How Eva Gutowski used her weirdness to build a social media empire

Updated

BY LESLEY HAULER

This interview is a part of #KanvasLive, an interactive, cross-platform content series brought to life on the Kanvas app and AOL.com. See more coverage here.

Everyone has their own quirks -- some of which, others may find "weird". While many may try to hide them from the world, Eva Gutowski has not only owned the word "weird," but created a huge social media following because of it.

In just three years, Gutowski, otherwise known as MyLifeAsEva on YouTube, has amassed a fandom of more than 6 million people, thanks to her funny videos. She's not only "weird," to her fans, she's also funny, talented musician with a strong sense of style and confidence.

AOL.com editors had a chance to catch up with Gutowski at VidCon, a convention that connects some of the biggest online video creators with their many, many fans. She shared her thoughts on why it's okay to be "weird" and the best advice to other people who want to follow in her footsteps. Read below to find out more!

Check out the scene at VidCon!
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What do you hope people take away when they watch your videos?
I hope that they take away happiness and that they can feel comfortable being who they are. You know, if feel like you're super goofy and weird and no one understands you -- on my channel, I understand you. I'm just as weird and I show that completely publicly. Literally, I wear this hot dog costume and I will just walk around outside in it. It just shows people that I can be fearless and have millions of people watching me, but at the same time, I can take that and channel it into positivity and confidence and you can, too. You can develop this huge audience with people -- even people within your own community that support you being who you are.

Obviously, you're very fashionable. How did you fall in love with the style and fashion industry?
It started when I was little. I used to read magazines and cut pictures out of the magazines and place them onto different outfits. And I would take shoeboxes and make homes with little people inside of them, almost like little dollhouses. I was just always super into fashion. I've just been obsessed with fashion since I was a little girl.

What's your favorite video or project you've ever worked on?
Probably my web series, 'How to Survive High School'. It was just so fun getting to do scripted stuff and coming to a set every day for a week and having a community of friends who would get together. We would get to rehearse lines with each other in the morning, then go home together and hang out afterwards at the hotel. So, definitely, making 'How to Survive High School' was just the best experience ever. Everyone loved it so much, too. They're begging for a second season.

Check out more photos from VidCon in the gallery below:

What advice would you give to young girls who want to pursue their fashion or entertaining or social media dreams?
I would say with anything, you just have to go for it and be extremely confident in whatever you do. Whenever you want to do something new that people normally aren't doing, you're going to get people that want to bring you down. People don't like when other people are chasing their dreams because they might be really big. You just have to realize that you can achieve them if you work hard enough. You just have to keep pushing forward and going for it and going for it. And then suddenly, when you start to see all your hard work that you do pay off, everyone is going to realize, 'Wait a second, maybe I should have done that too.' It just takes one person to go out and try something different. If you want to pursue fashion, or social media or anything, you really just have to do it and not let anything stop you because there definitely will be roadblocks and you just have to find ways to keep pushing past them. Good stuff will happen.

What's you favorite thing about your fans?
I think that they are so funny. It's hilarious because you think that they're just little girls on YouTube. That's not what they are. It's boys, girls, adults, kids -- it's everybody and the universal thing is that they're all just so funny. They're really hilarious and on Twitter, they will tweet me the funniest memes. It's just so cool to think that they can have my humor, too, and they're all over the world.


Who would be your dream collaboration?
You can ask anyone, I used to be obsessed with Caspar Lee. I love him and then we became friends and started collaborating! I got to collab with him and now, he's one of my closest YouTube friends. So, my dream was realized!

What upcoming projects are you most excited for?
Right now, I just excited for working harder on my YouTube channel and summer break and then there are some secret projects that I cannot talk about right now, but there are big things coming and I am very excited.

Check out Eva's music video "Literally My Life" in the video below:

Eva Gutowski Releases First Music Video for 'Literally, My Life'
Eva Gutowski Releases First Music Video for 'Literally, My Life'


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