Name: Daily Raccoon

Social Media Handle/Username: @RaccoonDaily

Introduce Yourself/Tell About Yourself: Hi there, I’m an anonymous poster who goes by the name Daily or Mr. Raccoon on the Twitter account Daily Raccoon. Since I’m anonymous, there’s not a lot of information about myself I can give out, but it is well known (and incredibly obvious) that I am a big fan of raccoons. I started Daily Raccoon as a way to draw in artists that I knew also had a passion for the racc’s and hopefully make a connection with them. While this didn’t necessarily work, the following I’ve gathered has been the most wonderful support system and friend group I could have ever hoped for.

What Inspires You Every day? : Surprise surprise, the answer is animals and nature. Whether it’s sitting in my backyard watching the birds I feed, rescuing a spider from my sink for the 8th time this week, or sneaking a peek at the possum I feed every night when she comes to visit….nothing makes me feel more inspired. They’re all living their own lives, thinking their own thoughts, being their own beings. To watch them and love them from afar is it’s own form of inspiring. Seeing them just doing their best to thrive can thrill an old emo heart and remind you that if they can do it, you can too.

What is some words of wisdom you live by?: “Remember, you can only so do much in one day.” I don’t follow these words as much as I should. I tend to push myself beyond what’s healthy quite often out of a feeling of inferiority. I’ve never felt like I was enough or that I was doing what I should be. Being validated that it’s okay not to finish everything all at once is a very helpful reminder. You’re only human (or a raccoon in some cases), you need to live your life through your eyes too instead of always worrying how someone else may perceive you. Know your limits, and know it’s okay to have them.

What is your ultimate goal in life? : It may be cliche, but my ultimate goal is to make people happy. To be a friend to as many as I can be. I want to be a safe space for anyone to come to, whenever they feel like they need someone to listen to them. If I can find an excuse to be kind or to possibly brighten someone’s day, then I always hope to find it. And I hope that when I’m gone my legacy will just be that I was a good friend to anyone who needed one.

What was a challenging moment in your life, and how did you overcome it? : Some of the more challenging things in my life I’ve gone through was being in abusive relationships. I was mistreated and abused in more ways than one and didn’t even realize the severity of the situations until recently, up to 5 years after the initial events. The way I have overcome has, as “basic” as it sounds, been therapy. Years of hard work, recognition, and acceptance have changed me beyond my own comprehension in the best ways possible. I cannot recommend therapy enough, even if you don’t feel like you may not need it, I will always advocate for giving it a try if you’re able. It has changed my life in all of the best ways and I am endlessly thankful for it.

How would you help people around the world who are going through mental health problems? : By offering a hand to help hold them up. Simple as that. Whether they need someone to listen to them, someone to advocate for them, or just someone to simply agree with them. I’ve made several very deep connections through this platform and have helped some strangers out of very dangerous mindsets just by being the person they don’t have. A friend.

How would you describe a better world for us all? : A world where people can genuinely try to understand each other and invest time into each other. Less assumptions, less anger, less hurt. A world where there’s kindness in peoples hearts rather than fear. Obviously that’s a very idealistic and unrealistic situation, but accessibility towards protecting the minds of kids from birth would be a very beneficial start.

What else would you like to tell others about you or your life?: I know most people just know me as the sarcastic shithead raccoon on Twitter, and there’s nothing I love more than to just be a source of a laugh or a little positivity in someone’s day. All anyone needs to know about me is that I’m here doing my best just like the rest of y’all. But I’m sure as hell glad that I’m able to make some of you smile on a random Thursday afternoon.