“I have a tendency to over complicate just about every problem that’s arisen in my life, big or small.” This is the first sentence Lauren Riihimaki, more famously known as LaurDIY, says in one of her newest videos titled “the art of starting over”. She grew famous from posting DIY craft videos on YouTube, and today she tends to post lifestyle videos, occasionally going back to her roots, posting craft videos. Her newest video, however, is different from all the rest.
In one of her latest posts, Riihimaki reflects on her life. The video is made up of home videos starting from when she was only six months old, going up to videos she has taken just a few weeks ago. These videos are accompanied by Riihimaki voicing over, reflecting on her journey. After a quick intro, she splits the video into three parts: Childhood, Toronto, and Los Angeles. In each part, she deeply reflects on herself during these periods in her life.
Intro
In her intro, Riihimaki talks about how, as a child, her creativity was limitless. How it wasn’t afraid of judgment. It didn’t have any expectations to live up to. As a child, her creativity came naturally; it wasn’t forced or expected of her. Riihimaki ends this part stating, “So in a pursuit to rediscover my forgotten magic, to reclaim that lost spark, I’m finding my way back.” This is a powerful statement because it reflects how she is deciding to block out outside forces and is making her creativity hers once more.
My favorite quote from this part: “I see this younger version of myself moving effortlessly through life, wide-eyed curious, a time when life was fabricated from just the magic and boundaries of my imagination.”
Childhood
Riihimaki goes to her childhood home in this part, where she reminisces on what her creativity was like as a child. She also takes the time to appreciate her loving family and everything they have done for her. In this part, she says that as a child, she had “the courage to be imperfect.” Children tend not to care what other people think, but somewhere along the way, what other people think becomes very influential in our lives. This part of her video shows how, as a child, life is so much simpler and how we should aspire to get some of those qualities back.
My favorite quote from this part: “I realized that I wasn’t looking for something new, but something that I had left behind.”
Toronto
For Riihimaki, Toronto is where she first was by herself. She says that when she lived in Toronto, she was struggling. This place does not hold happy memories for her, but when she goes back in the video, she appreciates how this city allowed her to grow personally. To me, it is beautiful that she can turn this place and its memories from darkness into looking at how far she has come.
My favorite quote from this part: “Growth comes from the moments of discomfort.”
Los Angeles
Riihimaki first talks about how when she moved to LA, it was everything she had ever dreamed of. Then, somewhere along the way, she stopped feeling the happiness that came from her creating things. She started to let what outside forces said become what fueled her art rather than her creativity. Riihimaki let the likes and opinions of her viewers take power over her love to create. In this part, she is reclaiming her creativity and is deciding to bravely face the unknown to find her creativity again. This part is very encouraging for viewers because she is so open about how she has struggled, and she is showing us how she is choosing to move forward.
My favorite quote from this part: “So what I’ve concluded is that it’s about looking back fondly, but moving forward boldly.”
I highly encourage you to go watch her video (Click here!). It’s under seven minutes long, and yet it is so impactful. The video is a great opportunity for you to reflect on your own life and creativity. It’s important that in our lives we have things that aren’t influenced by what other people think. This video shows how important it is to reflect on our lives so that we can grow as people.
