In this vlog I’m hanging with a bunch of friends in NYC and we end up having one of those brutally honest creator conversations that starts as jokes and turns into something real. We roast the “asian creator bubble” (like, someone will swear it’s a diverse room and then it’s just East Asians from slightly different universities), and then we get into why so many people feel weird—even ashamed—introducing themselves as a TikToker or YouTuber. There’s still a stigma, and I say it out loud: being a TikToker can feel like being a “shitty content creator who can’t make YouTube videos,” even if that’s not fair. We also debate what “creativity” even means. I’m pretty anti the way people throw around “creative/creator” like it’s weightless—because to me, creativity is supposed to be novel and useful, not just copying the same color grade and still shots you saw in a Matt D’Avella video. On top of that, I talk about the insecurity of hearing your own voice, how I used to over-script to sound perfect, and why that doesn’t actually build real charisma or show your personality. And because it’s my life, it’s not just talk: I make homemade pad thai (with a little hair cameo), and I help out on a nonprofit documentary set in Manhattan—AC, sound, the whole scrappy NYC crew vibe.