-to for me to feel grounded or clear my head. I also learned that I meditate in unconventional ways. For example, playing one song or a specific playlist on repeat for a long time helps me to stay grounded or collect my thoughts.

There are typical forms of wellness that are here as guides to help you on your spiritual, self-love, or personal development journey but this journey is custom-made for you. That’s the beauty of this journey: you get to be as creative as you want.

What new wellness practices have you been exploring or incorporating into your daily routine?

This era has been about going back to basics. Free self-care practices like exercise and cleaning. Anything that helps me to release emotions and clear my head. Also, anything that is tied to a personal value of mine.

Another wellness practice that is still in progress is not doing more than I am capable of. I have a habit of coming up with so many ideas and trying to execute them all at once. It’s all well and good until I become too overwhelmed and I end up doing nothing at all. I have been encouraging myself to go at a slower pace and to compromise. I can brainstorm as much as I want to satisfy the dreamer in me but I can also finish one project at a time to satisfy the logical version of me.

What is your favorite self-care ritual or practice and how do you prioritize it in your daily life?

It has been five years since I started my spiritual and self-love journey and journaling still has a hold on my heart. I am a writer and it allows me to process my emotions, re-program my subconscious, and organize my thoughts. I also really enjoy listening to music. Music can be another language for me to express my emotions when I am unable to express them verbally.

How have you been continuing your personal development or spiritual practice during your time away from social media?

I took two courses on astrology, started crocheting regularly, kept working on a special project that’s close to my heart (more on that soon), worked on imposter syndrome (still working on it), and started reading at the volume I used to read at when I was a kid (that has been my favorite thing in my time away). I read “All About Love: New Visions” by bell hooks which drastically shifted the way I look at love, life, and relationships. It confirmed a lot of personal musings and discoveries I had about love and relationships before reading the book.

What advice do you have for people who are struggling to find their spiritual path or self-care practice?

I would say community and support are important in your spiritual practice and/or self-love journey. Your community can also be those one or two people in your inner circle who truly see you and want to understand you more. The people in your community can come from the most unexpected places so keep your heart open to all possibilities. I would also say to refer to your core values and standards when it comes to the people you choose and the people who are choosing you.

Can you recommend some books or resources for people who are interested in deepening their spiritual practice, self care, and/or self love journey?

• All About Love: New Visions by bell hooks
• The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
• Attached by Amir Levine, M.D. and Rachel S.F. Heller, M.A.
• Discover Your Dharma by Sahara Rose
• Becoming the One by Sheleana Aiyana
• Neon Soul by Alex Elle
• The Sugar Jar by Yasmine Cheyenne
• The Four Agreements by don Miguel Ruiz

What exciting projects or collaborations can your audience look forward to in the coming months?

I do have an exciting project that I am working on, but you can learn more about it via my newsletter. I can’t wait until it’s finally here!

So, there you have it! I have so much gratitude for the people who have been in community with me since I started out as a YouTuber with KERRIISMS. If you have known me for a while or you’re just getting to know me, thank you for being here. I have now transitioned into creating under the name of Sparks Unlocked Co., and I am a YouTuber again! Everything is full circle in a way and I’m going back to basics!

My hope is to inspire fellow highly sensitive and/or neurodivergent individuals to express and empower themselves through self-acceptance and tapping into their unique gifts and hobbies. May we all find the love and joy that’s always been within us.

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Hi, I’m Kerri Olivia, an author, fiber artist, entrepreneur, and founder of Sparks Unlocked Co. At Sparks Unlocked Co., we help fellow readers and crafters find beauty, comfort, and meaning in slow living through crochet and knitting tutorials, book recommendations, and storytelling.  Join in on these conversations with me via my newsletter, YouTube, and Pinterest.

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