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
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
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
So, thanks for watching my video.
Subtitles by the Amara.org community