I am drawing my shameless life for you. Here we go.
00:00
Okay, so I was born in Toronto, Canada, which is one hour north of New York City. Plane ride, of course.
00:03
And I was born on May 20th, 1982.
00:10
That makes me a Taurus. Pretty stubborn.
00:13
And pretty damn old for the way I look.
00:16
Now, I was born, and one year later, my brother was born.
00:20
And everyone thought we were twins, and everyone thought I was a boy because I had short hair.
00:24
And my mom decided to get my ears pierced so the confusion could stop, but it never did.
00:29
History repeats itself.
00:34
So my mom is from the Philipines and my dad is from Chi-Town, Chicago.
00:36
I don't remember much of their marriage. I do remember arguments.
00:40
I know that they must have loved each other--I mean, people come together because they love each other.
00:45
But sometimes, it's just not meant to be.
00:50
Here we are, packing up our boxes, and my mom... she is the strongest woman I know.
00:52
And I love her to pieces.
00:59
We moved into the basement of a house, and my godparents were living upstairs.
01:02
And it probably wasn't the best situation, but we made the best of it.
01:08
And what I loved about this neighborhood was that it had a ravine.
01:13
I was obsessed with nature... and I would always go into the ravine to catch tadpoles, and bring them home and raise them into little frogs.
01:18
My mom had to deal with a lot.
01:28
But anyways, at this time I think I was 8 years old or something.
01:30
For my birthday, my mom bought me a little boombox.
01:34
Yes, a boombox.
01:37
And it had this feature on it, which you could record.
01:38
And I guess it was like the YouTube for me.
01:43
I recorded my voice and I created all these characters and shows.
01:46
I had so much fun with this device. I did it for a long time.
01:50
And this probably kick started me into the whole acting, and more specifically, voice over acting.
01:55
Some of you guys may know I am a voice over actor.
02:01
And I called it Maya's world, which is the name I use for my Twitter and Instagram.
02:05
Also, another important element of my life is my extended family.
02:09
I have amazing, amazing cousins, aunts, uncles.
02:14
And my cousins were all around the same age bracket.
02:20
I believe that my family is the reason why my brother and I stayed out of a lot of trouble.
02:24
We spent our weekends with them, we celebrated birthdays--like, literally every other week,
02:29
and holidays. And honestly, I am so blessed to have such a loving and supporting family.
02:34
And I thank God. Even as a kid I was so committed to God, because I knew I was so blessed.
02:43
I was also blessed to have an amazing mom, who enrolled myself and my brother in a bunch of after-school activities.
02:51
I was an avid swimmer. I was a synchronized swimmer, I was a high-diver, I was a water baby.
02:57
And I loved swimming, it was like, the closest thing to flying.
03:02
That's my little underwater move!
03:06
Okay, and also I played the flute for 13 years.
03:08
I started in kindergarden.
03:12
And I continued all the way until... I think grade 12.
03:13
For high school, I went to a catholic school. St. Patricks, and I had to wear uniform.
03:19
And not a whole lot of interesting stuff have happened at high school for me.
03:24
The highlights for me were outside of high school.
03:29
I was taking dance classes outside every weekend.
03:33
And I met awesome people and friends, and I just had so much fun dancing.
03:38
I took hip hop and modern classes.
03:45
I found out about a lot of auditions through the dance classes, through the bulletin board.
03:48
And I auditioned. That's how I booked my first commercial for McDonalds.
03:52
I didn't have an agent, and I went on to book a bunch of other Canadian commercials.
03:57
It was really exciting! I wanted to pursue it, but my mom is an accountant.
04:01
And she didn't see the logic, I suppose, in pursuing acting as a career.
04:06
So I went to university, at Ryerson, I took business. Boo. So boring.
04:10
It was the most stressful thing on the face of the Earth.
04:16
I was a book worm.
04:19
I was so concerned with grades, so concerned with reading.
04:20
It was just... annoying.
04:24
And after a year, I was stressed out and I couldn't imagine doing this for another 3 more years.
04:26
Possibly longer.
04:32
So I said forget that! Do you boo! Do you.
04:33
And I had this random idea to go to Los Angeles or somewhere warm, and L.A. was the first idea that came into my head.
04:37
And I just thought, I just need to get away. I need to live and enjoy life.
04:44
So at the age of 18, I booked a flight to Los Angeles.
04:49
And I stayed there. And I lived out there, and I worked out there.
04:53
But, I did not think things through.
04:57
L.A. is not like New York or Toronto.
05:00
The transportation is a hot mess, you need to own a car.
05:02
And I didn't have that much money and I was under 25.
05:06
And you needed to be 25 to rent a car.
05:11
I decided to get a job at a car dealership.
05:13
And I got a job for Lexus, and I befriended the management and the owner.
05:16
They gave me a car--a convertible car--to use on the weekends.
05:21
So on the weekends, I had a convertible, I was 18, and... I was living life!
05:25
Good thing I wasn't a bad kid. The only thing I did was drive around to explore California.
05:31
I didn't have any friends.
05:37
I just wanted to do something--I was like, you know what, I have this car on the weekends,
05:39
I love the sights and sounds of Los Angeles, maybe I can just take some pictures.
05:43
So I bought a camera, a film SLR camera, I took photos of the beautiful Los Angeles.
05:46
So I had memories when I went back home to Toronto.
05:52
And that's how I got into photography.
05:54
So my time in Los Angeles was coming to an end, and I had to go back home.
05:56
And when I was home, I... didn't know what to do.
06:01
I didn't know if I should get a job, I didn't know if I should go to school and for what.
06:06
I was really confused with life. I think I was 19 now.
06:10
And I just said, you know what, screw it, stop thinking and just do the thing that you love doing.
06:14
For me that was taking photos.
06:21
I ended up shooting a lot of young models at the top agencies in Toronto.
06:23
And I was able to work with a bunch of magazines. It was awesome! I was only 19 and getting a lot of paid jobs and working a lot.
06:28
The only thing was I missed acting. I missed being a personality.
06:37
So I thought, maybe I should go to school.
06:41
So I went to George Brown school, and because it was a conservatory program it was like, 5 days a week.
06:44
We all ended up being a happy family.
06:50
Except for the teachers. The teachers, for whatever reason, didn't--I don't wanna say like me--
06:52
but they kicked me out after my second year of training, and their excuse was, I was 'too urban'.
06:57
Not that I was late for class, not that I was... you know, an unruly student, but I was 'too urban.'
07:04
Whatever that means.
07:10
So I was a little disheartened. But, I need to backtrack.
07:12
Pause. Rewind.
07:15
Because I got kicked out of my school after a year or two.
07:18
But in my first year of college, during the summer holiday, I went to New York City for the very first time to visit my girlfriend Liinda.
07:22
Who is an awesome, amazing dancer, that lives in Los Angeles right now.
07:30
I had so much fun in New York. And the night before I left, I met a man.
07:35
And we exchanged numbers. And he kept calling me!
07:41
I was really shocked that he was interested despite the distance.
07:44
But I ended up calling him back, and we ended up having a long distance relationship.
07:49
And it involved a lot of flying, back and forth between New York and Toronto.
07:55
At the time it was cool, we were young and in love.
08:00
And after one year dating, he proposed to me. And I was shocked.
08:04
I had never even thought about marriage. But of course, I was in love. I said yes.
08:10
And to my dismay, my mother wasn't supportive of it. A lot of my family wasn't supportive. Friends.
08:16
A lot of people were kind of shocked because I was young, I was 22, and they thought I could do better, at the very least wait 'till I was older.
08:23
This kind of hurt my feelings because I, you know, I loved this guy. When you're young, you just think love.
08:31
So I didn't wanna go from living with my mom to living with my husband--or, future husband.
08:38
I wanted to be independent and live my life before all of that.
08:44
So I did what I always do, I booked a flight, and I moved again. This time again, to the West coat.
08:48
I moved to Vancouver, which is like, north Hollywood.
08:54
And I got my own apartment, which was super exciting after living with my mom, which can be kind of stressful.
08:57
And living in Vancouver was an awesome experience. It was probably one of the happiest times of my life.
09:03
I was doing my photography, I was working as an actor, I had an agent, I was booking roles in movies, in TV shows, I was taking classes, I was doing everything I enjoyed.
09:10
I was really happy.
09:22
I was doing what I love.
09:23
But I was still in love with my finance. And we finally decide to get married. Years later.
09:24
And this time, I was 27. And this time I was older, so my family was more supportive because we had been together for a few years. But I was happy.
09:32
I was excited to be moving to New York, but I wasn't excited about our living situation.
09:44
I was moving from Canada straight into the hoods--I'm talking piss in hallways, garbage everywhere, people were throwing garbage out of their windows, roaches--
09:49
I hated it. I felt very unsafe, I was not in my element, especially from coming from clean Vancouver.
09:59
At this time, I also got a dog, Jackie. You would think we would be happy, but neither of us were happy.
10:08
It was kind of stressful.
10:14
And I cried. I missed my family, I wasn't doing the things that I enjoy doing.
10:16
I was really stressed out, and really just lost.
10:23
Another thing, another reason why I hated... couldn't focus was the violence.
10:28
I saw too many people getting shot.
10:36
And I thought to myself, I don't wanna... end my life like this, how did I end up in this situation?
10:39
And I pressed my husband to move and let's get the heck out of here, and he just wasn't down for the cause.
10:48
So I prayed. I prayed to God.
10:56
And I just didn't understand why this was happening, why was I so stressed out?
10:58
And I should be on cloud 9, 'cause I'm married.
11:03
So I ended up talking to my friend for some help. Some of you guys may know her, her name is Andrea Lewis.
11:08
And she was on Degrassi and Cadet Kelly.
11:15
And she was telling me, Maya, you know what, you gotta do you.
11:17
Have you ever thought about starting a YouTube channel?
11:23
EWW. Why the heck would I start a YouTube channel--I'm a photographer, I'm an actor, that's gross and lame.
11:26
But the idea kind of stuck, and I thought maybe I could combine my love for acting and photography.
11:33
And... who knows, maybe... this would be worth it.
11:41
I had nothing left to lose.
11:46
Except my pride.
11:49
Anyways, enough about that.
11:50
So I came up with the idea of shamelessly promoting myself online for a year.
11:52
And that would be the premise for my channel.
11:58
I was unsure, but I told my friend the idea and she was all for it.
12:02
She validated my feelings.
12:07
So I recorded my first video.
12:09
And I uploaded it and it was well received, and a lot of people were so supportive, and...
12:12
I just didn't understand why my husband really wasn't. He tried, but I could tell he wasn't.
12:19
So I tried to cut down on filming.
12:26
Hopefully it would make him happy.
12:30
And it never really worked, 'cause I wasn't happy. I wasn't doing the things that I enjoy doing.
12:34
And I had to give up the things that I loved.
12:42
And I couldn't understand why... I felt I had to choose--I didn't understand why I had to choose between my marrige and the thing that I loved.
12:45
He just wasn't supportive, and in the end... my husband just didn't want to be married.
12:56
I just prayed that our problems could be solved.
13:01
We did manage to save money to move out and get our first apartment together outside of the hood, and I was so happy.
13:04
And I thought that this would solve the problems in our marriage...
13:12
He ended up having a change of heart, and he left.
13:15
And I was super sad.
13:17
Our marriage has been a series of setbacks. And I thought this was another trial separation but it wasn't.
13:20
This was final.
13:27
And I really just wanted to sleep. I was depressed, I just wanted to sleep, I just wanted everything to go away.
13:28
But my videos got comments!
13:34
People were commenting, telling me that they loved me, I was inspiring them, I could not wrap my head around it!
13:36
Everything has its time, and Jeigh came right when my husband left.
13:44
And he was in town for an audition. And I was over the moon happy, crying tears of joy.
13:49
So this was really a blessing, having Jeigh here when he came.
13:58
Bear hugs!
14:03
Come here, you.
14:04
Anyways, then this contest came about, from The Platform, to win a trip to London.
14:07
And I had never been to London.
14:15
I thought, you know what, let's just do this. Let me get my mind off this.
14:17
And I was super lucky to have my cousin Jeigh help me record, and just be so supportive.
14:20
We ended up winning. Well, I won and I brought him with me to London.
14:26
And it was so much fun, I got to meet the team from The Platform, and my friend Mila, and I had a meet and greet.
14:30
And that's when people started asking questions, but my marriage is over now.
14:39
My cousin Jeigh moved in! He actually booked an off-broadway show here in New York City.
14:44
So I have my cousin who is a singer and an actor, and I'm editing, doing photography, doing some voice-over.
14:50
Our home is really like this crazy, shameless studio production.
15:00
Jackie's in it, and she's wagging her tail.
15:06
This year has been a double-edged sword.
15:10
It's been one of the most trying, most painful, and yet most... happiest times of my life.
15:12
I've had so many blessings, it's unbelieveable.
15:21
I signed to an awesome YouTube network, I'm selling t-shirts with my slogan, 'Do you boo'--cop it, buy one.
15:23
I'm selling 2 singles on iTunes, I have a brand deal because someone discovered my channel through YouTube, I've been flown out to different cities for work...
15:31
And it's just been an awesome, amazing journey.
15:42
And I'm just excited for the future.
15:45
I have learned that everything has its time.
15:50
Some things are just not meant to be.
15:52
I know how important it is to stay in faith. To be fierce. To be fearless. To be shameless.
15:54
And to just do you boo.
16:02
Thank you guys so much for watching, thank you for your lovely, supporting comments.
16:04
You honestly have no idea how you saved me on my darkest of dark days.
16:11
What a year.
16:18
Thank you guys so much. I am forever grateful.
16:20
Lyrics & Translation
Coming Soon!
We're updating this section. Stay tuned!
Key Vocabulary
Start Practicing
| Vocabulary | Meanings |
|---|---|
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drawing /ˈdrɔːɪŋ/ B1 |
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shameless /ˈʃeɪmləs/ B2 |
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stubborn /ˈstʌbərn/ B1 |
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confusion /kənˈfjuːʒn/ B1 |
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repeats /rɪˈpiːts/ A2 |
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arguments /ˈɑːrɡjʊmənts/ B1 |
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blessed /ˈblesd/ B1 |
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obsessed /əbˈsesd/ B2 |
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feature /ˈfiːtʃər/ B1 |
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characters /ˈkærəktərz/ B1 |
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kickstarted /ˈkɪkˌstɑːrtɪd/ B2 |
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specifically /spəˈsɪfɪkli/ B2 |
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element /ˈelɪmənt/ B1 |
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committed /kəˈmɪtɪd/ B2 |
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pursue /pərˈsjuː/ B2 |
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stressed /ˈstrest/ B1 |
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converted /kənˈvɜːrtɪd/ B2 |
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Key Grammar Structures
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That makes me a Taurus. Pretty stubborn.
➔ Present Simple for stating facts/characteristics, Adjective describing personality.
➔ The sentence uses the **present simple** ("makes", "is") to state a fact about her zodiac sign and a characteristic associated with it. 'Stubborn' is an **adjective** describing her personality.
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And I called it Maya's world, which is the name I use for my Twitter and Instagram.
➔ Relative Clause ('which is...'), Possessive Noun ('Maya's world'), Coordination ('and').
➔ The phrase **'which is the name...'** is a **relative clause** providing additional information about 'Maya's world'. **'Maya's world'** demonstrates the use of the **possessive 's'**. The **'and'** connects two related ideas.
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I ended up shooting a lot of young models at the top agencies in Toronto.
➔ Past Simple ('ended up'), Prepositional Phrase of Place ('in Toronto'), Adjective describing quality ('top').
➔ **'Ended up'** is in the **past simple** to describe a completed action. **'In Toronto'** is a **prepositional phrase** indicating location. **'Top'** is an **adjective** modifying 'agencies' and indicating their high status.
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I was really confused with life. I think I was 19 now.
➔ Past Continuous ('was confused'), Past Simple ('was'), Modal Verb of Deduction ('think'), Adverb of Time ('now').
➔ **'Was confused'** uses the **past continuous** to describe a state of being in the past. **'Was'** is the past simple of 'be'. **'I think'** expresses a **deduction** about her current age. **'Now'** is an **adverb** indicating the present time.
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