For the past few years, blogging and sharing relatable content on one’s social media platform has come to be the new norm of influencing people across the world especially the youths of today’s generation. So it becomes imperative for anyone who has such a platform to put out positivity and good vibes into the world.
Doing exactly that is 24-year-old Brittani Harrison with the content she shares on her YouTube channel. Harrison’s YouTube channel is not just your usual beauty guru page but rather a safe space for young women who believe that they are somewhat different from the societal norms.

Harrison, who has a knack for the arts told the Pepperpot Magazine that she created her YouTube channel more than six years ago but she only started sharing content in 2016. However, it was until after taking a three-year hiatus that she revamped her channel deleting most of her old content and starting anew, with more lifestyle content as well as beauty related videos.

“My target audience I am trying to reach are mainly young women who are considered ‘different.’ I want to show them that it is okay to be different in a world that tries to put everyone one in a box. In doing so, I share storytime videos from my life experiences along with sit-down videos where I speak on current and ongoing topics and issues that are affecting most of us,” Harrison said.

She added that having a platform like YouTube is more than just posting videos and getting views, its more about the inspiration aspect of it all.
“If I woke up and only one person watched my video, I would still make videos…It is all about inspiring [Hence the name- Pretty Inspired] and creating. Editing is my favourite part of creating content. Sharing it on YouTube is just me wanting to share with others what I create so they can feel inspired,” she said.

Someone will listen

While Harrison is known for sharing fun and inspiring content on her platforms, she also uses it to speak out on injustices and more serious issues facing the world. “I share mostly fun content but due to recent events I have been posting more politically charged posts regarding the Black Lives Matter Movement which I am in full support of. I believe it is imperative that you share your stance and voice your opinion in cases of injustices. It does not matter the number of followers you have. Someone will listen.”

However, Harrison added that when she is not advocating for equal rights for marginalised groups (people of colour, LGBTQ community, women etc.) she likes posting cooking videos on her YouTube and Instagram which her followers seem to love and appreciate since she gets a lot of request for recipes and more videos.

Just go for it
Because fear seems to be the number one reason why people delay creating and posting content on their social media platforms, in sharing her advice, Harrison said, “Stop overthinking. What you create will not be everybody’s cup of tea, but it will be the right person’s rehydrating fluid. There will always be someone out there that you are inspiring. Even if you do not know it yet. Let go of the fear and hold on to your passion.”

She added that if something is done with passion and from the heart, likes and views will not matter, but rather the quality of the content one chooses to share will, “Quality does not always mean 4k videos and high definition pictures, rather it is the vision and execution of your creative thinking. Lastly, there is enough room for all of us to create. You should build enough confidence to know that you also bring something distinctive to the table. You are unique and you are gifted like any other.”

Representation is fundamental
The world is currently in an era where social media is used by children of all ages and with that comes great responsibility for YouTubers, bloggers etc. to be mindful of the content they share, as well as provide some form of representation for one’s viewers to see ‘oh there is someone who looks like or comes from the same country as me’.
“It is fundamental to have great social media representation for the Guyanese youths … when we post, we are also influencing, sometimes unbeknownst to us. So, with that being said, we must take into account the message that we are sending out,” Harrison said.

She added that representation influences opinions and instills values that bloggers are not sometimes aware of hence it is imperative to have these representations in our community to build the next generation’s confidence to create and share whatever talents they have with the world.
Harrison told the Pepperpot Magazine that the goal is to have little Guyanese boys and girls to look to the older generation and be motivated to expand and nurture their artistic abilities.