I don't know if "influencer" is the right category. Originally this was going to be "youtube edition," but then I remembered a blogger I wanted to include, so here we are.

Alex Dobrenko, Both Are True (Substack)

We'll start with the blogger. (Does Substack count as a blog?)

I don't remember how Alex's writing first crossed my path, but I do remember that I subscribed immediately. You know how you sign up for a newsletter and then you never read it? That's not Alex. I'm always excited every time a Both Are True installment hits my inbox. He's the perfect mix of funny and philosophical, two of my favorite character traits. His brand of cheerful nihilism--everything is absurd, therefore nothing is important, therefore we can choose what's important--always makes me feel a little bit better about the world.

One of my favorite BAT posts last year was this one about how to get the best Prime Day deals.

Morgan Evelyn Cook (YouTube)

I've probably written before about my productivity obsession (if not, I really need to do that sometime). Even though I've gotten better since starting a better medication regimen, I still read every productivity book that comes out, and follow a lot of productivity gurus online. I don't take (most of) their advice anymore, but I'm nostalgic for rush I got from feeling like I was on top of my shit. (Not being on top of my shit doesn't feel as bad anymore, so I no longer get that charge from getting on top of it.)

That's probably why YouTube's algorithm recommended me Morgan Evelyn Cook. But she's not a productivity guru. She's the antidote to productivity gurus.

The solution to toxic productivity is not to give up and do nothing. The solution is to do a little bit, gently, and to forgive yourself for the rest. That's Morgan's message, and listening to her talk about getting on top of her shit while also dealing with crippling anxiety has been exactly what I needed as I worked on not pushing myself so hard. You don't have to do everything perfectly, but you can do some small things that help you feel less overwhelmed and depressed.

Plus, she's funny!

My gateway was this video on productivity "hacks" that failed for her:

Kackie Reviews Beauty (YouTube)

I'm really not into makeup. I appreciate it, I'm curious about it, but I don't really wear it. I don't like the feeling of stuff on my face.

And yet, I love watching Kackie. She's just so joyful and fun. She also knows what the fuck she's talking about (or, at least, has convinced me she has). She talks about makeup with an authority that I 100% believe, with an insider's perspective that I find fascinating. Also, her original training is in painting, so she does a lot of stuff on color theory and illusion. She'll discuss trends, but she's not about trends. In fact, when she talks about them, it's usually to take them down or debunk them.

Plus, she's funny! (I'm sensing a theme.)

Here's a great video on breaking out of the internet marketing nightmare we're all living in:

CRAZY about SHOES (YouTube)

Just the way the name of the channel is capitalized makes me happy. You might think this is a channel about buying shoes, but NO! It's a channel about making shoes.

"Ken" is a Japanese shoemaker who started out as an architect but just loved leather shoes SO MUCH that he wound up moving to the mountains and setting up the world's cutest shoe workshop. His videos are in Japanese (with subtitles) and his delivery is the exact opposite of what you expect from YouTube: calm, almost monotone, but carefully articulated and very earnest. That plus the Japanese piano jazz that plays in the background makes these videos incredibly relaxing to watch.

Did you know that there's a world championship of handmade shoes? Ken won it in 2024. Check out this video about the shoes that won him the prize.