When I was coming out of depression, I made one random video. It wasn't funny or anything, but just the idea that people I didn't know were watching it made me feel less alone than I'd felt in a long time.
— Lilly Singh
It's really important to talk to yourself and look at yourself in the mirror and love who you are.
I think one of the most beautiful things about YouTube is that it makes the world a smaller place. You realize that we're all different, but we're all the same. And if you think about it, it's a beautiful concept.
When I first started, all the media I ever got was, 'Hey! There's this Indian girl. And even though she is Indian, she gets views and stuff.'
I think what people like about my channel is that I am not perfect. I always point to my pimple, my bad hair day... people relate to that. They are watching somebody who is exactly like them and talking about things that they experience as well.
Superwoman is more of a performer, which Lilly isn't. Having said that, I guess both of them are completely over the top, dramatic and full of energy.
Growing up, I was always creatively inclined, and when YouTube came about, it was like getting the perfect platform to showcase what I wanted. Personally, I was going through a dark phase in my life, and I decided to make videos and basically go by the adage, 'If you want to cheer up yourself, go cheer up someone else.'
My inspiration comes from my real life experiences.
I want my channel to be a place people go even if they don't care about Lilly. I don't want them to have to know about Lilly or care about me as a person to enjoy my content.
I just love what I do so much.
I swear Kim Kardashian's first marriage lasted longer than some of my iPhone chargers.
I want to do everything I can possibly do to step outside the box.
I was the first South Asian female to do comedy videos on YouTube. But at the same time, all races face their barriers, and I've learned through YouTube, if it's not race, it will be sexism, if it's not sexism, it will be homophobia. It will always be something, and all voices should be heard.
The good thing about me is, I only do deals with people that I love to begin with.
Sometimes I'll be sitting on Facebook at home and see all these people getting married, having kids, having that life that I was told I should have. And sometimes I feel like I'm doing something wrong. Am I the stupid one here? Am I not doing what I'm supposed to do? And that's also equally as stressful.
I love wearing makeup! It's just that if you choose not to wear it, that's OK. And if you choose to wear it, that's OK as well.
I think why my content does so well with so many different types of people is because it speaks to everyone. I'll make a Soca music reference, I'll use a Tamil word, I'll do a Jamaican Patois accent. I know about all these people, and I'm not afraid to indulge in their culture.
If you say, 'I don't want to offend anyone,' then don't get on stage. Just ask yourself, 'Do I think it is right? Do I think it is offensive? And do I think that everyone is okay to hear this? If I truly believe this, then I should go and do this.'
Independent content these days can be more successful than previously because of the power of social media. However, there are still systems in place to make sure independent artists don't get as far as signed ones.
On my Superwoman channel, I am more of a performer, I am aiming to make you guys laugh. With vlogs, it's just me and my day, boring or fun.
I know one of the reasons I first started making Youtube videos was because no one looks like me.
I like to describe my stuff as observational comedy.
My creative process is a bit manic at times, to be honest. I wake up Monday and Thursday stressed because I don't have a video. I usually - with the exception of maybe a handful of videos - wake up, write the video, shoot the video, edit the video, release the video all in the same day.
Everything I do with my day is related to Superwoman. I'm either doing conference calls or writing a script or reading a script, editing a video, shooting a video.
I'm like, 'I think I'm just going to wear what makes me happy,' so I'm just really big on wearing things that reflect my personality, like colorful hats and weird shoes and things that I just think are fun.
A majority of my YouTube friends I've made because I made a trip down to California and literally tweeted them saying, 'Hey! Come over - let's shoot something!' And then two strangers will just meet up, talk, and shoot something.
Everyone's voice should be heard when it comes to racial barriers.
A big part of depression is feeling really lonely, even if you're in a room full of a million people.
I'm a Beyonce fan, and when I'm looking at her, I'll think 'Oh my God, her life is so awesome, and she made it.'
My job requires me to always be on. I'm always getting my makeup done for a shoot.
Every day, something new gets thrown at me, and I'm like, 'How did this happen?' I've gone through some of the craziest life experiences because of YouTube.
No matter what I put out, somebody will be offended. I made a video on 10 reasons to smile, and it has dislikes. That should be an indication that there will be some who get offended no matter what you do. The best you can do as an entertainer or as someone who performs is to follow what you believe in.
I know the video platform so, so, so well. I know the perfect mixture of how comedic a piece has to be, what the video has to be like, what the song has to sound like, to make it successful.
When I started out the videos, I was dealing with depression, and I wanted to make inspiring videos for others, which would end up inspiring me in turn. I wanted to show the world that it was possible to make a positive switch in life and start over.
The parent characters that I portray are Indian because I grew up in an Indian household. Having said that, I feel like people of all cultures would relate to those parents.
After a long day at work, I want someone to come home, turn on my video and think, 'Oh my God, how girls get ready? This is hilarious. I love this; I'm forgetting about all my problems.'
When I was younger, I always wanted to be someone in the entertainment industry.
I'm an extreme workaholic.
The majority of people call or message me because they need something or they want something. You never know what people's intentions are.
I've had fans do some pretty awesome things... I once had a fan do a mock proposal for me in Mumbai, inside a McDonalds... and I've had fans give me some precious things. I had one fan give me her mother's ring; I've gotten some pretty intense stuff. And I always get drawings and scrapbooks from fans, which is also pretty cool.
I am pretty weird - as weird as in my videos. The only difference is Lilly is not a performer, and Superwoman is. So Superwoman is very fearless. You'll never see her nervous. You'll never see her sad. But Lilly is a human. She is the person behind Superwoman, who gets sad and tired sometimes.
