There are moments during Grabbys week when you realise just how ridiculously small the creator world actually is.
People you've spoken to online.
People you've almost collaborated with.
People you've seen on social media.
People your boyfriend has been talking to.
People you've somehow missed in completely different countries.
And then suddenly you're all standing in the same place in Spain thinking:
Well. This worked out nicely.
This particular story involves Chris Legal, Tommy Baby, FitKinkPhil, David and me — plus a cameraman who, because apparently the universe wanted to make the coincidence even better, was another creator I'd already been talking to.
An Italian one, naturally.
THE GROUP CHAT BECOMES REAL LIFE
David had already been speaking to Chris for quite a while before the Grabbys.
We knew we'd all be in Spain at the same time, and eventually Chris invited David and me to join them for a group collaboration.
There wasn't an enormous amount of convincing required.
By this point in the week, we'd also crossed paths with some of the guys at parties and events, so there was already that familiar Grabbys feeling where people you've only just met somehow start feeling like people you've known for considerably longer.
Phil was another funny connection.
We already knew of each other from Germany and had previously been meant to meet, but it never actually happened.
So when we finally ended up together in Spain, it almost felt like a reunion despite the minor technicality that we'd never properly met in the first place.
This industry makes absolutely no sense sometimes.
A COUPLE OF DRINKS MAY HAVE BEEN INVOLVED
Before the shoot, David and I had been enjoying Grabbys week exactly as Grabbys week tends to be enjoyed.
We'd had a few drinks.
Nothing was particularly serious.
The party mood was very much switched on.
Which, in retrospect, was probably the perfect energy for this particular collaboration.
Thankfully, there was an actual cameraman there.
Because I can confidently say that on this occasion, I was not going to be the person responsible for cinematography.
We could just relax, enjoy ourselves and let somebody else worry about whether the camera was pointing in the right direction.
And it was fun.
Really fun.
We made a great video, everyone got on, nobody was taking themselves too seriously and it became one of those shoots where the atmosphere around what you're creating becomes part of the memory itself.
SIX DEGREES OF GRABBYS
The funniest part was looking around and realising how many separate little connections had somehow ended up in that room.
David had already been talking to Chris.
We'd previously tried to meet Phil in Germany.
I'd been talking to the Italian creator who was now behind the camera.
We'd met or bumped into people throughout the week.
And now everybody was together.
That's one of the things I love most about the Grabbys.
For a few days, this enormous online world suddenly becomes very small.
The usernames become people.
The DMs become conversations over drinks.
Someone you've followed for ages is suddenly standing next to you at a party.
A collaboration you've vaguely discussed for months can suddenly become:
Are you free this afternoon?
And apparently, sometimes everyone just ends up in the same room.
AND THEN THERE'S TOMMY
We all stayed in touch afterwards, but Tommy is somebody we've continued seeing quite a bit.
He doesn't live in the UK, but he comes to London regularly, and whenever he's here we try to meet if we can.
And the funny thing is, most of the time it has nothing to do with filming.
Just recently, we met up in London, went for a drink and spent our time chatting about life, everything that's been happening and — inevitably — next year's Grabbys.
Because apparently we're already doing this all over again.
And then we found Cumming Street.
Yes.
Cumming Street.
There are certain photographs that simply have to be taken.
This was one of them.
And judging by the resulting selfie, none of us were mature enough to walk past the sign and ignore it.
I stand by that decision.
WHY I KEEP GOING BACK
This story is probably a perfect example of why I have such a soft spot for Grabbys week.
Yes, there's filming.
There's partying.
There's networking.
There's a ridiculous amount happening at once.
But underneath all of it is this strange little community of people whose paths keep crossing.
Some you've known for years online.
Some you've only just met.
Some become collaborators.
And some become people you're messaging months later because they're coming to London and you fancy going for a drink.
The collaboration itself was great.
The content was great.
But once again, the thing that lasted longer was the connection with the people involved.
And I think that's why, whenever somebody asks me about the Grabbys, I struggle to give them a short answer.
Because it's never really one story.
It's dozens of them happening at the same time.
This was just one.
The rest probably deserve their own article.
And trust me.
They're getting one.
— Roby
