Random and intentional acts of kindness can come in many different forms, from verbal compliments to gifts, a simple hug, or simply spending quality time together, to mention a few. Amidst the busy lifestyles, it is sometimes rare to see people really make time to appreciate themselves, life, and all the other good things that are happening in their lives. Rising filmmaker Edsta, also known as Eddie Ilie, is slowly changing this reality by creating unique content and uploading them on his YouTube channel called Extra Edsta. 

Edsta was inspired to create his own YouTube channel after watching several content creators from around the world. He likes the fact that by giving strangers a platform to be able to express themselves without pretensions, he is also adding value to their lives and how they see themselves. Edsta knows all too well how social media and streaming platforms are also flooded with content that can be considered garbage, so he wants to change that by creating feel-good videos that will ultimately make people smile. 

“I want viewers to be able to recognize my brand whenever they watch an Extra Edsta video. I would also like my viewers to be able to connect with and relate to some of the strangers in my videos,” Edsta shared. “Sometimes, I am able to put a smile on people’s faces, and I want the viewers to get a sense of satisfaction from that.”

Edsta’s YouTube channel has over 6,000 subscribers and is continuously growing one video at a time. One of his most well-loved videos is a series where he asks random New Yorkers how they rate themselves on a scale of one to ten. Some people were confident enough to say ten or even more. There were those, however, who only gave themselves a five or six, believing that they were average. 

Another set of videos that Edsta posted recently was when he asked random people to rate their level of happiness. He gave them follow-up questions once they were done rating themselves and asked them what made them happy. Mostly, people are happy and grateful to be alive, to have the opportunity to enjoy life, and spend time with people who mean so much to them. People were also commonly expressing how happy they were about the opportunities that New York gave them, from being able to pursue further studies in New York to being alive and having friends who genuinely cared for them. 

As a freelance filmmaker, Edsta enjoys the creative freedom to be able to come up with content that puts a smile on peoples’ faces. He loves that he can capture their reactions without having to pretend to be someone they are not. Through his YouTube channel, Edsta also wants the younger generation to realize that they are not the only ones struggling with some things in life and that it is okay to sometimes feel unloved or unpretty. 

Edsta is expected to come up with more video content that will highlight ordinary New Yorkers and what they think about a particular matter.