Dear October,

I spend a lot of time in my bed. It’s difficult to leave its warmth behind, especially when a chill has settled into every corner of my room. The duvet offers a safe cocoon from the cold, from work and responsibilities, from the indifference of the rest of the world. Safely enveloped here, I can be whoever I want. I can write, I can dream, I can count the stars.

Another space, which is often not as safe nor as warm but which I spend a lot of time in anyway, is online. In moments of boredom or when sleep eludes me, I find myself watching people create things — and here are some creators that I particularly like.

1. Annika Victoria

Even though I know nothing about sewing, I watch Annika’s tutorials because she makes them really engaging. She has a series called Make Thrift Buy, where she recreates items of fast fashion clothing with more sustainable choices. It’s really fun to watch her take on the items, including the more… unusual ones. Annika also spreads awareness of ethical fashion, which brought the issue to my attention.

2. BananaJamana, a.k.a. Jamie Jo

Jamie has a lovely arts and crafts channel that I think deserves more recognition. She is an incredibly talented artist. Her videos include stunning magical realism paintings, challenges (like painting with her hair) to lots of baked goods. If you’re a fan of all things nerdy including video games, Disney, Star Wars, Harry Potter, etc., or just art in general, you’ll definitely find something to your liking on her channel.

3. Carrie Hope Fletcher

Carrie’s content has evolved over time. I initially started watching because of her musical, bookish and advice-y videos and whilst she still does some music, a lot of her videos nowadays revolve around her work in theatre. Her vlogs offer great insight into the world of theatre and what it’s like to be onstage looking out into the audience, rather than the other way around. I do have a certain preference for her older videos, though.

4. doddleoddle

Dodie used to make a range of eclectic videos, from music to crafts to some fashion, but nowadays she is most well known for her music, which is beautiful in its eloquence. She also speaks out about mental health and sexuality. What I like most about Dodie’s videos are their creativity — she manages to put her own spin on things, including something as mundane as a room tour. I’m also a fan of her music — both original and covers.

5. Doodle Date

Another lovely artsy channel. Steph and Adam from Doodle Date do a variety of videos, from art challenges to trying strange and unique supplies. They also work outdoors sometimes, wandering into places that seem straight out of fairy tales. Their collaborative videos, especially the older ones, have an old-time vibe to them that I love, and they make me want to spend more time in nature (except I live in a city and I can’t — so their videos are a nice escape).

6. Elise Ecklund

I found Elise’s channel after I got a ukulele as a present. Like many Youtubers out there, she uploads tutorials, song covers and original music, but what made her channel stand out is her sardonic sense of humour.

7. Jaiden Animations

As you can tell by her username, Jaiden is an animator. She mostly makes videos based on her real-life experiences. They’re usually really funny and/or thought-provoking and I especially think she’s got great comic timing. Similar accounts include Domics and Let Me Explain Studios. I love Domics’ humour and Rebecca’s (Let Me Explain Studios) expressive art style.

8. Karolina Żebrowska

Imagine watching a get ready with me video… but from the Regency era. Karolina knows a lot about vintage fashion and although her uploads aren’t exactly regular, when she does put out a video, you can be sure that it will be filled with historical knowledge — as well as a lot of sarcasm and ironic humour (usually — the example below is an exception). Do you see a pattern in my preferences yet?

9. Kristen Leo

This is a lifestyle channel focused on ethics and helping to make the world a better place through your consumption choices. Kristen’s videos are a mix of thrift hauls (sometimes in an effort to recreate celebrity styles), fashion and lifestyle advice, and exposés on some of the biggest industries today. I have learnt a lot from her videos, and have become a lot more conscious about the places I decide to shop. A similar account is Caitlin Shoemaker, focused on conscious living through food.

10. Loepsie

Another lifestyle channel, Lucy’s account stands out because I love the relaxed and personal vibe of her videos. She also has some really creative ideas, from unusual hairstyles to recreations of different beauty icons’ styles.

11. Mango Street

I love the approach Mango Street take to their videos. They are usually short, easy to digest and engaging, offering photography tips by illustrating through their own work.

12. Mary Doodles

This is an account I’ve been following for a long time, and I’m still awed by some of the content Mary creates. I’ve always thought of her as a watercolour and ink master because both seem to follow her will as their command. Her paintings tend to have twists in them, adding in that a element that takes the piece in a totally unexpected way. She also has a fun series where she turns random scribbles into drawings.

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Let me know if you find any new favourites through this post, or do leave a comment with your own. Thank you for reading, and until next time!

I’m blogging every day this month. Take a look at the introduction to the series here.

Photo by Ghost Presenter on Unsplash.

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