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Are We Over Editing Ourselves?

It's 2015, we live in an age of Instagram and selfie sticks but where does it go to far in terms of editing ourselves?

I'll be the first to admit I love a good filter. Especially on the days where my face is a complete and utter 0/10 but I still want to post a selfie (sassy emoji here) After this week's story about Project Harpoon, which is just a complete load of a lot of swears here, got me thinking about how far we're taking this whole editing thing.

We selectively choose what photos we post so we look our best online. I for one know how to use lighting to be flattering as well as what angles to use to try and look a little bit less of a moon face but it's when I see apps with slogans such as 'Simple to #stunning' it makes me so angry, and want to cringe.

I downloaded one of these apps and gave it a go and here's the results from unedited to edited. I was able to change my eye colour, shape and size of my nose, achieve Kylie Jenner lips and slim my face in general with a click of a button.


IT'S TERRIFYING.

Now first of all, I get why some people use these apps because of perhaps body image issues and insecurities. They can be used to create what you wish to look like or what society makes us think we should look like.These apps to me are just damaging. It makes me sad, sad that we've gotten to a place where apps like this even exist and people rely on them. Without trying to sound like the rainbows and smiles girl from mean girls, I wish everyone could love themselves and not be consumed by what they view as something wrong about themselves. I wish that we could all be confident enough to believe we are attractive and good enough. These apps are just enforcing these ideals that are placed upon us.

I took to twitter to find out your views and the response speaks for itself.






Now I'm about to get pretentious here. I believe you do not need these apps. I've written a lot recently about accepting yourself and I can't put it any better than RuPaul does, if you can't love yourself how the hell are you gonna love somebody else? You reading this, you are you and you're beautiful no matter what anyone bloody tells you. I can safely say this app got a swift delete.

What are your thoughts on these apps? Do you use them? Let us discuss below!
Thursday, 27 August 2015 Comments: 4
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On Being A Small-Tuber



I thought about a few things and spoke about them. Are fame and success the same thing? Why am I even doing this? Am I having an existential crisis? Probably. 
Wednesday, 26 August 2015 Comments: 2
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Birds and Bees


Bonus Sunday video because WHY NOT. It's okay, I mean literal birds and bee's. We can save that chat for another time.
Sunday, 23 August 2015 Comments: 0
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My Summer In The City 2015 Experience



Last weekend I went to Summer in the City which is the UK’s largest YouTube convention where creators and community could all come together and celebrate this weird internet world. I had a brilliant weekend but also a few moments where I felt a bit weird and out of place which I’ll get to later. I ended up making some wonderful new friends and having some really interesting positive discussions…and ended up going out and singing way too much Taylor Swift.

First up was the creator day on Friday which I really enjoyed. We did start the weekend by accidently walking into some sort of gaming convention before we realised we definitely went wrong somewhere.

The creator day was aimed at smaller creators to have access to the expo hall, bigger creators and panels before the main event over the weekend. I really enjoyed the earning money, analytics and creator ethics and responsibilities panels which raised so many important issues that both creators and community need to take on board. We also went to a PR Management panel which was a bit of a waste of time, I mean there was some good tips but it felt like it was aimed at people with millions upon millions of subscribers when in reality I don’t think anyone in that room had even close to a million. Another moment that made me feel uncomfortable was the speaker said the following ‘You are the next YouTube celebrities’ and kept addressing viewers as ‘fans’. I’ve always said and stuck by not everyone on YouTube wants to become famous, now there are certainly those who do and you can spot them a mile off but I don’t. The idea makes me a bit uncomfortable and to call viewers fans also makes me feel a bit off. I personally see fame and success as two different entities. I’d much rather be successful and be able to have and utilise the opportunities that YouTube and blogging can provide than fame per say. After the day was over we headed over to Grace Bar in London who had us in for some free drinks and we danced for a little bit…not the most graceful but there is nothing more liberating than dancing like an idiot and not caring. 


Saturday was the day that can only be described as weird. It was a lot busier than the creator day and I think that overwhelmed me a little because I haven’t been to a YouTube event of this scale before, only to the London space for screenings and drinks. The main difference between the creator day to the whole weekend was the panels and the sheer volume of people trying to get in which is obviously to be expected but this meant I only really went to two panels which were the viewer/creator divide panel (it was brilliant and hilarious) as well as the fashion and beauty panel. Other than that we ended up just going to the bar and having a lot of creative in-depth discussions amongst ourselves which were really productive…as well as a few periscope sessions. We did catch a few main stage performances which were brilliant and I felt so happy for those I watched to be cheered on and supported in such a volume.

I think the reason why I felt a bit out of place was because in certain panels, like the YouTube honesty hour panel on Sunday, smaller creators were told that events like these were a gold mine opportunity for networking and I only met one creator which was the lovely Meghan off of Strawburry17 (Who is SO lovely!) Now this was to be expected again because of the sheer capacity of people there. It would have been nice to have a chat with a few other creators, especially filmmakers for me,  but it was so busy at the merch tables and the whole weekend was just BUSY! This is where the idea of a creator lounge or something to identify you as a creator was brought up. I didn’t go to Vidcon but those that did informed me of the tier system and how successful that was. Something to consider for next year? If I’m matter of fact about it, it felt like if you weren’t a bigger creator or had certain friends (or had friends who could go in the green room and you couldn't therefore didn't get to see them) there wasn’t an awful amount of things to do, for me personally. I also will mention I was a bit hangry on Saturday which probably added to my frustration. I do agree that that hierarchy now is just a part of YouTube and you sort of just need to get on and accept it which is a little sad but if you flip it on it’s head, highly motivational. I hope I explained that okay as I'm aware how that could come across.

Sunday was a lot better for me; I looked at it like a festival. Saturday was the day that there weren’t that many bands you like on yet you still have a lot of fun with your friends. I went to a lot more panels than Saturday and felt better all over and met some lovely humans who I’ve been speaking to for months online in real life and had a mushy ‘I love my friends moment’. I really enjoyed the education panel as it’s something I’ve been considering as well as the honesty hour albeit it was very intense and shady which was a bit uncomfortable to sit through at some points. The day ended with the smaller creator panel which was a nice environment to be in. You really felt a sense of community and comradery as the room erupted in cheers at points as well as a lovely speech from Jazza at the end which made me feel like I can do this and I’m not a complete failure!


Overall I had a brilliant weekend and had a wonderful few days with great company. I think I would go again and I would recommend you to go if you’re considering it for next year, especially the creator day. I also have to say that putting on an event like this cannot be easy and I don’t want any (constructive!) criticism to get in the way of that at all. Tom and the team did an incredible job! I do think that there needs to be an easier way of networking and things for creators, to thin that divide, all weekend which can be a suggestion for next year. Other than that, you go glen coco. I mean not many people can start an event in a field and a few years later it be held in the ExCel Centre with 10,000 people, it's a huge achievement.

I did vlog the weekend which is now live on the youtubes!

Did you go? What did you think of the weekend? Let me know! 


xx
Tuesday, 18 August 2015 Comments: 3
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A Festival Checklist


Next week I’ll be heading off to one of my favourite events of the year for the fifth time, Reading Festival. It was the first festival I ever went to and well, I’ve been going since I was 16 where I ended up meeting and staying with some of my greatest friends to date. (Back story: I went with another group of friends from school that had differing music tastes and it all went a bit wrong so I got kidnapped by other friends!)

Now this year I’m cheating a little, I’m hoteling it. I feel like I’m cheating but to be honest I need cheering up as I face the woes of unemployment. I do feel as if I'm betraying the festival way but this year it just makes sense too as only myself and Lauren are there all weekend with friends attending on various days so I feel safer ditching the sleeping bag for a bed and wifi…and a pool….and a sauna…and a gym. You can tell we don’t splash out much when you’re excited at a pool. I do have to mention I love camping, you meet some brilliant (and not so brilliant who make offensive jokes) people and sometimes end up camping across from a group of #lads who were hilarious and made for great late night laughs. I still don’t know if one of them was actually called Cigwell or Segway…

 Seeing as I’ve been going for a quite a while I thought I would share with you a few tips and packing checklist to help you survive the weekend/any festival you may have coming up in the future!

 THE CHECKLIST
THE IMPORTANT STUFF:

  1. Ticket – you’d be a bit stuck without that one.
  2. ID – so you can get an 18+ wristband/buy drinks. Bare in mind to maybe keep your ID on you in a safe place if you can as there’s been times even with a wristband when I’ve been still asked for my ID.
  3. Phone and chargers – Make sure you’re contactable! Nobody want’s a search party when you’ve just been queuing for chicken nuggets and forgot to text your mates. I use an easyacc charger which kept my phone alive all weekend last year and you can get it on amazon for around £20.
  4. Money- I usually take about £150-200 for the weekend and even typing that makes me feel a bit sick because £200 IN FOUR DAYS? You’d be surprised at how much you spend. Also remember just because you have that much you do not need to spend it.

Camping

  1. Tent - I don’t think pop up tents are the best option personally. As we usually go in a big group we tend to have a few small ones, one to sleep and one to put extra stuff in, and a massive one for all of us to sleep and have somewhere to hang. 
  2. A warm sleeping bag – don’t get a crappy one from tesco that’s thinner than a sheet of A4. You don’t need to spend loads just make sure it will be warm and waterproof.
  3. A pillow – might be agg to bring but it will be a lot more comfy that the ground and hoodie.
  4. Blow up mattress – You can usually get these on site and will blow them up for you for around £10-20! It’s a lot more comfy than a mat on the floor. Your back will be grateful and plus, fart noises.
  5. Insect repellent – STORY TIME: One year we were attacked by wasps, and a friend of mine ended up getting trapped and stung. You’ll be grateful to not have all of the stings and bites to annoy you all weekend.
  6. Pack for all weathers - UK weather is unpredictable enough and the worst time to risk it would be at a festival. Last year, it was unbearably cold so all of the layers were needed at night. A good way to keep space in your bag and not make it too heavy is the rolling technique!
  7. Waterproof shoes – I either go for wellies or my trust comfy boots!
Food and Drink

  1. Take light snacks- personally I just buy hot food on site. CHIPS FOR ALL. If you bring your own alcohol remember you can’t take glass in so you need to decant into plastic.
  2. Labels - There’s nothing worse than waking up halfway through the night needing water and taking a big ol’ swig of vodka…
  3. Water - obvious but essential, you need to keep hydrated!
Toiletries

  1. Take miniatures of everything and nothing you wouldn’t miss if you lost it or left it behind.Don’t take your entire makeup collection… whittle it down to the essentials and you’ll be set!
  2. A small mirror. A tip:hide in your bag, for some odd reason security aren’t fans.
  3. Tissues and wet wipes.
  4. Any medication you may need.
  5. Sun cream.
General
  1. Camera.
  2. Torch.
  3. Bin bags.
  4. Any travel tickets kept in a safe place.
  5. Hide your valuables in your tent or rent a locker. 

I made a really crap, and I mean REALLY crap vlog of it last year if you'd like to give that a watch! I'll be making a much better one for this year... I hope.


xx
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July Favourites



I'm aware this is a little late but I hope you enjoy hearing about the products, books and films I enjoyed this month! 

If you'd like to see more videos head on over and subscribe. 

xx
Thursday, 13 August 2015 Comments: 2
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July Monthly Moments



I've been wanting to come up with a title for my monthly vlogs and Monthly Moments was the best I could do. (I might change it if I can think of something better or if you'd like leave a suggestion!).

July was an interesting one so if you'd like to see what I got up to give it a watch! I talk about being an extra, a man with suspiciously placed hands in speedos on the beach and talk about life a little bit. I'm really happy with how this came out and I think it's my best video yet...oooh modesty.

Side note: I'll be at Summer In The City all weekend this weekend coming so if anyone sees me (which I know is unlikely!) please come and say hello!

If you'd like to see more videos head on over and subscribe. I'll be posting another video later today!
xx
Wednesday, 12 August 2015 Comments: 0
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About Flaws.


I've wanted to talk about this topic for a while but I've never been able to articulate it just how I wanted to so I put it off until my wonderful friend Charli posted a brilliant post on the topic and suggested I share my views.

Flaws are defined as "1. a mark, blemish or other imperfection which mars a substance or object. 2. mar, weaken or invalidation of something"

Now when I think of flaws I instantly go straight to my face and body to point these out. I don't particularly like my nose and the way it has a bit of wonkiness to it, I don't like how big and liney my forehead is, I have to spend extra time smoothing out my foundation to avoid a forehead looking like collection of streams running to nowhere, and lastly I don't honestly like my smile. If we take the second definition, I feel as all flaws are not always physical. For me I feel as if my pessimism and feeling unsure as to whether people like me as a flaw. I'm aware I'm horrendously uncool and often second guess how people feel towards me for example, I recently went out on Friday and saw some people I've met countless times and I still had those feelings tugging at me...whether they like me or I've made a bad impression and so on. With that all written down, it's a bit sad. Sad that I find that many things wrong with me and that other people will have the same type of lists. 

Just like Charli, I was terrified of jumping into the internet world where anyone from anywhere in the world can comment on your appearance negatively or positively from the comfort of their own home but once I finally took the plunge I've noticed that you often see flaws in yourself that others don't and you will be welcomed with open arms into a community. It's the most human thing. Like when you say to someone "ignore my spot on my chin!" and they reply with "I honestly wouldn't have noticed it unless you said it..." and I can happily say I've never received a hateful comment (yet there's always going to be one arsehat...)

Learning to be happy within yourself and ultimately loving yourself is a difficult thing to learn to do but it's so worth it. I find myself sometimes thinking "I look GOOD today and I'm happy about it, I'm going to go parade my massive moon head to the world" and it feels great to have that confidence even if it's not exactly permanent. Could you imagine how boring the world would be if everyone was the same, if everyone looked like a model and behaved the same way? Your flaws are yours. They make you, you and there's nothing wrong with that. Embrace them!

Just like I said in my Being Unapologetically You post "Embrace your quirks because 9/10 people actually like your uniqueness shall we say? Post your selfies despite how many likes they get because YOU like them, it's YOUR account and even post your multiple chin derps because let's all be honest here, THEY ARE FUNNY." And sometimes, Beyoncé  it out.


Make sure to head over to Charli's blog and Youtube and show her some love!

Monday, 10 August 2015 Comments: 8
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Learning To Code


I read an article a few weeks ago about a program that is aimed at getting girls into learning how to code as it’s a highly male dominated industry. This really interested me as I’m one for always wanting to learn a new skill and let’s be honest, coding is kind of cool.

Now, I think I’m fairly computer and internet savvy but stick some code in front of me and I’m lost. I know a few basic tricks but not at all how to build a website and so on. Not only did I think about learning to code from the incredible woman that is Karlie Kloss but also scrolling through tumblr and coming across an ask someone had sent the lovely Gemma Styles (you all should read her column on The Debrief because we have one smart lady in our ranks!) where she left a link to codecademy and boy, I’m obsessed.

“Codecademy is an education company. But not one in the way you might think. We're committed to building the best learning experience inside and out, making Codecademy the best place for our team to learn, teach, and create the online learning experience of the future”

This website is a gold mine for free coding lessons from building your own website, basic to in depth HTML and CSS lessons, building apps and so on. They’re really broken down so taking in the information is really easy and most importantly THEY’RE FUN! If my ICT lessons with Mr Odd Socks had been this interesting I might have actually paid attention. I still passed but c’mon I know spreadsheets are important and all but did I honestly need to spend a year learning a few basic functions? I think not.

One of my goals from these lessons is building my own design on here and I think I’d be proud if I actually designed it myself! Maybe that’s a big goal but you never know it could turn out just how I want. I know I won’t be a code wiz overnight but if you’re ever having a slow work day instead of counting down until five, get learning! It’s a skill you can add to your CV after all…

Will you give it a go?  I think as the world gets more digital it's an important skill to have. I’ll do an updated progress post if people would be interested in that.

 (side note: this isn't sponsored I just really love it!)

xx
Tuesday, 4 August 2015 Comments: 7
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