Today we’d like to introduce you to Christina Caasi.
Christina, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’ve been a “creator” for as long as I can remember.
Growing up, I loved making, well, anything. There were the childhood essentials like finger painting, composing songs for my stuffed animals, and making homes for my beanie babies out of VHS tapes; kid stuff. That evolved as I grew to playing piano, sketching, painting, etc.
I was homeschooled through high school, which dictated a necessity in directing my own future. It was a hands-on “out of classroom” experience, where I’d go on day trips to museums, parks, grocery stores, public libraries, etc. This helped me learn more about the real world, but it also instilled a drive to explore and travel.
I attended public school for the first time in college, where I was immediately faced with what to focus on for the next several years. Multimedia Design and Advertising Design seemed to fit the bill. It allowed me to continue the hands-on creativity of my youth, while discovering new passions such as film and video, and a pronounced love for digital arts – ultimately graphic design.
Somewhere along the way I picked up a love for videography. And now I’m here; a full-time remote graphic designer, a part-time graphic design freelancer, a YouTube & Instagram content creator (you know, to fill all that extra time I already had during the day), and a functioning adult that (sometimes) remembers to eat three “healthy” meals a day.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I grew up in a small town in the middle of a small state, which afforded me lots of peace and quiet, but little in the way of creative stimulation. Also being a minority in that area led to some difficult experiences while growing up. So I had to move away, which led to a whirlwind nomadic tour of the country, trying to find a place to plant myself.
Ultimately, it led me here to the Boston area, though, so it was worth it.
I found that I am at my best when I am surrounded by other driven and like-minded creatives, and thankfully I feel that I have found that here in Boston and it has led to so many collaboration opportunities.
Right now I work remotely, and while that may seem like it shouldn’t be an obstacle at all – it kind of is. Being a remote employee sometimes makes you feel that you have to prove that you’re not just lying in bed watching Netflix all day, and it can get a little stressful when you’re constantly feeling like you’re under the microscope. However, I really enjoy the freedom that being remote gives me – when I feel like blasting music to get in a creative mood, I can do that…in my pjs. And let me tell you, it’s a great way to get the creative juices flowing.
I would say that having enough time to juggle everything I do is my biggest challenge. After all, there are only 24 hours in a day and they highly recommend that you sleep for eight (give or take) of those hours. Time management and my daily/weekly/monthly to-do lists are definitely the key to helping me keep track of things. I’m a Virgo. I’m a meticulous planner. It’s a blessing and a curse.
Please tell us about your business.
From 8-5 I work as a graphic designer, and after 5, I split my time between my freelance business and my creative outlets.
I’m probably best known as Seekaysee on YouTube as a content creator. In my videos I talk a lot about cruelty-free and sustainable beauty. That means I do a lot of product reviews, makeup looks, and the typical beauty Youtuber stuff. However, I am most proud of my videos where I talk about growing up as a first generation Asian-American, light vs. dark skin, following your dreams, body positivity, and a lot of other topics that I feel could be discussed more. I do this all while applying makeup, since it is sometimes referred to as a “shallow” topic. I feel that it is a nice metaphorical contrast to the relatively heavy subject matter.
I hope that I can help at least one person with my videos, and that they will be able to continue the conversation elsewhere.
The goal for my YouTube channel is to be able to share my experience with others and bring more awareness to topics that aren’t often brought to light.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I most vividly remember drawing a picture for my Lola (grandmother), and her telling me that I was meant to be an artist. I don’t even remember what the drawing was – probably just a scribble of flowers or the Power Rangers, and it was probably simply grandmotherly polite encouragement. It was a very small moment, but it has had such a lasting impact on my life. So cheesy and cliché, I know.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.seekaysee.com
- Email: seekayseee@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seekayseee/
- Other: http://youtube.com/seekaysee
Image Credit:
Emma Kanch
The Shady Sun Tanning Co.
White Clover Productions
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