We were lucky to catch up with Isik McCallum recently and have shared our conversation below.

Isik, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s talk about social media – do you manage your own or do you have someone or a company that handles it for you? Why did you make the choice you did?

Currently, I manage my own social media, so I would say I am my own team. I conceptualize, script, film, edit, and post all of my content on my own. I enjoy this aspect of my social media presence because it reminds me that it is a real business into which I put a lot of time and effort. I also credit my vivid imagination to growing up as an only child. I often find myself laughing at my own work, in the healthiest way possible, I hope. As the years have passed since I began my content creation journey, it has become more challenging to handle everything on my own. I am very thankful for supportive friends whom I invite to events as my plus ones. They are more than willing to act as my camera person. Currently, I am working on batch editing to have months’ worth of content ready to post, making my life easier down the line. I hope that one day my career trajectory takes me to new heights, allowing me to focus more on conceptualizing and less on editing, thereby enabling me to create more

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Isik, and I go by ‘eyezcosplay’ on social media. I’ve always been inspired by content creation in various forms from a young age. I used to combine my imagination and love for technology by creating short skits with my stuffed animals, called ‘Webkinz Newz.’ I began posting casually on social media in 2015, after being inspired by my favorite content creator channel, Funhaus, on YouTube. Not only did their content provide me with comfort, but I also learned from their video editing style, which I applied to my own creations. Meeting a few of them in 2019 really kick-started my content creation journey.

I wanted to make people’s days brighter, just as they did for me during some difficult times. It wasn’t until the world came to a halt at the beginning of the pandemic that I truly dedicated myself to content creation. I was inspired, had the necessary tools, and now had the time to pursue my passion. Since then, I’ve grown a following of over 45 thousand followers on TikTok, completed an internship with Warner Bros/Rooster Teeth, attended numerous movie premieres, and interviewed big-name celebrities like Lucy Liu.

What I enjoy the most about my journey to this day is that I’ve been able to achieve what I originally set out to do. Through my love for nerd culture and my enthusiastic sharing of it, I’ve had followers approach me and express their appreciation for my content, mentioning how much it makes them smile

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I believe the most important lesson I had to unlearn for myself was not comparing my success to anyone else’s online. At times, it’s very challenging to see people achieve success more quickly than I do, gaining significant rewards or recognition with less effort than I put in. Over time, by looking up to those who inspire me and working on my mental health, I managed to shift my perspective and focus on my own journey.

It’s also challenging because, as a black content creator, we are often overlooked and must work ten times harder for a quarter of the opportunities. However, by staying dedicated, I realized that everything I am doing has led me down unique paths meant only for me. By maintaining focus on my own success, I’ve had the opportunity to meet my content creator inspirations, participate in an internship with the company they work for, network, and establish my own reputation.

If I had been focused on someone else’s dreams or success, I would have missed out on so many full-circle moments in my life that have made me feel centered and aligned within the world.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I believe I’ve been able to build my reputation in my area by sharing my joy for the things I love the most. Through expressing my passion for the things that bring me happiness, I can share my light with others online and present my most authentic self. This way, when we eventually meet in person, they can recognize the person they’ve seen online.

It’s also been incredible to make many amazing friends online who live in various parts of the world and eventually meet them in person, enjoying a natural and fun experience. With all that being said, I am so proud of my character when I hear about how others have heard such positive things about me, which means that just being myself is enough.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://eyezcosplay.weebly.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eyezcosplay
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isik-mccallum/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/eyezcosplay
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/eyezcosplay
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@eyezcosplay