Find Magic in the Small Things
About This Space
My name is Ashleigh Southam, I'm a 1997 baby, I live in Perth, Western Australia and I'm a confused not quite 90s, not quite 00s kid trying to navigate this crazy world we live in.
I've named this blog Unlock Your Magic, because recently I've realised living in this fast paced society, it is so important to take a moment, breathe and find the magic in the smaller things in life. In a world where we have instant access to the darkest parts of humanity, we forget that there's light too.
This space will be real, raw and I'll tackle some tough issues such as trauma, addiction and mental health (promise there'll be some fun stuff too, like recipes and cleaning hacks). You might not agree with everything I say, but I've learnt to take the parts of information I've read and watched that has resonated with me and built my own way of thinking. So read with an open mind, and be kind, this world is too terrifying of a place already, I want to have kids someday, but something needs to change, manners and kindness cost nothing.
Lots of Love
Ash x
I'll be letting you take a look inside my soul, so again be kind, but I'm hoping something resonates with you or helps you or others in some way. It's a scary day and age to grow up in. I watched technology go from VCR and tape radio to streaming services and growing a third arm that is our phones. My parents watched the first landing on the moon on black and white TV.
I'm a raised country girl until the age of 16 and moved to the big smoke to complete Year 11 & 12. The small town of Bruce Rock I grew up in only went to Year 10, so the only options were boarding school or Mum/Dad driving the 20km from the even smaller town of Ardath within the Shire of Bruce Rock to catch a bus to Merredin. Moving to the city was a huge culture shock, but also opened my eyes up to the big world out there.
I made the most of living at home from the ages of 19-22, travelling to Europe 3 years in a row and coming back dirt poor each time. Can't put a price on memories and experience though.
Travel was one of the things that helped me grow as a person but I have also dealt with a lot of personal trauma. We're all in it, it's just the depth that varies. So please read these parts with kindness and caution. It's so hard to know what's real in a world of social media and AI so I'm going to be as truthful as possible.
I'll talk about my struggles with anxiety, depression, OCD, binge eating. I'll share personal stories of suicide, death, cancer. But there'll be a lighter side as well, I'll talk about family, love and relationships, I'll share recipes and cleaning hacks.
You'll see the good, the bad and the ugly.
