Anna Akana

“I do believe I was put here to tell stories and be creative in that way. It's given my life so much purpose and meaning, and it's ultimately what I live for.”

“I attribute the black tones in my films to Stephen King, Tim Burton, Joe Hill and Richard Matheson. However, most of my writing is influenced by mental health. I'm incredibly passionate about shedding light on the stigmas associated with mental illnesses.”

“I'm making 20 times more with Vessel for doing the same amount of work, if not less, than with YouTube.”

“And i chose life and love and happiness and pain...”

“The more you create, the more ambitious you become with your projects. Short films were a direct result of over 200 web series sketches and vlogs. After you create enough 2-minute videos, you start to wonder what else there is. Deadlines and discipline and quantity with a focus on quality have always been what keeps me going.”

“I thought that when someone dies, a person changes. I thought you'd lose yoursense of being judged and caring about this judgement; I thought you'd hold life in thepalm of your hand and dance and water it with rain. I thought you'd be able to dance ina crowd and laugh. But I was wrong. I am insecure, more than I was before. I takethings for granted. I'm angry, mean, judgmental, critical, bitter and quick to assume. I am lethargic. I despise all around me. And then some days, I feel normal.”

“The power of makeup is incredible, but the power of you is cray cray.”

“Because we are human. We adapt, we adjust, and we think too damn much.”

“One thing that I really like to do is, I'll look in the mirror, and I'll imagine that I'm rapidly aging, until I'm just a skull.”

“I've always wanted to be in comedy... growing up with Asian parents and not seeing yourself represented in media - it was always just a daydream.”

“'Loose Ends' was an all-female crew and one of the greatest on-set experiences I've ever had. We were ahead of schedule every day, and there was a laid-back, calm, supportive vibe that was entirely new to all of us.”

“They say that God doesn't give you more than you can handle.Tell that to her.”

“I started doing stand up when I was 19. Because I was underage at the time, at certain clubs I would be forced to wait outside until it was my time to go on stage. Then I would do my set, walk off, and be kicked out again.”

“Being a filmmaker in the digital platform has given me complete creative control. I can make what I want, when I want. I don't have to wait to book an audition.”

“I still get very emotional when a girl - 13 or 14 - comes up to me and says, 'Your videos really helped me.'”

“My YouTube channel is kind of a library of all my issues I've lived with. To process it emotionally, it's been good and bad.”

“When our bodies are sick and people extend their sympathy, bring us soup, offer up solutions. When our minds are sick, people tend to shy away from you, be afraid, or call you outright crazy. I'm fascinated by the way society and individuals view mental illness, and most of my shorts comment on that.”