INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY
The power of uplifting women
“I know that in this world, as a plus-size trans Latina, a lot of people are not going to see me as socially acceptable. Those people might not love me, but I love me.”
Hearing Naomi Hearts speak with such wisdom and confidence is instantly inspiring. Unsurprisingly, those traits have drawn more than 900,000 people to follow her on TikTok.
Whether she’s trying on outfits or vlogging about a trip to Disneyland, her videos – created with apps such as Videoleap and CapCut – are funny and positive, frequently touching on topics such as body image, plus-size fashion and women’s and trans rights. Her audience is a dear friend along for the ride.
Uplifting videos, real-world impact
Hearts’s videos may be light-hearted and fun, but she understands the power of delivering an uplifting message to her audience – especially to women and girls.
“We live in a world where women are being paid less, we are putting policies over the bodies of people with a uterus,” Hearts says. “Women, especially women of colour, are at the bottom of the pole. They are not getting the support that they need and we need to be there to be the support.”
This energy translates into real action from the community in the form of crowdfunding. “When you are a person of colour who is transitioning, you do not always have the resources,” Hearts explains. “Some trans people can’t afford healthcare, or to really come into the body they want to be in. To see people rally is a powerful thing.”
Editing the Hearts way
For those who want to make their own uplifting videos, it’s heartening to know that Hearts edits everything on her iPhone. Videoleap is her go-to app: “I shoot my videos and add everything in the app, in order if possible,” Hearts tells us.
This is done easily by tapping the plus button at the bottom centre of the screen, then selecting which clips you want to use. From there, Videoleap creates a timeline that makes it easy to move clips around and add effects or a voiceover.
For playing around with video trends, Hearts loves CapCut. “The boat meme, where you’re on a boat and you’re waving, that was a CapCut edit,” she shares.
The app offers a huge library of effects and allows you to import templates from other videos found on TikTok, so you can put your own spin on what’s hot.
Being free to be you
Hearts’s best tip, though, isn’t related to any app. “I think the key to being organic is just being yourself,” she says. “When you try to have a facade and be something that you’re not, it starts to read and people will notice.”
Instead, she recommends pretending that you’re making the video for yourself. “Being true to yourself, I think it shows no matter how you edit.”
Naomi Hearts’s top tips for uplifting videos
Be intentional. “As I continued to post, my mind shifted from trying to get my foot in the door of entertainment into just trying to make one person’s life a little bit better.”
Be yourself. “If you try to have a facade or be someone you’re not, it starts to translate.”
Be platform specific. “Long-form platforms such as YouTube are a different beast – so much fun, but a lot more work. Recognise it’s a different medium.”
Always shoot B-roll. “You always need B-roll so you have options to edit, pan back and do fun stuff. B-roll is key.”
