Katarina’s Letter

his year has definitely been one for the books! Over the past couple of years, the world has been forcibly changed, and we were all left a bit shaken from the aftermath. I feel that 2022 was the first year most people felt comfortable attempting to merge back into regular life again, and it definitely wasn’t easy. The result was chaos. Everyone tried to travel all at once since everything opened back up. Suddenly, people were everywhere again, near and far, and after a couple of years not seeing anyone, this was quite the adjustment to deal with. The pendulum swung, and it came back far the other direction. We still have quite a way to go, I feel, before the pendulum evens itself back out into a steady pace. With all this chaos, it’s like we’ve lost three years of time in a microsecond and now we don’t know how to function in the real world again.

While I definitely feel this way, and I think many others do, too, I also feel that some much-needed changes were brought forth over the last couple of years. The world is on the verge of a complete revolution. The pandemic (and the aftermath) forced us to bring out digital meetings, digital menus, and techniques to allow people to work from home in a way that revolutionized the world. The technologies that we had for years were forced to step into the forefront thanks to the chaos in the world, and honestly, I think our lives are better with many of these changes that have been forced upon us. It’s terrible, the way it happened, but the outcome definitely brought forth advancements that were on the horizon for years that just needed a gentle nudge to make their way comfortably into society. And here we are, living different lives now thanks to all the change that was forced upon the world at once.

As we look at the current trends, minimalism is all over the makeup world, yet people are ready to make a bold statement with their fashion choices (after being stuck inside for so long). Travel is the hottest topic right now, as is sustainable travel and eco-friendly living, as we have recognized that the world can’t sustain this level of travel and tourism without a very green change. In fact, electric airplanes have finally entered into the conversation, and I’m excited to see where that leads us. Basically, the world (and the people in it) are very eclectic right now, and everyone is pushing for or accepting drastic changes. There are so many incredible things on the horizon, and I hope that this issue addresses some of the eclectic ideals that are currently around us. I also hope it provides you with both a much-needed distraction from what’s going on around us as well as inspiration to carve the life you desire into the slate of your destiny. Here’s to change, here’s to inspiration, here’s to celebrating uniqueness, and here’s to our new issue of VIVA GLAM Magazine! Cheers!

Malorie Mackey Managing Editor