B.C. man's balloon-popping videos earn hundreds of millions of views worldwide
Before David Beck discovered the positive potential of filling a balloon full of water, he was striving to be a full-time travel photographer.
“It was my big dream,” David says. “I was working hard.”
But then the pandemic hit harder. David lost both his photography gigs and the bartending job that was paying the bills.
“I was definitely under a lot of stress,” David says.
He says his mental health started suffering, so he began searching for some way to take his mind off it all.
“Obviously you’re looking for a positive place to put your energy,” David says.
Obviously if you have a lot of time on your hands, with nothing to lose, why not pop a balloon full of water with an axe and capture the action in slow motion on camera.
But far from obvious was what happened after David posted the video on social media.
“In the first 24 hours, I got a million views or something,” David says. “I was freaking out!”
David says the video would eventually reach more than 200 millions views, so he wondered what would happen if he made a couple more.
When you pop balloons on the internet and it goes viral, you keep going.
“I just think, right place at the right time,” David says.
Yet, three and half years later, during this very different time from the pandemic, David’s balloon-busting videos are earning even more viewers.
“Things have skyrocketed,” David says.
Thanks to producing countless thousands of daily balloon-popping videos on YouTube and other social media sites, David’s earned almost 20 million followers. A couple of his videos have earned more than 500 million views each.
David is now a full-time content creator.
“It’s wild.” David says he’s thankful for his global audience. “I’m stoked.”
David says he also couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity to focus his seemingly superficial content on more substantial issues, ranging from the war in Ukraine, to videos specifically aimed at calming anxiety or distracting from depression.
“My message is to share gratitude, positivity and love,” David says.
David also shows us how — if we choose to respond creatively — the worst days of our lives can be transformed into our best.
“When life’s calling on you, you gotta respond,” David smiles. “You gotta do what you can to keep going.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Air turbulence: When can it become dangerous?
Flight turbulence like that encountered by a Singapore Airlines flight on Tuesday is extremely common, but there's one aspect of severe turbulence an aviation expert says can lead to serious injury.
B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton hospitalized after prison attack
British Columbia serial killer Robert Pickton was attacked and sustained life-threatening injuries in a Quebec prison Sunday in what officials described as a 'major assault.'
opinion Tom Mulcair: With Trudeau spiralling, Mark Carney waits in the wings
In his latest column for CTVNews.ca, former NDP leader Tom Mulcair argues that if there's an unofficial frontrunner in the eventual race to replace Justin Trudeau as Liberal leader, it has to be former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney.
Toronto Blue Jays fan struck by 110 m.p.h foul ball offered tickets, signed baseball by team
The Toronto Blue Jays have offered tickets and a signed baseball to a fan who says she was struck in the face by a 110 m.p.h (177 km/h) foul ball at Friday’s game.
Orphan orca's extended family spotted off northeast side of Vancouver Island
Members of a killer whale pod related to an orphan orca calf that escaped a remote British Columbia tidal lagoon last month have been spotted off the northeast coast of Vancouver Island.
OPP continues to investigate boat collision north of Kingston, Ont. that left 3 people dead
Ontario Provincial Police continue to investigate a long weekend fatal boat collision on Bobs Lake, north of Kingston, Ont.
Matthew Perry's death is being investigated over ketamine level found in actor's blood, reports say
An investigation has been opened into the death of Matthew Perry and how the “Friends” actor received the anesthetic ketamine, which was ruled a contributing factor in his death.
WATCH Why today's inflation numbers are good if you have a mortgage
New inflation data is 'welcome news' for consumers and an economist says it could signal the possibility for a interest rate cut as several core measures also continue to ease.
'Miscommunication' Liberals say of Speaker Fergus event invite Conservatives call partisan
House of Commons Speaker Greg Fergus is facing fresh Conservative-led calls to resign, this time over "very partisan" and 'inflammatory' language used – the Liberals say mistakenly – to promote an upcoming event.