Draw My Life - Kati Morton - Healthy Mind, Healthy Body!

My name is Kati Morton

And I'm gonna draw my life.

I was born in a really small town in

Washington state,

really small.

To my Dad, who is bald on top,

and my Mom, who at the time had curly

80's hair, which was actually straight on

one side for some reason for a while,

and they were in love

and they had my brother, Nicholas

and three and a half years later they had

me.

And we lived in a house, on an acre lot,

next to my Grandma and Papa's house,

and they had a Christmas tree farm, which

growing up I thought was so cool and I

loved playing in the trees, and so my

brother and I used to spend all our time

outdoors 'cos we didn't have cable TV, my

Mom was like "Get out of the house" and so

we would go out and play and we'd build

all these tree forts and we'd play as long

as we could until we'd hear my Dad whistle

which I still can't do properly, but it's

something like whistles and so we'd have

to run home in time for dinner because if

it took too long they'd be all pissy like

"Where where you?" How far away were you?"

And so my brother was my first friend but

my next first friend was when I road the

school bus her name was Jamie she had long

Rapunzel hair and I was really jealous and

it was crazy long and she had a Dad who

was really into sports, and was like

"work harder!" and he had two daughters

and I think he wished he had a son who

could play sports cause I was like ugh and

we played baseball and he made it really

intense.

But then we found soccer Hurray!

And so we would play soccer together and

her Dad didn't know anything about soccer

or how to play soccer really and so he

pretty much just cheer from the sidelines

and we were like "Yay! Now we can have fun

like kids are supposed to have" You know

so that was cool.

And one time

we, our team was really good! Our girls

team and so they put us up against the

boys and they boys were like "we're gonna

kick your butts!" We were like "Ha ha, we

beat you bad! Girls rule!" Sorry guys but

I was really excited.

And so, one of my favorite memories

growing up with my Dad is he used to put

me in the backseat of his Bronco and take

me out in the trees, I had no idea where

we were going, he'd wake me up really

early and we'd go hunting

And shooting quail and I know that sounds

really nasty and people are like "Oh my

gosh Kati I can't believe you hunted!"

But I still own guns and I don't really

hunt anymore as much but it was kinda more

about the experience I had with my Dad.

It was our bonding time, I was a total

Daddies girl, I'd do anything, you know my

Dad wanted to do.

And next comes high school, Dun dun dun!

And by this point I kinda got tired of my

little town.

And I mean I had a good time, I was really

involved, I was working really hard in all

these AP classes and I was studying my

butt off cause I was like "God I gotta get

out of here".

So I played baseball or softball and

soccer.

And I also discovered choir. And the

reason I discovered choir was because I

accidentally forgot to sign up for band

in time, I played the clarinet, and so I

ended up joining this thing called West

Singers, and we had to get up at like,

really early, before school started and

practice. But, I really enjoyed singing,

so that's the lesson learned there.

And then I was like "Oh my gosh I wanna

go to college, I have no money. Maybe I'll

sing for my money". And so I did! I

applied to many schools and I sang to get

in and I got some scholarships and so my

Mom and I went to California! To go see

schools and to see which ones I liked and

OMG, so many lines on the freeway!

And I was like "oh my gosh", remember I'm

from a small town, "I was so confused.

But we made it, we got between schools and

everything and we navigated our way as we

laughed and cut people off and people

honked and we were confused and scared.

And then I checked out Pepperdine.

Oh my gosh.

I was so excited,

I fell in love with it, I was like "You're

amazing! Please take me. I hope I get

accepted, you're by the beach, you're also

very very expensive."

And so I remember talking with my Mom

and her Dad, used to work at Kraft Foods

oddly enough, and he'd saved up a bunch of

money,

worked with financial aid, and made it

work, Hurray! So I was able to go to

Pepperdine.

And I was so excited, and I was so ready

to leave. And then after one year in

school I came home for the summer, hanging

out with my Mom, and my grandpa called and

he was like "I'm gonna be mean, I'm gonna

be jackass, not gonna help you with school

anymore". He was getting old and senile

but it made me really sad, and then I

couldn't go back to Pepperdine and I was

like "Oh my God my life is over! What am I

gonna do I worked so hard to get outta

this town and here I am back".

So I moved to Seatle.

Which, you know is really hilly for any of

you that have been there, tons of coffee.

But I was unhappy, I was like angry. And I

remember I had my best-friend Ashley at

the time was like "Kati, I can't stand

you" and I was like "What am I doing? Who

am I? What the hell is going on with my

life?". And so, I had to make a change.

And the only thing that made me happy, is

that I had to get back to Pepperdine.

And so I called one day, I remember it was

a summer afternoon I was out to lunch and

I was like "I'm gonna make this happen",

went out to my car, sat in my car, and

called financial aid and I was like "I

have to get back" and they were like

"well, we can help you out with this

scholarship and if you sing in the choir,

we'll give you some money for that"

and then I took out some personal loans of

my own, cos I really needed to get out and

I wanted to go back so, I made it back.

And that's when I met my friend Liz.

And Liz is from Hawaii, and we became fast

friends, and she's actually the one who

makes all those bracelets that you guys

buy, so thanks Liz, you're the best,

thanks for all your help.

And then I graduated!

From Pepperdine, I got my bachelor's, I so

excited. And I was really proud because

my brother and I are like the first in our

family to go to college so that was a big

deal.

And then I started work! In the real

world. And it sucked! Like I feel like I

got sold out, somebody was telling me like

"Oh this is a mental health thing and you

can work there, but really people just

call in and complain" And I'm supposed to

make things better for them? It was a

horrible job and I was like "What the hell

Kati? What's going on?"

And so, I ran, back to Pepperdine haha, up

the hill, to graduate school.

'Cos I was like "This undergrad degree is

not getting me the job that I want".

So back I went.

And graduate school is two years long,

and so after one year you have to apply

for internships.

And I went to so many interviews and I was

like "I'm gonna change the world! Please

I'm a hard worker you'll love me!" and

they're all like "We don't believe you!"

And finally, I went to an eating disorder

clinic who was hiring and there was this

wonderful woman named Karen and she was

like "You know, I get a good feeling from

you, and I'd love to hire you". And I was

like "This is amazing, I'm gonna change

the world, I finally know what I want to

do, I have a purpose, I'm not some lost

puppy wondering around", so thanks Karen,

you changed my life.

And then,

I went down to Orange County, which I'd

never been to before 'cos, for any of you

Los Angelenos, we don't really go down

there that often. And I went with a girl

who I went to graduate school with, and I

met this guy he was like deep voice "Hey,

my name is Sean". And I was like "Huhuhuh,

you're cute and I'm embarrassed".

And we ended up dating!

As you all know, he's my camera man.

We fell in love.

We've been dating ever since.

And so, I went back to school.

And I was studying, studying really hard,

I was working really hard.

And one day I got a really, really shitty

phone call from my Mom

And she was like "I'm sorry Kati your Dad

is in the hospital, and, he just had a

heart attack, and they don't think he's

going to make it".

And he didn't.

And I cried.

And I still cry sometimes, cause it's sad.

And so I got on the first plane, which

Sean actually booked for me, thanks Sean.

And I cried the whole way there

with my headphones on

not wanting people to talk to me, like

don't look at me I'm sad.

And I had to go to the funeral and I was

so pissed at my brother cos he was in the

peace core you know, helping other it's

amazing, but he wasn't there with me and I

felt really alone and it was really sad

and all of my friends and family showed

up you know, and they were like "I'm so

sorry" and I just wanted to crawl in a

hole and I was like "Go away!" and I just

hung with my Mom as we cried and it was

really sad. It's hard to loose a parent.

It's still hard.

But then, about six months later, I had to

go back to school, I finished, I could

only take a week off, and I got my

masters. And I was so excited after all

these years, but I had student loans

remember? I had to take those out.

And those people wanted their money back

and I was like "Whaaaa! What do I do,

my eating disorder clinic job doesn't pay

me enough?"

And so I took a bunch of odd jobs where I

like waitressed. What am I drawing? What

is that? Well anyway, people were getting

food and drinks and stuff and I was

bringing it out to their table. And then I

was a salesperson like "Hey!

I have this thing will you buy it from me

please cos I don't know what to do and I

need to pay my student loans back"

And then I was like "What am I doing? I'm

not even focused on what I want"

And then, I found YouTube

and I was so excited, I remember talking

to Shawn and I was like "Oh my God I can

actually reach a lot of people! This is

going to be so exciting"

And it was just the best discovery ever.

And Sean and I go to Mammoth a lot, as a

lot of you know, and I go snowboarding,

and one day he, at the top of the

mountain after we'd been snowboarding , he

asked if I'd marry him.

And I was so excited,

and I said yes and I cried like a baby.

And then, we decided to start filming, cos

Sean is my camera man as many of you know.

And I created my first YouTube video. And

I remember I was so excited, I was like

"Oh my gosh people are watching, I have 4

views". And then I was like "Wow! You know

I'm touching the world! But it's probably

just my Mom" Or maybe me, cos I probably

watched that video a lot cos I was really

nervous.

And then I had my first few followers,

Mags, Mondi, Lis and Punk,

And you really ran katimorton.com when I

first started it and gave me a lot of

feedback.

And, you helped my dreams come true and I

love you all very much,

and I'll never forget you.

And then, it grew! Things got crazy!

People on YouTube, more followers, more

subscribers. And it's not even about the

thousands of followers it's just the fact

that we interact all the time, I feel like

I know you, you're like part of my family

and my friends and I remember you and I

know your questions and comments and

there's a lot of questions and comments,

and it just kept growing, and I was so

excited. I was like "Wow, this is getting

really cool and there are a lot of people

that need help".

And so I started joining other things,

Facebook, Tumblr, which I always spell

wrong which is why I did the t,

Twitter, which I can't draw a bird so

we're just gonna do that, and

katimorton.com, and then Pinterest,

which, sorry I forgot the e in that but,

you know what I'm talking about, and

there were people all over! And people had

questions and they were on Twitter which

they'd never heard of me before 'cos they

weren't on YouTube as much and then you

know there's people on Pinterest and then

Facebook and then katimorton.com and then

oh my gosh it's getting so busy and people

are from here and there and one's on

Tumblr are also on Facebook and

then were also on YouTube and Twitter

and oh my gosh, I'm back to my website and

holy moley it was so overwhelming but I

was so excited and so happy that I'd

reached out to you guys, and we all know

that you're not alone.

And so, I felt very excited and I had

some good ideas for the future

and I'm so excited. Like HeyKayli reaching

out to me was the coolest thing ever.

And so I have some other collaborations

that I'm hoping could happen, maybe

DailyGrace, if any of you watch her

vidoes, she's hilarious. Jennar Marbles,

another favourite of mine, and as well

Glowzel which is always good for a laugh

and Hannah Hart who does My Drunk Kitchen.

I'm hoping that, you know, some time in

the future I can do some different

collaborations, 'cos I think it's really

cool, and YouTube is really amazing.

And, I finally feel like all the work and,

all the school, and all the money that I

took out and the times I'm paying back.

You know you've given me a purpose and

a drive, and I look forward to hearing

how you guys are doing and reading all

your comments.

I believe in this, I believe in what

we're doing, I believe in our community,

and we're working together, right?

We can do this. It's just so exciting and

so powerful.

We'll work as always. We're working

towards a healthy mind

and a very healthy body.

I love you all and know that I will keep

doing this for as long as I can.

As long as the internet allows me to,

and as long as I can keep typing and

reading, which hopefully is for a really,

really, really long time laughing.

So, thanks for watching my video.