Gabby Morrison is making a name for herself as a rising star of TikTok. Initially, what was a just-for-fun outlet she used to express her lifelong passion for dance, her videos have grown to include beauty tips, travel vlogs, and life advice. Over the past few years, she has amassed nearly four million followers and has established brand collaborations including Lagoon, her new body care line with Beaubble which just launched. Her success has propelled her to land acting roles on the small screen in the 2020 BratTV series Attaway General, and she is hoping to expand her career as a performer as her popularity on the web continues to explode. The Untitled Magazine caught up with Gabby to chat about using TikTok as an inspiring platform, why representation in skincare matters, and adding “actress” to her resumé.
Tell us about your background and how you got into content creation. Did you have any particular goals in mind when you first started out?
I started creating content purely for fun. I downloaded TikTok and would run out to my backyard to get that golden hour lighting every day after school when I filmed mostly dance videos. I did not start out with goals in mind because at the time I had no idea that TikTok would become the platform it is today!
What inspires your content? How do you come up with fresh ideas every day?
My daily life and relationships inspire my content most of the time. If I’m really excited to do something, or there’s something I feel like I can share my knowledge on and inspire others with, I will make a video about it! I also love to see the active trends on the platforms, and I will consider making my own take on the challenges/trends if they inspire me.
TikTok became huge all over the world very fast, and so has your popularity on the platform. What was the moment you realized that content creation was becoming far more than just a hobby for you?
I think I realized that TikTok was becoming more than a hobby for me when I went to the mall and an entire school on a field trip came up to me and started to freak out. That was when I realized that my following on TikTok was becoming what people knew me for.
You currently have almost four million followers. Did that level of success come as a surprise to you or add any unexpected responsibilities in regards to sharing to your fans?
Every milestone in my following was a huge surprise to me. I couldn’t believe it, and I couldn’t even process the numbers at the time. I think most of the behind-the-scenes and later struggles of continuing social media are unexpected because no one used to be as open about the ins and outs of being a full-time content creator.
What are some tips you have for our readers who want to grow their social media following or get into content creation?
My tips are to post whatever interests you. If your mind is constantly thinking about your relationship, make relationship videos. If your mind is stuck on your gym split, post some relatable gym content! When you post what is on your mind, you will feel in touch with your audience as well as with yourself.
Since the beginning, many of your posts have spotlighted your dancing. How long have you been a dancer, and how did you first get into it?
I have been a dancer since I was six years old. I always loved to dance around my house and with my family, so it was inevitable that I joined a dance studio.
You have also ventured into acting roles on TV – tell us about some of your productions and highlights so far.
I started my acting career with Attaway General. I played Kit alongside other content creators, such as Dixie D’Amelio and Madi Monroe. I truly loved being on set and performing since I have always been a performer. I also fell in love with getting to know Kit and understanding her body language.
Was it overwhelming? As someone new to acting, how did you approach it?
At first, it was overwhelming. I did not realize how many hours actors and actresses spend on set, so since I was also taking classes in college, I was overwhelmed. I related a lot to my character, Kit, so I felt like I understood her and how awkward she could be. I approached my role by trying my best to put myself in Kit’s shoes.
As you’ve continued acting and developing that craft, how has it influenced the social media content you’re making?
Developing my acting has helped me to be more in tune with my feelings. In my acting class, I was taught to frequently ask myself how I feel and explain aloud what I’m feeling and why. This has helped me to try to talk about my feelings more on my socials, as I have kind of stopped doing that as I continue to post over the years.
You’ve also been doing a lot in the beauty and skincare industries. You recently launched Lagoon, your new body care line with Beaubble. Can you tell us about it?
I created Lagoon with my other fellow sensitive skin people in mind. After tons of trial and error, I figured out which products and ingredients work for me, and which do not. I have worked with lots of amazing sensitive skin companies, and now I really wanted to dive into creating my perfect product that gives you beautiful, glowy skin without any negative reactions.
As a woman of Jamaican and Trinidadian descent, was it important to you to craft a line that speaks to those who often feel overlooked by the beauty industry? How does your heritage influence your beauty brands, if at all?
Representation really does matter and affect your upbringing. As I was growing up, I did not realize how many similarities in skin issues I had simply because I was not raised in it. There was not enough representation for me to be exposed to. There are smaller brands I support that target smaller audiences, but I wish those brands had a bigger platform to reach all the people who feel out of touch.
Now that you’re juggling content creation, acting, and your beauty endeavors, how do you balance it all?
I balance everything by scheduling a lot. I used to not schedule on paper and could juggle everything in my head. That quickly started to overwhelm me and stress me out because I felt like I had a million things to do and no time. It was difficult for me to learn to schedule social media because I was so used to posting all the time and putting stress on myself to stay active. Then, I realized I need to schedule everything down to my time to edit and go live with content just so I can accomplish everything I need to while also having time to rest.
You support non-profits Color of Change and National to End Homelessness. Can you tell us what inspires your philanthropy and why these resonate with you?
Color of Change inspires me because I have always wanted to lift up Black people. I want to see Black people winning. I was raised in a majority white area, and I remember seeing Black people from a different point of view. That point of view was that Black people were holding themselves back, and now this point of view disgusts me. I quickly realized how much extra support the Black community needs to be lifted up from the injustices forced upon them in their pasts.
I also support the National to End Homelessness because it breaks my heart how prominent homelessness is in the US. I’ve grown up supporting and volunteering for homelessness, and I will always continue.
What’s next for you? Any new projects on the horizon you want to share?
What is next for me is my acting career. I have been putting a lot of time into training and navigating the acting scene this year. I am proud of my progress, and I can’t wait to see what my next role will be!
For more from Gabby Morrison, follow her socials: TikTok I Instagram I YouTube
