Today we’d like to introduce you to Rosemarie Parasole.
Hi Rosemarie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi! My name is Rosemarie Victoria Parasole. I think in many ways I am still figuring out what my story is. Throughout my life, my goals and plans have changed so much. Although in the past I have typically been one to dislike change, I am beginning to realize change, oftentimes, is the exciting part about life – we are constantly evolving into new versions of ourselves.
I currently live in St. Petersburg, Florida. My parents moved my sister and me down from New York to Florida in 2004. After high school, I attended the University of Florida in Gainesville where I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. I debated pursuing a graduate degree in Psychology or applying for law school. I took a gap year after my undergraduate graduation, and I decided to return to the University of Florida and Gainesville for another three years to attend law school.
During my 7 years at the University of Florida, I experienced some of the most rewarding and challenging years of my life. In addition to exploring and navigating different classes to figure out what I wanted to major in, I was very much involved in extracurricular activities. I joined a service fraternity which gave me the ability to give back by volunteering my time throughout the Gainesville community. I also volunteered at a crisis and suicide hotline where I spoke with individuals struggling with trauma, addictions, and various mental health issues. While I was in law school, I was accepted into the Florida Law Review and had the opportunity to write about and have published an article on a topic that means a lot to me – the increase in depression and anxiety in youth.
Unfortunately, during my first year of law school, my dad became sick suddenly and passed away. Grief begs to be felt, and oftentimes changes your perspective on life and the plans you had. I began experiencing my own health issues. This forced me to prioritize my health and well-being, which was something I tended to put on the backburner previously. I started creating better self-care routines and holding myself accountable to them. Grief makes you realize how important it is to prioritize your physical and mental health and to pursue what makes you truly happy.
After graduating from law school, I started working for a healthcare and revenue cycle management company as an Associate Attorney, and I am still in this position. I work from home which gives me a lot of quality time with my puppy. I also volunteer as a mentor for the Take Stock in Children Program, a non-profit organization that awards at-risk students with college scholarships.
Although I have generally always excelled in academics, especially in research and writing, over the past few years, I have realized how much I want to pursue more creative interests in my spare time. When I was young, my forms of self-expression looked like singing my heart out to my favorite songs, recreating dances to music videos, taking photos on disposable and Polaroid cameras, and creating short stories. I think as I got older I lost that creative spark in many ways. For the last few years, I started exploring my creative side again by taking pictures and videos with my phone whenever I would visit a new restaurant, city, park, or nature preserve or attend an exciting or unique event. I would play around with different lighting, angles, and filters, and create my own preset filters on applications like Lightroom.
Additionally, over the past couple of years, I have been editing and posting photos and videos on my social media platforms to create a digital diary of my life. I feel that I am still just learning the ropes of creating content but I hope to continue to develop my skills and diversify my content on various media platforms. Having a creative outlet has been so helpful for my mental health.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Finding the time to create and edit can be difficult when juggling many other obligations, but I work it into my schedule because I would rather be busy working on something I’m passionate about rather than thinking “What if.”
Since the pandemic, the amount of people creating content online has drastically increased. It can be difficult not to compare myself to other creators so I try to view other’s work as inspiration rather than as a reason to feel insecure.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I use social media platforms, such as Instagram and Tiktok, to post about my everyday life, self-care routines, recipes, and travels. It’s very much like my diary in media form. I post photography, as well as film, and edit clips to make aesthetic short-form video content. I am a visual person so I love being able to capture moments and display them all on a platform that tells a story of my day-to-day and my life in general.
One of the best parts about building an engaging community online is being able to connect with so many people I would never have had the chance to otherwise.
Creating content makes me happy, and I post with the hope that others will be inspired by my work, whether that be by simply viewing it and using it as motivation to engage in better self-care practices or by creating their own media or art forms. I am currently working on a portfolio that will showcase my work. Right now, I just use my iPhone 13 Pro Max for photography and videography. My goal is to purchase a professional camera sometime soon.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Growing up, I was very imaginative. I loved reading, writing, and singing. I was also very hardworking and persistent in going after my goals. I have always identified as being more introverted than extroverted. As much as society seems to value extroversion, I know that my introverted qualities have helped me succeed in many areas of my life.
However, I also feel that sometimes I spent too much time observing the world around me and not living fully.
Creating content has helped me get out of my head more and be in the moment.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosevpara/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@rosevpara
