Isabel Meijering, known as Isabel Imagination ASMR on YouTube, is a 29-year-old ASMR artist by night and the owner of a gym in Holland by day. (A Man Repeller reader named Hajni recommended Isabel to me when I was looking for artists to interview for this story!)
ASMR, if you’re unfamiliar, stands for autonomous sensory meridian response, and it’s described by those who experience it as (I’m paraphrasing here) an enjoyable tingling sensation down the head, neck and spine in response to certain auditory and visual triggers, often inducing intense relaxation. I wrote about ASMR in 2016 when I first heard about it, and it’s only increased in online popularity since then. A cursory search for “ASMR” on Youtube produces a whopping 13,200,000 videos, many featuring content creators who made channels for the express purpose of relaxing or inducing sensory responses in their subscribers. (Fun fact: W Magazine has a whole section of its site dedicated to celebrity ASMR videos.)
To close out Feel Good Month, I spoke with Isabel about what it’s like to be an ASMR artist in hopes of better understanding the phenomenon and also to figure out if I might someday be able to experience even a kernel of a tingle from watching a video. (Rub the inside of my arm, though, and I’m a goner…)
How do you describe what you do to people who don’t know what an ASMR artist is?
I make relaxing videos on YouTube so that people can fall asleep better. Viewers have also told me it helps with their anxiety, depression or migraines. I don’t know why it’s so helpful in so many different ways, but I receive 10, 15 messages every day from people who tell me how ASMR videos have helped them. I have some really loyal fans who send me messages about how these ASMR videos have helped them. They’re so kind and sweet. There’s a lot of love in this community and a lot of respect for what I do. I put a lot of time into my videos, and the people who watch really appreciate what I create.
Relaxation and falling asleep better are the two focuses of my ASMR videos. I’ve had people who have trouble falling asleep tell me they could stop using medication after finding ASMR. I have experienced it myself, too.
Is that how you got started as an ASMR artist?
Yes. When I was 21, I became co-owner of a gym with my parents. I had a lot of stress and sleepless nights because of that. One night I searched “relaxation videos” and stumbled upon a video where someone was being massaged — but it wasn’t the massage itself that relaxed me, it was the voice whispering about the massage. So then I typed in “whispering videos” and ASMR popped up. It was so amazing, like I’d been to a spa all day. The feeling is crazy. I became addicted to it for years.
I was embarrassed at first to say that I watched ASMR videos. The funny thing is, my brother and sister were watching them too, but we had no idea [that each of us were watching].
Two years ago, I realized I had more time on my hands — even with the gym — and wanted to do something with my creative spirit, so I decided that I was going to make ASMR videos myself with my own stupid phone. Nothing fancy. The ASMR creators felt like family, and I wanted to give that kind of love back. When I told my brother and sister that I was going to begin recording ASMR videos, they were like, “We watch those too! That’s so cool!”
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Is there competition among the other ASMR artists on YouTube?
I don’t think so! I analyze other channels to see why some grow and others don’t. I definitely do try to learn, but there’s no rivalry. There’s no tension. It’s so nice. We’re all happy if the videos do well. I think that because ASMR is about relaxation, and it’s kind of a hippie thing; we’re open-minded. Everyone can come and watch the videos, and if it’s not for you, great, you can click along.
What’s the process of video making like for you?
I wish I had a set schedule. It’s hard for me to balance the gym and YouTube. Tuesdays and Thursdays and sometimes Saturdays are quiet — those are the days the gym doesn’t need me as much, so I try to make ASMR videos then. I have no 9-5 existence whatsoever, so it’s a struggle, but I make it happen.
Inspiration for my videos comes from certain sounds I hear — those are the easy videos, mainly for the tingles. Roleplay videos come from things I’ve dreamed or movies I’ve seen or books I’ve read. Something sparks my imagination, and I go from there. I visualize what the character looks like and what the story line is gonna be. People make requests in the comments, too, which I sometimes use as inspiration. People have huge imaginations and give me really cool ideas, so that can be fun.
When I have everything prepared and filmed, then the editing comes. Role plays take 10 to 15 hours to edit. Tingle videos are five hours of editing. I started with a really easy editing software, but the green screen effect wasn’t good, so I learned how to use Adobe Premiere Pro. The videos are starting to get more and more professional as I go along. Baby steps; one thing at a time.
As my videos started to get more popular, I invested money into a soundproof studio in my second bedroom. I live downtown, and it’s never quiet here, even at midnight. I live alone — just me and my cat — so it’s not embarrassing if I’m dressed up like a certain character.
I have recorded some collaboration videos — those are SUPER embarrassing. I recorded one with an ASMR artist named Luuk (ObviouslyASMR on YouTube). We recorded a dermatologist videotogether where the viewer was the patient, and at first I was like, “What am I doing? I am extracting fake pimples from a camera lens and whispering?” Normally I never think that — I think about the camera as someone participating in video — but with someone else in the room with me, I was like, no, this is not a person, it’s a camera. We just tried to set aside shame and record the video. Usually there’s no shame, though. I love it. I do my thing in that studio. I love to be there.
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Do you get ASMR when you actually go to the doctor? Or when you receive this kind of personal attention in real life?
I do when I go to my dermatologist — I get so many tingles. I remember as a kid, when I’d get a checkup and they’d measure my height and check my spine, I’d get so relaxed. When they’d check my eyesight and point to the board and ask, “Can you tell me what this is?” I’d go into this euphoric trance.
I was dyslexic and used to have a tutor. She had the softest voice, and it would put me into a trance. Sometimes I would purposely get things wrong so that she would have to repeat herself. So, personal attention: It’s a huge trigger in ASMR videos and in real life. Someone is paying attention only to you, only you, no one else.
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Source: Man Repeller