After quitting keep it wholesome, everything felt right.
I took a break, traveled, met new friends, and finally got the chance to focus on YouTube.
But most importantly, it gave me the space to think about why I started all of this in the first place and to answer the question of how we actually improve our mental health.
I spent the past year building communities, telling meaningful stories, and learning so much more about myself and what true impact means.
Then around 6 months ago, the Itch for physical products came back. It started as a concept then quickly grew into something I came to believe so deeply. On every adventure I had this past year I took a sling-bag with me. So, why not make my own? Then, why not make a hoodie to take on adventures too? I decided to place this creative project under "Wholesome Studios".
What started as a small side project slowly became something I couldn't stop thinking about. What if I somehow everything I created could revolve around the idea to use adventure to fight against the mental health epidemic. Nature had saved my life, so why not try to push that message forward.
I find it so often that we get stuck, we get trapped in our issues and find it hard to uncover hope. Yet, the uncomfortable nature of pushing yourself out into diverse ranges of experiences is the only thing I've found that breaks that cycle.
Who knows what comes after this - KIW will never be the same and hopefully I'm able to remain steady in the boundaries I've set, while continuing to tell stories online. YouTube will always remain the top priority, however, there's something about pouring love into a tangible thing, that is impossible to escape from.
At its core, I still deeply believe this community can be a vehicle of getting a message out in the world.
On June 2 we will have our second Nature Heals Release. This includes a Summit Sling-bag and Hoodie. In full transparency, the hoodies will be more expensive than the standard set before. However, this is due to the quality and being US-printed. It will be the best hoodie you own I can promise you that :).
I hope the ethos of this release can remind you to take advantage of the nature around us to strengthen your own mental health. 10% of profits will be donated to the Jed Foundation.
Whether you just discovered the brand, have supported it for years, or even have no clue about where I’ve been.
Just know I appreciate everything.
Much love
-Simon
p.s also seriously please watch some of my YouTube videos if you're confused on where I've been. Shows the story that got us here today.