When Avia Colette took the stage at VidCon 2025 for the “Famous Before 18” panel, it marked an important milestone in her creator career. Having first attended the event as a child alongside her father, Shay Carl—one of family vlogging’s early adopters—this appearance represented Avia’s growth from being content to creating it, from answering questions to offering insights.

“When I was a kid, people would just ask personal questions, but now people are asking, ‘How can I be like you?'” Avia observes the shifting dynamics. “It’s so interesting to see how it’s changed over the years.”

This full-circle moment at the Anaheim Convention Center offered a unique lens through which to understand not only Avia’s personal journey but also the transformation of the creator economy itself.

Growing Up on Camera

Avia stepped into the world of content creation before she made any conscious decision to join it. As part of what she believes was “one of the first families” to vlog on YouTube, her earliest memories include her father constantly documenting their lives.

“I remember my dad having this white flip camera, and I just remember him filming us,” she recounts. “He would still act the same with or without the camera on.” Her father’s dedication to content creation was remarkable – at one point, he “posted a vlog every single day for five years in a row.”

For young Avia, being on camera felt natural. “I remember being a kid and being, like, loving the attention, honestly,” she admits. The reality of her online presence didn’t fully register until strangers began recognizing her in public. “I remember being like, interesting, like, you know me. Like, I don’t know you, but you know me.”

This unusual childhood gave Avia something many aspiring creators lack: a roadmap. “I don’t even think I would ever think that it was possible to do this unless I grew up doing it,” she explains.

Finding Her Voice and Vision

By middle school, Avia was ready to step out from her family’s shadow. “I remember I just begged my parents to let me start making my own YouTube videos,” she shares. “I made a video, and then I showed it to them, and I was like, please let me post this. And they loved it.”

What began as simple skits and makeup routines has developed into a more sophisticated approach. Today, Avia describes her work as “week in the life aesthetic vlogs” where she likes to “romanticize just like me growing up and kind of learning the ways of the world.”

Her recent video discussing a breakup exemplifies this shift toward more vulnerable content. “I wasn’t going to talk about it, but I felt like I learned so much from it that I wanted to share it with others,” she explains. “I think that’s what people are drawn to, the genuineness.”

The technical foundations for her content were laid early by her father. “He always gave me editing advice,” Avia explains. “He taught me this strategy of, like, you can listen. You can see the audio going up and down when you’re editing. And he always taught me to cut when the audio went down because you don’t want empty space.”

From Child Panelist to Featured Creator

Unlike her previous panel appearances, where her “dad did most of the talking,” this year marked Avia’s first time speaking independently. Joined by fellow early-start creators, including Ava Ryan and Like Nastya, with Jonatan de Boer moderating, the session explored growing up with digital fame.

“He just asked us what it was like growing up online. How do we feel about it? Were there pros, cons, how we felt about the new laws regarding family vlogging, our kids being online?” Avia explains about the panel’s content.

For Avia, the experience felt markedly different from her childhood appearances. “The vibe was chill,” she reflects. “As a kid, it felt crazier, but now as an adult, I’m here and I’m more aware of it.”

Walking through the event with her sister, exploring booths including the L.A. Film School display, Avia found herself reflecting on her development. “It reminded me of who I was and where I’ve come from,” she says. “It’s crazy to see how your whole life happens. And it’s cool to see where you started because it reminds you of who you are.”

Being Real in the Digital World

One of the most memorable moments from the panel came when an audience member asked about creative inspiration. Avia’s answer revealed much about her creative philosophy: “I just said, ‘Being alive and being a human inspires me because we’re all humans living on Earth and trying to figure it out.”

This perspective has become central to Avia’s approach, finding beauty and meaning in everyday experiences rather than chasing manufactured moments. “It’s about trusting your intuition,” she says about finding her unique voice. “If you have creative ideas, don’t be afraid to pursue them. That’s so important because there’s so much content out there these days.”

Avia points to creators like Margot Lee with her New York vlogs and friend Jules LeBlanc as inspirations. “If they make their life look romanticized, I love watching it,” she says.

The Creative Process: Finding Balance

Unlike many creators who meticulously plan their content calendars, Avia embraces a more fluid creative process. “Most of the time it is spontaneous,” she explains. “I take it week to week, and then I live in the moment and see what’s best.”

This doesn’t mean she works without structure. “You gotta have a happy medium because sometimes, if I just live in the moment, I miss a week because I wasn’t being prepared,” she acknowledges. To maintain creative flow, Avia incorporates specific practices: “Setting time aside to write down things or let myself have ideas. I like to look up creative meditations on YouTube that help me to keep the ideas flowing.”

When it comes to her favorite part of the process, Avia doesn’t hesitate: “I love putting the clips together. If it’s a montage, I love putting the clips together and picking out the music and making it just aesthetic.”

Despite her growing audience, Avia maintains creative control over her work. “I do most of the filming and editing by myself,” she confirms, occasionally enlisting her sister or friends to hold the camera.

In terms of platform strategy, Avia has developed an approach that respects the unique audience of each platform. “I feel like I mostly keep them independent on their own platforms,” she explains. “My YouTube videos are only on YouTube. Sometimes I’ll put, like, a little trailer on my Instagram story.”

The Changing Nature of VidCon and Creator Culture

Attending VidCon as a featured creator gave Avia a perspective on how the event itself has changed. “In the beginning, YouTube and all the social media platforms weren’t as saturated,” she observes. “Over the years, there’s just so much more content these days and more content creators.”

According to her, this shift has changed the primary purpose of events like VidCon. “When you meet an influencer, it’s not as rare as it used to be,” she notes. “VidCon has turned more into something where creators and influencers can meet and talk about the industry and get insight on that, whereas in the past it was more about creator-audience connection.”

After the panel, Avia and her sister took photos with fans. “It makes me very excited. I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, you’re real,'” Avia says about meeting followers in person. “Sometimes when you’re on your phone, it just looks like numbers, but they’re actually people.”

Beyond the Glamour: Creator Realities

While creating content might appear glamorous, Avia offered VidCon attendees a more nuanced perspective. “Sometimes it looks glamorous and exciting, which it is, and I’m very lucky to live this. But it definitely can get challenging with just hate comments or just people dissecting your every move,” she explains.

Her advice focuses on self-knowledge: “You just have to be willing to be misunderstood. And also know who you are and not let other people tell you that.”

Managing creative burnout is another ongoing challenge. “It is stressful because I don’t want to feel that way, but sometimes it just happens,” she admits. “I just have to be patient with myself when the time does come.”

Her mother’s advice has helped her deal with public life: “My mom has always told me, ‘You have to be okay with being misunderstood because you know who you are and other people don’t have to.’” Rather than letting negativity derail her, Avia has developed a resilient mindset. “Haters are my biggest motivators,” she says with confidence.

New Creative Directions

As Avia explored VidCon, her mind was already turning toward new creative directions. “I’ve also been taking acting classes and auditioning,” she reveals. “I’m hoping that I can eventually film a day in the life of me on set or just behind the scenes.”

“I did get to film a short film two weekends ago, and I filmed a little bit of that. But I’m hoping that those two forces will combine eventually,” she shares.

Avia’s summer plans include travel, which she’s excited to document, as well as continuing to develop her acting skills.

Full Circle Moment

As her VidCon panel concluded, the moment represented a complete circle for Avia. Once a child guided by her father in front of the camera, she now stands as a mentor to a new generation of creators.

Her advice consistently emphasized being genuine over strategy. “I try to be as vulnerable as I can,” she explains. “I talk about mental health, and when I get anxiety, I talk about anxiety a lot. I try to engage in a way that still makes me relatable, because I am very fortunate to live this life. But I also still want to relate on a human level.”

Perhaps most meaningful is the connection she’s built with long-term viewers. “When people comment and say that they have grown up watching me and they’re proud of who I’ve become today, I get teary-eyed,” she shares. “When people see how hard you’ve worked and they validate that, it feels special.”

“I’m excited for what’s to come,” Avia says, looking toward her future with enthusiasm. To her audience, she offers words of gratitude: “Thank you for giving me this opportunity and this journey.”