I recently fell sick and was quite ill for a few days. 🤒 While I was recovering, the only thing I could really do was watch stuff or read. Full-length novels were too much work for my fevered brain but the next volume of One Piece was still on hold at the library. I tried scrolling through Instagram and YouTube for a while but they were clearly overstimulating because I felt my head start to throb. Finally I found some gems that got me through it.
As a thank you, I’d like to share them here:
Karen Puzzle’s coverage of the 2024 World Jigsaw Puzzle Championships
I remember Karen Kavett from her DIY channel back in the day, when DIY videos on YouTube were really popular. 👵 I wasn’t an avid follower but I remember noticing that she transitioned to content about jigsaw puzzles which I thought was really niche.
Fast forward to a week ago, I came across the viral video of her at a jigsaw puzzle competition where she got the wrong puzzle. Like many others, I was intrigued and clicked into her channel. Her latest videos turned out to be her fantastic coverage of the World Jigsaw Puzzle Championships, that she also competed at. This series of videos absolutely captured my imagination!
The visual charts of the competition data and commentary helped to make the tournament more interesting for the casual viewer. It was also not too loud so I didn’t get overstimulated. Unfortunately, there were no closed captions but the audio was clear and the “plot” was simple enough. I loved learning about this world that I had never known about before. I’m eagerly anticipating the final instalment of the series that covers the final rounds of the championships. ☺️
Safiya Nygaard’s videos
I may have talked about Safiya’s videos on my blog before, I’m not sure. She’s a large YouTuber who got her start on BuzzFeed in the 2010s and branched out to do her own thing. She used to be known more for her beauty content but I feel like she is her own “genre” of video.
I started to watch more of her content when she would do fashion or internet-culture videos. She typically narrates over her videos but I love her voiceovers. They are super clear and oddly soothing. Bonus points for having close-captioning which ensures I don’t miss anything that’s being said.
In the last few years, she has done more travel content which I really love, and this week she did an in-flight beauty hacks video. Some other travel videos of hers that I’ve enjoyed are the one about a 52 hour sleeper train, the one about the Blue Lagoon in Iceland, and the mega Las Vegas hotel series which I’ve watched multiple times.
Some of my favourite content is from her series The Internet Made Me Buy It where she looks at internet trends and does her own “investigation” by diving into it herself.
Adam Hattan (and Gary C) Disney vlogs
I started watching Adam’s videos back in 2021 and talked about it in my newsletter issue #19. He is a vlogger from the UK making videos about all things Disney. I believe he used to be a Disney cast member and has been a fan ever since. He’s made guidebooks about the various Disney parks and his main content is Disney park vlogs. I think the main difference between him and some other channels is that he doesn’t live near a Disney park. So whenever he goes, it’s like a full vacation and we’re along for the ride.
My favourite videos are the trips he does with his good friend Gary C. I just love the dynamic when they are together as there’s more chance for banter. Their vlogs are full of English humour and lots of footage of the parks. As they’re “Disney adults”, they spend more time trying out the food, meeting the characters, looking at merchandise, and attending the shows. I’ve enjoyed their cruise vlogs as they’re less rushed and I feel like I’m on the trip with them. Extra-bonus-brownie points for great footage and excellent closed-captioning. ✨
The videos that I watched most recently were the Christmas vlogs to Disneyland Paris. They really put me in the holiday spirit. 🎄
I’m sure I have more comfort YouTubers but I’ll share them in the future. For now, thank you so much to these creators, you really saved my week. 🥰
💜jy