November Influencer: Alyssa Garrison

Meet Alyssa Garrison, the creative force behind Random Acts of Pastel, a blog that began as a way to bring a burst of color to Toronto’s grey winters. From curating beauty finds to navigating single motherhood, Alyssa’s journey is all about finding magic in everyday moments and celebrating life’s pastel-colored joys. —Noa Nichol

Tell us about you. I started blogging more than 10 years ago, and I’ve been a full-time content creator, writer and social media consultant ever since. I created Random Acts of Pastel on a whim after graduating from journalism school and struggling to find my place in the world of traditional publishing; from there I got into beauty writing for a popular website (hilariously, I know nothing about beauty and was mainly just curating aesthetically pleasing products). Making a name for myself as a writer led to brand partnerships on my own site and socials; I eventually signed with an agent and my career snowballed. These days I’m juggling managing my own brand, consulting with small-business clients on how to make social media work better for them and being a full-time mom to my two daughters. 

Why Random Acts of Pastel? When I came up with RAOP I was living in Toronto and the lack of colour was getting me down. Winter was bleak: a sea of miserable commuters in black parkas wobbling through slush and ice. I’ve always struggled with my mental health, and the best way I’ve found to combat that is to focus on beauty, to notice the extraordinary in the everyday (in modern Internet language, to “romanticize” your life). So I started to lean into colour: in my décor, hair, wardrobe. I even had a short stint with street art, painting random objects pastel colours around the city.A lot has changed in my life but the brand mission remains the same: seeking out that magic in the everyday, celebrating colour and letting fun lead. 

What’s the most unexpected or memorable object you’ve ever pastel-ified? The top of the fire hydrant in the dog park across the street from my Toronto apartment! It was painted like the hydrant had a little pink hat on; whenever I walked past, it put a smile on my face (which was, and still is, the point of everything I create).

You started your content creator journey as a single-mom-by-choice; can you speak to that? I was a content creator with a growing following for five years before I threw a massive curveball at my audience and started my journey to single motherhood by choice. It was a big change for my brand—to go from single girl sharing her life in the big city to this totally new narrative. I lost a lot of followers who were just not interested in my story anymore, but so many of those who stayed “grew up with me”— having families of their own or even starting their own journeys to single parenthood by choice. I feel lucky to have an audience that cheers me on even through a plot twist or two. 

How do you incorporate your daughters into your creative world? I feel incredibly lucky to have a career that works with my dedication to motherhood instead of against it. Because I had Summer on my own, I’ve literally been working since the day she was born, and she’s always been a big part of what I do, coming along to events with me and posing for photos when she saw a pastel wall as a toddler. These days if I’m shooting a campaign she’s not included in, she’s very unimpressed, and she’s often behind the camera helping me with video snippets or outfit photos now that she’s big enough. Just like her mom, pink is her favourite colour! Penny is still so little, and because I had her with my husband, I was able to take some proper time off work when she was born, so I’m not sure she’ll feel as connected as her older sister does. But she has just starting saying “cheese” and smiling whenever I have my camera out.

Your brand is all about finding joy in everyday moments—what’s a random act of pastel (or happiness) that our readers could try in their own daily routine? You don’t have to spend a lot of money or constantly chase some big goal; it’s all about the little things, about pausing to appreciate what you already have but might not always notice. A hot cup of tea in your favourite mug, a fresh flower cut from your garden, stopping to stare at a pastel sunset—these things are my antidote to getting ground down by the seemingly endless drudgery of adult life, and RAOP invites everyone to see life through rose-coloured glasses. If you need a place to get started, try adding a colourful scarf in your favourite shade to your outfit tomorrow. 

What’s one pastel trend you’d love to see make a comeback? Pastel hair forever! Dyeing my hair various colours of the rainbow has been a mainstay in my content since the beginning … so much so that pink eventually started to feel like my “natural colour” (and honestly still does). Pastel shades are low commitment and usually fade quickly, so it’s an easy and fun way to change up your look for a few weeks. 

What’s your personal style/self-care mantra? I’d rather be overdressed than underdressed. Modern life doesn’t provide nearly enough occasions to get dressed up, which is probably why I chose a career that includes putting outfits together and sharing them online, even when I’ve got nowhere to go. 

What are some of your favourite family things to do in cold weather? Summer and I are big fans of skating, but my husband, from England, goes into full Bambi mode as soon as he laces up skates. So, I think this year he and Penny might be the hot chocolate support crew. Aside from that, we spend a lot of time staying cosy in front of our coveted wood-burning fireplace, reading books and snuggling. 

If you could sprinkle pastel magic anywhere in the world, where/what would it be? I’ve had the dream for ages to partner with a paint company and do something BIG—a pastel neighbourhood perhaps? Or even a block of industrial buildings turned technicolour. Vancouver is such a scenic city but, when it comes to colour, there’s a lot left to be desired (so many grey buildings in a place that’s so grey most of the year as-is!). I think my answer would be to start right here, in my hometown, with a series of pastel storefronts, or a pastel alley tucked away in East Van. If I’ve learned anything over the course of my career, it’s that if you build it colourful, they will come! Adding some pastel magic to a business or even a neighbourhood is a great way to boost foot traffic and shift perception.