Joe Weller opens up about his struggles with mental health and talks about the pressures and demands of being an online creator.
“I’ve bottled this up for too long and today we are putting this to an end,” says Joe Weller, introducing his recent YouTube video in a slightly different way than what we are used to.
The 24-year-old comedy creator gets candid in his latest upload, opening up about his personal struggles with mental health and self-doubt.
Although he has posted serious content in the past, this is a side of Weller we are not used to seeing in his videos. However, he is still able to talk openly and honestly, shining a light on the pressures of being a content creator and living up to the quality of his previous work.
“This is something I’ve been struggling with for two years,” Joe tells the camera before showing us a video he attempted to film the previous day.
In the footage, he describes trying to live up to what he describes as ‘the old Weller’, with a screenshot of a comment left by a fan saying, “Weller is back!”.
Describing his old videos as “actually good”, Joe becomes very dismissive of recent uploads, most notably the two previous videos.
It is important to note that Weller took a month off from making content and uploading, making a comeback with the video The Return of Old Joe Weller. It’s clear that this time has allowed him to become self-aware of his content.
He notes that he has to force playing up to the camera, adding that it’s not authentic – a trait he so clearly admires.
Joe goes onto saying that he doesn’t want his videos to decline just because he can’t sort out his mental health, mentioning people like Logan Paul and KSI who he describes as “effortlessly entertaining”.
Moving on from this, Joe talks about one of the first defining moments of his realisation, after seeing friend and collaborator The True Geordie discussing Weller’s video for his song, Don’t Mess With Me.
The reaction isn’t great, even from one of his best friends. “Your fans have grown up, you’ve grown up and now it’s time for the content to grow up,” comments True Geordie.
Joe’s frustration concludes with another clip from the previous day, with him visibly upset and crying to the camera. “This is what Joe Weller has become,” he says.
What Joe has been describing to the camera is nothing new in terms of having a creative job. We all get a point where we start to doubt our content and the direction of our work. Where is it going? Is it still authentic?
However, in true Joe Weller style, he is able to finish in a positive light, saying that he has a desire to persist with YouTube.
He also mentions the help he has received from Believing Bruce, a fellow YouTuber and content creator who focuses on positive thoughts on a daily basis, which Joe talks about adapting into his own life.
Finally, he uses this opportunity to remind his audience that he wants people – himself included – to remember the good things about themselves.
“I hope seeing my journey has helped you,” he says towards the end of the video. We look forward to seeing what content Joe makes in the future and hope he and everyone remembers to put their mental health first in these weird times.
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