Life & Work with Ariel Christine

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ariel Christine.

Hi Ariel, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I was born and raised in West LA! I grew up in Westchester and now live and have spent many years in Culver City. My mom is from Mexico and my dad is from El Salvador, and they both immigrated to the East Los Angeles area and have stuck around in LA ever since! As my “day-job,” I work in customer service and do content creation on the side. I have a background in photography and have always found a lot of joy in sharing my images online. My journey started with self-portrait photography and sharing my work mixed with my complex feelings as a teenager on sites like Tumblr and Flickr back in 2008-2012. So when Instagram launched it felt like a natural progression for me to download the latest photo-sharing app!

At first, I used Instagram like anyone else – sharing oversaturated photos of whatever my dinner was. Of course, I also mixed in the occasional self-portrait, or whatever photo project I was working on. At the time I was working at a local boutique up in Santa Cruz, CA that carried a lot of ethically/sustainably made clothing and accessories. I did some research on fast fashion and watched the documentary The True Cost and quickly made the decision to do everything I could to no longer support fast fashion. Then I started following these brands on Instagram and some creators that supported these brands. I loved seeing the way these creators would style their latest slow fashion pieces, it looked so put together, and so effortless. But I didn’t start sharing my own outfits until I found a community of BIPOC folks that looked a little bit more like me that also supported slow fashion. Once I found this community, I felt more comfortable taking photos myself and actually posting them too! From this, I made a lot of new friends, and here we are! A whole new community of friends!

Aside from sharing my sustainable outfits, I also share some ways I try to be more sustainable in my everyday life. Small swaps here and there! And of course, I still share my feelings, because I guess I didn’t “grow out” of a lot of them. This is the part that truly motivates me to show up on social media every day. The messages I get about how my journey through life resonates with others and how I feel about perfectionism, being the daughter of two immigrants, and other big feelings have truly made me feel less alone. I think that by sharing all this then hopefully I can help someone else feel less lonely too.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I think anything on social media comes with a bumpy road! Whether it be from other folks, or just internally. I think for me, I do struggle with a lot of internal narratives that aren’t the most supportive. I am definitely not impervious to the comparison game. It’s hard not to, and I think my whole life I’ve always felt this lingering feeling of never being good enough. But, I think it’s natural and when I feel this creeping its way in, I just try to think of all the ways this work, and this community have brought me joy.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My emphasis as a content creator is sustainability. I also think everything plays into a sustainable lifestyle! I know the term “slow-living” is very popular now, but that’s basically what I advocate for. Slow living definitely has seeped into every aspect of my life and I love it! I am selective with what I watch, eat, and read, who I follow on social media, and overall what I give my time to! At first, I think I overthought what “fits” into this mindset of slow living, but now I think it’s truly just how I live my life. I try to view products from a human approach – who made this item? How long will this item be in my life? Why am I buying this? Do I need this? Mindless shopping is usually a sign to me that I am feeling out of sorts. How can I direct that energy elsewhere? When it comes to my closet and when I have decided to make a new purchase I tend to do a lot of research. I look at different companies and see how they are trying their best to limit their footprint. I usually sit on purchases for months before deciding to move forward with them, or not. Really and truly, slowing it all down.

Also, slow living or even sustainable fashion isn’t one-size-fits-all. Find out what slow living means to you – what are your priorities? Also, not all my days look like “slow living”. I try my best to maintain a slow living lifestyle by staying true to my priorities. I think all of this is about trying! So for me, my mental health is a priority, my relationships, making sure I have time for things that bring me joy. I try to put all those things at the forefront and shape my work, and everything else around me. As for slow fashion, I am way more intentional with what I purchase now, which allows me to save money for these purchases. I also think that slow fashion doesn’t have to mean spending a lot of money! It can mean thrifting, lessening your fast fashion intake, swapping clothes with friends, and embracing hand-me-downs.

What makes you happy?
Being outside. I love being outside so much, it’s probably at the very top of my list. There’s always something new to look at. Whether it be a new flower starting to bloom, or a new coffee shop opening, stepping outdoors will always offer some sort of newness.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://arielcurias.format.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/helloarielchristine/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ariel-urias-372285117/