Hey! I’m Zarina, a thirty-year-old with a few tricks up my sleeve to find this elusive little thing called delight. Here at the Delight Collective, I want to help you take the path of happiness. I write about practical ways to get there like expressing yourself through fashion, nourishing your body through food, and enriching your soul through art. I hope this page helps you fall in love with the process of achieving joy.
I’m Zarina, a Chicago-based writer with some big ideas about happiness. I’m a first generation American Muslim of South Asian descent, so it’s something I’ve had to think about a lot (iykyk). My professional background is in marketing, and after spending four years learning the skills that would go on to support my day-to-day, I decided it was time to cultivate my creativity by getting an MFA in Creative Writing.
I learned a lot about myself in school, but like many people in their twenties, I still felt hopeless to achieve my goals of building a fulfilling career, publishing my novel, and figuring out where and how I want to live. Not to mention sorting through generational trauma and figuring out my physical health and fitness! It took years to understand that I was holding myself back by focusing on my feelings of unworthiness.
I never thought I’d have the life I have now – living with my best friend in a world class city, moving my body daily, and genuinely seeing every obstacle as an opportunity for growth. You’ve probably heard that happiness is a choice. I think that’s BS. Happiness is a path that you create for yourself, and you’ll find delight the moment you set foot on it. I created this blog to help you do just that.
Not sure where to start your self love journey? Check out Delight 101 for a quick primer. 💕
Delight isn’t just personal. When we begin our self love journey, we contribute to humanity as a collective. Your happiness supports your ability to lift up those around you. Even if you cultivate delight alone, you bring new, positive energy into the world that affects every living being.
The best time to start that self love journey is always now. Not yesterday, not tomorrow – today. So why not make your present delightful?