And while the current state of the world has tossed many things up in the air, Paige says this universal pause has actually been a welcome retreat. With so much excitement on the horizon for her, you might think that slowing the momentum right now would cause some major discomfort. But she just turned 30—a milestone age to which humans have a habit of attaching a whole lot of undue stress—and she’s relishing in a new phase of freedom. “This was supposed to be [a time] where a lot of things were going to come out for me, and I’ve been waiting a long time, and I’ve had a lot of lulls in my career,” she explains. “But I think all that preparation, having all those lulls, just made this year feel like, ‘Okay, it’s fine. I can still work on me. I can still expand my mind. I’ll read. I’ll watch stuff. I’ll walk. I’m good. I’m fine.’”
The world may not ever return to the state of normalcy we once subscribed to, but Paige reminded me of a valuable lesson about adjusting expectations to fit shifting realities and always leading with the heart. “I just want to be good. I want to speak words of good,” she says. “All contrast is clarity to get back to yourself, to love yourself, and to love those around you.” If you ask me, that’s the real star quality.
Photographer: Wolfe & Von
Stylist: Lauren Eggertsen
Hairstylist: Nai’vasha
Makeup Artist: Molly Stern
Manicurist: Thuy Nguyen
CD: Alexa Wiley