Stars Making a Social Impact: Rising Music Star Anna Akana shares how she uses comedy to cope with depression and other personal struggles

My ideal would be everyone doing one kind thing for another person a day. Giving back is such an important aspect of feeling good. And the online space can be a very ugly place.

I had the pleasure to interview actress, comedian, and singer Anna Akana. On her debut album Casualty, Anna Akana takes an unapologetic and uncompromising look at all the battles she’s faced throughout her life, from depression to abuse to toxic relationships. But with the same unstoppable spirit and magnetic presence she’s shown in her self-driven career as an actress, producer, filmmaker, and writer — as well as a social media superstar whose YouTube channel boasts over 2.5 million subscribers — Akana turns all that pain into a message of strength and self-empowerment. As shown in her irresistibly powerful songwriting, Casualty is the outcome of Akana’s lifelong and unwavering devotion to music. With no limits to her artistry, she’s honed her sophisticated musicality while forging an astoundingly multifaceted career in nearly all corners of the entertainment industry. “The album’s called Casualty because even though…