How did it all start?
A targeted Facebook ad of course…
I woke up one morning and was scrolling Facebook when I came across an ad for a lotus necklace and it said the lotus flower was a symbol of rebirth and beauty in the face of adversity. That was how Red Lotus Resilience was born… in 45 minutes. It was like a freight train of thoughts hit me all at once and I literally sat up on the edge of the bed and started typing in my notes app as the thoughts were coming to me. I looked up the symbolism behind the lotus flower, different colors and what those meant then settled on red because “along with symbolizing the ability to overcome adversity and be reborn, red lotus flowers are linked to passion and bold expression” which I feel like suits me and all that I want to do. From there I knew I wanted to accomplish two things – 1. share my story/writings and 2. advocate for mental health awareness. So through my website and brand that’s exactly what I plan to do!
i’m so happy you’re here
Let me officially introduce myself, I’m Kayleigh Mellas and I’m the woman behind Red Lotus Resilience! I live in Pittsburgh, PA and it’s been my home now for the last 13 years. I grew up in a small, one stop light town in Ohio and moved to Pittsburgh for college right after I graduated high school. My degree is in Graphic Design from The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, but photography has always been my biggest passion. I’ve been a photographer for 15 years now and all of the photography here on my website are pictures I took! At my full-time job I’m a graphic designer who wears MANY hats, I get to do a ton of different things for my company. I’ve been there for 10 years now, so it’s safe to say I love my job!
Random facts about me:
– I LOVE to read, I’m a book nerd with a library in my office
– My favorite color is blue (more specifically teal)
– Zebras are my favorite animal
– I like reality tv
– I’ve been a Taylor Swift fan since she was first on the radio in 2006
– I’m 31, a June baby Gemini
– Believe it or not I actually enjoy watching sports, mainly football
– I have 2 middle names (it’s a family tradition)
Now to get to the deep stuff… I’ve been through a lot in life – abuse, trauma, PTSD, anxiety, health issues, many of which I will be sharing with you here on my blog. I’m a big advocate for therapy and people getting the help they need. I’ve been in therapy for 3 ½ years now and have had three different therapists – something I’ll also talk about in my blog. My hope is to normalize the struggles we all experience in life and to talk about them more. So now I’m going to share with you the things people don’t like to talk about, the vulnerable stuff.
– I have OCD and it’s difficult not controlling things sometimes
– I’ve had unhealthy coping mechanisms that are hard habits to break
– I went through a really dark time in my life that led to a suicide attempt
– I wish I enjoyed exercising but I never stick with it
– I procrastinate for fear of rejection or not being good enough
– I often struggle with self-confidence and not being comfortable in my body
I love to travel!
But I mean who doesn’t, right?
I’m lucky enough to be able to travel for work but I also venture out on my own for trips as well. I have been to 34 of the 50 states so far! My favorite city is New Orleans, I first visited in 2015 and have been back 3 more times. I love NOLA because it’s such a mixture of culture, music, architecture, good food, unique places and palm trees. But I will say though when I went to Utah in 2023 the national parks blew my mind! Sure the beach is nice but I’m definitely a national park/woods/mountains/caves kinda girl. I’ve been out of the country twice – on a cruise to the Bahamas (10/10 highly recommend) and to Canada.
“When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.”
– Paulo Coelho