Didi (a.k.a. Hikenshtiken) is a YouTuber from Bulgaria. He gathered 100k+ subscribers on YouTube and other social media accounts. Born in Sofia, graduating in New York he always finds his way back to Bulgaria. In 2018 he launches his cosmetics line called Shprss.
I was born in Sofia, Bulgaria in 1990. Often I felt like an outsider, being ignored by kids my own age. That lead me to figure out ways to gather attention and humor worked for me. I never really studied anything artsy, but I had a class or two of theater. I graduated in New York after studying in England in high school.
When I returned to Bulgaria in 2010, I was depressed and had a very low moment. Humor and make up jokes saved me. I needed to think of a character that was as positive as I was feeling negative in reality. That’s how Hikenshtiken happened and soon after I was smiling without faking it.
2. When did you first decide that you wanted to create content and how did you start?
YouTube has been an inspiration as soon as I have know of it. One day I just decided to tell a story about how I met a Bulgarian celebrity in the mall. Viewers thought it was funny and after a few months of telling funny stories online I decided that I will do YouTube videos until it gets boring. It has been almost 10 years since my first video and it is still incredibly fun for me.
3. Is Vlogging and YouTube content creation a financially sustainable career?
With Bulgarian content it is difficult to really make a living from YouTube (unless you really make a lot of views). I managed to advertise my other side businesses. I work as a fashion photographer and I recently launched my own cosmetics line. My channel turned into the best commercial for that. I cannot really complain about my finances.
4. Who is your favorite creator and why?
My favorite creator is Jenna Marbles. She was the first YouTuber I saw online and ever since I feel so connected to her. She is so nice and genuinely empathetic. I can always play 1-2 of her videos and turn my bad day around.
5. How and where do you find inspiration to churn out content?
I have a golden rule about any type of creation. “I will do it if it is fun. If it isn’t fun to do-pass”. Every single video I do is absolutely the best time I have and I don’t fake it. That means that having a schedule is out of the question. I cannot plan my good mood or make a script of jokes.
6. What does your typical day look like?
Usually I don’t set an alarm to wake me up. I prefer to sleep as much as my body needs to. When I wake up I check my social media and then get ready for my work day. Some days it is filled with orders from my cosmetics line, some days I have photo-shoots to deal with, and some days I just want to hang out with friends.
7. What is the most challenging thing about your work?
On YouTube the most challenging thing is editing. I am not the best editor but I like things done my way. Editing a video for my channel often times takes more than 10 hours. That is just too much time and effort but if I use an editor something is off.
8. What is the common misconception people have about your profession?
The most common misconception is that it takes a few minutes to shoot and upload a video. I just sit in front of the camera and just speak and everything is done. As a photographer, people often think that I just point and shoot with my camera and that’s it. It seems easy from the side.
9. What piece of advice would you like to give to future aspiring creators?
My advice for future creators is to do exactly what they want and what is fun for them… and not play by “what is going to be viral”. Views and good rating comes and goes. Having fun is the most important.
10. Which is your favorite book and why?
My favorite book is by Whitney Cummings. It is called “I am fine… and other lies”. It is just the best thing I have read.
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2. When did you first decide that you wanted to create content and how did you start?
YouTube has been an inspiration as soon as I have know of it. One day I just decided to tell a story about how I met a Bulgarian celebrity in the mall. Viewers thought it was funny and after a few months of telling funny stories online I decided that I will do YouTube videos until it gets boring. It has been almost 10 years since my first video and it is still incredibly fun for me.
3. Is Vlogging and YouTube content creation a financially sustainable career?
With Bulgarian content it is difficult to really make a living from YouTube (unless you really make a lot of views). I managed to advertise my other side businesses. I work as a fashion photographer and I recently launched my own cosmetics line. My channel turned into the best commercial for that. I cannot really complain about my finances.
4. Who is your favorite creator and why?
My favorite creator is Jenna Marbles. She was the first YouTuber I saw online and ever since I feel so connected to her. She is so nice and genuinely empathetic. I can always play 1-2 of her videos and turn my bad day around.
5. How and where do you find inspiration to churn out content?
I have a golden rule about any type of creation. “I will do it if it is fun. If it isn’t fun to do-pass”. Every single video I do is absolutely the best time I have and I don’t fake it. That means that having a schedule is out of the question. I cannot plan my good mood or make a script of jokes.
6. What does your typical day look like?
Usually I don’t set an alarm to wake me up. I prefer to sleep as much as my body needs to. When I wake up I check my social media and then get ready for my work day. Some days it is filled with orders from my cosmetics line, some days I have photo-shoots to deal with, and some days I just want to hang out with friends.
My mentality is “make time for everything, including being lazy”. I don’t push myself to be on a schedule because I prefer things to happen naturally.
7. What is the most challenging thing about your work?
On YouTube the most challenging thing is editing. I am not the best editor but I like things done my way. Editing a video for my channel often times takes more than 10 hours. That is just too much time and effort but if I use an editor something is off.
8. What is the common misconception people have about your profession?
The most common misconception is that it takes a few minutes to shoot and upload a video. I just sit in front of the camera and just speak and everything is done. As a photographer, people often think that I just point and shoot with my camera and that’s it. It seems easy from the side.
9. What piece of advice would you like to give to future aspiring creators?
My advice for future creators is to do exactly what they want and what is fun for them… and not play by “what is going to be viral”. Views and good rating comes and goes. Having fun is the most important.
10. Which is your favorite book and why?
My favorite book is by Whitney Cummings. It is called “I am fine… and other lies”. It is just the best thing I have read.
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Facebook: HikenShtiken
Instagram: hikenshtiken
YouTube: Hiten Shtiken
Interviewed by Pearlina Marie Rein K
 - Views And Good Rating Comes And Goes, Having Fun Is Most Important (YouTuber, Bulgaria)){kind=link}
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