Britt Kascjak

I love Britt Kascjak. Britt is one of the most helpful bloggers out there. Britt also believes that the world can be a dark place. Her goal is to be a light for those that are struggling. Britt wants to change the hearts of those who judge and hate.  Her solution is to overshadow the hatred with love and acceptance.

Britt, always a pleasure to interview a fellow blogger. Please tell my audience about you?

I am a 32-year-old digital marketer and music instructor in small-town Southern Ontario. I have been blogging on and off for over 10 years, starting with a craft/DIY blog a while back (it has since been taken down and no longer exists) and eventually reaching the point that I now not only run my own blogs but also offer freelance writing services. I live with my husband and our ‘pack’ which includes 2 dogs and 2 cats. We love traveling, camping, hiking, anything outdoors, and a good beer (my husband is a craft beer blogger). I teach with Canada’s longest continuously running community marching band, the Kingsville Essex Associated Band, while also playing saxophone with a local community band and a saxophone quartet, performing all over the Windsor/Essex area for events, festivals, weddings, and more.

What is an alternate lifestyle? To be honest with you until you told me I had no clue?

The alternative lifestyle started as a counter-culture, a rebellion against mainstream society. It includes anything that ‘bucks the norm’. For this reason, the term can have a different meaning for different people. Some people, for example, lump everything that is even ‘slightly different’ under this title including retro/pin-up culture, geek culture, goth culture, tattoo culture, etc. Others, however, are a little more specific, seeing the term ‘alternative’ as being associated with specific stylistic cultures including tattoos, piercings, punk, gothic, etc.

I believe it goes a step further than just one’s stylistic choices and interests. Alternative culture, for me, is about a corner of this world that is fully accepting without judgment. It’s about accepting that we have all have the right to creative and personal expression, and respect that (even if it’s not your style). For example, there are a lot of more extreme body modification options that people engage in such as pointing the ears to represent elf ears or splitting the tongue. Those, honestly, aren’t my cup of tea. However, I fully respect the fact that they are for some people and I can genuinely appreciate the work that goes into making that happen. At the same time, my blue hair and tattoos may not be right for the next person, but I know going into a group in the world of alternative culture, that I don’t have to face judgment for it. They will respect me for me.

It’s about accepting the fact that everyone is an individual – and that is what makes this world such a fun, beautiful, and interesting place.

Do people look at you or treat you differently because of the blue hair, makeup, and tattoos?

As a society, we have come a long way in accepting self-expression and body modification. However, we still have a long way to go. I have had people stop me on the street to compliment or ask questions about my appearance, however, I’ve also been the recipient of some pretty hateful and judgmental comments and reactions. You learn to recognize that their hate isn’t a reflection of you, but rather a reflection of their own internal struggles. As soon as I made that shift in my way of thinking, I found myself responding differently. Today, I legitimately feel bad for those who live such a closed-minded life or who struggle so much with their own self-confidence that they project it onto others.

Is the lifestyle a rebellion against society or more a form of expression?

It is more a form of expression, but the two options aren’t mutually exclusive. For some, part of that ‘self-expression’ is actually the need to rebel against their past, their upbringing, or the closed-mindedness that they were raised to accept. I see this more in those who were raised in a very closed-minded or extreme religious setting. They start by rebelling against their parents, teachers, religious leaders, etc. by dressing differently, getting a tattoo or piercing, or dying their hair. However, this opens their eyes to 2 different things: their ability to express themselves in this way and, if they get into the right group of people, just how accepting the alternative culture can be. From there, it often grows into something more than rebellion.

Talk to me about your various blogs and what is your goal?

I currently run two very different blogs, each with its own distinct purpose:

AlternativelySpeaking.ca is an ‘alternative lifestyle’ blog. I cover many common topics including travel, pets, product reviews, and favorite recipes. However, there is a twist – everything on this blog is written through the lens of the alternative culture. For example, I recently published a guide full of patio ideas. Among the lounge chairs and patio umbrellas, there was also a skull rock sculpture, skull and crossbones windchimes, etc. On top of that, some of the most common topics on the blog are tattoos, piercings, rainbow hair, and discussion of the alternative culture as a whole. I hope that discussing and expressing it so openly on the blog as well as across all the corresponding social media accounts, that can help to normalize alternative culture and break down the barriers that lead to judgment.

UnapologeticallyYou.org is my newest blog. As someone who owns their own business in digital and social media marketing, I found that I had a growing number of bloggers asking me for advice about topics related to blogging and social media. I loved the idea of using my education and experience to help provide some trustworthy and factual information that can help others out, especially with a large amount of misleading or incorrect information that is circulating in the blogging community on a regular basis, but I didn’t want to flood Alternatively Speaking with these posts as that would take away from its initial purpose. Therefore, I decided the time had come to start a second blog focused specifically on helping bloggers, vloggers, influencers and content creators succeed.

I imagine you want to raise a family. Would you force your kids to follow this lifestyle?

I would definitely expect them to practice the acceptance that the lifestyle teaches, so that aspect, yes. However, as far as how they choose to express themselves, it is for them to decide. If I end up with a daughter who wants to embrace everything pretty pink and princesses, for example, then so be it. I will love and accept her for whatever she chooses. I believe this is the key to raising a generation that truly understands the concept of acceptance, love, and freedom from judgment. We have to start by demonstrating these qualities at home.

What does female empowerment mean to you?

There are many people who have taken the ‘female empowerment’ label to an extreme, trying to prove that women are the ‘superior sex’. Personally, I would love to see a world where TRUE equality exists. I don’t believe women should get any special or preferential treatment just as I would like to see the preferential treatment that is still aimed at men removed. Wages, promotions, hiring, etc. should be based 100% on qualifications and ability to do the job, with gender not playing into it. There are people who argue that men excel in some jobs because men are ‘stronger’, but there are strong women and there are weaker men. Rather than perpetuating gender stereotypes, I’d like to see ‘stronger people’ excel in these physical jobs. At the same time, if a man wants to embrace his compassionate side and teach at a preschool or become a nurse, power to him! Rather than fighting one another or trying to prove we are somehow ‘better’, let us build one another up and create a world that is truly based on equality.

I believe this is also incredibly important in the face of the changing views of gender. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I strongly believe that people should have the right to express their gender identity as they believe fits them individually. This breaks away from the traditional view of 2 distinct genders, which then further challenges our views of equality and empowerment. Those who identify as non-binary or gender-fluid should also have the same opportunities in life as those of us who do fall into one of the 2 known and accepted gender labels.

How are food, faith, family, and finance important to you?

I believe that true happiness in life involves finding a balance. Finding good health (perpetuated by good, quality, nutritional food), a solid financial foundation (eliminating unnecessary financial stress) will enable us to then focus our energy and attention on the things that bring us happiness and fulfillment such as our friends and family, finding our ‘purpose’ (career, volunteering, hobbies, etc.) and more. We need to create a life where we can crawl into bed each night with a smile on our faces knowing that, even in the face of adversity, we truly have many blessings.

The ’faith’ component is a little more challenging for me. I have always wrestled with my own views of faith, the concept of organized religion, and where I stand on it all. I do believe that we all need to have a belief in something, whether it’s a specific god, the concept of karma, or the belief that we can create happiness in this life because this life is all that we have. Unfortunately, throughout history, the idea of organized religion has often caused more harm than good and I have been on the receiving end of some serious judgment and hateful comments from those who claim to be religious. I was even informed that I am not welcome in one local church due to my appearance. For this reason, I am always careful to differentiate between faith and religion when this conversation comes up.

Tell me a good joke about the alternate lifestyle?

Totally corny, but it’s always made me laugh:

Did you hear about the guy with the misspelled tattoo? He says he has “No regerts”.