I’ve clocked up a whopping 10 minutes staring at this wonderful white blank canvas. I’ve been waiting for the words to write themselves and for the funnys and the hahas to come in hilarious twos. I think I missed the train to writersville today.

I always thought writing was my thing. You know the thing that you wake up every morning for. The stuff that makes you genuinely happy without even thinking about it too much. As we age and grow, I guess our happiness priorities tend to shift quite a lot. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it can definitely be quite a daunting thing (cue scary ghost music).

I’m not saying I have a way with words, or that my pen is solid gold with encrusted diamonds. But there is something, for me, that comes with writing about the good stuff. The relevant, the controversial, the empowering. Now you may be thinking: “Shit Danielle lets not get on that deep and meaningful bandwagon again, we did that last month” A-ha! Because the joke’s on you. I  have decided to tackle this topic with a big dose of lightheartedness and warm fluffies (maybe even a unicorn or two). This topic is the very reason behind why I get inspired and happy doing the things that I do for myself everyday. My friend Social Media.

I was reading in Time magazine the other day (terrific opener, in anyone’s books) that most of us feel WORSE after looking at social media, rather than better. Quote: “Social Media is Making You Stupid”.

Because, you know, everyone’s having The Best Life Ever, looking all hot and being cool (making them the perfect temperature) and naturally we are in bed after that 8 hour shift at the desk job we all love to death, drinking a hot chocolate and watching re runs of FRIENDS, while marinating in the pimple-reducing clay on our spots and resting a bloated stomach from too many carbohydrates at dinner.

BUT! I disagree.

While you may think social media is a time waster of epic proportions or a place for those to go to for some validation that what they had for breakfast was liked by more than 10 people in the stratosphere, I find social media inspiring.

I follow comedians who make me giggle, and writers who make me want to do better work, and I follow a generous handful of select fashion babes and traveling bloggerstars who inspire me to want to do my hairs and faces and wear a pretty outfit, and travel the world in search of the sun  as opposed to the dazzling jeans/sneaker/shirt combo that I bathe in on weekends (it’s not sneans, trust me!)

One of my favourites, and all-round good guy and team member is Sam Deuchrass, a travel & adventure photographer based in New Zealand. I follow him, like half the universe, on Instagram and day after day I see his photos and swoon. He’s been exploring the South Island lately and was heavily blessed with an eye for detail and a significant wanderlust: two of my favourite things.

(All photos lovingly stolen from Sam’s Instagram)

Then there are the fashion bloggers. The ones that were lovingly blessed before leaving Genetic HQ (obviously), and have a terrific style and unobtrusiveness about them while making it all seem so effortless and natural. I enjoy watching them travel from continent to continent as they somehow manage to obtain the ‘I woke up like this’ hair style and the ‘casual’ wardrobe when going out for Saturday morning coffee that most certainly did not come in the form of grey sweatpants for $10 from The Warehouse. I want everything about them.

My inspirational to do list has made me itch to:

• Grow my hair to a natural wavy blonde
• Hike the South Island
• Wear layers that all fit together like a Gucci jigsaw puzzle
• Become a representative for all colours nude and grey
• Have flawless skin and complexion from just simply waking up in the morning
• Have a camera or someone with a camera nearby at all times in case any one of these things ever occurs.

So, when you’re having an ergh day look no further than Social Media: Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, and blogs. They will all help give you direction back to the road you veered off from.

For further inspiration look no further than here and here

But definitely not here