Cynthia Victor’s Holiday Rules

Cynthia Victor, widely recognized as Shawtysin, is a beacon of inspiration and authenticity in the digital realm. A first-generation immigrant and Tamil influencer, Cynthia’s relatable humour and compelling content have garnered her over 1.8 million followers on TikTok and a total of more than 2 million across all platforms. Born in Québec, Canada, and now calling New Jersey home, she skillfully weaves her rich heritage and culture into her narratives, championing body positivity and beauty while spotlighting the Sri Lankan community. Beyond her digital presence, Cynthia is a staunch advocate for anti-bullying, driven by her own experiences of cultural and aesthetic isolation during her formative years. Her passion for education reform and mental health awareness, particularly for children, underscores her multifaceted mission to inspire and enact meaningful change.

Your rise to fame on TikTok and other platforms is nothing short of phenomenal. What inspired you to embark on this journey of content creation?

My journey started during Covid when I had to move back home to quarantine with my family. During that time I had way too many free hours on my hands and My sister encouraged me at that time to get on TikTok and make content. I started with a series called ‘Matching My Makeup’ to something random I found in the house because this gave me a creative outlet and also structure and how to make content every day. I would post about three videos a day on TikTok as well as three on Instagram and I grew exponentially in such a short period.

As a Tamil influencer and first-generation immigrant, how has your cultural heritage shaped your approach to promoting body positivity and beauty?

Being a Tamil first-generation immigrant, my culture sadly was what made me hate my body and skin color because I was not the ideal standard of beauty. However, being able to become a social media persona helped me realise that the way I looked at myself can now be an example for other women to feel empowered and included in spaces with Tamil culture. Sometimes the lack of exposure to people who look like you and not seeing people who are “successful” who are Tamil is what makes it seem impossible.

Your authenticity resonates with millions. What core messages do you hope your audience takes away from your content?

Integrity is something that no one can take away from you. If you start doing things for money or for views or for engagement or even if you start to follow a click you can be easily forgotten and no one will respect you.

“When you are genuine, your content will always do better and work will never feel like a job because you just have to show up as yourself.”

You’ve faced significant challenges related to your culture and appearance growing up in New Jersey. How have these experiences fueled your advocacy for anti-bullying and mental health awareness?

The experiences I had growing up in New Jersey were all related to my Sri Lankan community giving me backlash for what I do and how I choose to portray myself. Coming from a conservative family background is the opposite of how I live my day-to-day life now. So the biggest difficulty was trying to get my family to accept me while they also faced the challenges of listening to “what others had to say” about me. So it was a constant struggle to follow my passion and give it up for all the people who were attacking me and my family. Over the years my family has realized that this is what makes me happy and they have grown to accept me. Don’t get me wrong, my mom still yells at me for everything but at the end of the day, I don’t have to hide anything from my family. Since this was possible for me, I’m sure this can be possible for a lot of young adults who struggle with similar issues. I hope they can use me as an example to never give up on what makes them truly happy.

Your philanthropic efforts, especially in raising funds for teachers’ salaries in Sri Lanka, are truly commendable. Can you share more about these initiatives and what fuels your passion for educational reform?

I’ve always had a big love for people back home especially because I am so privileged and I know that a few US Dollars makes such a big difference in Sri Lanka. My aunt is very immersed in the society back home and she was the one who told me about the issue of teachers being unable to teach because they are not being paid so we came up with a system that allows them to get paid monthly so that the schools could be running. I think education is so important, especially for people who are in third-world countries so if these teachers can teach someone who one day can break out of poverty that’s all that matters.

What current projects are you most passionate about?

As of right now, I’m trying to figure out how I can benefit my community in ways that are long-term instead of short-term resources. I think a lot of people get lost in the idea of Charities as just something to do and it’s more of a selfish thing but for me, the idea is that I am creating the change that I had wished to see when I was a child. I grew up in Newark where the education system is pretty bad and I wished I had been able to get a better education because I think that is what would have broken generational curses for everybody who went to school with me.

From yoga and hiking to volleyball and softball, your interests are as diverse as they are engaging. How do these activities influence your well-being and creative process?

It’s scientifically proven that going outside and physical activity is so good for your mental health as well as your physical health. Growing up, I was able to partake in sports and that has made me such a more well-rounded person because I was able to learn about teamwork, bad players, and competition discipline and it pushed me in ways that I never knew possible. By being able to do these physical activities I know that I was able to push myself physically more than I thought, and that’s why I also know that I can push my boundaries so much more in the creative space.

Looking ahead, what are your ultimate aspirations for your platform and advocacy? How do you envision creating lasting change in the realms of education and mental health awareness?

Ultimately I would love to move into a house but to have the freedom and ability to travel all around the world and experience Cuisine culture and experiences with the people that I love as well as be able to share my experiences with the community and make them feel seen just by living my authentic self. I know that money plays a big aspect in creating large amounts of change and I hope one day I am able to change the education system, especially in Newark by creating a different curriculum or by funding more teachers so that our students get an even playing field and more resources to create that change.

Cynthia’s Holiday Rules

What’s your most unforgettable travel destination?

I went to the Dominican Republic with my best friend and it was the first trip I had taken as an adult without my parents. It was so much fun! I got to stay in my best friend’s aunt’s house and we did everything the locals did and it made my experience so much better.

If you could live anywhere for a year, where would it be?

I have never been but I definitely think if I could live somewhere else for a year it would be Bali. I love Asian food and being submerged in nature and I think I would easily be the happiest I’ve ever been.

What’s your favourite hotel?

Equinox in the city.

Top destination on your travel bucket list?

Korea

What’s the most surprising thing you’ve discovered about yourself while travelling?

I realized I can’t eat at all the places I’ve wanted to because when you solo travel it’s just you and I eat a lot with my eyes but my stomach is pretty small.

How has your heritage influenced your travel experiences?

I definitely think most Asians are taught to respect their elders as well as different properties/ spaces around us. So everywhere I go I make it a point to not leave it A mess and to treat all of the property as if it were my own

What three things are always in your carry-on bag?

All my electronics, a set of clothes and a touch-up kit

Do you have any packing hacks?

I swear by packing cubes/ sorting bags. it helps me stay organized going, on the trio and when I’m packing to come back home.

Describe your perfect vacation day.

Let my body wake up, order room service and get ready as I drink my iced coffee, listen to music and snack on fruit. After getting ready to explore the new city, go out, check out different locations, eat out locally, shop then head back to the room for a break and outfit change. Go somewhere cool for dinner and let the night go wherever it decides to!

What’s your go-to travel souvenir?

I try to pick up a shotglass whenever I visit a new place!

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