If you’re an avid Pinner, you know that going down a Pinterest rabbit hole inevitably lasts longer than you’d expect — but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. From living room inspo to knitting techniques for cute baby sweaters, from your favourite crispy potato recipe to the latest in healthy juicing, Pinterest is the OG when it comes to satiating our creativity and curiosity. It is a virtual vision board of what we are hoping to accomplish, dream, or DIY in our lives. And, unlike some other social media platforms, Pinterest doesn’t capitalize on some of the negative feelings that can drive user engagement. As Marie-Joelle Parent, Senior Content Communications Manager at Pinterest, explains, “People don’t come to Pinterest to “doom scroll” or feel FOMO. They come to feel positive. Pinterest isn’t the place where people go for social validation, it’s where they go to invest in themselves and find new ideas to try and do.” 

Not only does Pinterest allow us to create our “dream boards,” but it is also an incredibly accurate predictive machine. Every year in December, it releases the Pinterest Predicts trend report. Rather than the insights acting as a retrospective, it’s a predictive look ahead into what will be trending in 2022 across home, beauty, fashion, food, well-being, parenting, travel, design and more. To predict these trends, Pinterest analyzes what their 400 million+ monthly users around the world have been searching for.  

We spoke to Parent to learn more about what it’s like to be a Senior Content Communications Manager at Pinterest and for a peek into 2022’s Pinterest Predicts trend report.

Q: If you had to explain your role to a friend, how would you describe it?
A: In one sentence: telling the world that Pinterest is now a place to create! I work on the communications team, where I focus on creators and sharing their stories with the press. I spend my days sourcing the most compelling creators and the best content. 

Q: What are some of the trends you are seeing for 2022?
A: Pinterest is an incredibly accurate predictive machine. Every year in December, we release our Pinterest Predicts trend report. Our insights aren’t a retrospective or a roundup of what was trending — it’s a predictive look ahead into what will be trending in 2022 across home, beauty, fashion, food, well-being, parenting, travel, design and more. To predict these trends, we analyzed what our 400 million+ monthly users around the world have been searching for. 

Here’s a peek into some of the predictions we’re calling for the year ahead:

• Well-being: 2022 will be about feeling your emotions in spaces made just for that: “Emotional escape rooms” are trending up. It’s also the year that people will get curious about “Mindful menstruation” and educate themselves about “Relation-tips.”
• Travel: The most memorable adventures will happen after sundown in 2022 as people make a midnight escape after hours with “Night moves.” And as our “Lake it ‘til you make it” trend kicks off, people will trade their beachfront getaways for an inland swim.
• Beauty & Fashion: People will shake up their beauty look in 2022 with trends like “Puff love,” “Nailscapes” and “Rebel cuts.” And for those interested in shaking things up with their clothing instead, they’ll try out “Pearlcore,” “Dopamine dressing” or “Oh my goth.”
• Celebration & Food: From adoption parties to breakup cakes, people will take any reason to celebrate in 2022 with our “Altbashes” trend. And when it comes to cuisine, people will go back to the basics with “Ancestral eats” from all over the world. 

Q: As a journalist and an author, has Pinterest helped feed your creativity in any way? 
A: Absolutely. Especially when I was researching for my books, Pinterest was a great resource to find hidden gems in New York and San Francisco. Pinterest is also where I found inspiration for my book covers. I start a board for every project I take on. We often talk about the Pinterest rabbit hole — you start searching for an idea and Pinterest takes you on this discovery journey where you end up on a completely new topic. It expands your horizons. 

Q: What are some of the tips you could give individuals who are looking to pursue something that isn’t necessarily considered a “typical path”? 
A: My motto has always been: work hard, be nice and amazing things will happen. You have to love what you do, though, that’s super important. Do things that scare you, don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. You’ll make mistakes, but you’ll learn from them. Reach out to people who inspire you, find a mentor, stay coachable and open to learning new things. I’ve always jumped on opportunities that presented themselves in my career, even if I didn’t feel qualified or was scared to death. I jump and figure things out after.      

Q: What is your definition of happiness?
A: For me, happiness is appreciating the little things. I never want to cease to be amazed by the simple things in life and be grateful for what I already have.