This is how change happens. One gesture. One person. One moment at a time.
— Libba Bray
I love to share content I find interesting and relevant. In a recent post about coffee shop conversations I mentioned two friends whose craft and creativity deserve a wider audience. I’ve previously shared ten content creators who make me happy. This time I’m sharing ten artists and creators who inspire, motivate, and challenge me in different ways. Their areas of interest and engagement vary widely. Topics include physical and mental health, suicide awareness, women’s autonomy, gender identity, trans rights, animal welfare, and body positivism. More than anything they explore and express what it means to be human. What it means to be unique. What it means to be alive. In no particular order they are:
- Marisa Ramirez
- Fraser Morgan
- Riona O Connor
- Mali and Joe
- Emily Kimelman
- Mark Hogben
- Man Who Has It All
- Rocky Kanaka
- Closer To Truth
- Andrea Gibson
Marisa Ramirez (Kimmel)
Alopecia, BRCA1, and mastectomy awareness
Not to be confused with the Blue Bloods actress of the same name, Marisa Ramirez (Kimmel) is a photographer and model. She was diagnosed with alopecia at the age of nine and decided to shave her head when she was nineteen. She had a preventative double mastectomy in 2021 after discovering she carries a BRCA1 gene mutation linked to increased risk of breast, ovarian, and pancreatic cancer. In a September 2025 Facebook post she shared the following.
May we all be reminded that we never have to go through any part of this life alone. This weekend, I stood backstage with 24 women who have all been touched by breast cancer. As we stood there waiting to walk the runway, we listened to the truth. 116 women die every single day from metastatic breast cancer and only 2% of breast cancer funding goes to research for this deadliest form. The numbers are heartbreaking, but what I felt in that moment wasn’t just grief … it was strength, it was hope.
For an introduction to her story, check out this video posted for breast cancer awareness month.
Fraser Morgan
Men’s health, mental health, suicide awareness
According to their website, Fraser Morgan is “a rapidly up and coming Folk-Punk / Singer-Songwriter who’s known for their relentless gigging and for bringing to the stage high levels of passion, energy, and showmanship.” I first came across them through their powerful song Call Me Mate.
See that’s the thing with us lads
We′re holding an image you see
Cos if we talk about our feelings
Then we’re scared we look weakBut if I’m a man under 50
And I keep things inside
The most likely way I′ll die
Is by taking my lifeSo this is for the lads out there
With mates who are struggling
Please just call him up
And you tell him you love him
Website | Facebook | Instagram
Riona O Connor
Motherhood, comedy, body positivity
According to her profile at Loud and Clear Voices “Riona O Connor is a creator, voice over artist, comedy songwriter, actor and singer, originally from County Kerry in Ireland. She found herself thrust into the creator space when her riotous parodies of Mom Life went viral, earning her 800 thousand social media followers. Riona is loved for her honest portrayal of life’s ups and downs, her comedic obsession with other people’s home decor and the chaos of Motherhood.”
Riona’s style and enthusiasm are impossible to describe so here are two videos selected more or less randomly: Every Time I Try to Clear Out My Wardrobe and Ask me how long I’ve been pacing in front of this wardrobe. Ask me!
Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
Mali and Joe
Relationships, LGBTQ+ allyship, vision impairment, acceptance
According to their website, “Mali Apple and Joe Dunn are the authors of the award-winning book The Soulmate Experience: A Practical Guide to Creating Extraordinary Relationships. They coach singles and couples on creating and sustaining relationships that are intensely passionate and profoundly connected.” Their second book, Wild Monogamy: Cultivating Erotic Intimacy to Keep Passion and Desire Alive, was published in 2023.
I first came across Mali and Joe through their video shorts on Facebook and Instagram in which they respond with commendable grace and humour to the many disrespectful and ignorant comments they receive. As they say in one post, “Love, dignity, kindness, and positivity are just ... surprisingly controversial lately.” Follow Mali and Joe for a much-needed reminder that hatred and ignorance cannot and do not go unchallenged and that despite every indication to the contrary there is still room for hope.
So to everyone ever judged for being different in some briliant ways — for your identity, your age, or just for daring to be yourself: your presence matters. Keep being you. Keep showing up. And stand tall.
Website | Facebook | Instagram
Emily Kimelman
Women’s rights, bodily autonomy, LGBTQ+ representation, equality
Author Emily Kimelman “writes stories about powerful women, gritty adventures, and heroic pets.” Of her Sydney Rye Mysteries, she says, “My books are raw, gritty, and emotional. Beloved characters don’t survive. Not because I’m a monster, but because this is a series with a main character who evolves and grows. She learns about herself and the world, and one of the ways she does that is through losing people who matter to her.” For anyone unsure what they’re getting into: “The dog doesn’t die but the bad guys do.”
I’ve yet to read her novels. I follow her because she’s clear, vocal, and unequivocal about things she’s passionate about defending and opposing. She doesn’t mince words (does anyone use that phrase any more?) but as with others I’ve included here her very stridency is important. More than that, it’s necessary.
Website | Facebook | Instagram
Mark Hogben
Parkinson’s disease awareness, off-the-grid living
Mark Hogben (“Hog like pig. Ben like Big Ben.”) is a Canadian who documents his off-the-grid life in a remote cabin on Lake Kipawa in Quebec. His Parkinson’s disease is evident in his videos. He’s commendable unapologetic. After a heads-up that he’s “going to use the f-bomb” he recently declared: “People ask about the shaking or if I mind people seing me shaking. I don’t give a fuck what people think about me shaking. I’d rather live my life with the shaking and not care what people think than hide away.” In another post, Mark tries out a new axe that’s been recommended to him for its ease of use. The video legend declares: “Not Just Shaky, Still Strong.”
Man Who Has It All
Women’s rights, feminism, social justice
“What if men’s T-shirts were amblazoned with slogans encouraging them to be smiley, positive and kind? What if we laughed at jokes about fathers-in-law, male drivers and middle-class men of a certain age. What if men’s history was a niche topic?” By the author of Flipping Patriarchy: Imagining a gender-swapped world Man Who Has It All is one of my all-time favourite social media channels. Gently — and not so gently — it inverts the man-centred so-common-we-men-don’t-always-see-it-for-what-it-is discrimination and sexism, showing it for the nonsense it is.
Rocky Kanaka
Animal welfare, dog rescue
Rocky (“I help shelter dogs tell their story so they can be seen”) Kanaka is a powerful advocate for animals. In most of his social media posts he’s sitting with dogs that have recently been rescued. He shares what little is known of their stories and encourages them to engage with him and those invested in their care and well-being. The process often involves finding the dog a new name. In this video Rocky encounteres a newly rescued dog who is frozen with fear. After sitting gently with him for a time, Rocky ponders a new name.
We need a name for him. How about Marty? I feel like Marty’s a pretty human name not a dog name. But this guy needs something, right? He’s gotta find his personality or his personality has to come out. And maybe a name like Marty will help with that. Because Martys ... I’ve met some Martys and they’re good guys. Just like you’re a good guy. I’ve never met a bad Marty. Have you ever met a bad Marty? They’re typically pretty friendly, Martys.
Needless to say, I love the reference to my own name! I’m sharing this video in particular, though, because it exemplifies Rocky’s thoughtful and heart-full approach.
Website | Facebook | Instagram
Closer To Truth
Cosmology, physics, life, meaning
Closer to Truth is a digital-media nonprofit and TV series that has been on the air since 2000. Broadcast on PBS and other public television stations in the US, the content covers a wide range of topics including cosmology, physics, the human mind, philosophy, and consciousness, meaning, and theology.
Andrea Gibson
Gender norms, politics, social justice, LGBTQ topics, poetry
I was scarcely aware of American poet and activist Andrea Gibson until their death from cancer in July 2025. I’d encountered their spoken word poetry on Button Poetry but had never taken time to learn more about them, their broader work, or advocacy. I still have much to learn and explore but it’s certain that their voice deserves to be more widely known.
Over to You
In this post I’ve shared ten creators that inspire, motivate, and challenge me in various ways. I’d love to add some new accounts to my list. Please feel free to share accounts and creators you follow, either in the comments below or via our contact page.
Photo by Brad Starkey at Unsplash.
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