Meet Samantha Reid of Sicker Than Your Average Blog and The Ashley and Alexis Show:
Sicker Than You Average Blog:
▪ Do you love Notorious B.I.G.?
As much as the next person, but I have to admit I mostly just tried to come up with a clever title ;)
▪ Your blog, Sicker Than Your Average Blog, is really informational along with comical- how long have you been doing it?
I had been considering blogging about chronic illness for a while, but when I got considerably sicker this past February it seemed like a good time to kind of use the blog as a personal form of therapy. So the blog has been up and running since about Mid February 2016.
▪ How did you get started?
I felt like there was kind of a gap in chronic illness coverage online. Every time I was going through a tough time with my symptoms I would turn to Google, looking for other people out there who might provide me with some advice or comfort, but a lot of what I found was either medical jargon or really old message board posts from like, 2008. I decided writing about my experience could serve not only as a catharsis for me, but could potentially provide someone else later on with a young person’s perspective on chronic illness. I think with any adversity you face in life it’s helpful to know you aren’t alone.
▪ Who do you feel like is your audience?
My audience seems to be kind of a blend of people, which I love. The first part of my audience is my own friends and family, which is really great because it lets them better understand my situation–– why I’m always so tired, why it’s hard for me to go out on a Saturday night like I used to, etc. The other part of my audience has been other people dealing with illnesses, which has been really great and affirming. Some are people who have found the blog through social media (I’m most vocal about my Crohn’s on Instagram, and there’s a great, supportive chronic illness community there). The most rewarding part, though, is when I get a message from a random Facebook friend who’s maybe a friend of a friend or a former classmate, someone I don’t know all that well, saying that they too have a chronic disease. That reaffirms my decision to share my story, because it connects me with people I wouldn’t otherwise talk to.
▪ Can you tell me about Crohn’s disease and the work you’ve been doing in telling people about it?
Crohn’s disease is an autoimmune disease where your body basically views normal function as an attack, and therefore attacks itself. It largely causes digestive symptoms, but because it’s immune system based, it makes you sick in all kinds of ways from arthritis to fatigue to bleeding in your intestines. I think the hardest part to deal with is how it can make you unhealthy in so many unexpected ways–– it can feel like there’s always a new symptom. Aside from blogging, I try to spread awareness by just being honest with the people in my life about the day-to-day of someone whose body is attacking them on a regular basis. I have also recently begun speaking publicly to help raise money for the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America, who funds patient support programs and research for a cure.
▪ What are your future plans for the blog and “invisible disease” awareness?
I plan to continue blogging and speaking and hopefully take an even more active role in the chronic illness community. Because so many of these diseases are invisible, it can be a really lonely and isolating thing to go through. If I can help one less person feel like they’re going through it alone, I’d be happy.
The Ashley and Alexis Show:
▪ Who else did the show with you?
We had a really bare bones cast and crew! Jonathan Zuluaga, a wonderful photographer I went to college with did all the photo and video and editing–– he wore a lot of hats. I did the writing and directing, which was a fun experiment because I had never directed anything on my own before. The stars of the show were two of my good friends who had experience in school theater, and they’re also real life childhood best friends. One of my childhood best friends did the artwork, and another good college friend did the music. It was a real labor of love.
▪ How did this come to fruition?
The show couldn’t have come about if a lot of great friends didn’t believe in a crazy idea that I had. It was really just a show of support on all of their parts to go along with a project that I wanted to do, but in addition to hard work it was a ton of fun to do.
▪ I personally loved season one of The Ashley and Alexis Show, are you currently working on season two?
We are not currently working on a season two! The cast and crew all got very busy with their big kid jobs ☺
▪ Who do you feel like is your audience?
The audience for Ashley and Alexis was so fun, because it was everyone from people our parents’ ages to actual teens. I have such a soft spot for teen girls–– I think they don’t get represented properly–– so every time an actual young girl liked the show it was like the ultimate compliment.
▪ What’s the average day of the show? Can you walk me through the process?
Because the show was made by a very small group of friends, an average day of shooting was fairly fun and laid back. We filmed in Jenny and Jane’s house, so we would usually grab dinner together and do a few practice runs of the script for whatever episode we were shooting that night. The girls would get dressed in their best tween clothes (which were not costumes, they were just outfits the 3 of us already owned. We’re lucky in that we just tend to dress like 16 year olds as it is.) When it was time to get down to business and actually shoot, some days were better than others. Some days we would get serious cases of the giggles that meant doing a ton of takes, but we also had a lot of fun so no one was complaining.
Personal
▪ What did you go to school for?
I got my degree in English Lit.
▪ Have you always wanted to be in this creative field, show runner and blogger/writer?
I’ve pretty much always been creative–– I used to write weird plays and fake movies as a little kid. It’s taken different shapes as I’ve gotten older and tried different avenues, but I think I’ll always be a “writer” in some capacity, whether that’s television or books or blogging.
▪ How do you deal with stress?
It’s hard because writing is how I deal with stress, but it can also cause stress if I let it. When writing or working on a specific project is stressing me out, I like to take a step back and consume media instead of trying to create it. I read, I watch tv, I watch movies. I consume pop culture obsessively.
▪ Is this your sole job? If not, what else do you do?
I wish! My day job is pretty great, too, though. I work as a communications manager for two tech brands, so I do all of their social media, blog and community moderation, and newsletters. It allows me to write in a way that’s financially stable.
▪ Any advice for others wanting to do the same or just put themselves out there?
Don’t get bogged down by creating something that’s going to be your big break–– just write what feels most honest to you and what makes you happy. It’ll feel a lot better.
▪ It takes a village, who are your biggest supporters?
Definitely my family–– I talk to my older sister like 50 times a day. Also my best friends–– I’ve had the same group of best friends since I was 10 years old, and their support is so vital to everything I do.
▪ Are you a member of any organizations? Trade or otherwise?
I volunteer with the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, and I am an alum of Alpha Gamma Delta.
▪ Do you prefer text messages or phone calls?
Both! Depends on my mood and the person. I love a long phone chat with friends and family, but if its just for practical purposes I definitely prefer a text.
▪ Online dating v. blind dates?
Blind dates–– I’d love to be set up!
▪ Millennials are continually being criticized for, well- basically everything - what are your thoughts on millennials?
I think millennials face some fairly undue criticism, but it’s hard to generalize all people of a certain age into one category. I think we need to, in general, take young people’s thoughts and opinions seriously.
▪ Do you have a mentor/mentee?
Not currently, but I very much believe in the power of mentorship!
▪ How do you manage your time?
Being ill, time management for me means a lot of taking things day by day. I also religiously make lists and utilize a planner so that if I have a bad health day, I don’t forget things I needed to do.
▪ What would you say your personal brand is?
Yikes, I’m not sure. I’ve been called “adult Lizzie McGuire,” which is maybe the nicest thing a person could say to me.
▪ How do you make a lasting impression?
I’d like to leave a lasting impression of being a good friend, and I think that comes from showing you care in as many ways as you can. I try to cheer my friends on, recognize their accomplishments, and regularly tell them how much their support means to me.
▪ What did you want to be before you grew up?
A veterinarian! Or Oprah.
▪ What’s the average day in the life of Sam Reid?
It’s not all that exciting at the moment! I wake up early, try to fit in something productive in the morning like blogging or yoga, and then I go to work. When I get home I usually do something lowkey like making dinner and catching up on my TV shows ☺
▪ What can’t you leave home without?
My phone! I am unabashedly addicted.
▪ How would you describe your personal style?
Probably “overgrown teen.”
▪ What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment?
My greatest accomplishment at this point may be learning to cook–– I was so addicted to pizza rolls and take out for the first 23 years of my life, it’s crazy now to see myself making things like mashed cauliflower and grilled snapper.
▪ Why do you do what you do?
I write because it drives me. If I don’t write for a while, I find myself feeling weird and stressed. So I’m pretty much always working on some project or another, whether it’s non-fiction, blogging type of stuff or writing a tv pilot or whatever the case may be.
Thanks Sam!!
xoxo,
KJB
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