Why I Talk About Taboo Topics

When I first started YouTube, I was doing so for no reason other than trying to satisfy my boredom. I had many months of nothing ahead of me and I needed a creative outlet to keep me occupied. I struggled to find my "niche" because I wanted to create content that was true to me.

Finding your USP is hard to do when your personality is at the centre of it all - what makes you different? And most importantly, how do you then maintain that USP despite your inevitable change and growth as a person?

Living With Depression & Working Full-time

I was diagnosed with depression for the first time when I was 16. I'm confident that I first started to feel the effects of depression when I was 14 or so, but I wasn't confident enough to ask my parents to go to a doctor back then. At 16, I moved to the UK and had access to going to doctors on my own and without having to explain or justify myself, and that's when I was diagnosed for the first time.

On Handling Online Hate & Criticism

Sharing my life online has come with a fair amount of criticism. I have spoken about this before, but it's not until this year that I have really started to see its effects. I'm a pretty strong person and I take pride in the thick skin that I've developed over the years, but watching strong people crumble under petty criticism has really made me realise how damaging anonymous online hate can really be.

There Is No Such Thing As "Too Much Sex"

If you don't follow me on Twitter, you might have missed my angry response rant to the BBC Radio 5 and Amber Davies' new "rules" for sex.

I'm a very passionate person at the best of times, but I really couldn't stay quiet when I saw someone I previously voiced my support for online suddenly telling girls that they shouldn't be having casual sex.

On Sex Positivity, Masturbation & Other Taboos

A year-and-a-bit ago, I decided my YouTube channel & content had become stale with "2nd-channel-worthy" content. There was nothing new or different bringing people back to my platforms, and I was generally disheartened with the kind of subjects I was talking about.

I announced the shift in content in a very spontaneous video called We Need To Talk, which went on to become one of the single most raw videos I have ever posted on the internet. It changed everything.

My Mindfulness & Self-Care Practices

I wrote this on a plane. I was on my way back to London after having spent a few days in Portugal with my family. The morning I left London, I started vlogging with every intention of making a video of my trip home, but then I stopped.

I think it’s really important to take a break. In reality, I am always doing something. I am always either working at my full time job, or I’m working on my YouTube channel, streaming on Twitch or writing for this blog. These are things I do for fun, but it’s also a lot of work.

"That" Relationship

Photo by Jon D Barker

There is nothing easy or simple about leaving an emotionally and/or physically abusive relationship. All the signs and red flags might be extremely obvious to those outside of the relationship, but it's a little harder to navigate when you're the one being made to feel like everything is your fault.

I have never publicly spoken about this relationship out of respect and out of wanting it all to just disappear. Now, in 2018, I know that the only one that deserves respect here is me. Not talking about it has let it continue to live in my head and affect me more it should have ever been allowed to.

Even now, I feel absolutely horrible writing about this.