We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Chrissy Chambers. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Chrissy below.
Alright, Chrissy thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?
To be honest I’ve been asking myself this question a lot lately! After going through a divorce in the last year, kind of having my career upended, and really starting to struggle financially, I have asked myself this often recently. It’s been hard, figuring out how to navigate a creative path on my own, after being part of a duo for my entire adult life. It’s a blessing though, and after a year and a half and many doubts in myself, I am finally coming around the bend to believing in myself again. I am fortunate to have a supportive girlfriend who believes in me and reminds me how capable I am often, which has helped tremendously. Now that I feel the creative inspiration and confidence coming back, I am ready to create again, and find my own way. It’s not going to be easy, but it will be worth it. It’s been important for me to be learning how to take care of myself financially as well, and I feel I would be doing myself a disservice to not give myself a chance at accomplishing things solo as a creative. I could go get a “regular job”, nothing wrong with that and I’m certain there is much experience and learning to be gained from that, but I’m holding out a while longer as a self employed creative/gig worker.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Let’s see, my name is Chrissy ChambersI am originally from Mississippi, a horse girl and animal lover, and have wanted to be an actor since I was 14 and a girl Steve Irwin since I was about 5. I have been doing accents since then and I started pursuing all things performing as a teen. I graduated high school early to go pursue acting in Atlanta at 18, got into a relationship with an older guy that ended with a lot of trauma a year later, and started dating women at 20 after some exploration. My former girlfriend/wife started our YouTube, BriaAndChrissy in 2012 making songs and skits. It took off in its own way, and we made a variety of content, pop music, and controversial videos over the course of 12 years. We loved having a platform that showed a female couple that we would have wanted to see when we’re younger and figuring things out. We traveled many places and had many great experiences, met many great people. During that time, 2013 specifically, I also realized I was a victim of revenge p*rn, from that aforementioned ex with all the trauma when I was 18/19. I have no idea as I had been given excess alcohol and do not remember the night in question. This realization sent my life into a tailspin that I’ve really only energy from a decade later, in my thirties. After much despair, a ptsd diagnosis, and troubling experiences with law enforcement, I pursued the first civil lawsuit against revenge p*rn in the United Kingdom. It took 5 years, from age 22-27, but I won. It took everything not to give up, but it was extremely important to not let this injustice go, to hold him accountable and set a precedent for other perpetrators to be held accountable. This lawsuit is one of the main things I’m most proud of, it took so much from me, but did not take my life or my will to fight. I’m still here and still standing. I was very grateful to have the support of my family, friends, partner and audience during this these years, I could not have made it through without them.
I got married during this, and while we had some great years, it didn’t end up working out. I have since moved away from the city, and the channel, and have been trying to navigate life at 33, without my creative career and divorced. At least I still have my personal training I started back in 2018, I love to help people get stronger in body and mind with strength training. To see someone be able to once again do things they love with energy and passion makes me feel very fulfilled and happy, I love to help people, it ends up helping me in my own journey of healing as well
. My girlfriend has also been a wonderful support, and I live in a place I’ve dreamt of for many years, the Olympic Peninsula. I have my horses, cats, a cow now and chickens and my girlfriend’s chihuahua. I have nature, my sweet girlfriend, fresh air and a cabin in the woods in overlooking the ocean. I don’t make much, often live paycheck to paycheck but I am being true to myself and finding my own way. I hope to have the confidence again soon to record my own music, make videos again and keep sharing my world, it’s just been scary learning to do that on my own, but I can do it, if it takes some time.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
A lesson I had to unlearn was that I was not smart enough or not talented enough. It was not until my twenties that I was diagnosed with adhd, after a lifetime of sort of having my head in the clouds, always daydreaming. I remember being told, “if you had a brain you’d lose it” That statement made me question my intelligence for years, but I realized as an adult it was actually just pointing out the differences in the way I operated with and perceived the world. That person never told me I wasn’t smart, they actually always encouraged me and pointed out they thought I was smart, but projected that belief onto myself, and am still trying to unlearn it to this day.
It has helped tremendously to embrace that my brain works a little different, and that there are challenges with that occasionally, but also many gifts. The constant daydreaming fueled me into the creative I am today, with many many passions. Maybe I am not an expert at many things, but I am an amateur professional of many hobbies, and love to learn new facts and interesting concepts. It all adds up into making me my authentic, earnest, (smart) self, and I wouldn’t change that rocky road for anything. What was the question again? 😆
Have you ever had to pivot?
That time I had to pivot is right now! This is my first interview as a solo creative (THANK YOU for reaching out!) and it is nerve wracking but exciting. It’s been a year and a half of shakeup, figuring out what is next, who I am, what’s my brand, how do I support myself, etc. It’s terrifying! That said, I wake up each day, put on my barn clothes, go out and take care of the animals on the farm, and enjoy the gorgeous beauty of Washington state. I do some personal training, onlyfans, instacart/doordash, junk hauling and animal care to monetarily support myself, and I thinking by living authentically each day, I am discovering (even in this very interview) what my pivot will look like, the content I want to make, and the audience I hope to cultivate. It’s scary, but it’s worth a try to follow my dreams.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Patreon.com/wonderwarriors
- Instagram: https://Instagram.com/chrissychambers
- Facebook: https://Facebook.com/briaandchrissy
- Twitter: https://Twitter.com/chrissychambers
- Youtube: https://YouTube.com/ourlesbianlove
- Other: https://linktr.ee/chrissyemilychambers
Image Credits
Nicole Alvarez